Why do they call it “Canadian Bacon”?

It’s called Canadian Bacon because it’s popular in Canada, and at some point Americans picked up on that. In Canada it’s called Back Bacon because it’s a cut from towards the back of the pig as opposed to the belly like is “American” bacon.
You can read more about it at, believe it or not,

A Short History of Spaghetti

Spaghetti! Who doesn’t love it? But where did this delicious concoction come from, and how did it get to our plate?
We’ve probably all heard that Marco Polo brought spaghetti to Europe from the Far East in the late 13^th century. While it’s true that he probably encountered it there — or at least a type of long noodle madefrom either rice flour or hard wheat flour — pasta had existed in Europe for centuries. In fact, a fourth century B.C. Etruscan tomb has a bas-relief carving of a group of natives making what appears to be pasta. Pasta in Italy is a long tradition!
Pasta certainly existed in places other than Italy, however. The Chinese had been making it since at least 3000 B.C. And Greece claimed its share of the credit — according to Greek mythology, the Greek God Vulcan invented a device that created long strings of dough.
But what is pasta without tomato sauce? Well, the Europeans certainly had a chance to find out. It wasn’t until 1519 that the explorer Cortez brought the first tomatoes back to Europe from the New World. And when tomatoes were first introduced, they were grown exclusively as a decorative plant. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family, and it was assumed that it was poisonous as well. (Actually, the leaves and stems are toxic.) Eventually, it was discovered that tomatoes could be used as a food source, but it wasn’t until the 18^th century that it became a popular food item.
Thomas Jefferson can be credited with bringing pasta to the United States. When he served as Ambassador to France, he got a taste of this tasty dish, and he liked it so much that he ordered a pasta-making machine sent back to the U.S., the first “macaroni maker” in America.
The first American commercial outfit for the production of pasta was run by Antoine Zerega, who opened his factory in Brooklyn in 1848. He dried his product on his roof in the sunshine, and powered his machinery by one horse, which he kept in the basement.
Ah, meatballs! Meatballs are a fairly new addition to spaghetti. Meat was relatively scarce in the old world and eaten only occasionally, but when immigrants came to America, they found that they could afford to add it to their pasta dishes on a regular basis

In short, spaghetti has a long and honorable history. Why not turn a little spaghetti into history on your plate today?

Anchovies: Little Fish, Big Benefits

Anchovies are small, common salt fish that is found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Anchovy have shiny silver scale, its length ranges from 2 cm to 40 cm and it has a slender body. Anchovies are widely used in cooking; they can be fried, smoked, salted and used as a sauce for pasta recipes. Canned anchovies are commonly sold in supermarket, like sardines it also packed with the bones and head still on. Anchovy oil and Anchovy paste are also available and used as substitute for whole anchovies. The recipe using anchovy oil will have a stronger and saltier flavor than if the whole anchovies were used. Anchovy paste may not be as strong in flavor as salted or canned anchovies, but it is also taste more salty. When the recipe requires that the whole anchovy and anchovy oil should be use it is best to only add extra salt after tasting it.
Health Benefits:

• Anchovies like sardines are high in heart friendly polyunsaturated fatty acids because it can help lower cholesterol level and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Anchovies are rich in healthy protein that is valuable for children and seniors.
• Anchovies are also a good source of essential vitamins (vitamin E and D) and minerals (calcium and selenium).
• Small fish like anchovies and sardines are better than bigger fishes because they contain less heavy metal such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic and environmental toxins. This is because smaller fish have a shorter life cycle so there is less possibility of them accumulating impurities