HOME & LIVING
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
Beehives as weapons —
and more weird food facts
By DANIEL NEMAN
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Last week, I wrote about
some fun, weird facts about food
gleaned from Matt Siegel’s new
book, “The Secret History of
Food.”
But that was just the tip of the
iceberg (lettuce). The book has
so many fun, weird facts about
food that I feel compelled to
share a few more.
Such as this one: When they
are in outer space, astronauts
tend to crave spicy food. Part of
their longing may be due to the
eﬀ ects of microgravity; very low
gravity causes the tongue and
nasal passages to swell, meaning
a lot of the food does not get to
taste receptors on the tongue —
and as a result, the astronauts
may seek out stronger ﬂ avors.
But part of the reason, Siegel
hypothesizes, is that spicy foods
can also help, in a small way,
take the astronauts out of the
monotony of their routines and
cramped surroundings.
Or there is this juicy fact: In
World War II, some soldiers used
Spam to lubricate their guns or
waterproof their boots. Others in
the U.S. Army Air Forces used
the tin cans as an emergency
patch to ﬁ x holes in plane wings.
Containers for food, it turns
out, have been used in battle
going back all the way to the
Stone Age.
I am speaking here about bee-
hives. Our earliest ancestors cov-
ered beehives in mud and threw
them into enemy caves. Romans
put them into catapults and
hurled them at their foes.
And before there were can-
nonballs, sailors would throw
beehives on other ships’ decks.
The word “bombard” even
CHICKEN
Continued from Page B1
for an elegant sauce bold
enough for chicken thighs.
If you’re still in a grilling
mood, tucking chicken
thighs into a foil pack yields
moist results with no fuss.
Season the chicken with
a special blend of curry
powder, cider vinegar and
raisins. Adding potatoes to
the pack makes it a great
casual supper.
BASIC
ROASTED
CHICKEN
THIGHS
comes from the Ancient Greek
word “bombos,” which means
“bee.”
These days, of course, people
are more interested in the honey
than the hives. Honey is so pop-
ular that a whole industry has
sprung to fraudulently source it.
The United States increased
the tariﬀ on Chinese honey in
2001. Ever since then, Chinese
honey producers have been ship-
ping their product to other coun-
tries in order to illegally hide
their true source. It is estimated
that nearly 100 million pounds
of honey each year, or about one-
sixth of all the honey sold in this
country, is in violation of the law.
Meanwhile, even domestic
honey is frequently mislabeled.
The problem is that bees ﬂ y
wherever they want, and while
the producer may assume the
bees are spending all of their
time among orange blossoms,
only scientiﬁ c analysis such as
DNA tests can conﬁ rm how
much of the nectar actually came
from clover, or even poison ivy.
Sometimes, honey on the
shelves isn’t even honey at all.
It’s just corn syrup with yellow
food coloring.
Fortunately, the book has
some happier news involving
vanilla.
Vanilla only grows within
about 1,700 miles of the equator,
and the ﬂ owers only bloom for
a few hours. The two types of
bees known to pollinate them are
nearly extinct, so vanilla in the
wild has only about a 1% chance
of being pollinated.
But in 1841, a 12-year-old
slave named Edmond Albius
ﬁ gured out how to pollinate
vanilla by hand, which is why we
have vanilla today. Albius was
freed seven years later, when
STICKY
SESAME-
BAKED
CHICKEN
WITH
BROCCOLI
AND RICE
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: About 1 hour
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Note: Make the sesame sauce in
advance. Then start the rice in a
rice cooker before making the
chicken. That way, everything
will be hot and ready at the same
time.
For the sesame sauce:
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Here is a great go-to recipe for
all your cooked chicken needs.
Make this once and you will skip
purchasing rotisserie chicken!
Seasoned and cooked on the
bone under its own skin, the
chicken turns out moist every
time.
4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken
thighs (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon expeller-pressed
canola oil, saﬄ ower
or sunﬂ ower oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
Fahrenheit on convection setting
or 375 degrees Fahrenheit on
conventional setting.
2. Pat chicken thighs dry and
place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil
and turn to coat all the pieces
with the oil. Sprinkle generous-
ly on both sides with salt and
pepper.
3. Roast, rotating the pan once
or twice until juices run clear
when you pierce a thigh near the
bone, about 25 minutes. Serve
hot. Or cool and refrigerate for up
to several days to use shredded
or chopped in salads, sandwich-
es, rice bowls, enchiladas, etc.
3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons agave syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons
toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon black bean
garlic sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon refrigerated ginger
puree (or grated fresh ginger)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
For the chicken:
3 medium-size carrots (8
ounces) peeled, sliced into
1/4-inch-wide circles
2 tablespoons expeller
pressed canola oil, saﬄ ower
oil or sunﬂ ower oil
4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken
thighs (about 2 pounds)
4 cups (10 ounces) broccoli ﬂ orets
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 cups hot cooked white
or brown rice
Chopped fresh cilantro and
green onions for serving
For the sesame sauce:
Mix all ingredients in a small
bowl. Refrigerate covered up to
1 week.
For the chicken:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit. Toss 8 ounces peeled,
sliced carrots with 1 tablespoon
When your computer is in despair
OUTSTANDING
France outlawed slavery, but was
imprisoned again ﬁ ve years later
for stealing jewelry.
Albius regained his freedom
once more when his former
owner asked for clemency for
him, citing his irreplaceable con-
tribution to the vanilla industry.
Siegel devotes one entire
chapter to breakfast cereal,
which leads us to a couple of
tasty nuggets: As of 2014, cereal
marketed for adults was, on
average, 18% sugar by weight;
cereal marketed for children
was, on average, 34% sugar by
weight.
The worst oﬀ ender, appar-
ently, was Kellogg’s Honey
Smacks, which was more than
55% sugar by weight. Kellogg’s
has since changed the recipe, so
the cereal is now a mere 50%
sugar.
That doesn’t sound healthy,
especially for a product, cereal,
that was created to promote good
health. Grape Nuts, for instance,
was originally promoted as a
“scientiﬁ c health food” that
would help cure malaria, heart
disease and appendicitis.
Finally, I want to con-
clude with a notion that is less
a weird fact than a philosophy,
as devised by the Greek sage
Epicurus.
Epicurus preferred bland food
to dishes that were highly ﬂ a-
vored, because he thought that
true pleasure could be found
in an absence of pain. Simple
foods ended the pain of hunger,
while luxurious foods made the
rest of the world seem bland in
comparison.
The concept intrigues me,
but I don’t think I agree with
it. If the food is good enough,
who cares if the rest of the world
is bland?
of the oil on a large rimmed bak-
ing sheet. Add 2 pounds chicken
thighs to the baking sheet. Bake
for 15 minutes. Remove from the
oven.
2. Add 10 ounces broccoli ﬂ o-
rets to the baking sheet and toss
with the remaining tablespoon of
oil. Return to the oven and roast
until chicken juices run clear and
broccoli is almost tender, 20 to 25
minutes.
3. Spoon the sauce over
chicken and vegetables. Stir to
coat everything nicely. Sprinkle
with sesame seeds. Roast, stirring
vegetables once, until glazed, 10
to 15 minutes.
4. Pile chicken and vegetables
over 3 cups cooked rice; spoon
pan juices overall. Sprinkle gen-
erously with cilantro and green
onions.
SAUTEED
CHICKEN
THIGHS WITH
ARTICHOKES
AND LEMON
CREAM
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Notes: Serve this with cooked
spaetzle or orzo.
THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — B3
A diﬀ erent sort of patt y melt
By GRETCHEN McKAY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Ever since they were ﬁ rst served
commercially in the 1940s, patty
melts have been a terriﬁ c stand-in
for burgers.
Served between two slices of
buttered, griddled bread instead of
a bun, a patty melt is a humble yet
tasty sammie that doesn’t take long
to prepare. It’s classic American
comfort food.
Tradition calls for making a patty
melt with rye bread and topping
the meat with sweet and jammy
caramelized onions. This version
is made with plant-based Impos-
sible burgers and thick-cut white
sandwich bread with mayonnaise
slathered on the outside for frying
instead of butter. A chipotle-spiked
mayonnaise ﬂ avored with quick-
charred scallions adds a touch of
smoky heat.
The original recipe called for
making the burgers with 80% lean
ground beef but I substituted Impos-
sible burgers because 1) it’s a little
kinder to the earth, 2) I’m trying
to eat more vegetables and 3) they
were on sale at my local grocery
store.
I used sliced smoked gouda, but
any melting cheese would work
well.
IMPOSSIBLE
PATTY MELTS
WITH CHARRED
SCALLION-
CHIPOTLE MAYO
1 bunch scallions (6-8 scallions),
root ends trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon plus a pinch of kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon plus a pinch of
black pepper, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise, divided
2-3 canned chipotle chiles, minced, plus
3 teaspoons adobo sauce from can
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet
over medium heat until hot.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
and 1 tablespoon butter. Add
chicken in a single, uncrowded
layer, using a splatter guard if you
have one. Cook chicken without
turning for 4 minutes. Flip and
cook to brown the other side, 3-4
minutes. Use tongs to transfer
chicken to a plate.
3. Stir 2 ﬁ nely chopped shallots
and 1 1/2 cups sliced mush-
rooms into pan juices. Cook over
medium heat until shallots are
softened, about 3 minutes. Add
1/2 cup wine and increase heat
to high. Boil, scraping up any
browned bits from the bottom of
the pan, to reduce pan juices by
half. Add 1/3-1/2 cup cream and
heat to boil. Cook until the sauce
thickens enough to lightly coat
the back of a spoon. Season with
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme, salt
and pepper.
4. Add chicken and 14 ounces
artichoke pieces to the pan. Re-
duce heat to low and simmer to
heat everything through, about
3 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 tea-
spoon lemon rind and chopped
parsley. Serve immediately.
4 Impossible (plant-based) burgers
8 thick slices white sandwich bread
8 slices melting cheese such as gouda,
Monterey Jack or cheddar
Cut scallions in half lengthwise and toss
together in a bowl with oil, a pinch of salt and
a pinch of black pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high.
(I used cast-iron.) Add scallions and cook,
turning occasionally, until charred in spots
and tender, about 4 minutes.
Transfer scallions to a cutting board and
coarsely chop. In small bowl, stir together
chopped scallions, 1/4 cup mayonnaise,
chipotle chiles and adobo sauce; set aside.
Wipe skillet clean.
Add butter to skillet and melt over
medium-high. Add Impossible patties and
sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and
1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook patties,
pressing tops occasionally using a spatula to
keep them thin and ﬂ at, until bottoms are
well-browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Flip patties; sprinkle evenly with remaining
1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black
pepper.
Cook patties, pressing tops occasionally,
until a crust forms on bottoms and they’re
cooked to desired degree of doneness (an
internal temperature of 160 degrees). Transfer
patties to a plate lined with paper towels.
Wipe skillet clean.
Spread about 1 tablespoon scallion-chipot-
le mayonnaise on 4 bread slices. Top each with
1 cheese slice, 1 patty and 1 more cheese slice.
Cover with remaining bread slices.
Return skillet to heat over medium. Spread
one outer side of each sandwich with 1/2
tablespoon mayonnaise. Place sandwiches,
mayonnaise side down, in skillet. Cook,
pressing tops with a spatula, until bottoms are
golden, 2-3 minutes.
Spread other side of each sandwich with
1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise and ﬂ ip. Cook
sandwiches, pressing tops occasionally with
spatula, until bottoms are toasty and cheese
is melted, 2-3 minutes. Cut sandwiches in half,
and serve.
Makes 4 patty melts.
— Adapted from foodandwine.com
CURRIED
CHICKEN
ROASTING
PACKS
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Note: Look for curry powder made
in small batches for freshness and
spice. I like Spicewalla’s Madras
curry version.
4 medium-size red or gold
potatoes, scrubbed, cut
into 1-inch chunks
1 medium-size sweet onion,
halved, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dark raisins
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons curry
powder or garam masala
Salt
6 boneless skinless chicken
thighs, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Chopped fresh cilantro or
chives, for serving
Lime wedges and plain
yogurt, for serving
1. Mix 4 scrubbed, cut potatoes,
1 thinly-sliced onion, 1/4 cup raisins
and 2 cloves crushed garlic in a
large bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons
curry powder and 1 teaspoon salt;
toss to coat.
2. Season 6 boneless, skinless
chicken thighs with salt and
pepper.
3. Preheat a gas grill or prepare
a charcoal grill to medium heat.
OR, heat oven to 375 degrees
Fahrenheit.
4. Cut three 18-inch lengths of
aluminum foil and stack two of
them on top of each other. Put 3
chicken thighs on the foil. Top with
half of the potato mixture. Drizzle
with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.
Cover with a third sheet of foil and
crimp the edges to enclose every-
thing in a neat package. Repeat
with remaining ingredients and
more foil to make a second pack.
5. Place foil packs on the grill
directly over the heat maintaining
a temperature of 350 degrees. Or,
place on a baking sheet in the hot
oven. Cook (no need to ﬂ ip packag-
es, but rotate them occasionally) for
40 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
6. Open packet and spoon
contents into a serving bowl. Serve
topped with cilantro. Pass lime
wedges and yogurt at the table.
4 boneless skinless chicken
thighs, about 1 1/4 pounds
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots or 1 small white
onion, ﬁ nely chopped
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced white
or cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy
whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh
thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke
hearts, drained, halved
1/2 teaspoon ﬁ nely
grated lemon rind
Chopped ﬂ at leaf parsley
1. Pat 4 boneless chicken
thighs dry; season generously
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