Prunus spinosa (blackthorn or sloe) is a species of Prunus native
to Europe,
western Asia, and
locally in northwest Africa. The
shrub, with its savage thorns, is traditionally used in Northern Europe and
Britain in making a hedge
against cattle or a "cattle-proof" hedge. The fruit is similar to a small damson or plum, suitable for preserves,
but rather tart and astringent for eating, unless it is picked
after the first few days of autumn frost. This effect can be reproduced by freezing
harvested sloes. The juice is used in
the manufacture of spurious port wine,
and used as an adulterant to impart roughness to genuine
port. In rural Britain,
so-called sloe
gin is made from the fruit, though this is not a true gin, but an infusion of
vodka, gin, or neutral spirits with the fruit and sugar to produce a liqueur. In Navarre, Spain, a popular
liqueur called patxaran
is made with sloes. In France a similar
liqueur called épine ("spine") is made from the young shoots in
spring. In Italy, the infusion
of spirit with the fruits and sugar produces a liqueur called bargnolino
(or sometimes prunella). Wine made from fermented sloes is made in Britain, and in Germany and other
central European countries. Sloes can
also be made into jam and, used in fruit pies, and if preserved in vinegar are
similar in taste to Japanese umeboshi. The juice of the berries dyes linen a reddish
color that washes out to a durable pale blue.
Blackthorn makes an excellent fire wood
that burns slowly with a good heat and little smoke. The wood takes a fine polish and is used for
tool handles and canes. Straight
blackthorn stems have traditionally been made into walking sticks or clubs
(known in Ireland
as a shillelagh). The leaves resemble tea leaves, and were used
as an adulterant of tea. Shlomo Yitzhaki, a Talmudist and
Tanakh
commentator of the High Middle Ages, writes that the sap (or gum)
of P. spinosa (or what he refers to as the prunellier)
was used as an ingredient in the making of some inks
used for manuscripts. The fruit stones
have been found in Swiss lake dwellings.
Evidence of the early use of sloes by man is found in the famous case of
a 5,300-year-old human mummy discovered in 1991 in the Ötztal
Alps along the Austrian-Italian border (nick-named Ötzi): among the
stomach contents were sloes. A
"sloe-thorn worm" used as fishing
bait is mentioned in the 15th century work, The Treatyse of Fishing with an
Angle, by Juliana Berners.
Thorn (no first name) is a private
investigator featured in 13 novels by James W. Hall. See titles in series at: http://www.goodreads.com/series/52139-thorn-mystery
James W. Hall is the author of four books of poetry, The Lady from the Dark Green Hills, Ham Operator, False Statements and The Mating Reflex a collection of short stories, Paper Products, a collection of essays, Hot Damn, and fourteen novels, Under Cover of Daylight, Tropical Freeze, Bones of Coral, Hard Aground, Mean High Tide, Gone Wild, Buzz Cut, Red Sky at Night, Body Language, Rough Draft, Blackwater Sound, Off the Chart, Forests of the Night, and Magic City. His books have been translated into a dozen languages, including Japanese, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Portuguese, Romanian, Croatian, Dutch and Russian. Several of the novels have been optioned for film and Hall has written screenplays for two of those projects. He was a Fulbright professor of literature in Spain and is a professor of literature and writing at Florida International University. See also: http://www.jameswhall.com/shop.htm
Denim denotes a
rugged cotton twill textile, in
which the weftpasses under
two (twi- "double")
or more warp fibers,
producing the familiar diagonal ribbing identifiable on the reverse of the
fabric, which distinguishes denim from cotton duck. A popular etymology of the word denim is a
contraction of serge de Nîmes in France. Denim was traditionally colored blue with indigo dye
to make blue "jeans," though "jean" denoted a different, lighter cotton textile. This is because our usage of jean comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), for whom the first denim trousers were made. The word dungarees, to identify heavy cotton pants such as overalls
can be traced to a thick cotton country-made cloth, Dongari Kapar, which was sold in the quarter contiguous to the Dongari Killa, the fort of what was then known as Bombay.
to make blue "jeans," though "jean" denoted a different, lighter cotton textile. This is because our usage of jean comes from the French word for Genoa, Italy (Gênes), for whom the first denim trousers were made. The word dungarees, to identify heavy cotton pants such as overalls
can be traced to a thick cotton country-made cloth, Dongari Kapar, which was sold in the quarter contiguous to the Dongari Killa, the fort of what was then known as Bombay.
One of the most versatile and
easy-to-make pastries is also one of the most curiously named. Called choux (pronounced shoe) pastry, means
cabbages in French and refers to what we call cream puffs. But choux pastry isn`t limited to cream
puffs. The basic preparation also
produces eclairs, fritters and some of the most famous desserts in the classic
repertory, such as croque-em-bouche (a caramelized ``tree`` of cream puffs),
Paris-Brest and Gateau St. Honore, the cake named after the patron saint of
pastry chefs. Choux pastry is also used
for potatoes dauphine, a version of gnocchi, a form of quenelles, as well as
cocktail appetizers. And its versatility is proven by the fact that it can be
baked, poached or fried. Peter Kump Find recipe at: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-01-12/entertainment/8902240733_1_puffs-pastry-chefs-baking
Scandinavia is a historical cultural-linguistic
region in Northern Europe characterized by a common
ethno-cultural Germanic heritage and related languages that
includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated
on the Scandinavian Peninsula, whereas modern
Denmark is situated on the Danish islands and Jutland. The term Scandinavia is usually used as a
cultural term, but in English usage, it is occasionally confused with the
purely geographical term Scandinavian Peninsula, which took its
name from the cultural-linguistic concept. The name Scandinavia historically
referred vaguely to Scania.
The terms Scandinavia and Scandinavian
entered usage in the 18th century as terms for the three Scandinavian
countries, their peoples and associated language and culture, being
introduced by the early linguistic and cultural Scandinavist
movement. Sometimes the term
Scandinavia is also taken to include Iceland, the Faroe
Islands, and Finland,
on account of their historical association with the Scandinavian countries. Such usage, however, may be considered
inaccurate in the area itself, where the term Nordic
countries instead refers to this broader group. ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia
Younger Americans—those ages 16-29—exhibit a fascinating mix of habits and preferences
when it comes to reading, libraries, and technology. Almost all Americans under
age 30 are online, and they are more likely than older patrons to use libraries’
computer and internet connections; however, they are also still closely bound
to print, as three-quarters (75%) of younger Americans say they have read at
least one book in print in the past year, compared with 64% of adults ages 30
and older. Similarly, younger Americans’ library usage reflect a blend of
traditional and technological services. Americans under age 30 are just as
likely as older adults to visit the library, and once there they borrow print
books and browse the shelves at similar rates. Large majorities of those under
age 30 say it is “very important” for libraries to have librarians as well as
books for borrowing, and relatively few think that libraries should automate
most library services, move most services online, or move print books out of
public areas. Read entire article
at: http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/06/25/younger-americans-library-services/
If you’ve never been to Heritage Farm at Seed Savers Exchange, you’re missing out on one of
the gems of northeastern Iowa. Set among
the hills north of Decorah, the non-profit maintains and sells thousands of
seed varieties for the benefit of gardeners around the globe. Their reach extends into the future, as two
more crates of seeds from Decorah have been sent to the remote location of the
Svalbard Global Seed Vault in the country of Norway. As part of their preservation efforts, the
Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) has been utilizing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to
back up their collections since the seed vault’s opening in 2008. Svalbard acts as a safety net for SSE and seed
banks worldwide by housing duplicate accessions for long-term storage. The sixth shipment from Seed Savers Exchange
brings their total to 2,248 seed samples deposited in the remote seed vault. “As one of 1400 seed banks in the world, Seed
Savers Exchange is proud to deposit an additional 366 varieties in the Svalbard
Global Seed Bank in Norway, bringing our total deposits to more than 2,000
varieties. The global seed bank, with
725,000 total deposits, represents man’s best efforts to ensure that today’s
seed varieties are available for future generations.” – John Torgimson, Seed Savers
Exchange president. http://homegrowniowan.com/seeds-from-iowa-sent-to-global-vault-in-norway/ See also:
http://www.seedsavers.org/
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