January food

During this month beginning on 01/04/08 and ending 01/31/08 (that's 27 days) I ate the following foods. The list includes scientific classification (kingdom and class or family), common name when available, and day it was eaten in parenthesis.

• Plantae
• Poaceae
• wheat (04 thru 31)
• corn (04, 07, 08, 10, 14 thru 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• rice (04, 09, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31)
• oat (12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27)
• barley (06, 20, 23, 25)
• lemon grass (26, 27, 31)
  
• Apiaceae
• carrot (04, 05, 07, 08, 10 through 17, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• celery (04, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• dill (07, 08, 10, 14, 18, 19, 29)
• fennel (10, 11)
• cumin (16, 18)
• parsley (16, 18, 23, 25)
• cilantro (19, 20, 21, 22)
  
• Alliaceae
• scallion (05, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
  
• onion (04, 08, 09,10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• garlic (10, 11, 14 thru 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• Convolvulaceae
• sweet potato (22, 23, 24)
  
• Solanaceae
• potato (04, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 13 thru 20, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• tomato (04, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31)
• pepper (10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Fabaceae
• peanut (07, 18, 22, 29)
• bean (15 bean soup) (06, 07, 28, 29)
• green bean (04, 14, 22, 23)
  
• azuki bean (04)
  
• pea (09, 28, 30, 31)
• soybean (05, 06, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30)
• guar bean (14, 15, 16, 17, 25, 26)
• mung bean sprouts (20, 21)
• licorice (26, 27, 31)
• gum arabic (29)
  
• Cucurbitaceae
• cucumber (08, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28)
• Brassicaceae
• cabbage (05, 26, 29, 30)
  
• cabbage (var. hakusai) (05, 06, 12, 13, 15, 30, 31)
• broccoli (06, 08, 14, 15, 18, 19)
• cauliflower (06, 08, 18, 19)
• daikon (11)
  
• mustard (04, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, 31)
• rapeseed oil (var. canola) (17, 22, 23, 28, 29, 31)
  
• Asteraceae
• lettuce (var. iceberg) (14, 24)
• lettuce (var. leaf) (27, 28)
  
• safflower (26, 27, 31)
• sunflower oil (28, 29)
  
• Amaranthaceae
• spinach (22, 23, 24, 31)
  
• Vitaceae
• grape (04, 06, 07, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Ericaceae
• cranberry (04, 06, 17, 19)
  
• blueberry (07)
• Pedaliaceae
• sesame (06, 08, 12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31)
  
• Piperaceae
• black pepper (10, 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Juglandaceae
• walnut (06, 07, 10, 20, 21)
  
• Myristicaceae
• nutmeg (06, 07, 10, 16, 18, 19, 20, 27, 29, 30, 31)
• Euphorbiaceae
• cassava (23, 25, 29, 30)
  
• Lamiaceae
• thyme (10, 11, 17, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• sage (10, 11, 16, 18, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• marjoram (17)
• oregano (27, 28)
• rosemary (28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• spearmint (26, 27, 31)
• Myrtaceae
• clove (06, 07, 10, 11, 20)
• allspice (30, 31)
  
• Zingiberaceae
• ginger (09, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31)
• tumeric (23, 25)
  
• Lauraceae
• cinnamon (06, 07, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31)
• bay leaves (10, 11, 16, 18, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Musaceae
• banana (09, 11, 12, 13, 19, 21, 22, 24, 27, 28)
• Rutaceae
• grapefruit (09)
• orange (05, 06, 10, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31)
• mandarin orange (30, 31)
  
• citron (12, 15)
• lemon (12, 15, 18, 19, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30)
• lime (14, 15, 16, 17)
  
• Rosaceae
• rose (26, 27, 31)
  
• apple (04, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 25, 27, 30, 31)
• pear (04)
  
• peach (04)
• apricot (21)
• almond (21)
• umeboshi (21)
  
• plum (10, 11, 29)
• cherry (21, 29, 30)
  
• strawberry (12, 13, 30)
• raspberry (12, 13, 23, 27)
• blackberry (26, 27, 31)
  
• Bromeliaceae
• pineapple (25, 26)
  
• Orchidaceae
• vanilla (12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 30, 31)
• Theaceae
• tea, green (04, 06, 20, 29)
• tea, black (29)
  
• Oleaceae
• olive (27, 28)
  
• jasmine tea (19)
  
• Malvaceae
• cottonseed oil (14, 15, 18, 22, 29, 30)
• okra (17)
• hibiscus (26, 27, 31)
  
• Sterculiaceae
• cocoa (12, 13, 20, 21, 26, 29)
• Sapindaceae
• sugar maple (05)
• Moraceae
• fig (16, 17, 25, 27)
  
• Arecaceae
• coconut oil (14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26)
  
• palm oil (14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 25, 26)
• dates (16, 17, 25, 27)
• Bixaceae
• annatto extract (17, 23, 25)
  
• Animalia
• Mammalia
• cow (04 thru 31)
• pig (08, 09, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31)
• Aves
• chicken (04, 05, 08 thru 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• turkey (04, 05, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Actinopterygii
• salmon (07, 08, 10, 12, 13, 14, 24, 25, 29)
• tuna (04, 14, 16)
• bonito (22, 30, 31)
• mentaiko (23)
• anchovy (23)
  
• Insecta
• honey (12, 13, 15, 18, 29)
• Cephalopoda
• squid extract (30, 31)
  
• Bivalvia
• oyster sauce (19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26)
  
• Fungi
• yeast (bread, wine, sake) (05 thru 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• Homobasidiomycetes
• shiitake (L. edodes) (05)
• mushroom (A. bisporus) (15, 16, 17, 19)
  
• Tricholomataceae
• oyster mushroom (12, 13)
• Marasmiaceae
• enokitake (12, 13)
• Eurotiomycetes
• mold (A. oryzae, in miso, sake, soy sauce) (05, 06, 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31)
  
• Bacteria
• Bacilli
• lactic acid bacteria (sauerkraut, sour cream) (05, 13, 14, 18, 19)
  
• lactobacillus (sourdough) (09, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30)
• Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Lactobacillus acidophilus (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Lactobacillus casei (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Actinobacteria
• Bifidobacterium bifidum (yogurt) (10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27)
• Alpha Proteobacteria
• acetic acid bacteria (vinegar) (05, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
• Gamma Proteobacteria
• Xanthomonas campestris (xanthan gum) (14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 25, 26, 30, 31)
  
• Protista
• Alariaceae
• wakame (11)
• Laminariaceae
• konbu (12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 30)
  
• Bangiaceae
• nori (04, 23)
  

Food science is complicated because it involves optimizing a lot of often competing values and interests, and many complex processes are involved. Finding the “optimal solution” to the problem of food means that you can’t just eat whatever you want, but scientists (and your mother) have known that for a long time.

classification of food

I am wading deeper into the subject of food, beginning by classifying the ingredients of the food that I eat according to different qualities.

a cooking frame of mind

My chemistry teacher liked to cook, she compared it to her work as a chemist. I can compare cooking to my interest in microbiology. Processes like creating the right conditions of temperature, moisture, heat, and time; and more explicit connections to cooking like fermentation can make cooking a very interesting exercise.

a nice view

fluid movement

What is going on in these two pictures? Are the fish and birds following orders from someone else, or are they imitating one another? Actually, each fish and each bird is individually deciding what the most responsible action is and then does it's part. Each individual is not very smart and their decisions are quite simple ones, but when combined they are smarter than any single one among them. I think I can relate.

trefoil art (example of chirality)

I was inspired and had a little fun with the Paint program on the computer tonight. (The ability to create neat stuff is very limited with Paint.) What inspired me to create this pattern? An elegant trefoil, illustrated in both enantiomorphs. If you had a string and made both of them, it is impossible to make one look like the other no matter how hard you try (without cutting the knot, of course).