Annatto

Consistency, it has been said, is the goal of any quality process. Such is the mantra of most cheddar cheese and butter manufacturers who desire the color of their product to be the same all year long, regardless of the changing weather and feed available to the cows who produce milk, the precursor of both butter and cheddar cheese.

Enter annatto, long used as a spice and a dye, to give both their characteristic shades. Honestly, would a little variation really matter? I prefer my cheddar to be white (or uncolored), but that's just me.

This week, a look at annatto.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable." - Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known by his stage name Molière (French playwright and actor, 1622-1673)

Annatto

A Cautionary Tale - 1931 Botulism Poisoning Tragedy in North Dakota

Canning is a great way to preserve vegetables and fruits for your own use or for gifts. The basic principal is simple: during the canning process, food is heated to a high enough temperature to stop the decaying action of enzymes and/or bacteria and other microorganisms in the food. The food is then stored in sterile, airtight containers to prevent contamination.

This isn't a process you should treat carelessly. In the United States, an average of 22 cases of botulism are reported each year. Outbreaks of foodborne botulism involving two or more persons occur are usually caused by eating contaminated home-canned foods.

This week, a cautionary tale on canning your own food.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine." - Anthony J. D'Angelo (American author and motivational speaker, 1972- )

A Cautionary Tale - 1931 Botulism Poisoning Tragedy in North Dakota

Virtual Supermarket

Quick Response codes are a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) designed to be read by smartphones. The smartphone train left the station without me, as I continue to use a cell phone with little intelligence (as I recently described it, an abandoned caboose on a spur line no longer in use). QR codes are everywhere, with a recent and explosive 1200% increase in their use in North America alone.

There is literally no end to how they can be used, including shopping for groceries in the subway. Since I found this article, China has also added this technology in cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Not quite shopping in your jammies, but still pretty convenient. This week, a look at Virtual Supermarkets.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932, 1841-1935)

Virtual Supermarket

Food Like a Drug?

A 2010 study with rats suggests that high-fat, high-calorie foods affect the brain in much the same way as cocaine and heroin. When rats consume these foods in great enough quantities, it leads to compulsive eating habits that resemble drug addiction, the study found.

Scientists have finally confirmed what the rest of us have suspected for years: Bacon, cheesecake, and other delicious yet fattening foods may be addictive.

This week, a look at how food may be like a drug to our brains.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts (British novelist, poet, and dramatist, 1862-1960)
Food Like a Drug