TastyTastic

Making a Historic Salamagundy for a Summertime SupperYou might think of a fresh vegetable salad as a modern thing that came with the healthy eating movement of the last 30 years. You would be forgiven for thinking that way, since before that the popular idea of salad was tuna salad, ambrosia salad, Watergate salad, macaroni salad, and whatever vegetables you could fit into a mold with Jell-o. But you would also be wrong. Sure, the term "salad" has been misused and abused for hundreds of years, but among the abominations that carry the word, there are some real gems. Jon Townsend knows historical foods and wants us to know them, too. He found a recipe for salamagundy from 1793, and did the research on this dish. Salamagundy goes back to the 17th century, and is sometimes spelled salamagundi or salad magundi. It was a fancy, colorful, and attractive way to serve a variety of cold foods. Note that the old recipe spells it Salamongundy, which might remind you of the nursery rhyme Solomon Grundy. The rhyme may have been inspired by the name of the dish. At any rate, the modern equivalent of this dish would be a chef's salad, or a salad bar, depending on the presentation. Many folks know it as Sunday night supper (since the big cooked meal was at midday) or leftovers. Still a treat!

These Pastries Are Called "Nuns' Breasts"The story goes that nuns at a convent in Altamura in southern Italy made and sold delicate, rounded pastries that were topped with a delicate point. Those who enjoyed them were immediately reminded of the female anatomy, hence the name "tette della monache" -- "nuns' breasts." Those photographed above were lovingly crafted by Bimbyfriend78, although numerous other recipes can be found online.I first learned about these wonders (the buns, not the breasts) courtesy of master pastry chef Daniele Barresi, who offers his own tette della monache filled with a pistachio crème.

Deep Fried on a Stick: A Tour of Fair FoodAugust is prime time for state and county fairs, and for delicious, greasy, calorie-laden treats served on a stick. The stick is there so you don't need dishes or flatware or even a place to sit down while eating. Sure, these foods aren't healthy, and they're expensive, too, but it's a once-a-year indulgence that's a traditional part of the fair experience. Imagine, if you will, a big slice of fresh-grilled pineapple rolled in flamin' hot Cheeto dust. Fried cheesecake. Bacon-wrapped pickles. Candied watermelon. All served on a stick. Elie Ayrouth from Foodbeast took some friends to the fair in Orange County, California, to count how many different items were served on a stick. Even worse, they ate many of them, and no doubt had a tummy ache by the end of the day. Watch as the count goes up and up as they discover just how many different ways tempting treats are skewered on a stick for your gastronomic pleasure. The OC Fair is open through Sunday.

A Short History of Chain RestaurantsIf owning one restaurant is good, then owning two restaurants is even better, right? That's how we got chain restaurants. The concept of the restaurant is really not all that old, going back only to to 1760. But opening chain restaurants came about with travel. Fred Harvey opened many Harvey House restaurants along a railroad line for travelers. If a traveler had eaten at one Harvey House, they knew what to expect from the next one. Once the automobile came along and highways were built, that idea blew up and dozens of chain restaurants flourished. But in the 21st century, the business of chain restaurants started to contract, with many chains of sit-down restaurants shrinking or closing, while others flourished and new chains were born. Weird History Food explains the rise and current state of chain restaurants in America.

Gourmet Dining: Chicken in a Pig's BladderEn vessie is a general term to refer to the French practice of cooking foods within a pig's sealed bladder. Poularde de Bresse Cuite en Vessie is, specifically a whole chicken prepared this way. It is a signature dish of Epicure, an elite restaurant in Paris that has earned a coveted 3 stars from Michelin.

Why Brand Name Foods in Other Countries Have Different IngredientsSure, there are differences between food products sold in the US and in other countries, even those produced by the same companies. We've all heard about the superiority of Mexican Coca-Cola, which was made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup until the last ten years or so. And Brits love to tell us how awful American chocolate candy bars are. But there are food ingredients in the US that you've never heard of that are banned by other nations. That's due to the explosion of processed food products coming onto the American market, and authorities streamlining the process of ingredient approval because there are just so many of them. The most important is a 1997 rule that allows companies to bypass the FDA to get certain ingredients into your food. In this video, the Hustle explains those convoluted regulations and how they came about. If you want to avoid certain food ingredients that haven't been government tested, the best idea is to just reduce the amount of processed foods in your diet. Make your meals and snacks at home, or else look at ingredient lists at the grocery store and go for products with fewer ingredients, or at least fewer ingredients that you don't recognize as food. -via Digg