Like some of us learned in Chemistry class, fat is supposed to be more healthy the more liquid it is, therefore it’s commonly believed that all vegetable oils are healthy. And hey, they’re from plants, too! So this sounds about right. It is actually a general rule that the fat is more healthy the more liquid it is, since the “healthy” double bonds in the unsaturated (or good, if you will) kind of fat will decrease the melting point. However, what most people forget, is that ordinary butter can be liquid too, if it’s just heated a little. The “oil” used for frying in fast food restaurants, is most commonly palm oil, an almost purely saturated (unhealthy) oil. It’s semi-solid at room temperature, but is of course liquid when heated and used for frying, and it’s certainly not healthy. If another more healthy oil had been chosen for frying, those tasty fries wouldn’t have been bad for you. Not at all, as long as the potatoes are of good quality. “Then why don’t the fast food restaurants use the healthy kind of oil then?” you might ask yourself. The unhealthy stuff is cheap, and the fast food companies tend to care more about their money than your health.

Although there are near infinite variations, and therefore several healthy variations of this food swell, the typical pasta you get when you buy your spaghetti, macaroni or noodles, at least in the Western World, is just plain white flour, mixed with water and eggs (although the small percentage of egg included don’t contribute much to the nutritional value of pasta). No vitamins, no minerals, and barely any fiber. Nothing, except empty carbs, shaped as pasta. And just to make things worse, “fast food pasta,” take-away Chinese food for instance, often contain loads of salt, mixed with unhealthy fat.

This is pasta, but shaped like bread. You probably already knew this, but there are still people left in the world that think that all kinds of bread are good for them. White bread is not, trust me!

I mean come on, you didn’t think that goofy green powder you mix into water could be good for you, did you? Well, it isn’t. When you eat soup, you eat/drink the water, milk, butter, or whatever else you had that powder mixed into, along with a mixture of tasty salt and preservatives. A lot of salt, in fact. Salt is sadly often overlooked as a risk-factor in food. Salt is actually a major contributor to heart disease. It has to be excreted from the body. The kidneys do this job, and without going too deep on the physiology, the blood pressure increases the more salt you consume, in order to excrete it. And high blood pressure is not good for you, which you probably already know.

Don’t let the fact that it almost got accepted as a vegetable in the United States fool you. Despite containing the antioxidant lycopene (antioxidants greatly reduce the risks of mutations in your body, and the risk of developing diseases like cancer), ketchup contains loads of sugar (as high as 26% carbohydrates, according to Wikipedia), and also a lot of salt. Most of the ketchup we eat is processed and non-organic, so the lycopene levels are much lower than what it could be from the amount of tomatoes used.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to include this item, as I’m not sure if the definition of “food” includes drinks in the English language, as it doesn’t in my native tongue, but what the heck, I decided to just go for it anyway. You probably knew that soda would never be healthy, diet or not, but did you know that it can be quite bad for you, swell? Scientists are still unsure about this. Some even say diet coke is worse than the sugar-stuffed versions. This is actually a quite controversial debate, as there hasn’t been too many scientific studies done on the health effects of diet soda, but the few there has been, hasn’t exactly proved good for the diet soda fanatics. Some studies have shown that diet soda may not be too bad for you by it self, but it still gave the test group a considerable weight gain. A theory was that diet soda actually stimulated the appetite, so that you “ate back” more than the calories you saved by drinking a diet soda instead of a sugary version. Several animal studies have suggested that the artificial sweeteners used in diet soda can cause weight gain, just like ordinary sugars. Also, some of these sweeteners, like Aspartame, have been believed to increase the risk of certain kinds of cancer, although this has not been scientifically proven, as far as I know.

It’s probably common knowledge that cheese isn’t too good for you, but processed cheese is actually -really- bad for you! Here’s a little story from my childhood, on the subject.

Since when I first ate a hamburger at the local Burger King, I wondered what kind of cheese they used on those delicious hamburgers they sold there. It was so… good and cheesy, and yellow too! Many years passed, and I, as a burger fanatic, tried many types of cheese on my homemade hamburgers without really getting the wanted result. Then, one day when I traveled over the border to Sweden, I found the cheese I was looking for in the first grocery store I went into. “American cheese” it was named, if I’m not mistaken, and I bought a couple of these which I took home to Norway, to put them to the test. And yep, that was the yellow, cheesy cheese I had been looking for! Since we all know that Norway is a much better place to be than Sweden, despite the two countries being pretty much the same, EXCEPT for the Swedes selling this cheese, I felt had to do some investigation.

And indeed, my bad feelings turned to disbelief, as I found out that processed cheese (which doesn’t actually meet the requirements for being called cheese), was so high in salt that it was actually not sold here. Some sources also showed that the average processed cheese you get on your fast food burgers contain so much salt that you can reach far past the recommended daily intake with just 2-3 slices of cheese. I’m not sure how the Burger King here gets the cheese though, but that’s probably another story…

This actually came as a shock to me, being a lover of soy sauce. I was enjoying this tasty, fat-free sauce with a good conscience until I wrote this party popper of a list. Oh well. Unlike many other soy products, soy sauce does not contain certain antioxidants known as isoflavones, but the level of antioxidants in soy sauce is still so high that it’s often viewed (or mistaken), as healthy. On the negative side, however, soy sauce contains very high amounts of salt. There has also been several studies showing that there are often chemicals known to increase the risks of certain types of cancer, found in soy sauce. Luckily, after much stricter regulations on these chemicals and the relatively fresh knowledge of the dangers associated with high salt-contents, there now excises several kinds of low-sodium soy sauces, free of dangerous chemicals. Sadly, as with most healthy variants of various foods, it is not as tasty as the real deal.

Nuts are generally healthy. Most sorts come packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and lots of goodies for your body to enjoy. Peanuts is not a horrible exception, but it might not be as good as other kinds of nuts. The majority of peanuts sold as snacks come packed with salt, and they are often roasted and come coated in unhealthy fats. But the nuts themselves are healthy, you say? Well, maybe. Of course they have the before mentioned benefits of containing a lot of vitamins and minerals, but they contain A LOT of the kind of unsaturated fatty acids known as omega-6 fatty acids. You might have heard about it before, along with the omega-3 acids.

It is a scientific fact that a food intake with a too distorted omega 6:omega 3 ratio (in favor of the omega 6 version), increases the risk for many common diseases, like diabetes and Alzheimer’s. The ratio SHOULD be 1:1, but the American diet ranges between 1:20 and 1:50, in favor of the omega 6. Maybe I shouldn’t go as far as to say peanuts are bad for you, but they should be consumed in a limited quantity, and they should be eaten as nature made them – raw and without added salt.

Controversial perhaps, but this entry is number 1 for a good reason – so many people believe fruit juice is so healthy that they substitute it for all whole fruit in their diet. Now it is true that fruit juice contains a lot of vitamins but it is at great cost; most fruit juice is pumped up with extra sugar and aside from a few varieties has its pulp removed. The pulp in fruit provides essential fibre which can be considered a good counterbalance to all the natural sugar contained in the fruit. So my advice to you: ditch fruit drinks and eat whole raw fruit instead.

If you enjoyed this list you will almost certainly love Top 10 Things that Are Surprisingly Good for You.

15. Hippocrates wrote the first book on epilepsy, On the Sacred Disease, around 400 BC, recognizing that it was a brain disorder and claiming that people with epilepsy did not have the power of prophecy.

14. Single tonic-clonic (otherwise known as grand mal) seizures lasting less than 5-10 minutes are not known to cause brain damage, contrary to the belief that seizures cause brain damage, they are actually more likely to stem from head trauma.

13. You cannot swallow your tongue during a seizure; you cannot swallow your tongue now, can you?

12. There have been some recent implications that have caused many to believe epilepsy goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression.

11. Like a diabetic who is misinterpreted as a drunk driver, epileptics can often have a seizure that manifests itself as bizarre behavior, such as: repeating the same word, not responding to questions, speaking gibberish, undressing, or screaming. (In my case I was considered a threat to an entire classroom while I was suffering from a seizure of this nature.)

10. Early in the 19th century, people with severe epilepsy were cared for in asylums, but one of the reasons they were kept separate from psychiatric patients was because of the misconception that seizures were contagious.

9. Everyone is born with a seizure threshold. If your threshold is high, you are less likely to have a seizure. However certain activities or things, known as triggers, can lower your threshold, such as drinking alcohol, sleep deprivation, stress, illness, flickering lights and hormones (for women mostly) can have an impact on your seizure threshold.

8. Only in about 30% of cases is the cause of epilepsy determined. The other 70% remain unanswered, in what is referred to as idiopathic epilepsy.

7. About 1 in 20 epileptics are sensitive to flickering light, or photosensitive epilepsy. The contrast, or change in light, can trigger a seizure.

6. The official color for Epilepsy Awareness is Lavender, with the pantone swatch of PMS 2593.

5. Towards the start of the 20th century, some US states had laws forbidding people with epilepsy to marry or become parents, some even permitting sterilization.

4. Seizures have a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning, referred to as the aura, can have signs of the oncoming seizure such as smells, sounds, tastes, lightheadedness, or deja and jamais vu. The middle, is the seizure itself, whether it be a grand mal seizure, or a simple partial seizure. The end of the seizure is called the postictal phase and is the brain recovering, which can take anywhere from seconds to hours and is usually accompanied with disorientation and memory loss.

3. The proper treatment for someone having a tonic-clonic seizure is not what you see in TV shows (multiple people pressing their body weight down on a seizing person). Here’s what you should do: Pay attention to how long the seizure lasts, move objects that they could strike out of the vicinity, simply block their way to prevent them from moving too far (or into water, fall off a bed, etc.). Put them on their side after the episode and don’t put anything in their mouth. If it lasts for more than five minutes call an ambulance.

2. Diastat, or diazepam, is the medicine used to treat a prolonged seizure or cluster of seizures. It is a gel supplied in a plastic applicator that, most unfortunately, has to be inserted rectally.

1. Epilepsy is usually not a lifelong disorder, with only 25% of those who develop seizures developing difficult to control seizures. And in my experience, those who have lifelong seizure disorders have more serious conditions at play.

But what if there was food that was healthy, and could also act as a natural anti-depressant? There are foods that meet those qualifications! Here are the 10 best foods, that will make you happy, and keep you healthy:

This little-used vegetable contains a lot of magnesium. Magnesium is a nutrient that is a vital part of the biochemical reactions that increase energy levels in the human body. A study in 2009 in the “Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry” discovered that lower magnesium levels were associated with higher depression scores.

Blue Potatoes aren’t exactly a commonplace produce to find in a grocery store. However, they have powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins; anthocyanins provide neuro-protective qualities, like reducing the brain inflammation that is commonly associated with depression, and boosting short-term memory. Your thyroid gland is maintained, as well, by the iodine found in the peel.

Mussels have moderate to high amounts of Vitamin B12, Selenium, Iodine, protein, and Zinc, while being low in calories and fat. The Iodine helps to, as previously mentioned, support the thyroid gland, which helps to regulate mood and weight; the Selenium and Zinc help the thyroid gland, as well. The Vitamin B12 helps to strengthen and insulate a person’s brain cells, which keeps the brain sharp over time.
Note: Be sure to eat farmed mussels rather than wild mussels, as this will not only benefit your health, but the health of the environment as well.

Yes, you read that correctly. Dark chocolate has benefits that milk and German chocolate do not have. Dark chocolate improves the blood-flow to the brain, and provides an instant boost in concentration and mood. This will help you to feel more energetic and vibrant. However, don’t go overboard: The “Journal of Psychopharmacology” says that all you need is a few ounces of dark chocolate each day to reap the benefits.

Calcium – which Greek yogurt has large amounts of (more than milk) – helps a person’s brain by causing it to release happiness-inducing neurotransmitters. Greek yogurt also has more protein than regular yogurt, which makes weight-loss easier.

Asparagus has high levels of folate and tryptophan. Low levels of folate have been linked to depression in half of all cases of depression, according to recent research. Tryptophan is also used by the brain to make serotonin, which is one of the human brain’s main mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters. Note: Turkey is also a great source of tryptophan. While it has been known to make people sleepy during Thanksgiving, the tryptophan requires calories in order to activate its sedative-like effects.

In regards to health, honey is far better than regular sugar. Honey contains kaempferol and quercetin, which helps to prevent depression (and keep your brain healthy) by reducing inflammation in the brain. It also won’t send your body into “fat-storage” mode, like regular sugar can, by having less of an impact on blood-sugar levels.

All tomatoes have a substance known as lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that fights inflammation in the brain and generally protects the brain. For best results, eat them with olive oil; olive oil helps to increase the absorption of lycopene.

Eggs contain moderate-to-large amounts of Zinc, Vitamin B, Iodine, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and protein. Not only can eggs keep you energized, they can also keep you full (stomach-wise) for longer! A 2008 study in the “International Journal of Obesity” found that people who had eggs for breakfast lost considerably more weight, compared to those who ate bagels for breakfast.

Despite the fact that coconuts are most commonly found in unhealthy desserts, coconuts do contain medium-chain triglycerides. Medium-chain triglycerides are special fats that fuel better moods and promote general brain-health. Note: Coconut milk, on the other hand, is actually pretty unhealthy. Stick with unsweetened coconut shavings.

Beriberi is a disease whose symptoms include weight loss, body weakness and pain, brain damage, irregular heart rate, heart failure, and death if left untreated. It was endemic in Asia for a long time. Strangely, Beriberi occurred almost exclusively amongst the richer members of society, and was unknown in the poor. Although recognized to be a nutritional deficiency, doctors were baffled as to why wealthy people with plentiful and clean food would fall victim to beriberi whereas the poor with limited food did not. As it turned out, beriberi is a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine) which is found in cereal grain husks. The rich had been washing their rice so well that they removed the husk with its vitamin B1, whereas the poor did not wash their food as well and consumed enough vitamin B1. White bread can also potentially cause beriberi, so today developed countries add extra vitamin B1 to it. Beriberi is now found mostly in alcoholics whose bodies become poor at absorbing vitamin B1.

After the discovery and exploration of the Americas, corn was grown by settlers and all around the world. The natives who had originally grown it would treat it with lime, but the taste was unpleasant to the Europeans and they omitted this part of the preparation. As corn was increasingly farmed, the disease pellagra began to spread. Symptoms included diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and finally death. Many people believed that corn was in some way toxic, but could not explain the lack of pellagra among native New Worlders. After thousands of deaths, it was discovered that corn, although high in carbohydrates, lacked vitamin B3 (niacin). Farmers would sometimes eat little other than corn and succumb to the deficiency. The Native Americans had actually been using lime as a way of adding vitamin B3. Today it is well known that by eating a variety of foods vitamin B3 is freely obtained and pellagra is easily treated.

Biotin deficiency is caused by a lack of vitamin B7 (biotin). It causes rashes, hair loss, anaemia, and mental conditions including hallucinations, drowsiness, and depression. Vitamin B7 itself is found in meat, liver, milk, peanuts, and some vegetables. Its deficiency is quite rare; however, there was a brief spike in the number of cases when it became popular for bodybuilders to consume raw eggs. One of the proteins found in raw egg white binds vitamin B7 and makes it difficult for the body to use, leading to a deficiency. Cooking egg whites makes this protein inactive. Mild biotin deficiency is also found is about half of all pregnant women due to a higher use of vitamin B7 in their bodies, and supplements are recommended for such women by the World Health Organisation.

Scurvy was first noted among people who spent a long time at sea. Boats would only carry non-perishable foods such as salted meats and dried grain, so sailors ate few if any fruits or vegetables. Scurvy causes lethargy, skin spots, bleeding gums, loss of teeth, fever, and death. Ancient sea-faring civilizations would cure it with various herbs. In more recent times, these ancient cures were not used consistently and their value was not realized. In the 18th century horse meat and citrus fruits were found to cure scurvy, and British sailors consumed limes to the extent that they were nicknamed ‘limeys’. It is now known that these foods contain vitamin C, and in modern times scurvy is rarely fatal as it once consistently was. Today, there are groups who advocate vitamin C megadoses of hundreds of times the recommended daily requirement; although any positive effects have not been firmly demonstrated and harmful overdoses can occur.

Rickets causes muscles and bones to become soft, which can cause permanent deformities in children. It is most common in children and infants who have a poor diet or who are housebound, but is nowadays relatively rare in developed countries. Breast-fed babies are at higher risk if they or their mothers do not take in enough sunlight, and baby formula is now designed to prevent this. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D or of calcium. Vitamin D is required for calcium to be properly absorbed into bones to strengthen them. Adults rarely develop rickets because their bones are not growing and do not need much calcium. Vitamin D itself is obtained from many foods but the body can only use it if it has been converted into its active form via sunlight. In recent years there has been a slight increase in children with rickets possibly due to too many of them staying indoors.

This condition is present mostly in people who suffer from malnutrition and in alcoholics. It causes distinctive bright pink tongues, although other symptoms are cracked lips, throat swelling, bloodshot eyes, and low red blood cell count. Ultimately it can cause comas and death. It is caused by a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin), but easily treated by eating foods rich in vitamin B2, including meat, eggs, milk, mushrooms, and leafy green vegetables. Vitamin B2 is also used as artificial orange color in foods. It is absorbed through the liver, so alcoholics might eat enough of it but be unable to use it. True deficiencies are rare, but about 10% of people in developed countries live in a state of slight deficiency, thought to be from a diet of highly processed foods. Constant slight deficiencies can increase the risk of mild health problems.

This deficiency affects nearly half of all newborn infants worldwide. In severe cases it causes uncontrolled bleeding and underdeveloped faces and bones. Many hospitals give newborns vitamin K injections to avoid the more severe symptoms. Unfortunately babies born outside hospitals are statistically at a much higher risk of serious deficiencies. Vitamin K is found chiefly in leafy green vegetables, although human gut bacteria help produce it in humans. Newborns have not yet developed gut bacteria which is why they are so prone to deficiencies. Other than newborns, vitamin K deficiency is found in alcoholics, bulimics, strict dieters, and people with various severe diseases such as cystic fibrosis. Adults who bruise or bleed easily sometimes have vitamin K deficiency which itself may be indicative of one of these more serious disorders.

This mouthful of a disease was first noticed as a symptom of an autoimmune disease. It causes gradual deterioration of the spinal cord and very gradual brain deterioration, resulting in sensory or motor deficiencies. Mental disorders from the gradual brain damage begin as fatigue, irritability, depression, or bad memory. As the disease progresses over several years, psychosis and mania can appear. This damage is irreversible and is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12. Fortunately, this vitamin is easily found in meat, dairy, and eggs. Vitamin B12 is stored in the liver and can last for years before deficiency sets in. Hypocobalaminemia is most common in developing countries amongst people who eat few animal products. The most at-risk groups in developed countries are vegans, as no plant produces enough B12 for a human diet. Children need much more B12 than adults because they are growing, so infants who are only breast-fed can become deficient and suffer permanent brain damage if their mother is only slightly deficient. Supplements are recommended for people of all diet types as an easy way to avoid the devastation of this disease.

Vitamin B5 is found in nearly every food, and deficiencies are found in people who have been starving, volunteers of particular medical studies, and people on diets restricted to a very small number of foods. A deficiency in vitamin B5 causes chronic paraesthesia. Paraesthesia is most familiar to us as the numbing sensation we feel as ‘pins and needles’ or a limb ‘falling asleep’. This kind of paraesthesia is perfectly normal; however, in vitamin B5 deficiencies it occurs constantly. Malnourished prisoners of war sometimes reported prickling and burning sensations in their hands and feet which is now thought to have been paraesthesia. As this is nearly unseen today, most vitamin supplements do not include B5.

The Ancient Egyptians and Greeks wrote about night blindness, or ‘nyctalopia’. This affliction makes it impossible to see in dim light, and sufferers become completely blind when night falls. The Egyptians found that they could cure sufferers by feeding them liver, which contains high levels of vitamin A, the deficiency of which causes night blindness. Vitamin A deficiency still affects one third of all children on Earth under the age of five, resulting in over half a million deaths each year. Most high dose vitamins obtain their vitamin A from liver, which is dangerous at high levels and can cause various health complications. In the past, starving Antarctic explorers would eat their dogs for food but became sick when they ate too much liver. Vitamin A found in carrots is a slightly different molecule to that found in liver and is not toxic in high doses, although it can cause skin to turn yellow. During the Second World War, the Allies announced that they ate carrots to see well, although carrots only help maintain normal vision and do not improve it beyond this. Actually they were lying to hide their development of radar.

Eastern European food is getting more attention globally (just like Eastern European boxers, who dominate most boxing divisions from middleweight up to Heavyweight for the last 15 years, once the Iron Curtain collapsed and they finally made it in the pros), and with delicious foods as Pierogi, I personally join the movement.

In reality it’s truly uncertain the real country of origin of this dish, since its origin is specified to be the wider area of Central and Eastern Europe, but I believe that in the western world, especially in Europe and the US, the Polish version of Pierogi is the most popular one.

Pierogi are dumplings of unleavened dough – first boiled, then they are baked or fried usually in butter with onions – traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or even fruit. Pierogi are served in a variety of forms and tastes (ranging from sweet to salty to spicy) in Polish cuisine, considered to be the Polish national dish. The Polish word Pierogi is plural; the singular form Pieróg is rarely used, as a typical serving consists of several Pierogi (and trust me, you can’t have just one).

I don’t think there are many people nowadays who have not heard or haven’t tasted sushi. The common ingredient across all the different kinds of sushi is sushi rice. The variety in sushi arises from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and their preparation. The same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, creating a very different final result. The increasing popularity of sushi around the world has resulted in variations, typically found in North America and Europe, but rarely in Japan. Such creations to suit the Western palate were initially fueled by the invention of the California roll. A wide variety of popular rolls has evolved since.

A friendly advice from me to whoever reads that list, try to avoid the kind of sushi which contains pufferfish fugu, it can cause severe poisoning if not prepared properly. The Emperor of Japan is forbidden to eat fugu, as it is considered too risky – he knows better, I guess.

Spring roll is an umbrella term used in the Western world to describe disparate filled, rolled appetizers similar to the Chinese Chūn Juǎn (春卷, lit. “Spring roll”), from which the term was derived. East and Southeast Asian versions of “spring rolls” have different names depending on the place of origin, method of cooking, type of wrapper and filings. Spring rolls can be sweet or savory, baked or fried. Savory spring rolls are typically prepared with vegetables; baked spring rolls are usually larger and tastier!

Personally, I have eaten them in various Chinese restaurants and prefer the fried ones with chicken and veggies inside. Spring rolls are now very common (in the western world) as appetizers in many popular restaurants such as TGI Fridays and the Hard Rock Café, among others.

Not really popular in Europe, but still one of the most famous fast foods in North and Central America, Burrito definitely deserve a place in this list. Burrito or taco de haring as they call it in Mexico, is one of the most famous Mexican foods. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans or meat are sometimes the only fillings. In the United States, however, fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican-style rice or plain rice, refried or regular beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, avocado, cheese, and sour cream, and the size varies, with some burritos considerably larger than their Mexican counterparts.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of Mexican fast food stores in Europe (at least in the three countries I have spent the biggest part of my life, Greece, France and Italy) I have not been exposed much to Mexican cuisine and the few Burritos I had in Taco Time of Glyfada Athens back in the 1990s – they were decent, but I bet were nothing like the ones in Mexico and US. Can we have more Mexican restaurants all over Europe please?

Easily the most famous British fast food, this is also a staple addition to the vast array of available take outs in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada (albeit originally English). Commonly referred to in the UK as the “chippy” this meal consists of battered fish which is deep fried and served with chips and doused with salt and vinegar! Today eating real fish and chips is usually classed as a must for tourists visiting the UK. Personal note – there was nothing like leaving a club in the early hours and eating fish and chips served in newspaper! This was a sure way to avoid a hangover… Damn the EU and its pesky health and safety laws!

A croissant is a buttery flaky pastry named for its distinctive crescent shape. It is also sometimes called a crescent, from the French word for crescent. You can eat it for breakfast, you can have it for lunch or even dinner; you can have it either sweet (dessert) or savory. In the motherland of the specific food, France, croissants are generally sold plain and eaten without added butter.

In the United States, thanks to the Greek American community of Chicago and New York, sweet fillings or toppings are common, and warm croissants may be filled with ham and cheese, or feta cheese, tomatoes and spinach, just like in Greece, where croissants were originally classed as savory and were not only eaten as dessert or breakfast.

In Germany and Italy, croissants are sometimes filled with Nutella and in some Latin American countries; croissants are commonly served alongside coffee as a breakfast or merienda. In Japan, croissants covered with a sweet glaze or filled with chocolate, are common in bakeries and convenience stores. Croissants are also seen in many former French colonies such as Morocco and Vietnam where in the latter they are called bánh sừng bò.

The only sure thing is that croissants are a global fast food nowadays that millions of people worldwide can enjoy on a daily basis. From personal experience, the two best croissants one can have are La Parisienne Almond Croissant and the ham & cheese croissant.

The Greek hamburger, well at least until the arrival of the actual hamburger! Souvlaki, has been around since the days of Aristophanes, Xenophon and Aristotle; that makes Souvlaki the most ancient and historic food of this list, easily. Souvlaki consists of small cubes of skewered grilled meat usually lamb or pork, often served in a pita bread, garnished with sliced tomatoes, onions with a serving of tzatziki (a cucumber-yoghurt-garlic mix). Commonly known outside Greece as “gyro” or “gyros,” since the 2004 Olympics has become increasingly popular and is now served as far afield as China. However, regardless of how popular this has become worldwide, a real souvlaki will only be found in Greece – and trust me on this, I have done my research!

The term hamburger originates from Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city, and even though the history of hamburgers go back to 15th century Europe, these tasty ground meat patties really only shot to fame due to mass emigration to the USA. Usually made from high quality ground beef, served in a bread roll with various condiments, the hamburger gained international fame thanks to various American franchises such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, TGI Fridays and the British Hard Rock Cafés.

My three personal favorites: The Beefeater by Thomas Cook. The Jack Daniels Burger by TGI Fridays and the Legendary Burger by the Hard Rock Café.
The worst: The Big Mac!

The national food of Italy, and my personal favorite! You see, the funny thing about Pizza is that if you truly want a good pizza, then you won’t find one in Italy. From personal experience (living two years in Pisa, Bologna and Macerata) I can honestly say I have eaten much better pizza elsewhere, and before nationalists complain – it was not for want of trying! I ate pizza in various restaurants, and pizzerias across Italy and honestly the results were always the same. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate a little, but honestly in my opinion pizzerias in the US and Greece serve much better pizza than those in Italy. Again this is my personal opinion, I mean no offense to Italians or Italian cuisine. All I am saying is that the biggest disappointment I experienced whilst living in such a beautiful and historic country… was its national dish!

Clearly the winner and whoever denies this, is just delusional! I can understand there will be some difference of opinion regarding the other nine entries on this list, each will have his/her personal favorite. I also understand that some people will disagree with some of my choices as well, but I doubt there is a single person who has never tasted French fries. Some of the foods mentioned in this list are usually served with French fries (burger, souvlaki and fried fish – This alone proves the popularity of the humble French fry.

Despite the name, this dish originated in Belgium, the term “French Fry” simply means to deep fry. In Belgium you can buy fries in “Friteries” or in a “Frietkot,” they are served with a large variety of sauces or can be eaten on their own. Traditionally they are served with a spoonful of mayonnaise.

When it comes to Western pop culture, I think fries are the true king of the fast food – speaking in terms of popularity and preference. Interesting historical fact: Shortly after the May 1940 invasion of Belgium by the Wehrmacht, Hitler attempted to ban “French fries” because they were the central nutritional source of the Belgian resistance due to their simplicity and availability.

Eric Lynn Wright, better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the group N.W.A. In 1963, Wright was born in Compton, California. After dropping out of high school in the tenth grade, Eric supported himself primarily by selling drugs. In 1986, at the age of 23, Wright allegedly earned as much as USD $ 250,000 from dealing drugs. At this time in his life, Eric decided to move to Los Angeles and enter the hip-hop scene. In 1987, Eazy-E used his money to co-found Ruthless Records.

Eazy-E’s debut album Eazy-Duz-It was released on September 16, 1988, and featured twelve tracks. To date it has sold over 2.5 million copies in the United States. After Ruthless Records artists Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wrote the song Boyz-n-the-Hood. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, MC Ren, and the Arabian Prince formed the group N.W.A. In 1988, N.W.A. released their most controversial album, Straight Outta Compton. The album has been viewed as a pioneering record in the genre of gangsta rap and has sold over three million copies.

On February 24, 1995, Eazy-E was admitted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with what he believed to be asthma, but instead he was diagnosed with AIDS. Eric announced his illness to the public on March 16. One month after his diagnosis, on March 26, 1995, Eazy-E died from complications related to AIDS. He was only 31 years-old. Eric had seven children with six different women. “His distinctive delivery (described as a high-pitched whine), over-the-top lyrics, and undeniable charisma made Eazy-E a star.”

In 1944, John Holmes was born in Ashville, Ohio. As a teenager, John was discovered in a public bathroom by a photographer who noticed his large penis size. The man encouraged John to join the adult film industry. By 1978, Holmes was earning as much as $ 3,000 a day as a pornographic actor. He developed the personality of Johnny Wadd and became one of the most prolific male porn stars of all time. Holmes has appeared in over 2,500 adult loops, stag films, and feature movies. In 1981, he claimed to have had intercourse with 14,000 separate women. In February 1986, Holmes was diagnosed as HIV positive.

John Holmes died from AIDS-related complications on March 13, 1988, at the age of 43. After his death, John was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Adult film industry. Cinematographer Bob Vosse said “John Holmes was to the adult film industry what Elvis Presley was to rock ‘n’ roll. He simply was The King.” Since his death, Holmes has been the subject of several books, a lengthy essay in Rolling Stone magazine, two feature length documentaries, and was the inspiration for two Hollywood movies, Boogie Nights and Wonderland.

In 1938, Emerson Moore was born in the Harlem section of New York City. He converted to Catholicism at the age of 15. On May 30, 1964, Moore was ordained a priest by Cardinal Francis Spellman at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In 1979, he welcomed Pope John Paul II to Harlem, where the Pope gave an address to African Americans at St. Charles Borromeo. Shortly after the Pope’s appearance, Moore was elevated to the rank of monsignor, becoming the first African American to receive that honor. On July 3, 1982, Moore was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York by John Paul II. He was the sixth African American to serve as a Catholic bishop in the United States and the first to serve in the state of New York.

Emerson Moore was diagnosed with HIV in the late 1980s. It is not clear how he contracted the disease. In 1994, Moore entered a drug and alcohol treatment center in Center City, Minnesota. On September 14, 1995, Emerson Moore died due to complications with AIDS. He was 57-years-old. The Archdiocese of New York made an official announcement following his death saying Moore had died of “natural causes of unknown origin.” At his funeral Cardinal O’Connor spoke of the hardships that Moore faced as an African-American bishop in the Catholic Church.

Ösel Tendzin was born Thomas Rich on June 28, 1943, in Passaic, New Jersey. He first met Chögyam Trungpa in February 1971 in Boulder, Colorado. Trungpa was a Buddhist meditation master and one of the first Tibetan Buddhist lamas to visit the West. He is recognized as a preeminent teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. Trungpa was a major and controversial figure in the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to North America.

According to Ösel Tendzin, Trungpa revealed his intention to make him a successor not long after their initial meeting. Starting in 1973, Tendzin began to hold duties in the management of Vajradhatu, which is an umbrella organization that Trungpa developed. It serves as the vehicle for the spread of Buddhist teachings. In April 1976, it was announced for the first time that Ösel Tendzin would replace Chögyam Trungpa after his death. It was a controversial decision to appoint a U.S. citizen to this role. Tendzin assumed leadership of the organization in 1987 with the death of Trungpa.

Ösel Tendzin’s leadership was marked by controversy in the Vajradhatu. He denied students permission to seek advice from other Kagyu Tibetan teachers and claimed that only he possessed the knowledge unique to the Trungpa lineage. One scholar has noted, Tendzin was bisexual and known to be very promiscuous and enjoyed seducing straight men. Not all his partners were unwilling and “it became a mark of prestige for a man, gay or straight, to have sex with Ösel.”

It was revealed in 1989 that Ösel Tendzin had contracted HIV. Yet he continued to have unprotected sex with his students without informing them. Tendzin transmitted HIV to at least one man who later died of AIDS. The board of directors of Vajradhatu knew for two years that Tendzin was HIV positive and sexually active, but kept the information silent. Ösel Tendzin died from AIDS-related complications in 1990. His rule as the holder of the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages was marked by bad decisions and a decline in the goals set forth by Chögyam Trungpa.

In 1951, Ondrej Nepela was born in Bratislava, Slovakia. He began skating at the age of 7 and was coached by Hilda Múdra. Nepela’s first major international competition, at the age 13, was the 1964 Winter Olympics, where he finished 22nd. As Nepela grew stronger, he went on to win the European Figure Skating Championships five times between the years of 1969-1973. He captured the World Figure Skating Championships in 1971, 1972, and 1973, and the 1972 Olympic gold. Ondrej Nepela retired after the 1973 season. Some felt he left skating early, as Nepela was only 22-years-old when he quit active competition.

Following his amateur skating career, Nepela toured for 13 years as a soloist with Holiday on Ice. He then established himself as a coach in Germany. Ondrej Nepela died of AIDS-related complications on February 2, 1989, at the age of 38. It is unclear how he acquired HIV, but Nepela was a homosexual man. In his second autobiography, Toller Cranston, who was a Canadian figure skater, detailed a sexual tryst between himself and Nepela at the 1973 World Championships. Cranston said he was distracted during the competition by the affair and placed 5th, while Nepela won the event. In December 2000, the Slovak Republic named Ondrej Nepela the Slovakian athlete of the century.

Isaac Asimov was born between October 4, 1919 and January 2, 1920 in Petrovichi, Soviet Russia (near the modern border with Belarus). When he was 3-years-old, Asimov’s family immigrated to the United States. As he grew older, Asimov was interested in science-fiction and creative writing. He became one of the most prolific science-fiction writers of all time, having published or edited more than 500 books and over 9,000 letters. Isaac Asimov is widely considered a master of hard science-fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the “Big Three” science-fiction writers during his lifetime.

Asimov’s most famous work is the Foundation series. He also published the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series. Asimov wrote many short stories, including Nightfall (1941), which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as the best short science fiction story of all time. He is credited with coining the term “robotics.” Asimov was also a prolific mystery author and a frequent contributor to magazines. In 1977, he suffered a heart attack and had triple bypass surgery in December 1983. When he died in New York City on April 6, 1992, at the age of 72, Asimov’s brother Stanley reported the cause of death as heart and kidney failure.

Ten years after his death, Janet Asimov’s edition of his autobiography, It’s Been a Good Life, revealed that the myocardial and renal complications her husband suffered from were the result of an infection by HIV, which Isaac had contracted from a blood transfusion received during his bypass operation. Janet wrote in the epilogue that Isaac had wanted to go public about his illness, but his doctors convinced him to remain silent, warning that the anti-AIDS prejudice would likely extend to his family members. This is a recurring theme with people diagnosed with AIDS. They decide to stay silent to protect their loved ones.

In 1960, Gia Carangi was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While in high school, Carangi bonded with “the Bowie kids,” a group of obsessed David Bowie fans. She emulated Bowie’s high-glam style. Gia was drawn to Bowie not only due to his fashion preferences, but also his gender play and outspoken bisexuality. A friend of Carangi said “she was beginning to settle into a lesbian identity, but did not want to take up the accepted lesbian style.” After Gia was featured in a collection of Philadelphia newspaper ads, she moved to New York City at the age of 17 and quickly rose to prominence in the world of modeling.

By the end of 1978, Gia was a well-established model. She was featured on the cover of many different fashion magazines. In October 1978, Carangi did her first major shoot with fashion photographer Chris von Wangenheim. Wangenheim had her pose nude behind a chain-link fence. While in New York City, Carangi became a regular at Studio 54 and the Mudd Club. She used cocaine in clubs, but later developed a heroin addiction. By 1980, Carangi began to display a violent temper. She walked out of photo shoots and even fell asleep in front of the camera.

In fall 1981, at the age of 21, Carangi looked significantly different. Her last cover shoot was taken in the winter of 1982 for Cosmopolitan magazine. In the early 1980s, Carangi was diagnosed with AIDS, which was a newly recognized disease. It is believed that she received the virus by sharing an infected needle. On November 18, 1986, aged 26, Gia Carangi died of AIDS-related complications. Her death was not widely publicized and few people in the fashion industry attended her funeral. Gia Carangi is thought to be one of the first famous women to die of AIDS.

In 1950, Dan Hartman was born in Pennsylvania’s capital, Harrisburg. He joined his first band, The Legends, at the age of 13. After leaving the group, Hartman spent a period of time backing the Johnny Winter Band and then joined the Edgar Winter Group where he played bass on three of their albums. He wrote the band’s second biggest pop hit Free Ride in 1972. Dan Hartman began his solo career in 1976. In late 1978, he reached #1 on the Dance Charts with the disco single Instant Replay, which crossed over to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1984, Hartman reached the Top 10 again with the single I Can Dream About You. During the next decade he worked as a songwriter and producer, and collaborated with such artists as Tina Turner, Dusty Springfield, Joe Cocker, Bonnie Tyler, Paul Young, James Brown, the Plasmatics, and Steve Winwood. Hartman produced and co-wrote the song Living in America, a #4 hit for James Brown which appeared on the soundtrack of 1985′s Rocky IV. The song was the last of Brown’s 44 hit recordings to appear on the Billboard Top 40 charts.

At the end of the 1980s, Dan Hartman was diagnosed with HIV. He did not discuss his sexual orientation, but was openly gay. Three and a half months after his 43rd birthday, on March 22, 1994, Dan Hartman died at his Westport, Connecticut home of an AIDS-related brain tumor. At the time of his death, his music was enjoying a revival. A cover version of Relight My Fire became a British number-one hit for Take That and Lulu. Sales of Hartman’s solo recordings, group efforts, songwriting, and compilations exceed 50 million records worldwide.

In 1931, Stewart McKinney was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 35, McKinney was elected to the Connecticut State House of Representatives as a Republican. In 1970, he ran for the U.S. House and won. McKinney served in the House as a moderate Republican until his death. He is remembered for the Homeless Assistance Act of 1986, which provided U.S. federal money for shelter programs. McKinney is credited with coining the phrase “too big to fail” in connection with large banks.

In 1979, Stewart became ill and had heart surgery. A few years later he was diagnosed with HIV. His health concerns were not made public until shortly before his death. On May 7, 1987, Stewart McKinney died from AIDS-related disease. His physician claimed that McKinney became infected with HIV from a blood transfusion during his heart surgery. It remains unclear exactly how Stewart McKinney contracted HIV. He was actively bisexual and it is possible that McKinney got AIDS from unsafe sex.

McKinney was married to Lucie Cunningham, who is the granddaughter of a co-founder of Standard Oil. They had five children together. Stewart McKinney was the first U.S. congressman to die from AIDS. After his death, U.S. Congress renamed the Salt Meadow National Wildlife Refuge in Connecticut to the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. His son John McKinney is now the State Senator from Fairfield and is minority leader of the Connecticut State Senate. He is rumored to be a future congressional candidate from the Fourth District.

In 1922, Denholm Elliott was born in London, England. During World War II, Elliott joined the Royal Air Force and trained as a sergeant radio operator and gunner. He served with the No. 76 Squadron RAF. In late September 1942, Elliott’s bomber took part in an air raid on the U-boat pens at Flensburg, Germany. The aircraft was hit by flak and subsequently ditched in the North Sea near Sylt, Germany. Elliott and two other crew members survived the crash and spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Silesia.

After making his film debut in Dear Mr. Prohack (1949), Denholm Elliott went on to play a wide range of roles. He is one of the most prominent character actors of the 20th century. Elliott has over 120 film and television credits to his name. In the 1980s, he won three consecutive British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards for Best Supporting Actor in Trading Places as Dan Aykroyd’s kindly butler, A Private Function, and Defence of the Realm, as well as an Academy Award nomination for A Room with a View. Elliott is most recognized as Dr. Marcus Brody in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

The list of famous actors that Denholm Elliott has worked with is extensive. In 1988, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his service to acting. His career has included many stage performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Elliott was privately bisexual and married twice, the first to the British actress Virginia McKenna for a few months in 1954 and later, in an open marriage, to actress Susan Robinson, with whom he had two children. Denholm was diagnosed with HIV in 1987 and died of AIDS-related tuberculosis at his home on Ibiza, Spain, on October 6, 1992. He was 70 years-old.

A recurring concept in the life of famous people who die from AIDS is secrecy. This brings up the question. Who is out there that died from HIV, but the information was never made public? In the last 15 years, there are practically no influential personalities to die from AIDS-related complications. With the amount of people who die from the disease every year, statistics say that notable deaths are unaccounted for. Rumors exist and we will examine the big ones.

The first is regarding Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. In late 2004, after effectively being confined for over two years by the Israeli army, Arafat became ill, fell into a coma and died at the age of 75. After his death, John Loftus reported on ABC radio that Arafat had died of AIDS. According to Loftus, the CIA had knowledge of his condition, and convinced Israel not to assassinate him and wait for his inevitable death of the disease, since the subsequent widespread connotations of the disease with homosexuality would discredit him. Others feel Arafat was poisoned with polonium.

The next rumor is surrounding the death of American business magnate Howard Hughes. In a 1993 publication, Howard Hughes: The Secret Life, written by Charles Higham, it is claimed that Hughes may have been one of the first people to die from AIDS in 1976. This is suggested because his symptoms were characteristic of an AIDS-related illness. Rumors have been swirling around the death of Jim Henson, who was the creator of The Muppets. He died in 1990 from a sudden case of organ failure resulting from Streptococcus pyogenes, a severe Group A streptococcal infection.

More recently Internet rumors have been spreading over the death of comedian Bernie Mac. Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, which is an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the solid organs, but the condition was in remission. His death on August 9, 2008, was caused by complications from pneumonia. I am going to run through a list of famous people who have been known to die from something besides AIDS, but rumors persist. They are James Brown, Patrick Swayze, Luther Vandross, Bob Marley, Andy Warhol, and football great Lyle Alzado.

American actress Brittany Murphy’s sudden death in 2009 is strange. Her doctors have said that “it appears to be natural.” Her death certificate lists the cause of death as “deferred.” On February 4, 2010, the Los Angeles County coroner stated that the primary cause of Murphy’s death was pneumonia, with secondary factors of iron-deficiency anemia. The shocker came six months after her death when The L.A. County Coroner announced that the husband of Brittany Murphy, Simon Monjack, had died from the same acute pneumonia and severe anemia.

In the final years of his life Michael Jackson’s body type experienced some severe changes. He became extremely skinny and frail. Jackson regularly used a wheelchair and many people questioned whether he could perform his 2009 concert tour obligations. Before his death, a collection of articles were published that questioned whether Jackson had cancer or AIDS. To the general public, it appeared that Michael’s 50 year-old frame was wearing down faster than expected. As conspiracy theories flow, people have latched on to the fact that Michael Jackson and his good friend Elizabeth Taylor were avid AIDS activists.

In many areas of the world, the AIDS virus has become associated with the gay community. This is because a large percentage of notable people who have died from AIDS were homosexual. The link between being gay and AIDS is not well understood. In 1969, an American teenager from Missouri named Robert R. became the earliest confirmed victim of AIDS. It remains unclear how Robert got the virus. The first person known to have contracted HIV and died outside of the United States is Arvid Noe.

Since the spread of AIDS, hundreds of famous people have died from the disease. This article will examine ten notable cases (and, in time, will be followed up by a second list of ten). Everyone listed had an established and notable career before getting HIV. They were not made famous by the disease, like many activists that died during the 1980s and 1990s. For example, a woman named Kimberly Bergalis was the first person to get HIV from a clinical transmission. She received the virus from her dentist.

Some notable people not included are broadcast journalist Max Robinson, disco singer Sylvester, choreographer Alvin Ailey, French philosopher Michel Foucault, fashion icon Tina Chow, designer Willi Smith, Italian writer Pier Vittorio Tondelli, CEO of Hasbro Stephen D. Hassenfeld, French writer Jean-Paul Aron, and Spanish poet Jaime Gil de Biedma.

In 1958, Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He achieved his first public attention with chalk drawings in the subways of New York. To make his art recognizable, Haring used a Radiant Baby symbol. He used bold lines, vivid colors, and active figures to carry strong messages of life and unity. In 1985, Keith started to paint canvas. He made an appearance on MTV in November 1985 and painted the set during a show hosted by his friend, keyboardist Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. In 1986, Haring painted murals in Amsterdam, Paris, and Phoenix. He was also asked to paint a 350 foot mural on the Berlin Wall at Brandenburg Gate.

Keith Haring spoke about his work on the Berlin Wall. “I decided on a subject, which is a continuous interlocking chain of human figures, who are connected at their hands and feet. The chain represents the unity of people against the idea of the wall. I painted in the colors of the German flag, black, red and yellow.”

Toward the end of the 1980s, Keith’s art began to reflect socio-political themes, such as anti-Apartheid, AIDS awareness, and the crack cocaine epidemic. In 1988, he was diagnosed with AIDS. It remains unclear exactly how Haring got HIV, but it has been speculated that he received the virus through unprotected sexual intercourse or drug use. A collection of people that Haring was acquainted with died from AIDS. This includes model Tina Chow, who was one of the first heterosexual women to become infected with the disease. Chow died from an AIDS related illness January 24, 1992.

Haring was a homosexual man. In 1989, he established the Keith Haring Foundation to fund AIDS research and children’s programs. Keith Haring died on February 16, 1990, of AIDS-related complications. He was only 31 years-old. Keith’s last public work was painted on the rear wall of the convent of the Church of Sant’Antonio in Pisa, known as the mural Tuttomondo. His imagery has become a recognized visual language of the 20th century.

In 1950, Howard Ashman was born in Baltimore, Maryland. In the 1970s, Ashman began to stand out as a talented playwright, lyricist and director. He first worked with Alan Menken on a 1979 musical adapted from Kurt Vonnegut’s God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. They also collaborated on the successful Little Shop of Horrors rock musical. Menken would compose the music, while Ashman wrote the lyrics. Towards the end of the 1980s, the pair turned their attention to animated features produced by Walt Disney.

Howard Ashman wrote the lyrics for all the songs used in The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. At the time of his death, Ashman was in the middle of working on Aladdin. Three of his songs were featured, Arabian Nights, Friend Like Me, and Prince Ali. Along with Menken, Ashman is the co-recipient of two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards. His second Academy Award in 1992 was awarded posthumously for Best Original Song (Beauty and the Beast). In the middle of the 1980s, Howard Ashman was diagnosed with HIV. After a long fight with the disease he passed away from complications on March 14, 1991.

Howard Ashman was a homosexual. His life partner was a man William P. Lauch, who joined Menken in accepting Ashman’s posthumous Academy Award. In a moving speech, Lauch proudly declared, “Howard and I shared a home and a life together.” He went on to note that this was “the first Academy Award given to someone lost to AIDS.” In 2001, Ashman was named a Disney Legend. The movie Beauty and the Beast is dedicated in his honor. “To our friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful.”

In 1932, Anthony Perkins was born in New York City. He made his film debut in the movie The Actress (1953). In 1957, Perkins received an Academy Award nomination for his role in Friendly Persuasion. He also won the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year. In the late 1950s, Anthony Perkins released three pop music albums as “Tony Perkins.” His single Moon-Light Swim was a hit in the United States, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Perkins also acted in theater and received a collection of Tony Award nominations.

In 1960, Anthony Perkins landed his most notable role as Norman Bates in the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho. The movie was a critical and commercial success, and gave Perkins international fame for his performance as the homicidal owner of the Bates Motel. In 1961, Perkins won the best actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for his role in Goodbye Again. In 1976, he hosted television’s Saturday Night Live and was featured in his only science fiction film, the box office smash and space opus, Walt Disney’s The Black Hole in 1979.

Perkins reprised the role of Norman Bates in three sequels to Psycho. The first, Psycho II (1983), was a box office success more than 20 years after the original film. He then starred in and directed Psycho III. In 1990, Perkins played Bates in the made-for-cable sequel Psycho IV: The Beginning. Anthony Perkins was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor his exceptional contributions to the motion picture industry.

Perkins was diagnosed with AIDS in 1989 and kept his illness a closely-guarded secret for fear that he would not be able to get an acting role. Despite his illness, Perkins worked until the very end. He died on September 12, 1992, from pneumonia related to AIDS. At the time of his death, Anthony had been married to photographer Berry Berenson for 19 years and had two children. Perkins was reported to have been bisexual, and had a close relationship with actors Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, and dancer Rudolf Nureyev. Anthony’s widow Berry Berenson was killed on American Airlines Flight 11 during the September 11 terrorist attacks.

In 1938, Rudolf Nureyev was born on a train near Irkutsk, Siberia, USSR. By the late 1950s, he had become a dancing sensation in the Soviet Union. Nureyev was chosen as part of the Kirov ballet European tour. While in Paris, his performances electrified audiences and critics. Rudolf Nureyev was a free spirit and he was known for breaking Soviet rules about mingling with foreigners. For this reason, he was under investigation by the KGB and faced possible arrest.

On June 16, 1961, at the Le Bourget Airport in Paris, Nureyev defected with the help of French police. Within a week of his defection, he was signed by the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas. Nureyev was openly gay. While on tour in Denmark, he met Erik Bruhn, a fellow dancer who became his lover and closest friend. In 1962, Nureyev was signed by The Royal Ballet as their Principal Dancer. He continued to perform regularly with The Royal Ballet until he joined the Paris Opera Ballet in the 1980s.

When AIDS appeared in France around 1982, Nureyev took little notice and did not change his lifestyle. He simply denied anything was wrong with his health. In 1990, Rudolf became undeniably ill. His last performance was in the production of La Bayadère at the Palais Garnier. In 1993, Rudolf Nureyev died in Levallois-Perret from an AIDS-related illness. He was 54-years-old. Rudolf is considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. He provided a new role for the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.

In 1951, Esteban De Jesús was born in the town of Carolina, Puerto Rico. He debuted as a professional boxer in 1969, beating El Tarita by a knockout. De Jesús won his first 20 amateur fights in the lightweight division, 13 by knockout. In 1971, De Jesús boxed Josue Marquez and beat him in a ten round decision. By the end of 1972, De Jesús’ had won six professional fights in a row. Despite all those wins, he was virtually unknown to most fans. That changed when Esteban faced undefeated Roberto Durán in November 1972. The fight was at Madison Square Garden arena in New York. It marked the beginning of the Duran vs. De Jesús trilogy, De Jesus dropped Duran in round one and went on to give Duran his first professional defeat with a ten round decision.

Esteban De Jesús began 1974 by knocking out former world Jr. Welterweight champion Alfonso Peppermint Fraser in 10 rounds. He then faced Duran for the second time and knocked him down in the first round, but this time Duran rebounded and dominated the fight. In 1976, the WBC’s world Lightweight champion Ishimatsu Suzuki of Japan traveled to Puerto Rico to defend his title against De Jesús. It was the third world title chance for Esteban. He won the fight by beating Suzuki in a 15 round decision. He then retained the title against Hector Medina by a knockout in seven.

As a world champion, De Jesús defended his title over the next couple years. In early 1978, he faced Duran for the third time. It was a WBC Lightweight title bout in Las Vegas, which displayed Duran’s talents at their peak. Duran systematically broke down De Jesús and won in a 12th round knockout. Esteban De Jesús was the WBC Lightweight World Champion from May 1976 to January 1978. Esteban retired from boxing with a record of 57 wins and 5 losses, with 32 wins by knockout.

The next stage of Esteban’s life began on Thanksgiving weekend 1981. In what became a famous case in Puerto Rico, De Jesús was convicted of murder after shooting and killing a 17 year-old over a traffic dispute. He was sentenced to life in jail. While in prison, De Jesús was infected with HIV. It is unclear exactly how he got the disease, but unprotected sex or drug use is likely. After it became public that De Jesús had acquired HIV, Governor Rafael Hernández Colón pardoned him. De Jesús returned to his house and was visited by many celebrities in his final days, including Duran. “It was a compassionate moment when Duran lifted De Jesús out of his bed and kissed him.” On May 11, 1989 Esteban De Jesús died from AIDS-related complications. He was only 37 years-old.

Arthur Ashe was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, Ashe won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best players ever from the United States. In 1963, Arthur became the first black player ever selected to the United States Davis Cup team. He won the inaugural US Open in 1968, the Australian Open in 1970, and Wimbledon in 1975. Arthur had heart surgery in 1979 and retired in 1980.

Arthur Ashe remains the only black man to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open. He is one of only two black men to win a Grand Slam singles title, the other being France’s Yannick Noah, who won the French Open in 1983. Arthur was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1979, he suffered a heart attack and underwent a quadruple bypass surgery, performed by Dr. John Hutchinson. In 1983, Ashe underwent a second round of heart surgery to correct the bypass. Five years later he fell ill and it was discovered that Arthur had contracted HIV.

Ashe apparently got HIV from a tainted blood transfusion he received during his second heart procedure. Arthur and his wife decided to keep his illness private until April 8, 1992, when reports on his health were published. By 1992, Arthur’s physical appearance was skinny and gaunt. In the last year of his life, Ashe started an AIDS foundation. He died from AIDS-related pneumonia on February 6, 1993. Arthur Ashe remains one of the most famous individuals to have received HIV from a tainted blood transfusion.

Perry Ellis was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on March 3, 1940. In the middle of the 1970s, Ellis was approached by his then employer, The Vera Companies, famous for their polyester double-knit pantsuits, to design a fashion collection. Soon after that, Perry Ellis presented his first women’s sportswear line, called Portfolio in November 1976. By 1978, Perry Ellis was internationally recognized. His clothing line became loved by female consumers for the clean-cut yet casual style.

In 1978, Ellis founded his own sportswear fashion house, Perry Ellis International. As the company’s chairman and head designer he developed a popular Menswear Collection. Step by step, Perry Ellis added shoes, accessories, furs and perfume. Throughout the 1980s the company continued to expand and include various labels. In the early 1980s, the wholesale revenues for Perry Ellis International had figured at about $ 60 million. By 1986 that number had risen to about $ 250 million.

Today the company is huge. Perry Ellis International is a leading designer, distributor and licensor of apparel and accessories for men and women. The company owns or licenses a portfolio of brands that includes 29 of the leading names in fashion. Perry Ellis became publicly shared in 1993 and annual sales have propelled to nearly $ 1 billion dollars.

In the middle of the 1980s, Perry Ellis became seriously ill. He died on May 30, 1986, aged 46, from viral encephalitis – an AIDS-related disease. He was openly gay. In November 1984, Barbara Gallagher, a Hollywood screenwriter and long-time friend of Perry gave birth to their daughter Tyler. However, a man named Laughlin Barker was his long-time partner. Barker also died in 1986. Perry Ellis was one of the first prominent American figures to succumb to AIDS.

Rock Hudson was an American film and television actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, Hudson played the lead role in many romantic comedies, most notably acting with Doris Day. He was a tall man standing at 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m). Hudson appeared in nearly 70 motion pictures and several television productions during a career that spanned over four decades. From 1971 to 1977, Rock starred in the lighthearted American crime series McMillan & Wife. At this time, he was the highest paid actor on television.

In the early 1980s, following years of heavy drinking and smoking, Hudson began to experience health problems which resulted in a heart attack. He underwent emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery in November 1981. By 1984, Rock’s health began to get worse, which prompted rumors that he was suffering from liver cancer. He displayed an increasingly gaunt face and build.

Rock was diagnosed with HIV on June 5, 1984. He kept his illness a secret while continuing to work and attend Hollywood gatherings. It was not until July 25, 1985, while in Paris for treatment, that Hudson issued a press release announcing that he was dying of AIDS. In another press release a month later, Rock speculated that he might have contracted HIV through an infected blood transfusion that occurred during his heart bypass procedure.

Rock Hudson died on October 2, 1985, from an AIDS-related illness. He was a month and a half away from his 60th birthday. The disclosure of Hudson’s HIV status provoked widespread discussion on his sexual orientation, which was never made public. Rock and his agent Henry Willson kept his personal life out of the headlines. According to some colleagues, Hudson’s homosexuality was well known in Hollywood throughout his career. Rock Hudson was one of the first major Hollywood celebrities to die from an AIDS-related illness. His death had an immediate impact on the visibility of AIDS and on the funding of medical research.

In 1919, Liberace, known as Lee to his friends, was born in West Allis, Wisconsin. Liberace began playing the piano at the age of four and memorized difficult pieces of music by seven. As a youth, Liberace focused fiercely on the piano and blossomed under the instruction of music teacher Florence Kelly. He showed an interest in draftsmanship, design, painting, and became a lover of fashion. Liberace had a knack for turning his eccentricities into attention-getting virtues, similar to Elton John, David Bowie, Madonna and more recently Lady Gaga. By 1947, Lee was billing himself as “Liberace – the most amazing piano virtuoso of the present day.” He bought a rare, over-sized, gold-leafed Blüthner Grand, which he hyped up as a “priceless piano.”

Liberace created a very successful public image which helped rocket him to stardom. His New York City performance at Madison Square Garden in 1954 earned him a record $ 138,000 for one show. By 1955, he was making $ 50,000 per week at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Liberace was also making over $ 1,000,000 per year from public appearances, and millions from television. He was frequently covered by the major magazines and became a pop culture superstar. The pianist’s flamboyant personality made him the butt of jokes by comedians and the public.

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Liberace’s live shows were a major box office attraction in Las Vegas and he made $ 300,000 a week. During the 1950s–1970s, Liberace was the highest-paid entertainer in the world. In 1982, Scott Thorson, Liberace’s 24-year-old bodyguard, limo driver, and alleged live-in boyfriend of five years, sued the pianist for $ 113 million in palimony. In response, Liberace denied he was gay. Confusion over Liberace’s true sexuality was further muddled in the public’s mind by his romantic links with a collection of famous personalities.

Liberace’s final stage performance was at New Yorks’ Radio City Music Hall on November 2, 1986. His final 21 day tour grossed $ 2.5 million. Liberace died at the age of 67 on February 4, 1987, from cardiac arrest due to congestive heart failure. He never officially gave a statement saying that he was HIV positive or a homosexual. The pianist was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and was hospitalized in January of 1987 with suspected anemia. An autopsy following his death confirmed that Liberace had HIV.

Freddie Mercury (Farrokh Bulsara) was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Africa (now part of Tanzania). In April 1970, Mercury joined guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor to form the band Queen. Despite reservations from the other members, Mercury is the one who chose the band’s name. He later said about the decision, “I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it.” As a performer, Freddie Mercury was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range. His speaking voice fell in the baritone range, but Mercury delivered most songs in the tenor range.

Mercury wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen’s Greatest Hits album, including Bohemian Rhapsody, Somebody to Love, We are the Champions, and Killer Queen. He was known for his live performances, which were often given to stadium sized audiences. Over the course of his career, Mercury performed an estimated 700 concerts. He played the piano in many of Queen’s most famous songs. To date Queen has released a total of 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles, and 10 number one DVDs. Queen has sold over 150 million albums worldwide, with some placing the estimate closer to 300 million.

When Freddie Mercury was not performing he was a very shy and retired man. Mercury was a bisexual, but he did not like to speak about his relationships. He was diagnosed with HIV in April of 1987. Freddie decided to hide his HIV status from the public for several years. By 1990, his physical appearance began to change. On November 23, 1991, Mercury gave a public statement indicating that he had contracted the AIDS virus. A little over 24 hours later, Freddie Mercury died on the evening of November 24, 1991, at the age of 45, at his home in Kensington. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Mercury was the first major rock star to die of AIDS. There is little doubt that he has one of the greatest voices in music history.

Heirloom vegetables are vegetables that are not cultivated for public consumption, or sold to the public. Laws in certain countries like the UK, prohibit the sale of any vegetables not on a national list. These plants have instead been handed down by families and cultures as the name suggests, and their species have been carried on for hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. This just means that there are literally thousands of varieties of vegetables that you have probably never even thought existed. For instance, did you know that the oldest records of carrots (pre 900AD) is from Afghanistan and was anything but orange? In fact it is believed that orange carrots were created from a mutation by the Dutch to honor their royal family in the 1700s. In this list we will take a look at some of these strange, lost vegetables, all of whose seeds can be purchased online. I have not done the list in any special order, as there is really no choosing which is better when it comes to such awesome vegetables.

Some other heirloom varieties: Red quinoa, Madagascar pink rice.

This rice, native to China, is one of several species of black rice. When cooked this rice turns a dark purple color and it has a nutty flavor similar to brown rice. It is high in anthocyanin (a powerful antioxidant), vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. It is believed that the name Forbidden rice was given to it, as only the royal family was allowed to eat it.

Some other heirloom varieties: Flamingo chard, Rainbow chard.

This is a beautiful species of chard, also known as spinach beet or leaf beet. It has dark green, almost flat leaves and a very attractive magenta stalk. It is a very tolerant variety and can withstand both high temperatures and light frost. It can be used to replace Pac choi or spinach in any meal and adds a lovely color variety to foods.

Some other heirloom varieties: Golden wax bean, Royal burgundy beans.

This is a Dutch heirloom bean that has striking purple stripes mottled over a bright yellow color. They are also very versatile and can be eaten raw as a snap bean, cooked with the shells, or shelled in soups and stews. They have a unique, clean, vibrant flavor and are very popular with gourmets and chefs.

Some other heirloom varieties: Black Spanish radish, Brightest breakfast radish.

This is a large root vegetable that grows to about the size of a baseball. It forms a part of the horseradish family and has a mild peppery flavor. The watermelon radishes look, as the name states, very similar to a miniature watermelon. It has a soft green to white exterior and is bright pink on the inside. All radishes are high in ascorbic acid, folic acid and potassium and they make a good source for calcium, magnesium and copper.

Some other heirloom varieties: Amish pie pumpkins, Casper pumpkin.

These miniature pumpkins are an American heirloom variety (although the U.S. does not forbid the sale of heirlooms like some other countries do) and can easily fit into the palm of your hand. They are perfect for single servings, have a great sweet flavor and are high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin A and beta carotene. They are also easy to carve for Halloween and are the perfect size for tea light candles.

Some other heirloom varieties: Bullnose sweet peppers, Purple beauty pepper.

These are sweet peppers with a difference. They turn from green to a rich chocolate color as they ripen. The color is presumed to come from a combination of a dark purple skin and the brick red flesh on the inside. These peppers have very large yields and are very sweet in taste. They make a wonderful edition to salads and are considered a gourmet variety in the U.S.

Some other heirloom varieties: Mary Washington asparagus.

This is an ancient French heirloom variety that grows large spears. They have a fantastic taste and are very tender. The plants are hardy and can survive for many years, but tend to only start producing worthwhile crops by their second or third year. They have a base color of green, with purple colored scales, but can also occur as a more solidly purple color.

Some other heirloom varieties: Rosa Bianca eggplant, Thai green eggplant.

This is a stark white, egg shaped, Japanese heirloom eggplant or aubergine. It is the epiphany of the name as the fruit perfectly resembles white eggs, quite the opposite of the more common, much larger purple eggplants. The plant is high yielding and will usually continue bearing fruit if you continue to harvest. Some of the fruit could turn into a vibrant yellow color, but these tend to be bitter.

Some other heirloom varieties: Romanesco cauliflower, Rosalind.

These plants sport stunning, large, bright purple cauliflowers. They are delicious raw with a dip, as well as cooked or steamed. Cauliflowers are high in dietary fibre, foliate and vitamin C, but this purple variety also boasts with high levels of anthocyanin, which can slow blood clotting and prevent heart disease.

Some other heirloom varieties: Purple sprouting Rudolph, Zamboni Rapini.

White sprouting broccoli is one of two sprouting broccolis, the other is purple. Sprouting broccoli tends to taste better than shop broccoli, but out of the two, the white is much more tender and sweet than the purple. They form lots of small heads at the end of stalks instead of one large head. These deliciously tender plants are high in Vitamin C, K, B6 and B9.

Some other heirloom varieties: Costata Romanesco, Round zucchini.

Gold rush zucchinis or courgettes are bright yellow in color. They have become a popular choice for the vegetable patch and have been found to be less watery and seedy than other varieties. They have a great mild flavor when eaten both raw and cooked. This plant is also extremely resistant against pests, and will not be affected, even is another species of squash right next to it becomes infected.

Some other heirloom varieties: Golden custard patty pan, Patisson Panaché Vert e Blanc.

This is an ancient Native American heirloom patty pan squash that is highly resilient and can withstand most squash bugs and vine borers. They have a clean white color and a superb taste. They are best when eaten young or immature but can be harvested at any growth period. They are high in magnesium, niacin and vitamins A & C.

Some other heirloom varieties: Burpee golden beet, Chioggia beet.

This is a stark white variety of beet that has tender, sweet, flavorful roots. These beets makes a good alternative for use in cooking light colored foods such as chicken, as it will not stain your food purple like ordinary beets do, but still retain the delicious sweet flavor of regular beetroots. They are also high in potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus.

Some other heirloom varieties: Mandan Bride corn, Saskatchewan Rainbow Flint corn.

This is a dark blue, almost black variety of corn. It is an ancient heirloom from the Hopi Native Americans, to whom it was a staple food for thousands of years. This corn is generally ground to make blue corn flower and is courser than the yellow and white variety’s, but has a sweeter and nuttier flavor.

Some other heirloom varieties: Romanesco artichoke, Spined artichoke.

This is an old Italian heirloom variety and produces large purple artichoke heads that are more resistant to heat and cold than green varieties. These beautiful globes are highly coveted by chefs for their tender texture and striking color. The plant has silvery leaves and also makes a beautiful ornamental plant in any garden.

Some other heirloom varieties: Tender crispy celery, Golden Pascal celery.

This is a deep red variety of celery. It is extremely frost and cold resistant and has a wonderful flavor. It looks amazing in a garden as an ornamental plant, thanks to the dark pink red stems. This variety is great raw or eaten in soups and stews and will add a great splash of color to your food.

Some other heirloom varieties: Black Hungarian, Explosive ember.

These strange heirloom peppers are also sometime called penis peppers due to their strange phallic shape. They can be found in red and yellow and has a medium heat. These peppers are considered rare and their origin is unknown, but seeds can be purchased from private suppliers and growers.

Some other heirloom varieties: Mountain rose potatoes, Viking purple potatoes.

This variety of potato is a true sight of amazement. It has both a bright royal purple color on the outside and on the inside. It contains high amounts of anthocyanin, which is a strong antioxidant found in other purple plants like aubergines. Regardless of the strange appearance, this potato tastes exactly like other white varieties of potato, and it does not lose its color during cooking. This can be used to put an interesting twist in ordinary dinner dishes, by having purple chips or purple mash.

Some other heirloom varieties: Mr stripy tomato, White wonder tomato.

This is a small, oblong shaped, yellow tomato with pale stripes. This plant yields extremely high amounts of fruit near the end of the season. The fruit are quite sweet and fleshy and looks great in a salad or as a more interesting tomato paste. They make a good replacement for ordinary cherry tomatoes and can be eaten straight off the plant.

Some other heirloom varieties: Dragon purple carrots, Atomic red carrots.

Even though the oldest known carrots where mostly yellow and purple, white carrots have still been around for longer than orange ones has. These lunar white carrots are sweet, tender and almost completely cordless. They have a mild carrot taste and look beautiful in salads, but can replace orange carrots in any dish. As these carrots don’t have any pigment, their nutritional value is slightly lowered, but they do contain health promoting phytochemicals.

Considered to be the Egyptian national dish, it consists of pasta and tomato sauce, among other items, including rice, lentils, caramelized onions, garlic and chickpeas. Having four sources of carbohydrates has made it the most popular lunch item in most common food outlets in Egypt for over 100 years. Interestingly enough, Kushari’s origins are not Egyptian at all, in fact it was a dish brought in by the British army in Egypt in the 19th century: the pasta was imported from Italy, the tomatoes are from Latin America and the rice from Asia, however the idea to mix them all together in one extremely delicious and vegetarian dish was conceived in Egypt.

One of the common staple foods in Egypt, it consists of lava beans served with oil, garlic and lemon juice. Ful Medames can be traced to Pharaonic roots, and quantities have been found in the Twelfth dynasty. The word “Medames” is Coptic for “buried” which refers to the way it was initially cooked: in a pot buried in hot coal or sand. Ful Medames can be served with many embellishments such as butter, tomato sauce, tahini, fried or boiled eggs and pastrami. However, the most traditional method is to eat it plain and salted in an Egyptian bread bun. Nowadays, Ful Medames is exported to many Middle Eastern countries such as Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Considered a Nubian dish, fatta is usually prepared for festivities such as a woman’s first birth, and both Christian and Muslim holiday celebrations. It consists of layers of rice and fried bread, covered in a garlic and vinegar meat soup. Large chunks of stewed beef and deep-fried poached eggs are usually served along with the rice and bread base. As you can presume, Fatta is a really fattening dish, with an extremely high calorific value; it is rarely eaten during the year, except after a major religious fast such as the 50 days before Easter for Coptic Christians, or the month of Ramadan before Eid-Al-Futr.

Mulukhiya is made from the leaves of jute and corchorus plants that grow in east and north Africa. In Egypt, Mulukhiya is prepared by chopping the leaves with garlic and coriander and cooking it in an animal stock such as chicken, beef or rabbit, and served with Egyptian bread or rice. Interestingly, different cities in Egypt prepare it in different ways, for example fish or shrimp are used as bases for the broth in coastal cities such as Alexandria and Port Said. During the late Tenth century, the dish was banned by the Fatimid Caliph Al Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, while the ban was lifted, religious sects such as the Druze still refuse to eat the dish in respect for the late Caliph.

Feseekh is a traditional Egyptian dish served only during the Sham-El-Nessim festival, which is a spring celebration with Pharaonic origins. It consists of fermented, salted and dried gray mullet. The process to prepare it, which involves drying the fish in the sun then salting it, is usually prepared by a specialized person called a fasakhani. Due to the way it is prepared, Feseekh can cause poisoning if it is prepared incorrectly. It is usually stored in thick glass jars that are firmly closed, as it has a very pungent smell. It is usually served with Egyptian bread, diced onions and lots of lemons.

Taro is a Southeast Asia native plant that was introduced to the Mediterranean parts of Egypt in ancient times. Taro, or Qilqas as it is known in Egypt, is usually prepared by peeling the taro tubers then boiling them and preparing them in a broth with lemon juice, garlic and coriander. After it is cooked, the taro is mashed and the whole preparation is served as a dip with Egyptian flat bread. Taro is cooked during the Coptic Christian celebrations of Epiphany, and the way it is prepared is supposed to resemble the baptism of Jesus.

Halawa is a middle-eastern food common across all countries in the Mediterranean. Halawa is made from sesame paste and is available in all shapes and forms: blocks, hair Halawa, energy bars and spreads. It is sometimes infused with other types of food to add to its flavor, these include: pistachios, pine nuts and almonds. It is a common staple food among Egyptians and it is eaten as a snack or for breakfast and dinner. Halawa can be used as a main ingredient in many other dishes, among those is the Sakalans, which is mixture of Halawa, honey and whipped cream. Interestingly, Halawa is one of the few foods that can tolerate the hot Egyptian weather without going bad, and it doesn’t need any special storage conditions.

Dukkah is an Egyptian food commonly used as a dip and eaten along with Egyptian flatbread or raw vegetables, such as tomatoes or cucumber, as an hors d’oeuvre or side dish. It consists of a mixture of herbs, nuts and spices such as mint, salt, sesame, coriander and cumin. Dukkah is usually prepared at home and each family has a different twist to the recipe, but it is also sold at spice vendors in small paper cones. The name “Dukkah” is derived from the Arabic word “to pound” referring to how all the spices are pounded together to prepare the dish. Outside of Egypt, the dish is rarely known but it has found some popularity in Australia.

Konafah is an Egyptian sweet made of a very thin noodle-like pastry. The origins of Konafah are very mysterious, its presence has been recorded in Arab medieval cookbooks in both Egypt and the Levant and Turkey, but its exact origins have always been unknown. Konafah is made by drizzling long rows of the thin noodles in their liquid state on a hot plate until they become dry and more rigid. The now-rigid noodles are then mixed with butter or oil and wrapped around a filling made out of nuts, whipped cream or both. It is baked and presented with a fruit syrup on top.

Gibna Domiati is a white soft cheese made in the city of Damietta, in the north of Egypt. It is typically made from buffalo milk but sometimes cow milk is added to the mixture as well. It is the most common cheese found in Egypt and is incorporated into a lot of dishes, such as sambousak (fried thin pastry stuffed with cheese) or mesh (a tomato and cheese dip). Gibna Domiati is aged for a period of 1-3 years in large tin cans, before being eaten. Most Egyptian families take pride in the number of cans they have stored and for how long. In fact, it is said that the more the cheese is aged, the more delicious it becomes.

Many diverse levels of document archiving software are obtainable on the market but ‘best of breed’ document archiving software will have the following features and benefits:

Consist of prevailing workflow for integrating business courses into the management of the documents.

it is efficient since no time is wasted for filing and recovering documents.

it provides security because the user obtains controlled access to your documents.

Compliance is not a problem with document archiving software given that it complies with SOX, Accountability Act, etc.

Paying attention on managing documents, though they are habitually capable of managingother electronic information movie files, such as images, etc .

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Document archiving software generally provides versioning, storage, security, metadata, as well as indexing and retrieval capabilities. Here is an explanation of these components:

Versioning is a procedure by which documents are checked in or out of the document archiving software, agreeing to let users recover prior adaptations and to carry on working from a chosen point. Versioning is functional for documents that modify over time and have a need for updating, but it may be obligatory to go back to or reference a previous copy.

Accumulate electronic documents. Storage of the documents often consists of management of those similar documents; where they are stored, for how long, relocation of the documents from one storage media to another and final document annihilation.

Document security is fundamental in many document management applications. Conformity requirements for certain documents can be rather intricate depending on the category of documents. Such as, in the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements order that medical papers have firm security requirements. Some document management systems have a rights management module that permits an administrator to grant access to documents based on type to only definite people or set of people.

Metadata is on average stored for every document. Metadata may, for instance, include the date the document was stored and the identity of the user storing it. The data archiving software may also extract metadata from the document routinely or prompt the user to add metadata. A few systems moreover, utilize optical character detection on scanned images, or perform text mining on electronic documents. The resulting removed text can be worn to support users in situating documents by discovering possible keywords or providing for complete text search competence, or can be used on its own. Extorted text can also be stored as an element of metadata, stored with the image, or independently as a foundation for searching document compilations.

At the simplest level, all clients who have a PC who set up folders into which they store word docs, Excel spreadsheets, PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, etc. are proficiently engendering a fundamental document database structure to permit them to easily store, recover and expires document content.

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