As I've often said, cheese is my very favorite food in the world. I regularly try new variants, but so far I've always at least liked these. To paraphrase another expression, even "bad" cheese is pretty good. This week's topic is Piave cheese, from Italy. I located it in the imported cheese section at my local Shop Rite grocery.
Piave is rather like tequila, or champagne, or bourbon, in that people claim it can only come from one place in the world, and has to be traditionally made, using the proper ingredients, etc. In this case Piave must be made in the Italian province of Belluno, in the Dolomite area, and the Veneti region. They're quite serious about this, too, as this cheese has a PDO, or Protected Designation of Origin. I guess, essentially, if you try to sell "Piave" cheese made in like Arkansas, or something, you'll presumably be hearing soon from grim Italian lawyers. The cheese gets its name from a river in this location.
The way Piave is made is a little unusual. After coagulation through the addition of rennet, the curd is then cooked. Egg white is listed as an ingredient, too. Then this is placed in a mold, salted in a brine bath, and then aged in a temperature and humidity-controlled warehouse. (I can't reveal the exact temperature and humidity, as they are not listed--evidently they're trade secrets.) As with some other cheeses (such as Manchego, see my August 29, 2015 post), Piave has several sub-variants based on how long it was aged. As seen below:
1) Piave fresco: Aged 20-60 days, comes in a package with a blue label.
2) Piave mezzano: Aged 61-180 days, also with a blue label.
3) Piave vecchio: Aged 6-12 months, blue label.
4) Piave vecchio selezione oro: Aged 12-18 months, red label.
5) Piave vecchio riserva: Aged over 18 months, black label.
(I don't know why the cheese mongers didn't come up with different colored labels for the first three kinds, but oh well.)
Piave is a hard cheese, similar in texture to what many folks call "Parmesan," or Parmigiano Reggiano, to be more technical. And it's always made using cow's milk.
The company that makes the cheese in Italy, Cucina Classica, doesn't have much of a history on its website. Basically, it just lists the products they sell, which are various types of Italian cheeses, like Pedano, Romano, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, and various sub-types. The American importing company, Atalanta Corp., is amazingly diverse. They handle meat, seafood, pasta, crackers, fruit, jams, vegetables, sauces, spices, cookies, desserts--just about every major kind of edible but beverages, from what I saw.
Here's what I thought.
Piave cheese, vecchio selezione oro style, red label: This was light yellow in color, and was a hard cheese. I had it plain, cut into slices. It was very nice. It was advertised as having a sweet flavor, but I didn't find this to be so. I thought it had a savory, almost tart taste to it. I quite enjoyed it, and would definitely have this one again.
Later I discovered I'd broken the official rules about eating Piave. You're supposed to leave it out of the fridge for 30 minutes before having it, to give it time to "breathe." It's also suggested that consumers use a knife with a drop point blade to cut it, so you don't ruin the granule structure. Allegedly breaking it upon its natural fracture points improves the flavor. Well, call me cynical, but I seriously doubt this would have made a difference. But, to be fair, I didn't try it both ways, so I'm not 100% on this. Not being a cooking hobbyist, or a knife enthusiast, I wasn't even aware of the large number of types of knife blades, and what the effects are. Finally, not too surprisingly given that it's an import, my Piave was a bit pricey, costing about $6.00 for a 142 gram (5 ounce) piece.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Mouse Turds, Cigarette Butts, and Insect Filth
Relax, I'm not confessing to some perverse sexual kink. And I haven't "upped the ante," so to speak, by graduating to eating truly disgusting things. I was just being a bit click bait-y. Although, it is technically true--I have consumed innumerable pieces of rodent excreta, ground up pieces of bugs, and minute particles of cigarettes, sticks, and burlap bags.
And so has every person reading this. I'm referring to, of course, the realities of food harvesting and production. As the American Food and Drug Administration (which monitors food safety) has mentioned, it's "economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects." Therefore, like the government bureaucracy they are, the FDA has set maximum amounts for these "defects." For example, peanut butter can have up to 29 insect fragments per 100 grams. And whole ginger can have up to 3 milligrams of mammalian excreta (chiefly mouse or rat feces) per pound (2.2 kilos). Ground cinnamon can have up to 400 insect parts and 10 rodent hairs per 50 grams. Or take another defect, mold. Cranberry sauce can consist of up to 14% mold, and still be legally sold and consumed. Want more examples? Tomato juice can have up to 10 fruit fly eggs per 100 grams. Brussel sprouts can have up to 30 aphids or thrips (two tiny species of insect) per 100 grams. Staying on aphids, beer lovers should note that for every 100 grams of hops, growers are allowed 2500 of these tiny bugs! I didn't view any others, but I can only assume that other nations have similar guidelines, since I'm pretty sure that the U.S. isn't the only country with rats, mice, insects, etc.
I'm not trying to gross anyone out here. Well, okay, I am a little, but not enough to freak people out too much. Not to the point of outright panic, and a subsequent refusal to eat or something. These maximums are incredibly minimal, and not harmful. And, like the FDA claims, it's pretty much impossible to avoid all "defects." I suppose you could grow food indoors, and thoroughly wash and decontaminate every piece of fruit or vegetable or whatever, but the cost of money and time would be ridiculous, totally overkill. (Also, to be fair, some companies have their own food inspectors, that might be stricter than the federal agency, so they might have less contaminates. The point is even the strictest ones will surely have some insect parts, rodent feces, and the like.)
It also got me to thinking about something. Mainly, because of this ugly reality, there are no "true," 100% vegetarians or vegans. No matter how thorough they are, these folks are surely eating some pieces of animal flesh, in the form of insect fragments. I'm not trying to mock vegetarians/vegans here--I know they're trying their best, and are not voluntarily eating certain foods, but still, I do find it darkly amusing.
On a similar note, many years ago I was visiting a friend who lived in Manhattan. He'd discovered a Board of Health website, where you could put in names of restaurants and then view their safety violations. So after we looked up prospective restaurants we thought looked interesting, we checked them out on this website. And then we had to stop. Because we quickly learned that every establishment had some violations. I guess especially in a huge city like New York, no matter how clean you keep your kitchen, there's scores of rodents and roaches that will find a way inside. So we decided it was best not to know. We figured (hoped) that if the places were still open, they hadn't had anything too dangerous.
Oh, and to stay consistent, I should get to my ratings/reviews. Here they are--since I couldn't detect any of these "defects," I don't know what rat fur, mouse feces, or aphid chunks taste like. Part of me wonders if 100% pure, contaminate-free food would taste weird, or worse, without the filth "seasoning." I can tell what some of these things taste like, when I've had them deliberately, in substantial amounts. See my post on civet crap coffee beer (October 13, 2014), crickets (February 13, 2014), grasshoppers (May 22, 2014), ants (April 3, 2014), giant water bugs (June 29, 2014) and larva (June 11, 2012) if you're interested.
And so has every person reading this. I'm referring to, of course, the realities of food harvesting and production. As the American Food and Drug Administration (which monitors food safety) has mentioned, it's "economically impractical to grow, harvest, or process raw products that are totally free of non-hazardous, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects." Therefore, like the government bureaucracy they are, the FDA has set maximum amounts for these "defects." For example, peanut butter can have up to 29 insect fragments per 100 grams. And whole ginger can have up to 3 milligrams of mammalian excreta (chiefly mouse or rat feces) per pound (2.2 kilos). Ground cinnamon can have up to 400 insect parts and 10 rodent hairs per 50 grams. Or take another defect, mold. Cranberry sauce can consist of up to 14% mold, and still be legally sold and consumed. Want more examples? Tomato juice can have up to 10 fruit fly eggs per 100 grams. Brussel sprouts can have up to 30 aphids or thrips (two tiny species of insect) per 100 grams. Staying on aphids, beer lovers should note that for every 100 grams of hops, growers are allowed 2500 of these tiny bugs! I didn't view any others, but I can only assume that other nations have similar guidelines, since I'm pretty sure that the U.S. isn't the only country with rats, mice, insects, etc.
I'm not trying to gross anyone out here. Well, okay, I am a little, but not enough to freak people out too much. Not to the point of outright panic, and a subsequent refusal to eat or something. These maximums are incredibly minimal, and not harmful. And, like the FDA claims, it's pretty much impossible to avoid all "defects." I suppose you could grow food indoors, and thoroughly wash and decontaminate every piece of fruit or vegetable or whatever, but the cost of money and time would be ridiculous, totally overkill. (Also, to be fair, some companies have their own food inspectors, that might be stricter than the federal agency, so they might have less contaminates. The point is even the strictest ones will surely have some insect parts, rodent feces, and the like.)
It also got me to thinking about something. Mainly, because of this ugly reality, there are no "true," 100% vegetarians or vegans. No matter how thorough they are, these folks are surely eating some pieces of animal flesh, in the form of insect fragments. I'm not trying to mock vegetarians/vegans here--I know they're trying their best, and are not voluntarily eating certain foods, but still, I do find it darkly amusing.
On a similar note, many years ago I was visiting a friend who lived in Manhattan. He'd discovered a Board of Health website, where you could put in names of restaurants and then view their safety violations. So after we looked up prospective restaurants we thought looked interesting, we checked them out on this website. And then we had to stop. Because we quickly learned that every establishment had some violations. I guess especially in a huge city like New York, no matter how clean you keep your kitchen, there's scores of rodents and roaches that will find a way inside. So we decided it was best not to know. We figured (hoped) that if the places were still open, they hadn't had anything too dangerous.
Oh, and to stay consistent, I should get to my ratings/reviews. Here they are--since I couldn't detect any of these "defects," I don't know what rat fur, mouse feces, or aphid chunks taste like. Part of me wonders if 100% pure, contaminate-free food would taste weird, or worse, without the filth "seasoning." I can tell what some of these things taste like, when I've had them deliberately, in substantial amounts. See my post on civet crap coffee beer (October 13, 2014), crickets (February 13, 2014), grasshoppers (May 22, 2014), ants (April 3, 2014), giant water bugs (June 29, 2014) and larva (June 11, 2012) if you're interested.
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Head Coaches Who Won NFL Titles
Since we're currently amidst the NFL playoffs, I thought I would do a post that's pro football related. I've already done pieces about title winning teams (see my February 17, 2018 post), unlikely heroes in NFL Championship Games (December 30, 2017), unlikely Super Bowl heroes (January 30, 2014), quarterbacks who won NFL titles (February 10, 2016), and general Super Bowl trivia (January 29, 2013), but I haven't discussed coaches much. So today I'm listing every single head coach of NFL title winners, chronologically, followed by a few bits of title-winning coaches trivia.
Just as a reminder, from 1920-1932, the NFL title winner was determined by winning percentage, and not a playoff game or series. Also, ties were not counted in this winning percentage, which led to some controversies (eventually the NFL adapted the rule that ties count as half a win, as they are today). From 1933 to 1965, the NFL was divided up into two divisions, and the winner of each played in an NFL Championship Game to determine the NFL title holder. During this time, there were two successful rival leagues. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) played from 1946-49, and had its own Championship Game between its two division winners. Three teams from the AAFC, most notably the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, were absorbed by the NFL when the AAFC folded. Then there was the American Football League (AFL), which played from 1960-69. It had its own Championship Game from 1960-65, and then from 1966-69 the AFL champ played the NFL champ it what became known as the Super Bowl. Then the AFL was absorbed into the NFL, and these teams made up the American Football Conference (AFC), while the original NFL teams were then designated as the National Football Conference (NFC). (Three NFL teams were also moved to the AFC to make the number of teams in each conference even.) Since 1970 the winners of the AFC and the NFL play in the Super Bowl to determine the overall NFL champ. Also, many playoff games, and all Super Bowl games are played in January or February of the following year. So the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers won that season's Super Bowl in early 1976, and the 1999 St. Louis Rams won their Super Bowl in early 2000, etc. I just find it easier to render it this way.
Anyway, here's the list. I'll mark each by year, head coach name, and team name. A "DNP" is short for "Did Not Play," meaning that particular coach didn't play in the NFL. "Player-coach" indicates that the man both played and head coached that NFL title winner.
Pre NFL Championship Years:
1920 Elgie Tobin, Akron Pros, player-coach.
1921 George Halas, Chicago Staleys (later became the Bears), player-coach.
1922 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1923 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1924 Guy Chamberlin, Cleveland Bulldogs, player-coach.
1925 Norm Barry, Chicago Cardinals.
1926 Guy Chamberlin, Frankford Yellow Jackets, player-coach.
1927 Earl Potteiger, New York Giants, player-coach.
1928 Jimmy Conzelman, Providence Steam Rollers, player-coach.
1929 Earl "Curly" Lambeau, Green Bay Packers, player-coach.
1930 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1931 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1932 Ralph Jones, Chicago Bears.
NFL Championship Game Years:
1933 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1934 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1935 George "Potsy" Clark, Detroit Lions, DNP.
1936 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1937 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1938 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1939 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1940 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1941 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1942 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1943 Heartly "Hunk" Anderson and Luke Johnsos, Chicago Bears.
1944 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1945 Adam Walsh, Cleveland Rams, DNP.
1946 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1947 Jimmy Conzelman, Chicago Cardinals.
1948 Earl "Greasy" Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1949 Greasy Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1950 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1951 Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles Rams.
1952 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1953 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1954 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1955 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1956 Jim Lee Howell, New York Giants.
1957 George Wilson, Detroit Lions.
1958 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1959 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1960 Buck Shaw, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1961 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1962 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1963 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1964 Blanton Collier, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1965 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
Super Bowl Years, pre-AFL/NFL merger:
1966 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1967 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1968 Weeb Ewbank, New York Jets, DNP.
1969 Hank Stram, Kansas City Chiefs, DNP.
Super Bowl Years, post AFL-NFL merger:
1970 Don McCafferty, Baltimore Colts.
1971 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1972 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1973 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1974 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1975 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1976 John Madden, Oakland Raiders, DNP.
1977 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1978 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1979 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1980 Tom Flores, Oakland Raiders.
1981 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1982 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1983 Tom Flores, Los Angeles Raiders.
1984 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1985 Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears.
1986 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1987 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1988 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1989 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1990 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1991 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1992 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1993 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1994 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1995 Barry Switzer, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1996 Mike Holmgren, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1997 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1998 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1999 Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams, DNP.
2000 Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2001 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2002 John Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DNP.
2003 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2004 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2005 Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers.
2006 Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts.
2007 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2008 Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, DNP.
2009 Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints. (Played only as 1987 replacement player during strike)
2010 Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
2011 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2012 John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2013 Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks, DNP.
2014 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2015 Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos.
2016 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2017 Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles.
AAFC Championship Winners:
1946 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1947 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1948 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1949 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
AFL Championship Winners:
1960 Lou Rymkus, Houston Oilers, played in AAFC.
1961 Wally Lemm, Houston Oilers, DNP.
1962 Hank Stram, Dallas Texans, DNP.
1963 Sid Gillman, San Diego Chargers, DNP.
1964 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.
1965 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.
Most NFL Titles Won:
6 George Halas (1 Pre-Championship, 5 Championship Era)
6 Curly Lambeau (3 Pre-Championship, 3 Championship Era)
5 Vince Lombardi (3 Championship Era, 2 Super Bowls)
5 Bill Belichick (5 Super Bowls) (As of now, still actively coaching)
4 Guy Chamberlin, (4 Pre-Championship)
4 Chuck Noll, (4 Super Bowls)
3 Paul Brown (3 Championship Era) (7 if you count AAFC titles)
3 Weeb Ewbank, (2 Championship Era, 1 Super Bowl)
3 Bill Walsh (3 Super Bowls)
3 Joe Gibbs (3 Super Bowls)
Coaches Who Won Titles With More Than 1 Team (not counting city/franchise name changes):
Guy Chamberlin, Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs (3), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1)
Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts (2), New York Jets (1)
Coaches Who Won Titles in 3 Consecutive Years:
Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24
Curly Lambeau, 1929-31
Vince Lombardi, 1965-67
Coach Who Won 4 Titles in 5 Years:
Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24, 1926.
NFL Title Winning Coach Who Also Won a World Series as a Player:
Greasy Neale won 2 NFL titles with the Philadelphia Eagle (1948-49), and also played on the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series winner. (In which he batted .357, had a .400 on base percentage, and slugged .464.) However, that was the infamous "Black Sox" Series, when many of the opposing Chicago White Sox players were paid off by gangsters to lose the Series, so there's that.
NFL Titles Won by Co-Coaches:
In 1943 the Chicago Bears were coached by both Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. (Regular head coach George Halas was fighting in World War II from 1942-45.)
Just as a reminder, from 1920-1932, the NFL title winner was determined by winning percentage, and not a playoff game or series. Also, ties were not counted in this winning percentage, which led to some controversies (eventually the NFL adapted the rule that ties count as half a win, as they are today). From 1933 to 1965, the NFL was divided up into two divisions, and the winner of each played in an NFL Championship Game to determine the NFL title holder. During this time, there were two successful rival leagues. The All-America Football Conference (AAFC) played from 1946-49, and had its own Championship Game between its two division winners. Three teams from the AAFC, most notably the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, were absorbed by the NFL when the AAFC folded. Then there was the American Football League (AFL), which played from 1960-69. It had its own Championship Game from 1960-65, and then from 1966-69 the AFL champ played the NFL champ it what became known as the Super Bowl. Then the AFL was absorbed into the NFL, and these teams made up the American Football Conference (AFC), while the original NFL teams were then designated as the National Football Conference (NFC). (Three NFL teams were also moved to the AFC to make the number of teams in each conference even.) Since 1970 the winners of the AFC and the NFL play in the Super Bowl to determine the overall NFL champ. Also, many playoff games, and all Super Bowl games are played in January or February of the following year. So the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers won that season's Super Bowl in early 1976, and the 1999 St. Louis Rams won their Super Bowl in early 2000, etc. I just find it easier to render it this way.
Anyway, here's the list. I'll mark each by year, head coach name, and team name. A "DNP" is short for "Did Not Play," meaning that particular coach didn't play in the NFL. "Player-coach" indicates that the man both played and head coached that NFL title winner.
Pre NFL Championship Years:
1920 Elgie Tobin, Akron Pros, player-coach.
1921 George Halas, Chicago Staleys (later became the Bears), player-coach.
1922 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1923 Guy Chamberlin, Canton Bulldogs, player-coach.
1924 Guy Chamberlin, Cleveland Bulldogs, player-coach.
1925 Norm Barry, Chicago Cardinals.
1926 Guy Chamberlin, Frankford Yellow Jackets, player-coach.
1927 Earl Potteiger, New York Giants, player-coach.
1928 Jimmy Conzelman, Providence Steam Rollers, player-coach.
1929 Earl "Curly" Lambeau, Green Bay Packers, player-coach.
1930 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1931 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1932 Ralph Jones, Chicago Bears.
NFL Championship Game Years:
1933 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1934 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1935 George "Potsy" Clark, Detroit Lions, DNP.
1936 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1937 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1938 Steve Owen, New York Giants.
1939 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1940 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1941 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1942 Ray Flaherty, Washington Redskins.
1943 Heartly "Hunk" Anderson and Luke Johnsos, Chicago Bears.
1944 Curly Lambeau, Green Bay Packers.
1945 Adam Walsh, Cleveland Rams, DNP.
1946 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1947 Jimmy Conzelman, Chicago Cardinals.
1948 Earl "Greasy" Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1949 Greasy Neale, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1950 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1951 Joe Stydahar, Los Angeles Rams.
1952 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1953 Buddy Parker, Detroit Lions.
1954 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1955 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1956 Jim Lee Howell, New York Giants.
1957 George Wilson, Detroit Lions.
1958 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1959 Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts, DNP.
1960 Buck Shaw, Philadelphia Eagles, DNP.
1961 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1962 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1963 George Halas, Chicago Bears.
1964 Blanton Collier, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1965 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
Super Bowl Years, pre-AFL/NFL merger:
1966 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1967 Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1968 Weeb Ewbank, New York Jets, DNP.
1969 Hank Stram, Kansas City Chiefs, DNP.
Super Bowl Years, post AFL-NFL merger:
1970 Don McCafferty, Baltimore Colts.
1971 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1972 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1973 Don Shula, Miami Dolphins.
1974 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1975 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1976 John Madden, Oakland Raiders, DNP.
1977 Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys.
1978 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1979 Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers.
1980 Tom Flores, Oakland Raiders.
1981 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1982 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1983 Tom Flores, Los Angeles Raiders.
1984 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1985 Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears.
1986 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1987 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1988 Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1989 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1990 Bill Parcells, New York Giants, DNP.
1991 Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins, DNP.
1992 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1993 Jimmy Johnson, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1994 George Seifert, San Francisco 49ers, DNP.
1995 Barry Switzer, Dallas Cowboys, DNP.
1996 Mike Holmgren, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
1997 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1998 Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos, DNP.
1999 Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams, DNP.
2000 Brian Billick, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2001 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2002 John Gruden, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DNP.
2003 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2004 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2005 Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers.
2006 Tony Dungy, Indianapolis Colts.
2007 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2008 Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers, DNP.
2009 Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints. (Played only as 1987 replacement player during strike)
2010 Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers, DNP.
2011 Tom Coughlin, New York Giants, DNP.
2012 John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens, DNP.
2013 Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks, DNP.
2014 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2015 Gary Kubiak, Denver Broncos.
2016 Bill Belichick, New England Patriots, DNP.
2017 Doug Pederson, Philadelphia Eagles.
AAFC Championship Winners:
1946 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1947 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1948 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
1949 Paul Brown, Cleveland Browns, DNP.
AFL Championship Winners:
1960 Lou Rymkus, Houston Oilers, played in AAFC.
1961 Wally Lemm, Houston Oilers, DNP.
1962 Hank Stram, Dallas Texans, DNP.
1963 Sid Gillman, San Diego Chargers, DNP.
1964 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.
1965 Lou Saban, Buffalo Bills, played in AAFC.
Most NFL Titles Won:
6 George Halas (1 Pre-Championship, 5 Championship Era)
6 Curly Lambeau (3 Pre-Championship, 3 Championship Era)
5 Vince Lombardi (3 Championship Era, 2 Super Bowls)
5 Bill Belichick (5 Super Bowls) (As of now, still actively coaching)
4 Guy Chamberlin, (4 Pre-Championship)
4 Chuck Noll, (4 Super Bowls)
3 Paul Brown (3 Championship Era) (7 if you count AAFC titles)
3 Weeb Ewbank, (2 Championship Era, 1 Super Bowl)
3 Bill Walsh (3 Super Bowls)
3 Joe Gibbs (3 Super Bowls)
Coaches Who Won Titles With More Than 1 Team (not counting city/franchise name changes):
Guy Chamberlin, Canton/Cleveland Bulldogs (3), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1)
Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore Colts (2), New York Jets (1)
Coaches Who Won Titles in 3 Consecutive Years:
Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24
Curly Lambeau, 1929-31
Vince Lombardi, 1965-67
Coach Who Won 4 Titles in 5 Years:
Guy Chamberlin, 1922-24, 1926.
NFL Title Winning Coach Who Also Won a World Series as a Player:
Greasy Neale won 2 NFL titles with the Philadelphia Eagle (1948-49), and also played on the Cincinnati Reds 1919 World Series winner. (In which he batted .357, had a .400 on base percentage, and slugged .464.) However, that was the infamous "Black Sox" Series, when many of the opposing Chicago White Sox players were paid off by gangsters to lose the Series, so there's that.
NFL Titles Won by Co-Coaches:
In 1943 the Chicago Bears were coached by both Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos. (Regular head coach George Halas was fighting in World War II from 1942-45.)
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Some Obscure Beans
I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of beans. While I was in a Hannaford's grocery in Maine a couple of months ago, I saw some sorts I'd never seen before--yellow eye beans, soldier beans, and Jacob's cattle beans. So it wasn't long before they were in my shopping cart.
Soldier beans, like the other ones discussed in this post, and most beans period, take their name from their appearance. They are whitish in color, with a distinct red pattern on them. Some think this looks like a toy soldier, so there we have it. (Personally, I can see a helmeted head shape. But of course, the phenomenon of pareidolia, in which different people can interpret random or natural shapes as being something clear and distinct, such as those who see religious figures on their slice of toast, is obviously a thing.) The history of the soldier bean is a little hazy, but one website posited that they originated in the New England area around the year 1800. The New England climate is ideal for growing them, as this bean likes a cool temperature. It's also resistant to drought conditions.
The yellow eye bean's name is pretty easy to guess. They're basically like black eyed peas, only with a yellow oval on them that looks like an eye, staring out from an otherwise whitish bean. They appear to have developed in the Old World somewhere, in about 1860. (Sorry I can't be more detailed, but that's all I could find.) They are related to kidney beans, which I'll get into further, in the last paragraph. This kind of bean is also very popular in the New England states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine), especially in the region's signature baked beans. They are also commonly used in soups, casseroles, and dips. Some consumers grade them as being superior in taste to navy and great northern beans. Yellow eye beans are also relatively easy to grow.
The history of Jacob's cattle beans is disputed. One website claims that the first to cultivate them was the Passamaquoddy Native American group in the area which is now Northeast Canada/Maine in the 1600's. Another said that a different Native American tribe, the Nez Perce, domesticated them in the area which is now Washington State and Idaho. One of the common alternative names for this bean is appaloosa bean, from one of the horse types that the Nez Perce used. Yet another claim is made for a man named Jacob Trout who supposedly invented this bean in Virginia. (Some people call them "trout beans" after his surname, and others just use his first name, clearly.) And one final website said they were developed in Germany. Anyway, the "cattle" part of one of the common names is because the bean's whitish color with mottled splotches of pink reminds some of the hide pattern of the Hereford cattle breed. Anyway, whatever you call it, this bean is said to have a dense, meaty texture, and a fruity and nutty flavor. It's also often used in soups and casseroles.
1) Bar Harbor Foods yellow eye beans: These were baked beans, in their special sauce made from water, evaporated cane juice, fancy molasses, salt, and ground mustard. I thought these were solid baked beans, both by themselves and mixed with Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande. Not great, but about average. They did look a little strange, though, as their "eyes" were reddish, not yellow. To paraphrase a Dave Attell joke, the beans looked as if they'd been up all night, trying to solve a murder or something. (I'm guessing the sauce caused this color change for real.)
2) Look's Gourmet Food Company, Atlantic brand, New England style Jacob's cattle beans: These were also baked, with a sauce made from water, evaporated cane juice (sugar), fancy molasses, pork, salt, and ground mustard. Their appearance was as advertised, basically. These were also good, but not spectacular baked beans, either alone or eaten with the Taco Bell Nachos. The label also mentioned that these beans contained no artificial ingredients, MSG, or GMOs, and that the can that contained them was non-BPA lined. (The label went on to warn allergy sufferers that the facility used also processes milk, wheat, fish, and shellfish.)
3) Look's Gourmet Food Company, Atlantic brand, New England style soldier beans: Same ingredients, other than the bean type, obviously, and same lack of GMOs, BPA, etc. I could see the alleged soldiery pattern on these, and the beans themselves were a bit bigger than the others. I liked these the best of the three. They seemed a bit tangier. They were also eaten plain, and with Taco Bell's Nachos.
Wrapping up, despite being such an ubiquitous food item for people all over the world, some beans can be dangerous to eat if prepared improperly. I mentioned this in my post on lupini beans (See my post on September 15, 2018), but kidney beans also have a toxin in them, called phytohemagglutinin. Raw kidney beans need to be boiled for at least 30 minutes, and slow cooking actually increases the hazard. Moving on, to be a little crude, beans have the reputation of causing flatulence in consumers. One website advised people to both soak raw beans in water for a while before cooking, or to rinse canned beans in water to combat this. Also, the leaves of bean plants can help against bed bugs. The tiny microscopic hairs can trap the miniature pests, kind of like a natural form of flypaper. Dating back to ancient times, and even surviving up in the present day, some people have used beans to predict the future. This practice, called favomancy, involves throwing a handful of beans and interpreting the results. Or a PETA-approved alternative to reading animal entrails, I suppose. Finally, I rather enjoyed many of the names for the various types of beans. One of them is the"orca bean", since that sort has a black and white pattern which resembles the aquatic animal, and another is named, very dramatically, the "tongue of fire bean."
Soldier beans, like the other ones discussed in this post, and most beans period, take their name from their appearance. They are whitish in color, with a distinct red pattern on them. Some think this looks like a toy soldier, so there we have it. (Personally, I can see a helmeted head shape. But of course, the phenomenon of pareidolia, in which different people can interpret random or natural shapes as being something clear and distinct, such as those who see religious figures on their slice of toast, is obviously a thing.) The history of the soldier bean is a little hazy, but one website posited that they originated in the New England area around the year 1800. The New England climate is ideal for growing them, as this bean likes a cool temperature. It's also resistant to drought conditions.
The yellow eye bean's name is pretty easy to guess. They're basically like black eyed peas, only with a yellow oval on them that looks like an eye, staring out from an otherwise whitish bean. They appear to have developed in the Old World somewhere, in about 1860. (Sorry I can't be more detailed, but that's all I could find.) They are related to kidney beans, which I'll get into further, in the last paragraph. This kind of bean is also very popular in the New England states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine), especially in the region's signature baked beans. They are also commonly used in soups, casseroles, and dips. Some consumers grade them as being superior in taste to navy and great northern beans. Yellow eye beans are also relatively easy to grow.
The history of Jacob's cattle beans is disputed. One website claims that the first to cultivate them was the Passamaquoddy Native American group in the area which is now Northeast Canada/Maine in the 1600's. Another said that a different Native American tribe, the Nez Perce, domesticated them in the area which is now Washington State and Idaho. One of the common alternative names for this bean is appaloosa bean, from one of the horse types that the Nez Perce used. Yet another claim is made for a man named Jacob Trout who supposedly invented this bean in Virginia. (Some people call them "trout beans" after his surname, and others just use his first name, clearly.) And one final website said they were developed in Germany. Anyway, the "cattle" part of one of the common names is because the bean's whitish color with mottled splotches of pink reminds some of the hide pattern of the Hereford cattle breed. Anyway, whatever you call it, this bean is said to have a dense, meaty texture, and a fruity and nutty flavor. It's also often used in soups and casseroles.
1) Bar Harbor Foods yellow eye beans: These were baked beans, in their special sauce made from water, evaporated cane juice, fancy molasses, salt, and ground mustard. I thought these were solid baked beans, both by themselves and mixed with Taco Bell Nachos Bell Grande. Not great, but about average. They did look a little strange, though, as their "eyes" were reddish, not yellow. To paraphrase a Dave Attell joke, the beans looked as if they'd been up all night, trying to solve a murder or something. (I'm guessing the sauce caused this color change for real.)
2) Look's Gourmet Food Company, Atlantic brand, New England style Jacob's cattle beans: These were also baked, with a sauce made from water, evaporated cane juice (sugar), fancy molasses, pork, salt, and ground mustard. Their appearance was as advertised, basically. These were also good, but not spectacular baked beans, either alone or eaten with the Taco Bell Nachos. The label also mentioned that these beans contained no artificial ingredients, MSG, or GMOs, and that the can that contained them was non-BPA lined. (The label went on to warn allergy sufferers that the facility used also processes milk, wheat, fish, and shellfish.)
3) Look's Gourmet Food Company, Atlantic brand, New England style soldier beans: Same ingredients, other than the bean type, obviously, and same lack of GMOs, BPA, etc. I could see the alleged soldiery pattern on these, and the beans themselves were a bit bigger than the others. I liked these the best of the three. They seemed a bit tangier. They were also eaten plain, and with Taco Bell's Nachos.
Wrapping up, despite being such an ubiquitous food item for people all over the world, some beans can be dangerous to eat if prepared improperly. I mentioned this in my post on lupini beans (See my post on September 15, 2018), but kidney beans also have a toxin in them, called phytohemagglutinin. Raw kidney beans need to be boiled for at least 30 minutes, and slow cooking actually increases the hazard. Moving on, to be a little crude, beans have the reputation of causing flatulence in consumers. One website advised people to both soak raw beans in water for a while before cooking, or to rinse canned beans in water to combat this. Also, the leaves of bean plants can help against bed bugs. The tiny microscopic hairs can trap the miniature pests, kind of like a natural form of flypaper. Dating back to ancient times, and even surviving up in the present day, some people have used beans to predict the future. This practice, called favomancy, involves throwing a handful of beans and interpreting the results. Or a PETA-approved alternative to reading animal entrails, I suppose. Finally, I rather enjoyed many of the names for the various types of beans. One of them is the"orca bean", since that sort has a black and white pattern which resembles the aquatic animal, and another is named, very dramatically, the "tongue of fire bean."
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