I haven’t written a food quiz in quite a while, and after the prompting of some of my readers, I figured I’d better get to cooking! See how many of the questions you can answer correctly – and good luck!
1. Where’s the busiest McDonald’s in the world? Munich; Tokyo; New York; Moscow.
2. How do you prepare a shirred egg? Bake it in the oven; simmer it in boiling water; steam it in simmering broth; hard boil it, then grate it into a bubbling cream.
3. After a ban in 2012, Californians can no longer enjoy what luxurious meat product? Horsemeat; Thrush pate; Larks in aspic; Foie Gras.
4. Which flavor of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream no longer exists: Pistachio Pistachio; Wavy Gravy; Half Baked: Chunky Monkey; Phish Food.
5. Why did Hostess quit filling Twinkies with banana crème? Banana crème was difficult to work with; it was an unpopular flavor; there was a shortage of bananas during World War II.
6. Fact or fiction: eating celery produces a negative calorie effect.
7. Where was Crème Brûlée first concocted? Lyon; Paris; Cambridge, England; Brittany.
8. Which of the following is not a whole grain: Oatmeal; white rice; brown rice; popcorn.
9. Which three fruits are native to North America? Apples, blueberries, Thompson seedless grapes; cranberries, concord grapes, apples; blueberries, Concord grapes, cranberries.
10. Where’s the world’s largest almond factory: Jerusalem; California; North Dakota; Hawaii.
11. Why do some sticks of butter come wrapped in foil paper and some wrapped in opaque paper? No reason, just plant processing; Salted butter comes in opaque wrapper, but unsalted butter needs protection, so it comes wrapped in foil; different brands wrap them in different papers; opaque paper is cheaper to produce than foil.
ANSWERS
1. There are more than 200 McDonald’s outlets in Russia, but the one in Pushkin Square in Moscow is the busiest in the world. 2. Bake it in the oven. Dot it with a dab of butter, spoon a bit of breadcrumbs on top, pour a small amount of cream around it, then pop it in the oven. You could also add a little grated cheese! Um, good! 3. Along with the ban on horsemeat in 1998, the days of Foie Gras is a thing of the past. 4. Wavy Gravy. 5. There was a shortage of bananas during World War II. 6. Fiction. The Mayo Clinic investigated this claim in 2000 and concluded that eating celery does not result in a negative calorie effect (burning more calories to digest than it contains). 7. Originally known as burnt cream for the thin, brittle layer of caramelized sugar seared onto its top, crème brûlée has been around since the 17th century. 8. White rice is not a whole grain because it has been stripped of its bran and germ. 9. Blueberries, Concord grapes, cranberries. 10. The world’s largest almond factory is in Sacramento, Calif. It processes 2 million pounds of almonds a day, or 80 percent of the worlds supply of almonds. 11. Salted butter comes in an opaque wrapper. Unsalted butter needs protection, so it comes wrapped in foil.
Hopefully, you learned a few new facts, albeit most quite useless.
My husband recently learned he has anemia, so his doctor asked him to try to eat a high iron diet, so he’s been getting his “Popeye” on. Do you know which foods, other than spinach, that have the highest iron content?
The top ten highest iron-containing foods are:
• Mollusks or clams, mussels, oysters, and shrimp
• Liver – all kinds
• Squash and pumpkin seeds
• Nuts – nearly any of them
• Beef and lamb tenderloin
• Beans and lentils
• Whole grains, fortified cereals, and bran
• Dark leafy greens
• Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
• Tofu
Well, I’ve managed to cook a few meals with some of those items, but the meals haven’t been easy. He has enjoyed a few steaks – which I don’t normally cook! However, here’s an iron-rich pasta dish that’s a winner.
Orecchietta Pasta with Meatballs
1 package of Orecchiette pasta
2 links of sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 pound of ground sirloin
1 tablespoon of Italian spices
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups of spinach
1 large egg
3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Prepare pasta as directed; drain. Reserve one cup of cooking water, then set the pasta aside. Meanwhile, roll the Italian spices, sausage, and sirloin into about 20 small meatballs. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.
Pour off any drippings from the skillet, then add the remaining olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat, stirring, about one minute. Add the pasta, spinach and meatballs. Whisk the egg with the reserved cooking water in a small bowl, then add to the skillet and stir until the sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving, sprinkle with the cheese and drizzle with olive oil if desired.