Anything and (Nearly) Everything About...CHEESECAKE!

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

Today's topic, Cheesecake, was requested by Professional Zombie Killer, who lists his address as "earth", and is @dvindsgyz on Twitter.

The earliest references to cheesecake go back 4,000 years ago.  The Greek physician, Aegimus, wrote a book just prior to the 5th century B.C. on the art of making cheesecakes.  Cheesecake was given to athletes for energy in the first Olympic Games in 776 B.C.

Different types of cheeses are used in making cheesecakes in different countries around the world.  For instance, cream cheese is used in the U.S., and ricotta is used in Italy.  For more information click here.

National Cheesecake Day in the U.S. is just around the corner:  July 30.  On this date many restaurants and cheesecake chains, such as The Cheesecake Factory, offer specials on all types of cheesecake, including the dense & rich New York style, and the light & creamy Philadelphia style.  For more information click here.

There is a Cheesecake of the Month Club, that will send to you, or anyone of your choosing, a cheesecake once a month or in other timely installments.  Professional Zombie Killer lists his address as "earth", so I must assume he will have access to the Cheesecake of the Month Club if he so desires it.  While the club won't specify what kind of cheesecake you will receive each month, they list a picture of a Strawberry Cheesecake, PZK's  favorite, so I assume he would receive one sometime in the year, and probably in June or July or August, which is when strawberries are in season.  By the way, chocolate cheesecake is the number one favorite cheesecake in the U.S., followed by strawberry in second place, and pumpkin cheesecake (?!) in third place.   For more information click here.

Thanks to Professional Zombie Killer, @dvindsgyz on Twitter, for requesting today's topic!  What did you learn today?

The Whitest Marble in the World

Photo of the Lincoln Memorial courtesy 123rf.com

The marble used in the beautiful Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D. C. comes from my home state, Alabama.  Alabama marble is the state stone, and is mentioned in the state song (yes, states have representative stones like they have state flowers, state birds, etc.).  This marble is used in banks and other buildings throughout the United States and the world.  It has been called the whitest marble in the world, and rivals the wonderful Italian marble.  For more information click here1 and click here2 and click here3.  What did you learn today?

Insalata Caprese's SWISS Origins?

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

Insalata Caprese is my favorite salad, and it's so pretty, too.  It's a composed salad like Salade Nicoise, which means it's assembled on a platter, not tossed in a bowl.  Many assume that because of its name the salad originated on the Isle of Capri, but some say it originated in Switzerland!  It was possibly named because a Capri native, who worked as a maitre d' at a hotel in Switzerland, had it so often that hotel patrons asked for the salad that the man from Capri made.

For more information click here and click here.  For the original recipe that also includes suggestions for wine pairings click here.  What did you learn today?

Time Before Clocks

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

At the music convention this weekend, everyone was very much aware of the time as competitions, awards ceremonies, and other events all started strictly on time.  This made me wonder about clocks.

The first mechanical clock was erected in a tower in Italy in 1335.  Prior to this, people used water-clocks and marked candles, among other things, to keep up with the time of day.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Mona Lisa's Shadows

Photo of people taking photos of the Mona Lisa courtesy 123rf.com

Leonardo da Vinci used 30 layers of paint, about 40 micrometers each, on the Mona Lisa in order to execute a technique called Sfumato, which makes shadows look realistic.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Sandwich Glass...And You Can Eat Off It, Too!

Photo courtesy Sandwich Glass Museum; click here to see this Sandwich Glass Reproduction for sale

I'm an admirer of artisan glass, and have seen it made in Seattle, Washington; Williamsburg, Virginia; and on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy.  I've admired Sandwich glass, but didn't know it was a product of the town of Sandwich, Massachusetts here in the U.S.A.  For more information click here.

What did you learn today?

Leonardo da Vinci's First Flying Machine

Photo of reconstruction of one of Leonardo da Vinci's flying devices courtesy www.leonardo3.net

On this day in 1496 Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) made his first attempt to launch a flying machine.  It was not successful, so he worked on the invention for several more years before he attempted another launch.  His first flying devices were based on the structure of birds' wings and bats' wings.  He also developed an idea for a helicopter-type device.  Click here to view reconstructions of several of his ideas for flying devices.

Leonardo da Vinci is one of history's most interesting persons for me.  I've read several biographies, and enjoy his paintings.  Who is one of your favorite historical persons and why?

Council of Trent and Music

Photo courtesy FreeImagesLive

On this day in 1563, 448 years ago, the deliberations of the Council of Trent ended.  A result of the Counter-Reformation, the Council of Trent had a heavy impact on all art forms, in particular music, which became less polyphonic and more rhythmically simple. 

I won't go into all the implications the Council of Trent had on music, nor the supposed and actual interactions the composer Palestrina had with the Council of Trent, because I am familiar with all of this.  I will share, however, one of my favorite pieces of Counter-Reformation music, which is the Kyrie that Palestrina composed for his own funeral mass, Missa pro defunctis.  The most beautiful recording of this Kyrie I've ever heard is by Chanticleer, but I can't find one of their performances of this Kyrie on the internet.  Instead, click here for a performance by Capella Victoria Jakarta.

What is your favorite piece of music from this era, and why?

Earliest Mechanical Calculator

Photo courtesy FreeImagesLive

The earliest attempt at designing a mechanical adding machine was probably by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), according to some of his notes found in 1967 in the National Museum of Spain.  The next two documented attempts were by the German Wilhelm Schickard (1592-1635) in 1623.  The location or existence of the two prototypes are unknown.

In 1642, the 18 year old Frenchman, Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), invented the first "arithmetical machine", and subsequently developed it further.  About 50 of these machines still exist.