Sharp and sour but sweet and succulent all at the same time, this traditional accompanyment to cold meat is bursting with flavour, and folklore !

‘Rowan tree and red thread - have the witches all in dread’

On May eve Rowan crosses used to be worn in UK and were sometimes fastened to cattle (or their barns) for protection against witches and other ‘evil doers’. Legend has it that the crosses had to be made without a metal knife to work properly. Rowan branches were also bought indoors on a Good Friday as this tree had a reputation for strong protection against psychic forces.

This ‘mish-mash’ of folklore and Christianity indicates older uses of the tree having been ‘assimilated’ into a re Rowan Jelly (Mountain Ash - Pyrus aucuparia) Recipe

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An Eight Hot Dog Nirvana...

by Ed Williams

One of the most enjoyable things about our culture is our fascination with records. Just about everyone can tell you that Henry Aaron hit 755 home runs, or that Wilt Chamberlain once scored 100 points in a pro basketball game. We all love records, but sometimes the fascination with them can be carried to extremes.

This is where I need to fess up. I love following record setting performances, and because of that I’ve developed a few personal records of my own. Most of them are pretty tame. As an example, when I’m working on a book, I try to write at least one page per day. If I do that, I can knock out a book, first draft and initial edits, in less than a year. Another record I work at is how much I bench press. Currently, I’m at 260 pounds, but An Eight Hot Dog Nirvana... Recipe

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Save Time in the Kitchen. Cook Pasta the way Restaurant Chefs Do

by Skip Lombardi

Have you ever wondered how a restaurant can get a dish of pasta to your table in about four minutes when you know it takes ten minutes just to cook the pasta? Does the water on their stoves boil at a higher temperature than the water on yours? Do they know a trick that you don't? As a matter of fact, they do.

They parboil, or partially pre-cook their pasta; so when an order comes in to the kitchen, a cook can turn out a dish of perfectly 'al dente' pasta in a minute or two. Pre-cooking is a worthwhile technique for home cooks, because it enables them to pull together a great sit-down meal in practically no time, no matter how busy their day may have been.

It's also a great method to use when you plan to serve pasta for a crowd. I once ca Save Time in the Kitchen. Cook Pasta the way Restaurant Chefs Do Recipe

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