Very few people would think to associate Halloween with the Celtic culture of ancient Ireland, but that's exactly where the holiday has its origins. The Celtic celebration of Sanhain (pronounced sow-in) began 2,000 years ago as a way to celebrate the Celtic new year, which was on November 1.The Celts believed that at the beginning of the new year, the lines between the living and the dead blurred. On October 31, they celebrated Sanhain, which they thought to be the day when the ghosts of the dead returned to earth, causing trouble and damaging crops. They also believed that these spirits made it easier for the Druids, Celtic priests, to see into the future and make predictions.

Ever wondered what dog food tastes like..? Well, according to a recent survey, you don’t really have to taste dog food to know. You can taste pate and know…!!

In a study conducted by Robin Goldstein of the American Association of Wine Economists and colleagues, researchers provided 18 volunteers, five food samples to try in a blind taste test. After the results were out there were a handful of 3 people only who could tell the difference between dog food and pate!The foods given for the test:The pate given to the volunteers were duck liver mousse, pork liver pate, two imitation pates - pureed liverwurst and Spam and Newman’s Own dog food.The test statistics:

One cannot possibly fight the outbreak of swine flu but being safe and keeping a track of outbreak and having a lookout for a possible pandemic near your area is something that can be and should be done seriously.

While choosing your own food and deciding what diet to follow is one’s own free choice, deciding the same for your naturally carnivorous/omnivorous pet can be hard and something of a guilt-trip. Most vegans take up the diet that they choose because they are dedicated animal lovers, ecologically aware of their environmental footprint or really health conscious.Veterinarians have always pronounced dogs to be more adaptable to vegan and vegetarian diets than cats can be. The reason for this lies with a very important amino acid called ‘taurine’ (found in meat/fish) that is essential for cats and as someone who had had lots of cats as pets, I know how important that is.Cats can go blind without taurine in their diet.

We human beings don’t like long names. We’d rather abbreviate everything…it’s convenient and it also saves time! We’ve done it very regularly with films (DDLJ, K3G), with celebs (SRK, BIG B, J-LO & K-JO), with film genres (Sci-Fi, Rom-Com), with places…there’s Cal for Calcutta, CP for Connaught Place and in case you didn’t know, NOIDA stands for New Okhla Industrial Development Authority!

Back in 1991-92, when speaking about sex and condoms in public was a strict no no in India, the rebellious Pooja Bedi did a famous condom ad campaign and walked straight into our living rooms through the telly, and into our bedrooms via our fantasies. The campaign went a long way in educating people about safe sex and spreading AIDS awareness. Where it also succeeded was in getting people to shed their inhibition. Earlier, a man would fumble for words every time he’d visit a shop for the contraceptive, but now all he had to do was “Just ask for KS”. The tagline of the Kamasutra Condom ad helped a man remain a man at the chemist’s counter!

Yes, its happening. I am finally cooking. All along i have been a grubbing foodie; love to eat good stuff but never really ventured into the kitchen more than to heat the good stuff in the microwave or to make some noodles or eggs (both of which being rare). But the transformation has begun and boy, it is beginning to be a very exciting experiment; just what can be made in the kitchen, is truly limited only by imagination (and yes you can make other things too in the kitchen, like, ahmmm, well lets leave that to imagination as well).

A chat with my friend who is a student at a university in the US, far far away from home took me back a few years   in time. He was asking me for instructions online on how to cook a particular dish. For mom it would have been one real simple and easy dish. However, when you are far away from home and have absolutely no idea of how it is made it truly is a herculean task.

I was just thinking about my initial days of cooking which was to say the least a “total disaster”. I spend absolutely care-free days at my parents place and didn’t ever try to find out the process behind cooking all the yummy dishes that my mum so painstakingly whipped up. A peep at times into the kitchen to find out what was cooking and trying out one odd snack recipe is what my culinary adventures were limited to. The rest of the time was spent with books, assignments, tests, TV, friends and time with parents. My mom never wanted to disturb me during my studies and so never ever put up the proposal of learning some culinary skills.

The three simple things that can drastically improve reach of your content are a)proper naming b)detailed description c)careful tagging.

Tips for maximizing reach of your recipes.

1. Please write an inviting recipe description. Recipe name and description are the key factors in driving audience. 

2. Simply write the name of the recipe in recipe name field. Do not add extra stuff. 

3. Your name and picture is generally displayed next to the recipe. It is not necessary to include it in recipe name. 

We buy cases of bottled waters mainly those with fruit flavours and carbonated.  I am guilty of carrying bottled water with me everywhere!  I always have one in hand.  I alternate and fill the bottle with refrigerated water and sugar free flavourings or lemon or lime slices and juice.  I really don't like plain water much but will drink at least 6 bottles of this "altered water.  My husband likes the vitamin waters that yoy place a vile of stuff in nd they bubble.

It is crazy as our local water is considered tops in California. (East Bay MUDD)

As I was reading this article today I wondered if others also buy and drink so much of this "altered water"?  And is it nothing but tap water?

8/14/07 Is a Bottled Water Backlash Coming?

Most professional chefs have had a hollandaise sauce split in their time. The trick is not to panic, you won't need to start over again if you follow Paul Heathcote's advice.

In order to film the man on the street and get his views on our “Flavors Beyond Borders” event, yesterday, Raavi and I went to The Gateway Of India, Mumbai to “hunt” for goodwill messages. The people were a bit hesitant to speak (mainly because they are camera shy) but we did get some on record. There was an Arab Sheikh who in his limited English vocabulary said, “For me, India-Pakistan, same-same”. A Swiss gentleman voiced his views on how we should forget our “past” and come “together”. Of course, there were Indians who expressed their love for a lot of things Pakistani - from Adnan Sami and the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab’s tunes to Wasim Akram’s reverse swing and Shahid Afridi’s sixes to Nihari and Boti Kabab.  

Some time ago I had written about a Wine and Cheese party. Well if you plan that kind of an event then you will end up with leftovers. I am sure you know how to use the wine.... but cheese.

Once the summer starts it seems like it is time to do everything you have been waiting for. Winter just seems so long and Spring just makes me think, THATS IT.

Hello people at ifood. I have seriously missed out on a lot of activity on the site in the past couple of days. I am suffering from a bad case of Bronchitis and I am asthamatic anyway.