• Last updated 2/16/10 by Food writer

Unless you have better than casual knowledge of the coastal South Carolina resort area of Myrtle Beach, you've likely never heard of Chicken Bog. If you are looking for an easy-to-prepare-in-large-quantities comfort food crowd-pleaser, you'll want to put this traditional Lowcountry dish in your catering repertoire.Myrtle Beach is in Horry County (don't pronounce the H!), and its residents and their neighbors to the south in Georgetown County, at least the ones born and raised there, are rice eaters. Practically the whole area used to be rice plantations in antebellum... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ChefTalk.com

Soybeans are one of the world's most important crops. Soy, like wheat and corn, plays a substantial role in feeding large numbers of people throughout the world. Soybeans have been part of the Chinese diet for at least 5,000 years. Indeed, many Asian countries have been consuming a wide range of soy products for centuries, and it is often to the soy-rich diets of these cultures that scientists now attribute their populations' heart health and longevity. Because many soy products originated in Asia, they have Asian names America has grown soybeans for only a fraction of... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by bbally

Perhaps the one tool that can give you an edge when presenting certain dishes and drinks. But this tool is almost never found anymore. The most common place used to be the bar, but since the new generation of Franchise Eatery barkeeps has come along, they all reach for the soda gun! While I understand the grind out the drinks mentality, I am surprised to see a lack of younger bar keeps picking up the traits involved in serving a proper drink. Order a scotch with a splash of soda, the gun, the gun, the gun! What happen to pride in the craft? But enough on Barkeeps that... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by mvogel

I completed my doctorate degree at Yeshiva University in the Bronx.  One of the things I remember most, (aside from the cost), was not the education, but the extraordinary matzo ball soup in the cafeteria.  I never had lunch in the cafeteria without enjoying it.  This was years before my culinary interests took a more serious turn so I never queried how it was made.  At the time I was more than satisfied to simply savor the soup and temporarily escape the grueling schedule, the horrendous commute, and the prospect of student loan payments for decades to come.  Matzo,... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by mvogel

New Orleans Classics In 1604 the French colonized Acadia, the region surrounding present day Nova Scotia.  Disputes with Great Britain over the sovereignty of the territory quickly arose.  Over the next two centuries control of Acadia shifted between the French and the British, highlighted by interminable armed conflicts, political haggling, and treaties.  Finally in 1785 the British had the upper hand and forced the Acadians from their homeland.   The Acadians then migrated to Louisiana where successive translations of their name produced the term "Cajun."  Cajun... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by JackBlack

"Fruitcake is a geological homemade cake," Charles Dickens When I was a kid I hated fruitcake. Ok, hate is a pretty strong word, an intense dislike is probably more appropriate, and this is coming from someone who's had a sweet tooth since the day they were born. But to be honest I didn't really gave it a chance. One of the sticky little blocks always seemed to appear around holiday time, I'd spot it stashed in the back of the refrigerator. I wouldn't eat it even when there were no other sweets in the house. The way its plastic wrapping stuck to it kind of grossed me... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by mvogel

Various pudding recipes, especially bread pudding, have been traditional Christmas dishes since the 19th century.  Before discussing bread pudding we must first illuminate what pudding in general is, and that's the real challenge.  According to the culinary encyclopedia Larousse Gastronomique, pudding is "Any of numerous dishes, sweet or savory, served hot or cold, which are prepared in a variety of ways."  I think that's the broadest definition I've ever encountered.  With those parameters, a McDonalds Happy Meal could be considered pudding.  The problem is the word... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by ccommission

The Beginning of Civilization The origin of the date palm is lost in antiquity. It gave a means of existence to thousands of people. It has been said to offer man "three hundred and sixty" uses including thread, needles, baskets, lumber, mattresses, rope, numerous other household items and an integral part of their diet. It is certain that the date palm grew between 4000-5000 years ago. Formerly known as Mesopotamia, The Garden Of Eden is supposed to lie at the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the beginning of mankind. The three ancient kingdoms of the area,... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by msacks

One may find this hard to believe, but humans have been toasting things since the beginning of time. Man discovered early on that the only way to separate the edible part of the grain from the husks was to toast it. Deliberate toasting of the grain would make it digestible and improve its taste considerably. The early oven resembled today's seashore clambake; a pit was dug, lined with flat stone, and a fire was set. Then the cinders were brushed from the rock, which left the pit very hot. The baker would lay the stalks of grain on the rocks and roast them until the grain... read more

• Last updated 2/16/10 by asmith

While our early ancestors may have employed hot water to heat foods in natural containers, the cooking technique of boiling was not commonly-used until the invention of waterproof and heatproof containers about five thousand years ago. Boiling was advantageous as a cooking technique. Water turns to steam at a constant temperature that does not exceed F. 212 at sea level. Compared to heating with hot air over a fire, boiling water is more dense and comes more fully in contact with the entire surface of submersed foods. Hot water easily and quickly imparts its energy to... read more