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	<title>Oyster Food and Culture &#187; featured</title>
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	<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com</link>
	<description>a place to exchange ideas and learn about culture through food</description>
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		<title>Bitter and the Better for It</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/03/20/bitter-and-the-better-for-it/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/03/20/bitter-and-the-better-for-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:53:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=7822</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m not sure what prompted me to make my own batch of orange bitters, it may have been my success at my last batch of liqueurs or the news of the 2009 Angostura bitter shortage &#8211; gasp.  My midwestern instincts to stockpile kicked in on the news, and I has seen a few recipes for orange bitters and I was intrigued. Here&#8217;s the recipe I used (obtained from the Chow website), along with a few comments about the making of this batch of bitters: 1.  I was not impressed with the dried orange peel I found so I made my own &#8211; I dutifully collected the peels from the oranges we used in our smoothies and scraped out the pith.  I set them out for a days (make sure they are in a single lay or they will get moldy) and then stuck them in the freezer until I accumulated the necessary amount. 2.  One ingredient I had to hunt for was the gentian extract.  Its not that easy to acquire,  I had almost given up hope and then randomly stumbled across it. 3.  I cannot compare the dried version of the orange peels to my version, but I can tell [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Classic American Breakfast Conundrum</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/01/04/the-classic-american-breakfast-conundrum/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/01/04/the-classic-american-breakfast-conundrum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jan 2010 20:32:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breakfast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tahoe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=6502</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I learned the hard way, that you can take the girl out of Minnesota snow, but not necessarily the snow out of the girl &#8211; if that makes any sense.  Having grown up in the Midwest and accustomed to four distinct seasons &#8211; I sorely missed my winter precipitation.  I find close encounters with a good snowfall very satisfying.  There is something magical about waking up in the morning and all the familiar landscapes completely transformed.  My dear husband knowing of my yearning, yet not understanding it (one holiday visit with subzero weather was enough for him to question why any sane human being would voluntarily live in Minnesota)  took me to the Tahoe area of California to welcome in the New Year.  He told me I&#8217;d have my fill of snow, but I had my suspicions, after all he told me there were four seasons in San Francisco if I bothered to look.  Humph!  Regardless, I was ready for adventure so a long weekend in new surroundings sounded like heaven. Besides, I I felt like I had delayed what I perceived as my right of passage as a California citizen long enough and had to experience this region for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2010/01/04/the-classic-american-breakfast-conundrum/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Princesses Who Ride Ponies While Eating Sorbet</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/07/15/princesses-who-ride-ponies-while-eating-sorbet/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/07/15/princesses-who-ride-ponies-while-eating-sorbet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:35:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[San Francisco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[celebrations]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[recipe]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[ice cream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sorbet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterfoodandculture.com/?p=4770</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a doctor-astronaut-princess, oh and in my spare time I thought I could be a kickball playing-ballerina-chef.  Of course the only mode of transportation worthy of my elevated status was a stallion, specifically one of those handsome guys found prancing on a carousel.  Really, what is not to like?  I am seated on a perfectly groomed steed without adult supervision, or at least sitting solo on the saddle so as to more fully realize that fantasy of my long hair wind blown with my princess crown firmly in place as I gallop across the country side &#8211; for what reason, I do not recall.  I am not sure I ever had a reason &#8211; I never got that far; it was enough that I was galloping on my horse.  But I digress. That was then and this is definitely now, and while I do not ride the carousel any more, the sight of one is still makes me smile. At their peak there were more than 3,000 of these wooden beauties around the country.  Sadly their numbers have dwindled to 140, but amazingly out of that number six are in the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/07/15/princesses-who-ride-ponies-while-eating-sorbet/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>28</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Fortified Wines &#8211; Timing is Everything</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/08/fortified-wines/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/06/08/fortified-wines/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:36:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fortified wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Madeira]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marsala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muscat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[port]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[vermouth]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=4000</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Like much of life, fortified wines were born from necessity.  In this case, to preserve European wines on long trade voyages in the 16th and 17th centuries.  Brandy was added either before or during the fermentation process to stabilize the wines, and improve their shelf life.  As might be imagined, traditional wines did not store well in the wildly fluctuating temperature and motion they were subjected to on the voyages.  Once fortified, they are more stable than traditional wines and have a much longer shelf life once open. While the reasons no longer apply, the methods used today are nearly identical to those of old, so the fortified wines of today bear a close resemblance to their brethren of old.  The final product typically contains between 14% to 21% alcohol, and are more stable than ordinary table wines.  If brandy, or the alcohol of choice is added after the fermentation process, the result is a dry wine.  If the alcohol is added before fermentation, the result is a sweet wine with a high sugar content, with port being a classic example and consequently categorized as a dessert wine.  Wines are found to be drier when the brandy is added after the fermentation process such as dry Vermouth.  Depending on how the wine makers approach the process the results can vary [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Peru &#8211; Land of Plenty</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/24/peru-land-of-plenty/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/24/peru-land-of-plenty/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2009 17:58:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peru]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[San Francisco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[country]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cerviche]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[corn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethnic food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3831</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[photo from sfgate.com In preparing a recent post on raw fish, I developed a craving for cerviche, and really who could blame me?  Living in San Francisco, there was one restaurant on my radar that I knew could offer me an authentic, or at least close proximally, of the Peruvian cerviche I desired: that restaurant is La Mar Cebicheria Peruana, the first US foray for Chef Gaston Acurio.  Immediately after I pressed the &#8220;publish&#8221; button for that post, I booked my reservations.  I had the added privilege of having Daily Spud, a potato aficionado, accompany me on my exploration, and a more perfect lunch is hard to imagine. I knew that Peruvian cuisine had amazingly range, but its diversity is hard to comprehend.  The challenge is determining how to approach Peru&#8217;s food &#8211; by the diverse cultures that made their mark on its culture, with their food preparation and choices assimilated into the cuisine?  Or, by the incredible food stock that exists in Peru and has incorporated into its recipes, such as corn, tomatoes, potatoes, quinoa?  If ever a place was at the cross roads of diversity, it is Peru. To appreciate the cuisine, some knowledge of Peru&#8217;s culture, history and geography is required. Geography Peru is physically isolated [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/24/peru-land-of-plenty/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Brunico: weinerschnitzel or pesto?</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/16/brunico-weinerschnitzel-or-pesto/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/16/brunico-weinerschnitzel-or-pesto/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2009 01:33:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bikes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Giro]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3632</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When we landed in Brunico, I was confused.  Not necessarily a unique state for me, but you must understand, Brunico is in Italy &#8211; the map clearly says so.  Yet, I felt we had taken a wrong turn at a mountain pass and and arrived at a village in Austria.  I knew we had crossed no international borders, as I had not flashed my passport, since leaving Milan.  But German was the language spoken on the streets, and the menus posted outside the restaurants were not only written in German, but also had German dishes liberally sprinkled with only a few Italian favorites.  Finally, the town&#8217;s name was just as often spelled as Bruneck &#8211; oye! According to Wiki, the 2001 census for this area of Italy claims 83% of the population speak German, 15% Italian and ~ 2% Ladin as their first language.  (Ladin resulted from Latin melding with the local language, oh about 15BC when the Dolomites were conquered by the Romans)  This explains so much.  Brunico, I discovered, was in a region that was a bit of a hot potato, bouncing frequently between what is now Austria and Italy, and as recent as World War I part of Austria. On [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/16/brunico-weinerschnitzel-or-pesto/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Toblerone &#8211; a chocolate replica of a national treasure</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/14/toblerone-a-chocolate-replica-of-a-national-treasure/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/14/toblerone-a-chocolate-replica-of-a-national-treasure/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 May 2009 15:39:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Switzerland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[candy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[featured]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[history]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3245</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You see that distinctive beige triangular box and immediately you just know its going to be good, and unless you have the will power of Lance Armstrong, you know  you are not going to stop with one square, err triangle portion, but settle in for the long haul.  You know what I am talking about, resistance is futile&#8230; that all around unique candy bar - Toblerone.  Not only is it&#8217;s shape unlike any other chocolate bar, but there is no confusing its flavor.  Toblerone is a Swiss chocolate bar that is immediately recognizable because of its unique shape and packaging.  I&#8217;ve been reading a lot about marketing strategy lately, and it struck me as a classic example of a marketing success story &#8211; if you just have the box, and hide the name, everyone knows what can be found within; if you do a blind taste test, folks familiar with the flavor can tell you the candy. What&#8217;s in a name? &#8220;Toblerone&#8221; is a play on the names &#8220;Tobler&#8221; + &#8220;Torrone&#8220;, the Italian word for honey and almond nougat.  Tobler being the surname of the company founder. Why a triangle? The official version states that the chocolate bar owes its triangular shape to the famous Swiss Mountains of The Matterhorn. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Princess Bona Maria Sforza</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/09/princess-bona-maria-sforza/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/09/princess-bona-maria-sforza/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2009 22:50:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poland]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[cooking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cuisine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lituania]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3007</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[  Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a princess who did her part in adding a bit of culture to the Polish court.  Princess Bona Maria Sforza was born in Vigevano near Milan in 1494 to her proud parents; Gian Galeazzo Sforza of Milan and Isabella of Naples &#8211; and if she needed to further cement her rank in society, her aunt was Bianca Maria Sforza who in 1493 married the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and her namesake grandmother was Bona of Savoy.  In 1518 she was married off to Sigmund, King of Poland and Grand Prince of Lithuania. Polish historians credit her with introducing the art of cooking to Poland and, for that time, many new and exotic produce that her gardeners cultivated: asparagus, broccoli, and tomatoes.  As niece of the empress, Bona was a patron of Renaissance culture, which thanks to her, thrived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.  She also influenced the Polish and Lithuanian cuisines by introducing many new dishes to the Commonwealth.  These influences included a profusion of strange new condiments and spices, and increased focus on food ornamentation gold and artificial colorings.  New flavorings included the addition of marzipan and almonds, all for the purpose of strategically showcasing [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Stalking the Tour and discovering the delights of Chalon sur Saone</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/02/stalking-the-tour-and-discovering-the-delights-of-chalon-sur-saone/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/02/stalking-the-tour-and-discovering-the-delights-of-chalon-sur-saone/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 May 2009 15:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Bourgone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chalon sur Saone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tour de France]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=3065</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Robert-Gilles of Shizuoka Gourmet commented on my recent post of Dijon and Creme de Cassis that I was remiss in not including his hometown of Chalon-sur-Saôn, which is close to Dijon.  I intend to correct that oversight.  When my husband and I traveled through Burgundy, we had a mission &#8211; we were stalking the Tour de France (TdeF) and checked out strategic stages &#8211; we were the extreme groupies.  We may not have rented campers but I have trekked up a &#8220;beyond category&#8221; slope to secure a good viewing location.  While our primary focus was the TdeF, we were easily distracted by the incredible cultural and culinary bounty this region offered, so the focus is deservedly on Chalon-sur-Saône.  The photos of this town were generously provided by Robert-Gilles.  The Tour de France photos are by yours truly! Before we continue, Robert-Gilles left me some cryptic hints that I&#8217;ll share &#8211; they whetted my appetite to further educated myself on Chalon-sur-Saône. -The first camera and photography were invented in Chalon sur saone! Check Musee Nicephore Niepce. -Major company: Areva (formerly Framatonne) which produces 74% of electicity in France. -Rue de Strasbourg across island in the middle of the saone river: 20 restaurants! -La Maison des [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/05/02/stalking-the-tour-and-discovering-the-delights-of-chalon-sur-saone/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pucker Up!  Its citrus time</title>
		<link>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/03/24/pucker-up-its-citrus-time/</link>
		<comments>http://oysterfoodandculture.com/2009/03/24/pucker-up-its-citrus-time/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:26:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Caribbean]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[lemons]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[santa cruz mountains]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://oysterculture.wordpress.com/?p=2277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Spring + citrus are synonymous to me.  The bright colors of the fruit coupled with the wonderful flavors and scents speak of freshness like nothing else.  Living in San Francisco, I try not to take for granted my access to the amazing selection that I find in even the smallest corner store.  However, having lived in other parts of the United States and Europe, I am aware that access is certainly not equal or consistent, and that being the case, I thought I&#8217;d take the opportunity to learn about the vast variety of citrus that exists. Such amazing selections exist with so many names, that I wondered if some of the names referred to the same fruit, or were there really that many varieties.  I&#8217;ve found the answer to be a bit of both.  Citrus fruits have been cultivated in Sicily since time immemorial. While Arabs are credited with originally planting lemons and bitter oranges in Sicily, the Genovese and Portuguese crusaders introduced the sweet variety of orange, Portogallo, in the 15th century. Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, partly due to flavonoids and limonoids contained in the rind, and most are juice-laden. The juice contains citric acid giving them their characteristic sharp [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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