Food alarmists, with all their shouting about toxic compounds in food, would be shocked if they actually knew something about food. Of course, if they continued learning, the shock would give way to the kind of calm that can only come with a true understanding. But what is the shocking revelation about our food that … Read more
Large amounts of arsenic will kill you. Large amounts of mercury can damage the brain and nervous system, and eventually lead to death if exposure continues. Large amounts of radiation can damage your organs, cause various cancers, and kill you if the amount is high enough. Large amounts of Vitamin A are toxic, and can … Read more
Many dire warnings can be found about a condition called Bronchiolitis obliterans, popularly called popcorn lung. This condition is related to a chemical used in microwave popcorn that is dangerous to your lungs. The chemical is called diacetyl. Diacetyl is used for artificial butter flavoring. It is the chemical in butter that gives it its … Read more
Avocado, the fruit, is of course very important to Mexican cuisine. You may not know that avocado leaves, or hojas de aguacate, are used in cooking as well, especially in the Southern regions of Mexico such as Oaxaca. They may be used fresh or dried. Like bay leaves, avocado leaves can be used whole, but … Read more
During the 1800’s, magazines targeted to “housewives” disseminated as much kitchen wisdom and household tips as we get today. Even early cookbooks included as many household tips and they did recipes. Curiously, one common piece of advise was how to detect lead in water, which could be found in publications during the late 1800’s. Why … Read more
With all the false allegations concerning pesticide use on foods and the inflated claims of toxic residues that so often fail to be confirmed by actual evidence, you might have cause to wonder about all such statements about pesticides. But, in truth, some pesticides are approved for use on crops, and some are not. However, certain … Read more