January 16th, 2010 — Food, Interesting Facts
Does honey ever go bad?
If it’s a tad too moist, honey might ferment and turn into mead, but barring that, honey kept tightly covered in a dark place can last indefinitely. Crystallization, which occurs more rapidly at lower temperatures, can be reversed by placing the container in hot water for fifteen minutes.
Fun facts: Honey can be used as an antibacterial solution, and reportedly edible honey was discovered in King Tut’s tomb. Children under the age of one should not consume honey, as it carries spores that can cause infant botulism.
Why do some potato chips have a green splotch?
Potatoes spend the majority of their life cycle underground, but every once in a while some part of the tuber catches a bit of excess light. This targeted photosynthesis results in a spot of bright green chlorophyll. Quality control in most plants tends to weed out the greenies, but every once in a while, things just get all spudded up.
What is that stringy thing in an egg white?
That white, slightly tough thing is the chalaza, which anchors the yolk in place.
Fun fact: Brown shells are thicker than white shells, and thus more crack-resistant, making them ideal for hard boiling. There’s no other differences between white and brown eggs — they just come from different breeds of hen.
Why can’t fresh pineapple be used in Jelly?
Fresh pineapple seems like it’d be ideal in a molded Jelly salad, but it contains a natural enzyme called bromelain, which degrades the protein in gelatin and keeps it from setting. There’s always room for canned pineapple, though, since it’s been heated to a temperature that denatures the enzyme. Other non-gelatin-friendly fruits include fresh ginger root, kiwi, papaya, guava and figs.
Fun fact: The same properties that nix bromelain as a gelatin add-in make it an excellent meat tenderizer. Pork and pineapple, anyone?
Why does the slam of an oven door cause a souffle to fall?
It’s not, as old cartoons might have you believe, the loud bang or vibration, but rather that the sudden drop in temperature causes the eggs’ still-forming air bubbles to collapse. Once the proteins have coagulated, they won’t re-inflate, and the top will stay a flop. Keep it closed for a high-flying souffle.
Where does cream of tartar come from and what does it do?
This baking staple starts life as a white sediment that lines the inside of wine casks after fermentation. This tartaric acid is scraped off, purified and ground down to the miraculous powder that lofts our pie toppings and allows our favorite cakes to let their frosting peaks soar. In a pinch, just sub in three times the amount of vinegar or lemon juice.
Where does cream of tartar come from and what does it do?
This baking staple starts life as a white sediment that lines the inside of wine casks after fermentation. This tartaric acid is scraped off, purified and ground down to the miraculous powder that lofts our pie toppings and allows our favorite cakes to let their frosting peaks soar. In a pinch, just sub in three times the amount of vinegar or lemon juice.
Why do some people say that cilantro tastes like soap?
Folks who detest the leafy herb are in pretty sophisticated company, as celebrated chef Julia Child professed to detest the stuff. While scientists have yet to arrive at a consensus, some studies point to the “soapy” taste interpretation of cilantro as being the result of a mild allergy. Others cite the possibly genetic presence or absence of an enzyme that affects how a person processes the flavor of cilantro.
Fun fact: The seeds of the cilantro plant are called coriander, and are a staple in cuisines from around the globe. The leaf’s lovers and loathers alike can find much to squabble about at ihatecilantro.com.
Why doesn’t water tame the burn of a too-hot chilli pepper?
A pepper’s blaze is brought about by capsaicinoids, which are odor and flavor-free, but act directly on pain receptors. The primary one, capsaicin, is an oil, so the frantic chugging of water following a too-hot bite just serves to slosh the pain to other parts of the mouth. Milk, on the other hand, contains casein, which surrounds and absorbs the fatty capsacin and washes it away.
Fun fact: Most of a pepper’s heat is found in its ribs and seeds. Strip this away (carefully, with gloves) to take the flame down a notch.
What’s the difference between baking powder and baking soda?
Both of them make baked goods rise, but they’re not interchangeable. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which when combined with an acidic component will cause carbon dioxide bubbles to rise, and food to expand in the oven. Baking powder, on the other hand, is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate, an acid and a drying agent. The most common format is a double-acting baking powder which, mixed with a liquid, sets off an initial reaction at room temperate, and a second one at baking temperatures.
Fun fact: Baking power cannot be subbed in for baking soda as it’ll introduce excess acidity, but baking soda, an equal amount of cornstarch, and double that quantity of cream of tartar can combine into a baking powder stand-in.
Do recipes really have to be readjusted for higher altitudes?
Indeed they do. Water actually boils at a lower temperature than it does at sea level, but boiled food takes longer to cook thoroughly. Baking can prove especially tricky above 3500 feet, as the air is thinner, and for the most part drier, so leavening agents, ingredient ratios and cooking times have to be calibrated accordingly. Consult your local county extension office to find the best adjustments for your area.
What is a nonreactive pan?
Let’s start on the reactive side. Copper and aluminum conduct heat incredibly well, but they react chemically with foods. Acidic food can pick up a metallic taste, and light-colored soups and sauces can be slightly discolored. Many copper pans are covered with tin to prevent reaction, but since it’s thin and scratches easily, the copper can easily be exposed. Cast iron pans are also considered reactive, but if they’re well-seasoned, the effects are not especially evident.
Popular non-reactive cookware materials include stainless steel, glass, enamel, clay and plastic. These don’t tend to conduct or retain heat as efficiently, but some stainless steel pans have aluminum or copper bonded to the bottom between layers of steel.
Who or what is a vinegar mother?
There’s a fungus among us, and it’s here to make vinegar. Micoderma aceti, a single-cell fungus related to yeast, comes to roost in solutions of limited acidity, a concentration of alcohol, and certain nutritive proteins — wine, for example — and form a grayish mass, which can be either whisper-thin or more solid. This “mother” draws oxygen from the air and converts alcohol into acetic acid. In a solution with water, this constitutes vinegar. The mother can be added to cider, wine, or other alcohols to facilitate the vinegar making process.
January 11th, 2010 — Nature, Photo, South Africa
This weekend was so good, even though I left my laptop’s power supply at the office, and spent only 1hr online on Friday evening! Pity I couldn’t blog, but it was a good weekend with NO time online 
We went for a “hike” to the Wonderboom Fort, cave & waterfall yesterday. Can’t really be classified as a proper hike since the paths are “built” all the way up the mountain, though it was still good exercise for those of us who don’t hike that often. We have been to the fort a couple of times before, but this was the first time we went to the cave, waterfall and the fort.
Here is the full album if you’re interested.
January 5th, 2010 — Art, Creative, Kids-Crafts
I still find it such a relief to know I don’t have to go back to school – even nearly 10 years after finishing school. I’ve had nightmares where I find myself having to go back to school and panicking because I didn’t have half my books there, and didn’t know where the classrooms were.
I found this cute creative project to get those who do have to go back to school into the mood…
Art Stuff Container
You will need
Empty coffee tins
Coloured paper
Pair of scissors
White corrugated paper
Blits Stik Mini Super Glues
Clear Gel Adhesive
Crazy Clay
Rainbow Glitter Glue
Sprayable Adhesive
How to make it:
Using green, red, purple and black Bostik Crazy Clay, make the letters ART STUFF.
Make tiny ridges and holes in the letters before setting aside to dry overnight.
Wash an empty coffee tin thoroughly, remove the label and allow it to dry thoroughly.
Cut a large circle from the white corrugated paper and using Bostik Clear Gel stick the
circle to the tin.
Cut different size circles from coloured paper and using Bostik Art & Craft Sprayable
Adhesive, spray the areas of the tin where you would like to place your circles.
Apply a little Bostik Blits Stik Mini Super Glue to each Bostik Crazy Clay letter and stick
the letters onto the white corrugated paper.
Now further decorate the letters with glitter pens from your Bostik Art & Craft Glitter Glue
set. Allow to dry before using to house your art companions.
These ideas are not limited to creating a container for art stuff, you can also use it to make name plaques for kids rooms, or just decorating kids areas
January 5th, 2010 — Architecture
Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building has officially been launched in an elaborate opening ceremony yesterday. Its height was announced as 828 meters.
Known during construction as Burj Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad renamed the building Burj Khalifa, in honour of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan.
The construction of the tower, which began in 2004, “cost $1,5-billion,” Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar said.
Burj Khalifa has more than 200 floors, only 160 of which will be inhabited, while the remaining floors are for services.
It has a total built-up area of 5,67 million square feet, including 1,85 million square feet of residential space and more than 300 000 square feet of prime office space, Emaar said.
This amounts to 1 044 apartments and 49 floors of office space, served by 57 lifts. It also has a hotel carrying the Georgio Armani logo.
January 4th, 2010 — Art, Creative
I usually find it extremely hard to be creative. But once stumble across an idea, I can easily build on it, and make it seem like my own. Not great I know, but like Albert Einstein once said “The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources”.
A month or so back I subscribed to the Web Designer Depot newsletter. I have always found it fascinating to look at the amazing creations that designers come up with, and have recently become more involved in the creative process, though I will never in my life be an authentic designer!
One of the recent newsletters contained 100 best designed business cards, which once again, were ingenious!!
These three really caught my eye, but if you have a few spare minutes, go through the whole list of 100 – its so worth it!
January 3rd, 2010 — Bake, Cake, Recipe
Sad to say its the last day of holiday for me today, but its true. So to celebrate, or grieve, I baked cappuccino muffins for breakfast. I used the ready mixed type because I was too lazy to make my own.
Here’s what the packet looks like…
And here’s the end product…
The first batch turned out a bit darker, the packet instructs the baking time as 20minutes which seemed a little too long judging by the colour & texture. I took the second batch out after 12minutes, when they were cooked through. Not sure if it has something to do with my oven, but the 12minute batch was tastier.
For a quick treat, this is ideal! If you like cappuccino flavour, you should definitely give this a try!
January 2nd, 2010 — South Africa, soccer-2010
(Caution, this is a very unpatriotic post)
Are you planning on visiting South Africa for the Soccer World Cup 2010? Have you booked your accommodation yet? How much did you pay? How much are you willing to pay? Does it bother you that South Africans are milking you just because you’re a foreigner?
In South Africa 2010 has been a highly discussed topic the past few years, why? Because we are hosting the Soccer World Cup! I’m not a great soccer fan, and neither am I too keen of all the changes happening for the world cup. I am however curious about the way this event will affect the opinion of tourists about South Africa.
Those of us who live here know that the picture is often painted much different in overseas countries compared to what it really is, and I wonder whether “the world” will see that.
Besides that I’m very curious to see how tourists are going to get around. The Gautrain project was started to alleviate the transportation problems, but as everyone now knows, this will NEVER be finished in time. It’s still a good project, but unfortunately will not help much for the tourists traveling needs.
Accommodation is another challenge. People are already advertising their homes – at excessive rates of course.
Always taking advantage of the tourists paying in Pounds, Euros & Dollars. A normal night’s stay in a decent four star guest house would cost about ZAR800 for two people sharing (That’s ZAR400 each, rounded off, which converts to about US$55 per person– now this will definitely not be the norm during the Soccer World Cup)
I took the liberty of searching around and found a couple of places, specially advertised for the soccer world cup…To illustrate my point, I’ve converted all ZAR to US$ to make the comparison easier. (Converted at a rough average of 1US$ / ZAR7.50)
House #1 (Consists of two units) @ ZAR1000 per person per night (US$133)! With a minimum booking of 7 nights! Though this looks like a decent place to stay, it ONLY offers a breakfast – at that price? I’d have thought they had taps of gold and complimentary satin slippers! Also, you don’t have your own space – you will have to share the unit with 5 or 6 other people.
Another example of a grand rip-off is this B&B which charges ZAR1300 per person sharing, for their most expensive room. That’s US$173 per person per night!! I checked their normal rates which you would pay any other time except during the World Cup, and its only ZAR300 (US$40) The difference is insane!!!
Self Catering Chalets @ US$300 for international guests, but for South African citizens, it’s a mere ZAR900 (US$120). Though this price is for the whole chalet (sleeping either 4 or 6 persons) At four person, that would mean you pay US$75 per person. Mmm… maybe there’s a reason why international guests are charged more than double, but I can’t think of any?
The Best Offer I could find, A full house @ ZAR4500 for the WHOLE house, which sleeps 10 people. That is roughly US$600 for the whole house, and if you can find 9 people to share with you, that would mean you pay US$60 per person, which is not too bad.
Now I know there’s always been the stigma in South Africa that you can overcharge international guests, especially if they’re American or European, but I don’t think it’s necessary to triple charge someone just because they have the money. These tourists will already be bringing in more money into our country, and taking advantage of that just does not seem right.
December 31st, 2009 — New Year
I’m not too sure if its worth making a fuss of another year passing by, but at least it makes for an event, and some fun times with family & friends!
Thank you for all the visits in the past year – I just checked my stats now, and for 2009 I’ve had 534,360 visitors - a few more hours left, I know 
I hope that you too will be spending the evening doing what you love, and hopefully that is not reading this post! Go out, see some fireworks, laugh, be merry and don’t forget the KGB!!
Happy New Year All – 2010 here we come!
December 30th, 2009 — DIY
I’m surprised at how many people stayed home this December holiday! Still, few of our friends are around as most of them are somewhere close to a beach. Yes, I am so envious, but hopefully I will get a turn soon
Being at home we planned to fly quite a lot, but the weather hasn’t played along so well. So instead, we’re sanding & staining cupboards & bookshelves. I mastered my first power tool today – the sander! Such a pity that the ebony stain came out the colour of blue-black hair-dye – disgusting!!! We had to sand the cupboard down TWICE, and then re-stain with Imbuia instead.
My husband is putting the cupboard together again as I’m typing, and I cannot wait to see what it looks like once we have the door knobs on!! I will try to remember to post a photo once everything is done.
DIY is quite fun, but only when you have someone to do it with – I guess its some sort of exercise? My hands are aching, so its got to be good for something!
December 29th, 2009 — Food
I’ve joined a meme!! Four foods Friday, and though I kind of missed this one, I decided to do a late post
1. What did you eat yesterday? (Christmas for some of you.)
Snacks: Cheese, savoury biscuits, pickles etc. together with some good wine!
2. Do you have any food traditions for Christmas?
When I was little we used to make a huge fuss of the Christmas meal, but the last few years we just had snacks. I find it much better since cold food fits the summer time best.
3. What’s your favorite holiday leftover?
Already made savoury biscuits that have gone a bit soggy already – kind of gross, I know 
4. What food do you always wish you had more of after the holidays?
I keep savoury biscuits, cheese & pickles right through the year, so even if I do which I had more of it, I can usually make a quick snack to satisfy my craving.
