Fun Foodie Facts!
- Marzipan was created by chemists and used for medicinal purposes up until the 18th century (www.niederegger.de)
- The Marzipan museum in Lubeck houses the largest marzipan sculptures in the world. There are 12 life-size sculptures of famous historical figures found in the museum (www.niederegger.de).
- There are two types of almonds: bitter and sweet. Marzipan uses sweet almonds.
- European law requires that Marzipan has a certain ratio of almonds to sugar. In the US there is no specific ratio, but typically contains more sugar to almond paste. (http://www.marzipanlove.com/history-of-marzipan)
- Vanilla beans come from an orchid
- Bloom has many definitions:
- Chocolate that has a whitish coating caused by the cocoa butter separating and rising to the surface
- The strength of a gelatin sheet
- Process of softening gelatin sheets in water
- Becoming more of the person God made you to be
- When you mix cornstarch with water it's called a "slurry." Most slurries are made with 50% water & 50% starch. You can use them to thicken gravies and savory or sweet sauces.
- Professional bakeshops utilize scales to measure out ingredients to ensure a consistent product. If you have a scale at home, compare the weight of 1 cup sifted flour and spooned into a measuring cup to one cup of flour scooped straight from the bag. Notice a difference?
- Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day of food consumption in the United States.
Different types of flour contain varying levels of protein and can impact your final product. All-purpose flours (APF) can contain an average of 7 -12% protein. For example, King Arthur's APF contains 11.7% protein vs. Pillsbury's APF contains 9.6%. APF can be used in most recipes. However, keep in mind the more structure you need, the higher protein content is required. Just for comparison, Bread flour contains 15% protein.
