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A bakery in the western German city of Cologne has caused a storm in local media for its selling of dark-glazed pastries with exaggerated facial features. Some of the pastries — normally a kind of meringue on wafer covered in plain chocolate — were sporting eyes, nose and thick red lips, with some even carrying bones on top of their heads or comical hats. The white-faced pastries have glasses and carry on their heads what is known as a fez, a felt hat with a tassel that was popular during the Ottoman Empire. The pastry, now known as “Schokokuss” (Chocolate...

Vineyards in Northern California began planting thousands of acres of new vines in 2016, and with more efficient harvesting methods, it has led to more bountiful harvests of grapes. Having more grapes to make wine sounds good, but if there’s not enough demand to support increased production, the surplus grapes go to waste. Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers, told CNN that it’s possible for surplus grapes to make it to the secondary market, where they’re used for brandy or as grape concentrate. But that market doesn’t typically provide sustainable returns for growers. “The main cause of oversupply today...

In 50 years, Billie Eilish will be turning 69 years old, technology will likely be unrecognizable, and the world may have lost 1/3 of all its plant and animal species. A new study has found that warming temperatures will likely cause hundreds of species to go extinct. Researchers at the University of Arizona analyzed 538 plant and animal species from around the world, 44% of which already faced local extinctions in at least one area in the world. What they discovered is that the areas that suffered from species extinctions had "larger and faster changes in hottest yearly temperatures than...

We've long known honey bees shake their behinds to communicate the location of high-value flower patches to one another, a form of signaling that scientists refer to as "waggle dances." A group of US biologists have now decoded the meaning of over 1,500 of these jigs, providing conservation groups trying to boost the imperiled species' population with new insights into their dietary preferences. "The thing I think is the most interesting about bees is their communication," Morgan Carr-Markell, a PhD student at the University of Minnesota and the lead author of a new study published in the journal PLOS One,...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

For 25 years in Georgia, I watched my mom make the same batch of six light, fluffy biscuits for breakfast almost every Sunday. Then I moved to New York, never to see a light, fluffy biscuit again. I arrived in the city in 2011, just in time for southern food to get trendy outside its region, and for three years, I bit into a series of artisanal hockey pucks, all advertised on menus as authentic southern buttermilk biscuits. With every dense, dry, flat, scone-adjacent clump of carbohydrates, I became more distressed. I didn’t even realize biscuits could be bad, given...

An Australian woman died during an eating competition thrown to celebrate Australia day after choking on a lamington—the country’s national cake. The woman was 60-years-old and participating in a competition in the city of Hervey Bay in Queensland on Jan. 26. CTV News reported that the competition was held on Sunday at the Beach House Hotel. Australians commonly celebrate the public holiday with food festivals as well as parades and fireworks. People witnessing the event took videos that show a bar filled with cheering onlookers as the competition carried out. The woman choked while she was eating a lamington which...

French winemakers hit by US tariffs imposed in a transatlantic trade war over airplane subsidies on Tuesday demanded help from their government and European planemaker Airbus. French wine exports to the US have plunged since President Donald Trump in October imposed 25 percent tariffs on a range of European delicacies in retaliation for EU subsidies of Airbus, arch-rival of America’s Boeing. The French finance ministry last week announced that wine exports to the US — the second-biggest export market for French wines after Germany — had fallen by 44 percent in value from October to November. On Tuesday, the vice-president...

... By my calculation, roughly 20 million eligible children, mostly from middle- and upper-middle-class families, continue to opt out of the national program by bringing lunch or by buying special à la carte food items not covered by the program. As an individual family decision, packing lunches might seem like the best option, especially for children with special dietary needs. But when millions of families do so, their actions reduce the political will and financial resources necessary to make public school lunches better for everyone. The Trump administration isn’t much help. According to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, providing schools with...

I'm starving!

That fiery ball in space does settle down every 11 years or so. It’s called the solar minimum, and the Space Weather Prediction Center indicates that this phase of low sunspot activity will continue for a few more years. During a solar minimum, the sun has very few sunspots on its surface, which some speculate could affect the earth’s weather. In contrast, a solar maximum has more sunspots on its surface and solar activity is high. “Usually a solar minimum lasts about a year or so, but then sometimes it can last for decades or even longer,” said Prof. Jason...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Vegans across the country are protesting Starbucks for its "insane" institution of a "vegan tax" against non-dairy drinkers. The controversy, which stems from the fact that the coffee chain typically charges extra for plant-based milk options, has led to sit-ins at Starbucks locations nationwide, Insider reported. PETA, the animal rights group, has organized many of the protests, which have taken place in cities such as San Diego, Queens, N.Y., and Meriden Township, Minn., as well as outside the home of the company’s CEO, Kevin Johnson. **SNIP** The protests began in December 2019, when PETA announced it was purchasing shares of...

Certain foods that are considered traditional dishes or delicacies in some countries—such as horse meat, foie gras, or shark fins—are actually banned in the United States or certain states. Some foods are verboten because of ethical concerns regarding animal welfare. Still, other foods are prohibited due to concerns over potential health risks to people. Here are six foods banned by Uncle Sam due to health concerns in humans. Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica. This tropical fruit is eaten when fully ripe and is used in an assortment of jams, drinks, and candies. When it’s unripe, however, ackee contains...

“We see ourselves not as an owner of wild rice but a symbiotic partner and a parallel entity from the Creator,” says Frank Bibeau, a lawyer from the Anishinaabe indigenous group in the United States and Canada. Harvesters use flailing sticks to beat the wild rice — or manoomin, by its Anishinaabe name — and release grain into the air. “A good portion of the rice gets sent out in all directions to reseed the rice. Maybe half of it or a little more falls into the canoe for food,” Bibeau explains. “So we are part of the natural reseeding...

Wuhan: A British man living in China’s Wuhan - the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has made a startling claim that he defeated the deadly virus with ‘hot whisky and honey’. According to Fox News, 25-year-old Connor Reed, who teaches English in Wuhan, was diagnosed with the virus about two months ago. At first he thought it was a simple flu, but after he experienced difficulties breathing and struggled with a bad cough, Connor sought hospital treatment. **SNIP** “I used the inhaler which helped control the cough and drank a hot whiskey with honey until [it] ran out. It’s an...

While Florida gains notoriety as the epicenter of the shark trade in the United States, state lawmakers there advanced legislation Monday that would ban the possession of shark fins. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee endorsed that proposal, as well as another bill that would stiffen penalties against hunters who kill black bears. Spurred by advocates, the committee voted to join other states in outlawing the sale and possession of shark fins, a prized delicacy in some cultures, and a lucrative one.

Bay Area wineries are relying on specialized dogs to sniff out wine contaminated with cork taint. Don Ford reports. Video at site.

I’m very sorry to be late with this monthly post; I’ve lost an old, very longtime friend over the past week; am dealing with a household issue; and am temporarily out of ideas. I’m tired of everything I cook; so I thought I’d open this February post up to the folks, to post their favorite recipe. Any – especially fresh, healthy – ideas? We lost someone else, last month, too. Many of you will remember Phyllis Stokes, whose recipes and videos we’ve often posted/discussed here. Phyllis passed away in late January, and her son posted this tribute and update: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJkP-eSyHbA...

Sunspot activity on the surface of the Sun follows a well-known but little understood 11 year cycle. Activity rises and falls creating the so-called solar maximum and then solar minimum. During a solar maximum, the Sun is more powerful and is littered with sunspots. Conversely when the Sun enters a solar minimum – which it did about two years ago - energy from our host star begins to lessen. However, one expert has warned that the Sun will enter a period of “hibernation” this year, in what as known as a Grand Solar Minimum (GSM). **SNIP** “The reduction in temperature...