I remember the anxiety and awkwardness of dating; and not just dating in general, but dating a girl for only a few weeks to a month knowing that Valentine’s Day was just around the corner. If you are interested in the young lady you don’t want to seem too over zealous. If not interested, you don’t want to seem too uninterested for fear that she will get the hint and soon you’ll be at home alone on Saturday night wondering how you blew the best thing that could have happened to you (or at least you’ll be thinking that at the time).
So February 14th arrives and you are armed with flowers, perhaps some chocolates, a card (maybe with a cute poem inside) and a small gift wrapped box. You escort your date to a cozy little Italian restaurant (because you’d actually listened when she was discussing her favorite fare previously) for a nice, and hopefully romantic, dinner. Dinner comes and goes, as does dessert, and you are awaiting the uncomfortable moment of exchanging gifts. Should you go first? Should she? Then simultaneously you hand her your small gift wrapped box and she hands you a slightly larger one but nearly equal in weight. The sound of paper tearing fills the room followed by the gasps that can only be made of a girl staring at diamond earrings. Meanwhile, you are searching for some complementary words to utter to mask your disappointment as you hold up a scarf that is remarkably akin to one your grandmother knitted for you when you were ten. At that precise moment, taking only nanoseconds to process, you quickly add up the cost of the flowers, earrings, chocolate, the card and dinner (including the additional bottle of wine just ordered) and wonder who the hell this St. Valentine is that started this crappy tradition. Obviously wedding bells may not be in the immediate future and you are left feeling more like you were on the receiving end at the St. Valentine’s Day massacre. Yet you sit there and wonder how this stupid tradition started (while she’s trying on the earrings of course).
Valentine’s Day is named after two Christian martyrs named Valentine and became associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages when courtly love (not to be confused with Courtney Love) flourished.
Far better known than the Saint Valentines is Valentinius of Alexandria. His Gnostic teaching was highly influential and was a candidate for Bishop of Rome. He spoke of the marriage bed assuming the central place in his interpretation of Christian love. This was in direct contrast to the austere views of Christianity at the time.
The middle of February became associated with love and fertility back in ancient times. The period between mid-January and mid-February was the month of Gamelion on the ancient Athens calendar. Gamelion was dedicated to the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera.
February 15th in Rome marked a celebration called Lupercalia, named after the legendary wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. Activities of the festival included noble youths and magistrates running up and down the streets naked for sport. Many women of status would purposely get in their way and be reprimanded by being struck on the hands, believing that those that were pregnant would be aided in delivery, and those that were barren become pregnant. Lupercalia was abolished in 496 by Pope Gelasius but in its stead declared that the feast of St. Valentine would be celebrated on February 14th.
A High Court of Love was established in Paris on Valentine’s Day in 1400. The court heard matters including love contract disputes, betrayals and violence against women. The judges were selected by women based on their poetry reading prowess.
The earliest record of a valentine is said to be a poem written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife during his incarceration in the Tower of London after his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
It is speculated that the legends of St. Valentine began during the 1400’s including:
· Valentine passed a love note to his jailer’s daughter that read “From your Valentine” on the eve before he was to be martyred.
· St. Valentine arranged marriages in secret as a ban of marriage was placed on Roman Soldiers by Emperor Claudius II.
The United States has dubbed Valentine’s Day as a Hallmark Holiday. It is estimated by the Greeting Card Association that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year making it the second largest holiday for card sending outside of Christmas. I t is thought that Valentine’s Day was brought to North America by British settlers around the 19th century. Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts is credited as being the first in the United States to mass-produce valentines of embossed paper lace back in 1847. Soon, the tradition of exchanging cards expanded to include gifts such as roses and chocolates. And not to be outdone, the diamond industry began promoting gift giving in the form of jewelry.
It is at that point that realize that big-business advertising does work as you quietly sit there and fasten a noose out of your scarf.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Chili Peppers:
History
Archeological evidence suggests that chili peppers have been part of the human diet in the Americas as early as 7500 BC. The evidence also suggests that in sites in southwestern Ecuador, chili peppers were grown domestically around 6000 years ago making them one of the first cultivated crops in the Americas.
One of the first Europeans to encounter chilies was Christopher Columbus during a stop in the Caribbean. He called them “peppers” because they were similar in taste to what he was used to in the Old County. At the time, Columbus was searching for a new route to Asia and may have named the chilies “pepper” after the Asian spice to convince his crew that he did in fact find a new route.
Columbus introduced chilies to various parts of the globe in subsequent voyages. The first chili peppers were brought to Spain by Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus’ second voyage to the West Indies in 1493. He was also the first to write about the medicinal effects of chilies in 1494.
Heat of the Chili Pepper
The chili pepper, by definition, is the fruit of the Capsicum plant. The term ‘chili’ usually refers to the smaller, hotter species of Capsicum as the larger, milder types are called bell peppers. Heat of the chili comes from a main chemical compound named capsaicin as well as other related chemicals collectively called capsaicinoids. The highest concentration of capsaicin, thus the majority of the heat, is found in the placenta, not the seeds as myth would have it. To mitigate the heat of a chili simply scrape the seeds and placenta from the inside of the pepper.
Heats of peppers are measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). William Scoville developed a scale to measure the heat level in chilies back in 1912. He asked a panel of tasters to state when a dilute solution of a particular pepper no longer burned their mouth. From the results he constructed a table of peppers and associated SHU ranges that remain in use today. The higher the scoville unit, the hotter the pepper. The method of determining the unit has since been replaced with High Performance Liquid Chromatography.
The heat of some common peppers is as follows:
Bell Peppers 0 SHU
Jalapeno 3,000 – 6000 SHU
Tabasco 120,000 SHU
Habanero 300,000 SHU
The hottest pepper in existence is an ongoing debate. Recently, test conducted by the Chile Pepper Institute of the University of New Mexico and the Commercial Chilli Growers Frontal Agritech measure the Bhut Jolokia chili at 1,001,304 SHU and 1,041,427 SHU respectively making it the hottest Chili currently known to man.
Physiological Effects
Capsaicinoids bind to the receptors in the lining of the mouth responsible for registering pain from heat, hence the burning feeling. More specifically, the burning feeling is actually the flow of calcium ions from one cell to the next. Continued exposure to capsaicinoids depletes the receptors enabling you to eat hotter chilies and feel the same effect. The pain caused by eating the chilies release endorphins which lead to a feeling of elation.
Capsaicin also blocks the production of neurotransmitters which prevent nerves from communicating with each other. High concentrations of capsaicinoids are toxic and painful enough to be incapacitating. In earlier times, Mayans threw chilies at their enemy during battle. In modern times, pepper sprays are used to accomplish the same results.
Culinary Uses
The chili is a staple among Mexican cuisine and has also become an integral part of Tex-Mex dishes. In addition, the chili has also become part of Korean, Indian, Indonesian and Szechuan and Tai cooking. The fruit is eaten raw or cooked and adds a fiery hot flavor to dishes.
Indian cuisine includes the use of chilies in dishes such as bajji, a battered and fried pepper snack, and vindaloo. Chilies are also dried and roasted and salted for use in rice dishes like vadam. Sambal is a dipping sauce made from chilies, garlic, onion, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
In Filipino cuisine, the leaves of the chili plant are cooked as greens in a dish called dahon ng sili. Chili leaves are also used in tinola, a chicken soup dish.
Spices such as paprika and chili powder are derived from chilies as well. Paprika is a made from dried chilies with a dash of Cayenne for heat while chili powder is composed of a mixture of dried chilies, cumin, garlic and oregano.
Smoked jalapenos, called chipoltes, are used in sauces, pickled in adobo sauce or powdered. They can be added to such dishes as stews, chicken dishes, chili or used as a glaze for shrimp
Hot Sauce
Hot sauces are probably the most common use for chilies. The most famous sauce being Tabasco made from Tabasco chilies which are fermented and aged in oak barrels for up to three years.
The average person can make their own hot sauce as the ingredients are fairly simple. All that you really need are chilies, vegetable oil and vinegar. Perfecting a hot sauce is another story. Ingredients in a hot sauce can very from cumin to mango.
Health Benefits
Red chilies are rich in vitamin C and provitamin A although yellow and green chilies have considerably lower amounts. All peppers are a good source of vitamin B, particularly B6. They are also high in potassium, magnesium and iron.
Studies have shown that chilies aid in the alleviation of pain in arthritis patients and may also play a role in fighting cancer. Some scientists say that capsaicin could be used to kill tumors with few or no side effects to the patient. Hot chilies are also known to kill parasites in the gastro-intestinal tract and are commonly used as a dietary component in tropical regions.
Chilies also have cardiovascular benefits, weight loss benefits and help to clear mucus from stuffed noses and congested lungs. According to a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition chilies also help to lower the risk of Diabetes. After a meal consisting of chilies the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar levels is reduced. Canadian researchers claim that chilies may play an important role in curing diabetes altogether.
Archeological evidence suggests that chili peppers have been part of the human diet in the Americas as early as 7500 BC. The evidence also suggests that in sites in southwestern Ecuador, chili peppers were grown domestically around 6000 years ago making them one of the first cultivated crops in the Americas.
One of the first Europeans to encounter chilies was Christopher Columbus during a stop in the Caribbean. He called them “peppers” because they were similar in taste to what he was used to in the Old County. At the time, Columbus was searching for a new route to Asia and may have named the chilies “pepper” after the Asian spice to convince his crew that he did in fact find a new route.
Columbus introduced chilies to various parts of the globe in subsequent voyages. The first chili peppers were brought to Spain by Diego Alvarez Chanca, a physician on Columbus’ second voyage to the West Indies in 1493. He was also the first to write about the medicinal effects of chilies in 1494.
Heat of the Chili Pepper
The chili pepper, by definition, is the fruit of the Capsicum plant. The term ‘chili’ usually refers to the smaller, hotter species of Capsicum as the larger, milder types are called bell peppers. Heat of the chili comes from a main chemical compound named capsaicin as well as other related chemicals collectively called capsaicinoids. The highest concentration of capsaicin, thus the majority of the heat, is found in the placenta, not the seeds as myth would have it. To mitigate the heat of a chili simply scrape the seeds and placenta from the inside of the pepper.
Heats of peppers are measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU). William Scoville developed a scale to measure the heat level in chilies back in 1912. He asked a panel of tasters to state when a dilute solution of a particular pepper no longer burned their mouth. From the results he constructed a table of peppers and associated SHU ranges that remain in use today. The higher the scoville unit, the hotter the pepper. The method of determining the unit has since been replaced with High Performance Liquid Chromatography.
The heat of some common peppers is as follows:
Bell Peppers 0 SHU
Jalapeno 3,000 – 6000 SHU
Tabasco 120,000 SHU
Habanero 300,000 SHU
The hottest pepper in existence is an ongoing debate. Recently, test conducted by the Chile Pepper Institute of the University of New Mexico and the Commercial Chilli Growers Frontal Agritech measure the Bhut Jolokia chili at 1,001,304 SHU and 1,041,427 SHU respectively making it the hottest Chili currently known to man.
Physiological Effects
Capsaicinoids bind to the receptors in the lining of the mouth responsible for registering pain from heat, hence the burning feeling. More specifically, the burning feeling is actually the flow of calcium ions from one cell to the next. Continued exposure to capsaicinoids depletes the receptors enabling you to eat hotter chilies and feel the same effect. The pain caused by eating the chilies release endorphins which lead to a feeling of elation.
Capsaicin also blocks the production of neurotransmitters which prevent nerves from communicating with each other. High concentrations of capsaicinoids are toxic and painful enough to be incapacitating. In earlier times, Mayans threw chilies at their enemy during battle. In modern times, pepper sprays are used to accomplish the same results.
Culinary Uses
The chili is a staple among Mexican cuisine and has also become an integral part of Tex-Mex dishes. In addition, the chili has also become part of Korean, Indian, Indonesian and Szechuan and Tai cooking. The fruit is eaten raw or cooked and adds a fiery hot flavor to dishes.
Indian cuisine includes the use of chilies in dishes such as bajji, a battered and fried pepper snack, and vindaloo. Chilies are also dried and roasted and salted for use in rice dishes like vadam. Sambal is a dipping sauce made from chilies, garlic, onion, shallots, salt, vinegar and sugar and is popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
In Filipino cuisine, the leaves of the chili plant are cooked as greens in a dish called dahon ng sili. Chili leaves are also used in tinola, a chicken soup dish.
Spices such as paprika and chili powder are derived from chilies as well. Paprika is a made from dried chilies with a dash of Cayenne for heat while chili powder is composed of a mixture of dried chilies, cumin, garlic and oregano.
Smoked jalapenos, called chipoltes, are used in sauces, pickled in adobo sauce or powdered. They can be added to such dishes as stews, chicken dishes, chili or used as a glaze for shrimp
Hot Sauce
Hot sauces are probably the most common use for chilies. The most famous sauce being Tabasco made from Tabasco chilies which are fermented and aged in oak barrels for up to three years.
The average person can make their own hot sauce as the ingredients are fairly simple. All that you really need are chilies, vegetable oil and vinegar. Perfecting a hot sauce is another story. Ingredients in a hot sauce can very from cumin to mango.
Health Benefits
Red chilies are rich in vitamin C and provitamin A although yellow and green chilies have considerably lower amounts. All peppers are a good source of vitamin B, particularly B6. They are also high in potassium, magnesium and iron.
Studies have shown that chilies aid in the alleviation of pain in arthritis patients and may also play a role in fighting cancer. Some scientists say that capsaicin could be used to kill tumors with few or no side effects to the patient. Hot chilies are also known to kill parasites in the gastro-intestinal tract and are commonly used as a dietary component in tropical regions.
Chilies also have cardiovascular benefits, weight loss benefits and help to clear mucus from stuffed noses and congested lungs. According to a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition chilies also help to lower the risk of Diabetes. After a meal consisting of chilies the amount of insulin required to lower blood sugar levels is reduced. Canadian researchers claim that chilies may play an important role in curing diabetes altogether.
Brief overview of Coffee:
History
The origin of coffee can be traced to the highlands of Ethiopia as early as the 9th century. It then spread to Egypt and Yemen and reached Persia, Egypt, Turkey and northern Africa by the 15th Century.
Originally, coffee was not well received because of its stimulating effects. It was forbidden by conservative, orthodox imams in 1511 at a theological court in Mecca. These bans were overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I. due to the drinks popularity. A similar ban was imposed in Cairo, Egypt in 1532 which led to authorities raiding coffee houses and warehouses that contained coffee beans.
Coffee was not as successful in the American colonies as it was in Europe as colonists found it a poor substitute for alcohol. The demand for coffee increased significantly during the Revolutionary War due to the reduced availability of tea from British merchants. This resulted in coffee dealers hoarding supplies and increasing prices excessively. During the early 19th century, following the War of 1812, Americans’ taste for coffee grew. This is partially due to tea imports being cut off during the war. Further, coffee solidified its position as an every day commodity due to the advancements in brewing technology.
Coffee Plants
The two main species of coffee plants are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora(robusta). Coffea arabica is older than Coffea canephora and is thought to be indigenous to south-western Ethiopia in an area called Kaffa. Although the Coffea arabica plant is more susceptible to disease its seeds (coffee beans) are considered to be far tastier than those of the Coffea canephora plant. The Coffea canephora plant thrives in environments where arabica can not and is thought to have originated in Uganda. It also contains between 40-50% more caffeine which has led to its use as an inexpensive substitute for arabica in some commercial blends. Coffea canephora beans tend to be bitter, lack flavor and emit a burnt rubber aroma when processing. The commercial roasters use a steam process to remove undesirable flavors from the beans as part of the techniques necessary to produce their blends.
Processing
The processing of coffee beans prior to consumption is and extremely labor intensive process. Coffee berries must be picked, de-fruited, sorted, and in some processes, aged. In general, coffee is roasted and sold by the supplier but can be home roated by the consumer.
The process of roasting coffee is a complicated chemical process that creates the flavor of coffee from an otherwise bland bean. The un-roasted coffee bean contains all of coffee’s acids, proteins and caffeine but none of the flavor. The flavor results when heat sparks a chemical reaction that turns carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils, burn off moisture and carbon dioxide and break down and build up acids. The aromatic oil primarily responsible for the stereotypical aroma and flavor of coffee is called caffeol.
Grinding the roasted coffee beans can be done at the roastery, the grocery store or at home. Typically the beans are ground at the roastery, packaged and sold to the consumer however recent trends today are such that whole beans are sold to the consumer to be ground at home.
Coffee and Health
Scientists have long studied the relationship between coffee consumption and medical conditions including diabetes, cardio vascular disease, cancer and cirrhosis. To date coffee hasn’t proven to have specific health benefits, and results are similarly conflicting with respect to negative effects of coffee consumption. It is also unclear whether the negative effects or medical benefits are attributed to caffeine or other chemical substances found in coffee.
Coffee consumers have consistently shown a reduction of diabetes mellitus type 2, an association that cannot be explained by the caffeine content alone as results were stronger in decaffeinated coffee.
Coffee was also found to reduce the chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver by as high as 80%.
The origin of coffee can be traced to the highlands of Ethiopia as early as the 9th century. It then spread to Egypt and Yemen and reached Persia, Egypt, Turkey and northern Africa by the 15th Century.
Originally, coffee was not well received because of its stimulating effects. It was forbidden by conservative, orthodox imams in 1511 at a theological court in Mecca. These bans were overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I. due to the drinks popularity. A similar ban was imposed in Cairo, Egypt in 1532 which led to authorities raiding coffee houses and warehouses that contained coffee beans.
Coffee was not as successful in the American colonies as it was in Europe as colonists found it a poor substitute for alcohol. The demand for coffee increased significantly during the Revolutionary War due to the reduced availability of tea from British merchants. This resulted in coffee dealers hoarding supplies and increasing prices excessively. During the early 19th century, following the War of 1812, Americans’ taste for coffee grew. This is partially due to tea imports being cut off during the war. Further, coffee solidified its position as an every day commodity due to the advancements in brewing technology.
Coffee Plants
The two main species of coffee plants are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora(robusta). Coffea arabica is older than Coffea canephora and is thought to be indigenous to south-western Ethiopia in an area called Kaffa. Although the Coffea arabica plant is more susceptible to disease its seeds (coffee beans) are considered to be far tastier than those of the Coffea canephora plant. The Coffea canephora plant thrives in environments where arabica can not and is thought to have originated in Uganda. It also contains between 40-50% more caffeine which has led to its use as an inexpensive substitute for arabica in some commercial blends. Coffea canephora beans tend to be bitter, lack flavor and emit a burnt rubber aroma when processing. The commercial roasters use a steam process to remove undesirable flavors from the beans as part of the techniques necessary to produce their blends.
Processing
The processing of coffee beans prior to consumption is and extremely labor intensive process. Coffee berries must be picked, de-fruited, sorted, and in some processes, aged. In general, coffee is roasted and sold by the supplier but can be home roated by the consumer.
The process of roasting coffee is a complicated chemical process that creates the flavor of coffee from an otherwise bland bean. The un-roasted coffee bean contains all of coffee’s acids, proteins and caffeine but none of the flavor. The flavor results when heat sparks a chemical reaction that turns carbohydrates and fats into aromatic oils, burn off moisture and carbon dioxide and break down and build up acids. The aromatic oil primarily responsible for the stereotypical aroma and flavor of coffee is called caffeol.
Grinding the roasted coffee beans can be done at the roastery, the grocery store or at home. Typically the beans are ground at the roastery, packaged and sold to the consumer however recent trends today are such that whole beans are sold to the consumer to be ground at home.
Coffee and Health
Scientists have long studied the relationship between coffee consumption and medical conditions including diabetes, cardio vascular disease, cancer and cirrhosis. To date coffee hasn’t proven to have specific health benefits, and results are similarly conflicting with respect to negative effects of coffee consumption. It is also unclear whether the negative effects or medical benefits are attributed to caffeine or other chemical substances found in coffee.
Coffee consumers have consistently shown a reduction of diabetes mellitus type 2, an association that cannot be explained by the caffeine content alone as results were stronger in decaffeinated coffee.
Coffee was also found to reduce the chances of developing cirrhosis of the liver by as high as 80%.
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