BigBangKitchen

.. fusion of food & science …


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Cucumber Salad v.1

Cucumber Salad, version 1

At last! A recipe!! Part of the vision of BigBangKitchen is to highlight a food and get to know it in more detail and then to have a recipe that uses the food that was highlighted. So, in this case the cucumber. Check out the last post if you missed the info on this versatile vegetable!

Before getting to the actual recipe, I just want to let you know why I called it ‘version 1’. Basically the reason is this: it is easy to mix and match the type of onion and bell pepper and even the type of vinegar used in this recipe. Yes, I tried it using the called for rice vinegar, as well as regular vinegar and balsamic vinegar – the result is a different flavour 🙂 All good!

Here is the recipe: Serves 4

Ingredient List:

– cucumber (garden or from store),  1/2 small red onion, 1/3 medium red pepper, 1 tbsp (15ml) brown sugar, 2 tbsp (30ml) rice vinegar, pinch of salt, fresh coriander leaves

Process:

– wash and dry the cucumber, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then in 1/4’s and arrange on a plate, or toss the pieces in a bowl (see photo)

– slice the red pepper and red onion into thin sections (juliennes) and scatter onto the cucumber

– in separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar and vinegar choice and salt until well  mixed, then top with coriander leaves (optional, I did not have any when made this a few days ago)

Serve and enjoy!

ps. my reference is (Simply Thai Cooking, 1995)


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Just a quick “for your info” or “did you know” …

The cucumber. What do you know about this vegetable?

Could it be used to assist for helping to manage medical conditions?

What about using cucumber as a form of a spa treatment?

Well, the cucumber is a versatile vegetable! For example, because of its high water content the cucumber can be viewed as a hydrating food that helps minimize dryness and wrinkling of the skin and assists to remove toxins that can age us! How cool!

An interesting fact: the cucumber is a recommended food in the program DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) because the cucumber is rich in potassium, magnesium, and fiber so it naturally helps to reduce high blood pressure by contributing to balance the fluid in the body.

Spa-wise, well the cucumber is sometimes used as an ingredient for the rejuvenating face mask with another natural wonder – the avocado.

Here is some information about the properties of a cucumber (1 cup):

* 16 calories per cup, 0.11 g total fat, 0.65 g protein, 3.63 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fiber

* Potassium 147 mg

* Magnesium 13 mg

* Vitamin C 2.8 mg

* Vitamin B5 0.26 mg

Stay tuned for the first recipe featuring the versatile cucumber!

Happy kitchening & cooking!


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Welcome to BigBangKitchen!

The notion of this blog was started this summer when, while on vacation and also celebrating a marked anniversary with family, I was in the kitchen mixing a salad dressing of vinegar (regular) instead of the called for balsamic vinegar and some brown sugar: “that does not go together” (or some form of that statement, says my niece (coming from an organic chemistry perspective)). I kept mixing the two together and asked her to taste the mixture. “That is good!”

From that moment onwards was the conversation of food and science. Yes, I am sure these two (food & science) have been together for some time before hand and will continue to be together for a very long time. Even more so now, with more research being done on how food interacts with the body to maintain good health, how properties of whole foods have some amazing benefits for the body to prevent illness, and how there is so much research that is assisting to produce the variety of supplements we now find on the grocery store aisles and speciality food stores!

As we get started with BigBangKitchen, feel free to leave comments, share some info and even post recipes too! BigBankKitchen is about sharing knowledge, transfering the knowledge about food and science, be it quirky or how to salvage a flaming BBQ dessert! This site will be a dynamic on-going site that will have tidbits of useful information on food and the science that goes with it, or the science and the food that goes with it … depends on your perspective!

Happy kitchening & cooking!