Those of you who’ve visited (or are planning to visit) Morocco probably did so for the architecture, the beaches, the desert or even the absolutely amazing landscapes there.

In fact, few of us consider Morocco to be a destination for gastronomic tourism.

However, Moroccan cuisine, a rich fusion of Berber, Arabic and Andalusian cuisines, is considered to be one the most delicious. And after 10 days of enjoying myself in this country, I can assure you that this aspect of Morocco deserves serious attention!

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Eight of us from the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) set off to learn about Moroccan food culture from 9 to 20 November last year.

During this training in Morocco, local homestay arrangements were made for us. What I can conclude from this experience is that Moroccan hospitality is splendid.
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Although Montreal’s culinary scene is constantly evolving and reinventing itself, few of us probably consider this city to be an exotic destination for an internship in Gastronomic Sciences.

However, 10 of my colleagues from the University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG), who were in Montreal for a training in November, would tell you just the opposite! In fact, these students who were mostly from Italy seemed to be somewhat at a loss for words after tasting poutine, smoked meat and sponge toffee!

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Jihyun Ryou, a graduate of the Dutch Design Academy Eindhoven, presented her innovative project ‘Save the Food From the Fridge’ as part of some lectures at the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

It is after seeing an advertisement for Chiquita, which suggested that bananas should not be stored in the fridge, that Jihyun Ryou began to think about the omnipresence of this household appliance in our daily diet.
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I must admit I had never heard about El Wingador until last Friday. That’s when a good friend of mine - who is fascinated by competitive eaters - pointed me to the 9-minute video that Oscar-winning filmaker Errol Morris made about Bill “El Wingador” Simmons. He is the best known competitive eater, having been the only contestant so far to achieve 5 Wing Bowl victories.

The Wing Bowl is a chicken wing eating contest held in Philadelphia once a year, on the Friday preceding the Super Bowl.
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Have you already seen pictures of Liu Bolin, the “invisible man”? He is a Chinese artist known for taking photographs of himself, painted in order to blend in with the background. His message is often one of protest against consumer society.
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Cinnamon apple or pumpkin spice candles may evoke the holiday season for some, but for others, these airborne fragrances trigger allergy symptoms — from runny, itchy noses and sneezing, to asthma attacks.

A study presented at the latest annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) provided evidence that many room deodorizers and scented candles emit potentially dangerous VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, which are chemicals that exist as gas or vapor at room temperature. These include formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, limonene, alcohol and esters.
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