Chestnuts and Wassailing, Blight and Good Old Fashioned Holiday Cheer

Okay, I’ll admit it. I actually like going to the mall at this time of the season. Even if I am not particularly interested in buying anything at the time, the holiday lights create a commercialized nostalgia that makes me all warm inside. And yes, I love Christmas music. I am the type of person [...]

November 14, 2009  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Science & Technology  One Comment

For High Spirits Or Pub Night Trivia?

Mark Peel, chef and owner of LA’s Campanile, visited with KCRW’s Evan Kleiman last year to serve up a tasty bit of knowledge about the world of punches and cocktails (link).  He offered some sweet recipes, too.
The simplest distinction between a punch and the cocktail is the type of glass it comes in.  If it’s [...]

April 24, 2009  Tags: ,   Posted in: Health  No Comments

White House Wine Always a Winner

Sometimes food and politics come together in unexpected ways.  When Nixon made his historic visit to China in 1972 he brought with him a Schramsberg sparkling wine.  After the “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, the wine has been served by every subsequent administration, and as one could guess, this little Californian winery has become rather [...]

December 22, 2008  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts  2 Comments

Why Aren’t There Nutrition Fact Labels on Alcohol?

Background
On November 8, 1990, George Bush Senior signed into law the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (see NLEA or for an abbreviated description of the act click here).  The act made nutrition facts commonplace on packaged foods.  The problem is that the NLEA covers foods only under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and alcoholic beverages are not under [...]

December 1, 2008  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics  4 Comments

Lagers—Not Your Everyday Joe Six-Pack

Mysterious Origins:
 

 It’s hypothesized that lagers were first discovered some time between the 15th and 16th century by monks brewing in the Bavarian caves of Germany. Unlike wine and other beers that had been around for millennia, lagers only came about recently because of their unique yeast makeup. After genetic analysis, scientists have discovered that lager [...]

November 10, 2008  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts  Comments Closed