By Admin, on April 29th, 2012% 
Patch at Berkeley University (Photo: Margarita Persico) By Margarita Persico As a good wine has a bouquet of fragrancies — flowers, wood or fruits — a perfume has its own bouquet. Romancing with fragrances is an old practice. The Mesopotamians and the Egyptians were the first to use fragrances. They used incenses and later oils to carry fragrances. The French perfected the technique. From the Biblical times to modern times and in between perfumes have . . . → Read More: My Peppermint Perfume — On Aromatherapy My Peppermint Perfume — On Aromatherapy
By Admin, on March 19th, 2012% 
Italian-Thailandese fusion with Bean noodles (cellophane noodle (Photo: Margarita Persico) The wind was beating on the glass windows we have for walls in the living room, it reminded me of a Northwestern winters in New England. But it’s summer time in Costa Rica. Well, really the dry season. Costa Rica has only two seasons, the green, which is when it’s always raining, and the dry, which some call summer. I was glued to my MacBook computer and . . . → Read More: Italian-Thailandese fusion in a Flash Italian-Thailandese fusion in a Flash
By Admin, on March 19th, 2012% 
Heart of Palms (Photo: Margarita Persico) Heart of Palm is a vegetable that is harvested from the inner core of the palm. There are hundreds of species of palm trees. In Costa Rica the palmito (peach palm) is cultivated for the hearts of palm. The vegetable is a slim, soft white cylinder like stick. It is similar in taste to an artichoke. It is a favorite vegetable to add to salads in Costa Rica where cultivation . . . → Read More: Hearts of Palm Hearts of Palm
By Admin, on January 10th, 2012% 
"Chayote" Water Squash, Costa Rica (Photo: Margarita Persico) By Margarita Persico Chayote (Sechium edule) is really a fruit used as a vegetable. It is in the Cucurbitaceae family and is of Mesoamerican origin. Chayote is known throughout Latin America and Brazil by numerous names. It was first cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico during pre-Colombian times. During this time it was grown between Mexico and Guatemala. Cultivation of chayote in South America and the Caribbean islands began . . . → Read More: Chayote — Vegetable Pear (Sechium edule) Chayote — Vegetable Pear (Sechium edule)
By Admin, on January 3rd, 2012% 
Ginger (Photo: Margarita Persico) Ginger root, zingiber officinale, is a rhizome native to the Asian, Arabic and Indian regions. This spice has been used in culinary and medicinal uses for thousands of years. Traditionally the herb has been used as a digestant and as a spice in many Chinese and Indian dishes. In the West it has been used in desserts, in syrups, and for medicinal concoctions in addition to ethnic dishes. My fondest childhood memories . . . → Read More: Ginger Root Ginger Root
By Admin, on December 30th, 2011% 
Grapes (Photo: Margarita Persico) In 1909 a New Year’s tradition was born in Alicante, Spain, when grape growers had a surplus. This tradition continues and has spread throughout Spanish speaking Latin America and Portugal. The tradition is to eat twelve grapes before the clock strikes midnight. For the last 12 New Year Countdown bells, people who follow this tradition will eat a grape. Each grape represents future twelve months. Below are two movies showing how it’s done in Spain. . . . → Read More: The Spanish New Year’s Eve Tradition of the Twelve Grapes The Spanish New Year’s Eve Tradition of the Twelve Grapes
By Admin, on December 23rd, 2011% 
seeds (Photo: Leonardo Ré-Jorge) by Margarita Persico Annatto, also known as or roucou, is a natural food colorant used in food preparation around the world. The tree is native to the Americas. It is very popular for food preparation in Puerto Rico and with natural food producers. When my parents moved to Puerto Rico, I was an adult, they purchased a house with nearly an acre farmed with flowers, plants, pumpkin vines, coconut palms, banana . . . → Read More: Annatto (Achiote) Oil Annatto (Achiote) Oil
By Admin, on October 22nd, 2011% 
Brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds (Photo: Margarita Persico) For years I didn’t care much for Brussels sprouts, especially if overcooked. But once I discovered this mix with pomegranate while dinning at a New York City restaurant, I just could not get enough of it. Every time we visited New York we went to the same restaurant. I always ordered the same side dish. Then they changed the menu and didn’t include it any longer, nor did . . . → Read More: Brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds Brussels sprouts with pomegranate seeds
By Admin, on October 17th, 2011% 
Pumpkins and Gourds (Photo: Margarita Persico) Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Mexico, though no one knows exactly where. They come from the Cucurbitaceae family, which has over 800 species, for example, squashes and cucumbers. Pumpkins, the skin, seeds and flower are all eatable. The pumpkin’s strong orange color is perhaps an indicator of how rich it is in vitamin A and carotenes (beta, alpha), cryptoxanthin (beta), and Lutein and zeaxanthin, according to USDA National Nutrient . . . → Read More: Pumpkins Pumpkins
By Admin, on September 30th, 2011% 
Turnip (Photo Adam Rice Flickr) NYC's Meatpacking District (Photo: Margarita Persico) By Margarita Persico When it comes to grading food that could be a tricky question. But Whole Foods Market, Inc., the largest retailer of natural and organic foods, has been doing that, labeling food’s nutrients. They teamed up with Joel Fuhrman, M.D., a family physician and researcher, to create Whole Foods Market’s (WFM) Health Starts . . . → Read More: What does a turnip has over a beef top? What does a turnip has over a beef top?
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