Vanilla and the Aztecs

The Aztec name for vanilla is tlilxochitl (pronounced tea-so-shill), which translates into “black flower”. In 1427, the Aztecs learned about the aromatic vanilla when they concerned the Totonaco people. The Aztec ruler Itzcoatl grew fond of both the taste and the smell and the Aztecs where soon adding vanilla to their sacred cacahuatl drink. Vanilla was also used as medicine and considered helpful against ailments such as indigestion, poisoning and animal bites.

The Aztecs never carried out any vanilla cultivation on their own; they simply forced the Totonacos to cultivate vanilla for them. In order to pay their taxes, the Totonacos had to send vanilla beans of supreme quality to Tenochtitlan.

 

Claude Monet

Claude Monet was the founder of the French impressionist painting. In his paintings, he expressed his perceptions before nature. The term impressionism is actually derived from one of this paintings; the ”Impression, Sunrise”.

Claude Monet was born in the ninth arrondissement of Paris in 1840. When he was 11 years old he was enrolled in the Le Havre secondary school of the arts. At this age, he began making charcoal caricatures and sell them locally for 10-20 francs. Another part of his education consisted of getting drawing lessons from Jacques-François Ochard who in turn had studied for Jacques-Louis David.

When Claude Monet was 16 years old he left school, because his mother died and he was sent to live with his widowed childless aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecadre. He eventually began visiting The Louvre, but instead of copying the old masters as the other painters did he preferred to sit by the window and paint what he could see.

By the age of 21, Claude Monet joined the First Regiment of African Light Cavalry in Algeria. He signed up for seven years, but contracted typhoid. Marie-Jeanne Lecadre intervened and got him out of the army. In 1862, Monet became a student of Charles Gleyre.

 

Salted Duck Egg

Salted duck egg is a traditional Chinese dish created by letting duck eggs soak in brine or packing the eggs in damp salty charcoal. The salt gives the eggs a briny taste and the egg white stays liquid. The egg yolk becomes firm and develops a bright orange-red shade that is very decorative. The egg yolk is much less salty than the egg white.

Before being served, a salted duck egg is normally boiled or steamed. It can be used to flavour other foods or used as a condiment, especially to rice congee, a type of rice porridge. In Chinese moon cakes, the brightly coloured yolk is used as a symbol of the moon.

If you want to make salted duck eggs, start by selecting fresh duck eggs of high quality and clean them thoroughly. It is important to remove any traces of dirt that may be present on the shell. Place the eggs in a glass jar with a safe lid. Fill up a cooking pot with water and bring to full boil. Turn off the heat and add salt until the water can dissolve no more salt. It is important to make the brine really salty, since this is what will keep the eggs preserved. Leave the water until it has cooled down to room temperature. Pour the water over the eggs in the jar and make sure that all eggs become 100% covered. Place the lid on the jar and place the jar in a cool and dry place (not a fridge). Let at least 2-3 weeks pass before you try an egg. In some cases, the eggs need to brine for up to 8 weeks.

 

internet

During the Cold War, the launch of Sputnik spurred the United States to create ARPA: The Advanced Research Projects Agency. On January 1^st 1983, all hosts on the ARPANET switched over from the old NCP protocols to TCP/IP; thus creating the first TCP/IP-wide area network. A small switch for man, but a giant leap for porn.