Tapioca That Dessert Standard Updated

Too bad tapioca isn't a dessert favorite anymore because it is good. It's an old fashioned dessert, better served after a homemade meat loaf or roast chicken with potatoes. Yet it can fit right at home in the 21st Century. It's still a treat , even as a snack.

Tapioca gets its' start from the cassava root. this is a yam like tuber that can be made into a variety of products form bread to pudding to even biodegradable bags(strange but true) Tapioca used as a food goes back hundred of years to when the indigenous Brazilians used to grow and then eat the root in a variety of ways. It is also popular in Southeast Asia where it;s put in bubble teas. It's also popular in Southern India where the people of Kerala eat it boiled with spices or the root is cut into thin slices. Tapioca first hit the American dessert table in 1894 thanks t o a Boston housewife, Susan Stavers. One of her roomers was an ailing sailor who brought back the cassava root. he advised her to grind it in her coffee grinder where it was turned into fakes. She made it into a sweet treat with cream for him. The news of it spread throughout her neighborhood and she had a business on her hands. She was bought out by John Whitman ,a newspaper publisher and renamed the fledgling industry The Minute Tapioca Company. General Foods bought him out in 1928 where it was then produced for all of America.

The pudding is still good today as it was then, You can update it a bit with adding fruit and flavorings. there are recipes that call for apples and peaches to give it color and texture. Lemon juice can also be added for a lighter more refreshing taste. if you want a more tropical taste think about a dash of lime juice or coconut milk. Tapioca can also be made with rice added so it';s a hybrid of itself and rice pudding.

Tapioca may be an old fashioned dessert but it can certainly fit in with today's dinner. It's a different kind of pudding , with hints of exotic places. Introduce it on your dessert table. This sweet treat will have a whole new generation of fans.

Holiday Feasting

Tomorrow is the day when American foodies go wild and feast like crazy. However there are some parts of the world that also have great dinners, full of delicious meals and sumptuous courses. All account for memorable meals and enjoyable times.

Maybe it's from their Etruscan ancestors or Roman influences but the Tuscans of central Italy know how to put on a good feast. Not only do they have pasta but also roasted boar and piglet to round out the meal. There are also soups and salads as well along with various flatbreads the Tuscani are known for.

On the other side of the world the Indians make luscious feasts too to celebrate weddings. There is always nan, along with a multitude of curries and kabobs. Chicken is done up several ways , in creamy sauces or sometimes grilled. There are Indian sweets to finish the meal off with.

Of course in America we're a country of foodies. We love any opportunity to throw a party whether it's for the Super Bowl or Christmas party. We love our summers of endless barbecues where four or five different meats are grilled or birthday parties where favorite foods are given to the birthday boy or girl , then finished off with a gooey cake. It's just who we are I guess.


Enjoy tomorrow's feasting. Take it easy and savor all that's on your table. Most of all be thankful for what you have.

Columbus Day - The Combining of Two Worlds

This is Columbus Day 2008 and I won't be writing about Italy's contributions to world cuisine. Being part Italian I've done that so many times before in this blog. Instead I 'll be writing about how both the New and the Old Worlds have influenced each other.

Before European exploration, the Western Hemisphere had more fruits and vegetables but didn't have the "civilized meats" of chicken, pork or beef. The indigenous people relied on their game such as wild turkey., boar and buffalo along with fish and shellfish as their source of protein. they did have diets rich in fiber and grains. There was plenty of wild rice, berries and vegetables to insure healthy lifestyles. They did not have the European decadence of food where dishes were cooked in butter or where there was plenty of rich dairy and spices. it could be considered what a modern all natural diet is today. Different tribes introduced English settlers to the vitamin drenched squashes and corn as well as the all natural sweetener, maple syrup. South and Latin American tribes introduced us to chocolate and tomatoes,

Unfortunately the Europeans brought with them their love of greasy , over roasted, food along with baked breads and cakes. Most Europeans only ate cabbages, leeks, turnips and parsnips. Yes these are good for the diet but they are not as varied as what the New World had to offer. The European settlers brought about more sophisticated ways of cooking and baking. They also brought the complex process of wine and beer making. They also cultivated fruits such as strawberries and apples.

This Columbus Day , consider what you've eaten. Was it strictly all New World or Old World with some of the products from the Western Hemisphere? Think about these as you have you Columbus Day dinner.

Indian Cuisine -Perfect For A Summer's Day

When the weather turns hot think about exotic eating. This would be in the form of east Indian cuisine.There's nothing like the taste of it from sweet chutneys to fiery curries. Indian food is a break from ordinary food during these hot, sultry days.

Indian cooking is distinguishable from all other cuisines by its' large use of spices. You can fund everything from fenugreek to curry leaves to cardamon. These were the flavors that seduced early travelers on the Silk Route. These give lift and oomph to such traditional dishes as masala or tikki. Vegetables also play a huge part in the subcontinent's diet. Indians eat a lot of spinach and tomatoes along with chick peas. Chicken and lamb are the meats of choice. Eating beef is a sacrilege to the Hindus and most Indians are vegetarians

There are also sweet sin the Indian diet. These are not like Western sweets and are made mostly out of fried semolina and rose water. Certain spices again like cinnamon and cardamon are added.Indian children also love fresh fruits as well for a treat.

Cool down with the food of the East Indies. The spices will not only add a lift but a touch of exoticism to a hot summer's meal.