Food For Thought

Common sense tells us that we shouldn’t eat while working at our computer. Crumbs fall between the keys and Cheese Whiz drippings really gums up the works. However, using computers in your quest for food knowledge makes life simpler and more interesting. Did you know that tomatoes were originally introduced to Europe in the 16th century from Peru? It wasn’t until the 19th century that raw tomatoes were eaten because up until then raw tomatoes were considered poisonous: http://www.dietobio.com/aliments/en/tomato.html. So our journey begins.

Using Google, Bing or any other search tool will help us find the origins of the foods we eat. We can find out which spices goes with the foods we are preparing. We can learn about new products that are finding their way onto our super market vegetable displays. We can also find out how to prepare them, store them and what foods they go well with.

The internet offers a myriad of resources for preparing foods. Did you ever want to convert grams to ounces or cups to millilitres? Try this site: http://www.pastrywiz.com/conversion.htm.

Cooking terms can be confusing. However, this site: http://www.cookingnook.com/cooking-terms.html offers a very comprehensive list. Of course, some terms may be in a foreign language. Highlight the word then click “translate” in the Google tool bar.
Do any of your favourite foods have medicinal qualities? A Google search will soon tell you. I caution you here, be careful of folk tales when it comes to the curative powers of some foods. It is always fun to check these things our. What about the medicinal qualities of honey? If you are interested, check this out: http://itotd.com/articles/218/honey-as-medicine/.

With so many choices for foods available from the market and trying to keep up with proper nutrition, a computer can help make sense of it all. Eating Well With Canada’s Food Guide: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php, is a good place to start. For those who want to maintain a healthy weight, the Mayo Clinic publishes a healthy eating tool: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00595 as a recourse that is informative and easy to follow.

What is the storage life of fresh foods? Again, a Google search can help answer a question like this. A comprehensive list of foods and their ‘best before’ dates can be found here: http://www.stilltasty.com/.

There has been a lot of discussion over the past few years about genetically altered foods. How safe are they? How prevalent is the practice of altering the genetics of the foods we eat? What does the future hold in respect to this practice? Check out the following site for one perspective: http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php.

Most everyone appreciates the taste of organically grown vegetables. You can grow your own chemical free all natural vegetables: http://www.freeorganicnews.com/6708/organic-chemical-free-gardening/. There are many websites devoted to this practice with many tips and suggestions. If you have the time, guests will certainly appreciate your efforts.

Gardening doesn’t have to be just in the summer months. Hydroponic indoor gardening may be your answer. This how to site: http://www.howtohydroponics.com/, explains the method and offers suggestions and tips on creating your own year round indoor garden. You don’t have to have a huge hydroponic garden, you can start with an herb garden: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCVKK-HtlIw&feature=related.

Have you ever wanted a favourite restaurant meal, but didn’t want to go out for it, like the famous Red Lobster Pizza? The following site has hundreds of familiar restaurant recipes that you can do at home, just like the original: http://www.copykat.com/.

Is there a food that can improve thought? Are there really foods that will improve brain activity? Can memory be improved by eating certain foods? Some people think so. The site found at: http://www.ehow.com/about_5201897_types-food-stimulate-brain.html, attempts to make a positive statement in this regard. For centuries Chinese herbal chemists have touted certain herbs and foods as having the capacity to stimulate brain activity. Hmmm, food for thought!

Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance.
Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot.com/