Kickstarter for "Death's Garden Revisited"

           

     Way back in 2003 I had my 5th piece of writing published, in a magazine called "Morbid Curiosity."  To use one of its official descriptions, this periodical consisted of, "Confessional first-person essays about the unsavory, unwise, unorthodox, and unusual:  All the dark elements that make life truly worth living."  (My article was about my experiences with heat exhaustion, Lyme Disease, and being bit by a rabid fox.)  Then, in 2004 and 2005 I was fortunate enough to be a part of two more editions of Morbid Curiosity, with an article about  what it's like to exhume graves, and then an account of my childhood fever hallucinations.  Well, a couple of months ago I heard exciting news from the owner/editor of Morbid Curiosity, Loren Rhoads.  In 1995 she had edited a book called "Death's Garden:  Relationships with Cemeteries," which was a well regarded book about people's experiences with the places we bury our dead, coming at it from various perspectives, such as historical, anthropological, sociological, etc., etc., and including people who just like them because they're cool.  And now she's putting out a new edition, with many new and diverse articles about all aspects of graveyards.  Loren was interested in reprinting my nonfiction story about exhuming, and of course I was more than willing to participate.

     But first things first.  As you can see from the title of this post, this book is starting with a Kickstarter campaign.  I invite everyone to go over and check it out, for much more detail on all the book will entail.  The cover is clearly featured above, and here's the address for the Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lorenrhoads/deaths-garden-revisited-relationships-with-cemeteries 

     Plus I'll provide a contributor list below.  These can be divided into three main categories, although obviously there is significant overlap.

Horror Authors:

A.M. Muffaz           Angela Yuriko Smith         Christine Sutton         Denise N. Tapscott

E.M. Markoff          Emerian Rich                    Francesca Maria         Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito

Greg Roensch         Mary Rajotte                     Melodie Bolt              Priscilla Bettis

Rena Mason           Robert Holt                       R.L. Merrill                Saraliza Anzaldua

Trish Wilson           Stephen Mark Rainey

Cemetery Writers/Genealogists/Historians:

Anne Born             Barbara Baird                    Carrie Sessarego        Carole Tyrrell

Erika Mailman       J'aime Rubio                     Jo Nell Huff                Joane M. Austin

Sharon Pajka          Trilby Plants                     Rachelle Meilleur

Morbid Curiosity Contributors:

Brian Thomas        Benjamin Scuglia              Chris LaMay-West     George Neville-Neil

M. Parfitt               Paul Stansfield                   Rain Graves    

     I believe the book will be published in October, or perfect for the Halloween season.  Obviously I'll post updates along the way leading up to this time.  Oh, and just for regular readers info, this post is a bit earlier in the week than usual, but the next post will return to being on Saturday (March 26th).

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Chilean Brandy

      A while ago I decided to tour the cordial section of one of my local liquor stores, specifically one I haven't been going to much in the past year or so.  I chose that particular aisle because of my disdain for the most common hard liquors--vodka, whiskey, rum, gin, tequila, etc.  So when I saw a distilled grape spirit, from Chile, I jumped at the chance, and brought it home.  The actual drink was pisco, from the Capel brand, and company.

     As I later discovered, the origins, name, and nature of pisco are hotly debated.  In essence, we have a duel between the countries of Peru and Chile.  Pisco is the national drink of both of these nations, and each considers their version of it to be the only "true" pisco.  Let's start this fight off with the name.  Some claim it's the Quechua word meaning "bird."  Why this term for bird became the name of a liquor is kind of left unsaid.  But others claim pisco means a type of earthenware container, and/or the liquor often put in said container.  Finally, some think that the Peruvian town of Pisco was where the drink was initially, or at least most notably made, so naturally it became the name of the liquor.

     As for the origin, both Peru and Chile have old traditions of making wine, and then transforming this wine into other spirits, like brandy.  Supposedly the first written reference to pisco is in the will of a Peruvian man named Pedro Manuel, in the town of Ica, in the early 1600's.  But other historians claim that the drink was simultaneously being made in Chile.  Peru does have one thing on their side--while pisco may have been made in Chile for hundreds of years, it didn't become prevalent and very popular until the early 1930's or so.

     Then there is the spirit itself.  In both Peru and Chile pisco is a brandy, or a liquor distilled from wine, made from grapes.  But there are some differences.  To be legitimate in Peru, the pisco can only be made from 8 recognized grape varieties, while in Chile it's 14 kinds.  In Peru pisco can only be distilled once, while in Chile it can be distilled multiple times.  And, in Peru pisco can be aged in earthenware, steel, or glass containers, but NOT wood ones, while in Chile wood containers are fine.  All of these details seem pretty insignificant to me, but to Chilean and Peruvian pisco connoisseurs these are anything but trivial.

     Capel is an acronym, which stands for Cooperativa Agricola Pisquera Elqui Limitada.  In 1938 23 men and 5 women founded this company.  Over the decades the company became more popular, and by the 1980's Capel pisco graduated from being a small local favorite to a large, national brand.  By the 1990's Capel started exporting it, mainly to the U.S.  Currently it makes up more than 50% of the pisco market in Chile.  Chilean pisco is usually made in various forms, defined by their alcohol contents.  Corriente o Tradicional is 30-35%, Especial is 35-40%, Reservado is 40%, and Gran is 43% and up.  Capel makes several different types of pisco, selling a 35% one, a 43% one, a special edition, and transparent varieties.  The company also makes a rum, and a premixed cocktail.

     There are several ways to traditionally enjoy pisco.  Some imbibers have it neat (plain), either as an anytime drink or as an aperitif (pre-meal drink), or digestif (post meal beverage).  Some have it mixed with fruit and herbs, in a solution called a macerado.  But the most common, as far as I can tell, seems to be as part of a cocktail.

Capel Reserved pisco, double distilled:  This had a clear color, and a boozy odor.  The alcohol content was listed as 40%.  I didn't have any mixers on hand, and drank it before I found about the various cocktail types, anyway.  So I had mine straight, as a shot.  The taste was just awful--like it was industrial alcohol or something.  The only flavor was harshness.  Or, to quote Ralph Wiggum, "It tastes like burning!"  I despised this, and only gritted my teeth and eventually finished it because I dropped about $20 for the 750 mL bottle.  So, in a short while I've discovered one of, or maybe the best liquor I've ever had (Arak Razzouk, see January 29, 2022 post), followed shortly by one of the very worst.  Part of me wants to see if the Peruvian version of pisco is also this terrible.  But only if I can find a single shot, 50 mL tiny bottle of it, so I don't waste money and time on something I'll probably loathe.  To be fair, I can't recall liking any other brandy, so maybe if you like this liquor type you'll also enjoy this.  I won't be fighting you for the bottles, that's for sure!

     I'd like to close by briefly discussing some famous Chileans.  I should note that many of the folks I'll mention have very long names, which are sometimes replaced by shorter pen, or stage names, which I'll use for brevity.  First off, two Chileans have won the Nobel Prize for Literature--Gabriela Mistral in 1945, and Pablo Neruda in 1971.  In the world of acting, there's Cote de Pablo, who was born in Chile but moved to the U.S. as a child.  She's best known for appearing on television's "NCIS" from 2005-13, and 2019-20.  She also appeared in such movies as "The Last Rites of Ransom Pride" (2010) and "The 33" (2015).  Pedro Pascal also was born in Chile but moved to the U.S. as a baby.  He appeared in such movies as "Hermanas" (2005), "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011), "Wonder Woman 1984" (2020), and the upcoming "The Bubble" (2022), and on such television series as "Game of Thrones" (2014) and "The Mandalorian" (2019-).  On the other side of the camera, there's Alejandro Jodorowksy, who was born in Chile but moved to France.  He's recognized for directing films such as "El Topo" (1970), "The Holy Mountain" (1973), "Tusk" (1980), "Santa Sangre" (1989), and "Endless Poetry" (2016).  Alejandro Amenabar is Chilean-born, but is now also a citizen of Spain.  He directed movies like "Thesis" (1996), "The Others" (2001), "The Sea Inside" (2004, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film), "Agora" (2009), "Regression" (2015), and "While at War" (2019).  Moving to music, there's Chilean-born, now American, Tom Araya, who's been the bassist and vocalist for the thrash metal band Slayer since 1981.  In sports, Anita Lizana (born in Chile, she later moved to the U.K.) was ranked #1 in tennis in 1937, the same year she won the U.S. Open.  And finally, Sammis Reyes is the first person from Chile to play in the NFL.  In 2021, with the Washington Football Team, he suited up for 11 games, with 1 start, at tight end.  He played mostly on special teams, and made two assisted tackles.  Since he's in his mid 20's, I'm sure he'll attempt to play more seasons.

    Additionally, Chile is notable for a couple of natural things.  On the negative side, the world's most powerful earthquake, with a magnitude of between 9.4 and 9.6, occurred here, in the Valdivia quake on May 22, 1960.  (Other quakes in history resulted in more deaths, but had less powerful magnitudes.)  Then there's the Atacama Desert.  It's the driest non-polar desert on the planet, with annual rainfall of well less than an inch (about 2.5 cm.).  Because of its extreme aridity, lack of clouds, elevation, and relative lack of light and radio pollution, the Atacama is one of the best places on Earth for viewing the stars--an astronomer's dream.

     Also, on Thursday, March 17th, I'll be posting about an upcoming anthology that I'll be a part of.  Included in this post will be information about the Kickstarter project that precedes the book's publishing.  The title is "Death's Garden Revisited," edited by Loren Rhoads.

   

Extremely Difficult Trivia about "The Exorcist" (1973)

      Today I'd like to do another of my deep dive, incredibly detailed trivial explorations of famous, usually horror movies.  "The Exorcist" is one of my very favorite films of all time, and was very successful in its day, both critically and at the box office.  As usual, I recognize that almost nobody will know the answers to all of these--including myself, before I went through and re-watched the movie while taking notes.  And clearly there will be many SPOILERS about a nearly 50 year old movie, so be forewarned.  Finally, I'm using the 2000, "The Version You've Never Seen" version, which put back several minutes of footage, including the "spider walk" scene and a brief Kinderman--Dyer conversation at the end.  I think only Questions #46 and  #51 deal with a scene not included in the theatrical cut.  I'll ask the questions first, and then include the answers at the end.

Questions:

1)    What famous archaeological site, and in what modern country, is Father Merrin working at in the opening of the movie?

2)    What is written on the small metal medallion or pendent that Merrin studies in the beginning, which we later see at the conclusion of the movie?

3)    What is the name of the movie that Chris MacNeil is working on in Washington D.C.?

4)    According to director Burke Dennings, the writer of the movie is, uh, "fornicating" where?

5)    What scene, and take, do we see being filmed?

6)    What is the date during this filming day?

7)    Chris's assistant is Sharon.  What is Sharon's last name?  (Kinderman mentions it once.)

8)    What clay sculpture do we see Regan finish painting?

9)    What is the name of the spirit who answers the questions that Regan poses using the Ouija board?

10)   We briefly see a magazine cover which has both Regan and Chris on it.  What is the magazine?

11)   While discussing what to do on Regan's upcoming birthday, Chris suggests more sightseeing.  What D.C. area sight does she specifically mention?

12)   What is Chris's nickname for Regan?

13)   We see Father Karras talking to another priest in a bar, discussing his problems and crisis of faith.  Who is this other priest?

14)   During her birthday, where is Regan's father staying, and in what city?

15)   Chris is awakened with the news that she needs to be on set ASAP.  What number scene will they be shooting?

16)  How is the statue of Mary in the church desecrated?

17)   Regan gets an electrocardiagraph at the doctor's office.  What model machine is used?

18)   In the patient waiting room, a picture from a famous art museum/gallery is shown.  What is this place?

19)   What is the name of the doctor that Regan sees first?  (We also see this doctor in several other scenes.)

20)   What five symptoms of a nervous disorder does this doctor mention Regan shows?

21)   What medicine does this doctor first proscribe for Regan?

22)   What nickname do Father Karras's relatives refer to him as?

23)   At the party, the astronaut mentions the spacecraft he'll be in has how many cubic feet of room?

24)   Burke taunts Karl about being a Nazi.  What nationality does Karl insist that he is?

25)   What is the name of the church where Karras's office is located?

26)   What song does Father Dyer lead the partygoers into singing, while he plays the piano?

27)   Father Dyer brings over a bottle of liquor to help Karras mourn his mother's passing.  What is it?

28)   According to Karras's prayer in the church, what was his mother's first name?

29)   Regan's first doctor is assisted by a colleague, who even joins him over at the MacNeil house to observe her.  Who is this second doctor?

30)   What is the second medication that Regan is proscribed?

31)   Chris and Regan are temporarily staying in Washington D.C. while Chris shoots the movie.  Where is their permanent home?

32)   What two actors does Kinderman say Karras resembles?

33)   And who does Karras say that Kinderman resembles?

34)   What movie does Kinderman tell Karras he has free passes to?

35)   What is the name of the hospital/clinic that examines Regan about midway through the film?

36)   The doctors there suggest an exorcism for Regan, for power of suggestion reasons rather than believing in a real demon.  What is their official diagnosis of her condition?

37)   When Kinderman is talking to Chris, he mentions he's seen one of her previous movies 6 times.  What is the name of this movie?

38)   What three places does Karras mention he was trained at?

39)   What is Karras's initial recommendation for treating Regan?

40)   What brand of tape recorder does Karras use while listening to recordings of Regan's regular voice?

41)   During their second meeting, aside from regular English, Regan speaks 3 different languages.  What are they?

42)   Where is Merrin when he is contacted to perform the exorcism?

43)   What is the name of the cab company that Merrin uses to get to the MacNeil house?

44)   What supplies for the exorcism does Merrin ask Karras to bring back from the Residency?

45)   What kind of liquor does Chris offer Merrin, which he gladly accepts?

46)   What is Regan's middle name?

47)   What number chapter is the Rite of Exorcism that Merrin and Karras use?

48)   There is graffiti written in red on the building to the left of the famous Hitchcock Steps, visible during some of the views looking down it.  What does the graffiti say?

49)   There's a gas station at the foot of the Hitchcock Steps.  What company is it?

50)   What make and model of car are the MacNeils driving in as they leave the house at the end of the movie?

51)   Kinderman offers Dyer a free movie pass at the very end of the film.  What movie is it?

52)   While discussing that Merrin should perform the exorcism, one of the priests mentions Merrin's previous exorcism in Africa, which he thinks happened about how many years ago?

53)   A real life convicted murderer acted in "The Exorcist."  Who is it, and what part did they play?

54)   The writer of the movie, William Peter Blatty, also acted briefly in the movie.  What part did he play?

55)  Why is practically every character, even the doctors, always smoking?

Answers:

1)    Ninevah, in present day Northern Iraq.

2)    Soncte Joseph ora pro nobis.  Or, in English, "Saint Joseph pray for us."

3)    Crash Course.

4)    Paris, France.

5)    Scene 39, Take 4.  Hotel.   (Even though it's filmed outside a university building.)

6)    Evidently it's on Halloween, October 31st, since the fallen leaves indicate it's autumn, and while walking home Chris passes some kids trick or treating.

7)    Spencer.

8)    A bird with an orange body, yellowish head feathers, and a striped beak.

9)    Captain Howdy.  Which is probably the demon's attempt to trick Regan by using a name similar to her father, whose name, Howard, is seen on the magazine mentioned in Question #10.

10)   Photoplay.  Which was a real magazine, that ceased publication in 1980.

11)   The Lee Mansion.

12)   Rags.

13)   Tom.  He's the president of Georgetown University in the movie.

14)   The Hotel Excelsior, in Rome, Italy.

15)   61.

16)   It was given red nippled, pointy breasts, with some black paint on their bases, a sharp phallus, with red paint (blood) on both the phallus and the statue's hands.  In the book Kinderman confirms that the paint and clay are the same that Regan used for her artwork.

17)   The Series 2000 Automatic Electrocardiogram.

18)   The Galerie Maeght, a modern art facility in Paris, France.

19)   According to the nameplate on his desk, it's Harold E. Klein.

20)   Hyperactivity, her temper, her bad performance in math, lying, and swearing.

21)   The later extremely popular drug Ritalin, 10 mg. per day.

22)   Dimmie, evidently a version of his real name, Damien.

23)   210 cubic feet, which the astronaut thinks is quite spacious.

24)   Swiss.

25)   St. Michaels.

26)   "Down on 33rd and 3rd," a 1926 tune created by Ben Ryan.

27)   Chivas Regal, a blended Scotch whisky.  Dyer says he stole it from the university president.

28)   Mary.

29)   Dr. Taney.

30)   The much more serious Thorazine.

31)   Los Angeles, not surprisingly for an actress.  Chris mentions that they've sold their old house, but are building a new one.

32)   First John Garfield, then later, when he's irritated at Karras, Sal Mineo.

33)   Paul Newman.

34)   Othello.  Although Kinderman jokingly says it stars Debbie Reynolds as Desdemona, and Groucho Marx as Othello.

35)   The Barringer Clinic and Foundation.

36)   Somnambuliform possession.

37)   Angel.

38)   Harvard, Bellevue, and Johns Hopkins.  Presumably the second one refers to the famous New York City hospital, and not a university.

39)   6 months of observation at the best hospital that Chris can afford.

40)   A DuKane Monitor.  It also has Radio Learning Laboratories printed on it.

41)   Latin, French, and then backwards English.  If you're really curious, Regan says, translated, "Spoken miracles." and  "I absolve you." in Latin, "Hello!" and "My aunt's pen." in French, and "Give us time.  Let her die.  I am no one.  I am no one.  Fear the priest.  Fear the priest.  Merrin!" in backward English.

42)   Woodstock.  Not the famous New York town, but a Jesuit seminary in Maryland.

43)   The company is Capitol, the phone # is 546-2400, and the car # is 220.  I looked it up, and this is still an actual cab company in D.C., and 546-2400, with the 202 area code, is their actual phone number.

44)   A cassock, 2 surplices, a purple stole, some holy water, and a copy of The Roman Ritual, the large one.

45)   Brandy, in his coffee.

46)   Teresa.

47)   11.

48)   You can clearly see "PIGS," and then what looks like a "GHT" before this.  So probably "FIGHT PIGS," as in an anti-police message.

49)   Mobil.

50)   It's a Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 4.5 (liter engine).  Probably a 1972 model.

51)   Wuthering Heights, with another joke that it stars Jackie Gleason as Heathcliff and Lucille Ball as Catherine Earnshaw.

52)  He says it was 10-12 years before, meaning in the early 1960's.  Which is contradicted by both prequel versions, which have it taking place in either 1947 or 1949.  Maybe the priest misremembered.  Or the filmmakers changed it for their own reasons.

53)   It's Paul Bateson, who was convicted of murder in 1979, and was in prison until 2003.  He plays the radiological technician, since that was his real job at the time.  He's the younger guy with a beard, who has several lines of dialogue with Regan.  "Exorcist" director William Friedkin later did the controversial 1980 movie "Cruising," which added some elements from Bateson's real life case.  Also, some investigators thought Bateson might have killed more people.

54)   He plays a producer that's talking to Burke during the shooting of the film within the film at the beginning.  Ironically, he's asking if these scenes are necessary for the film, implying that he doesn't think they are, while in real life Blatty was put off that some scenes he liked were cut from the final theatrical version of "The Exorcist," and were restored for this 2000 version.  Some sources claim this character is named Fromme, while others state his character is unnamed.

55)   I know, it was the 1970's.  But it was still jarring to me on this most recent viewing.  I'm surprised that the doctors didn't give Regan cigarettes!

     Also, stay tuned--I'll have a writing announcement coming up, probably within the week.

    

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Vietnamese/American Coconut Water

      I'm kind of irritated.  I picked up this container of coconut water because it was made in Vietnam.  I thought I'd discussed coconut water before, years ago.  But I was mistaken.  As I scrolled through all of my posts, I never found any about it.  Apparently I was confusing coconut water with aloe, or cactus flavored drinks.  Whatever the case, coconut water will get its debut today.  Specifically it was from the Goya company, which is based in the U.S.

     Looking through all those past posts, I was reminded that I've featured Goya products many times.  In order of appearance, I talked about Brazilian cookies on May 25, 2016, Spanish cookies on January 6, 2018, pigeon peas on February 10, 2018, sugarcane juice on March 17, 2018, and cuitlacoche on January 30, 2021.  So I won't repeat myself yet again--the first one, in 2016 has the most information about the company itself.

     Coconut water is the clear fluid found inside of the coconut.  It's distinct from coconut "milk," which is a combination of coconut water and grated coconut pulp.  (The pulp is the soft whitish layer inside the tough outer husk.  This pulp is clearly edible.)  Technically coconut water is a juice, but no one seems to call it that.  If you're so inclined, you can ferment coconut water into coconut vinegar, or make it into a jelly, even.  Usually the younger coconuts, which have green outer husks rather than the brown ones, are the type used for coconut water.  In some places street vendors just chop a hole in a coconut using a machete, and then stick a straw in it and hand it to the customers.  Probably the most talked about aspect of coconut water is its nutritional value, and its perceived medical uses.  This beverage is sometimes referred to as nature's sports drink, since it contains electrolytes.  However, the healthiness of coconut water is a bit overblown, to say the least.  Coconut water does have B vitamins (electrolytes), but not in huge amounts--the Daily Value percentage of each is 1-5%.  It actually has more manganese and magnesium in it, at a "whopping" 7%.  Other adherents go beyond the electrolyte/hydration issue.  Alas, the scientific evidence is conclusive, and coconut water is not an effective antiviral agent, nor does it lower cholesterol or balance blood glucose levels, as some have claimed.  In fact, one producer of coconut water, the Vita Coco brand from All Market, Inc., was reportedly forced to pay a $10,000,000 settlement in 2012 for falsely saying that its product contained 15 times the amount of electrolytes as popular sports drinks.  And, to get much darker, reportedly during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia doctors substituted coconut water for saline in their patients, with disastrous results that are listed as a crime against humanity by the Documentation Center of Cambodia.  Finally, drinking too much coconut water can have serious health hazards.  The relatively high amount of potassium can cause kidney failure, heart arrhythmia, loss of consciousness, and even death.  This is very rare, but it is possible.  The overall point being that coconut water is nutritious, is relatively low on calories and sugar, and does have electrolytes.  But it's not magic.  Don't think it's a substitute for, you know, actual real medications or anything.  And a "gallon challenge" of coconut water sounds like an exceptionally bad idea, given the potassium issue I just mentioned. 

Goya pure coconut water:  I had mine chilled.  It looked like slightly cloudy water, with no visible coconut pulp pieces.  Had a distinct coconut-y odor.  It tasted kind of weak.  The other coconut waters I've tried had a bolder taste, stronger, more flavorful.  This one was, well, watery.  Disappointing.  Not terrible--it wasn't hard to finish.  It was just kind of boring.  

     As I said, I've had coconut water from other companies many times over the years, perhaps over a decade.  And I enjoyed it much more those other times.  Along with aloe it's one of the few juice-type drinks that I like to have pieces of pulp in--these seem to improve the taste.  Unfortunately I can't remember which brands these were.  I'll try to remember, or I'll just try to get these again, when it's feasible.  So, I definitely recommend coconut water in general, but not the Goya brand specifically.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--A Dutch Goat Cheese

      I know I did another Dutch product, Bols, back in October, but I'm doing another one.  In my defense, after ten years of putting out this blog, it's tough to find new, appropriate fodder for this type of post.  Anyway, this one was a Boer'n Trots goat cheese with honey flavor, from Kaamps Estate, by way of our old friend Saputo.  (See my post about kasseri cheese on June 27, 2020 for more info about that company.)

     Kaamps Estate is located in the small village of Deurningen, in the Twente region of The Netherlands.  This farm passed into the current owner's family back in 1920, and for the next 65 years was a regular cow, pig, and chicken farm.  However, in 1985 Herbert Nijland and his wife Yvonne started to sell cheese.  As well as some other things.  The farm also currently has a coffee house, a reception area for holiday and company meetings, and even a petting zoo and playground for children.  (Also, in the detailed family history information on the official website, it's noted that an ancestor of Herbert's married a 31 year old woman when he was 71.  Which is kind of an odd tidbit to include on the company website, but whatever.)  Kaamps Estate has some innovative, or quirky, or both ideas about how to run their farm.  For one, the grazing fields are heavy on clover, which has the stated benefit of needing less fertilizer and adding a creamier taste to the milk, resulting in smoother cheese.  Also, unlike most dairy farms (I guess?), the cows call some of the shots--if they don't feel like going outside because of the heat, or cold, they're not pressured to do so.  Also, they have (special, cow-sized) waterbeds to recline on, and massage brushes to help work out the muscle kinks, and I guess scratch those hard to reach itches.  It's not mentioned how the goats are treated, but hopefully also in a nurturing fashion.  Then there's the cheeses.  Pretty much all of them are washed in either honey or caramel a few times.  The reported reason is to give the rind a different, yellow-brown color, and to give the cheese itself a sweet taste.  (I didn't realize that consumers cared about the color of the rind around the cheese they buy, but what do I know?)  Some of Kaamps' alternate cheese flavors include maple syrup whiskey, X.O. (a crumbly, aged cheese variety), goat cheese with honey and truffles, mushroom and chestnut, pumpkinseed and carrot, chili, and 4 seasons pepper.  Also the traditional Dutch staple, regular old gouda.

Boer'n Trots goat cheese, honey flavor:  The cheese itself was a pale yellowish-white, with a, not shockingly, honey-brown rind surrounding it.  The odor was very slight.  The texture was semi-soft--not dry and crumbly, but not spreadable like a brie.  As far as the taste, it was salty, and a bit creamy.  Tangy.  I had some plain, and some on crackers.  Both ways were about the same--very good.  So definitely a winner, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.  Two things did strike me, though.  First, it didn't taste like many of the other goat cheese I've had--it had more a regular cow milk cheese flavor.  Also, despite it being bathed in honey, I didn't detect a sweetness to it.  Overall it didn't have the most distinctive taste for a cheese, but at the same time I can't say much of anything bad about it.

     So no surprises here--it's cheese, so of course I enjoyed it.  My only faint criticism is that the Boer'n Trots honey goat cheese was expensive--$17.99 per pound, so my half pound or so set me back about $8.  But it was really good, so I would try alternate flavors of Boer'n Trots if given the opportunity.

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Spanish/American/Italian Artichokes

      Artichokes are one of those foods that I think I tried somewhere along the line, years ago.  But, at the same time, I couldn't remember this sampling clearly.  Therefore, when I came across a can of them a few months ago, I bought one, to give this veggie an official, fair trial.  The fact that they came from Spain just was just icing on the cake, so to speak.  My container was a 14 ounce (396 gram) can of artichoke hearts from the Rienzi company, based out of Astoria, New York, in the U.S.

     After doing a little research on the Rienzi company, I discovered a bit about its history and background.  This business was started in 1967 by a Mike Rienzi, in New York City.  Rienzi began by making and selling mozzarella cheese and flour to bakeries and pizzerias in New York.  However, by the early 1970's the company branched out, and started importing Italian delicacies, such as pastas and tomatoes.  By the 1980's and 90's Rienzi was available throughout the Northeast U.S., and in addition to its previous products also manufactured olive oils, vinegars, cheeses, beans, bread crumbs, and clam sauces.  Currently Rienzi wares are sold throughout the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic states, as well as pockets of Illinois, Ohio, and Texas.  Rienzi also owns 2000 acres in the Basilicata region of Italy, where they grow many of the crops used in their own products.  There are some Rienzi factories in Italy, too.  Although it wasn't explicitly mentioned on their website, they clearly also import from Spain, since my can was stamped "Product of Spain."  Which explains the convoluted title of this post.

     Artichokes themselves are members of the thistle family, whose more famous relatives are usually distinctly inedible and harsh.  Artichokes are actually only edible, or at least palatable, during a short window of time, when the flower is budding, but not fully in bloom.  The origin of domesticated artichokes is somewhat nebulous.  The where is fairly well known--the Mediterranean region.  But the when is disputed.  There are references to it as far back as the classic Roman era, or even in Ancient Greece, but some historians believe these mentions are about a wild precursor, and not the artichoke as we know and enjoy today.  It's now grown in various hot weather places.  The leading cultivators are Italy, Spain, Egypt, and Peru, although France, Argentina, China, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia, and the state of California also produce large amounts of artichokes.  The town of Castroville, California, bills itself, evidently somewhat exaggeratedly, as the "artichoke center of the world," and has an annual festival devoted to this vegetable.  Nutritionally artichokes have some B vitamins, Vitamin C, and decent amounts (over 10% of the USDA daily serving) of folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium.  As for preparation, this food is sometimes boiled, or used as a pizza topping, but the most common manner is to stuff them, usually with meat, bread crumbs, and spices.  It's even utilized as a beverage--the Vietnamese and Romanians make an herbal tea out of it, and the Italians make an artichoke-flavored liquor, Cynar.

Rienzi artichoke hearts:  The hearts themselves were yellowish green, about 4 cm. by 3.5 cm (or about 1.75 inches by 1.5 inches), kind of shaped like a rolled up carpet.  They didn't have much of an odor.  For this sampling I was a bit more detailed, and mixed the artichokes with other meals and such.

Plain:  Not very good.  Chewy, kind of salty, bitterish.  But oddly bland somehow, too.  Not a good way to eat them, I suppose.  Kind of sour and vinegar-y, too.  (Although there is no actual vinegar in them.)

With Lean Cuisine spaghetti and meat sauce:  Better, certainly.  Still not great or anything.  Kind of an odd texture.  Rather like a weak veggie in a salad.  Okay, but not a strong contributor.  It wouldn't be missed.

With Smart Ones three cheese ziti with meatballs:  Not as good as the previous spaghetti one  Vinegary like taste of the artichokes doesn't mesh as well with this meal.  Still better than plain, but again, not great or necessary.

With Evol. butternut squash and sage ravioli:  Weird.  Kind of works the best of the ways I tried.  Still not awesome, but okay.

With just ketchup:  Better than plain, but once again, not great.  Vinegar of ketchup mixes better with the artichokes than some of the meals.  But still "meh" at best.

     In conclusion, then, I'm not very impressed with artichokes.  If I see the stuffed kind in a restaurant maybe I'll give it a try, but I'm not optimistic that I'll love them that way, either.  They're not the worst vegetable I've ever had, by far, but they're also far from the best.       

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Hippeas Snacks

      It's been a while, but today I'll be talking about a product from the same country I'm from--the U.S.  With a slight foreign twist, as you'll see.  Anyway, this post is about Hippeas chickpea snacks, from Green Park Brands.  I tried two types of their puffs--the nacho vibe kind, and their vegan white cheddar one.

     The official Hippeas website (hippeas.com), was a bit terse, especially about the product's history, and about who makes it.  It was mostly a list of their products, associated recipes, and a "where to buy" section.  For the record, aside from the two I tried, for the puffs they also make a Bohemian barbecue and then a srircacha sunshine flavor.  Their chickpea chip (crisp) flavors include rockin' ranch, straight up sea salt, and jalapeno vegan cheddar.  Like a lot of hippy-type products, these snacks are proudly touted as being gluten-free, kosher, vegan, organic, non-GMO, and free of milk, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.  (Although some of the facilities where their snacks are made do use milk and soy for other company's wares.)  Plus, the FAQ section notes that Hippeas mimic cheese via onion, garlic powder, and chili powder.

     Fortunately, other online sources provided a little company history.  The founder of the Hippeas brand is Livio Bisterzo.  He's moved around a lot in his life.  He's Italian in heritage, but spent most of his adult life in London, England.  However, he then moved to California, in the U.S., and made it his home.  He's described as being an entrepreneur.  Other ventures he's been involved with in the past include the hospitality brands Maddox Club and Pollen Street, and the men's grooming brand Kyoku.  Hippeas is just one of the brands under his Green Park Brands umbrella.  His other Green Park brands are Betr (medication), Reel (eco-friendly toilet paper), Maverick (snacks), and the surprisingly named Ugly (flavored sparkling water).  A chocolate brand is on the horizon.  Hippeas began in 2016, and has been a huge success.  After a start combining with Starbucks, the brand is now sold in most of the big supermarket chains across the country, and is also exported to the U.K.  As of April 13, 2021, the CEO of Hippeas is Paul Nardone, as Bisterzo is now the Executive Chairman.

     Since Hippeas is so obsessed with chickpeas, I thought I'd delve into them some.  Chickpeas are one of the oldest domesticated crops, as evidence indicates that they were being cultivated for at least 9500 years, beginning in the areas that are now the Middle East and Turkey.  The chickpea is undeniably nutritious--in addition to being a good source of protein, it contains decent amounts of Vitamins B1 and B6, folate, iron, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.  Although pretty much every part of the world utilizes it, it's especially prevalent in Middle Eastern, Indian, and Southeast Asian cuisines.  Also, I was shocked to learn that it's even sometimes a beverage.  In the late 1700's and during World War I, it was ground, roasted, and then made into a drink.  This seems mostly done during times of coffee shortages (like during the War), but some still enjoy it as a beverage today.  To me it sounds off-putting, to say the least, but at the same time I'd love to try it.

Hippeas chickpea puffs, nacho vibe flavor:  These were a thick rod shape, about 4.5 cm (about 1.75 inches) long.  They looked like Cheese Doodles, or cheese curls, but with a light orange-yellow color.  The taste was similar to Cheese Doodles/curls as well.  They were airy and crunchy, with a nice cheese tang.  I don't know if I could have distinguished between these and real cheese curls/doodles in a blind taste test.  Which is impressive, since these Hippeas don't have any actual cheese in them, of course.  So all in all, these were quite tasty.  If you're looking to be vegan, but miss the taste of Cheese Doodles/curls, these are a very good imitation.

Hippeas chickpea puffs, vegan white cheddar flavor:  These looked the same as the other kind, except that their color was a dull yellow.  These were also good.  Puffy and cheesy-tasting, with a nice crunch.  Maybe a hair less great than the nacho vibe ones, but still very respectable.  Like before, I would definitely recommend these, even to folks who aren't vegan.  I'll have to try the Hippeas chips when I get the chance.

     One final note.  If you dislike puns, you might want to avoid Hippeas' social media and such.  Hell, even their brand name is one, obviously.  But other than that, the company also talks about "giving peas a chance," "Peas, love and giving back," and about their "philosoPEA."  Jesus, Hippeas, we get it--you adore chickpeas!  Maybe show a little restraint, and try using some more sophisticated chickpea-related humor.  (I know this an awfully small nit to pick, about a product I really enjoyed, but it did strike me.)