17 Sep 2022

Fall Favourite Foods

Q. The September crisp is most definitely in the air. What are your favourite foods for a chilly fall day? . A. To get us ready for fall – which, Farmers’ Almanac tells us starts on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9:04 p.m. EDT-  Food Network asked readers to identify

10 Aug 2022

1900’s Swizzle + Food Slang

Q. So many cultures are rich in food-related slang. What are some English examples from the last century? . A. Here’s a sampling of food and drink slang words from A Dictionary of Slang and its Analogues. Past and Present. First compiled by Editors John S. Farmer and W.E. Henley

12 Jul 2022

Deceptively Named Desserts

Q. What are some sweets that have names that are misleading and/or radically undersell their deliciousness? . A. Boston Cream Pie Sounds good enough, but two problems: it’s not pie, it’s cake. And the rounded layers of cake nestle custard, not ‘cream’. How did the official state dessert of Massachusetts

17 Jun 2022

With This Wedding Cake

Q. We are well into wedding season now. What are some wedding cake-related superstitions? . A. This sweet embodiment of forever love is rife with superstitions. Pity the Medieval couples forced to seal the fate of their marriage with wedding cake jenga. Great piles of spice buns were piled one

11 May 2022

Worst First Date Food

Q. What is the worst food to eat on a first dinner date? . A. From personal experience, I would advise all to stay well clear of French Onion Soup. A Food Network UK poll of 2000 Brits offers other precautions for that go/no go first stab at romance. Worst

11 Apr 2022

Sweeter Than Sweet

Q. Has sweet food gotten sweeter? Are there any sweets that are too sweet for even your sweet tooth? . A. “It’s way too sweet”. In a machine learning analysis of almost 400,000 Amazon food reviews, behavioural geneticist Dr. Danielle Reed and her research team found that complaints of over-sweetness

08 Apr 2022

No Egg In This Plant

Q. Why is the long purple eggplant called an ‘eggplant’? What part of that shape and that colour says egg? . A. The eggplant gets its name from a different species of eggplant, one that is white, egg-shaped, and was far more common in centuries gone by. This eggplant  –

16 Mar 2022

Eating Artichokes

Q. Ready your plates. It’s National Artichoke Hearts Day. This high-class thistle has inspired many an artist, but place said muse on a lunch plate and we diners can start to panic. “How do I eat this thing?” . A. Etiquette experts old and new to the rescue. In her

24 Feb 2022

Apex Comfort Foods

Q. It’s been one of those days. You can’t wait to get home to your fleece-lined sleepers, your favourite chair, the latest episode of whatever you’re streaming, and… what food? What comfort meal is going to help you relax and reset? . A. Does soup burble near the top of

24 Jan 2022

Dead Man’s Butter

Q. What are some of the most wicked superstitions people have followed to get more food? . A. 17th Century Shetland has a nominee. The grim Dead Man’s Hand was all too tempting for those looking to bolster their own food stores whilst exacting revenge on know-it-all neighbours. ⛔️ Step #1: