Well, we haven't heard anything bad about strawberries before, but it's always good to hear something good, nonetheless.

A new study conducted by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston suggests that strawberries and blueberries may help protect against the damage that causes a decline in learning and motor skills commonly seen with aging. Supplementing the diet with either strawberries or blueberries helped preserve the ability to learn, remember and relearn different patterns.

According to Jim Joseph, PhD, a USDA Scientist and co-author of this study, "Adding strawberries and blueberries to the diet may help preserve learning and motor skills as we age." Strawberries and blueberries are rich in antioxidants that help protect against such damage. Additional research showed strawberries ranked third overall in anti-oxidant contant, behind blackberries and walnuts.

I love strawberries simply washed and eaten raw, but here are a few suggestions:

Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Creme Fraiche Ice Cream
A whole cookbook full of berry desserts

The US standard for parmesan cheese is that it must be aged for at least 10 months. In Italy, they cure the cheese for at least a year before selling it as Parmigiano Reggiano. In fact, only cheese from strictly regulated dairies in Parma, Italy can be called Parmigiano Reggiano; other cheeses must only be called parmesan. Kraft Foods is petitioning the FDA to reduce the aging standard for US parmesan to a mere 6 months, saying that their consumer taste tests show acceptance for the new product, which can be produced more cheaply and in greater quantities than the current product.

Italians, as well as other cheese producers in the US, say that the long aging is what allows the distinctive crumbly texture and delicious flavor to develop. It is possible that the World Trade Organization would consider restricting the use of the word "parmesan" by setting a minimum aging standard, if the US standard is changed and if there is enough international protest. A restriction on the use of the "parmesan" name would adversely affect US exports of the cheese.

People are always looking for ways to slow down or reverse the aging process in themselves, but often are looking for ways to speed it up in other area of life. From cheese to fruitcake and, perhaps most importantly, wine, flavors are enhanced and mellowed as some foods age. Hiroshi Tanaka, a Japanese man, claims to have perfected a machine that can turn a new, young wine into a smooth, aged one in just a few moments, all with a simple jolt of electricity. His electrolyzing process, reports CNN, would save an enormous amount of money by reducing overall production time and eliminating the need for storage areas and aging barrels.  

 During the natural maturation process, alcohol mixes with clusters of water molecules, causing the wine to mellow. Though the exact process seems to be a matter of scientific debate, Tanaka says that his process instantly breaks up the water clusters, reducing a long, slow process to a few seconds.

Tanaka says that he has already met resistance from many wine makers, particularly those in France, though wine producers in California and Washington State have expressed an interest in the stereo-sized device. The United States is already one of the leading consumers of wine in the world and could be the largest by as early as 2008, so if Tanaka's method gains acceptance here, it would be a huge success for him. He currently has plans for his US affiliate to start offering the treated wine via the internet later this year.

 

Russian scientists have developed a device that essentially smells meat to determine how old it is and whether it's been stored properly. A sniff check is nothing new to any cook who's ever tried to decide if that week-old t-bone was still a candidate for dinner, but this new Russian sensor uses a series of highly sensitive electrodes to measure the gases that raw meat emits as it ages. Molecules evaporating from the surface of the meat are caught by coatings on sensors and the changed weight of the sensors is converted to a graphic depiction that looks something like a flower. Different types of aging and decay make different patterns and researchers say that the pattern for fresh meat is vastly different than that of a cut that's a few days old. They hope their device can be of use to meat packers and other safety controllers trying to identify unsafe foods.