Food & Drink Quiz Friday #8

This type of seed is one of the oldest oil seeds known to man and is highly valued due to its exceptional resistance to rancidity. The seeds are a source of essential nutrients like omega-6 fatty acids (mainly linoleic and oleic), contain high amounts of protein and dietary fiber, and are rich in B vitamins, manganese, magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc.

A phrase made popular from the tale Arabian Nights references the way the pod of this seed bursts open when it reaches maturity.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #7

Now available fresh or tinned, Laverbread is rich in minerals and vitamins, including B12. It is also high in protein, iron, and iodine, and low in calories. Traditionally it was eaten as part of a miner's breakfast before a long day at the pits. It was also recommended for women and children who were suffering from malnourishment.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #6

If you hold an ultraviolet light (or a black light) over a bottle of tonic water, this ingredient makes it fluoresce. The FDA limits the contents of this ingredient in tonic water to 83 ppm (parts per million).

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #5

Made from two simple ingredients (sugar and the nut in question), marzipan is mentioned in Persian text dated all the back to the year 850. More than likely, it was around for many years before that. There are other varieties of marzipan made now that use other nuts, but I'm looking for the "original" nut today.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Answer to Food & Drink Quiz Friday #4: The first loaf of pre-sliced bread hit shelves on July 7, 1928 labeled "Sliced Kleen Maid Bread".!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #4

The answer to ragged, irregular slices that consumers got every time they had to cut a piece of bread from their store-bought loaves, Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented the Rohwedder Bread Slicer. This machine that sent the first wax paper-wrapped loaf of pre-sliced bread onto shelves measured 5 feet wide and 3 feet high.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #3

Thought to be the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man, some think this drink was discovered by accident when some hungry hunter-gatherers stumbled upon an upturned beehive filled with sweet, fermented rain water. 

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #2

The stigmas are the female part of this flower which comes from a plant that might produce several flowers in a good year. Each of these flowers contains three stigmas, which are the only part of the flower that, when dried properly, become commercial, culinary grade saffron.

If you have a fun or interesting food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Food & Drink Quiz Friday #1

This food has the fifth basic taste called umami and is one of the very few plant sources of Vitamin D.

Join me every week for my new feature, Food & Drink Quiz Friday. I've always been a trivia buff, so this is a way for me to have fun and flex my brain muscles alongside all of you. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!

If you have a great food or drink related trivia question that you'd like me to feature, send me an email with the words "Food and Drink Quiz Friday" in the subject line to girlichef@yahoo.com!

Give it Away Now...

So, a few weeks back, I won these fun greeting cards made by Lady Stiles from The Beauty of Life.  Cute, huh?  

What's that?  You said you want some, too?  

Okay, okay...settle down...you may just get lucky and find a set of these in your very own mailbox one day soon. MmmHmm.  Lady Stiles is going to send one lucky reader a set of their very own greeting cards.  Just like mine.  Only not.  You will actually get 2 extra cards with surprise photos and greetings.  Sweet.

If you would like to enter to win a set of these beauties, simply leave a comment on this post telling me why snail mail totally kicks e-mails butt.  You can be serious.  You can jest.  You can make up a story.  You can tell me a truth.  It would also be nice if you'd stop over and say hello to Lady Stiles...it's not a requirement, but "it'd be a lot cooler if you did."***

***BONUS ENTRY: Tell me which movie this quote (the underlined one) is from (in a separate comment).  It's an oldie but a goodie...and back in college, we used to watch it on a loop...and recite it by heart. 

Giveaway ends May 14th at 11:59 pm (Eastern time).  Be sure I have some way of getting in touch with you if you win (email, link back to blog, etc.).  Good Luck!

*Update May 15: Winner by random dot org draw is #2 Erin from Eating My Way Back...congrats Erin! Thanks to all who participated...and yup, the movie was Dazed and Confused.  All right, all right, all right...

MAITRI ----> mystery, intrigue, and foodie fun

Soon I will receive a mystery box.  In this box will be a secret ingredient.  I will then use my culinary prowess to identify said ingredient.  Once this initial task is complete, I will head to the kitchen to create something magical with said ingredient.  I am sure drumming of fingers and crinkling of forehead will follow shortly, as I prepare my own mystery box to send to another participant eagerly anticipating their own adventure.

Intrigued?  Foodie and Mystery Lover? Just follow THESE CLUES to learn more.

(watch for my MAITRI post coming soon...)

HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event

The HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event is coming up next weekend- March 26 & 27!  Well, what is it you wonder?  Let me tell you... it's a foodie's dream...LIVE introductions to new products and information by great celebrity chefs such as Padma Lakshmi, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Jacques Torres...just to name a few.  From trusted to new food brands...to the premiere of the Lee Bros...to a wok collection and healthy stir-fry guide by Chef Ken Hom, the Cooks Spring Weekend Event is "the ultimate kitchen and food shopping experience with celebrity chefs and culinary experts presenting high-quality kitchenware, time-saving appliances and tasty cuisine."

Also watch for value-pack bundles, free shipping on certain items, special event pricing, and HSN gift cards, not to mention special offers on Bon Appétit subscriptions (Bon Appétit is presenting the event with HSN).  To see the schedule and a preview of some of the new products being launched and to read more about the chefs who will be there, please visit the HSN announcement page!

*I received a $10 gift card from HSN in exchange for getting spreading the word about this fun foodie event.

Finally Strawberries (!) plus some awards.

Strawberry season has begun here in the Michiana area....Yippee! You just can't beat locally grown strawberries....sweet as sugar and dribbling down your chin. If I don't get more than one carton from the Farmer's Market then I probably won't get any. My daughter usually polishes one off before we get to the front door. I love being able to buy a lot in-season, then wash them and freeze them! Year-round goodies (well okay, not year-round...but at least a few months) for us. We bought our first carton this past weekend and man, did they go quick. Basically, I washed and sliced them and sprinkled them with a little raw sugar (love that little crunch). I love them drizzled with a little Balsamic Vinegar, creme fraiche and a "short" biscuit....YES! Okay, now I need to go back to the market tomorrow...ah, just thinking about strawberries and seeing the sun shine makes me smile :) Do you know what else makes me smile? Getting an award. And I received 2...so imagine the cheese on my face. Sam from My Carolina Kitchen blessed me with the Sisterhood Award a couple of weeks ago. Sorry it took me so long to openly acknowledge Sam...the move just had me occupied for- (what seemed like) -ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Sam. I know that a lot of the bloggers who I know have already received this award, and I don't want to inundate them with my affections, but I'm going to pass this Sisterhood Award on to Karen from DomesticMuse, Martina over at Sugamama's Cafe and Coleen from Coleen's recipes. These are 3 unique and gorgeous ladies...each with their own flair and love for what they do. Go check them out...if you haven't already. And I also received the PREMIO MEME award (yes, I'd say it's an award & an honor for someone to want to know more about you) from my friend Karen over at DomesticMuse! How cool is this? This award asks us to share 7 of our personality traits. Here are 7 of mine: 1. Passionate...about everything I love. 2. Earth-Mama...that's a trait, right? 3. Compassionate 4. Musical...or perhaps theatrical? 5. Selfish...yup, kinda. sometimes. 6. Giving...funny how I can be both. 7. Creative We are also supposed to select 7 bloggers to pass this on to...to find out their particular "memes". I'm gonna go ahead and break the rules. I'll just pick a couple to pass it on to...answer if you like, don't if you prefer not to. I've always been fascinated by people and what makes them tick, so I'd love to hear your answers. At the same time, I understand completely if you don't want to put yourself out there. If I didn't pass it on and you want to grab the picture and do it anyway, then do it by all means! So, whose personality traits do I want to know (honestly, every body's....but since I must name a few)...Gin from Once Upon a Gourmet Gin, ReggieGirl from Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff, Gloria from Foods & Flavors of San Antonio, Carole from Hey mom, what's for dinner tonight? and Miss Burpilicious herself (Sophia) from Burp & Slurp- tell me about you :)! If everybody who reads this answered, I'd be thrilled because I think each and every individual is super fascinating! One more thing that made me smile today (I'm easy)...I received my mini-business cards from MOO in the mail...courtesy of FOODBUZZ!!! Aren't they so cool! Okay, many of you probably already have your own...but this is my very own set, so I love it!