Festive Colors

The main Christmas colors are red, green, and gold—so there is no mistake in choosing this winning combo for your dinner table.

Extra Decor

Adding some hanging decorations above the dinner table will make it look rich and special, so put a little effort into it.

Magical Mistletoe

The mistletoe has a special meaning during Christmas, so it makes the best piece of decoration. You can place it on the table instead of just around your home.

Plaid

Choose some plaid details—such as table-covers or napkins. Any of these choices will make your dinner table lovely and heartwarming.

Candles

Your table needs to shine, and candles will warm up your guests before the eggnog starts working its magic.

The post Festive and Divine Decorations for Your Christmas Table appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Soba noodles can be used in a variety of foods, and here are the basic things you need to know.

Soba is eaten with chopsticks. 

Like most Japanese noodles, the Soba is served cold and dry in summer and in winter, with soy or dashi-based sauce. Most of the toppings are almost uncooked. 

Cold Soba noodles are most often served on a bamboo mat called a Zaro. Sometimes, dried Nori seaweed is added to the dish in a sauce called Soba Tsuyo as a side dish. The Tsuyo is made from a blend of Dashi, sweetened soy sauce, and Mirin. Wasabi, pickled ginger and scallion toppings are common additions to the Tsuyo sauce.

With Soba noodles, it is customary to eat vegetables or fish in light tempura made from excellent light beer and soda water.

Soba is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve in most areas of Japan—a tradition that survives to this day. In the Tokyo area, it is customary to give Soba to new neighbors who have moved apartments, but this custom is not as common as it used to be.

The post A Basic Guide to Soba Noodles appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 3 of the most popular fish dishes Japan has to offer.

Nanbanzuke

In Japanese this dish means “foreign marinade.” This is because the fish is marinated in vinegar, deep fried and served with onions, cucumbers and hot red peppers. These were foods introduced from the West.

Unadon

This interesting dish is made from grilled eel fillets and steamed rice. The eel is specially grilled in the kabayaki style, where it is put on a skewer and grilled in tare sauce.

Hitsumabushi

This traditional Japanese dish centers around grilled eel and steamed rice again. But it is accompanied by a number of garnishes and condiments and is served in a very particular way. It is served in four portions. The first is eaten on its own. The second is served with seaweed, green onions and wasarbi sauce. The third is the same but with a green tea soup addition, while the fourth can be enjoyed in whatever way you like.

The post 3 of the Best Japanese Fish Dishes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Postmates’ “TikTok Treats” menu first launched in Los Angeles, and it offers a couple of viral foods in collaboration with local businesses. The offer will be available until November 22, but we’re excited to see if this will be a part of an ongoing collaboration, and if TikTok teams up with any new food delivery brands in the future.

Postmates’ offer now includes whipped coffee by Coffee ‘N Clothes, colorful cloud bread by Dialog Café, several different kinds of pancake cereal with dairy or oat milk by B Sweet, and limited edition bento boxes by Sweetfin.

All of these trends were massively popular on TikTok this year, and reached millions of users on this platform—many of whom tried to recreate them at home. Postmates makes them easily accessible, but that’s not taking away from the magic of it all. New food trends are emerging on TikTok every day, and it’s just a matter of time before we get the next cloud bread.

The post Postmates Now Offers a Menu Based on TikTok Trends appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

That desire was so strong that many people wanted to eat like astronauts too, giving rise to one of the biggest 1980s food trends: astronaut food.

Astronaut food was a representation of what space voyagers ate while in their space shuttles thousands of miles above Earth. As you probably know, preparing “normal” food in the zero-gravity environment of space is quite difficult, so the foods that were (and are) eaten there are quite different. 

Freeze-dried foods—that resist spoilage and becoming bad on space flights—are one of the most common options for astronauts, and those are the foods which were typically marketed as “astronaut food” while being sold as a novelty. 

Freeze-dried ice cream—which had a strange, powdery texture despite retaining much of the flavor of the original product—was a favorite both on Earth and in space.

Other items, which were often packaged and sold as space food in vacuum-sealed packages, included dried fruit and nuts.

Were you ever an astronaut food lover? Did you ever try one of these strange products?

The post Astronaut Food Was Once All the Rage appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Not only is Thanksgiving celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada, a month and a half earlier than in the United States, but you’ll also find some unique food items on Canadians’ tables. Here are some of the more surprising ones!

Canadian Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a dessert served in both the United States and Canada on Thanksgiving, but the north-of-the-border version is quite a bit different. While American pumpkin pie is mostly sugar and pumpkin baked into a crust, the Canadian version is toned-down, focusing much more on spice flavors such as ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Rice Dressing

Dressing (or stuffing) is served as a traditional accompaniment to turkey both in the US and in Canada, with the American version typically being made with a base of bread crumbs. However, finding rice-based dressing containing similar ingredients like vegetables is quite popular in Canada.

Potato Gratin

Both Americans and Canadians love to eat potatoes on Thanksgiving, but the Canadian version differs from the typical US dish of mashed potatoes. You’re more likely to find a potato gratin—a baked dish containing sliced potatoes and loads of cheese melted on top—on a Canadian table.

The post Unique Food Items You’ll Find at Canadian Thanksgiving appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

These are some of the most surprising former McDonald’s menu items to have ever existed.

Onion Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a classic item that can be found at McDonald’s locations around the globe, but did you know that the chain offered onion nuggets before them for a brief time? In the late 1970s, McDonald’s offered up fried bits of onion before trying out doing the same thing with chicken, which ended up being more of a hit.

Hula Burger

McDonald’s isn’t exactly known for its vegetarian options, but in the 1960s shortly after the chain’s inception, its restaurants offered up this meatless option. The Hula Burger—consisting of a grilled pineapple ring served with cheese on a bun—never gained much traction.

McHotdog

As hard to believe as it might seem, McDonald’s once sold the antithesis of its hamburger hallmark: the McHotdog. Despite being tested out in the 1990s in the Midwestern United States, people tended to stick with the classic hamburger, and this menu item was never rolled out on a big scale.

The post You Won’t Believe These Former McDonald’s Menu Items appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Street food features these same characteristics, occasionally seeming like strange options to outsiders even though they’re delicious! Here are three that you should try, even if they’re weird!

Chapulines

Chapulines are grasshoppers that have been toasted after being seasoned with garlic, lime juice, salt, and chili pepper. They’re a crunchy snack that is high in protein and surprisingly delicious!

Escamoles

The strangest thing on this list might be escamoles, which are sometimes known as “Mexican caviar.” This strange treat is made with the larvae and pupae of a Mexican species of ants, which are often cooked in butter!

Huitlacoche

Have you ever tried corn smut before? This fungus—which affects the plant that is grown and used as a staple food in Mexico—is taken advantage of and used in quesadillas, nachos, and tacos, taking advantage of its rich, nutty flavor!

The post Would You Try Mexico’s Strangest Street Foods? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Festive Colors

The main Christmas colors are red, green, and gold—so there is no mistake in choosing this winning combo for your dinner table.

Extra Decor

Adding some hanging decorations above the dinner table will make it look rich and special, so put a little effort into it.

Magical Mistletoe

The mistletoe has a special meaning during Christmas, so it makes the best piece of decoration. You can place it on the table instead of just around your home.

Plaid

Choose some plaid details—such as table-covers or napkins. Any of these choices will make your dinner table lovely and heartwarming.

Candles

Your table needs to shine, and candles will warm up your guests before the eggnog starts working its magic.

The post Festive and Divine Decorations for Your Christmas Table appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Soba noodles can be used in a variety of foods, and here are the basic things you need to know.

Soba is eaten with chopsticks. 

Like most Japanese noodles, the Soba is served cold and dry in summer and in winter, with soy or dashi-based sauce. Most of the toppings are almost uncooked. 

Cold Soba noodles are most often served on a bamboo mat called a Zaro. Sometimes, dried Nori seaweed is added to the dish in a sauce called Soba Tsuyo as a side dish. The Tsuyo is made from a blend of Dashi, sweetened soy sauce, and Mirin. Wasabi, pickled ginger and scallion toppings are common additions to the Tsuyo sauce.

With Soba noodles, it is customary to eat vegetables or fish in light tempura made from excellent light beer and soda water.

Soba is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve in most areas of Japan—a tradition that survives to this day. In the Tokyo area, it is customary to give Soba to new neighbors who have moved apartments, but this custom is not as common as it used to be.

The post A Basic Guide to Soba Noodles appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Here are 3 of the most popular fish dishes Japan has to offer.

Nanbanzuke

In Japanese this dish means “foreign marinade.” This is because the fish is marinated in vinegar, deep fried and served with onions, cucumbers and hot red peppers. These were foods introduced from the West.

Unadon

This interesting dish is made from grilled eel fillets and steamed rice. The eel is specially grilled in the kabayaki style, where it is put on a skewer and grilled in tare sauce.

Hitsumabushi

This traditional Japanese dish centers around grilled eel and steamed rice again. But it is accompanied by a number of garnishes and condiments and is served in a very particular way. It is served in four portions. The first is eaten on its own. The second is served with seaweed, green onions and wasarbi sauce. The third is the same but with a green tea soup addition, while the fourth can be enjoyed in whatever way you like.

The post 3 of the Best Japanese Fish Dishes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Postmates’ “TikTok Treats” menu first launched in Los Angeles, and it offers a couple of viral foods in collaboration with local businesses. The offer will be available until November 22, but we’re excited to see if this will be a part of an ongoing collaboration, and if TikTok teams up with any new food delivery brands in the future.

Postmates’ offer now includes whipped coffee by Coffee ‘N Clothes, colorful cloud bread by Dialog Café, several different kinds of pancake cereal with dairy or oat milk by B Sweet, and limited edition bento boxes by Sweetfin.

All of these trends were massively popular on TikTok this year, and reached millions of users on this platform—many of whom tried to recreate them at home. Postmates makes them easily accessible, but that’s not taking away from the magic of it all. New food trends are emerging on TikTok every day, and it’s just a matter of time before we get the next cloud bread.

The post Postmates Now Offers a Menu Based on TikTok Trends appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

That desire was so strong that many people wanted to eat like astronauts too, giving rise to one of the biggest 1980s food trends: astronaut food.

Astronaut food was a representation of what space voyagers ate while in their space shuttles thousands of miles above Earth. As you probably know, preparing “normal” food in the zero-gravity environment of space is quite difficult, so the foods that were (and are) eaten there are quite different. 

Freeze-dried foods—that resist spoilage and becoming bad on space flights—are one of the most common options for astronauts, and those are the foods which were typically marketed as “astronaut food” while being sold as a novelty. 

Freeze-dried ice cream—which had a strange, powdery texture despite retaining much of the flavor of the original product—was a favorite both on Earth and in space.

Other items, which were often packaged and sold as space food in vacuum-sealed packages, included dried fruit and nuts.

Were you ever an astronaut food lover? Did you ever try one of these strange products?

The post Astronaut Food Was Once All the Rage appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Not only is Thanksgiving celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada, a month and a half earlier than in the United States, but you’ll also find some unique food items on Canadians’ tables. Here are some of the more surprising ones!

Canadian Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a dessert served in both the United States and Canada on Thanksgiving, but the north-of-the-border version is quite a bit different. While American pumpkin pie is mostly sugar and pumpkin baked into a crust, the Canadian version is toned-down, focusing much more on spice flavors such as ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Rice Dressing

Dressing (or stuffing) is served as a traditional accompaniment to turkey both in the US and in Canada, with the American version typically being made with a base of bread crumbs. However, finding rice-based dressing containing similar ingredients like vegetables is quite popular in Canada.

Potato Gratin

Both Americans and Canadians love to eat potatoes on Thanksgiving, but the Canadian version differs from the typical US dish of mashed potatoes. You’re more likely to find a potato gratin—a baked dish containing sliced potatoes and loads of cheese melted on top—on a Canadian table.

The post Unique Food Items You’ll Find at Canadian Thanksgiving appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

These are some of the most surprising former McDonald’s menu items to have ever existed.

Onion Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are a classic item that can be found at McDonald’s locations around the globe, but did you know that the chain offered onion nuggets before them for a brief time? In the late 1970s, McDonald’s offered up fried bits of onion before trying out doing the same thing with chicken, which ended up being more of a hit.

Hula Burger

McDonald’s isn’t exactly known for its vegetarian options, but in the 1960s shortly after the chain’s inception, its restaurants offered up this meatless option. The Hula Burger—consisting of a grilled pineapple ring served with cheese on a bun—never gained much traction.

McHotdog

As hard to believe as it might seem, McDonald’s once sold the antithesis of its hamburger hallmark: the McHotdog. Despite being tested out in the 1990s in the Midwestern United States, people tended to stick with the classic hamburger, and this menu item was never rolled out on a big scale.

The post You Won’t Believe These Former McDonald’s Menu Items appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Street food features these same characteristics, occasionally seeming like strange options to outsiders even though they’re delicious! Here are three that you should try, even if they’re weird!

Chapulines

Chapulines are grasshoppers that have been toasted after being seasoned with garlic, lime juice, salt, and chili pepper. They’re a crunchy snack that is high in protein and surprisingly delicious!

Escamoles

The strangest thing on this list might be escamoles, which are sometimes known as “Mexican caviar.” This strange treat is made with the larvae and pupae of a Mexican species of ants, which are often cooked in butter!

Huitlacoche

Have you ever tried corn smut before? This fungus—which affects the plant that is grown and used as a staple food in Mexico—is taken advantage of and used in quesadillas, nachos, and tacos, taking advantage of its rich, nutty flavor!

The post Would You Try Mexico’s Strangest Street Foods? appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.