Canadian bacon is a cured pork product, often made from the lean loin of a pig, and is typically smoked and sliced into rounds. It’s a leaner alternative to traditional American bacon, offering a distinct flavor and nutritional benefits. Unlike traditional bacon, which is made from the fattier belly, Canadian bacon is often referred to as “back bacon” in Canada.

Key Characteristics of Canadian Bacon:

Leaner: It’s made from the pork loin, resulting in a leaner cut compared to American bacon, which is made from the belly.

Mild Flavor: Canadian bacon has a mild, sweet pork flavor, often described as having a more ham-like taste.

Ready to Eat: It’s usually pre-cooked and sliced, making it convenient for breakfast, snacks, or quick meals.

Nutritional Benefits: Canadian bacon is a good source of protein and essential nutrients, while being lower in fat and calories compared to traditional bacon.

Versatile: It can be added to various dishes beyond breakfast, adding a flavorful and protein-rich element.

“Back Bacon”: While “Canadian bacon” is the term used in the United States, in Canada it’s simply called “back bacon,” and may be coated in cornmeal.

Nutritional Information (per 2-ounce serving): Approximately 89 calories, Around 12 grams of protein, About 3 grams of total fat, Saturated fat: Roughly 1 gram, and Unsaturated fat: Approximately 2 grams.

Too Yumm is brand of packaged snacks that an Indian F&B company, Guiltfree Industries Limited (GIL). They claim to offer healthier and guilt-free snacking options which consumers can have anytime, anywhere, as much. Well, I dunno but it does seem lighter than mosts chips and snacks like that. Too Yumm has potato chips, potato sticks, multigrain chips, rings and veggie sticks.

I bought a couple of packets of their veggie stix or Veggie Stix as it is branded as. Vegetables can be utterly delicious! These scrumptious treats are crafted from authentic vegetables that have been dehydrated, pulverized, blended with exotic seasonings and flours, and then baked to crispy perfection.

Ok so now to the taste of the Sour Cream & Onion veggie stix. They generally receive positive reviews, with many users praising the crispy texture and enjoyable flavor. Some reviewers mention that the product is a good snack for tea or coffee time. I gotta agree that these are tasty and crispy and light. Tangy and savory they go well with coffee, tea or your favourite soft drinks. I enjoyed the 2 bags and would like more. I give them an 8.5 outta 10!

The Disputable History of the Original Caesar Salad

Some say the original Caesar salad was invented in Chicago in 1903, some say it was a French-inspired Italian-American chef Caesar Cardini who invented the salad in Mexico in 1924! (Though in the latter case, his brother claims it’s his invention…) After immigrating to America, Cardini fled to Mexico to escape the prohibition, where he launched a restaurant in Tijuana and was still able to serve alcoholic beverages. .

It was allegedly in this very restaurant where Caesar was short on ingredients so he threw together what was left in the kitchen: lettuce, olive oil, dried bread, raw egg, parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce. His brother, however, added the anchovies and claimed it as his own – though his name isn’t Caesar! Tijuana was where Americans would escape to drink during the prohibition era, which could be why Julia Child herself wrote about Cardini’s version of the Caesar salad in one of her cookbooks.

Since this original dish was created, numerous recipes have been invented from it. Whether a recipe calls for anchovies, grilled chicken, or maybe even how the egg is cooked, the dish is a global sensation.

Health Benefits of the Original Caesar Salad:

• Romaine lettuce contains nutrients such as fiber and vitamin C
• Anchovies contain protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B-12, calcium and many more. In fact, anchovies are one of the foods highest in omega-3s.
• Lemon juice contains vitamin C and antioxidants
• Garlic (in the dressing) can lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure

To address iron deficiency, focus on both heme and non-heme iron-rich foods. Heme iron, found in animal products, is readily absorbed, while non-heme iron, found in plant-based foods, requires more effort for absorption. Combining these with vitamin C-rich foods can enhance overall absorption.

Heme Iron-Rich Foods:

• Red Meat: Beef, pork, and lamb are excellent sources.
• Poultry: Chicken and turkey offer a good amount of heme iron.
• Seafood: Oysters, mussels, clams, and other shellfish are rich in iron.
• Organ Meats: Liver is particularly high in iron, but it’s best to avoid it during pregnancy.

Non-Heme Iron-Rich Foods:

• Beans and Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and kidney beans are good sources.
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables: Spinach, kale, and collard greens are packed with iron.
• Dried Fruits: Raisins, apricots, and prunes are convenient iron sources.
• Iron-Fortified Cereals, Breads, and Pastas: These offer a readily available source of iron.
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, and other nuts and seeds can contribute to your iron intake.
• Fruits: Figs, dates, and other fruits are also iron-rich, as well as fruit juices like prune juice.
• Vegetables: Broccoli, potatoes, and cabbage can also provide iron.

Combine Heme and Non-Heme Iron:
Eating heme-rich foods with non-heme iron sources can help your body absorb more iron from the non-heme sources.

It started out as an ice cream shop

In 1975, 22-year old Tony Tan Caktiong, who would later be the president and CEO of Jollibee Foods Corporation, opened 2 Magnolia Ice Cream shops – 1 in Cubao and 1 in Quiapo. By popular demand, he added sandwiches and hot meals to the menu which soon became more popular than the ice cream.  Finally, in 1978, Tan Caktiong transitioned his businesses into fast-food restaurants. Prior to opening his ice cream shops, Tan Caktiong had studied chemical engineering. If he didn’t transition to the food industry and adapt his food business, we may never have the Chickenjoy that we enjoy today. Today, Jollibee is a global brand with over 9,500 stores in 32 countries, known for its Chickenjoy, Yumburger, and Jolly Spaghetti.

Its name used to be spelled as “Jolibe” 

In 1978, Jollibee was called Jolibe. Back then, Tan Caktiong was at a loss on how to improve his restaurant’s branding and further its marketing. It wasn’t until after he met Manuel Lumba, a marketing consultant, when the establishment’s name changed to Jollibee to emphasize that it’s a combination of the words “jolly” and “bee”. The same year, Lumba came up with the fast-food restaurant’s logo – a bee similar to what we see today but not as refined.

The Jollibee mascot represents Filipinos 

Beyond just enticing customers to buy their food products with an image of a jolly bee, the Jollibee mascot was created to represent Filipinos. Filipinos are known to be some of the happiest people in the world – thus, jolly – and, like bees, Filipinos are hardworking by nature. The bees’ byproduct, honey, also represents “the sweet things in life” which Jollibee has undoubtedly attained throughout its many years in business.

It has more branches than McDonald’s in the Philippines

There’s a country in the world that has McDonald’s stores where the international fast-food giant doesn’t reign – the Philippines. While Jollibee has a whopping 1,150 stores in the country, McDonald’s only has over 600. In 1987, Jollibee also began to expand to the international market, opening its first branch overseas in Brunei. Today, the fast-food chain has more than 270 branches abroad, the latest being the one in Madrid, Spain.

There are menu items only available in Jollibee stores abroad

There areJollibee menu items that are only served at their branches abroad. Two of these are Singapore’s Nasi Lemak Chickenjoy and Brunei’s Garlic Chicken Curry. In Vietnam, they have Chilli Chicken, Roasted Chicken Pie, and Green Milk Tea. They also have Peach Pie instead of the Philippine Jollibee outlets’ famous Peach Mango Pie. Meanwhile, in some Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar and Kuwait, they have the Jolly Wrap – chicken tenders and veggies in pita bread – and Chickenjoy with kabsa or biryani rice.

What is your ideal meal after a burning hot day? Ideal meal after a freezing cold day?

What would be a good meal after a burning hot day? I dunno. A nice salad? Chicken salad with some garlic bread. A Chicken Caesar salad. Or a sandwich with some coleslaw on the side. A shawarma perhaps. Ice cream or fruit salads.

After a freezing cold day? Well let’s just say that since I life in tropical Kerala, the coldest we get is during the monsoon season when there is a heavy rainfall along with a cold breeze blowing in. On such nights I like pasta, like noodles and chicken or pork. Or some grilled chicken. Some coffee at the end.

Prompt from Journaling Prompts from The Coffee Monterz Co . Com

Nachos were invented in Mexico. There’s a widespread perception that nachos are a Mexican-American or Tex-Mex creation, but no, they were invented just across from the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. The wives of U.S. soldiers who were stationed at a nearby fort were in Mexico on a shopping trip and arrived at a restaurant after close. The maître d’ whipped them up—you guessed it—nachos. The year was 1943, and the city was Piedras Negras.

Nachos were named after a guy named Nacho. The maître d’ who came up with the dish was named Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya.

The “recipe” for original nachos was super simple. It only included freshly fried tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños. That’s it—no beans, no meat. So, if you think you’re a nacho purist, you probably aren’t. (If you’re a revisionist and comfortable with that, here’s a great nacho recipe for you.)

Tortilla chips (the foundation of nachos) were popularized in the U.S., not Mexico. Although the idea of the tortilla chip existed in Mexico and at restaurants in the U.S. at the time, they got legs as a packaged product in Los Angeles. There, a tortilleria started packaging them for the first time. They took warped and broken tortillas that were otherwise unsellable, fried them and sold them for 10 cents a bag. Tortilleria owner Rebecca Webb Carranza usually gets the credit on this one, although that’s also disputed.

Nachos were almost trademarked. Although Anaya never tried to copyright the recipe, his son contacted a lawyer in 1960 about it. Unfortunately, almost two decades after its creation, he was told it was too late.

The first U.S. restaurant to feature nachos is reputed to be El Cholo in San Antonio, Texas. The second is supposed to be the now-closed El Cholo in Los Angeles. Of course, these facts are hard to verify, but there they are, for what it’s worth.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest nachos ever made was at the University of Kansas stadium. It took 80 people to assemble 860 pounds of nacho cheese, 860 pounds of beef, 1,200 pounds of beans, 315 pounds of jalapeños and 600 pounds of tortilla chips.

A croissant is classified as a “viennoiserie” in France. In France, the croissant is part of the category of pastries that the French call “Viennoiserie”, a nod to their origins in Vienna, The term viennoiserie comes from a 20th-century term for supposedly Vienna-style pastries.

The Croissant became the French national product in 1920 and started as a luxury product, but by the end of the nineteenth century, it was middle-class (the rich preferred a good brioche).

Before the modern croissant, puff pastry was used as a garnish or shell, not to eat on its own.

The chocolate croissant is actually called pain au chocolat, as it is not in the shape of a crescent.

A croissant should be golden brown, crispy and flaky on the outside with visible layers. The interior should be soft and airy with honeycomb air pockets. It should taste rich and slightly buttery but should not be too greasy just as you will get them in our Cafe Brunch restaurants.

The first one opened in 1953

In 1953, Keith J. Kramer and his uncle-in-law, Matthew Burns, founded a restaurant based around the Insta-Broiler, a fast and efficient way to cook numerous burgers at once. Fittingly, they chose the name, Insta-Burger King. The first franchise opened a year later, with the two franchisees, James McLamore and David Edgerton, eventually buying the whole company in 1959 and renaming it Burger King.

Its headquarters is on the East Coast

McDonald’s is headquartered in Downey, California. Taco Bell and In-N-Out are both in Irvine, California. Chipotle, Jack in the Box, Qdoba, Panda Express, and IHOP are also based in California…but not Burger King. The King lives on the East Coast, as the aforementioned Insta-Burger was founded in Jacksonville, Florida, and the company is currently headquartered in Miami.

The “Home of the Whopper” since 1957

Only four years after Insta-Burger King first opened, the restaurant unveiled its most famous creation — the Whopper — and charged just 37 cents for one. (Although that was quite the increase compared to 18 cents for their existing burgers.) James McLamore came up with the idea after noticing that a rival joint successfully sold a larger-than-average burger. And no, it wasn’t McDonald’s Big Mac, which wasn’t invented until 1967.

They invented the Flame-Broiler

The Insta-Broilers worked well for a while, but eventually, the meat drippings would damage the heating element. After taking a hatchet to one machine in frustration, David Edgerton vowed to find a better way to cook a burger. In 1959 — the same year the chain dropped “Insta” from its name (but not 1954, like the signs claim) — he invented a device that used a conveyor belt to cook patties over an open gas flame, giving the burgers a distinctive taste as well as their signature grill marks.

The Whopper Jr. was a happy accident

In 1963, Luis Arenas-Pérez was preparing to open the first Burger King location in Carolina, Puerto Rico, but the Whopper buns didn’t arrive in time for the Grand Opening. Instead, he used the smaller buns available locally. The scaled-down version became a hit and was eventually added to menus worldwide as a “Whopper Jr.”

It has a different name in Australia

When Burger King first expanded into Australia in 1971, it faced a unique problem: The name had already been trademarked in the country. Instead, BK HQ gave the first franchisee, Jack Cowin, a list of names to choose from, and he selected “Hungry Jack.” The pancake mix brand of the same name had no problem with this, as both Hungry Jack and Burger King were owned by Pillsbury at the time, but the restaurant’s name was still slightly altered to “Hungry Jack’s.” Hungry Jack’s now has about 450 locations in Australia!

BK serves 11 million customers every day

McDonald’s used to boast about how many customers they served, but Burger King has a startling number, too. In fact, they serve a whopping (no pun intended) 11 million customers worldwide every day. In the 2021 financial year, that added up to $1.81 billion in revenue!

There are 19,247 locations worldwide

As of 2021, Burger King operates 19,247 locations worldwide in more than 100 countries. We should note, however, that saying Burger King runs these stores isn’t totally accurate, as almost 100% of BK locations are owned and operated by independent franchisees.

Burger King is forbidden from one place in the U.S.

When BK expanded into Illinois in the 1960s, they discovered the name “Burger King” was already trademarked by a small mom-and-pop operation run by the Hoots family in the town of Mattoon. The family sued, and BK responded with their suit, Burger King of Florida, Inc. v. Hoots. The result? Burger King could operate anywhere in the state outside of Mattoon, with the Hoots keeping the exclusive rights within a 20-mile radius around the town. The closest BK now sits 25 miles away from Mattoon.

Chicken Tikka Masala is a classic curried dish with soft tender chunks of char-grilled chicken, simmered briefly in a delicious & super aromatic sauce/gravy. The dish comprises of 2 components – first is tikka and the other is the masala, which is the gravy or sauce in which the tikkas are simmered.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 25g butter
• 4 onions roughly chopped
• 6 tbsp chicken tikka masala paste
• 2 red peppers deseeded and cut into chunks
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 2-3 tbsp mango chutney
• 150ml double cream
• 150ml natural yogurt
• chopped coriander leaves, to serve

Method

step 1 : Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a large, lidded casserole on the hob, then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 15-20 mins until soft and golden.

step 2 : Add the tikka masala paste and peppers, then cook for 5 mins more to cook out the rawness of the spices.

step 3 : Add the chicken breasts and stir well to coat in the paste. Cook for 2 mins, then tip in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and 200ml water. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through.

step 4 : Remove the lid, stir through the mango chutney, double cream and natural yogurt, then gently warm through. Season, then set aside whatever you want to freeze. Will keep, in an airtight container, in the freezer for up to three months.

step 5 : Scatter the rest with coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice and naan bread.

Making your own curry paste:

In a small food processor, whizz together :

• 5 garlic cloves, 1 large knob of ginger, roughly chopped, 1 red
• chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped,
• 2 tsp each ground cumin and coriander,
• 1 tsp each turmeric, paprika and garam masala, and the seeds from 4 cardamom pods. Add a little water or vegetable oil to bring the paste together.