William Turnier was responsible for designing the Oreo. He initially worked at the company mailroom, shadowed creative employees within the company and learned industrial engineering. He was later asked to update Oreo's design.
The design goes back to monks in Medieval times. The monks used the design on the bottom of manuscripts copied. It was a sign of craft, saying they did the best they could. The company liked the look and the meaning, and Oreo received its new design.
What was the first ice cream flavour? Who invented the ice cream cone? Let's answer these and other questions by revisiting the facts and history of this irresistible delicacy.
Ancient Rome had special wells to store ice and snow. The ruins of Pompeii left traces to make us think that some shops specialised in selling crushed ice sweetened with honey.
In China and Japan, ice was gathered to preserve food. During the Tang Dynasty, a drink was recorded, consisting of milk cooked with flour and camphor, ten placed in iron containers, and buried in snow.
Before the Incas conquered the Caranquis, large blocks of ice were brought down from the top of the volcano. A large cauldron was filled with ice, snow, and fruit juice (and sometimes milk), and mixed until the juices and ice froze together.
One legend claims that the Medici family organised a competition for the most original culinary recipes. It was won by a chicken seller (a Ruggeri) who submitted a composition of water, sugar, and fruit. It is thought that Catherine de' Medici brought Ruggeri and his ice cream arts across the Alps.
Another half legend is about the architect Bernardo Buontalenti, who invented an iced dessert for Charles V of Spain in 1559, at a famous inaugural fest for the Belvedere Fort of Cosimo I de' Medici. His recipe is recorded as cold cream made of milk, honey, egg yolk, a sprinkle of wine, aromatised with bergamot, lemon, and orange.
Yes! But it depends on the kind of coffee and the quantity. We've come a long way from the cans of Folgers that filled our grandparents' cupboards, with our oat milk lattes, cold brews and Frappuccinos. Some of us are still very utilitarian about the drink while others perform elaborate rituals.
Coffee was once believed to be a possible carcinogen. However, the evidence is consistent that coffee in moderation is associated with a lower risk of mortality.
Roasting reduces the number of chlorogenic acids, but other antioxidant compounds are formed.
Instant coffee may not have the same health benefits.
The oil in boiled coffee has cafestol and kahweol, compounds known to raise LDL, the bad cholesterol, and slightly lower HDL, the good cholesterol. However, the clinical significance of such small increases in cholesterol may be questionable.
The beloved bar has come a long way in quality and complexity. Here's a primer on how it's made, and how to choose the best and most ethically produced. Credit... Erin Lubin for The New York Times You probably think you already know everything you need to know about chocolate.
Chocolates are everyone's favorite treat, and there is more to them than we know. Americans spend $21 Billion on chocolates every year, paying up to $55 for a single bar.
Cacao (or Cocoa) beans are the seeds that grow in the cacao tree, which are plucked, roasted and separated.
The 'nibs' from the beans (part solids and part butter) are ground and made into a paste, which is then again grounded with sugar and some other ingredients.
The industrial chocolates include several ingredients like vegetable oils, corn syrup, and artificial vanilla.
Authentic chocolate makers are like fine chefs and are obsessed about the texture, character and ethical origins of their beans.
Mainstream industrial chocolate makers buy all the beans, good or bad, in bulk, as they are mixing it with so many other ingredients and flavors, that the consumer won't get to know the difference of the beans.