Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Detection of Adulterated with Turkey Meat
Just ran across this paper. They are using a set of techniques called ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy to detect ground beef that has been adulterated with turkey meat. The three techniques here apply the same principle, except that each one of them detects different range of the electromagnetic spectrum (based on their names). It caught my eye because I'm familiar with this technique, but done on thin films of material that I was studying.
In a few of the thin films, the technique can be used to study both the reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy. I believe in this study, they obviously can only use the reflectance mode because they're sticking the probe right against the ground meat, so there isn't any transmitted spectrum to look at.
I must admit that in looking at the raw spectra that are shown in Fig. 1, I was expecting a distinct set of peaks for pure beef and another set for pure turkey. Yet, all the spectra appear to show the same peaks, only with different intensities. So obviously, detecting turkey in a sample can only be done upon subsequent analysis of the data.
Hey, it's something you can read to put you to sleep at night! :)
Zz.
In a few of the thin films, the technique can be used to study both the reflectance and transmittance spectroscopy. I believe in this study, they obviously can only use the reflectance mode because they're sticking the probe right against the ground meat, so there isn't any transmitted spectrum to look at.
I must admit that in looking at the raw spectra that are shown in Fig. 1, I was expecting a distinct set of peaks for pure beef and another set for pure turkey. Yet, all the spectra appear to show the same peaks, only with different intensities. So obviously, detecting turkey in a sample can only be done upon subsequent analysis of the data.
Hey, it's something you can read to put you to sleep at night! :)
Zz.
Thursday, June 21, 2018
2018 Best Restaurant In The World
Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy has just been named as 2018 Best Restaurant in the world.
I was wondering where Noma was, considering that they've won this top honors several times. I turned out that Noma was closed for a large part of last year when they moved to a new location. So maybe that is why they did not make the list at all for this year.
In the Chicago area, Alenia remains as the top restaurant, and it made the list at #34.
Still, as I expected, this list is controversial with it's heavy leaning on European-friendly food and how expensive they are. The lack of diversity and recognition for restaurants helmed by female chefs is also quite glaring.
Zz.
This is the second time that the restaurant, led by Chef Massimo Bottura, has made the top of the annual World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, chosen by the international organization of the same name.El Celler de Can Roca, serving traditional Catalonian food by chefs and brothers Joan, Josep, and Jordi Roca in Girona, Spain, was the runner up for best restaurant in the world. In third place was Mirazur, which serves French-Riviera-inspired food under Chef Mauro Colagreco, in Menton, France.
I was wondering where Noma was, considering that they've won this top honors several times. I turned out that Noma was closed for a large part of last year when they moved to a new location. So maybe that is why they did not make the list at all for this year.
In the Chicago area, Alenia remains as the top restaurant, and it made the list at #34.
Still, as I expected, this list is controversial with it's heavy leaning on European-friendly food and how expensive they are. The lack of diversity and recognition for restaurants helmed by female chefs is also quite glaring.
Zz.
Friday, June 8, 2018
RIP Anthony Bourdain
We woke up this morning to the sad news that Anthony Bourdain is dead.
Whatever the reason and whatever the cause, he has left a mark in many lives. I liked his shows ("No Reservation") in general (except when on occasions when he because overly preachy). What makes his show great is when he goes beyond just the food, and clearly highlights the culture and the people surrounding the food. That is what makes his show, and Andrew Zimmern's show, and Vivian Howard's show, more than just a show about food or about cooking. It showed how food fit in to the civilization of that place, both present and past.
Zz.
Whatever the reason and whatever the cause, he has left a mark in many lives. I liked his shows ("No Reservation") in general (except when on occasions when he because overly preachy). What makes his show great is when he goes beyond just the food, and clearly highlights the culture and the people surrounding the food. That is what makes his show, and Andrew Zimmern's show, and Vivian Howard's show, more than just a show about food or about cooking. It showed how food fit in to the civilization of that place, both present and past.
Zz.
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