Category: Food

Posted on

If You’ve Worked in a Restaurant, These Tweets Will Look Painfully Familiar

I’ve spent some working in restaurants. I worked at a taco place in high school, a wing and sandwich place in college, and I worked on a food truck for a number of years. It was a blast…most of the time.

But there are a lot of funny quirks about working in the service industry that can drive you nuts, especially bad customers.

If you’ve been there, these tweets might look very familiar.

1. Don’t pay attention to what you should ACTUALLY do.

Photo Credit: Twitter

2. Seems reasonable.

Photo Credit: Twitter

3. Rock star chefs are everywhere.

Photo Credit: Twitter

4. Only have two arms.

Photo Credit: Twitter

5. Don’t ruin it for everyone.

Photo Credit: Twitter

6. Might take all night.

Photo Credit: Twitter

7. Never a good thing to hear.

Photo Credit: Twitter

8. I want it all.

Photo Credit: Twitter

9. Ain’t that the truth?

Photo Credit: Twitter

10. Them’s the rules.

Photo Credit: Twitter

11. Happens all the time.

Photo Credit: Twitter

12. The answer is “maybe never.”

Photo Credit: Twitter

13. Back to the two arms thing again.

Photo Credit: Twitter

14. It’s all for fun!

Photo Credit: Twitter

15. Sad, but very true.

Photo Credit: Twitter

That brought back a lot of beautiful, and painful, memories for me…

The post If You’ve Worked in a Restaurant, These Tweets Will Look Painfully Familiar appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A Company Is Making “Meat” out of Air

The idea behind making food from air comes from NASA, who wondered during the early days of space slight whether they could take exhaled carbon dioxide and turn it into food that could sustain astronauts during a long voyage.

It never quite became a reality in space, but now a California-based company is revamping the principle to produce animal-free meat products.

If it worked, the sustainable form of meat could help address issues like feeding a constantly growing population and the strain on farming resources, not to mention the treatment of animals raised for slaughter and the negative effects on the environment. Plus, pulling CO2 out of the air could potentially be beneficial in fighting climate change.

Enter Air Protein, a probiotic production process that converts carbon dioxide into a protein substance using microbes. The “protein substance” has the same amino acid profile as an animal protein.

The microbes, called hydrogenotrophs, grow inside fermentation tanks. They eat carbon dioxide, water and other nutrients and produce a brown-colored “flour” that is 80% protein and has a “neutral” taste. It can then be blended with other ingredients to create meat substitutes.

CEO Lisa Dyson is excited about the potential.

“The statistics are clear. Our current resources are under extreme strain as evidenced by the burning Amazon due to deforestation and steadily increasing droughts. We need to produce more food with a reduced dependency on land and water resources. Air-based meat addresses these resource issues and more.”

Right now, animal agriculture emits more greenhouse gases than the entire global transport sector, which is one reason so many plant-based alternatives have started to be offered and consumed. There’s potential for trouble with those options, too, as deforestation to make room for crops comes with its own negative environmental impact.

This air protein doesn’t require plants or animals, it’s not sprayed with pesticides, and it can be produced in a matter of hours – all of which kind of makes it sound like the perfect food.

Of course, I still haven’t tasted it. But I’ll go out on a limb and say I bet we’ll all have our chance to do that in the not-too-distant future.

The post A Company Is Making “Meat” out of Air appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

This Is Why Ginger Ale Should Be Your Go-To In-Flight Drink

You may already have a favorite flying beverage, but the next time you travel, if you’re craving something crisp and satisfying, try a bubbly ginger ale.

Your on the ground experience with ginger ale may be limited to days when you don’t feel one hundred percent. Or you may be used to ginger ale as only a mixer.

Photo Credit: Flickr

So drinking a ginger ale by itself? Sounds weird, doesn’t it?

As a soft drink, ginger ale is not nearly as popular as the Coca-Colas and the Dr. Peppers are, particularly in the United States. In the skies, however, ginger ale is at the top of the pops.

Photo Credit: Public Domain Pictures

The thin, dry air in a plane, coupled with less atmospheric pressure, actually changes the way our taste buds react to certain flavors. Saltiness and sweetness don’t register on our tongues the same way they do on the ground. That’s why salty bloody mary’s and tomato juice taste so good when we fly.

It’s also why sweet ginger ale tastes so refreshing, so crisp and dry. So…exactly what you might be craving.

Ginger has long been a home remedy for upset stomachs. So, if you’re a nervous flyer with a twitchy tummy, a ginger ale can help settle it.

Be aware though, some ginger ales (like Canada Dry) actually have no ginger in them. The flavor and the carbonation is what can soothe stomaches.

You may get lucky, though, and be offered a brand with real ginger. If you see it on the cart, ask for it. You’ll be glad you did.

Photo Credit: Max Pixel

Ginger ale is just the sort of drink that helps make flying the special event that it is. The taste and bubbles make traveling almost festive. Next time, order the ginger ale.

Cheers.

The post This Is Why Ginger Ale Should Be Your Go-To In-Flight Drink appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Heineken Is Switching out Plastic Six-Pack Rings for Cardboard Ones

Heineken has announced that it will stop using plastic rings to hold together their packs of beer cans. The company will begin in the United Kingdom, where the company has invested millions in equipment that now manufactures cardboard stocks that will hold multipacks of beer together.

The announcement was met with enthusiasm and support, as you can see below.

These plastic rings are called yokes or hi-cones in the beer and soda industry. They may seem harmless, but they have a serious environmental impact – particularly on ocean life.

The Guardian reports that these new cardboard rings will reduce plastic consumption in the UK by a whopping 517 tons by the end of 2021.

Heineken, Kronenbourg 1664, and Foster’s will be the first Heineken-owned brands available with the new compostable cardboard rings. All plastic multipacks will be phased out for other Heineken-owned brands, such as Red Stripe, Bulmer’s, John Smiths, and Strongbow, by 2021.

Heineken joins other beer brands that have committed to cutting down single-use plastic six-pack rings, such as Guinness, Budweiser, and Smithwick’s.

Other brands have been experimenting with different methods to reduce their use of single-use plastic for beer packs, such as Carlsberg, which announced that it will soon start using recyclable glue.

All in all, Heineken is joining many UK-based companies that are looking for ways to help save the planet. Let’s hope their ideas catch on!

Have you heard of other innovative ways corporations are trying to cut down plastic use? Give them a shoutout in the comments!

The post Heineken Is Switching out Plastic Six-Pack Rings for Cardboard Ones appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Enjoy ‘Turducken-Flavored’ Pringles as Part of Your Thanksgiving Feast

Are you too busy to cook for Thanksgiving this year? You can just eat a bunch of Pringles instead. Not just any Pringles, either—Turducken-flavored Pringles, which are officially a thing now.

Pringles released the new limited-edition Turducken Friendsgiving Feast on November 7. And if you’re not familiar with the turducken, prepare to have your mind blown: a turducken is a chicken stuffed inside of a duck stuffed inside of a turkey.

It’s certainly less conventional than a simple stuffed turkey, but it’s (somehow) becoming more and more popular in the U.S. In some other countries, it’s called a three bird roast.

Back to the Pringles. Their turducken “feast” includes three meat-flavored Pringles: chicken, duck, and turkey. Pringles are easily stackable, of course, so the intention is for you to stack the three flavors on top of one another, achieving the full turducken experience in chip form.

In previous years, Pringles has released other limited-edition Thanksgiving kits. Last year, it included pumpkin pie, turkey, and stuffing flavored chips.

This year’s kit is available for $15.99. You can buy it exclusively from the Kelloggs website, but supplies are very limited, so don’t be surprised if you don’t get your hands on one.

There’s always next year—and at this rate, God only knows what flavor of Pringles they’ll come up with next. Cranberry? Ham? Crhamberry?!

If you don’t feel like scrambling to order Pringles from the internet but are still tempted to eat chips for Thanksgiving dinner, there are also Roasted Turkey-flavored Pringles available at regular grocery stores.

The post Enjoy ‘Turducken-Flavored’ Pringles as Part of Your Thanksgiving Feast appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

Australians Have Been Eating a Fish Previously Unknown to Science

Australians already confront crazy-looking (and deadly) animals on a daily basis, so it probably never occurred to them to question a fish that tasted pretty okay and didn’t kill anyone once ingested.

They probably didn’t expect to find out, though, that literally no one had ever heard of or seen the fish before, anywhere in the world.

Well, at least not before 2000, when a fisherman sent pictures of a mystery grouper to fish expert and Queensland Museum curator Jeff Johnson. But even though he saw images of the strange fish a few more times over the years, it wasn’t until 2017 that he got his hands on a physical specimen.

He nabbed 5 of them, actually, at a Brisbane fish market, and set to work identifying the apparently yummy swimmer.

“As soon as I saw them, I thought they were probably a new species, so I purchased all five and began the hard work of formally proving they were a new species,” he said in a statement. “I’ve been told they are quite tasty.”

He and museum geneticist Dr. Jessica Worthington Wilmer worked together to confirm his suspicions, and the new species was named Epinephelus fuscomarginatus.

The new subspecies of grouper isn’t so distinctive looking that people with untrained eyes would notice it straight away, and given that most groupers are fairly generic-looking fish, it’s understandable – if slightly worrying – that no one consuming it gave it a second thought.

The Epinephelus fuscomarginatus is about 27 inches long and lives about 750 feet down along the center of the Great Barrier Reef.

This grouper, interestingly, is not the only species to recently be discovered on its way to someone’s plate. In 2011, a new species of shark was discovered in a Taiwanese fish market, and in 2018, a different shark, thought to be extinct, showed up in a market in Mumbai.

In 2010, researchers discovered a species of monkey that sneezes when it rains, but lost their specimen when the locals in Myanmar ate it.

Oops. Dinner takes precedence over science, you know. I’m not even mad.

The post Australians Have Been Eating a Fish Previously Unknown to Science appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

You Can Stop Putting These Foods in the Fridge

Some foods will quickly spoil if you don’t put them in the refrigerator.

And then there are other foods that you should honestly never put into the fridge at all.

Some of these foods simply don’t need to take up precious fridge space when they could easily sit out on the counter. Others can actually become lower-quality in the fridge.

In the first category are pickles and hot sauce. Both contain ingredients that naturally keep the product from going bad, even if they’re not in the fridge. Nuts are another example of foods that easily stay fresh at room temperature.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

In the second category, there are many types of produce that don’t need to be in the fridge, including onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, whole melons, and basil. In all of these cases, the cooler temperatures actually change the texture of the produce, making them less fresh.

Instead, store these in a dry place with plenty of ventilation.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The fridge can also interrupt the ripening process for certain types of produce. Avocados can go in the fridge or on the counter, depending on whether they’re ripe (if ripe, put in fridge to keep them good for longer). Stone fruits like peaches can also be left at room temperature to ripen perfectly.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Other items that should never go into the fridge include olive oil and honey, which can actually turn solid when cold (and it’s kind of icky).

The more you know!

The post You Can Stop Putting These Foods in the Fridge appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

This Is Why Baking Makes You Happy, According to Science

There’s something soothing about baking when you’re having a bad day, when the weather turns dreary, or when you’re feeling a bit blue – and it turns out, that’s not just a weird quirk of mine.

According to psychologists, baking makes people happier.

And it’s not just because you get to lick the spatula, either.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pizzazzerie® Courtney Whitmore (@pizzazzerie) on

Studies have long shown that creative activities contribute to a sense of well-being, and Boston University professor Donna Pincus told HuffPost that there is a type of “stress relief that people get from having some kind of an outlet and a way to express themselves.”

Outlets like knitting or baking.

Baking also requires the cook to focus on straightforward directions that should be executed in a specific order. The series of tasks is a form of mindfulness, as the mundane activity forces you to focus on it, which lets the troubles of the outside world drift away.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Aurelia | Home Bakery Coach (@philosophyofyum) on

Juliana Ohana, a licensed clinical social worker, told HuffPost that it’s therapeutic because it helps you “balance the moment and the bigger picture.”

Basically, baking is a minor feat that you can use to visualize a happy moment in the future, when the cookies, bread, or cake is finished, delicious, and being shared with family or friends.

The act of sharing your finished product can be good for the body and soul, too, says Pincus.

“You feel like you’ve done something good for the world, which perhaps increases your meaning in life and connection with other people.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Erin Siegferth (@whatserinbaking) on

“It can be helpful for people who have difficulty expressing their feelings in words to show thanks, appreciation, or sympathy with baked goods,” adds professor Susan Whitbourne.

I guess in the long run it doesn’t matter which of these things – or none of them – give you the warm fuzzies when you set out your butter, pull up a recipe, and fit the beater on your mixer. Baking makes us feel good, people love to eat baked goods, so there’s really no reason to stop anytime soon.

The post This Is Why Baking Makes You Happy, According to Science appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

This Is Why You Can’t Get a McRib Any Time You Want

The McRib.

I know there are people out there who love it, crave it, and count the days until it returns, even after the rather startling (if not surprising) truth about its ingredients is now public knowledge.

But if so many people are ready to fork over their cash year-round, why does McDonald’s insist on holding out?

Well, you’re about to find out, so hold onto your Happy Meals, my friends…

It’s not as surprising as you might think. Basically, it’s all about the marketing.

According to CNN, McDonald’s doesn’t actually believe you’d buy the McRib year round; they think the seasonal nature of the product is exactly what makes it so popular.

When fast food chains employ a “limited run” item, they know diners are more motivated to make time to grab not just one, but several, while it’s in season – something they might not do if it were available any ol’ time.

View this post on Instagram

Finally!!!!!! #mcrib #seasonal #iamloved

A post shared by Laura Tugander DeOliveira (@winoforever33) on

The McRib first appeared in 1981, but it didn’t do well, so McDonald’s removed it from the menu in 1985. When it returned in 1994, people gave it more of a chance, and by 2005, it became a regular on McDonald’s recurring menu. Consumers should also know the sandwich contains 70 different ingredients, which include, “pig bits like tripe, heart, and scalded stomach.” Add in some azodicarbonamide, ammonium sulfate, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides and more.

Nowadays, people are actively excited when it comes back around, instead of feeling like it’s just one of many options they could get whenever.

And if you’re looking to cash in on the latest McRib season, please enjoy yourself responsibly – and if you’re anything like me, don’t forget your antacid.

The post This Is Why You Can’t Get a McRib Any Time You Want appeared first on UberFacts.

Posted on

A Cruise Dedicated to Chocolate Will Set Sail Around Europe in 2020

I have a feeling that this news is going to excite a whole lot of people out there. Combine two great things – chocolate and travel – and what do you get? The Eurochocolate Cruise.

The cruise is a collaboration between Costa Cruises and the annual Eurochocolate Festival, and it will set sail in April 2020 from Civitavecchia, Italy. The cruise will take guests through the Mediterranean for eight days.

Chocolate-themed cruise to set sail in 2020 It's every chocoholic’s dream come true. Travel https://ift.tt/2WfRW0P

Posted by Getlivenews on Thursday, October 24, 2019

If you’re lucky enough to book a spot on this excursion, you’ll be treated to eight days of chocolate tastings, chocolate workshops, a visit to the Chocolate Museum in Barcelona. Oh, and the boat itself is stocked with chocolate fountains, chocolate sculptures – even chocolate experts to answer all your chocolate questions.

The ship will also stop in Genoa, Palma de Mallorca, Malta, and Catania. Carlo Schiavon, Costa Cruises’ Italy country manager, said,

“We try to offer unique experiences to our guests […] and this is possible also thanks to prestigious partnerships like the one with Eurochocolate. [It] will allow us to have for the first time aboard a cruise ship the vibe, the fun and the tastes of the greatest international festival dedicated to chocolate.”

Make it a #SundayFunday to remember by booking your next Costa #cruise with our Fall for Savings deal! Receive up to…

Posted by Costa on Sunday, October 27, 2019

The annual Eurochocolate festival takes place in Perugia, Italy, attracting around 900,000 visitors each year. Next year’s festival is set to kick off on October 16 and run until October 25.

I really need to get in on this whole “chocolate tourism” thing…what have I been doing with my life?

This looks like an excellent trip. Let us know if you plan to go!

The post A Cruise Dedicated to Chocolate Will Set Sail Around Europe in 2020 appeared first on UberFacts.