Food Questions You Always Wanted Answered

Homer Simpson moment: Mmmm. Coffee. There are 8 ounces in a cup. This little fact will come in handy the next time you are measuring out coffee, because for some reason coffee directions only tell you the amount of water you should add based on ounces, when it's more than likely that you have a cup to do the measuring! Who keeps an ounce measuring device in their kitchen?

What are the origins of the Red Velvet Cake?

Red velvet cake is a delicious and rich dessert. It is bright red in color because it's made with beets or red food coloring. Red velvet cake originated in the Southern United States. There is a silly story circulating that would cause many to believe that the cake originated at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, but that is an urban legend.

Can a cake be made without flour?

Yes, in fact there is a specific dessert called a flourless cake. It is usually made with specific alternate ingredients, including coffee grounds, rum, and bread crumbs. This cake is popular with people who love sweets and cakes but are trying to reduce their carb intake.

What type of water is safe to drink: river, pond, or lake?

None of these types of waters are safe to drink straight from the source. You have to boil, filter, or treat the water with special chemicals. That's because water from these sources is full of bugs and parasites that can cause infection, including Giardiasis, an intestinal infection that can cause really bad diarrhea and nausea. So if you're ever hiking in the woods and come upon a lake, don't rush down and take a drink. You need to come equipped with the proper tools to sterilize the water to make it safe for drinking.

Why does cabbage give you gas?

The answer begins with oligosaccharides, which are present in cabbage and beans, among other gas-creating foods. Oligosaccharides are large molecules that cannot normally be broken down by the body. They go straight to the small intestines. The "bad" bacteria in your small intestines eat up the oligosaccharides and grow in numbers. They let off gas, the equivalent of millions of tiny farts that culminate in one large room-clearing one. So next time you let one off after eating some cabbage, blame it on the oligosaccharides.

Sources:

http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970815/skinnyon.html

K. Jolin, "Wilderness Survival: How to Obtain Safe Drinking Water," Associated Content

http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,chocolate_flourless_cake,FF.html

http://www.leitesculinaria.com/writings/food_history/red_velvet.html

http://www.asknumbers.com/CupsToOuncesConversion.aspx