by B.L. Unkel | Oct 30, 2021 | History
Throughout history, one mineral has been prized above all others. Salt. Animals and people alike want it. Today we think of it as a seasoning, but in the past, it was much more. Many societies bartered with it, using it like money. The salary paid to a Roman soldier...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 23, 2021 | Baking
As we approach Halloween, I thought I’d share historical myths and superstitions involving blackberries. There are more than you might imagine. Blackberries and the Devil The most well-known superstition is: Don’t eat fresh blackberries after “Michaelmas day.”...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 16, 2021 | Baking
What, you ask, was chocolate cake if it wasn’t chocolate cake? Answer: In the late 1800s, the first chocolate cakes were usually yellow cakes with chocolate frosting. Cooks didn’t have smooth-melting chocolate like we have today. Until 1890-1900, the extent of...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 9, 2021 | Baking
Tomorrow, October 10, is National Angel Food Cake Day. I discovered this nugget of information when I began researching how the cake got its name. I never learned exactly where the name came from, other than what else would you call such a tasty, cloudlike treat? This...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 2, 2021 | Travel
Tennessee celebrated its 225th birthday on June 1 of this year. In honor of my adopted state, the June Did You Knows (as well as a couple in July) were all Tennessee-related. There were also Tennessee-related food and entertainment DYKs I wanted to share, but I...
by B.L. Unkel | Sep 25, 2021 | Writing
Some people are very active in sports. Others, not so much. But even if you’ve never watched sports, much less participated in them, sports touch your life. (And not just because a playoff or championship game preempted your favorite television show.) I don’t care who...
