Vinegar to Zuchinni – A to Z Foods

The final entries in the challenge are here, all grouped together. It’s been a consistent challenge this time and I have improved my photographic eye once again (even if not all of the pictures were mine).

Letters V – Z:

Vinegar (mine)
Wheat Bread (mine)Xigua (Watermelon)
Yogurt
Zucchini (mine)

A to Z Challenge 2016

Quandong to Udon – A to Z Foods

In order to catch up on this challenge, I’m just going to combine the letters Q – U in one post. I’m quite tired of it anyway so this will make things quicker.

Here are some foods that you may not have heard of, originating in certain parts of the world:

 Quandong – a sweet tasting fruit native to Australia. Usually found in the deserts.

Rutabaga – a cross between a cabbage and a turnip.

Snickers – what you eat when you’re hungry. Of course, everyone knows what this is.

Tarragon – a species of perennial herbs found wildly around Europe and North America.  It has uses in culinary and medicine around the world.

Udon – a fancy Japanese noodle, great for making soups like these.

A to Z Challenge 2016

Peanut Butter – A to Z Challenge

A to Z Challenge 2016

Oranges – A to Z Foods

Oranges are bountiful and plenty. Never underestimate the power of the orange. You will be bombarded with a rush of citrus. The orange army rules. That sweet smell you get after peeling an orange. That is gold. I’ve already used this picture before and I like it so much that I’ll use it again. Because there is a truck ton of oranges there. I could eat oranges all day. I love oranges.

A to Z Challenge 2016

Nabisco – A to Z Foods

Nabisco is a company that has been around since 1898. They produce all kinds of snack foods. One of my favorite foods from them is Nutter Butter, just because I fricking love peanut butter. Taking one half off the cookie and licking the peanut butter off is always a wonderful experience.

Other snack foods from Nabisco (some of these I have never heard of):

100 Calorie Packs

Bacon Dippers

 

Chips Ahoy!

Club Social

Corn Diggers

Doo Dads

Fig Newtons

 

Honey Maid

In A Biskit

 

Mallomars

Mister Salty Pretzels

Nabisco Classics

Nutter Butter

Nilla

Orchard Crisps

Oreo

Oreo Cakesters

Potato Chipsters

 

Rice Thins

Ritz Crackers

Sportz

Teddy Grahams

Triscuit

Wheat Squares

Wheat Thins

Zu Zu Ginger Snaps

A to Z Challenge 2016

 

Mocha – A to Z Foods

Continuing on with my theme of food (and drink), here is a picture of a mocha latte I created today. It was made from an instant cafe mocha mix that only required some hot water mixed in. I left it sitting on the counter then until it went cold, proceeding to drink it very quickly while I drummed up this latest post.

I’m not a huge fan of coffee, as I’ve stated before on this blog, but a nice mocha latte with cream in it is something I find delicious. If I had any artistic abilities in coffee making, there would be a picture of something swirled into the coffee cup, like that of below:

The drink is named after Mocha, a port on the Red Sea, where coffee and leather (both called mocha) were first shipped.

Lemons – A to Z Challenge

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

When life gives you lemon cars, avoid them like the plague

We’ve all heard about them. We’ve seen and owned some of them. Lemon cars. Cars that you buy and have great expectations for, but are soon found to be defective not long after.

Lemon cars are great pitfalls in the design of automobiles but can be seen as the precursor to the standardization of most cars today. What was once a lemon then is probably a breathy mint now.

I’ve witnessed some lemon cars in my lifetime, mainly as a spectator to my parents’ troubles. From the defective rear bumper of a Ford Taurus to an old Oldsmobile that always leaked water.

Some lemon cars from 1899 to the present:

1899 Horsey Horseless – tried to hold onto the past, at least half of it

1909 Ford Model T

1911 Overland OctoAuto – two many wheels

1913 Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo

1920 Briggs and Stratton Flyer

1933 Fuller Dymaxion – the aluminum “fish” car

1949 Crosley Hotshot

1957 King Midget Model III

1958 Lotus Elite

1961 Amphicar

Peel Trident

1966 Peel Trident – what the Jetsons would drive

1970 AMC Gremlin

1970 Triumph Stag

1971 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron Two-Door Hardtop

1971 Ford Pinto

1974 Jaguar XK-E V12 Series III

1975 Bricklin SV1 – The Lego car

1975 Morgan Plus 8 Propane – a car that Hank Hill would be proud of

1976 Aston Martin Lagonda

1980 Corvette 305 “California”

1981 De Lorean DMC-12 – one of the most iconic cars in movies, otherwise it is junk

1982 Camaro Iron Duke

1984 Maserati Biturbo

1985 Yugo GV

1986 Lamborghini LM002

2000 Ford Excursion

2001 Pontiac Aztek – Walter White

2003 Hummer H2 – all muscle on the outside, no value on the inside

2004 Chevy SSR – I remember the funny commercials for this

2006 Subaru Outback

2007 Pontiac Solstice

2015 Cadillac XTS

A to Z Challenge 2016

Kosher – A to Z Challenge

A to Z Challenge 2016

Julienne – A to Z Foods

 

To julienne something is to cut the food into small thin strips. This is commonly used for salads and items to be stir fried or sauteed. Celery, carrots, and potatoes are commonly cut this way.

The julienned carrots are the finest things for any culinary student to learn. The wonderful rhythm of the blade cutting through the hard vegetables, the smooth slicing sound. This way of preparing food is one of the steps to giving a meal outstanding value and presentation. Of course, a vegetable peeler is a more easier way to achieve this effect.

A to Z Challenge 2016

Ichiban – A to Z Foods

Ichiban Steakhouse is a chain of restaurants located throughout the United States, serving sushi and Japanese cuisine. I’ve never been there but can tell it is more authentic than most Japanese/Chinese restaurants I’ve been to. The outside may look like an average plaza chain restaurant, but the decor inside is truly derived from Japanese culture.

This high rise flaming method of cooking food is one of the things you’ll see at most Ichiban’s. People can watch professional Japanese chefs like this cook the food out in the dining room. Just don’t get too close to the flame.

Ichiban means “number one” in Japanese, so the owners of this chain, or at least the individual owners, are claiming that their cuisine is the greatest. What’s wrong with being confident?

A to Z Challenge 2016