After several decades of speculation—reverting to staple theories of bacteria or nibbling mice in the mix, researchers have determined why what’s classed as Swiss cheese was traditionally riddled with “eyes” but has now more or less become “blind” (in cheese-talk). The lack of the characteristic holes does not affect the flavour of course but their source was an enduring mystery—until, that is, the holes started to disappear. It was not the fermenting agents, however, that carved out these voids but rather other impurities, like splinters of hay, in the customary wooden milking buckets that have been employed for centuries. In fact, it was not really until modern times that the holes were considered desirable at all and cultivated as something of a trademark for foreign markets. With processes becoming more automated and sanitary, however, large holes are not likely to develop.
Saturday 30 May 2015
Monday 30 March 2015
five-by-five
tron, troff: vector map that renders cities as if out of the film Tron
sky hostess: gorgeous vintage collection of stewardesses in uniform, via Neat-o-Rama
phoenix: from out of the rubble, a show-and-tell of San Francisco rebuilding and reinvention after the great quake
digital syndicate: a roundup of podcasts to peruse
catagories: ✈️, ๐ช️, ๐บ️, ๐ง, networking and blogging
Tuesday 24 March 2015
five-by-five
mannerism: artist Matthias Jung creates beautiful architectural collages
landmark or bats in the belfries: cute series of animals posing as skyline familiars
psyc 101: some heuristic psychological hacks safe to try at home
singing telegram: tweets presented as antique wireless messages
Sunday 15 December 2013
curds and whey
Here is an incomplete Periodic Table of cheeses. I only made it as far as the transitional cheeses and realised that I probably should have undertaken my method of
classification in a more scientific manner to be useful. I started with
base ingredients, hoping to end with hardness but I exhausted
recognised varieties. Perhaps someone better organised can finish this
project with this blank template of the classic layout of the periodic table or create their own system for items that demonstrate characteristics and predictability that can be fit into this format or quiz one selves on the elements that actually belong in this chart. Perhaps even someone could incorporate other basic properties, like wine-pairings.
catagories: ๐, ๐ง, food and drink, Wikipedia
Monday 27 May 2013
hard-currency
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ฎ๐น, ๐ง, economic policy
Saturday 13 April 2013
who moved my cheese?
This preposterous suggestion, dismissed, made me think of this scholarly interview from Der Spiegel’s International desk examining the rise of anti-German sentiment across Europe over the euro and re-packaged austerity. It is a difficult and probing question, but I think, from these latest rounds of renegotiation, the public protests are a reflection in part at least of frustration that little flexibility—the structural might that Germany appears to have and seems to influence the body politic, that’s not accorded to the people equitably. Unfortunately, more credit does not equal a measure of determined reform, despite similarly deferred wishes for greater alignment.
catagories: ๐ฉ๐ช, ๐ช๐บ, ๐ฌ๐ง, ๐ฌ๐ท, ๐ฎ๐ช, ๐ง, economic policy, foreign policy, labour
Monday 1 October 2012
lobbyland or don't mess with the cheeses
European Corporate Observatory, which reports on fraud, abuse and the revolving door arrangement between government and business in the EU parliament, is trying to continue to raise awareness on this sometimes situation rank with hypocrisy and lobbyism that’s reached a dangerous point concerning food and the agricultural industry.
The EU Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a supranational organ that can dictate, among other thing, whether France gets to extend its moratoria on GM crops or Germany can continue to label its food as organic (Bio) or otherwise or if certain additives can enter into the food- chain, has a full complement of agribusiness advocates on its staff and threatens to relax restrictions and safeguards further. The EFSA will hold its annual conference and draft new rules at its base of operations the city of Parma, purveyors of fine hams and cheese, who has seen its domestic industry shocked by not just the peddled austerity in response to economic crises but also by a strong earthquake not so long ago. I am sure the venue appreciates the ceremony on some level, but this just further illustrates how austerity and tough-times are just code for opportunities for business to acquire something that’s usually not for sale on the cheap. Appointed representatives are not like our bodies, which generally demonstrate more intelligence than each of us and can adapt and even thrive despite our worst efforts, and ignoring what the politicians settle on is definite to our peril.
catagories: ⚕️, ๐ช๐บ, ๐ฎ๐น, ๐ง, environment, food and drink
colophon
Wednesday 28 September 2011
appellation d'origine controlee and prussian blue
catagories: ๐ง, Europe, food and drink