Will Morgan – Sporked https://sporked.com Where tastes are tested Fri, 22 Nov 2024 20:44:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://sporked.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Will Morgan – Sporked https://sporked.com 32 32 200707005 What Is Marsala Wine? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-marsala-wine/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-marsala-wine/#respond Mon, 25 Nov 2024 13:43:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=44930 It’s that wine chickens drink, right?

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A lot of folks like wine. But some people really like wine. You know those friends who always want to order a bottle for the table. They smell the cork, and do the little sip thingie with the sommelier. They always say things like, “I detect a hint of oak.” Meanwhile, the rest of the wine drinking population is cool with some Two Buck Chuck. 

For those of you who don’t know a ton about wine, other than that you like to drink it, you may be surprised to learn that there’s a type of wine called marsala. I know, right? I thought it was just a way to prepare chicken. But it turns out that the marsala in chicken marsala is referring to wine! So, what is marsala wine? What is in marsala wine? Is marsala wine red or white? Does marsala wine go bad? Can you drink marsala wine? Let’s wind down and talk about marsala wine!

What is marsala wine?

Marsala wine is a fortified wine, produced around the Marsala region of Sicily. Marsala wine has many cooking applications and is used to make a rich, nutty sauce. What exactly is fortified wine? It’s basically wine that has some extra alcohol added to it. To make fortified wine, a distilled spirit is added to regular wine. Usually, that distilled spirit is brandy. Other examples of fortified wine are port, sherry, and madeira. Some people confuse marsala with madeira since they’re both fortified wines with similar names. But madeira is Portuguese. Marsala wine has PDO status, or Protected designation of origin. That means the European Union makes sure only the real stuff from the Marsala region is labeled as marsala. 

What is in marsala wine?

Okay, so it’s fortified wine from Marsala but what’s in marsala wine? How do you make Marsala wine? Is it a red or a white? Slow down there, wino. I’m getting to it. Marsala wine can be several different colors and sweetness levels. A lot of the marsala wine we see in U.S. grocery stores looks like a white wine, but there is also red Marsala. It just depends on the grapes used. There’s ambra, or amber, made with white grapes like Grillo, Cattaroto, and Inzolia. There’s oro, or gold, made with those same grapes but aged longer. And there’s rubino, or ruby, made with a combination of red grapes and about 30 percent white grapes. Marsala wine can also be classified by how long it’s aged, from “fine”o—aged under a year—to “stravecchio”—aged over 10 years.

Can you drink marsala wine?

Sure, it’s mostly known as a cooking wine, but you can definitely drink marsala wine as well! And I don’t mean taking an occasional slug from the bottle while you’re making some chicken marsala. You can legit sip on this stuff. The younger wines are better for cooking, while the older stuff is great as an aperitif or dessert wine, depending on if you get a dry or sweet variety. 

Just make sure you’re drinking a reasonably freshly-opened bottle of marsala. While fortified wines can last a lot longer than regular wines once they’re opened, they can still go bad. An opened bottle of marsala can last about four to six months. You can store an unopened bottle for several years as long as it’s in a cool dry place and not, like, in the back seat of your car. 

Where to find marsala wine in the grocery store?  

You can usually find marsala wine in the wine or liquor section of your local grocery store. Make a marsala evening by having a marsala aperitif, then eating chicken marsala, and finish it off with a sweet dessert marsala.

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What Is Quorn? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-quorn/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-quorn/#respond Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:43:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=44585 It’s about to get Quornagraphic up in here.

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A lot of people are cutting back on their meat consumption these days. Whether it’s for health or environmental reasons, veganism and vegetarianism are steadily on the rise. Trends like “meatless Mondays” are more common and products like Beyond Meat and Impossible are popping up as options all over the place. So it may come as a bit of a surprise that the meat-alternative Quorn has been around for decades. If you’ve never heard of it, that’s probably because you’re not British. Quorn originated in the UK and is mostly known around Europe. They are big into hardcore Quornography over there. So what is Quorn? What is Quorn made of? How is Quorn made? Let’s answer all your Quorn questions!

What is Quorn? 

Quorn is a brand of meat substitute products, like Impossible or Beyond Meat. Quorn got started by Marlow Food in the mid 1980s in the UK, then spread through Europe in the 1990s. It finally showed up in the U.S. around 2002. Quorn is sold as an ingredient or in prepackaged meat-free foods. Those prepackaged meals are things like meatless chicken nuggets and vegetarian wings. Meat substitutes like Quorn are a great vegetarian option for folks looking to cut down on or completely cut out meat consumption. But does that mean Quorn is healthy? That’s debatable. While it’s not meat, it’s still a highly processed food. 

What is Quorn made of?

Okay so we know that Quorn is a meat substitute, but what the heck is it? What is Quorn made of? If you guessed fungus, then you’re a weirdo and you’re also right! That’s right, Quorn is made of fungus. So you can make all those “fun guy” dad jokes when you’re eating Quorn as well as mushrooms. 

Quorn is a mycoprotein. A myoprotein is a single-cell protein derived from fungi meant for human consumption. It can also be called mycelium-based protein or fungal protein. Quorn held the patent for these myoprotein for years, but it finally lapsed. This allows new startups to experiment with their own myoprotein creations. 

How is Quorn made?

So how exactly is Quorn made? Typically, the fungi is dried out then mixed with egg whites to give it a better consistency. That batter is then pressed into whatever shape is needed, then flavored and possibly breaded. 

Is Quorn vegan? 

Eagle-eyed readers out there probably noticed that there’s eggs in the Quorn recipe. That means that normal Quorn is vegetarian but not vegan. However, Quorn does offer a line of vegan products. Just be sure to check the label so you know what you’re getting. The vegan Quorn line-up uses potato starch rather than egg whites. 

Is Quorn gluten free? 

What about gluten-free folk? The main line of Quorn products may not be entirely gluten-free, but there are gluten-free Quorn products available. Just check the label to make sure it’s part of the gluten-free line. 

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What Is a Plantain? https://sporked.com/article/plantain-vs-banana/ https://sporked.com/article/plantain-vs-banana/#respond Fri, 15 Nov 2024 12:45:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=44444 Plantains are bananas B-A-N-A-N-A-S

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Bananas are a really good way to tell how old someone is. If you’re around someone and just blurt out that “this ish is bananas” and they respond by spelling out the word “B-A-N-A-N-A-S” then you know they were born at least a few years before 2004. For all the non-Hollaback girls out there, bananas are simply those things on your kitchen counter that turn brown before you can eat all of them. If you’re familiar with Caribbean cuisine or have ever simply gone to a grocery store, you may also be familiar with plantains. So what is a plantain banana? Is a plantain a banana? What’s the difference between a banana and a plantain? Does a plantain taste like a banana? Let’s dig into plantain vs banana!

What is a plantain banana? Is a plantain a banana?

There are many types of bananas—way more than the ones we commonly eat in the U.S. (those are called cavendish bananas). And one type of banana is a plantain. Now, if you’re speaking broadly, starchy green bananas are often referred to as plantains. But a true plantain is the fruit from a plantain tree. These things are a staple food in tons of tropical areas. 

So, wait, is a plantain a banana? Yep! A plantain is just another type of banana—whether you’re talking about true plantains or a group of starchy green cooking bananas. All plantains are bananas but not all bananas are plantains.

What’s the difference between a plantain and a banana?

Okay, so when comparing plantains vs bananas (as in, the bananas you usually eat), the first thing you’ll notice is that plantains are usually green. I mean, sometimes bananas are green when you buy them, but you want those suckers to turn yellow before you eat them. Plantains are usually sold, bought, and consumed while they are green. 

Why? Well, plantains contain a lot more starch than a regular banana. That starch is good for cooking. They have even more starch before they’re ripe, when they’re green, so that’s when people cook them (although you can also cook and eat sweet plantains). In contrast, bananas are usually eaten when they’re soft and ripe. 

There are other differences as well. Bananas are softer and smaller while plantains are harder and usually larger. 

Does a plantain taste like a banana?

Cavendish bananas and plantains are different. So do they taste different as well? You bet they do. Bananas are creamier with a distinct sweet taste. Plantains are hard and have a milder taste than bananas. But the thing to remember is, you don’t eat plantains raw. 

Depending on how and when you cook them, they can taste sweet or savory. A lot of times, plantains are cooked in sugar or in coconut water. Plantains can be cooked and served in dessert dishes, but a lot of times they’re served as a side or part of a savory meal, the way you’d use a vegetable. 

Plantains can be sauteed, fried, baked, boiled, or cooked just about any way you can imagine. There’s fried sweet plantains, deep-fried tostones, and even a plantain sandwich called Patacon Maracucho, which swaps out bread for fried plantains. My personal favorite way of eating plantains is to grab them at the grocery store and shove them in my mouth while no one is looking. They taste nice and felonious!

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What Is Black Garlic? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-black-garlic/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-black-garlic/#respond Wed, 13 Nov 2024 12:16:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=44285 Do you like garlic but way more goth?

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Remember in Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat, when two players chose the same fighter they’d appear in the same outfit but in a different color combination? That’s what I think of whenever I see black garlic. Garlic versus black garlic…fight! So, what is black garlic if not an alternate version of a video game avatar? How do you make black garlic? What does black garlic taste like? What is black garlic used for? And what’s black garlic’s finishing move? (Is it a smell-ality?) Let’s find out. 

What is black garlic?

Black garlic is regular garlic that has gone through an aging process. This aging process turns the white garlic cloves a shade of deep brownish-black and causes them to go soft and spreadable. Way back in the day, you may have had to go searching around town at Asian specialty grocery stores to find some black garlic. But these days you can find the stuff at your local Trader Joe’s. 

Black garlic has been around for centuries as a culinary ingredient and has also been used for medicinal purposes. Black garlic actually does have more antioxidants than plain garlic. Before blowing up recently as a hot, hip, must-have ingredient, black garlic was most popular in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisines. 

How do you make black garlic?

How do you get regular old garlic to turn into black garlic? I tried using a sharpie, but that just gave me a tummy ache. Black garlic is made through a specific aging process. You can’t just set your garlic out on the counter and expect to have black garlic a few days later. The garlic must be aged for a few weeks in a low heat and high humidity environment. This sets off a Maillard reaction in the garlic. A Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars. That creates melanoidins, which give a brown coloring. It’s also what gives fried eggs their crispy bits and a steak its crust. 

Is black garlic fermented?

Some folks think that black garlic is fermented. That’s not the case. Black garlic is garlic that is aged in a specific environment. The reaction that takes place is the Maillard reaction, not fermentation.

What does black garlic taste like?

Black garlic tastes like regular garlic, but a little less garlicky. Does that make any sense? It has a semi-sweet and almost tangy flavor with notes of a slight char. The texture is soft and a little fudgy. If you like foods with a tiny bit of funk, you’ll dig black garlic. 

What is black garlic used for?

Here’s how to use black garlic: Add it to sauces, stews, and soups for depth and richness. You can also use black garlic as a condiment. Just spread some across your pizza or a smear a bit onto a loaf of bread to send your mouth on a black garlic flavor journey. 

How to store black garlic correctly?

When you’re not using black garlic, store the stuff in a cool, dry, airtight container out of direct sunlight. A pantry is perfect, unless you have a weird pantry with windows. In that case, you need a new pantry. Black garlic will keep for several months in a windowless pantry and even longer in the fridge. I store black garlic in my belly. I mean I eat it immediately. 

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What Are Eclairs? https://sporked.com/article/what-are-eclairs/ https://sporked.com/article/what-are-eclairs/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2024 12:53:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=44017 I do eclair.

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I do declare, eclairs are delicious! There’s plenty of delicious French pastries out there—macarons, canneles, profiteroles, and, of course, croissants. But I’m here to remind you that eclairs rock. What are eclairs? What are eclairs filled with? Are eclairs donuts? Let’s declare the truth about eclairs!

What are eclairs?

An eclair is a long, French choux pastry, filled with cream or custard, and topped or dipped with fondant icing. The most common type of eclair is the chocolate eclair. They’re those oblong pastries filled with tasty cream and topped with a streak of chocolate. That all sounds well and good, but what the heck is choux dough? Well choux dough is a delicate dough made with butter, water, flour, and eggs. A lot of dough has a raising agent like yeast. But choux dough’s high moisture content creates steam that makes it rise. Choux is also the type of dough used in other french pastries like profiteroles. 

Are eclairs French?

So are eclairs French? In a word: Oui. Eclairs are more French than a beret-wearing mime eating a baguette while falling off the Eiffel Tower. Eclairs have been around in France since at least 1860. The history is a little murky, but they may have been invented by French chef Antonin Carême, the same dude that is credited with inventing the charlotte russe.

What are eclairs filled with?

One of the best things about eclairs is the sweet filling. But what is that stuff? What are eclairs filled with? There can actually be several different types of filling. Eclairs can be filled with cream, whipped cream, or custard. If you want to be fancy, you can call that custard crème pâtissière. Chiboust cream is another option. That’s a custard that’s been lightened with meringue.

Are eclairs donuts?

Are eclairs just fancy french donuts? Nope. How dare you ask such an uncouth question. While eclairs are similar to some common donut varieties, like a Boston cream, they are not the same thing. Donuts are usually made with yeast dough or cake batter while eclairs have that fancy choux dough.

Do eclairs need to be refrigerated?

If you stop by the local French bakery on the way home and grab a couple of eclairs, be sure to throw any that you don’t eat into the refrigerator. That’s right, eclairs should be refrigerated. It will keep them fresher longer. Of course, I keep my whole house refrigerator temperature, so I can leave all of my food out. Genius. 

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What Is Condensed Soup, Actually? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-condensed-soup/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-condensed-soup/#respond Wed, 06 Nov 2024 16:51:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=26662 All the answers you need, condensed into one easy article.

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The temps are getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. That can only mean one thing: It’s time to get into soup mode! And the variety of soups out there are almost unlimited! There’s pho, ramen, udon, menudo, pozole, chicken noodle, chicken and rice, chicken and Flintstones shaped paste, and more! Then there’s condensed soup. Does that just mean that the words on the label have been shortened? No, of course not. Well then, what is condensed soup? What does condensed soup mean? Let’s put the soup on and get some answers!

What is condensed soup?

If you have ever stared at a can of Campbell’s soup or been stuck in an Andy Warhol gallery, you’ve probably noticed that Campbell’s soup cans have the word “condensed” written across the label. What does condensed soup mean? Well, it basically means that soup has been condensed. Condensed soup is a soup that has had most of the water removed so that it becomes a thick stock or cream. To reconstitute it back into a regular soup, just add water or cream. 

There are condensed canned versions of most popular soups; cream based, protein and carb like chicken noodle, and even stock bases. When you have a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, it’s kind of thick. That’s because it’s condensed. The instructions say to add one can of water and heat it up. When you do that you are reconstituting the soup. 

How is condensed soup made?

So we know that condensed soup is soup with much of the water removed. But how do you make condensed soup? Simply boil it. Condensed soup is made by boiling soup down to a thick consistency. You can reduce liquids by boiling them and letting the water evaporate. What’s left over is a thick, concentrated version of the liquid. 

What is the difference between condensed soup and regular soup? 

The difference between condensed soup and regular soup is that condensed soup is more concentrated and regular soup has more water. Basically, one can of condensed soup is equal to two cans of regular soup. Campbell’s is believed to have perfected their condensed soup making technique around 1897. 

Can you eat condensed soup without adding water?

Condensed soup usually has instructions to add a can of liquid. But can you just eat that condensed soup without adding water? Sure you can! But it probably won’t taste as good. It will definitely be more intense and have a thicker consistency. 

There are plenty of recipes that call for a can of condensed soup and you don’t have to add any extra water to those. For just one example, Thanksgiving favorite, green bean casserole is usually made with a couple of cans of condensed cream of mushroom. I usually just take a shot of condensed soup then take a shot of hot water and mix them in my mouth.

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What Is Concentrate Juice? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-concentrate-juice/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-concentrate-juice/#respond Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:03:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=43824 Shhh. The juice is concentrating.

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When I hear “juice concentrate” I immediately think that someone is talking to their juice and trying to get it to focus. But, as the doctors tell me, I am not a smart man. So what is a concentrate juice, really? Sometimes I’ll get some juice at the store and it’ll say “not from concentrate.” Is that supposed to be good? Or is it just a marketing gimmick? What is a concentrate juice? What does juice from concentrate mean? How is juice concentrate made? Is concentrate real juice? Let’s all concentrate real hard and find an answer!

What is concentrate juice?

As everyone who’s ever fallen off the roof of a five story building and landed in the back of a fruit truck knows, fruit is mostly made out of water. Water can make up to 90 percent of some fruit. Concentrate fruit is fruit with the water all sucked out. This process turns it into a thick syrup. You can buy the syrup and add water to make juice. You can also find ready to drink juice made from concentrate and frozen juice made from concentrate that just needs to defrost. 

Why the heck would someone suck the water out of fruit? Well, it makes it more shelf stable. So it can stay good through a long shipping process and stay on the shelf a lot longer. 

Is concentrate even real juice? 

It seems like some goofy, juice syrup sludge, but concentrate juice is still real juice. It’s made out of real fruits, they’ve just had the water sucked out. Some folks may consider fresh squeezed, non-concentrated juice to be better or “more real,” but the fact is concentrate is still real juice.

What does juice from concentrate mean?

When you go to the store for some juice and the label says “made from concentrate,” what does it mean? It means that the original fruit has had the water removed to turn it into a concentrate, then water was re-added. 

Juice concentrate can be pasteurized to stay fresher for a longer time. Non-concentrate juice can spoil very quickly. But sometimes the juice concentrate gets a lot of stuff added to it, like sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Some fruit flavor can be lost in the process, so additives are put in to restore it. Juice concentrate can also be fortified to add back some of the vitamins and minerals lost during the concentrate process. Some juice made from concentrate is better than others. Some are minimally processed but some have a high sugar content and tons of additives used for preservation. 

How is juice concentrate made?

So, how does that water get sucked out of the fruit to make concentrate? Is there just some guy in a factory sucking on fruit? If so, how do you get that job? No, of course that’s not how it’s done. There’s a couple of ways to make juice concentrate. Fruit can be heated at a low pressure to increase the boiling point and allow water to evaporate. Fruit can be frozen and the liquid separated that way. Or fruit can be pulverized into a pulp then evaporated to remove water. That way sounds the most fun.

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What Is Custard Powder? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-custard-powder/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-custard-powder/#respond Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:16:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=43770 Does custard powder cut the mustard?

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What is custard? It’s basically a sweet gooey thing that tastes good. But what about custard powder? If you’ve been to the U.K. or Australia or tried to make a recipe from a U.K. or Australian cookbook, you may have encountered it in an ingredients list. What is custard powder? What is in custard powder? How do you use custard powder? Grab a spoon and let’s get into it. 

What is custard powder?

Before we even think about touching custard powder, let’s dive into plain old custard. Custard is a culinary preparation, usually involving mixing eggs with milk or cream. It can be thin or thick and is usually sweet. Think of the creamy part of a creme brulee. So, what is custard powder? 

Custard powder is a powder mix that is used to make an imitation custard. Custard powder is not just an instant custard; it is a way to make custard without using eggs. That’s right, custard powder is eggless. 

Custard powder just looks like a yellowish powder, but turns to custard when you add milk and sugar while heating it. You can make it thick or runny or anywhere in between. It’s pretty close to Jello Instant Pudding mix, except Jello already includes sugar.

What is in custard powder?

Custard powder is mostly made of thickeners (usually cornflour), salt, flour, vanilla flavoring, and some yellow food coloring to imitate the egg yolks in traditional custard. Way back in 1837, in Birmingham (England, not Alabama) Alfred Bird invented powdered custard for his wife, who was allergic to eggs. Wow, they must have really loved custard. The story goes that one time the Birds accidentally served some dinner guests their powdered custard instead of the real stuff. It was a hit and the powdered custard recipe was put into production. To this day, the most popular brand of powdered custard is Bird’s. In some places, people just call all powdered custard Bird’s Custard. It’s become like Kleenex, Jacuzzi or Xerox. 

How to use custard powder?

Throw some custard powder into a pot with some milk and sugar, then stir it into a pudding consistency. What do you do with it then? Well, eat it fool! 

But you don’t just need to eat plain old powdered custard. There’s a ton of stuff you can make with it. If you’re allergic to eggs, or just don’t like an eggy taste or smell in your food, use custard powder anywhere you’d use plain old custard. You can put in cakes or fill up cream puffs. Add some to your hot chocolate to get a smooth and silky texture. Or silken up your whipped cream with some custard. Custard cornbread is like regular cornbread but fluffier. You can use custard powder for just about anything. Just don’t dump a ton of it in your swimming pool thinking you can swim in custard. It really messes up the drain. My aunt is going to kill me.

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What Is Cinnamon? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-cinnamon/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-cinnamon/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:50:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=43512 Spice up your life.

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What do cinnamon rolls, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and cinnamon-sugar donuts all have in common? They’re all things that I had for breakfast this morning! Oh, and they’re all flavored with cinnamon. Cinnamon is a versatile spice that signals in the coming fall season—cinnamon spiced stuff is way better than pumpkin spice stuff. There, I said it. 

But what is cinnamon, exactly? Where does cinnamon come from? How is cinnamon made? Can you eat cinnamon sticks? Does cinnamon go bad? Let’s get spicy with some cinnamon.

What is cinnamon?

Cinnamon is a warming, aromatic spice made from certain trees that is used in all sorts of cuisines. Cinnamon can be found in baked goods, snacks, breakfast foods, teas, candies, and even in savory dishes. Cinnamon used to be more valuable than gold. It was the most profitable spice back in the day for those jerks over at the Dutch East India Company. 

Where does cinnamon come from?

So where does this wonderful spice come from? And how is cinnamon made? Well, cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a couple of different trees. See, there is something called “true” cinnamon, and then there’s the stuff at most grocery stores in the U.S. True cinnamon is called Ceylon cinnamon, or Cinnamomum verum. It comes from trees grown in Sri Lanka. It is medium brown with a slightly sweet flavor. The more commonly seen cinnamon is Cinnamomum cassia, or Cassia cinnamon. This cinnamon is grown in China and throughout Southeast Asia. This cinnamon is just a little more bitter. 

To make cinnamon, trees from genus Cinnamomum are harvested and their outer bark stripped away. That inner bark is pretty wet so it’s laid out to dry. While it’s drying, it curls making those instantly recognizable curled cinnamon sticks. Then, it’s cut into small pieces to be sold as sticks, or ground up to be sold as a spice. 

Does cinnamon go bad?

Once you buy it and have it in your cupboard, how long does cinnamon last? A long time. Cinnamon will last for years. It won’t go bad. However, after a few months it will begin to lose its potency. If you compare two-month-old cinnamon to two-year-old cinnamon, the two-month-old stuff will be stronger.

Can you eat cinnamon sticks? 

If you’re anything like me, you’ve always wondered if you could just eat the whole cinnamon stick in your mulled cider. So, can you eat cinnamon sticks? The good news is, yes, you can! The bad news is, if you have a coumarin sensitivity it could kill you. Cassia cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin, which is toxic in high doses. One cinnamon stick isn’t a high dose but if you’re already sensitive to it, it could be too much. Also, eating cinnamon can be a choking hazard. So, I’lm going to stick to eating straight up sugar and passing on the cinnamon sticks.

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What Is French Onion Soup? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-french-onion-soup/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-french-onion-soup/#respond Thu, 24 Oct 2024 12:52:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=43312 It’s like regular onion soup, but with tongue.

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Ooh la la, we’re talking about French stuff! We all know that France is famous for its baguettes, croissants, and overly amorous skunks. But we often forget about that other quintessentially French thing: French onion soup! I mean it’s right there in the name. 

French onion soup is one of those great dishes that you can find on menus at both high-end French bistros and Outback Steakhouses. (Seriously, Outback has a pretty decent French onion soup. I like to go there and get French onion soup, an entire awesome blossom, and a prime rib. Now that’s a good lunch!) 

But what is French onion soup? What cheese goes on French onion soup? Is French onion soup French, really? Let’s all put on our berets and study some French onion soup!

What is French onion soup?

French onion soup is like regular onion soup but with tongue. Thank you. Anyway, onion soups have been popular in France since medieval times. We’re talking big old steaming bowls of onion soup served in taverns and inns, eaten by townsfolk with a hunk of bread. Apocryphal stories on French onion soup’s origin abound. One favorite has King Louis XV getting hungry late one night at his hunting lodge and finding only onions, butter, and Champagne is his pantry.  Most likely, onion soups were invented and popular because onions were so inexpensive.

Modern French onion soup became the dish you would recognize today in the 1800s.The big open-air market in Paris called Les Halles has restaurants all around like La Poule au Pot, Chez Baratte, and Au Pied de Cochon. Those places served modern French onion soup. What exactly were they serving? What is French onion soup? French onion soup, or soupe à l’oignon gratinée, consists of lightly fried, caramelized onions, traditionally made with beef stock or broth with croutons (think: slices of baguette, not the little cubes), then topped with cheese and broiled until it’s browned and crusty. 

Is French onion soup actually French? 

Oui.

What cheese goes on French onion soup?

French onion soup is primarily a delivery service for cheese. If you’re in the mood for cheese and don’t want to just sit down with a giant hunk of it, French onion soup is the way to go. The traditional cheese for French onion soup is Gruyere

French onion soup is usually served gratin style. Shredded Gruyere cheese and bread crumbs top the soup and are browned under a hot broiler. This gives the soup a delicious crusty, browned cheese topping. But hey, feel free to make French onion soup your own thing. People put parmesan, provolone, Swiss, Fontina and mozzarella in there. 

What does French onion soup taste like?

French onion soup tastes intensely rich, savory, and warming. Need more specifics? French onion soup tastes like more savory caramelized onions—but liquidy. You break through the layer of crusty cheese and find a crock-sized crouton soaked with broth and flecked with onion. A good French onion soup warms the soul and makes you happy on a cold summer morning. It’s why I always carry eight thermoses on me at all times. 

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What Is Nitro Coffee? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-nitro-coffee/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-nitro-coffee/#respond Fri, 18 Oct 2024 12:34:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=43024 Is it an American Gladiator coffee? Is there a Lazer coffee?

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When I hear the term “nitro coffee,” I immediately assume we’re talking about WCW Monday Nitro coffee. Yep, it sure is cool that there is a coffee made to celebrate the hit, late-1990s professional wrestling tv show, Monday Nitro. I assume there’s also a WWF Monday Night Raw Coffee. Well, it turns out, I’m dumb and that’s not what nitro coffee is. 

Nitro coffee is sort of like cold brew coffee or iced coffee, but different. Is your mind blown yet? So, what is nitro coffee? What is nitro cold brew coffee? How is nitro coffee made? How does nitro coffee work? Let’s get into it. 

What is nitro coffee?

Nitro coffee is coffee made with nitrogen gas. I’m sure many of you assumed that nitro coffee was coffee with nitrogen oxide boosters that could be initiated to make the coffee go faster, much in the way that Dom expertly hits his nitro boosters throughout the Fast & Furious franchise. But, of course that’s not it. It’s nitrogen. 

But what does that mean? What is nitro coffee? Nitro coffee is coffee that has nitrogen gas added in order to create a smooth, almost creamy texture. Nitro coffee is served from a keg by a barista or it can come in a can. There’s nitro beer, as well, like Guinness. It is possible to make hot nitro coffee, but it would have to be made in very small amounts. Cold brew can be made in bulk, so nitro cold brew is way more common. 

How is nitro coffee made?

How do you make this nitro cold brew? First of all, let’s clarify that there is a difference between iced coffee, cold brew, and nitro cold brew. Ice coffee is just regularly brewed coffee poured over ice. You can make it in your plain old drip coffee maker then put it in the fridge. Cold brew is made via a cold water extraction method. Coarse ground coffee beans are soaked in cool water for 12-24 hours. Then, this mix is put through a sieve, a filter, or in something like a french press to separate the coffee from the grounds. This creates a concentrated coffee that has a higher caffeine content than regularly brewed coffee. This concentrated coffee then needs to be mixed with water, or milk, or at least ice to dilute it a bit as cold brew coffee can be quite strong. Nitro coffee is made by taking that cold brew and charging it with nitrogen.

How does nitro coffee work?

Your local barista may have a hard time describing what makes nitro coffee special. After all, they’re trying to serve a bunch of customers and you keep bothering them with questions. Nitro coffee is just cold brew coffee that’s been put into cans or kegs and charged with nitrogen. Have you ever seen a draught beer? It’s charged up in a keg and comes out super smooth with a foamy head, if it’s poured right. Nitro coffee is similar. 

You get your nice cold brew coffee, but it has a super smooth texture and a foamy head on top. When you sip it, nitro coffee has an almost silky mouthfeel. I love nitro coffee so much, I’m trying to apply the technology to other things. Is the world ready for nitro mashed potatoes?

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What Is Lactose-Free Milk? https://sporked.com/article/what-is-lactose-free-milk/ https://sporked.com/article/what-is-lactose-free-milk/#respond Wed, 16 Oct 2024 12:06:00 +0000 https://sporked.com/?p=42924 You had me at “free milk”

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Milk. It does a body good. That was the slogan for milk when I was a kid. After that slogan, they went to “Got Milk?” Looking back, it seems a little weird that milk had a slogan. Why y’all pushing milk so hard? It seems like it’s just a thing that everyone either drinks or puts on their cereal or in their coffee. It turns out, that’s not the case. In fact, some people can’t drink milk. Milk makes some people sick! These people are lactose intolerant. 

Generally speaking, everyone is born with the ability to digest milk, but by adulthood, the majority of people on Earth become lactose intolerant. For all of those folks, there’s lactose-free milk! But what is lactose free milk? How is lactose free milk made? Why is lactose free milk sweet? Does lactose-free milk have sugar? Let’s get to the bottom of lactose free milk!

What is lactose-free milk?

Lactose-free milk is milk that does not contain any lactose. Alright, glad we figured that out! What? You want a more in-depth answer? Fine. Lactose is a type of sugar that can be found in dairy products. We’re talking milk, ice-cream, and cheese. In order for lactose to be absorbed in the body, people need to produce an enzyme called lactase. Lactase breaks down lactose into sugars that can be more easily absorbed. 

Lactose intolerant people do not produce lactase, so that lactose stays in there, eventually getting broken down by bacteria in the large intestine and causing all sorts of nasty gastrointestinal issues. 

So what is lactose-free milk? It is milk that has had the lactose removed, allowing lactose intolerant people to drink it. You might think that would change something with all those vitamins and minerals in the milk. But nope, lactose-free milk is virtually identical nutritionally to regular, lactose-filled milk. And cow milk isn’t the only milk you can find in a lactose-free version. Every type of milk can be made lactose-free!

How is lactose-free milk made?

We know lactose-free milk has the lactose taken out, but how exactly do they do that? How is lactose-free milk made? Remember that lactase we were talking about earlier? The stuff that allows people to digest lactose? Well lactose-free milk just has that lactase already put into it. That lactase enzyme breaks down the lactose that’s in the milk. Lactose-free milk usually contains 0.1% or less of lactose. But keep in mind that the FDA does not actually regulate how much lactose can be in milk labeled lactose-free.

Why is lactose-free milk sweet?

Lactose-free milk is pretty much the exact same nutritionally as plain old milk. So why do some people think it tastes sweeter? Does lactose-free milk have sugar? Kinda, but they don’t add sugar. 

See, when that lactase is added to the milk, the lactose, which is already a natural sugar, gets broken down into simple sugars. The lactose becomes glucose and galactose. Those two simple sugars can make the milk taste sweeter. Normally that lactose would become glucose and galactose in your body. Keep in mind that lactose-free milk is still a dairy product. If you’re looking for lactose-free, non-dairy options you can find that in soy, almond, hemp, and a variety of other milks.

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