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Half-eaten cookie found inside 1529 manuscript

When it comes to marking a book page, we all have our habits. Some fold the page corner back lightly, others use fancy bookmarks or ribbon to save their spot. All reasonable methods to choose from, but someone had other ideas—food. Recently, a librarian found a 1529 manuscript with a half-eaten cookie stuffed between two pages. The strange situation went viral when Cambridge University Library Special Collections tweeted a photo of the cookie stuffed inside the book, a copy of St. Augustine dating back to 1592. The library tweeted a photo of the scene with this gentle reminder for guests: Today’s unexpected discovery in a 1529 volume of Augustine. For future reference, we have acid free paper to mark your place. Please don’t use baked goods.” The cookie appears to be chocolate chip, but it’s believed to have happened about 50 years ago, according to The Vintage News, and before…

What’s the difference between an English muffin and a crumpet?

When it comes to breakfast breads, most of us are carb-loving connoisseurs. Toasts like wheat, rye, and sourdough are just the beginning. Scones, muffins — both blueberry and bran, biscuits and bagels make their way into our morning meal more commonly than we’d care to admit.  And of course you know the English muffin. It’s the sturdy, humble base to your oozing Eggs Benedict and the spongy exterior of your McDonald’s McMuffin. English muffins, and all of these other common carbs, are sold in the bakery and bread aisles of just about any grocery store nationwide. So that leaves the crumpet.  What the heck is it? You’ve probably joked about tea and crumpets in your best stuffy-English accent before, but did you really know what you were talking about? Have you actually ever seen one in the States? English muffins and crumpets are two entirely different creatures, but they have…

Royals aren’t allowed to eat garlic, Camilla confirms

If you love food, not being able to eat garlic would be tragic. But it’s one of the dietary changes self-proclaimed foodie Meghan Markle had to make when she married into the royal family. Rumors have swirled about a royal garlic restriction for years, but Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, confirmed the rule during an appearance on MasterChef Australia. “I hate to say this, but garlic. Garlic is a no-no,” she said when asked about foods banned from the family diet, reported AOL. “So garlic is a no-no?” asked one of the show’s judges. “Because you’re talking, chatting?” “Yes, exactly,” said Camila. “So you always have to lay off the garlic.” So there you have it. In case you felt like the royal life was one of too much privilege, image if you had to give up the garlic! But the good news for Markle is that this royal rule only…

Marriage can make a difference in heart health

Britain’s Prince Harry tied the knot with Hollywood’s Meghan Markle in what some may consider a fairy tale wedding. Throughout their married lives, the royal couple will receive many perks like travel and tax dollars, but among them is one perk that they share with all of us commoners. Research has shown that being married reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to a study published in December in the Journal of the American Heart Association, marriage has an actual positive impact on the heart. It’s the first study of its kind to show an association between marital status and heart-disease related deaths. “I was somewhat surprised by the magnitude of the influence of being married,” said Dr. Arshed A. Quyyumi, co-director of the emory Clinical Cardiovascular Research Institute at Emory University in Atlanta and the study’s lead researcher. There are various reasons why marriage make a difference in heart health. “Other than…

The World’s Best Cheese has been named

The best cheese in the world has been named, and neither Italy nor France can claim the honor. It’s created in Cornwall, a county in southwest England. The cheese is called Cornish Kern, and it now officially the Supreme Champion of the 2017 World Cheese Awards. Produced by Lynher Dairies, the cow’s milk cheese has a dark black, wax-like rind. Lynher Dairies describes the cheese as being “buttery with caramel notes.” According to iNews, it’s a “Gouda-style recipe” and is made with “Alpine starter cultures.” It’s aged for about 16 months, producing a hard, “flaky and almost dry” cheese. Cornish Kern beats hundreds of cheeses from around the world to win “World’s Best Cheese” title https://t.co/aoVE6mqjp5 pic.twitter.com/3Jq6GBunw0 — Eater London (@eaterlondon) November 18, 2017 It might not be a region commonly thought of for cheese, but this isn’t the first time Cornish cheese has received international recognition. A variety called Cornish Blue won Best…

Former Buckingham Palace chef dishes on the eating habits of the royal family

The royal family doesn’t have to go digging around their kitchen looking for something to eat. They have an arsenal of accomplished chefs at their service who can whip up their every culinary whim. And with a huge family like the royals to cater to, the kitchen staff is constantly kept busy. Marie Claire spoke to Darren McGrady, former royal chef to the Queen, Prince Philip, Charles, Princess Diana, and William and Harry. McGrady shared secrets of their often times intense meal time habits. Some info is even refreshing — royals eat McDonalds, too! Chef Darren revealed that sometime dinner was quite formal. “They’d come down in dressy ball gowns, and sit at the table — like a Downtown Abbey dinner. All the fine china was brought out,” he said. But sometimes dinner was far less stuffy and a quick fast-food run did the trick. “I remember the Princess came into the kitchen…

Food bank received antique Heinz soup can donation

We’re all guilty of it. When it’s time to donate to the food bank, we go to our shelves and pull off some items without giving the expiration date much thought. But one food bank was stunned after a mystery donor left a 47-year-old tin can of soup. It’s a record!! Never had a donation with 10d on before! Please could we remind everyone that food donated needs to be in date! Thank you 🙂 pic.twitter.com/EVf5qMulA6 — Cardiff Foodbank (@CardiffFoodbank) October 5, 2017 The workers at the Cardiff Foodbank posted a picture of antique can of Heinz kidney soup to Twitter. The photo showed a price tag with 10d stamped it. The can is thought to be about 46 or 47 years old, dating to at least before 1971 when Britain adopted a decimal system for their currency. Heinz hasn’t even made kidney soup in 35 years. It’s believed that the soup…

Pippa Middleton’s extravagant wedding menu

From her star-studded guest list to her gorgeous dress, every minute of Pippa Middleton’s star-studded wedding to hedge fund CEO James Matthews will be detailed and directed for days to come. But let’s cut to the most important part. What was on the menu? The Telegraph reports that guests were invited to partake in a champagne reception with Ruinart Blanc de Blanc Champagne along with the bride and groom’s favorite foods including a cheese wheel, fruit cake and finger foods and vegetables for the children. An estimated 20,000 canapés were served from high-end caterers Table Talk and Blue Strawberry. One guest is said to have divulged details on the appetizers, describing the muntjac carpaccio with a mushroom filling, fresh langoustine served on langoustine claws, and asparagus spears with hollandaise sauce. Must of the service included traditional British fare like the chef station slicing and serving serrano ham to order from huge legs of ham.…

Pippa Middleton’s restrictive and risky pre-wedding diet

What does a British socialite and sister to the Duchess of Cambridge eat to drop pounds just days before her wedding? In less than one month, Pippa Middleton will marry James Matthews, chief executive of Eden Rock Capital Management Group, which has offices in London. The world has been watching Pippa since 2011 when she walked into Westminster Abbey lifting the train of Kate Middleton’s royal wedding dress. While it was her backside that had us wondering what she ate then, with impending nuptials of her own, we wonder what she may be doing now to get in even better shape — if that’s possible. Elle reported that Pippa was photographed leaving a fancy fitness center in London, on Wednesday after taking a 75-minute pilates class. Elle also gave details of Pippa’s pre-wedding diet — something most of us have never heard of — The Sirtfood Diet. The strict diet includes 20 specific foods,…

Clear coffee promises not to stain your teeth

Imagine all the benefits of coffee without the worry of stains. Well, check this one off your list: We now have the world’s first colorless coffee beverage. (And you didn’t think technology was moving fast enough.) The beverage, CLR CFF, was developed by Slovakian brothers David and Adam Nagy while they were living in London. “We are heavy coffee drinkers,” Adam tells London’s Evening Standard. “Like many other people we struggled with the teeth stains caused by it. There was nothing on the market that would suit our needs so we decided to create our own recipe. “Because of the hectic lifestyle we lead, we wanted to make a refreshing ready-to-drink coffee which provides the boost but is low in calories.” Of course, just as important as keeping up their caffeine intake — the colorless drink will help a lot of us not waste the money we spend on keeping our pearly…