On the tip of your tongue

There’s no accounting for people’s taste when it comes to food. Some like thin, greasy burgers fried on a restaurant grill. Others of us like thick, juicy burgers broiled to perfection over a fire, gas or otherwise.
 
Some of us love a wide variety of spices from rosemary, sage and thyme to Jamaican curry and even turmeric. On the other hand, someone I know, who will remain nameless, is repelled by virtually all but the most basic spices. Salt and pepper generally will do for this person.
 
I’ve just read that individual taste not only depends on what kind of taste buds you have in your tongue, but what your emotional state might be. And now, after digesting this week’s ACS PressPac, I’ve learned even more about taste: There’s something new and exciting going on with the tongue and it’s not the one inside your mouth.
...
[More]
 

The virtues of red wine

Please don’t divulge to anyone what I’m about to tell you: I haven’t had a glass of merlot since September of 2004. That was when my wife and I saw the neat comedy, Sideways. If you saw it, you will remember that the star, Paul Giamatti, playing a nerdy wine maven, literally turned his nose up at this variety. True, I had grown a bit tired of the smooth, serviceable red wine, but it was the movie that pushed me over the edge. To those of you who do enjoy a nice glass of merlot, I apologize. There’s really nothing wrong with it. I just get tired of things sometimes. One day, for example, I decided it was too much trouble to use the nutcracker to open those walnuts and pecans and hazelnuts you see in the stores every fall, and have never picked up the implement again.
...
[More]
 

Allergic to wine? You will want to read what follows

I know it’s never too late to develop an allergy (yet another wonderful bonus of aging), but right now I am optimistic. So far as I know I don’t have any. When I was a toddler, I was allergic to milk. I outgrew that one. Then I would get hives from penicillin. That allergy disappeared before I went to kindergarten. A few years later I would get a rash on my arm when I ate raspberries. Not any more. And that’s my full allergenic and then nonallergenic history.

I’m blessed and I appreciate it, especially when I meet someone who is lactose-intolerant, allergic to gluten, can’t eat one of my favorite snacks, peanuts, or has an allergic reaction to wine. I love bread and wine and to have that combination of those allergies would be very difficult for me. There are gluten-free breads now, however, as well as lactose-free milk, of course, but what about the wine problem? I’m glad I asked, because help may be on the way!
...
[More]
 

The Chemistry of Alcohol and Hangovers

Anyone who needs a reason not to overindulge on St. Patrick’s Day –– or on any other day of the year –– can view a new American Chemical Society (ACS) video on alcohol’s effects on the body.
Part One:
... [More]
 

The American Chemical Society's Office of Public Affairs' new pressroom blog highlights prominent research from ACS' 41 journals. It includes daily commentary on the latest news from ACS' weekly PressPac, including video and audio segments from researchers on topics covering chemistry and related sciences. The blog also covers updates on ACS' awards, the national meetings and other general news from the world's largest scientific society.

/////PLACE THIS CODE AT THE END OF THE PAGE, JUST BEFORE THE CLOSING BODY TAGS body ///////////