Good Cooking's Culinary Facts

Dobostorte is a rich chocolate-filled seven layer cake.

Margarine was first produced in France in the late 19th century.

Barley was mentioned in the Bible as one of the foods that was destroyed by the plagues of Egypt. (Exodus 9:31)

Anchovies are members of the herring family.

Pimpinella Anisum is the Latin name for Anise.

Mascarpone cheese is a soft creamy cheese that is a key ingredient in Tiramisu.

Boston Cream Pie is the official dessert of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Serrano Ham from Spain is similar to the Italian Ham known as Proscuitto.

The primary grape used in making sherry wine is the Palomino fino grape.

It takes about 275,000 crocus flowers to produce 2.2 pounds of saffron.

Fruit Smoothies aren't a "New" drink, they have been around for hundreds of years, particularly in India and the Caribbean.

Decanting is the term for separating the wine from the sediment in the bottom of a bottle.

The tomato was legally changed from a fruit to a vegetable by a Supreme Court ruling in the late 1800's.

Vinegar is added to water when poaching eggs to keep the egg white from spreading.

It takes 12 minutes to hard boil a large egg.

The Aztecs are credited for domesticating the turkey.

The French name for monkfish is "Lotte", like in parking lot!

Madeira wine is produced on the Portuguese island of Madeira.

Eggplant Caviar is a spread made of baked eggplant, garlic, onions, tomatoes and olive oil.

The chemical make-up of baking soda is NaHCO

Cacciatore, as in the Italian dish Chicken Cacciatore, means Hunter Style.

A Tostada is a tortilla that is pan fried flat and then topped with many ingredients.

Chow Chow is a Pennsylvania Dutch sweet relish of cabbage, peppers, cucumbers and other vegetables.

Chinese Five Spice Powder is a blend of 1 part each: powdered cinnamon, ground cloves, ground fennel seed, ground star anise, ground Szechwan peppercorns. Measure all ingredients, then blend together in a blender or food processor. You may also use a mortar and pestle.

Harissa is a North African Hot Sauce and can be made with the following ingredients: 3 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika, 1/2 teaspoon powdered cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree till smooth, you may also use a mortar and pestle. Please note that this is a very hot and spicy dipping sauce!

Ten Popular Herbs to Grow and Use in Cooking: basil, thyme, chives, rosemary, tarragon, parsley, marjoram, sage, mint, and oregano!

Arrugula or Rocket (Eruca sativa) is a member of the Mustard family (Cruciferae).

Oysters Rockefeller was created in 1899 by Jules Alciatore at Antoine's Restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana. This rich oyster dish was named in honor of John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest men in the United States.

Ecrevisse is the French name for Crayfish.

Pineapple Fool is a popular dessert in Jamaica. It consists of chopped drained pineapple blended with sweetened whipped cream and served in ice cream sundae glasses.

Pawpaw is the West Indian name for papayas.

Beurre Blanc is a butter sauce made with white wine, shallots, cream and butter.

Lobster Pie is a casserole with cooked lobster meat topped with crushed Ritz crackers, butter, lemon, sherry wine and cream. It's then baked in an oven until golden brown.

Spinach leaves can be deep fried until crispy and crunchy and used as a garnish on many dishes. It looks great as a garnish on fettuccine Alfredo.

A Kir Royale is made with 1/4 oz. Creme de Cassis and 5 oz. Champagne.

Did you know that curry powder gets its yellow color from a spice called turmeric!

Did you know that chive blossoms are edible. Try some chopped and sprinkled on your salad or baked potato!

When boiling lobster an average cooking time per pound is 10 minutes, for larger lobster of 3-4-5-etc. pounds, cook twenty minutes for the first two pounds, then 5 minutes more for each additional pound. A 5 pound lobster when added to boiling water and then having the water returned to the boil would take 35 minutes of simmering. You may prefer less time if you let the lobster cool in the hot liquid.

Did you know that Chef Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935) worked with Cesar Ritz at the London Savoy, Connaught and Carlton hotels. He also was in charge of the kitchens at both the Paris and London Ritz. Escoffier was considered the "King of Chefs and Chef of Kings." An international gourmet society was formed in his honor and has branches in most US cities and around the world. Les Amis D'Escoffier and Les Dames D'Escoffier celebrate his memory with formal, multiple course dinners and fine wines. Escoffier wrote a guide to cooking, Chili Powder has four main ingredients; cumin, ancho chilies, garlic, oregano.

It's not uncommon for chefs and their helpers to work 12 hours per day!

Drambuie is a liqueur made from Scotch malt whiskey flavored with heather honey!

Fresh Rock Shrimp season in Florida begins in July, and runs though March.