Good 43º sprinkley morning. More rain predicted.
Yesterday the fog hung around for awhile and we then warmed to 62º.
Picture of the Day... funny business name
Interesting about McDonald's burgers in India....
If you enter a McDonald's in India, you will quickly notice there are no hamburgers on the menu. So where's the beef? For Hindus, who make up about 80 percent of Indians, killing cows and eating beef are against religious rules. However, McDonald's, like the rest of India, has lots of vegetarian options. Perhaps the most popular item on the McDonald's menu is the McAloo Tikki Burger, a potato and pea burger flavored with Indian spices.
When McAloo Tikki burger was first launched in India in the year 1998, menu localization was not a popular term.
The recipe of the Aloo Tikki was time tested but no one knew the burger was in it for the long haul till it was actually launched. The McAloo Tikki Burger was a unique proposition that brought the familiarity of Indian cuisine and the novelty of the very humble potato patty being used to create a burger. McAloo Tikki burger was so successful, it became the face of McDonald’s menu innovation in the country. The combination of a potato and peas patty with special Indian spices coated with breadcrumbs, served with sweet tomato mayo, fresh onions, and tomatoes in a regular bun is still a hit, not just among Indians, but even foreigners who have tried it during their visit to India.
You will also find the Indian version of the Big Mac (minus the beef, of course), which is known as the Maharaja Mac.
But India has its very own Chicken Maharaja Mac, a burger which looks like Big Mac – double patties with three buns –but has no beef, and has every bit of a desi feel to it. It took a while to conceptualize this burger. When McDonald’s was working on its first menu for India, more than half of the menu items were changed to suit the tastes of Indian consumers. Based on the initial research and surveys, it was found out that customers were looking to try filling a burger with premium ingredients. Hence, it was decided that an Indian equivalent to the Big Mac should be created.
From Mr. Food
This is one of those recipes that’s easy enough to make any weeknight, yet fancy enough to be weekend special. Once you cut through the super crispy crust, you’ll discover a super moist chicken breast smothered with a to-die-for sun-dried tomato cheese topping. Don’t be surprised when your gang asks for this one over and over again; it’s that good!
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough (1/2 box thawed, 20 sheets)
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed and slightly pounded
- Salt for sprinkling
- Black pepper for sprinkling
- 1 cup frozen chopped broccoli florets, thawed
- Preheat the oven to 375º.
- In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes, and garlic powder; mix well and set aside.
- Gently unroll phyllo dough and place 1 sheet on a flat surface (short end towards you). Lightly brush with melted butter. Repeat step 4 more times, laying each layer of phyllo on top of the other.
- Sprinkle one chicken breast with salt and pepper and place on phyllo dough, 2-inches from short end. Spread one-quarter of cream cheese mixture on the chicken and top with one-quarter of the broccoli. Roll-up phyllo dough, fold sides under, and place seam side down on baking sheet.
- Repeat this process 3 more times with remaining chicken, cream cheese mixture, broccoli, and phyllo dough.
- Brush top and sides of the 4 bundles with melted butter and bake 22 to 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the pastry is crispy and golden.
Test Kitchen Tip: The key to the perfect phyllo crust is brushing each layer with butter. This is no time to be skimpy with the butter, got it?
Historically this date.......
1776 – American Revolutionary War: The first amphibious landing of the United States Marine Corps begins the Battle of Nassau.
1845 – Florida is admitted as the 27th U.S. state.
1931 – The United States adopts The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.
1991 – An amateur video captures the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.
2005 – Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly an airplane non-stop around the world solo without refueling.
And births this date include....
1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish-Canadian inventor (d. 1922)
1882 – Charles Ponzi, Italian criminal (d. 1949)
... ah ha! the ponzi scheme!
1911 – Jean Harlow, American actress (d. 1937)
1971 – Tyler Florence, American chef and author
All I know. Nuff said.Have a good Thursday. Ciao.
xo Sue Mom Bobo
National Anthem Day commemorates the day the United States adopted “The Star Spangled Banner” as its National Anthem. Written by Francis Scott Key, the “Star Spangled Banner” became the National Anthem in 1931.
Oh Say Can You See Fort McHenry
The story behind “The Star Spangled Banner” is as moving as the anthem itself. While an attorney, Key was serving in the Georgetown Light Field Artillery during the War of 1812. In 1814, his negotiation skills as a lawyer were called upon to release Dr. William Beane, a prisoner on the British naval ship, Tonnant. Early in September, Key traveled to Baltimore in the company of Colonel John Skinner to begin negotiations.
While Key and Skinner secured Beane’s release, the British navy had begun attacking Baltimore. The trio waited at sea to return to Georgetown.
Fort McHenry is built on a peninsula of the Patapsco River. Just across the Northwest Branch is the city of Baltimore. In 1814, the population of Baltimore was roughly 50,000 people, hardly the metropolis it is today. The country itself was still young, and often families of soldiers lived nearby, providing support to their soldiers.
The Rocket’s Red Glare
The British navy abandoned Baltimore and turned their full attention to Fort McHenry on September 13th. As the 190-pound shells began to shake the fort, mother nature brought a storm of her own. Thunder and rain pelted the shore along with the bombs and shells. Throughout the night, parents, wives, and children in their homes could hear and feel the bomb blasts across the way. There were reports of the explosions being felt as far away as Philadelphia. It was a long night of fear, worry, and providing comfort to one another.
At sea, Key had a similar night. Being a religious man, one who believed the war could have been avoided, he watched the bombs bursting in air over the water and steadily pummeling Fort McHenry. It was undoubtedly a sight to behold.
For 25 hours, the star-shaped fort manned by approximately 1,000 American soldiers endured over 1,500 cannon shots. The Fort answered with their own with almost no effect.
Does that Star-Spangled Banner Yet Wave
In the early morning of September 14th, after Major George Armistead’s troops stopped the British landing party in a blaze of gunfire, the major ordered the oversized American flag raised in all its glory over Fort McHenry. Sewn a few months before by Mary Pickersgill and her daughter, the enormous banner replaced the storm flag, which had flown during battle.
As Key waited at sea for dawn to break and smoke to clear, imagine the inspiring sight in the silence of the morning to see his country’s flag fully unfurled against the breaking of the day and the fort standing firm.
Key was so moved by the experience he immediately began penning the lyrics to a song which were later published by his brother-in-law as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.”
HOW TO OBSERVE
Sing the Star Spangled Banner. Did you know there are three more verses to the original song? As a challenge, try learning them all.
NATIONAL ANTHEM DAY HISTORY
Nearly 117 years passed after Key penned “Defence of Fort M’Henry” before it became the national anthem of the United States of America. “Hail Columbia” and “My Country’ Tis of Thee” held honorary places as patriotic songs. But, the United States didn’t have an officially declared anthem until a congressional resolution, signed by President Herbert Hoover, until “The Star Spangled Banner” became the national anthem of the United States of America on March 3rd, 1931.
*Historical note: The spelling of “defence” in the original title of Key’s song is correct for the period.
