_{How much do you really know about your food?  For the latest installation of our Know Your Food series we decided to change the format a bit by presenting the facts with an infographic.  It's full of tiny tidbits of food knowledge.  For example, the largest nutcracker is in Germany and stands nearly 19 feet tall.  It can crack any nut.  That should come in handy for all the nuts listed below.  Enjoy...}

Potatoes are a mainstay in American diets.  They hit the table in homes across the land every night.  But all potatoes are not the same.  Today we discuss the potato.

Potatoes are the number one crop in the US.  We grow over 41 billion pounds per year.  Idaho has long been the leading potato producing state in the country, producing over 10 billion pounds per year.  That's a lot of spuds.

savour…  good and hearty

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Eggs… we all eat them.  In fact, we eat a staggering number of them.  Egg laying chickens in America produce around 75 billion eggs per year which is 10% of the world’s production.  While many of those end up on our breakfast table or baked into our recipes, many more make their way to the prepared foods or the food service industry.

From a nutritional standpoint, these little wonders add an enormous amount of value to your daily diet.  Chicken eggs supply all essential amino acids for humans.  They also provide many other vitamins including vitamin A, many B vitamins, iron, and potassium.

From a culinary perspective, eggs are nothing short of magical.  Apart from sugar, they might be the most versatile ingredient in your kitchen.  Like sugar, preparing them in different ways and with varying temperature and amount of air can completely transform the finished product.

savour… incredible edible

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There are hundreds of pasta shapes and even more names for them.  Choosing the right shape can be a challenge.  Preparing it properly and just the right amount for your dinner can be even more challenging.  Here we cover the important topic of pasta.

While this post highlights dried pasta primarily, you might be interested in our post on making fresh pasta at home.  We made ours into sheets and used it for our classic lasagna.  Looking for a few more pasta recipes?  Be sure to check out our All American Macaroni Salad, Pasta e Fagioli, or Salami Antipasto Salad.  And for a great classic topping, don't miss our Two Pestos.

savour… using your noodle

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Oils are an essential part of cooking and baking.  While they have gotten somewhat of a bad reputation over the years, they add much flavor and fats that are an essential ingredient in our overall body composition.

For centuries man has found ways to squeeze the oils out of foods for culinary pursuits.  Fortunately, today a wide variety of oils are available at most supermarkets and even more at specialty markets.  Here we have listed the most commonly found types.

savour… a slippery slope

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Salt plays a very important role in our everyday lives.  Often called the world's oldest food additive, it is essential to life for plants and animals.  Salt is one of man's basic tastes along with sweet, bitter, and sour.  The presence of salt often balances one of the other tastes.

Salt is a mineral mostly made up of sodium chloride.  It is harvested from the sea and rock deposits.  Salt has many uses including cooking.  Surprisingly, though, food use accounts for only a small portion of overall salt consumption.  The majority of salt harvested is used in producing things like paper, textiles, and detergents.

savour... just a pinch

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Few things in life compare to a really good cup of coffee.  Every morning I begin my day with a little CPR (Coffee Preparation Ritual).  For me, it is an overall sensory experience. Right from the beginning you get the wonderful aroma that comes from the grounds.  I scoop my grounds out with a metal coffee scoop which makes a familiar “whooshy” sound.  Then I enjoy the swirly clouds of milk as I stir it in, hold the warm cup in my hands, and finally… the taste.  I admit I am a little impatient, so it is always just a touch too hot for my tongue, but that doesn’t stop me.

Many of us rely on our neighborhood coffee shop or the “green empire” for our daily cup of joe, but I assure you that with the right information and tools you could make a perfect cup of coffee or espresso right in your kitchen.

savour... fresh brewed

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