The freshest in my recent stroll through trip photos is the unexpected amusement found in the form of Moscow vending machines…and here I thought Japan had already cornered the market on this stuff. Without further ado, let’s take a gander at a few surprising – and one not so surprising – souvenirs: Now you too […]
Unforgettable Breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan
We have both been duped by today’s title. I wish I could say that my breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan were unforgettable in the positive sense – then again, I did have control over what was to be eaten – but to be fair, it was only one day’s selections that were unique. I was drawn […]
If Food Had Passports: Guatemalan Cardamom
Ever since I started raiding the breath freshener (and carminative) trays at Indian restaurants, I’ve been curious about cardamom. Whereas my usual reason for diving into those trays was for the candy-coated fennel seeds, the inimitable aggressive and unique flavor of cardamom always stood out. When else could I find the expensive pods in my […]
Nutrition Facts, or Nutrition Lies?
Fuzzy math, indeed. I was chowing down on some Nature Valley Pumpkin Spice granola bars the other day, when I noticed the perplexing Nutrition Facts label on the packaging: If I am reading the percentages (%) and Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (RACC) correctly, I should probably hold a conference call with my elementary school teachers […]
The Neptunus Group Building, Shenzhen (China)
Recently, I came across an article from two months ago that mentioned how Chinese Leader Jinping Xi issued a decree limiting the construction of buildings >250 meters (~821 feet) tall, disallowing buildings > 500 meters (~1641 feet), and prohibiting copycat behavior – in architecture. That article made me reflect on the architectural scene in China, […]
Some People Like Banh Mi, Some Like…Thuoc Lao
Within the Solanaceae family of plants are some of my favorite foods; tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes are the three that come to mind. However, there’s one particularly nasty member of the family that not only counts as addicts hundreds of millions of people, but also doubles as an effective pesticide… Tobacco. Yet, there’s the tobacco […]
St. Louis-Style Pork Steak
Due to the raging pandemic, I recently returned from a family visit near St. Louis, Missouri (USA). With the notable exceptions of St. Louis city and county, that region of the state was significantly more open for business than where I currently live. As someone who would normally travel hours just to try new food, […]
