Market Report
- Friday, 24 February 2017
Encouraging an appetite is hardly the worry for most healthy individuals. Too many of us are trying to squash our food cravings.
For others, it can be quite a challenge to coax eating for sustenance and nourishment.
Nearly everyone knows a friend, neighbor or family member who suffers from lack of interest or desire to eat or drink.
Typically, this is due to a temporary setback, like having the flu or recovering from dental work. The condition is short term and normal eating patterns will resume.
Diminished appetites from chronic conditions (aging and disease) jeopardize optimum health and often indicate something more serious can be at work. Depression, sadness, grief and health disorders are all on the table when the will to eat goes south.
For others, it can be quite a challenge to coax eating for sustenance and nourishment.
Nearly everyone knows a friend, neighbor or family member who suffers from lack of interest or desire to eat or drink.
Typically, this is due to a temporary setback, like having the flu or recovering from dental work. The condition is short term and normal eating patterns will resume.
Diminished appetites from chronic conditions (aging and disease) jeopardize optimum health and often indicate something more serious can be at work. Depression, sadness, grief and health disorders are all on the table when the will to eat goes south.
- Thursday, 16 February 2017
A mid-winter slump begs for more choices in the week night meal rotation. Soup and sandwich riffs take some pressure off anyone responsible for putting food on the table.
Affordable and satisfying, a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup combo are pretty hard to beat.
Their warmth and comfort goes past those Campbell’s Soup commercials. Think of other natural pairings and get into the spirit of a lunch or dinner that don’t require much homework.
Explore cream of celery, French onion, Thai asparagus, vegetable, potato — leek and minestrone soup profiles. A vast catalog of recipes are available to assist.
Spicy versions of tortilla, Mulligatawny and pho take us to great exotic tastes from around the world. Chile peppers, curry, lentils, ginger root, mushrooms and garlic make for exceptional soup starters.
Affordable and satisfying, a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup combo are pretty hard to beat.
Their warmth and comfort goes past those Campbell’s Soup commercials. Think of other natural pairings and get into the spirit of a lunch or dinner that don’t require much homework.
Explore cream of celery, French onion, Thai asparagus, vegetable, potato — leek and minestrone soup profiles. A vast catalog of recipes are available to assist.
Spicy versions of tortilla, Mulligatawny and pho take us to great exotic tastes from around the world. Chile peppers, curry, lentils, ginger root, mushrooms and garlic make for exceptional soup starters.
- Thursday, 09 February 2017
Nearly anything stuffed will convince us that there is a celebration in the making.
That could mean an easy weeknight dinner party if the vehicle used for stuffing is a portobello mushroom.
In Northern Italy, this oversized mushroom is called “cappellone” which means “big hat”. It makes sense as the shape resembles a large cap or topper (just right for stuffing).
To be clear, once a crimini mushroom reaches between four to six inches in diameter, it is officially called a portobello or portabella. Yes, they are one in the same variety, with a different maturity level dictating its name.
A portabello is recognized by it’s open, flat surface (cap). Because it’s left to grow larger, the gills are fully exposed. This means that some of the mushroom’s moisture has evaporated. The reduced moisture concentrates and enriches the flavor and creates a dense, meaty texture.
That could mean an easy weeknight dinner party if the vehicle used for stuffing is a portobello mushroom.
In Northern Italy, this oversized mushroom is called “cappellone” which means “big hat”. It makes sense as the shape resembles a large cap or topper (just right for stuffing).
To be clear, once a crimini mushroom reaches between four to six inches in diameter, it is officially called a portobello or portabella. Yes, they are one in the same variety, with a different maturity level dictating its name.
A portabello is recognized by it’s open, flat surface (cap). Because it’s left to grow larger, the gills are fully exposed. This means that some of the mushroom’s moisture has evaporated. The reduced moisture concentrates and enriches the flavor and creates a dense, meaty texture.
- Thursday, 02 February 2017
Tulips carry a very storied past. They have the ability to capture hearts (and break them), make fortunes (and lose them), inspire poetry and art and influence culture.
The tulip originated centuries ago in Persia and Turkey, where 80 or so wild varieties were grown in very arid regions.
The tulip in Iran (Persia) represents paradise on earth and of having divine status. Europeans gave tulips their name, mistakenly, derived from the Persian word for “turban”.
As Europeans began taking to tulips, the flower’s popularity spread quickly, particularly in the Netherlands where a phenomenon dubbed tulip mania set in at one point during the 17th century. The Dutch use a tulip to represent a human’s brief time on earth.
Tulips became so highly-prized in the 1600’s that prices were sent soaring and markets crashing. Tulips are now grown throughout the world, but people still identify cultivated varieties as “Dutch tulips.”
The tulip originated centuries ago in Persia and Turkey, where 80 or so wild varieties were grown in very arid regions.
The tulip in Iran (Persia) represents paradise on earth and of having divine status. Europeans gave tulips their name, mistakenly, derived from the Persian word for “turban”.
As Europeans began taking to tulips, the flower’s popularity spread quickly, particularly in the Netherlands where a phenomenon dubbed tulip mania set in at one point during the 17th century. The Dutch use a tulip to represent a human’s brief time on earth.
Tulips became so highly-prized in the 1600’s that prices were sent soaring and markets crashing. Tulips are now grown throughout the world, but people still identify cultivated varieties as “Dutch tulips.”