One of the most popular vegetables in the USA...

 

 

Sweet corn

 also called sugar corn or pole corn

 

 

 

It is a variety of maize with a high sugar content. Unlike other varieties of corn, sweet corn is picked when immature (milk stage) and prepared and eaten as a vegetable, rather than a grain. The husk and silk are removed by hand, before boiling but not necessarily before roasting, in a process called husking or shucking.

In the United States, sweet corn is eaten as a steamed vegetable, or on the cob, usually served with butter and salt. It can be found in Tex-Mex cooking in chili, tacos, and salads. When corn is mixed with Lima beans it is called Succotash. It can be used fresh, canned and frozen. If left to dry on the plant, kernels may be taken off the cob and cooked in oil where, unlike popcorn, they expand to about double the original kernel size and are often called corn nuts.

 

Sweetcorn can be used in many ways in order to prepare different dishes, for example:

Sweet corn soup - The basic recipe is some type of soup base with corn added followed by whatever ingredients give it its distinct style. Typically ingredients are corn cut from the cob, water, butter, some flour, an egg, with salt and pepper for seasoning — this varies by region.

Cornbread - quick bread containing cornmeal. They are usually leavened by baking powder.

Creamed corn - is a type of creamed food made by pulping corn kernels and collecting the milky residue from the corn. It is an almost soupy version of sweetcorn, but unlike other preparations of sweetcorn, creamed corn is partially puréed, releasing the liquid contents of the kernels. Sugar and starch may be added and in home-made version, some variety of milk, perhaps even cream. In store-bought canned preparations adding milk is less common.

And many more... 

Corn flakes

 

Popcorn

 

Corn flour

Sweet corn is not only tasty but also healthy - cooking sweet corn increases levels of ferulic acid, which has anti-cancer properties.

 

Find out what are the origins of planting sweet corn.

Share your answer with us!

USA - the kingdom of...

 

 

Fast food

 

When we think of the United States, one of the pictures that we can have in our heads can be this:

Such meals, which characteristic is to be prepared and served quickly are very popular in the USA.

Most of people put emphasis on the fact that fast-food is unhealthy and should not be eaten at all. Others claim that it shouldn't be eaten too often. There are also some people who love fast-food for its simplicity and great taste. However, this post won't be focused on health matter, but rather on objective characteristics of 2 largest American fast-food chains.

McDonald's

 

 

American hamburger and fast-food restaurant chain. It was founded in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald.

Nowadays, McDonald's is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world that serves approximately 68 million customers in 119 countries across approximately 36,615 outlets.

McDonald's main products are: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, wraps, french fries, breakfast items, milkshakes, soft drinks, and desserts.

However, the restaurants are still expanding their menu in order to satisfy the clients. 

KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken

It's a well-known American fast-food restaurant chain that specializes in fried chicken. It was founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in Kentucky during the Great Depression.He opened his first restaurant in 1952 in Utah.

     

Harland became a prominent figure of American cultural history; his image remains widely used in KFC advertising.

KFC's product offering is pressure fried on-the-bone chicken pieces seasoned with Sanders' 'Original Recipe' of 11 herbs and spices. There are also available chicken burgers in many varieties, french fries, wraps, sweetcorns, and much more...

However, KFC adopts its menu internationally to suit regional tastes, so the products may differ in some countries.

Which fast-food restaurant do you prefer?
Share with us your answer! 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner

In this post I'm going to show you how a real American Thanksgiving dinner looks like. It is the centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States as well as in Canada.

The dinner's main dish, and at the same time the most well-known is turkey. It plays such an important role in culture that sometimes Thanksgiving Day is colloquially called 'Turkey day'.

Most turkeys at simply stuffed with a bread-based mixture and are later roasted. There is a traditional herb called Sage, which is added to the stuffing together with chopped celery, carrots, and onions. The stuffing contains also chopped chestnuts or other tree nuts, crumbled sausage or bacon, cranberries, raisins or apples.

Nowadays, some people change the recipe and make deep-fried turkey, because of its shorter preparation time. There are also some alternatives to turkey which can be served as a main dish, for example goose or duck.

There are also many more foods which accompany the turkey, for example: 

-Cranberry sauce
-stuffing or dressing
-mashed potatoes
-corn (fresh, canned or frozen)
-green beans often served as green bean casserole
-fresh salad
-bread rolls or biscuits and cornbread

After the dinner desserts are served: 

-pumpkin pie 
-apple pie
-sweet potato pie
-pecan pie 

Obviously, there are many varieties of these foods, caused by different region cultures.

Find out how many turkeys are statistically eaten during Thanksgiving day in the USA.

Share your answer with us!

A drink which does not need an introduction

Coca-cola was invented by John Pemberton in the late 19th century firstly as a patent medicine. Some time later it was bought out by Asa Griggs Candler, and it was him who made Coca-cola the most well-known soft drink in the world. 

JOHN PEMBERTON

The formula of Coca-Cola drink is a trade secret.  However, some people claim that it was once uncovered in a newspaper in 1979.

The main ingredients of Coca-Cola drink are:

- carbonated water

- sugar (different kinds depending on a country)

-caffeine

-phosphoric acid

-caramel color (E150d)

-natural flavorings

 Since June 2012 Coca-Cola has been available in every country in the world except Cuba and North Korea. However, it is reported to be available in both countries as a grey import.

Early Coca-Cola bottling machine

Early  installation of Coca-Cola dispenser

Bottling plant of Coca-Cola in Canada

Early advertisment 

 



Do you know what is the origin of the name Coca-Cola?

Check it and share with us your answer! 

USA as a leading exporter of ...

PEANUT BUTTER

Peanut butter is a food paste made from ground dry roasted peanuts. There are many different types of this product, but the two main are: crunchy and smooth.

The texture of the crunchy one is enriched with peanuts fragments.

The smooth one is uniformly groun.

Peanut butter is not only delicious but healthy. It contains many substances which affect our organisms positivelly. For example it is full of vitamins (especially niacin - B3, B6 and E), minerals (mainly Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium). It is also a very good source of  saturated (primarily palmitic acid) and unsaturated fats (primarily oleic and linoleic acids).

It can be eaten in many different ways. The most 'traditional' and very popular way in the USA is to eat a peanut butter sandwich. Most often it is a layer of peanut butter and a layer of jelly or jam between two slices of bread.

 

Very often it is treated as an ingredient in sweets. In bigger shops you can find peanut butter bars, chocolates, cookies, ice-cream....and even more.

TASK

Find out why one of these is called peanut butter and the second peanut spread!

Do you like peanut butter..?

 

 

How about some coffee..?

No problem, you can get it easily in a DINER

Diner is a small fast food restaurant that often looks like a train's wagon. Very popular in the USA, but also in Canada and some parts of Western Europe. 

The first diner was created in 1872 by Walter Scott, and it was nothing else but a horse-pulled wagon. Some time later a man called Thomas Buckley began a commercial production of lunch wagons. The idea was a great success, and today this kind of restaurant is well-known.

 Diners serve typical American food

American breakfast: eggs, omelettes, bacon, pancakes, waffles 

Lunch: hamburgers, french fries, hot-dogs, deep fried or grilled chicken  

and much more...

And of course a real diner does not exist without 2 main things:

Coffee

&

Milkshakes

These days diners have considerable cultural significance and they surely became cult. For me, these are unique places with good food and wonderful atmosphere.

Have you ever been to a diner..?