This is a chapter from my sixth book called Alphabet Soup - A different kind of cook book
I said I was not going to write another chapter but here I am tapping away the keyboard on my phone. This happens when I now start a new book. I get really excited to write new chapters. This is my fourth chapter in less than 24 hours. I have an original joke this time. What is a cook's favorite snack? Gemini said leftovers. Nice try but not the answer. It is cookies. Get it? Cook. Cookies. What really got me started on this chapter was the phrase "tough as a cookie". But cookies are soft and breakable unless you maybe had a culinary fiasco in the kitchen. A cooking disaster of sorts. I could not determine the origin of the phrase but my friend Gemini tells me that we can make an educated guess as to the reason for usage. Cookies often have a crisp, hard exterior, while the inside is soft and chewy. This could symbolize someone who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Also. Cookies can withstand baking in high temperatures, which could symbolize resilience and toughness.
I learnt that the word "cookie" is a diminutive form of the Dutch word "koek" meaning "cake". It was introduced to the United States in the late 18th century by Dutch immigrants. So a cookie is really a small cake. Never thought of it that way. I would think that a cupcake is a small cake. I guess a cookie is an even smaller cake. Cookies go well with a cup of milk. I read that there is actually science behind this. Cookies contain lots of phospholipids. I know, that is a big word. It actually refers to stuff like lecithin which is an emulsifier. Another biggish word. An emulsifier allows ingredients like oil and water to mix together smoothly. Lecithin helps to improve the texture of the cookie by ensuring even distribution of fats and enhances the cookie's shelf life. That aside, milk is good at breaking down the phospholipids and hence that melt in your mouth goodness.
A favorite cookie of many is the Oreo branded cookies. There are several theories why it is callled oreo but the one I like the most is that the re from cream is sandwiched between the two o's of chocolate. It is believable and fun to imagine. I read that the oreo was created by Nabisco's principal scientist Sam Porcello. He is often referred to as Mr. Oreo. And now for an unoriginal joke that I found on the interwebs. Did you hear about the Oreo that won the baking contest? It was an oreoriginal recipe! Was that joke stale? I must feel like an idiot but I got some more cookie idioms. Tough as a cookie is not the only cookie idiom. That is how the cookie crumbles is another. Also you can be caught with your hand in the cookie jar. You can also be described as a smart cookie. I think I am going to call you a smookie. Smookie is actually what happens when a smores meets a cookie. I really want to try these. Not to be confused with the smoothie cookie. One thing about food is that you can be really creative with the language and recipes. It is cool that tough and dough are similarly spelt. Would have been cooler if they sounded the same. Did you know that there are at least 6 different pronunciations for words ending in ough? One last joke to end the chapter. What is another word for a book that is called Alpha-bet Soup? A bookie.
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