text:
This blog will be moving to a Wordpress format soon.
It's currently in progress of being set up and moved over.
My site will also have a new title, The Culinary Curio, as well as a new layout and its own domain! :)
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Update: Site Transition
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 4/26/2011 01:36:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: updates and notices
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Savory Explorations 1: Edamame Hummus
First, I have to say that I'm one of those people who goes totally dumbmus over hummus.
It's something I can eat everyday with just about anything - vegetables, breads, meats, soups, salads, even by itself!
So whenever I get a chance to have some really good hummus, as you have to choose wisely as they aren't all made the same, I am always in for a savory treat.
Since I've been on a detox eating plan for the past week, I've been trying out all sorts of recipes and adding them into my culinary book of shadows. One of those random ideas popped into mind while I was munching on some lightly salted and warm edamame for a protein snack. I decided to not only make my own hummus at home for the first time, but to take my love for edamame and make...wait for it...
Edamame hummus! *cue in falling balloons and exploding confetti*
Hummus is traditionally made with chickpeas (or garbanzo) beans. But you can make hummus from some other legumes. Even lentils and red beans! Get as creative as you want with legume substitutions. They each will make for a distinctive-tasting, differently-colored hummus.
|Living Tree Community Foods Tahini
For example, you can make a tahini-based hummus, a roasted garlic-based hummus, a cilantro/parsley-based hummus, a spicy hummus (roasted peppers or lots of cayenne), a yogurt-based hummus or a hummus that uses butter rather than olive oil. I've had many varieties of hummus and like them all, but I tend to prefer hummus with a good roasted garlic and tahini taste. I also love the flavor of olive oil (premium extra virgin olive oil). Additionally, you can substitute toasted sesame oil for tahini.
Edamame, which is a dish or snack of young soybeans encapsulated in pods (similar to pea pods) are a wonderful replacement for chickpeas in hummus. They are naturally rich and buttery in flavor, a great source of protein, and extremely healthy. You'll often see them served in Japanese restaurants, as an appetizer or entrée, with miso soup before a main course.
I pretty much winged this recipe based on what a traditional tahini has and according to my personal tastes.
|Organic, shelled edamame
I made a note of all of the ingredients going into my edamame hummus aside from the obvious (the edamame soybeans):
- Tahini (between 1/8 - 1/4 cup; it's up to you, taste as you go)
- Water (loosely 1/4 cup)
- Lemon juice (1 lemon's worth)
- Olive oil (3-4 tablespoons)
- Cumin seeds (1 teaspoon)
- Green onions (1/4 cup; I really like onions)
- Cayenne pepper (a dash to sprinkle on top when the hummus is done)
- Black sesame seeds (sprinkled liberally on top when the hummus is done)
- Parsley (Italian) (1.5 tablespoons; you can also use cilantro)
- Garam masala (half teaspoon)
- Fennel seeds (1 teaspoon; I highly enjoy the flavor of these)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Garlic (2-4 cloves; or to your taste)
|Several of the ingredients I used in my hummus
Start off by pouring in 3 to 3.5 cups of water in a medium pot. Bring the water to a boil.
|Drained edamame soybeans
Take them off the stove and drain the water out.
|Ready to process
Pulse and blend until the mixture is very smooth. You can choose to have a more rustic edamame (textural) if you want, but I prefer it relatively smooth.
|Smooth edamame hummus
Take some vegetables of your choice (I chose organic baby carrots, celery, and red bell pepper) and cut and slice them up as necessary so that you can dip these into the hummus for a complete snack. I left the baby carrots as is, I deseeded and cut the red bell peppers into strips, and I cut and neatly sectioned the celery into small sticks.
I unplugged my food processor and poured and scraped out my hummus into a bowl and swirled it around to my liking. Then I drizzled in some more extra virgin olive oil into the crevices of the dip and sprinkled in my cayenne pepper, black sesame seeds, and a small pinch more of sea salt.
You can even add sprouted seeds (which I just discovered and am now immensely enjoying). Sprouted sesame seeds are absolutely yummy and go well on top of hummus, among many other things...
This dish made for a hearty lunch, and my adventure in making hummus at home was a successful and enjoyable one. I've since prepared this several more times and have experimented with other herbs and spices. I'd love to try red or black lentils next time!
What is your favorite kind of hummus? And what do you like in your hummus?
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 3/29/2011 01:17:00 AM 1 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: Dextox Journey, Dips and Spreads, food exploration, Holistic Eating, recipes, savory foods, Veganism/Vegetarianism/Raw Food
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dextox Journey: Pico de Gallo, Old World Pilaf, and Veggie Stir-Fry
|Pico de gallo, old world pilaf, and veggie stir-fry
I also knew I had to share what I prepared and ate for dinner with you guys.
So, what did I have for dinner? Well, let's take a look below:
1. Pico de Gallo - Organic lime juice from one lime, diced jalapeno pepper, cilantro, tomatoes, green onions, clove of garlic, white onions, sea salt, and cayenne pepper.
Did you know?: You can also use other ingredients such as mango, bell peppers, celery and so on. The basics of a pico de gallo are the peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and onions. You can put your own spin on pico de gallo according to your tastes and your level of desire to explore with flavor. White onions can be replaced with red onions for a sweet taste, too. I adore onions, so as you can see I added both white and green onions.2. Old World Pilaf - a mix of red rice, brown rice, black rice., red lentils, yellow lentils, black eyed peas and green lentils all cooked with red peppers, garlic, celery, and white onions. No salt needed.
Did you know?: Cooking lentils or beans with salt toughens them. If salt is added, it is best to add it after the beans or lentils are cooked.3. Indian-spiced Vegetable Stir-fry - a bit of unsweetened, organic coconut milk, extra virgin olive oil, garam masala, sea salt, fennel seeds, eggplant, zucchini, 2 cloves of garlic, green onions, red bell peppers, baby bella mushrooms and celery
Inside info: I love smashing up garlic with the back of a wide knife or spatula to get to the cloves. So fun! Also, although a really high-quality garlic powder blend can make food delicious and is great to have in your spice collection, you simply can't compare it to the grand and lively taste of fresh, minced garlic cloves.Everything in these three components was organic except for the jalapeno pepper. I couldn't find any organic jalapenos. Their season is in warmer periods (spring and summer), so I am not sure why it was rather difficult to track down some organic varieties, but I am more than fine with what I bought.
|Pico de gallo
|Grain and Legume Combination
The rices, beans, and lentils were placed in a medium pot and covered well with water, enough to where I knew the mix would not dry out but also not be mushy from way too much water left over after absorption. I left the mix without powdered spices or salt. As I mentioned above, salt toughens legumes when it is boiled with them. In order to add more flavor, I chopped up red bell pepper, white onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, and some celery, and placed it in the water with the rice, beans, and lentils.
|Cooked old world pilaf
Keep in mind that brown, black, and red rices will have a chewier texture and more visceral mouth feel than plain white rice has, which is one of the qualities I enjoy about eating them.
|Vegetable Stir-fry
As the vegetables cooked for a bit, I poured in some organic, unsweetened coconut milk. Not a lot, just enough to lightly coat the vegetables and stir it further in.
I love anything coconut. Coconut milk is also good for use in smoothies, vegetable soups, and fresh juice blends. It's a proper substitute for using dairy-based cream or dairy milk in certain recipes.
I cooked the vegetables until they were tender and still retained some of some of their crunch and texture. In fact, everything in the skillet could have been eaten raw, but I couldn't resist preparing a succulent stir-fry.
This meal, overall, was so fulfilling. I enjoyed every bit of it and went back for more of everything with food left over for tomorrow's lunch! With these sorts of recipes, you can eat a good amount and not be concerned about consuming too many calories (if that's what you're worried about). This meal was packed with tons of nutrients and had very little fat.
This also shows that if you wanted to become vegetarian or even vegan, you can do it and know that delectable meals and foods are quite easy to prepare. There's a lot of misinformation out there about vegetarian, and especially vegan eating. A lot of people assume there's not much to eat and choose from and that the food tastes unpleasant. That's simply not true. Vegetarian and vegan eating requires that you become far more intimate and educated about your health and food. You need to research properly, understand more about nutrients, and it's an excellent push to explore all sorts of ingredients, dishes, and ways to prepare foods that you probably never tried. As a fellow food explorer, that's never a bad thing.
I can't say that I'd ever see myself becoming exclusively vegan, although the idea intrigues me, because I enjoy eating poultry, dairy, and seafood once in awhile, but I love incorporating vegan eating into my diet.
Many vegan foods are also perfect for my detox eating regimen. The body digests and metabolizes these foods without a lot of strain and effort. That's got to feel better at the end of the day. I can already feel a difference and I am on day 3 of my detox journey. :)
If you've got any tips, advice or comments about vegetarian/vegan, raw food eating, or detox "dieting" in general, please feel free to share your thoughts! I'd love to hear!
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 3/23/2011 02:37:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: Asian cuisine, Dextox Journey, gluten free, Health and Fitness, Holistic Eating, savory foods, soups and stir-frys, Veganism/Vegetarianism/Raw Food
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Detox Journey - Clean Eating
Why did I decide to put myself on a detox eating plan?
Well, I've been enjoying so many decadent and rich foods, lately, and I'd like to flush my body out by eating holistically. I'd simply like to become healthier inside and out.. I've been doing some research for the last several weeks to make sure that I know what I'm doing and what I'd like to do, specifically.
Although "diet" would be an appropriate word to use here, I hate using it because society has bastardized and corrupted the word. When most people think of the word "diet," they immediately start to think about weight-loss obsession, competitive social vanity, keeping up with the Joneses, constantly weighing on scales, starving oneself, madly counting calories, and the like - basically a series and complex of unhealthy and counter-intuitive behavior.
That's not what I want to do embark upon or nurture, at all. I simply need to restart my system and get back into a healthy way of eating with regular activity, so I can establish balance. Desserts and my usual fare of savory treats and delights certainly will not be permanently abandoned, but for the time being I am putting those indulges on hold.
Inside Info: I have a backlog of dessert recipes (as well as savory) I'll be posting, however. So look for those.
There are all sorts of detox eating plans out there (Master Cleanse, raw food, Clean Diet, Diuretic Diet, Eat Stop Eat, Quantum Wellness and the list goes on), but I wanted to construct my own. I also didn't want to do anything gimmicky. I wanted it to be something I could follow organically through knowledge-seeking and a drive to simply take care of myself.
My detox eating plan looks pretty vegan, for the most part.
My rules are as follows:
A.I will also plan each day's eating in advance, not anally, but loosely. With this way of eating, I have to plan so that getting in 3-4 meals a day is easier and convenient.
- No dairy (eggs, butter, milk, cream, and the like)
- No meat
- No caffeine and alcohol (although red wine-based vinaigrette salad dressings are allowed)
- No refined sugars, no added sugars or refined foods
- No wheat/gluten
- No preservatives (if I can help it)
- Lots of organic fruits and vegetables prepared in a number of creative and tasty ways (pressed juices, salads, hearty soups, stir-frys, steamed dishes, raw, and so on)
- Organic legumes cooked in different ways (beans of various kinds, lentils, peas, etc.)
- Whole grain rices (black, brown, etc.)
- Nut and drupe milks (coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.)
- Lots of water (as usual) and naturally decaffeinated herbal teas
- Frequent meals and snacking (3-4 a day)
- Healthy and safe supplements ("Green" blends and cleansing, antioxidants nutrients)
- Organic nuts and seeds (unsalted, but can be toasted beforehand or through my own effort)
This first week I'll spend concentrating on establishing this rhythm and the second week is when I bring back regular physical activity. I don't plan to do really hardcore or excessively strenuous exercise at this stage, but I do plan to get adequate sessions of physical activity in (at least 30-40 minutes). Again, I am trying to be as organic as I can. But I aim to get in 3-4 days of good physical activity a week (or more if I simply and organically feel up to it).
I have also banished scale-weighing and measurement-taking. I find these activities make me neurotic, and in this society, we've come to define ourselves by numbers far too much (age, weight, income, etc.). We've abandoned intuition and instinct. This is why the scale can decide what kind of day we'll be having as soon as we step onto it. That should never be the case. It's just a number (save for situations where people with serious or debilitating illnesses, that cause weight loss, need to have their weight monitored).
What we should pay attention to is how we feel and how we look with the aid of our own eyes and natural assessment.
I spent about two and a half hours at Whole Foods Market, today. Maybe more time than that as I kind of lost track but realized it was night once I stepped outside with my grocery bags. LOL Yes, that was a long while to stay in there, not only did I need to look around and carefully select, but I've always loved their stores and it's a pleasure to look around and figure out what I'll place in my shopping cart. It was even more intriguing to shop with this eating plan in mind. I made sure that nearly all of my items were organic and I had to become even more acquainted with label-reading than I usually am. Whole Foods' produce inventory is at least 65% organic and I think nearly everything else is at least locally grown and cultivated. I find that impressive.
I also find it strange and illogical...
Produce (and other items) should be organic by default. It shouldn't be this special category that we seek out. In fact, I'll even say that organic production should be mandatory law.
Anyway, as a result of shopping heavily organic, I spent quite the penny in there.
I also picked up some great supplements. I purchased:
ChlorOxygen Chlorophyll Concentrate
Vibrant Health: Green Vibrance
No placebo here, that's for sure. I felt a surge of energy not long after I took these supplements with plain water and/or with coconut water. It was that kind of energy surge that you get once a workout starts or the energetic sensation you might feel right after vigorous exercise. You sweat a bit more, feel slightly more hyper and refreshed, your pores feel more open, and you have a desire to move. I felt that about 15-20 minutes after taking both of these. So, although this is the first day, I do recommend trying these out and seeing for yourself. I made some pretty good choices, here.
I will share some recipes with you guys as I journey through this detox path. It is temporary, but I'm off to a very productive and exciting start and felt like my food blog was a great place to share my experiences since it's still all about the exploration of food!
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 3/22/2011 03:26:00 AM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: Clean Eating, Dextox Journey, food exploration, Health and Fitness, Holistic Eating, information highway, Veganism/Vegetarianism/Raw Food
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Exploration of Food and Dietary Habits
|A Medley of Nuts & Seeds - Photo by MeetaK
No...still no exploring into an insect diet. Can't quite get myself to that realm of eating. But I hear that if one is able to push aside their culturally-conditioned aversion to eating bugs, that the fare can be quite tasty...and crunchy. LOL
At this this point, I just want to be healthy and holistic, so I'm not too keen on exclusivity in dietary habits anymore. I just like exploring good foods and whole and fresh ingredients. Nature provides us with so many delights that I don't understand how anyone can radically exclude most things, let alone be bored in their diets, unless there are allergies, health issues, and enzyme deficiencies to take into consideration..
If I like to eat lots of rice and consider it beyond thrilling to check out all sorts of rice varieties in local markets, why should I cut out eating rice because it's either a high complex carb or it requires boiling and cooking? Restrictions for the sake of restrictions aren't my thing and now I know that through much trial and error. This doesn't mean I can't respect religious and/or socio-political purposes behind certain dietary observations.
Inside Info: I use the word diet here as a way to simply refer to a -way- of eating. I am not using "diet" to specifically mean a way to control weight and body fat (example: "I am going on a diet"). A particular diet and set of habits can provide weight loss for someone, being the sole purpose and intent, but again I am just using diet to mean eating regimen and habits.I used to be vegetarian for several years and then I became what is called a "pescetarian," someone who eats vegetarian but includes fish in their diet.
I just couldn't give up seafood! Especially sushi. I love the stuff. And it's good for you.
I no longer classify myself as a vegetarian, although I tend to naturally enjoy and eat far more grains, fruits, and vegetables over meats. But several times I have ventured into low-carb dieting in the past, which encouraged me to consume far more meat in my diet.
|Photo by West of Persia
I am definitely interested in learning more about raw food dieting. Because I don't like to be so exclusive when I eat, I don't see myself being a dedicated raw-foodist. But I'd like to enrich my diet with raw food eating habits and delicious raw food recipes, especailly for times where I'd love to naturally detox and rejuvenate my body and mind. I mean who can't use more fresh, raw, and whole foods in their diet? We all can.
I am also ready to start using my juicer more often. In fact, I consider a goof juicer a must-have in a kitchen. It's a wonderful kitchen toy and a worthwhile investment.
The amateur naturopath in me is also interested in exploring diets and foods because I find anything relating to the medicinal, nutritional, and functional properties of food to be captivating. I always want to research, learn about, read about, and experiment with all sorts of ingredients to open up my mind further on different and new ways of eating. I want to learn about foods and ingredients I am not only familiar with but stuff I've never tried or heard about.
I feel that eating should be fun and creative along with nutritive. We should delight in what bring to the table, shop for, and request in our favorite eateries. We should take more pleasures in preparing foods from scratch and respecting what the earth provides for us. We should be far more aware of how our foods are prepared and what goes into our bodies.
We should become more intuitive and mindful eaters. Eating with all of the senses.
Exploration leads to culinary adventure and enlightenment.
- What sorts of foods and new ways of eating have you always wanted to try?
- What kinds of foods do you like to eat the most?
- What sorts of dietary ventures have you had negative experiences with?
- Have you tried a raw food diet or are you a raw foodist? What are your experiences like? What would you like to share?
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 2/25/2011 06:06:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Over the Top About Bibimbap
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 1/30/2011 02:40:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The World According to...Buttercream
|Classic buttercream icing
I dream, you dream, we all dream about buttercream!
I simply can't get enough of this stuff...on cakes, cupcakes, pettis fours, cookies, you name it, I love it!
This is the real creamy crack.
What can I say? Buttercream leads to sugar bliss! And any fan of buttercream knows they can have it in so many ways. That's THE icing on the cake!
What is buttercream, really? And what self-proclaimed sugar god or goddess decides what real buttercream is?
|My macarons w/ hazelnut butter buttercream
Hmmm, well historically boiled icings, which were some of the first icings, were used on yeast cakes. Yeast cakes were popular before the introduction of baking powder. Boiled icings were similar to today's royal icing and they consisted mainly of sugar and egg whites boiled together with added flavorings. The icings would harden on the cakes and create a sugary, candy-like coating, but around the very early part of the 20th century, buttercream icings began to appear in cake recipes, and over time, many cultures adapted their own versions of buttercream icing for their pastries.
Today, classic buttercream is known to contain a sweet, short, and simple list of ingredients: definitely sugar, almost always butter, possibly eggs, and sometimes milk or cream.
Various versions of buttercream icing are created by using a combination of these ingredients in a multitude of ways.
Let's go down a stellar and fascinating list, shall we?
- French Buttercream (aka pâte á bombe): This icing is made by making sugar syrup from boiled sugar and water and beating it into egg yolks until the mixture is very cooled, airy and creamy. Butter and any flavor extracts or oils are added to the creamed yolk batter to make the final result.
- German Buttercream (pastry cream-based) : This icing base uses pastry cream (same filling used for choux pastry desserts such as profiteroles, eclairs, and cream puffs) or other custards. Butter is beaten into the pastry cream along with any additional flavors to create the icing. Extra sugar can be added to make the icing even sweeter.
- Russian Buttercream: This is also a custard or pastry cream-based icing fused with soft butter, however it is further thickened with cornstarch or flour.
- Roux Buttercream (aka Heirloom Icing): This is a flour-based buttercream icing. It is made by cooking milk and flour together (roux) and then cooling the roux. A creamed combination of sugar and butter are then added to the roux to make a roux buttercream.
- French Meringue Buttercream: This is a meringue-based icing. Meringues icings are icings that incorporate egg whites. This icing is traditionally made by whipping egg whites, powdered sugar, and cream of tartar together to form a creamy meringue base. Butter and flavors are then beaten in to finalize the recipe. Some recipes call for the use of whole eggs.
- Italian Meringue Buttercream: Italian meringue buttercream is made by adding hot sugar syrup to beaten egg whites. The sugar syrup's heat cooks the egg whites, and the mixture is then beaten until it cools down to 100 degrees (Fahrenheit). Butter is then added for completion.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Swiss meringue is somewhat similar to Italian meringue, however, sugar (can be brown or white sugar) is cooked with egg whites on a double boiler (bain marie). The mixture is taken off the stove and whipped into stiff peaks. Butter and other flavors are then added to create a Swiss meringue buttercream.
- American Buttercream: American buttercream is also called classic or decorator's buttercream. It is one of the longest-lasting buttercreams, especially if shortening or margarine is used over butter. It's also the simplest to make and no cooking of the ingredients is required. It's made by mixing together butter and powdered sugar. Milk is often added to further cream the base, and buttermilk, cream, nut milks, coconut milk can be substitutes. Cornstarch is sometimes used to further stabilize the icing and in some cases, small amounts of whole eggs, egg yolks or egg whites are used to compliment the texture and taste. Some people still argue that American buttercream made with margarine, shortening or lard is not real buttercream.
- Buttercream Fondant (also called Rolled Buttercream): This icing is great for topping cookies and for creating decorations on top of cakes, as the icing can be shaped and cut with cookie cutters. It is sometimes also used to cover cakes as a tastier, albeit shinier, alternative to traditional fondant. It is made by combining a very large amount of powdered sugar with vegetable shortening, glucose or corn syrup, and any flavors, to create an "icing dough,"which can be molded and kneaded.
- Fruit-based Buttercream: This buttercreams is similar to classic or American buttercream and is sometimes best used as filling or spreads. The icing base is structured around a fruit juice, jam, puree, and the like. Fruit juice, butter, powdered sugar are creamed together to create a fruit buttercream with a strong fruit flavor. Jams, purees, and spreads give fruit buttercreams a fabulous texture. These are especially great used as filling in cake rolls.
Creamy Vanilla French Buttercream Icing1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup butter, cubed and cold (4 oz. / 1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- In a saucepan, pour in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar and bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes or until sugar syrup is reduced by half and thickens.
- Turn off heat for sugar syrup and set aside.
- In a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer, beat 4 egg yolks until they are blended well. Beat on medium speed.
- Add in 1 whole egg and continue to beat the eggs.
- Take the hot sugar syrup in the saucepan and slowly pour it into the eggs as they are beaten. Beat approximately 10 minutes until the eggs and syrup mixture is cooled, creamy, and light.
- Add in 1/2 cup of cubed, cold butter and continue to beat the buttercream into smoothness.
- Include 1 tsp. of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and blend into the buttercream icing.
- Use right away for cake, macarons, or cupcake icing or fillings. Store icing in the fridge if used for later. Also great for layers in sponge cake parfaits or trifles.
|Photo of buttercream icing from Baking Bits & Bobs
I, for one, am glad that buttercream fans have so many styles to choose from. Every person will come to have their favorite by trying different ones.
So, buttercream addicts, what's your favorite kind of buttercream?
Do you know of any other buttercreams that I haven't listened? I'd love to know!
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 1/22/2011 08:24:00 PM 2 gumball wishes Links to this post
Friday, January 14, 2011
7 Dessert Trends for 2011
|Allyson N. Jason ©
The is the hot topic right now.
I have my own predictions about what dessert trends will develop this year, and although some of these predictions might turn out to be wrong, it's still very fun to play Prediction Faery.
Let's take out my large, candy-colored, crystal, jawbreaker globe and talk about the sweetness of the near future.
|Doughnuts from Doughnut Plant
I am specifically thinking of gourmet, artisanal, and wedding doughnuts. We'll probably see doughnuts in many novel shapes such as squares. Doughnut Plant, a stylish and popular doughnut shop in New York is creating a lot of buzz with their delish and large square-shaped doughnuts.
In doughnuts, we'll also see new and innovative glazes and fillings (think of doughnuts that resemble macarons!) and doughnuts that feature original and toothsome flavor profiles.
The doughnut will be redressed and embellished. People will become more creative with these classic treats and rediscover their greatness. Wedding and event planners will have a lot of leverage here in helping to bring back the fame of doughnuts across the nation. For weddings, cake doughnuts will bring more versatility for decoration and flavors.
|Dessert Display by Amy Atlas
Dessert table pioneers like Amy Atlas have shown how brilliant these displays can be. Dessert tables are dream vessels for many artists to showcase their professional skills and talents in the culinary and event planning society. They are a gateway for connecting numerous people from different industries with one another.
Desserts tables command the help of event planners, bakers and cake-makers, graphic designers of many stripes (including arts-and-crafters), illustrators, confectioners, food photographers, specialty food ware shop owners, even food writers, and more. So much goes into planning and setting up a dessert table for any event and the level of creativity that can go into constructing them presents endless imagineering possibilities.
|photo by Cake Monkey Bakery
People love having something special made just for them in cute, little, custom, sugary packages.
Not everyone is always ready to buy an entire cake or a pie, so (big inhale) tartlets, macarons, cookies, cake balls, the ongoing fame of cupcakes, little muffins and teacakes, truffles, petits fours, puff pastry miniatures, chocolates, gourmet candies, parfait cups, and many more tiny delights will continue to present colossal appeal for the masses as they explore both old and new bakeshops while looking for their dessert fixes. (exhale).
|Photo from Cook Your Dream
People everywhere are starting to appreciate more quality ingredients in the foods they consume. More artisan dessert shops and bakeries, such as Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, are opening up across the nation and they're becoming both more affordable and accessible to many large metropolitan locations, which promise bigger target audiences and opportunities for businesses to catch on and grow. The strong growing support of fresh local ingredients chiefly contributes to this growing trend.
I, for one, hope that it's a trend to stay. High quality should never be a fad.
|Photo by Cannelle et Vanille
Artisanal, to me, means handcrafted and made with natural rather than processed ingredients. However, seasonal desserts are made when ncessary ingredients are in season.. This means the ingredients will be at their best in texture and flavor, thus giving desserts a higher quality in taste when they are served. This also means that specific desserts and flavors won't always be available year round and their prices will be cheaper and fresher when they are season.
These days, more bakeries are offering seasonal desserts and customers are more than happy to wait around for their favorites. Customers also enjoy the diversity and intrigue of seasonally-based menus. Menus in such shops are switched up often and seasonal desserts are appreciated even more when they are finally featured again.
I must mention that fruit jams, jellies, spreads, and dessert relishes are becoming popular as seasonal items that are preserved for year-round purchase from small food shops and housemade dessert sellers. Blogs such as Punk Domestics are showcasing just how starchy this trend in preserved seasonal foods is becoming. I could even give canning and preserves a category of its own as a dessert trend prediction, but I'll keep my list of predictions to lucky number 7!
|Chocolate fondue at The Melting Pot
I feel that in 2011, more people will have a desire to explore and seek out new dining experiences. Fondue bars and parlors offer patrons the ability to be super tasteers and entertain their palettes with mix-and-match flavor options..
This year is the best time to open up a fondue dessert bar or visit one in your local area, because the distinctive and fun dining style provided in most fondue places is catching on.
Fondue joints are not only known for providing places for people to uniquely socialize, they also provide a do-it-yourself eating experience for customers.
Usually diners in fondue restaurants are expected to cook their own foods at the table, but since we are discussing dessert, diners can expect to serve themselves from an array of fresh slices of fruits, pieces of chocolates, cubes of brioche breads, and various other sweet items such as marshmallows, with an assortment of stimulating dipping sauces. Menus are usually open and they vary from one fondue place to the next.
Popular sauces are caramel, chocolate, butterscotch, marshmallow cream, hot fruit glazes, and warm puddings, custards and creams. In fondue eateries, diners can be as creative and experimental as they wish to be with many possibilities of creating custom flavor combinations. Again, this is a tasteer's fantasy.
It might be hard to find a place in your neck of the woods that specializes in just fondue, but fondue restaurants such as The Melting Pot are giving people a chance to see what the fondue dining experience is all about.
|Pie from Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Shop
These are bakeries completely or mostly dedicated to serving pies and tarts -- bakeries such as Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie shop, located in Brooklyn, New York.
I like to call them "pieries" [PIE-uh-ries] or [PIE - rees]. Don't you just LOVE the way that word sounds? I do!
Some pieries serve pies based on seasonal ingredients, but most up-and-coming pie shops tend to be artisanal. This means that pies are handmade, served with fresh, quality ingredients and customers can either dine in and share a pie or large tart around a table in a gathering or order for take out or special events such as weddings and parties. Event planners are hearing more about weddings that request themed tarts and pies, rather than cake or cupcakes, as the dessert focus.
Well, my fellow sugar adventurers, this spells the end of my predictions for 2011 dessert trends. I based on my predictions on intuition, paying attention to what seems popular in the food and dining industry, lately, and on what I feel would be cool to see more of in this promising new year.
So, what do YOU think?
Do you have any dessert trend predictions for the New Year?
If so, do tell!
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 1/14/2011 06:35:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Friday, January 7, 2011
Baking Adventure 20: Old-fashioned Glazed Buttermilk Doughnuts
|Glazed Buttermilk Doughnuts!
First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
I hope everyone's year is getting off to a good start, as mine surely is.
It's been awhile since I've posted an update to my food blog. A lot has happened since my last entry in early December and I am feeling recharged and rejuvenated for 2011. There are lots of foods I'll be exploring, learning, and sharing, so I hope you guys are ready to continue this journey with me. :)
Although not technically a BAKING adventure, I finally got around to making doughnuts!
I love doughnuts, have always wanted to make them from scratch, and these days, it's hard to find a really good doughnut in most bakeries. Buttermilk doughnuts have always been my favorite amongst the vast assortment of doughnut types.
Doughnuts are as iconic as cupcakes, but the popularity of doughnuts has died down a bit in the last few years. Before the cupcake craze in North America, there was the doughnut craze, thanks to the influence of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and various other doughnut chains. Although Krispy Kreme was established in 1937 and doughnuts have long been enjoyed by so many, widespread and rabid consumption of doughnuts began in the late 1990s and peaked in the early 2000s.
There are a bunch of ways to prepare and make doughnuts, and many cultures have their own spin on doughnut-making techniques and doughnut flavors.
Cake doughnuts and yeast dough doughnuts are the two prominent categories of doughnut types. Cake doughnuts can be fried or baked, but traditionally doughnuts have been fried for the best of taste and texture. I personally enjoy fried doughnuts over baked, and yeast dough doughnuts over specialized cake batter doughnuts (although beignets in the U.S, which are French New Orleans doughnuts, are traditionally made from choux pastry dough like éclairs).
What Do You Know?: Canadians consume the most doughnuts and have the most doughnut shops and bakeries per capita, compared to other regions globally.Doughnuts can be made with honey, various fruits, custard, and cream fillings, buttermilk, butter, shortening (animal or vegetable), maple syrup, brown sugar, and so on. The list seems endless.
Doughnuts also come in a variety of shapes but the most common and traditional shapes are:
- rings (the most classic shape of all, round with a hole in the middle)
- twists (think of crullers; ring-shaped doughnuts made from twisted dough)
- rectangular bars (these resemble flattened éclairs and are sometimes called Long Johns)
- rounded squares (with or without holes)
- round, flattened spheres (usually made to inject with different fillings)
- knots or bits (usually doughnut holes removed from the middle of ring-shaped doughnuts)
So let's start talking about my adventure in making glazed buttermilk doughnuts.
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 1/07/2011 05:11:00 PM 2 gumball wishes Links to this post
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A Look Into Cupcake Camp LA 2010
|The closeup shot of the Cupcake Camp LA poster!
I finally attended my first local food event. Well not literally, but I mean in an industry-related sense -- an event totally related to food and for dessert lovers of the cupcake stripe.
There are so many food events going on annually but I haven't been able to afford some of them because many are out of state and even out of the country! The long distance of these events raises the financial investment of going where I'd be concerned about not only cost of admission, but hotel stay and airfare pricing. However, I am lucky in that Los Angeles, a food city in its own right, has so much going on food-wise.
Many of you have probably heard of Cupcake Camp, started by Ariel Waldman, Lynn, Marianne Masculino, and Cindy Li. The original and first Cupcake Camp started in San Francisco in 2009 (hard to believe it wasn't that long ago!). Since then, there are over 40 different locations that host Cupcake Camp events annually. Some of those hosting locations are even beyond North America.
Los Angeles finally had its first Cupcake Camp, produced by Bakespace.com and spearheaded by Babette Pepaj. I decided I was going to attend and I bought a VIP ticket through a club discount. I figured why not buy the best admission to get in and show my support for the sponsors and charities that helped make the event possible since it's charity-driven.
Music Box.
The sponsors and charities at the event were:
- Bakespace.com
- Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
- Invisible People
- Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue
- American Tortoise Rescue
- Wilton
- Groupon
- HINT (their drinks were served at the second floor bar for free, of course!)
- Jelly Belly
It was my first time going there, so I was excited about that, too. Just a few nights before, Blonde Redhead (a band I adore) was playing.
Although I know my way around LA reasonably well in various parts and I'm a native, sometimes I get tripped up with directions if I am looking out for a particular venue. As a result, my drive to the Music Box was kind of an adventure, driving all around West LA, and taking a sightseeing drive toward Hollywood. One I enjoyed and needed.
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 12/01/2010 04:26:00 PM 1 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: culinary travel, cupcakes, events
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Fitness and the Foodie
"Never trust a skinny chef."
I've heard this phrase a thousand times and up until recently, didn't give it much thought. I think it's a cute and amusing phrase (still) that simply implies that the best cooks, chefs, and/or bakers are those who LOVE food so much that there's no way they could be skinny. They need to bring this zealous, culinary spirit into the kitchen when preparing foods so that flavors pop and perform, smells intoxicate and arouse, and the profound presentation of plates dramatically kidnap breath from many throats that can barely muster "ahhhh!"
Basically, the phrase says skinny chefs are those who restrain themselves far too much to enjoy and make good food.
Let's be honest. There's some truth to that, but it's not completely true.
I do believe that foodies are people who naturally and avidly enjoy all things food and drink, even given each of our various approaches and distinctive leanings toward particular cuisines and flavors, and our specific areas of focus in the realm of food mania. It's hard to be a strict disciplinarian with one's waistline when there's so much love going on here.
The love of food naturally spells out passion. That's obvious. Foodies don't just eat to function and to satisfy hunger. And, we often know that passion, in any form, should be unbridled and uninhibited. At least, that's what most of us think about passion when pondering over the nature of it. Passion is not passion unless it's intense, deep, and obsessive...and free.
Passion, like anything else that's exhilarating, can become warped and darkly baroque and lead to irresponsibility and addiction. There always has to be a checks and balances on most things, right? I shall say that food is certainly no area exempt from this supposition.
So, when it comes to the phrase "never trust a skinny chef," I think some foodies do realize that unchecked passion with food can lead to bad health over time. The body has its limits and we each should know our own. Every person is different.
HAES (Health at Every Size). This acronym means that what is healthy for one person weight-wise might not be so healthy for another and that intuitive eating is the best way to achieve and maintain good health. The goal should not be to become skinny, but simply healthy, and a person can be healthy with extra weight given their unique body dynamics and limitations. This is fact.
It's only been recent that North America's body ideals have related to being at the lowest end possible of BMI. And let's face it, that BMI system itself is not so accurate for some. I'm one of those people.
So some bona fide foodies can indeed be "skinny." I think some people either have very fast metabolisms (although most people are average this way) or they find ways to incorporate a good degree of physical activity and balance in their eating into their lives to where they work off any excess weight, whatever the motivations are behind their actions. They allow themselves to eat whatever they want, but in moderation and sometimes perhaps with substitutions.
I do think that women in the food industry are under even more pressure than average to remain visually appealing, conventionally, and still exude this orgasmic attitude about food. Food is everywhere in the food biz, so there's more to watch out for if one doesn't want to fall out of popularity, given what they are known for.
Over time, as I've observed some of the most conventionally attractive celebrity chefs on Food Network and The Cooking Channel, I've seen there have been periods where they were a bit pudgier or heavier. Giada De Laurentiis' weight can fluctuate at times, I've noticed. She is very petite but she's been chunkier during certain seasons of her shows. This wasn't just when she was pregnant. The woman enjoys food and if she didn't work out to maintain her weight, I can easily seeing her being naturally chubby. In my book, she'd certainly still be cute as I am not at all fat-phobic like I used to be and as the average person tends to be, but I know viewers would give her tons of criticism for "letting herself go."
Some others chefs have even been criticized for their weight gain (Nigella Lawson comes to mind), but I notice that in this industry there's still a bit more acceptance towards plus-sized bodies than in others, overall.
To name a few...
- Guy Fieri
- Sunny Anderson
- Anne Burrell
- Ina Garten
- Paula Deen
- Emeril Lagasse
- Nigella Lawson
- Jeffrey Steingarten
- Mario Batali
- Rachael Ray (her weight fluctuates)
- Alex Guarnaschelli
The reality and what viewers must realize is chefs and food hosts aren't on their shows showing America how to cook and how to masturbate at the same time. It's not meant to be any porn but food porn.
Also, who wants to see someone completely anorexic-looking cooking? Not me. You know that just doesn't look and seem right. I understand we want people to look somewhat attractive while they cook, even if that for some people means thinner, but seriously, these food channels aren't substitutes for the Playboy channel so I often find it incredibly ridiculous when certain food celebs are put down for any weight gain or any change in their physical appearance. It's often female hosts, too.
But, all foodies aren't commercial chefs and there are such people as fat chefs, cooks, and bakers who make magic in the kitchen and manage to hold their own very well.
I hear that bakers tend to be less lean than their savory cook counterparts. Not sure why this is or if this is really true. In some bakeries, activity can be quite hectic, especially if there are long lines and lots of little tasks to do with a multitude of pastries and desserts. I think some people might think that because baking is more exact in nature than cooking, standing for a longer time concentrating on the precision of design or a technique is far more common than in a savory kitchen. Point taken.
Recently, I've gotten back into a daily gym schedule because as I bake often, I know that being around so much decadence is tempting. I have such a high tolerance for sweets and if I don't control myself, that passion turns topsy-turvy and like any good carousel ride, it's fun for the time being and you want to come back intermittently for the thrill, but you never want to stay on forever nonstop or find yourself strapped down on a candy-colored faux horse as the carousel moves into surreal warp speed until you are violently sick and put out commission completely.
OK...that was rather disturbing...
Well, anyway, what are your thoughts on the phrase: "Never Trust a Skinny Chef"?
Do you feel it has truth or merit?
Are you a foodie or a cook in any manner and if so, how do you personally relate to this phrase?
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 10/17/2010 01:13:00 AM 3 gumball wishes Links to this post
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Slow Roast Break
|What a wonderful idea for a cake...
There are some family issues that I must tend to among other a few other things. While I am on break, I will certainly be planning more entries and future activities for this blog such as:
- more documented baking adventures (I have lots of recipes in mind, also feel free to send me any ideas)
- some cooking adventures (savory foods which you haven't seen here yet)
- changes in layout and a possible move to Wordpress format
- new site title and logo design (have a couple of names in mind)
- creative, food-related info session and random thoughts entries
- updates and reviews (ingredients, bakeries)
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 10/06/2010 01:42:00 PM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: updates and notices
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Paperless Literary World
|Digital print: Completely replacing traditional publishing?
It's hard enough to keep track of the lightning fast changes happening in digital technology every minute, especially in the realm of publishing.
In the last few years, more print magazines have either folded entirely or gone totally digital...or they continue to fund both digital and hard print format if they and their sponsors can continue to afford it and evolve with changing dynamics in their core audiences.
Gourmet Magazine comes to mind. Gourmet's print magazine was taken off the market by Conde Nast at the end of last year. Why did they fold? Rumor has it that they just could not compete well with a changing audience that reflected recent economic changes and with increasing digital print publishing demands. They simply became out of sync and a lot of their advertising support was also tied into newspaper publications, which were also going out of print.
I recently discovered that there is going to be a digital app called "Gourmet Live" for the now defunct print magazine. The application will be available for iPad and other mobile gadgets. These app will allow users to download digital content, view videos, read articles, browse menus, and look at tons of photos. So it seems that digital apps are another new tangent that magazines, both current and former, are looking into to transition from or broaden to hard print to soft.
So what do my purchasing trends reveal? Well let's just say I have such a huge collection of food and dessert magazines that it's mind-boggling. Stacks of magazines and books dominant a great deal of my closet space and book shelves. I especially love collecting special editions of select food and dessert magazines whenever they are released. I find them to be visual and text-laden treats to gawk at, study, savor, and share with others when I am out of the house and about. I also appreciate the combined technical skills, layout and editing artistry, and literary contributions that go into developing a print magazine. The process behind this creative mosaic of expressed efforts should not become a lost art. So, my purchasing power also reflects a personal desire to support.
One of the magazines I read is Desserts magazine, which is exclusively an online publication. It's a fascinating and very informative magazine with tons of eye candy featuring dessert trends and recipes from all over the world, but I wouldn't mind an actual hard print copy of each edition or certain ones that I've greatly enjoyed in particular.
Making it so that hard print versions are available for purchase is great for building a physical collection of magazines to thumb through anytime I want without having to log onto the computer.
With that said, of course there certainly are benefits to being paperless, too. No byproducts or waste, no clutter or ever-growing stacks of magazines taking up space in one's house or apartment, and magazines basically are non-destructible when they are in a virtual/digital format. You can get unlimited copies from an original soft copy source.
So, what do you think?
Do you prefer to read your culinary magazines or books on a Kindle, iPad or any other eReader?
Would you ever go out and buy any of those new apps for your mobile toy?
How do you feel about the changes that the publishing industry is going through? Should all reading eventually become paperless?
Posted by The Asymptotic Faery at 9/28/2010 07:01:00 AM 0 gumball wishes Links to this post
Tags: information highway, pondering
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Share your LEGO creations, free!
Sign in
LEGO models my own creation MOCpages toys shop UNSC Midsummer NightHalo
Welcome to the world's greatest LEGO fan community!
Explore cool creations, share your own, and
have lots of fun
It's all free!
UNSC Midsummer Night
out of 5
Change your rating
Add a comment
Zoom in
The UNSC Midsummer Night (Hull Classification Symbol FFG-209) was a United Nations Space Command Light Frigate. Prior to his promotion to Captain in 2552, Lieutenant Jacob Keyes served aboard this frigate and later transferred to the UNSC Iroquois, a UNSC destroyer.In 2535 the Midsummer Night was equipped with stealth ability by ONI, in exchange for help with a special mission. The frigate had it rough from the start. During her shakedown mission of enforcing the Cole Protocol on civilian ships, some of her complement ODST's were caught in an Insurrectionist trap that resulted in over 20 Killed-in-Action and approximately a dozen Wounded-in-Action. From there, she gave support to ONI operatives on Charybdis IX that were trying to root out the source of the illegal trading of plasma weapons. A UNSC Pelican pilot attached to the Night, named Jeffries, lost his life to rebel rockets during this engagement. Midsummer Night then followed an Insurrectionist ship to a structure known as the Rubble. The ship attempted to stealth its way through the Insurrectionist structure. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Badia Campbell, one of the bridge officers, was an Insurrectionist sympathizer, who wounded several officers and fatally wounded Commander Zheng before being stopped by Lieutenant Keyes. She then committed suicide with her own weapon. Before she died, Campbell sabotaged the ship and alerted the Rubble to the ship's presence. The Midsummer Night was then forcefully commandeered by the rebels. It is unknown how many marines and personnel died in this engagement. The rebels presumably repaired it as it was in working condition later. Later, the ship would be taken back by Lt. Jacob Keyes with the help of the Rubble AI, Juliana, who saw the UNSC presence as the only way to save the citizens under her charge. Keyes and the surviving bridge crew would then use the ship to deploy Gray Team and its ODSTs onto the Covenant city of Redoubt and its two nearby AA guns in order to open the city to a bombardment. Several ODSTs died in the attempt, but the mission was a success.From there on out, the ship was used to guard the habitat Exodus while it fled to the relative safety of UNSC controlled space. The ship was damaged in the effort but was able to make it back and receive repairs. - Halopedia
About this creation
Probably My best MOC EVER.
I don't want to describe each picture, so I'll only explain the really neat parts of this ship. Which is everything.
Changes from the last WIP shot:
-Light bluish gray battle stripe down the back has been changed to dark bluish gray.
-"Jaws" in front lenghthened
-Right engine finished
-Various other minor adjustments
Different pictures...
What are those two arrows for? Scroll down to find out! ( But look at the other pictures too )
Other shots
Front. Can you tell what the cool thing is yet? (Look very closely)
That's right people, the first Halo frigate on MOCpages with a SHOOTING MAC gun! ( LEGO (R) blunt shooter)
Press here...
Whoops, forgot this bridge shot.
If you would like more pictures please ask, hope you liked it and please RATE AND COMMENT
Add a comment
nathan Yauck
November 3, 2012
I CAN'T BELIVE IT!!!!! this is the best! here are the reasons: 1) shooting MAC gun 2) perfect, flawless design 3) perfect pictures (is someone in your family a photographer?) 4)VERY asthetically pleasing to the eye. I COULD go on all day, but then you'd get BORED TO HECK. between 1 and 5, its a five and a half. (i've read the book many times) (the book is called the cole protocol, for those that do not know)
I like it
Andrew Gagnon
February 23, 2012
This is jaw dropping work.. dud if you could email me at email@example.com, Id love to use a coupl of your pics and animate your ship as part of a fun movie.. Here is an example fo what I have done.. I wo0udl give you full page credits at end of film for any contribution you okayed!
I like it
343 guilty spark
February 2, 2012
I like it
Ben Indy
September 8, 2011
Awesome MAC gun! I've read that book 3 times now.
Mandalore The Ultimate
April 18, 2011
Dude I love this! Integrating the shooter into the MAC cannon was definitely a good idea. I'm almost finished with my own frigate, the Savannah :)
I like it
Andrew Curteman
March 14, 2011
This is fantastic!! great moc! I absolutely LOVE The MAC round action. if you get a chance, take a look at my WIP Frigate
I like it
The Gold Baron
March 4, 2011
Oh cool! It's neat that you added the front missile to the ship, over all very good.
I like it
Deus The Risen
January 23, 2011
As a moderator of the TFOL Private Club group, I am giving you a warning; if you will not be active in the next two weeks you will be kicked out of the group without further warnings. Do not do it in a perfunctory manner or you will be kicked out.
I like it
Frank Yariman
January 22, 2011
Pretty awesome job, just add some snot'ing over the armor panels in the back and this thing is perfect.
I like it
James Dell
January 4, 2011
Awesome! I like the fact that you made the MAC shoot something.
I like it
jason D.
December 31, 2010
WOOOAH!!! That puts my new mini frigate to shame!(yet to be posted)
I like it
Darren D.
December 23, 2010
Very nice, you've caught the main body shape just about right. My only question is in regard the the bottom of the Frigate, where Scorpions and Wathogs are dropped off during the Halo 3 Level "The Ark". That area in my opinion is too thin and needs to be a bit more wider. Other than that this Frigate is one of the better attempts over the pages. Good Job.
I like it
aabbee 150
December 15, 2010
this thing is more than amazing
I like it
Dominick Sinclair
December 2, 2010
Amazing job here. I can't believe that no one figured out how to make a firing MAC cannon! Cool use of that sticker from, oh what was it? I forgot. Anyway, great job on size here and use of the pistol on the bridge!
I like it
Wolf96 .
November 25, 2010
Very nice I love the detail in this. I also loved The "Cole Protocole".
I like it
El Barto !
November 24, 2010
Cool ship!
I like it
Green Man
November 24, 2010
Wow, if Kelso thinks this is awesome, you know you've done a good job. 5/5! ~Stay green
I like it
Mark Kelso
November 24, 2010
Nice job on the proportions and form with this one.
I like it
David .
November 23, 2010
Nice work!
I like it
Galaxy of Unitronus
November 23, 2010
Very nice sleek shaped ship.
I like it
Metal Matt
November 21, 2010
Very cool. Nicely detailed. I like the size. Good job
I like it
jakub Neumann
November 21, 2010
please instructions
I like it
Ryan Smith
November 21, 2010
gool frigate nice job!!!!!
I like it
Deus The Risen
November 21, 2010
WHOA ship!
I like it
Flare .
November 21, 2010
Nice mini!
I like it
christian boaz
November 21, 2010
Very nice frigate! Impressive!
I like it
Eric Mickle
November 21, 2010
This ship is great even packed full of play things. I would have liked to have seen an openable hanger but ok. >Eric
I like it
Perry B.
November 20, 2010
Wow, this is a really nice frigate. It's one of the best, if not the best, frigates I've seen around here on MOCpages!
I like it
Cody G
November 20, 2010
Excellent work! I'm currently reading the Cole Protocol book, so this really sparked my interest.
I like it
Max Kester
November 20, 2010
Wow this is amazing! Did you join the UNSC Navy group that i invited you to? this would make a great addition!
Noah .
to my
favorite builders
people like this.
See who
6,927 visitors
30 comments
November 20, 2010
Halo (20)
More from Noah
Lord of the Rings
Siblings Things
Star Wars
UNSC Navy
Old Stuff
Girlfriend's Stuff
Halo Wars
MOC Oympics
Contest Entries
More across MOCpages
ODST-Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (56)
the spanish trampoline! (9426)
United Nations Space Command Navy (9)
LEGO models my own creation MOCpages toys shop UNSC Midsummer NightHalo
Your home page
LEGO creations
Favorite builders
About MOCpages
MOCpages is an unofficial, fan-created website. LEGO® and the brick configuration are property of
The LEGO Group
, which does not sponsor, own, or endorse this site.
©2002-2019 Sean Kenney Design Inc |
Privacy policy
Terms of use

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What is an MSDS and why should you care?
Chemical Safety and MSDS sheets
I have been working in a laboratory environment for the last 15 years, and in my experience, staff become very complacent with the rules and regulations regarding basic safety when working with the same chemicals over and over again. When you work with dangerous chemicals on a regular basis, you begin to think that you know exactly how to handle them. That is not always the case. There are chemicals in every work environment that all staff members should be aware of. The federal agency OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) provides rules, regulations, and directives that governs the use of chemicals in the workplace. They mandate that employees are trained and familiar with potential hazards. This is called the "Right to Know Law". If you seriously think about it, there is no way the every staff member can remember all of the properties for each dangerous chemical in their environment.
Some workplaces can have upwards of 100 chemicals present at any given time. That is why the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) is so important to understand. One of the rules that OSHA mandates, is the availability of the MSDS to all staff members at all times. This means that any harmful chemical you work with should have an information sheet available to you at all times, and you should know where they are. This Hub is being written to help you understand what an MSDS is and how to read the information provided there.
Each section of the MSDS gives different information, and each section is important to be able to completely understand the issues that may arise during the normal work day. Though MSDS's can vary greatly in their setup, they all contain the same basic information. So let's review the MSDS one section at a time!
Product Information/Substance Identification
This section holds information regarding the chemical and its molecular properties. It generally provides you with the molecular formula and molecular weight of the chemical, which to many employees will mean very little, but it also provides a list of common trade names and synonyms. Why is this helpful? Well often times, a chemical may be known one way by the employee (ie. formalin), but listed another way on the MSDS (ie. formaldehyde). In the event of a chemical spill or fire, the employee accessing the MSDS may need to utilize this section to help them make sure they have the right information.
Composition and Ingredients
Not all chemicals are created equal. Many toxic substances are combinations or mixtures of other dangerous chemicals. To identify all of the hazards present in a mixture, the MSDS sheet breaks the information down in this section. For example: Formalin is often made up of formaldehyde, water, and methanol. When separated these substances have different properties than they do mixed together. In certain situations, it is important to know all of the hazards that may be present in a given chemical.
Physical and Chemical Properties
One of the most important aspects of workplace safety is the prevention of accidents with chemicals. By reviewing the physical and chemical properties of a chemical, staff members can work with the chemical in a much safer manner and prevent larger problems from arising later. In this section the MSDS will describe what the chemical looks and smells like. It will also describe temperatures at which the chemical will boil (boiling point) and ignite (flash point). This is obviously important information if the workplace environment also utilizes open flames or other heat sources in their daily activities.
This section also contains information regarding solubility, specific gravity, vapor pressure, and pH. All of this information can give staff members a better idea of how to safely use the chemical in daily operations. No one person can possibly remember all of this data for every chemical used, and I don't believe that regulating agencies expect that. What they do expect, is that employees are trained in the use of chemicals before beginning to work with them. For example, Joe starts a job and is expected to use 4 different hazardous materials during a normal day. During his orientation the hazards of each chemical should be described to him in terms he can understand. "This chemical can't used or stored near sparks or fire" or "This chemical can explode if it comes into contact with water". He should be provided a copy of the MSDS to look over for more information, but training an employee should not consist only of handing him the MSDS and saying "Read it". Many of the terms and much of the information provided in an MSDS is technical wording that will provide no benefit to the staff member.
OSHA website: Here is where you can find the actual regulations, but be warned, they can often be very difficult to interpret in relation to specific industrie
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration - OSHA HOME PAGE
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Home Page
Fire and Explosion Data
While the previous section discusses specific properties of the chemical that are important to fire prevention, this section deals with information regarding what to do in the event of a real fire. Some information that may be included here are:
1) Fire fighting media - not all chemical fires should be handled the same way. Some are better handled with water while others with dry agents.
2) Whether toxic fumes may be given off when the chemical burns.
3) What other precautions may need to be taken before the fire department can arrive such as turning off electricity, shutting down gas valves, or air handling information.
4) Personal protective equipment necessary when dealing with the fire.
YouTube Video of Detriot Chemical Fire in 2007
Compatibility and Reactivity Data
Many chemicals are incompatible with other chemicals. If stored together or used in close proximity, the hazardous situation is amplified tremendously. This section of the MSDS is very important when many chemicals are stored or used within the same work environment. One example would be sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide. Each of these chemicals are hazardous in their own right, but when they come into contact with each other they can react and cause an extreme amount of damage depending on the concentration and amount present.
Another factor to consider when looking at compatibility and reactivity of different chemicals is storage. If a chemical listed on the MSDS as being very corrosive to certain metals, it should not be stored in a container constructed out of those metals. Seems obvious, right? Well, it is, but only if someone took the time to read the MSDS sheet and gather that information beforehand.
Toxic Properties/Health Hazards
Chemicals can be toxic to the body in many different ways. There will always be a section in the MSDS that explains the different health effects and first aid procedures necessary if a person is exposed to the chemical. Exposure can occur in five main ways:
Eye Contact
Skin Contact
Depending on the route of exposure, concentration of chemical, and duration of exposure, chemicals can have different effects on the body. Using formaldehyde as an example, skin exposure for short duration may only cause irritation and rash, but at a high concentration or for a long period of time, it may cause blistering. Inhalation of formaldehyde for a brief period of time may only result in difficulty breathing, but over the long term, it may result in organ failure, sterility, and death.
Preventative Measures and Personal Protective Equipment
There is usually a section within the MSDS designated for information related to preventing exposure and accidents. This section will relay information on proper storage and handling of the chemical, as well as what personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn when working with it. In certain instances, engineering controls may also be mentioned here. If a chemical needs to be handled in a chemical fume hood, or in a room with a certain type of air handling system, this is generally where you will find that information.
Spill or Release Procedures
The methods and materials used to clean up a chemical spill/release largely depends upon the size of the spill. Small spills can usually be safely cleaned up by staff members who have been appropriately trained to handle the chemical. In the case of extremely large spills, it is often necessary to call in an internal safety advisor or an outside contracting agency. Local fire departments often have personnel specifically trained to deal with hazardous spills called a Hazmat Team. This section of the MSDS sheet can be extremely useful to both the internal staff and any outside personnel helping with clean up procedures.
Chemical Waste Disposal
After a chemical is used, the waste generated needs to be discarded. The MSDS will give some general guidelines regarding waste removal, but most often it will just state that one should follow local, state, and federal regulations. The reason for this is because the regulations regarding hazardous waste disposal differs greatly depending on location. The best way to get the most up to date information for disposal of your waste would be to call your local environmental quality office for guidance.
It is important to remember when working with chemicals that accident prevention is key, but if a chemical incident occurs safety should be your top priority. MSDS sheets are designed to help in both of these key areas.
Do you know where your Material Safety Data Sheets are located at your job?
Training guides available for Hazmat
Great analysis of MSDS. It is amazing that many people working with chemicals fail to use the right PPE and industrial products designed for safety when the MSDS clearly lists which body parts are affected by exposure. Hopefully, a little bit of education will go a long way to fixing that situation.
OK. All this while I was thinking only we engineers know about MSDS. In fact MSDS is of atmost importance in any industry where chemicals are used, medical, engineering, petro-chemicals .....