Jack Bowen visits Google's San Francisco office to present his book "If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers". This event took place on April 21, 2010, as part of the Authors@Google series. "Imagine speeding along the freeway while your driver, Ludwig Wittgenstein, dissects and reassembles the bumper-sticker "wisdom" on passing cars. Thats the kind of trip it is to read If You Can Read This."—Tom Cathcart and Dan Klein, authors of Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar "In the sense of being pregnant with meaning, this book has a baby on board."—Christopher Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great Readers may find themselves involved in fender benders once they realize how much fun it is to think about the messages in bumper stickers and start tailgating in order to read and analyze them. A fantastic contribution to philosophy as it occurs in the real world.—John Perry, co-host of the nationally syndicated Philosophy Talk, professor emeritus of philosophy at Stanford University "If you love twitter (and even if you don't), you're going to love Jack Bowen's insightful and hilarious romp through the pre-twitter world of bumper sticker sloganeering. On every page I had two reactions: (1) a vigorous horse laugh, and (2) a curious 'uh, I didn't know that.' Humor and insight: what more can you ask from a book? Sex. Yes, it has that too. Read this book."—Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, author of Why People ...
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Bucket Mouse Trap - In Action
IR-CCTV recording of a mouse getting caught in a bucket baited with peanut butter
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Galena's Kandy Kitchen
Galena's Kandy Kitchen specializes in small batches of hand-dipped chocolates and handmade confections such as "pecan Georgies," fudge and caramel apples in the fall. The store stocks old-fashioned bulk candy displayed in wooden barrels.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Mezcal In Oaxaca, Mexico
Think of mezcal as you would a single malt scotch, or better yet when comparing red wines of different vintages from the regions of France. Or perhaps grape varietals from the diversity of valleys and coastal areas in Australia. Forget about the worm for the time being, and forever the reputation with the college crowd of mezcal's better known sister, tequila.
INTRODUCTION
Mezcal is made from the agave plant, often referred to as maguey. Its production, according to most recent evidence, actually pre-dates the Spanish Conquest. Many of today's facilities use the same age-old technique, although some of the tools of the trade have been changed, for example from the use of clay pots for manufacture and storage, to copper serpentine for distillation, and oak and glass for aging and transporting.
It is estimated that there are about 5,000 production facilities in the State of Oaxaca (where most mezcal is produced), less than 150 of which are members of the regulated association. Most are tiny mom and pop operations serving a local community and its hinterland, some produce the spirit for distribution in primarily the City of Oaxaca, and there are a handful catering to the export market. However, in all three instances there is a broad range of quality in terms of smoothness, flavor nuances and smokiness. In fact the well-entrenched tradition of Oaxacans discerning personal palate-worthiness of different mezcals, manifests not through sampling store-bought designer bottles with smart labels, but rather from acquiring multi-liter receptacles from towns and villages in different regions of the state.
Product diversity exists for three primary reasons. Firstly, as is the case with grape varieties in wine production there is a range of agave suitable for mezcal production. Secondly, we find micro-climates yielding plants with subtle differences based on for example soil composition and length and quality of growing season, again similar to what we find regarding vineyards. Finally there is significant variation in the means of production as determined by the mezcalero, or brewmaster if you will. Each decision is crucial in determining the quality of the finished product, beginning with choosing the precise time when the plant is ready for harvest.
PRODUCTION
In Oaxaca there are well over 50 varieties of maguey, roughly 18 of which are used in the production of mezcal. However, about 90% of mezcal is made with the espadín agave, perhaps 5% uses tobalá, and the remaining types, found predominantly in the wild, comprise the balance. Espadín is similar to the blue agave traditionally used in the production of tequila. However, since blue agave grows in different climates than does espadín, the geographical distinction alone is enough to create a differentiation in taste. But the main difference between mezcal and tequila is that the latter is produced using stone ovens or stainless steel tanks for cooking, while the former in most instances still employs the centuries old method of baking the agave in an in-ground oven over firewood and river rocks.
The investment of time required to produce a bottle of mezcal begins with 8 years, being how long one must usually wait between transplanting a tiny agave plant produced from runner or cut from its tall stock, and harvest. Towards the end of the growth period, the stock shoots up, signifying the initial stage of readiness. The stock is cut down, and for several months thereafter nutrients gather in the base of the plant known as the piña because of its appearance once the leaves are removed. It is this central core of the agave which is transported by truck or on the backs of donkeys to market (the factory), and not the spiny succulent leaves which in effect are discarded once cut from the piña, the spherical form of which is only then revealed. It takes approximately 7 tons of raw piña to produce 1,000 liters of mezcal, depending on the type of mezcal being produced.
A pit dug into the earth and measuring about 8' deep by 12' in diameter is preheated for a couple of days with thick smoldering logs, on top of which are then placed river rocks. After the rocks have become red-hot, a thin layer of discarded fibrous material from another stage of the process is often placed atop, serving to insulate the rocks from the piñas which are piled on top of the heated rocks, forming a mound, perhaps 4' - 5' above ground level. Traditionally the small hill would then be covered with a woven palm leaf mat known as a petate, but now a sheet of synthetic product such as grain sack material is used, sometimes in conjunction with the petate. Then all is covered with earth so as to ensure the contents of the mound remains airtight. Finally and for good measure a few logs are placed on top of the heap of earth.
The agave bakes for 2 - 3 days, absorbing the characteristics of the earth, any clay brick used to line the pit, charred wood and smoke. (It's important to keep in mind the particulars of each step during which distinct flavor and smokiness may be imparted.) Carbohydrates or starches are converted into fermentable sugars. With its now carmel-like sweetness, the piñas are ready to be removed, then cut into small pieces with the use of a machete, and thereafter crushed by a horse or donkey dragging a multi-ton circular concrete wheel over a round, low-walled area in which the charred piña pieces have been placed.
The pulverized cooked agave together with any extracted juices is then pitched into large pine vats where it is left to ferment for between 5 and 15 days depending on the then prevailing climactic conditions. Only a bit of water is added to the wooden receptacles which are either covered with plastic or left exposed to the air. No chemicals or other substances or agents, either man-made or natural, are added.
The fermented by-product at about 6% alcohol content is then placed in a brick still, heated with firewood. The vapor rises into copper piping which leads to a companion vat filled with water and the continuation of the copper piping, serpentine in shape entering the tank of water. The water cools the vapor in the tubing. A small spigot at the bottom allows a liquid, mezcal, to slowly drip out into a provisional receptacle. It is normally distilled for a second time, often with the addition of further fermented agave, using a recipe determined by the master mezcalero, to bring the finished product to the desired alcohol content, usually about 40% alcohol by volume. Mezcal is now in its purest form, known as blanco, before aging or the use of additives such as herbs, fruit or the worm.
THE GUSANO
The gusano worm is in fact not a worm, but rather a caterpillar, an infestation to which the agave plant is susceptible. However, in the production and sale of mezcal it has served three primary functions over the years. Firstly, prior to there being any labeling or regulation of mezcal, a gusanito was inserted into a bottle of mezcal as proof to the purchaser that the liquor had a sufficiently high alcohol content. The worm's preservation in the mezcal, without any decomposition, signified that the alcohol content ought to be acceptable to the purchaser. Secondly, today the worm is a valuable marketing tool. Often the one to finish the bottle is expected to ingest the gusano remaining at the bottom. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it adds a distinct and appealing flavor to the mezcal as well as smoothness, particularly crucial if the mezcal is otherwise not particularly suave or has not yet been aged in wood.
The gusano has been a staple in Oaxacan cookery for generations, often purchased live in the marketplace, or dried, sometimes with 100 strung up into a necklace. Some of the finest prepared salsas are made with ground gusano. And of course there is sal de gusano, a combination of salt, chili and worm, used not only in the ritual of imbibing, but also to bring out and add flavor to fruit, to rim glasses used to serve other alcoholic beverages, and more.
TASTING NOTES
The three main types of traditional mezcal one encounters are blanco or joven (young), reposado and añejo. The first represents mezcal which has come directly from the still without any aging whatsoever, except while in glass or plastic receptacles awaiting bottling or sale. It can be quite sharp or strong, but is also encountered in a rather smooth state depending on the skill level of the mezcalero, percentage alcohol, number of distillations, and so on.
Reposado literally means lying down, resting, or reposing, so when one finds mezcal reposado it's been aged, in theory in oak barrels anywhere from 3 to 18 months or so, but frequently simply allowed to sit for a period of time with fruit in it which imparts flavor and smoothness. Añejo, by contrast, signifies mezcal which is mature or aged, having been kept for generally 3 or more years in French or American oak barrels sometimes previously used for wine or brandy, or perhaps charred inside to produce a distinct taste. A good añejo which has been carefully distilled and aged has a fine, smokey essence and is extremely smooth.
One can encounter joven or reposado with gusano, but virtually never an añejo with the worm because the latter has already had a great deal of time and effort expended in producing a product of the finest of quality. Notwithstanding that industry controls are by and large lacking apart from with those producers which are members of the association, it's rare that one finds a small operation which even purports to produce añejo. However they may have other varieties in addition to the foregoing three or four staples.
In Spanish "pechuga" means breast. Within the context of mezcal manufacture, true mezcal pechuga has been made by hanging a raw chicken breast in the still during production, imparting in the spirit a subtle flavor nuance and a bit of body created by the minute percentage of fat which has been allowed to vaporize. One should exercise caution in purchasing what is purported to be true mezcal pechuga, once again because of the matter of lack of industry control. In some rural operations one sometimes encounters pechuga which is dark in color. The mezcalero may state that indeed it has been made with chicken breast, the color having been derived from aging with fruit. Whether chicken has actually been used in production is not certain unless you witness the process. That is not to state that the mezcal should be avoided since we've sampled some excellent rural pechuga....only to warn that with what the mezcal has been made might be debatable.
The balance of mezcals one is apt to taste fall into two broad categories. The first is a spirit similar to the above-noted selections, with no additives except a particular herb or fruit zest. Regarding the latter, one well-known producer, Mezcal del Amigo, has a citrus mezcal. Similar to the citrus mezcal is cedrón, a local herb producing a pleasant lime-like aroma. Then comes the more herbaceous products such as poleo, often also used to make a tea to cure stomach ailments. The sweet mezcals, referred to as cremas are made with a range of exotic fruits, but almost always contain a sweetening agent, most often honey, sugar or cane alcohol. The percentage mezcal used in such production is frequently quite small, and in fact there is currently controversy in the industry regarding whether or not the word mezcal ought to be used in labeling the beverage. Some cremas are made with cream or milk, while others are not, but can nevertheless be mixed with either, perhaps on the rocks, or in making desserts, for example poured over vanilla ice cream. Those who reside in Oaxaca have the opportunity to purchase bulk blanco mezcal and experiment with their own private recipes such as peach-honey, raisin-apple, guava, rosemary, and innumerable others.
Regardless of any preconceived notions you might have about mezcal, have a taste, whenever the opportunity arises, and of whatever is being offered, if only enough to discern differences and develop a palate for one or more types you prefer from the broad array of flavors, agings and degrees of smokiness.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The History of the Jelly Belly Candy Company
The Jelly Belly Candy Company produces some of the most flavorful jelly beans with flavors ranging from buttered popcorn to cherry and everything in between. It's a company that was started in America in 1869, just two years after brothers Gustav and Albert Goelitz emigrated from the Harz Mountain region of Germany.
Reuniting with an uncle who had migrated five years prior, Gustav, age 24, set up an ice cream and candy store in Belleville, Illinois and Albert, age 21, took to a horse drawn wagon to sell their confections to surrounding communities.
The Goelitz brothers by no means invented jelly beans. These tiny jelly candies have been around since Biblical Times, known as "Turkish Delight", which originated in Instanbul, Turkey. The original jelly bean was a citrus, rose water and honey gel that had a firm outer coating and chewy center.
In the late 1800s Americans became infatuated with penny candy as candy makers began creating sugar candies. Inspired by Jordan Almonds, which was then known as "Confetti", "Turkish Delight" was recreated and shaped into a bean and coated with a soft shell using a process called "panning". This process originates back the 17th century France. Raw nuts or fruit were placed in a bowl filled with sugar and syrup, then by hand, the bowl was rocked back and forth until the nuts or fruit were coated with the syrup and sugar. Whose idea it was to modify and coat the "Turkish Delight" is unknown, though early advertising records attribute William Schraft, as he promoted sending the jelly beans to Civil War Union Soldiers.
Then one of America's worst economic depressions hit in 1893. Paper money was double the value of the gold backing it. The financial strain hit the Goelitz Brothers and they were forced to assign assets to creditors and sell the business. Albert continued selling candy for another company until his death at the age of 80. Gustav, however, never recovered, dying in 1901, just one week shy of his 56th birthday.
In 1898, the next generation of Goelitz, Gustav's son, Adolph with the help of his friend and neighbor, William Kelley, opened a candy shop in Cincinnati, Ohio. Edward Kelley, William's cousin, was hired in 1901 as the company's bookkeeper. Through his employement he met and fell in love with Goelitz's sister, Joanna. The two were married, formally joining the Goelitz and Kelley's into a family partnership.
The 1900s had America in love with chocolate. Then World War II entered and as chocolate was sent to overseas troops, creating a chocolate shortage, Americans migrated back to penny candies and jelly beans. It was one, if not the first, of confectionary items to be sold by weight as "bulk candy".
The country's candy manufacturer's employed an estimated 27,000 workers and the Goelitz Confectionery Company prospered. The arrival of 1912 had the company turning away orders due to the lack of production capacity.
Goelitz and Kelley found a factory along the north shores of Lake Michigan. Its location offered rail service and the land was affordable. They purchased the factory and moved the company to North Chicago. Income tax was introduced in 1913 and closed the doors of many mom-and-pop candy makers. Goelitz Confectionery Company was well established and survived, making primarily butter creams, which would later be known as mellocremes. Licorice, chocolate and peppermints were also manufactured, however, the mellocremes kept the company growing for the next five decades.
The best seller for the Goelitz Confectionery Company was candy corns. Origin shows the candy corn being invented during the 1880s, thought Goelitz Confectionery Company's don't show production of candy corn until 1900. Regardless of when they began manufacturing candy corns, the company created a reputation for the finest candy corn on the market.
Candy making was seasonal work, mainly March through Thanksgiving, employing 30 workers for the autumn candy production. Without air conditioning, the factory was hot as more than 50 batches of candy were created each day.
Employees worked six, ten hour days at a wage of .22 per week in 1900. The weekly salary rose to .18 per week by 1917.
Men, employed as "stringers", would walk backwards pouring "runners", hand-held buckets, each weighing 45 pounds, into trays of cornstarch imprinted with kernel-shaped molds. The candy corn production required three passes: one for orange, white and yellow colors.
Wooden buckets, tubs and cartons were used to pack customer orders. Using paste the workers made themselves, labels were placed on the packages and delivered by wagon to customers in the area. Railroad cars handled orders for customers of longer distances. Very long distances were not an option due to the products perishability.
The beginning of World War I found turmoil within the company. Gus Jr. left the business permanently and Herman migrated west to California and opened his own company, The Herman Goelitz Candy Co. Herman's company manufactured what Herman knew best, Candy Corn. He was too far from his family's business to be of competition.
Following the Great Depression, the third generation of the California and Illinois candy making companies saw other manufacturers creating candy corns and undercutting prices. It was hurting both businesses. William Kelley, based in Illinois and Herman Rowland, descendent of Gustav Goelitz, recognized that expansion was necessary if they were to survive. They needed to diversify the product or close their doors. The company, lead by 19 year old Herman Rowland, expanded adding Chocolate Dutch Mints, gummi bears, jelly beans and jells to production.
The Governor of California, Ronald Reagan, wrote his famous letter stating, "We can hardly start a meeting or make a decision without passing around the jar of jelly beans" in 1967.
Sugar prices soared in 1975 and candy business went out of business as buyers held back orders hoping to wait out the crisis. The Chicago plant was closed for a couple of months to buy time, while Herman, in California, borrowed heavily to buy sugar to continue production.
A driver for a candy distributor, David Klein, approached Herman Rowland and shared his childhood dream, to create "the Rolls Royce of jelly beans". The Goelitz candy makers, who had built a reputation for quality, crafted eight flavors of small, intensely flavored jelly beans in the summer of 1976. The company created a process that cooked the flavors into not only the shells, but the center of the jelly beans and used natural ingredients wherever possible. They spared no cost in using only the very best ingredients.
The Goeltiz's chose unusual flavors, never before made into jelly beans: Very Cherry, Lemon, Cream Soda, Tangerine, Green Apple, Root Beer, Grape and Licorice. They called these jelly beans, Jelly Bellys, a derivation from a rhyme with the 1920s blues singer, Leadbelly. The new flavors were sold individually, revolutionizing the mixed bags of jelly beans.
The Jelly Bellys were a sensation and Herman found himself in need of additional production to meet the demand. He called William Kelley in Illinois and the candy making family was reunited into a single company for the first time in 58 years.
During the 1980 Presidential Election, Jelly Belly entered the homes of America. Former Governor, Ronald Reagon, won the election and brought Jelly Belly into the White House. Reagan's passion for jelly beans introduced Blueberry Jelly Bellys, so he could serve red, white and blue jelly beans at inaugural parties. Production increased to round the clock and orders from current retailers were booked two years in advance of being able to ship.
Three tons of Jelly Bellys were served at the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan. More than 10,000 Jelly Bellys were used to create a portrait of Ronald Reagan.
Jelly Belly was the first jelly bean in outer space. In 1983 as a presidential surprise fot eh astronauts, Jelly Bellys were sent on the space shuttle Challenger. It was also the flight of the first American female astronaut, Sally Ride.
Each Jelly Belly has just one calorie! This makes it a choice snack among dieters as the Jelly Bellys taste so much like the foods they are supposed to be that it feels like an indulgence eating caramel apple or buttered popcorn!
Today, the Jelly Belly Candy Company is the world's choice for gourmet jelly beans. They have fifty official flavors and countless other flavors from special to collections to wacky. Jelly Belly offers Movie Flavors which are popular. The Ant Bully offers the flavor, dirt. The best selling movie flavors, however, come from Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, featuring flavors like Ear Wax, Rotten Egg and Vomit.
Consumers love mixing different flavors of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans to create a new flavor. It's so much fun that the company has a link of recipes on its website and recipes can be found on each package of Jelly Bellys. The company still manufacturers candy corn, and more than 100 other candies, including gummis, sour candies and chocolates.
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Friday, December 2, 2011
Candy Corn - It's Not Just For Halloween Anymore
Like all things, over the years candy corn has changed. It has morphed from an orange, yellow and white Halloween candy into a gourmet candy product suitable for candy buffets, gift baskets, cupcake decorating and, of course enjoying.
Candy Corn - The Early Years
Candy corn was first created in the 1880s by George Renninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company. The main ingredient was orange and yellow colored honey. The idea came from the bright colors of traditional North American corn. Each piece was about the size of a whole kernel from a ripe or dried ear of corn. Since Halloween coincides with harvest time, they quickly became a popular treat to share on that particular holiday. The tricolor design of the candy was considered revolutionary for its time and people flocked to buy it.
At first, candy corn was only produced for 6 months out of the year (from March to November). It was packed into wooden buckets, tubs, or cartons and loaded onto wagons or trains to be sold in nearby towns. Commercial production didn't really begin until 1898 by Gustav Goelitz. He made it with a broad yellow bottom, a tapered orange center, and a pointed white top. Its unique shape gained popularity quickly in both the cities and in the rural populations of the early 1900s.
As time went by, other color variations were made also. A popular variation called "Indian corn" featured a chocolate brown bottom, orange center and pointed white top. More color variations were made to represent other major holidays, including Christmas (in red, white and green) and Easter (in various pastel colors).
People still love candy corn. It grew from a novelty sweet that was mostly produced for Halloween into a major candy item that is produced year-round. In fact, approximately 35 million pounds of it is produced every year!
It was only natural that smart manufacturers wanted to create new and improved version, so they began to experiment with the original recipe, creating new flavors and colors.
Candy Corn Now - The new explosion of Color and Taste
One if the biggest innovations in this candy's history has come in the form of gourmet candy corn. With exciting new colors and gourmet flavors, these little guys really take it to the next level
Here are some of the cool new flavors and colors available:
Apple Cider (tan and red) Blackberry Cobbler (purple with brownish bottom) Candy Cane Corn (red and white) Caramel (marigold and brown) Caramel Apple (red and light brown) Cherry (yellow tip, red and pink) Cinnamon (white with light red tip) Creme Brulee (soft yellow with light brown bottom) Dulce de leche (brown with marigold bottom) Pumpkin Spice (bright yellow with dark brown bottom) Raspberry (red with purple bottom) Raspberry Lemonade - USA colors! (red tip, white middle and blue bottom) - these taste just like Bomb Pop Ices! Tangerine (purple tip, yellow middle, orange bottom)
So next time you're looking for a unique candy treat that will make people do a double take, go pick up up some gourmet candy corn.
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