Category:
Food
Food
Hypnotized Lobster
If you stroke lobsters on the back of their shell they go into a trance, as if hypnotized. You can then stand them on their head, and they stay like that. Some people think that doing this before cooking them makes them taste better. Details from The Wicked Good Book: A Guide to Maine Living by Stephen Gleasner:It turns out that there is a serious debate being waged as to whether lobsters can really be hypnotized. One scientist I spoke to said that a lobster can be "tonically immobilized," but not hypnotized. As far as I can tell, tonic immobilization just means that after being rubbed on the top of its shell, just behind its eyes, the lobster seems to lose any will to move and can be stood on its beak and claws in a kind of tripod arrangement. And the lobster seems content to just stay like this, balanced on its beak and claws. But I don't speak lobster, so it's really hard to say what is on the mind of a tonically immobilized lobster that has been forced to do a headstand.
Some people swear this ritual makes the meat taste better if the lobster is thrown into the boiling water while still under "hypnosis." We carried out a double-blind taste test on our back porch one evening, and I thought all the boiled lobster tasted great.
Some people swear this ritual makes the meat taste better if the lobster is thrown into the boiling water while still under "hypnosis." We carried out a double-blind taste test on our back porch one evening, and I thought all the boiled lobster tasted great.
Image source: Hypnotism, by Carl Sextus
Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 12, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Food, Hypnotism, Mesmerism and Mind Control
Glenda Lawrence, “America’s First Space Housekeeper”
Now that NASA has selected a new crew for the Moon mission, I hope they have not neglected to fill this role.
Glenda Lawrence America's First Space Housekeeper. She Will Be Preparing Food For The Apollo 11 Astronauts Armstrong Aldrin And Collins Whilst They Are In Quarantine.
Posted By: Paul - Tue Apr 04, 2023 -
Comments (1)
Category: Domestic, Food, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, 1960s
Viva Les Crepes
Released in 1971, this album taught you how to cook crepes. Unfortunately I can't find any audio clips of it online. From the album cover:You'll be amazed at how easy it is. In this very authoritative, informative and thoroughly entertaining album, Chef Claude takes you on a most delightful musical, educational and palate-pleasing tour of the world of crêpes. He teaches you — in record time — a simple, fool-proof technique for making these delicate, paper-thin pancakes.
Some more info from the Louisville Courier-Journal (Dec 27, 1978):
Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 22, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Food, Cookbooks, 1970s
Jalaproctitis
Jalaproctitis is the medical term for the rectal burning sensation often experienced by people when they defecate after having eaten jalapenos. It was given this name by researchers at the University of Texas who conducted an experiment to study the effects of jalapenos (whether it acted as an expectorant, caused painful urination, and burning defecation). From the New England Journal of Medicine (Nov 16, 1978):To investigate these issues, we prospectively studied participants in a jalapeno-pepper eating contest. Subjects included three women and two men ranging in age from 22 to 42. None had a history of lacrimation, rhinorrhea, dysuria or discomfort on defecation before the contest. One was a smoker, and one had cough and scanty sputum production before the contest.
After giving informed consent, subjects consumed as many large jalapenos as could be tolerated in a three-minute period. The number of peppers consumed ranged from three to 13, with a median of five. Three of the participants noted lacrimation and rhinorrhea immediately after the contest. In none did cough or sputum production develop. One male subject complained of dysuria, and four of five noted a burning discomfort on defecation within 24 hours of the contest.
The limited information obtained from this study does not indicate clinical usefulness of jalapeno as an expectorant. We believe that jalapenos may well be the cause of transient dysuria and, in addition, may result in a syndrome of burning defecation that might appropriately be termed "jalaproctitis."
After giving informed consent, subjects consumed as many large jalapenos as could be tolerated in a three-minute period. The number of peppers consumed ranged from three to 13, with a median of five. Three of the participants noted lacrimation and rhinorrhea immediately after the contest. In none did cough or sputum production develop. One male subject complained of dysuria, and four of five noted a burning discomfort on defecation within 24 hours of the contest.
The limited information obtained from this study does not indicate clinical usefulness of jalapeno as an expectorant. We believe that jalapenos may well be the cause of transient dysuria and, in addition, may result in a syndrome of burning defecation that might appropriately be termed "jalaproctitis."
Posted By: Alex - Sat Mar 18, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Food, Experiments, Body Fluids, Excrement, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise
48 Famous Sardine Meals
I accept that there are famous chicken, beef, and pork meals. There are famous fish meals as well (such as fish and chips). But famous sardine meals? Even after looking through the recipe book below (available via archive.org), I'm not convinced there are any.
Also, the book only lists 38 recipes. Either the authors didn't think anyone would actually count, or the archived copy has pages missing. The pages aren't numbered, so hard to know which is the case.
- Sardines in the blazer
- Sardines on brown bread toast
- Sardines with anchovy sauce
- Sardine canape
- Sardines a la steensan
- Creamed sardines
- Sardines fried in batter
- Grilled sardines
- Sardine snacks
- Sardine and asparagus timbales
- Hot sardine rolls
- Mystery sandwiches
- Sartuna sandwich
- Sardine kedgerel
- Sardines "my own"
- Fried sardines
- Stuffed tomatoes
- Pilchered eggs
- Sardines lyonnaise
- Virginian sardine sandwiches
- Sardine salad en mayonnaise
- Hot sardine sandwich
- Broiled sardines
- Sardine relish
- Curried sardines
- Sardine croquettes
- Baked sardines
- Broiled sardines
- Sardine salad
- Sardine and olive sandwiches
- Sardine cocktail
- French toasted sardines
- Devilled sardines
- Japanese salad
- Pickled sardines
- Mayonnaise dressing
- Thousand island dressing
- Sour cream dressing
Note: my wife says that 'sardines on toast' is quite famous in Britain. So my lack of sardine awareness probably represents an American bias.
Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 10, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Food, Cookbooks
Crisco is digestible
When the best that a company can say about their food is that "it's digestible," it sounds like damning with faint praise.
Better Homes and Gardens - Sep 1956
Better Homes and Gardens - Sep 1954
Better Homes and Gardens - Mar 1957
Posted By: Alex - Wed Feb 01, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Food, Advertising, 1950s
The taste of food in dark isolation
Beatrice Finkelstein, a nutrition researcher at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, conducted a series of "dark-isolation studies" during the 1950s. Subjects were placed for periods of 6 to 72 hours in a totally dark, sound proof chamber furnished with a bed, chair, refrigerator, and chemical toilet.
The purpose of this was to find out how astronauts might react to being confined in a small, dark space for a prolonged period of time. And in particular how their responses to food might change.
Some of her results:
Food has had varying degrees of significance. Some subjects have spent excessive amounts of time eating, nibbling, or counting food; others have become very angry with the food or very fond of it. Here again, evidence is strong that food in a situation of stress may be used as a tool to obtain personal satisfactions.
But the stranger result was how the lack of visual input completely changed the flavor of the food:
Palatability and acceptability of food in many instances are contrary to that on the ground or in the air; e.g., brownies have enjoyed only a fair degree of acceptability whereas ordinarily they are highly acceptable; canned orange juice usually rates low in acceptability; in isolation it has moderate to high acceptability. Data also indicate that the ability to discriminate one food from another within the same food group is impaired. All meats taste alike. Subjects are unable to distinguish one canned fruit from another. White, whole wheat, and rye breads used in sandwiches are similar in taste. Thus it is quite apparent that removal of the visual cues ordinarily associated with eating interferes with the taste and enjoyment of food and therefore the acceptability of food.
More info: "Feeding crews in air vehicles of the future"
Beatrice Finkelstein (source)
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 30, 2023 -
Comments (4)
Category: Food, Spaceflight, Astronautics, and Astronomy, Experiments, Psychology
Kicking the pickle
1949: Ruth Brand "kicked off" National Pickle Week. And apparently that's a genuine giant pickle in the photos, not a fake one.
"Harry Conley of the Green Bay Food company, who is president of the National Pickle Packers association, officiates in Chicago at the 'kickoff' of the national pickle week campaign. Pickle week will be held May 20 to 28. Kicking the world's largest pickle is Ruth Brand, Chicago."
Lancaster Intelligencer Journal - Feb 11, 1949
But what is this about Amerigo Vespucci being a pickle dealer? I'd never heard this before.
Some research reveals that the claim traces back to a remark made by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his book English Traits:
Strange, that the New World should have no better luck,— that broad America must wear the name of a thief. Amerigo Vespucci, the pickle-dealer at Seville, who went out, in 1499, a subaltern with Hojeda, and whose highest naval rank was boatswain's mate in an expedition that never sailed, managed in this lying world to supplant Columbus, and baptize half the earth with his own dishonest name.
Smithsonian magazine investigated the claim and doesn't think it's very likely. Vespucci did work for a while as a ship chandler, and in this capacity it's possible he may have supplied some ships with pickled foods. But to go from this to calling him a pickle dealer is a bit of a stretch.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 29, 2023 -
Comments (6)
Category: Food, Pickles, 1940s
Coconuts: Production, Processing, Products
Every now and then, WU strives to find a video or book or practice so boring that it merges into true weirdness. I think 311 pages on the humble coconut might qualify. Learn about the ten different cuts of coconut meat, and so much more!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 24, 2023 -
Comments (3)
Category: Boredom, Food, Industry, Factories and Manufacturing, Books
Stange Seasoning
The name isn't as bad as Hurff Canned Goods, but even so, Stange Seasoning doesn't sound very appetizing.Stange was acquired by McCormick and Co. in 1980.
Food Technology - Sep 1958
Posted By: Alex - Sun Jan 15, 2023 -
Comments (0)
Category: Food, Odd Names
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