Today Is... 📆

GregRedd · March 5, 2021, 6:36am

It’s Friday, 5 March 2021 (W9/D64/301 rem)

After yesterday’s somber warnings to take care of our health and watch out weight, let’s lighten the mood and go chase the green fairy like Hemingway and Van Gogh today!

Celebrated by artists and aristocrats alike for centuries, absinthe has long been the drink of choice for those creative types who dabble in the artistic world. Also known as The Green Goddess, The Green Lady, or The Green Fairy, this controversial drink used to be a favourite among artists and writers due to its supposed ability to help with their creative flow.

Absinthe Day aims to bring awareness and celebration to the strong alcoholic drink by observing its history and legacy, as well as encouraging adults to enjoy a couple of sips of its strong green charm.

Absinthe was banned in many countries after a moral panic caused the belief that it was absinthe, rather than alcoholism or syphilis, that was sending both Bohemians and ordinary working folk mad. It is precisely this ban that makes today Absinthe Day, for it was on this day in 2007 that absinthe went back on legal sale in the USA since its 1912 ban.

The key ingredient in absinthe is wormwood. Thujone, a component of wormwood, is purported to have psychotropic properties. In extreme quantities there is research to suggest that thujone could theoretically cause delirium, but in order to consume that much of it, you would be long dead from alcohol poisoning. And very little thujone survives the distillation process.

Despite consumers wanting it to be so, there really are no hallucinogenic properties in absinthe. The hallucination claims more likely arose from the fact that absinthe has an alcohol content of between 55 – 70%, (110 – 140 proof), and during the late 19th and early 20th century, was occasionally chased with a puff of opium.

It’s moniker, The Green Fairy (La Fée Verte), is attributed to its verdant colour and the bohemian fantasy associated with it. The colour comes from chlorophyll, the green plant pigment, in the herbs that make up the liquor. Absinthe, unadulterated by synthetic colourants, will have a gold-green hue, more chartreuse than emerald. Gradually, the chlorophyll will break down as light damages the pigment in the fluid, and it will start to turn a more amber colour. The French call it feuille morte, a rather poetic term that translates to fallen leaves.

Part of the alluring appeal of absinthe is how you drink it. It has a ritualistic component that has been described as ‘sensual’.

This classic method is known as louching (pronounced looshing). This involves putting a small measure of the absinthe at the bottom of a reservoir glass, then placing a flat, slotted spoon over the rim, with a cube of sugar on top. Iced water is then slowly poured over the sugar, crumbling it. As the water dilutes the alcohol solution, the essential oils from the herbs precipitate out and the emulsion turns opaque. Historical absinthe labels recommended a ratio of about 150ml of water around 30ml of absinthe, making a tempered drink that has a reduced alcohol volume equivalent to a glass of wine.

Or, if you are feeling brave, you can try Ernest Hemingway’s version, a cocktail that replaces the water with chilled champagne. It’s called Death in the Afternoon, and that might have something to do with his recommending three to five of these be consumed.

“Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.”

(If you do go the full Hemingway and drop five absinthe cocktails, I strongly recommend that you do not go anywhere near any form of keyboard for the rest of the day!)

If you’re interested in a local absinthe, check out Durban-based Distillery 301’s Ancestors Absinthe. Made in the traditional French style, but using African wormwood, and flavoured with Impepho.

https://www.distillery031.com/our-spiritsgin/absinthe/

It’s available online from Distillery 301, or a number of other local online stores.

It’s Friday! Make it great, but do it responsibly!

murfle · March 5, 2021, 6:42am

Too bad no one can buy any today

GregRedd · March 5, 2021, 6:45am

We’re on Level One baby!!

All of the current restrictions on alcohol sales are lifted, and normal trade will be allowed – except for sales during curfew hours, which won’t be allowed.

Buy South Africa!

Avatar · March 5, 2021, 7:05am

I think he’s referring to the fact that proper Absinthe, ie. hallucinogenic Absinthe, is no longer available for legal purchase.

GregRedd · March 5, 2021, 7:15am

Nah. That’s all “1900s fake news”.

The research team suggests that the most likely cause of absinthism, as the collective symptoms are called, is that its victims simply drank so much that they became flat-out drunk.

“The paper refutes step-by-step the many lies and myths surrounding absinthe,” notes biochemist Elizabeth Waters, research manager at the Australian Wine Research Institute, in Urrbrae, and an associate editor of the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry. “Modern absinthes are considered safe, but the perception still exists that vintage absinthes contained much higher levels of thujone. This led to the supposition that vintage absinthes were psychoactive, which was the basis for the drink’s appeal.” Lachenmeier and coworkers’ research “disproves the hypothesis that there is a difference between vintage and modern absinthes,” Waters says.

https://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i18/Absinthe-Myths-Finally-Laid-Rest.html

Beo · March 5, 2021, 7:15am

NO!

Just no. Bad experiences. So, no!

Deadlypinecone · March 5, 2021, 7:31am

And now the bad memories have returned

Avatar · March 5, 2021, 7:32am

While I note the interesting information you present, I will continue to tell people that it used to hallucinogenic, as it’s a much cooler story. I shall preface it with “I read on the internet” so as to cover myself, should I have to defend myself in the court of law.

In short, @GregRedd:

murfle · March 5, 2021, 7:46am

When did that happen?

I missed the family meeting…

No, he was right. I thought we were still in advanced level 3… But there are definitely good absinthe and not good absinthe. I’ve had a few kinds in my life, but only a small swig of some top shelf stuff out of a flask, obviously not taken the correct way.

Avatar · March 5, 2021, 9:56am

Well,

I’ve got to save this gif somewhere, I’m gonna get a lot of mileage out this one!

murfle · March 5, 2021, 10:19am

Right back atcha! ;D

GregRedd · March 6, 2021, 6:27am

Good morning!

It’s Saturday, 6 March 2021 (W9/D65/300 rem)

Today is: Frozen Food Day

A truly American day, with no less than then President Ronald Reagan declaring in 1984 with Proclamation #5157: “Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 6, 1984, as Frozen Food Day, and I call upon the American people to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Frozen foods have been around for a while, and many people were involved in the development of the safe food freezing processes of the modern-day. Because it takes more to freeze food safely than simply sticking it on ice!

Originally, the slower processes of freezing food caused large ice crystals to form that would ultimately degrade the quality, flavor, and texture of the food. In the mid-1920s when several scientists were searching for better processes, faster processes changed everything.

Clarence Frank Birdseye II, (now there’s a name you don’t hear everyday!) a biologist for the US government, set up Birdseye Seafoods and developed the quick-freezing process that included specialized pre-packaging. After earning the first frozen foods freezing process patent in the United States in 1927, Clarence Birdseye created the Birdseye company. He and his company are now considered to be some of the founders of the frozen food industry.

Frozen foods, no matter how conveniently prepared, at that time would still have been heated within the traditional oven, which was time-consuming. It wasn’t until the early 1940-50s that faster, easier heating options would begin to come into play.

In 1945, the microwave was accidentally discovered by Percy Spencer, an American self-taught engineer. After this, the scientific concept was bought and patented by Raytheon for Spencer’s microwave cooking process.

During this same era, TV dinners were developed in the US and, in 1950, began to be sold by the Swanson company, which became the first frozen food dinner to be highly successful.

Once microwaves became accessible to the general public throughout the ’70s and ’80s, US President Ronald Reagan memorialized frozen foods by proclaiming Frozen Food Day as a U.S. holiday in 1984!

Back in these times, grocery stores may have only dedicated one small section of their selling floor to frozen foods. Today, however, stores often make room for several aisles of frozen foods from various companies that allow consumers to reheat readily made foods in under 30 minutes.

So how to celebrate Frozen Food Day, like old Ronnie Reagan demanded?

Eat frozen food for every meal Appreciate the diversity of the frozen food industry by enjoying frozen food for every meal on this special day. Start the day with a frozen waffle, try a frozen burrito for lunch, chow down on a delicious frozen pizza for dinner, and for dessert, enjoy a delicious bowl of ice cream. Bon appetit!
Have a TV dinner party TV dinners — plastic trays filled with a complete meal with a main and sides made for eating in front of the televisions — are the quintessential American frozen food. Invite your friends over for a dinner party where TV dinners are the order of the day. Buy a variety and have friends pick and choose!
Make your own frozen food National Frozen Food Day was established in support of the frozen food industry, but you can also celebrate the wonder of the freezer by making your own frozen food! Make a big pot of stew or soup and freeze individual portions, or get elaborate and make your own TV dinners.

Chill out and Make Saturday Great Again!

czc · March 6, 2021, 7:05am

Frozen peas are useful.

Beo · March 6, 2021, 8:01am

Does ice cream count?

I have some salted caramel and fudge in the freezer.

SIGSTART · March 6, 2021, 9:00am

Ice cream is the most balanced meal you can have.

I have spoken.

Wyvern · March 6, 2021, 9:55am

I have used Frut now for over a year for my frozen fruits for smoothies. I can definitely recommend them, but try to buy directly from them, so much cheaper than from Spar. Best quality and freshness, I mean their one freezer at my local shop packed up, the food in it was still mostly frozen, but they refused to sell it to me, and told me all food that this happens to or isn’t 100% perct gets donated to selected animal shelters who can use it feed pigs and so on

murfle · March 6, 2021, 12:44pm

I was about to call BS, but this looks legit! Crazy!

GregRedd · March 7, 2021, 7:00am

Lobbyists from Big Freeza got to him!

GregRedd · March 7, 2021, 7:02am

Good morning!

It’s Sunday, 7 March 2021 (W9/D66/299 rem)

Today is: Plant Power Day

There’s a lot of noise about vegetarianism and veganism these days, and while there’s much good coming out of these movements, it can be tricky fully eliminating certain food groups from your diet. Plant Power Day is the perfect solution for those trying to include more foliage in their meals and move towards a more plant-rich diet, as this day is all about prioritizing plant-based foods.

Plant Power Day was launched in 2018 by the European company Alpro, which specializes in plant-based products, in collaboration with the vegan recipe business BOSH!. It was established to encourage people to eat more vegetables and other plant-based foods as part of their daily meals and beverages.

It’s not necessarily about cutting out animal products entirely, but rather about making plants the centerpiece of your diet and considering plant-based options first, either just for the day itself or longer term! Trade out milk for orange juice, hamburgers for eggplant, ice cream for sorbet! These kinds of choices are not only healthier for you, but they’ll also help ensure your eating habits are more conscientious.

Generally speaking, people tend to prioritize plant powered consumption for one or a combination of three main reasons: health, ethics and the environment.

Plant-based foods such as tofu, lentils, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables tend to be high in fiber and rich in various nutrients, and well-planned plant-based diets have been deemed healthy at every stage of life by dietary organizations such as the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the British Dietetic Association.

Well-planned is the key word here, as relying solely on plants can put people more at risk of certain deficiencies such as iron and Vitamin B12. However, it is perfectly possible to get all necessary nutrients through a well-managed plant powered diet.

Many people focus on the ethical implications of going plant-based, which helps to reduce the consumption and exploitation of animals and the prevalence of factory farming.

There are also various environmental advantages, such as decreased water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and land usage. And by freeing up land usually used to grow crops for feeding livestock, plant powered products contribute to increasing worldwide food production and protecting biodiversity.

Do take care when choosing your plant-rich foods, however, especially if your focus isn’t on health but on making less of an impact on animals and the planet. Carefully research where your food is grown and how it makes it to the table. After all, it doesn’t help the earth if your dinner is transported halfway across the world from fields that are the result of destroying animal habitat and eradicating rainforests.

Still not convinced on the benefits of a building up a plant-based dirt? Or maybe just need some plant powered recipe inspiration to help get you through today? Here’s 50 delicious Plant Powered Recipe ideas from Aussie food site Delicious - they know good tasting food. It’s in their name, isn’t it?!

Have a peaceful, plant powered Sunday!

czc · March 7, 2021, 7:09am

I always dedicate the 30th of February to go Vegan every year.