(This one's for you, WWM.)
“Salt is the only rock directly consumed by man. It corrodes but preserves, desiccates but is wrested from the water. It has fascinated man for thousands of years not only as a substance he prized and was willing to labour to obtain, but also as a generator of poetic and of mythic meaning. The contradictions it embodies only intensify its power and its links with experience of the sacred.”
Margaret Visser, 20th century author
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
~ National Pig Day
~ National Peanut Butter Lover's Day
~ National Fruit Compote Day
~ Wales: St. David's Day. Welshmen wear leeks in their hats today.
1736 Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers, was born on February 29, 1736. To commemorate her birthday, each year on March 1 the Shakers held an afternoon meeting, followed by a supper at which this cake was served. The original recipe advises, “Cut a handful of peach twigs which are filled with sap at this season of the year. Clip the ends and bruise them and beat the cake batter with them. This will impart a delicate peach flavor to the cake.” American Heritage Cookbook (1964)
1784 E. Kidner opened the first cooking school in Great Britain.
1927 Harry Belafonte, singer, actor, was born. His biggest hit was "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song" in 1956.
1970 U.S. commercial whale hunting ended.
1989 Jack Dietz holds the world's record for watermelon seed spitting, 66 feet 11 inches. There are contests in many locations throughout the U.S. in the spring and summer.
1989 A 75 year-long ban on beer was lifted this day in Iceland.
1990 The British Royal Navy began issuing rum rations to sailors as early as 1655. The Royal New Zealand Navy was the last navy in the world to end daily rum rations for sailors in 1990.
2002 McDonald's announced in a press release that it has agreed to pay 10 million dollars to Hindu and vegetarian groups to settle lawsuits over its use of beef flavoring in its French Fries.
DID YOU KNOW?
SALT
Salt may have been a large factor in determining the success of various societies and even the amount of freedom its citizens had. Where salt was scarce, strong, controlling rule prevailed to ensure the availability of salt to all, but where salt was plentiful the need for strong government was not as great, and citizens had more freedom.
Only 6% of the salt used in the U.S. is used in food; another 17% is used for de-icing streets and highways in the winter months.
In the late 17th century, salt was the leading cargo carried from the Caribbean to North America (most tonnage). Salt Cod was the leading cargo carried from North America to the Caribbean. It was used to feed slaves on sugar plantations.
In the early 1800s salt was 4 times as expensive as beef on the frontier - it was essential in keeping people and livestock alive.
Common salt, sodium chloride, is sold in several different particle sizes (gradation) and forms, depending on the intended end use. Discrete crystals can be seen in rock salt used for deicing. Fine granules are typical of table salt and even finer popcorn salt. Kosher salt, pickling salt and ice cream salt are slightly coarser. Small compressed pellets are used in water softeners and large salt blocks are used as salt licks for livestock. When viewed under strong magnification, all sodium chloride is crystalline. Very large cubic crystals, of two, three or more inches in size, can be seen in some salt mines. They are transparent and cleave into perfect cubes when struck with a hard object.
(Salt Institute)
Salt preserves foods by creating a hostile environment for certain microorganisms. Within foods, salt brine dehydrates bacterial cells, alters osmotic pressure and inhibits bacterial growth and subsequent spoilage. Salting fish made long-range explorations possible in the age of sailing ships.
Cream will whip better better if you add a pinch of salt.
