Q. Why do chefs wear such tall, funny hats?
A. For years now most Western countries require that chefs in public food establishments wear hats of some sort to prevent hair from falling into the food. Faced with the health regulation, chefs chose hats that were tall and ballooned at the top because this design allows air to circulate around the scalp and help keep it cool in kitchens where temperatures get very high. The hats, called toques, are often white because undyed (white) fabric is considered more sanitary than colored ones.
Pinoy First. The first school lunches in the country were served at the American-run Meisic Intermediate School in Manila 1907. A sample daily menu for the 2,000 or so students: “two kettles chicken soup with macaroni; 300 pieces of pandesal with salmon; 100 slices fried bread with mashed potatoes and corned beef; two freezers of milk ice cream; 600 squared crackers and 200 crackers; 100 pieces rolled jelly cake.”
Ooops! The “corned” in corned beef has nothing to do with cereal corn or that hard skin growth. It actually means “preserved in salt.” The salt pellets originally used to preserve this type of beef were called salt “corns,” and beef preserved in this way called corned beef.
WORD WATCH
Triffle (tiPl) : to eat or drink out of meal time.