Marshmallow

棉花糖（Marshmallow）源自古埃及。由大約二千年前開始，古埃及人從用作治療喉嚨不適及消化系統疾病的植物藥蜀葵（英語名稱同樣是Marshmallow）的根部搾出汁液，並把汁液與蜂蜜混和成一種喉糖。^[1]

直到十九世紀初，藥蜀葵被引入法國。法國的廚師發現藥蜀葵的黏液與水混合後會形成濃濃的凝膠狀，於是發明了把藥蜀葵的黏液與糖漿、蛋白、香草蘭籽攪拌而成的棉花糖。^[2][3]

到了現在，為了節省成本及容易大量生產，藥蜀葵的黏液已被明膠所代替，成為棉花糖的主要材料之一。現時的棉花糖由糖或玉米糖漿、被攪拌的蛋白、被水軟化的明膠、合成香精和穩定劑所製成的糖果。

[編輯] 吃法

棉花糖除了作零食直接食用外，亦有其他特別的吃法。

[編輯] 燒烤

經火或烤爐燒烤後的棉花糖，外表膨脹又沾上焦糖、內裡溶化，有些人會夾入麵包內食用。最好用較結實、較大顆、沒有夾心的原味棉花糖來燒烤。

[編輯] 烘焙／烹飪

由於棉花糖遇熱即溶化，所以不少人烘焙甜品時（特別是曲奇餅、蛋糕、巧克力布朗尼）都會加入棉花糖，令味道更特別；另外有一種做法是煮溶棉花糖（或以微波爐熱熔之），再加入餡料，待棉花糖涼掉凝固後便成了棉花糖布丁。

[編輯] 飲料

通常較小顆的棉花糖會被放在熱飲料上（特別是熱巧克力或加了奶類的咖啡），待片刻後與飲料一同飲用。

[編輯] 雪糕

有一種美國式的巧克力雪糕，稱為Rocky road，被加入較小顆的棉花糖和果仁。

[編輯] 注釋

1. ^ http://library.thinkquest.org/25411/html/marshmallow.htm
2. ^ http://www.twisted-candy.com/marshmallows.html
3. ^ ezinearticles.com/?Marshmallow-Making&id=234698

[編輯] 外部連結

• Split Bean Coffee 獲獎的手製棉花軟糖
• 棉花軟糖配方
• Marshmallow Peeps®
• Marshmallow Fluff®
• Peep® Research
• 工程師烹調介紹:棉花軟糖

鷹嘴豆(chickpea，garbanzo bean)，又名桃爾豆、雞豆等，是印度和巴基斯坦的重要的蔬菜之一，在歐洲食用鷹嘴豆也十分普遍。

[編輯] 外部連結

• 鷹嘴豆簡介．於2006年10月17日查閱．
• 鷹嘴豆的品種．於2006年10月17日查閱．
• CCTV報導：新疆木壘哈薩克自治縣要在三年內推廣種植鷹嘴豆10萬畝，建成中國最大的鷹嘴豆種植基地。．於2006年10月17日查閱．

The Old Chickpea Learns a New Trick

By MARK BITTMAN

Published: September 2, 2008

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Evan Sung for The New York Times

A blog about food — cooking it, eating it, thinking about it and more.

Related

Recipe: Chickpea Salad With Ginger (September 3, 2008)

I HAVE proclaimed my love for chickpeas, and I’m not alone. Chickpeas — also called garbanzos, ceci and chana, among many names — are among the most widely appreciated legumes, grown on every continent except Antarctica, and cooked and served in countless ways. The recipe here is a more-or-less North African treatment, one I was taught in Córdoba, in southern Spain.

The popularity of chickpeas stems, I believe, from three assets. They’re meaty, relatively big as legumes go, and chewy. They have a different flavor from any other legume, arguably the best of all. And the liquid they exude when you cook them is actually delicious.

You’ll never become aware of this last aspect if you use canned chickpeas, because the canning process changes the taste of the broth. Canned chickpeas are incredibly convenient, but you should always rinse them before using.

If you can act ahead in making this salad, cook some dried chickpeas yourself. Soak them first if you have time, and cook them in abundant water, thoroughly, until they’re nice and soft; this could take two hours, or even longer. Once they’re done they’ll keep well, in their liquid in the refrigerator, for days. When you are ready to eat, you can throw this salad together in maybe 10 minutes. That’s how long it will take if you start with canned chickpeas, too.

The result is a beautiful combination of colors, with red onion and a little assortment of bell peppers. Toast the cumin for best flavor, and don’t skimp on the ginger or lemon juice. And don’t let this salad sit around too long before serving, or both colors and flavor will fade.

If you’re not a fan of chickpeas already, this will do it.

Recipes for Health

The Misunderstood Eggplant

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

Published: September 1, 2008

My favorite line about eggplant is from “How to Pick a Peach,” an appreciation of seasonal produce by Russ Parsons. “Let’s get one thing straight: most eggplants are not bitter (even though they have every right to be after everything that has been said about them).”

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Recipes for Health

This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, and a well-stocked pantry are the linchpins of a good diet, and accordingly, each week’s recipes will revolve around a particular type of produce or a pantry item. This is food that is vibrant and light, full of nutrients but by no means ascetic, fun to cook and a pleasure to eat.

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People do have strong feelings about eggplant. If they don’t like it, they usually cite its bitterness or heaviness. Salting does improve eggplant’s texture if it’s to be fried, Parsons notes, but that’s the only reason to purge it.

The problem with frying is that eggplant will soak up every ounce of fat in the skillet, which is why so many eggplant dishes are heavy. But there’s an alternative. I get around frying eggplant, even in dishes where eggplant is sautéed, by roasting it first. Then I cut it into pieces and cook it again with the other ingredients in the dish. Roasted eggplant has a deep, complex flavor. As long as you don’t need firm slices, roasting is a great way to avoid making it heavy.

Eggplant is also terrific grilled, and you’ll be amazed by how silky and delicious it can be when steamed and tossed with a dressing.

Some people object to eggplant’s skin. That’s too bad, because the skin of purple eggplants contains its most valuable nutrient, a powerful antioxidant called nasunin, one of a type of flavonoid called anthocyanins present in many fruits and vegetables with red, blue and purple hues (berries, beets and red cabbage, to name a few). Choose the purple varieties when you shop, and leave the skin on.

Roasted Eggplant

A roasted eggplant is fragrant and delicate, so no surprise that roasting is the first step in most of this week’s eggplant recipes. Large globe eggplants require from 20 to 25 minutes to cook, depending on how plump they are. Small narrow eggplants, such as Japanese eggplants, take about 15 minutes.

If you need for the eggplant to hold its shape, roast it for a shorter time, until you see the skin beginning to wrinkle.

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the stem and calyx off the eggplant, and cut the body lengthwise in half. Score large eggplants down the middle with the tip of a knife, being careful not to cut through the skin. Japanese eggplants and other small eggplants need not be scored.

Cover a baking sheet with foil, and brush the foil with extra virgin olive oil. Place the eggplant on the foil, cut side down. Place in the oven and roast large, fat eggplants for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size; small, narrow Japanese eggplants (and other varieties) should be roasted for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when skin has begun to shrivel, the edges and cut surface are browned, and the eggplant has softened but not collapsed. Remove from the oven, and use a spatula to detach from the foil if the eggplant is sticking. (If a thin surface of browned eggplant stays behind, don’t worry.) Place the eggplant halves cut side down on a rack set over a baking sheet, or in a colander. Allow to cool and drain for 15 to 30 minutes.

Advance preparation: You can roast eggplant several hours before you use it in a recipe.

麵魂

麵攤

【聯合報╱房慧真】 2008.08.22 02:45 am

怪現象之一，每張小桌上都有一根鐵釘，好讓竹筷外層的塑膠薄膜穿刺而入。友人曾打趣說，此項陽春發明如果到了香港，必然成為黑社會電影中古惑仔可隨地取材的凶器…… 麵攤 圖／米榭兒 麵魂 是什麼魂

Red grapes are good for us

《每日快報》報道，紅葡萄有益健康。

報道援引馬德里大學的實驗指出，紅葡萄可以降低血壓和膽固醇水平，從而減低心臟病的危機。

不過，喝果汁就需要小心一點。

《每日電訊報》說，新的研究發現，喝果汁會妨礙重要的藥物發揮正常的效果。

報道說，柚子、桔子和蘋果汁可以阻止身體對某些癌症、心臟病和血壓藥物的吸收。

LIFE-SAVER: Red grapes are good for us

y Victoria Fletcher, Health Editor

Have your say(4)

RED grapes reduce blood pressure, cholesterol levels and even the risk of heart disease, scientists have found.

They believe that the antioxidants and fibre found in a combination of grape skin and seeds could be superfoods in the battle against heart attacks.

The latest discovery was given as a dietary supplement to volunteers, who saw their blood pressure reduced by up to five per cent and cholesterol by up to 14 per cent.

During the trials, the compound also improved volunteers' Lipid Profiles – a range of blood tests to diagnose the risk of heart disease.

Many superfoods for the heart, such as the plant extract psyllium or healthy oats, are good for either fibre or antioxidants rather than both.

But the tests at Madrid University on grape antioxidant dietary fibre revealed that it was high in both potentially life-saving ingredients.

Researchers say the grape extract would boost the average Briton's intake of dietary fibre to recommended daily levels of 30g a day.

And combining the supplement with a Mediterranean-style diet which includes oily fish, olive oil and tomatoes would bring even greater health benefits.

少吃牛肉，多吃袋鼠

吃袋鼠肉"挽救地球"

袋鼠是澳洲的象征之一

澳大利亞科研人員稱，少吃牛肉，多吃袋鼠，可以大幅度減少溫室氣體排放量。

牛、羊等反芻動物打嗝放屁釋放大量的甲烷氣體，甲烷對環境造成的破壞比二氧化碳要嚴重得多。

但是，袋鼠盡管也吃草，但甲烷氣體排放量几乎為零，因為他們的消化系統和牛羊有區別。

澳大利亞野生動物組織的維爾遜博士呼吁國人大量養殖肉用袋鼠。

他說，袋鼠不排放甲烷是因為腸道內的微生物和牛羊不同。

澳大利亞畜牧業很發達，牛、羊每年排放的甲烷占全國碳足印總數的11%。

如何讓牛羊排干淨的氣，是多年來困擾澳大利亞的一個老大難課題。

現在，維爾遜博士認為自己在袋鼠身上找到了答案。他說，袋鼠肉吃起來味道很好，有點像小牛肉。

現在，澳大利亞飼養的袋鼠大概有三千萬只，維爾遜博士希望這個數量大幅度增加，使澳洲出產的袋鼠肉總量達到目前牛羊等傳統肉種的水平。

袋鼠在澳大利亞不屬于保護動物，但卻是澳大利亞的象征之一。

保育園最後の遠足、「キャラ弁」に挑戦！

2008年7月31日

初めて作った「キャラ弁」

　このお弁当は、私が生まれて初めて作った「キャラ弁」です。

　これを作るきっかけとなったのは、私の小学生時代からの幼なじみが自分の子供たちに作った「キャラ弁」を写メールで送ってきてくれたのを、下の息子が「いいなあ～僕も食べてみたいな～」とこぼしたことでした。

　上の息子は食べることが大好きで、量もたくさん食べなきゃ満足出来ない子でしたが、下の息子は兄弟とは思えないほどの少食。食への興味がほとんどない子供でした。これまでの遠足のお弁当を残してくることもしばしば…困っていました。

　正直なところ私の「キャラ弁」のイメージは「見た目は楽しいけど、食べたらいまいち」でした。でも幼なじみのお弁当はとっても美味しそうで、見た目もか なり緻密に再現されたキャラクター。「私には到底マネできない…でもちょっとやったら…御飯だけやったらなんとかなるかな…」と精一杯作ったのがこの 「キャラ弁・アンパンマン」です。

　作り慣れた方には「な～んだ簡単」と鼻で笑われると思いますが、私にとっては一つ一つが緊張の作業で、前夜の下ごしらえに大変時間がかかりました。

　そしてこの遠足には、ほとんどのおうちがお母さんが参加するのに、うちは主人（去年まで５年半、海外に単身赴任していた）が「少しでも思い出作りに」と 頑張って参加してくれました。ですからこのお弁当は家族にとって、とても思い出深いものになりました。（ハンドルネーム・なんちさん）

　【編集部から】初めてとは思えない出来栄え！　そっくりでびっくりです。下の息子さんも残さず食べたことでしょう。右側はご主人用のお弁当でしょうか？こちらも華やかでおいしそう。ありがとうございました。