What's the origin of the word "gingerly"?

Search: gingerly etymology

Why: It's in just about every book ever, but I don't understand it. In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:

Then, gingerly, she picked up the blowtorch.

I mean, what? I don't even know what that's supposed to mean.

Also, I just had some ginger dressing. I eat it a lot, but it always reminds me of Heather Chandler's Drano-corn nuts puke in Heathers.

Answer: First, that word means: adj. careful, cautious or adv. cautiously, with great care!

It comes from a word that means "elegant" or "dainty"!

• from Latin gentius, "well-born" (as in gentle, as in gentleman)
  
• from gent or Old French gensor, "dainty, delicate"
• 1510s, "elegantly, daintily"
• 1600, "extremely cautiously
  

I think you know what's coming next: that the word ginger has nothing to do with that.

• from Sanskrit srngam, "horn" + vera, "body" = srngaveram, named for the horny shape of its root

• from Prakit (Middle Indic) singabera
• from Greek zingiberis
• from Latin zingiberi
• from Middle Latin gingiber
• from mid-14 century Old English gingifer
• ginger!
  

Source: EtymOnline

The More You Know: Or!

• from Malayalam inchi, "root" and inchi-ver, "spice"
• from Old French gingebre
• from 1843 American English, "spirit, spunk, temper"
  

What does "estery" mean?

Search: estery definition; ester

Why: On the label for Samuel Adams Rustic Saison (available in the Sam Adams Summer Styles variety pack):

Incredibly complex yet refreshing, Rustic Saison is brewed in the farmhouse beer tradition. Unique floral, fruity, and estery flavors are imparted from its Belgian yeast. These flavors are layered with a citrusy and herbal hop character for a bright and satisfying brew.

Answer: "Tastes floral / fruity"! I see these 3 things:

• Ester - Volatile flavor compound naturally created in fermentation
• Estery - Aroma or flavor suggestive of flowers or fruits
• Fruity/Estery - Flavor and aroma of bananas, strawberries, apples, or other fruits

People throw that word around quite a bit on homebrewing forums.

An ester is an organic compound formed when an acid and an alcohol combine and release water.

Esters formed from simple hydrocarbon groups are colorless, volatile liquids with pleasant aromas and create the fragrances and flavors of many flowers and fruits. They are also used as food flavorings. Larger esters, formed from long-chain carboxylic acids, commonly occur as animal and vegetable fats, oils, and waxes. Esters have a wide range of uses in industry.

Source: Beer Terminology, TheFreeDictionary

The More You Know: The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow. What's the origin of the word julep, you ask? It comes from the Persian word گلاب Golâb, "rose water." It used to refer to any sweet drink that was used as or contained medicine, but now it just means delicious, delicious sugary minty bourbon.

What type of tie does Colonel Sanders wear?

Search: colonel sanders necktie

Why: This lawyer on "Murder, She Wrote" is wearing one to show that he is from Texas, the Lone Star State. It's crazy!

Answer: Oh, I see so many names for it.

• Colonel tie
  
• String tie
• String bow tie
• Western bow tie
• Plantation tie!!
  

WHAT!

Lookin sharp! Full disclosure: I used to think that was supposed to be a little body, like that weird puppet on "Out of Control."

Here's how to tie it!

Source: Yahoo! Answers, eHow, myNexTie, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Here is where I blogged about Colonel Sanders before, and here is where I blogged about the bolo tie.

What does Mark 11:12-14 say?

Search: mark 11:12

Why: On The 55 Funniest Signs from the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear:

Answer: Lol:

¹²And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

¹³And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.

¹⁴And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Read an unreasonably enraged commentary about this episode here.

Source: Bible Gateway, atheism.about.com

The More You Know: I love the pizza at Figs in Boston. Try it! Or roast some figs with honey:

What are pigeon houses?

Search: pigeon houses

Why: In this collection of aerial photography by Yann Arthus-Bertrand:

Pigeon Houses Mit Gahmr Delta, Egypt

Answer: Well, they are houses for pigeons! But why? Because:

Pigeon is a part of the daily diet in many parts of Egypt

Horf! Also, they use the droppings as fertilizer. The houses, called dovecotes, are made of natural mud brick.

Source: EarthArchitecture.org

The More You Know: Other interesting images from that collection:

Sha Kibbutz, Israel

Copenhagen, Denmark

Denver, Colorado

What's a knoephla?

Search: knoeplah, knoephla

Why: On this picture of food and states:

North Dakota - Knoeplah

Answer: It's a kind of dumpling! The name (pronounced "neff-la") comes from the German word Knöpfle, "little knob / button." The traditional soup is really thick, made with chicken broth and potatoes - but it can be vegan, too.

Source: Taste of Home, Vegan for the People, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Other what the hells on that list:

Michigan - Pasties

A pasty is a traditional Cornish baked pastry filled with beef and vegetables and folded over. Cornish miners settled in Michigan in the 1860s, and the Finnish settlers there also adopted the practice of making pasties. There is a Pasty Fest in Calumet, MI, each July.

South Carolina - Benne wafers

A Benne Wafer is a thin cookie made of toasted sesame. Benne, the Bantu word for "sesame," was brought from East Africa and planted extensively throughout the South in Colonial times.

South Dakota - Chislic

Chislic (or chislick, from Russian shashlik) is cubed meat that is marinated and grilled or deep fried. In different parts of South Dakota (which is the only place that makes it), the meat may be beef, liver, lamb, or venison and cooked or served with garlic salt, barbecue sauce, Tabasco, or some other family marinade, soda crackers, and beer.

West Virginia - Ramps

The ramp, also called the wild leek, is a member of the lily family related to the scallion. Early English settlers enjoyed cooked ramps in the spring as a welcome change to their winter diets of salted meats and dried vegetables. The Ramp Festivals and Feast of the Ramson are happening next weekend, April 16th, in Richwood, WV. See you there! (They only have dial-up there, so sorry, I can't find any good pictures of this year's Ramp Fest logo or even of last year's Ramp Festival Queen.)

What even is a lentil?

Search: lentil

Why: I forgot to bring my lunch today, so I am eating Spinach Lentil Soup from Trimana. I am not sure whether "lentil" is a catch-all term for many types of small legume or if all lentils come from a specific type of plant. This is because the lentils I see in pictures or soups always seem to be a variety of different colors, shapes, and sizes.

The word "lentil" also make me think of Chicken Little.

Answer: The "lentils" you eat - always cooked - are the seeds of the lens culinaris or lens esculenta plant!

They come in hundreds of different varieties that may be round, oval, or heart-shaped. The most common types are green and brown, but others range in color from white to red-orange, yellow to black. Lentils are sold with or without skins, whole or split.

Source: WHFoods, Wikipedia, CookThink, Elements4Health

The More You Know: Here are some good reasons why you should eat some lentils today!

• Lentils are high in protein - about 26%!
  
• Lentils have almost no fat!
  
• Lentils are high in fiber - both the soluble and the insoluble type! Ew!
• The soluble fiber in lentils can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease!
  
• The soluble fiber in lentils can also help prevent wide swings in blood sugar levels!
  
• A whole cup of lentils is only 230 calories!
• Lentils contain folate!
• Lentils have magnesium!
• Lentils have not 1, but TWO B-vitamins!
• Lentils can help increase your energy by replenishing your iron stores!
• Lentils contain high levels of flavones, which have been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer!

What is Friendship Bread?

Search: friendship bread

Why: On Facebook:

Rachel - Does anybody have a friendship bread starter??? I haven't made it in forever, but I'd really like to make it again...since it's sourdough, I know I can't just start it when I want.
Kim - Well when u do make it, share the love with me! I love friendship bread :-)
Rachel - As soon as I get some I will!
Ashley - Agh.... I just gave my starters away! You might be able to find a starter recipe online. Good luck!
Rachel - I can't, I've tried. If anyone you gave starters to has one, I'd love a heads up! I'd be happy to go to them to get a starter :)
Amber - I've made the starter before, if you want I can start one up?
Rachel - Seriously?!? OMG! I'd love you!!! (This is the friendship bread where you get the starter and then you have like a week of "coaching" it and then when you bake you have a loaf of friendship bread and another starter right?)
Amber - Yes, that is the one. It will take me 10-11 days before I will have a starter for you.
Rachel - You are my favorite person right now!!!!

Answer: It's an Amish thing! Or, at least, the name is - it's called Amish Friendship Bread.

Amish Friendship Bread is not just a delicious and sweet bread, it's also a way to bond friends by sharing countless loaves of bread baked in different kitchens that all began from the same bowl of simple ingredients.

Here's a recipe for a friendship bread starter:

It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

Source: Moms Who Think, Armchair World

The More You Know: And then this:

Day 1 - Make or receive the starter
Day 2 - Stir
3 - Stir
4 - Stir
Day 5 - Add 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk
6 - Stir
7 - Stir
8 - Stir
9 - Stir
10 - Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk. Divide into 4 containers, with 1 cup each for 3 of your friends and 1 cup for your own loaves. Give friends the instructions for Day 1 through Day 10 and the following recipe for baking the bread.


via One more Moore

To Bake

After removing the 3 cups of batter, combine the remaining cup of Friendship Bread starter with the following ingredients in a large bowl:

2/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Using a fork, beat by hand until well-blended. You can add 1 cup raisins and 1 cup nuts (optional).

Grease two loaf pans with butter, sprinkle with sugar instead of flour.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (individual oven temperatures vary). Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans. Makes two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread.

What's the origin of the term "piping hot"?

Search: piping hot

Why: The heating instructions on the back of Nutrisystem dinner boxes say to "serve piping hot." It sounds terribly unprofessional. I hate it.

Answer: It comes from the whistling sound of steam! In 1390, Geoffrey Chaucer used the term in The Canterbury Tales in the 2nd story, "The Miller's Tale."

He sente hir pyment meeth and spiced ale
And wafres pipyng hoot out of the glede.

[He sent her sweetened wine and well-spiced ale
And waffles piping hot out of the fire]

Lol, pipyng hoot. A fesnyng of frendschip.

And in 1601, in Philemon Holland's translation of Pliny's Natural History:

"Beanes... fried all whole as they be, and so cast piping hot into sharp vineger."

Source: Phrases.org.uk

The More You Know: Why pay the piper when there's free piping down the street? 6:30:

What spices are sweet?

Search: sweet spices

Why: I am about to drink my 4th cup of tea today (Podrea; thanks Hillary!). Though I don't usually sweeten tea, it is starting to taste a bit monotonous (monoflavorous?). Sugar is bad for you, and honey - while "natural" and "better for you - has a great deal of calories. The only other thing I see in the spice rack is cinnamon.

Answer: There aren't many! A few herbs are sweetish, but not really the sort of thing you want to put in tea. Here are some options:

• Allspice - Sweet spice of Caribbean origin with a flavor suggesting a blend of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. May be purchased ground or as whole dried berries, which can be bruised to release more flavor.
  

• Basil - Sweet, warm flavor with an aromatic odor, used whole or ground.

• Chives - Mild, sweet herb related to the onion.

• Cinnamon - Popular sweet, aromatic spice that comes from the bark of laurel trees (WHAT!). It is sold ground or in sticks and used to flavor baked goods.

• Cloves - Rich East African spice used to provide flavor to both sweet and savory recipes, from baked goods to pickling brines.

• Nutmeg - Popular baking spice that is the hard pit of the fruit of the nutmeg tree.

• Pumpkin Pie Spice - A blend of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves used for pumpkin pie, gingerbread, cookies, sweet potatoes, and applesauce. (Is this a real thing?)

• Tarragon - Fragrant, sweet herb used fresh or dried to season vegetables, salads, light meats, seafood, and eggs.

Source: Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings

The More You Know: Also maybe some sort of mint - like peppermint, which is a hybrid between spearmint and watermint.

What exactly is umami?

Search: what is umami

Why: Bob said the reason Heinz ketchup is so addictive to Americans is because it hits all 5 taste buds. An ensuing conversation went something like this:

C: It's just the 5th taste.
A: But what does it taste like?
I: It's, like, savory.
M: What is savory?
C: Like, kind of salty...
A: But there are already salty taste buds.
I: It's the opposite of sweet.

I don't know. (I also don't like ketchup.)

Answer: Here is what science says:

Taking its name from Japanese, umami is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate, which occur naturally in many foods including meat, fish, vegetables and dairy products. As the taste of umami itself is subtle and blends well with other tastes to expand and round out flavors, most people don’t recognize umami when they encounter it, but it plays an important role making food taste delicious.

Source: UMAMI Information Center

The More You Know: Have you been to Umami Burger yet? There are several, including one within spitting distance of the back door of my apartment. The one on La Brea doesn't sell booze, and also, the people who work there are snobby dickholes. Come to the one in Los Feliz! Try the Manly.

What are the black olives you buy in cans?

Search: black olives

Why: When we were making pizza the other night, Chandler said black olives are just ripe green olives. Fair enough, but are the sliced ones you buy in cans (and put on pizza) a specific type?

Answer: They are usually California or Mission olives! But you can't eat olives off the tree, fyi, unless you want your bitter taste buds to be very upset indeed. Here are the facts:

• Olives are usually cured in things like salt, water, oil, or lye. In some parts of the Mediterranean, they may be dry cured, which gives the fruits (fruits!) a unique flavor and texture and allows them to be stored for a long time.
• Green olives are picked before they are ripe. Black olives are fully ripened before they are cured.
  
• California or "Mission olives" (from Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma in Sonoma Valley) are traditionally cured in lye. They are big and meaty, and commonly used in Latin American cuisine and on pizzas.
• Mission olives can also be made from green olives, but they naturally turn black during the lye curing process.
  

Omg, look at those figs.

There are other types of "black olives," of course, including:

• Kalamata - traditionally brined, from Greece
• Gaeta - traditionally brined, from Italy
• Nicoise and nyon - cured with herbs, from France
  

Source: WiseGeek, Wikipedia

The More You Know: Do you want to cure your own olives? I kind of do. You can do it with lye, which is a dangerous poison, or you can do it with oil and hang them in a burlap sack. Or try something else.

What is the Night of the Radishes?

Search: Night of the Radishes

Why: Sam is talking about it.

Answer: La Noche de Rabanos is a tradition in Oaxaca, Mexico, celebrated on Dec. 23rd. That's tonight!

The festival dates from the 19th century that combines art, agriculture, and religion. It is held in the zócalo, or main square, in Oaxaca, Mexico, 300 miles south of Mexico City. The radish made its first appearance here during the Spanish colonial period, and in commemoration Oaxaqueños carve them into elaborate shapes and display them on La Noche de Rabanos.

Extremely large radishes are carved into elaborate scenes and figures and placed on display around the Zócalo, along with scenes of figures in the “flor inmortal” (immortal flower: brightly colored, dried straw flowers) and “totomoxtle” (corn husks).

They carve them into all sorts of things, like conquistadors and village people and scenes with the sweet baby Jesus.

Source: Christmas in Oaxaca, Answers.com

The More You Know: And another thing:

During the festival and throughout the Christmas season, another custom is observed: people buy small pottery bowls filled with sweet fried dough called buñuelos. After they eat the dough, they fling the bowl violently to the ground. The walks become thick with pottery shards.

Irreverent!

I want to see how Brussels sprouts grow

Search: brussels sprouts

Why: A conversation:

CHANDLER: You know what we need to invent?
ME: What?
CHANDLER: Well, you know how Brussels sprouts grow?
ME: No.
CHANDLER: Well, it's kind of like corn. Like a stalk. They grow around. I don't really know how to describe it.

What.

Answer: Ooohhhh:

I guess I always assumed they grew out of the ground like little cabbages.

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Brussels sprouts happen to be among my favorite vegetables, right up there with spinach and, I dunno, baby carrots.

Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were likely cultivated in ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown possibly as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium. The first written reference dates to 1587.

Also, I'm not telling you what we're inventing, but it's a really good idea. Look for it in stores in 2011!

What's the song on the new Reese's commercial?

Search: (i already know this one)

Why: I just saw it. The cups come together like gears and it says, "How do you know when chocolate and peanut butter are combined perfectly?"

Answer: "Excuses" by The Morning Benders, some of my ATFs!! I saw them live not a month ago, and they were amazin fruit. Buy the awesome album Big Echo right here.

And that just happens to be my favorite song.

Source: my memory bank

The More You Know: Look how cute they are. Who remembers my high school boyfriend Scott? #3 reminds me of him.

What's a palatschinke?

Search: palatschinke

Why: On Suri Cruise Is Magic!:

“I’m not too old to be carried and I’m most not certainly not too old for a balloon. Now, let’s go find a palatschinke spot. I NEED A PALATSCHINKE immediately.”

Answer: A delicious crêpe! It is the Austrian / Bavarian name / version of the thin pancake. Search results also come back suggesting "palatschinken."

Source: Wikibooks

The More You Know: Get ready to gag:

From Hungarian palacsinta, from Romanian plăcintă (cake), from Latin placenta (cake)

What. It's true.

I want to see a picture of a gnudi

Search: gnudi

Why: On "The 10 Types of Pasta You Should Know How to Pronounce" on Lemondrop:

One more related pasta, for extra credit: gnudi (nyOO-dee), which comes from the word for nude and means "nude dumpling." The pasta is a ricotta ravioli with no pasta on the outside. (This does beg the question of what, exactly, defines a pasta, but as we found out, that's a whole different blog post ...)

That sounds so good.

Answer: Omg.

Source: Google Images

The More You Know: Is it pasta? I don't think so:

pasta n. Any of a variety of edible unleavened doughey preparations made from flour, eggs and water, originating in Italy, and shaped into various forms, such as solid strings (as spaghetti), hollow tubes, or layered squares (ravioli). They may be mixed with various sauces, often having a tomato base, or filled with meat or cheese fillings.

Although according to this recipe, gnudi does have egg and a little flour in it. Make it tonight!

What's the difference between marsala and masala?

Search: chicken marsala masala

Why: Summer said she was eating Marsala Curry, but then she said it was from this jar:

Due to confusion about what the hell mar/sala is, I have avoided foods labeled with either word all my life.

Answer: One is Italian, and one is Indian!

• Chicken Marsala is Italian and made with wine that comes from the Sicilian city Marsala
  

• Chicken Masala is Indian, made with a masala, "mixture" of spices -n- shit.
  

Source: Yahoo! Answers

The More You Know: Marsala wine is also used in some rich Italian desserts, like shortcake, tiramisu, and zabaglione, which I will be eating as soon as possible. Guys, I love custard.