It turns out, they really are made of corn…who would have thought it!
Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn in water for three days, then deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle.
A friend brought over a [really big] bag of ‘nut’ looking things yesterday but did not tell us what they were. After that friend left and I had a chance to see them up close, I looked at them and said, “Those look like Corn Nuts!” Turns out they were!
Now I need to figure out what they are called in Chinese. Anyone know?
Tonight when I was buying some milk for the girls to drink, a little lady at our local grocery store approached me and told me that if I bought a box of the ‘new’ milk, they would give me a box of the ‘old’ milk for free.
I politely said no thanks… but she persisted, why wouldn’t anyone want FREE MILK?!
Then I took the wimpy route, I said that “my wife” would not allow our kids to drink ‘old milk’… then I gave a shrug and walked away with my ‘new milk’.
Looks like “Animal Rights” won.
BEIJING, China (AP) – Canine cuisine is being sent to the doghouse during next month’s Beijing Olympic Games.
Dog meat has been struck from the menus of officially designated Olympic restaurants, and Beijing tourism officials are telling other outlets to discourage consumers from ordering dishes made from dogs, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Friday.
Waiters and waitresses should “patiently” suggest other options to diners who order dog, it said, quoting city tourism bureau Vice Director Xiong Yumei.
Dog, known in Chinese as “xiangrou,” or “fragrant meat,” is eaten by some Chinese for its purported health-giving qualities.
Beijing isn’t the first Olympic host to slap a ban on the dish.
South Korea banned dog meat during the 1988 Seoul Olympics by invoking a law prohibiting the sale of “foods deemed unsightly.” After the Olympics, the ban was not strictly enforced.
Dog meat is also eaten in some other Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos.
It is somewhat of a moot point since Chinese don’t eat dog meat in the summer time. (It’s a winter time delicacy – the ‘warming of the body’ is probably one of the “health-giving qualities” referred to in the article.) Maybe that’s why there doesn’t seem to be much ‘push back’ on this from official Chinese channels.
It does seem like a shame though. A 5,000 year old culture is having a traditional dish taken off the menu because outsiders don’t ‘approve’. What’s so different about “xianrou” compared to any other kind of meat? Is ‘cruelty’ defined by how ‘cute’ the animal is?
Although I’m not a fan of dog meat (yes, I’ve tried it. woof!) I find myself bothered that this traditional piece of Chinese cultural cuisine is being taken away because ‘outsiders’ don’t approve.
Go get your own Olympics an serve nothing but tofu…
What do you guys think?
Loading ...
Chick-fil-A (the best fast food chain in the universe) is giving away free combo meals!
Don’t believe me? Go over to the “Cow Tipping” website and see for yourself!
The deal is, if you show up on July 11th, dressed like a cow from head to foot, they’ll give you a free Chick-fil-A combo meal. (If you just go partially dressed, say with a hat or something, they’ll give you a free entree!)
They have the “Official” details here.
This is great news… for you guys in America! I’m in China. There isn’t a Chick-fil-A for 5,000 miles…
So that means that all of you chickin lovin friends in the USA, you need to go dress up like a cow, get a free Chick-Fil-A combo, and tell ‘em Steve from China sent you!
I might just have to go get some spicy “Chicken and Peanuts” or “Chicken and Cashews” from one of my favorite local ‘fast food’ joints!
Eat Mor Chikin!
(Thanks Jennifer for the heads-up on this!)
This is one of those things about Texas that I love – Corn Dogs! (aka – Corny Dogs.)
Texans enjoy their traditions – and nothing is quite as traditional as a corny dog at the State Fair of Texas. The Fletcher brothers, Neil and Carl, had no way of knowing the phenomenon that they were “cookin’” up back in 1942 and selling for a mere 15 cents. In an attempt to break into the food concession business they created the ultimate in fair food – sweetened corn-battered hot dogs on a stick, dipped in oil heated to 365 degrees and fried to perfection.
The Fletcher family continues to serve up these delectable treats each year at the State Fair of Texas. Operating out of six locations throughout the grounds, the family sells more than 500,000 corny dogs during each 24-day event. (That’s alot of corn dog goodness going on!)
So, what do you think about corny dogs? Take the poll;
Loading ...
Corny Dogs Recipe
- 8 hot dogs
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (not stone-ground)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- peanut oil for deep frying
- Wooden skewers or Popsicle sticks
- Yellow mustard for dipping
Boil the franks for a few minutes. Remove from water and drain.
Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the egg and milk. Add to the dry ingredients, mixing well.
Insert the skewers to within 1/2 inch of the top of each hot dog. Coat each hot dog evenly with cornmeal mixture. Deep fry, a few at a time, in hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with lots of yellow mustard.
So it seems another turkey has received a presidential pardon…
My personal opinion, if you pardon a turkey, you better NOT be eating turkey on Thanksgiving. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Erica and I have a running debate about which ice cream is better; Breyers or Blue Bell. (Now that we’ve been to Italy, ‘gelato’ is now confusing the debate.)I’ve included a poll on the right column of this blog – cast your vote!
The top three Ice Cream brands in America are Breyers, Dreyer’s, and Blue Bell. Where did Ice Cream come from?
Popular folklore asserts that Marco Polo saw ice cream being made on his trip to China and took the recipe home to Italy with him on his return. However, in his writings Marco Polo never claimed to have introduced ice cream to the west.
How about that Gelato?
Ice cream is a traditional dessert in Italy. Much is still hand-made by individual gelateria (look for the sign ‘produzione propria’, meaning ‘our own make’ in the ice cream shops). Italian ice cream or gelato is made from whole milk, eggs, sugar, and natural flavourings. Gelato typically contains 7-8% fat, less than ice cream’s minimum of 10%.Before the cone became popular for serving ice cream, in English speaking countries, Italian street vendors would serve the ice cream in a small glass dish referred to as a “penny lick” or wrapped in waxed paper and known as a hokey-pokey (possibly a corruption of the Italian “ecco un poco” – “here is a little”).
Loading ...
Today Erica and I took the two girls out in the stroller for a walk and to find a nice place for some authentic Italian cuisine.
We found one place, a bakery (as best we could tell) that had some really delicious looking food. However, there was no seating and we just wanted to find something more relaxing than a ‘standing meal’ with the two girls.
We eventually found a place in what seemed to be Varese’s downtown and it turned out that it was very close to where Erica’s mom was having a Bible study, so she was able to walk over and join us for lunch!
We ended up having a great lunch of panini sandwiches and lasagna – as well as some great bread and peach iced tea! We managed to order using a combo of our special skills in ‘English for non-English speakers’ as well as a modest amount of pointing and charades. After we ordered, Erica’s mom showed up and ordered her food in about a tenth of the time it took us to order ours!
However, I’m sure the girl’s favorite part was the chocolate gilato that they had as a desert! In this photo, things had not gotten real messy yet – thank goodness for the trusty ‘stain stick’!
Elizabeth actually made quick work of her ‘mini cone’ (which was actually what they use to give samples) and then started to beg for mom’s chocolate and mint gelato. Mom was NOT feeling generous…
There was also a bit of play time around the fountain, Anna pondered taking a swim, but we convinced her to stay on dry land – all-in-all, a successful trip!
Published by Steve at September 13, 2007
in Food.
Okay, I’m in Italy right now, albeit, north of Rome, but I knew nothing of the boycott! I sure am glad that I ordered a pizza for lunch and not pasta!
ROME (Reuters) – Many Italians excluded their beloved pasta from their supermarket shopping on Thursday in protest at forthcoming price rises and consumer groups hailed the boycott as an excellent result.
Italians are in a state of outrage that rising wheat prices mean a plate of spaghetti in the next few months will almost certainly go up, even if by only a few cents, as many families eat pasta every day of the week.
“Pasta, bread, milk — these are the most important things. We are not protesting for perfumes or jewels, but for pasta and bread,” said one of demonstrators, Marisa, at a Rome protest.
“It is the government’s fault, they’ve eaten everything.”
Justice Minister Clemente Mastella promised to support the cause by skipping his favourite Neapolitan dish of pasta tubes stuffed with tomatoes and ricotta.
But there were few signs of his compatriots making a similar sacrifice at lunchtime, with hungry workers eating their usual pasta dishes at Rome restaurants that ignored the boycott.
Hi! I'm Steve Webel and this is my blog. Thanks for stopping by!
What You’re Saying…