If there was one word that guarantees an animated discussion for food lovers here in the good ole’ United States, that word is “barbecue (BBQ)”. Everyone has an opinion – charcoal or gas, what kind of briquets, how to start the fire, the kind of wood to use, and we haven’t even gotten to...
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As a child, I had an overwhelming curiosity about the (H)mong*. For the life of me, I could not figure out why, of all the places in the world they chose to resettle, they picked Minnesota. Frankly, I was a bit dumbfounded by this choice. Nothing against Minnesota, I still am a Minnesota girl...
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The Claddagh ring is a universal symbol of love, but how much did you know about it? If you are like me, you recognize its universal design, and stop there. Ah, but there’s an entire backstory that is fascinating. I am lucky to have a mother who teaches me something new when I least...
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This question has been on my mind: ”Why is the pineapple so appealing that people want to use its image all over the home?” Don’t get me wrong, I love pineapple, with a passion, but I also love bacon, and I have no desire to dress my home with porcine images. So I decided...
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The history of soy sauce is a bit like the sauce itself, kind of murky. What is consistent is that the precursor to soy sauce is something called jiang. Jiang was a method of preservation popular with the prehistoric people of Asia involving preserving meat and fish with salt. This process produced a bi-product,...
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The custom of eating pork on New Year’s is based on the notion that pigs symbolize progress or prosperity for many cultures – not a connection that may immediately come to mind. The animal pushes forward, rooting in the ground before moving, symbolizing progress. In Italy, the fatty meat also symbolizes the fattening of...
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When I lived in London, pubs were my “go to” spots, primarily because I barely knew a soul. I found I could go to most any pub, grab a pint and a meal without feeling the least bit awkward. In the pub, I never felt obligated to enter as part of a group –...
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A topic smoldering in the back of my mind for some months as I’ve seen variations on this theme for months because of numerous holidays. When is bread more than bread? Or perhaps a bit more generally, when do baked goods serve a higher purpose? I’ve unearth a few instances, and I am sure...
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Halloween is fast approaching. I know because I just spent a few days with my niece and I got the details on this much anticipated holiday from her costume (a garden fairy) to the fact that old people do not wear costumes (she’s four). She informed me of this sad fact when I asked...
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These past few years my hubby and I have gone our separate ways on vacation, not for any specific reason, just a divergence in what appealed to each of us. My husband has been passionate about surfing for as long as I’ve known him, and I love that my hubby takes these surfing...
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