Nutrition

Looked at as a prized delicacy, asparagus has been around and used since ancient times by the Greeks and Romans. Asparagus is one of the oldest recorded vegetables, and it is thought to have originated along the coastal regions of eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor areas.  Asparagus is a member of the Lily family.  Its spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. When grown under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a twenty four hour period.  Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer.  Nutritionally, asparagus is full of benefits as it is a nutrient-dense food which is high in folic acid.  A 5.3 ounce serving provides 60% of the recommended daily allowance for folacin which is necessary for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease.  Asparagus is also a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A…

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices around. Cinnamon is an aromatic, exotic and warm spice that is available in two forms - the cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon powder. This spice is obtained from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree. The bark is stripped from the tree and allowed to dry in the sun. As it dries, it rolls up into a quill and this is what we know as a cinnamon stick. Some of the quills are then ground down into a power and this is how we get ground cinnamon. There are two main types of cinnamon that are used in cooking today, although around one hundred different types of cinnamon tree actually exist in the world. True cinnamon (Ceylon cinnamon), which has a lighter, sweeter and more delicate flavor, is native to Sri Lanka where it is very popular in savory dishes such as curries. It is also produced in India, the Caribbean and Brazil.…