1.
Calabasas, California
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As of the 2010 census, the citys population was 23,058, up from 20,033 at the 2000 census. The city was incorporated in 1991. It is noted for its residents and gated neighborhoods. The Leonis Adobe, a structure in Old Town Calabasas. It is generally accepted that the name of Calabasas is derived from the Spanish calabaza meaning pumpkin, squash, some historians hold the theory that Calabasas is derived from the Chumash word calahoosa which is said to mean where the wild geese fly. Owing to vast presence of wild plants in the area. The following spring, hundreds of pumpkin seeds sprouted alongside the road, the area was named Las Calabasas - the place where the pumpkins fell. The festival has evolved from a fair to a significant annual event. The citys official logo, depicting a red-tailed hawk flying over the Santa Monica Mountains, symbolizes a commitment to preserving the natural beauty. This logo is featured on the Calabasas city flag which is flown in front of City Hall, the city is located in the southwest corner of the San Fernando Valley and comprises a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is 22 miles away from downtown Los Angeles and it is bordered by the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles to the northeast, Topanga to the east, Malibu to the south, Agoura Hills to the west, and Hidden Hills to the north. The historic El Camino Real runs east–west through Calabasas as the Ventura Freeway 101, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.0 square miles. 12.9 square miles of it is land and 0.1 square miles of it is covered by water, in a part of the city near Calabasas High School and A. C. Stelle Middle School, all of the public streets are named patriotically. These include Declaration Ave. America Way, Liberty Bell Rd. Paul Revere Dr. Founders Dr. Bon Homme Rd. one of the oldest neighborhoods in Calabasas is Park Moderne, or the Bird Streets. From Parkway Calabasas, Hidden Hills West, Calabasas Hills, Calabasas Park Estates, from Las Virgenes, Mountain View Estates, Monte Nido, Deer Springs, Stone Creek, El Encanto, Mont Calabasas, Malibu Canyon Park, The Colony at Calabasas, and Avalon Calabasas. Mont Calabasas, a community on Las Virgenes Road, was annexed into the city of Calabasas in 2011, prior to annexation, the neighborhood was located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. From Lost Hills Road, Calabasas View, Saratoga Hills, Saratoga Ranch, Deer Springs, the 2010 United States Census reported Calabasas to have a population of 23,058. The population density was 1,780.4 people per square mile
2.
Vine
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A vine in the narrowest sense is the grapevine, but more generally it can refer to any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent stems, lianas or runners. The word also can refer to such stems or runners themselves, in the United Kingdom, the term vine applies almost exclusively to the grapevine. The term climber is used for all climbing plants, certain plants always grow as vines, while a few grow as vines only part of the time. For instance, poison ivy and bittersweet can grow as low shrubs when support is not available, a vine displays a growth form based on long stems. This has been a successful growth form for plants such as kudzu and Japanese honeysuckle. There are some tropical vines that develop skototropism, and grow away from the light, growth away from light allows the vine to reach a tree trunk, which it can then climb to brighter regions. The vine growth form may also enable plants to large areas quickly. This is the case with periwinkle and ground ivy and it is also an adaptation to life in areas where small patches of fertile soil are adjacent to exposed areas with more sunlight but little or no soil. A vine can root in the soil but have most of its leaves in the brighter, exposed area, the evolution of a climbing habit has been implicated as a key innovation associated with the evolutionary success and diversification of a number of taxonomic groups of plants. It has evolved independently in several plant families, using many different climbing methods such as and it directs its stem into a crevice in the bark of fibrous barked trees where the stem adopts a flattened profile and grows up the tree underneath the host trees outer bark. The fetterbush then sends out branches that emerge near the top of the tree and these may be divided into woody vines or lianas, such as wisteria, kiwifruit, and common ivy, and herbaceous vines, such as morning glory. One odd group of vining plants is the fern genus Lygodium, the stem does not climb, but rather the fronds do. The fronds unroll from the tip, and theoretically never stop growing, they can form thickets as they unroll over other plants, rockfaces, gardeners can use the tendency of climbing plants to grow quickly. If a plant display is wanted quickly, a climber can achieve this, climbers can be trained over walls, pergolas, fences, etc. Climbers can be grown over other plants to provide additional attraction, artificial support can also be provided. Some climbers climb by themselves, others need work, such as tying them in, vines widely differ in size, form and evolutionary origin. Darwin classified climbing groups based on their climbing method and he classified five classes of vines including twining plants, leaf climbers, tendril bearers, root climbers and hook climbers. Vines are unique in that they have multiple origins and a wide range of phenotypic plasticity
3.
Cucurbita moschata
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Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in either Central America or northern South America. It includes cultivars of squash and pumpkin, C. moschata cultivars are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather than cultivars of C. maxima or C. pepo. They also generally display a greater resistance to disease and insects, commercially made pumpkin pie mix is most often made from varieties of C. moschata. The ancestral species of the genus Cucurbita were present in the Americas before the arrival of humans, evolutionarily speaking the genus is relatively recent in origin as no species within the genus is genetically isolated from all the other species. C. moschata acts as the bridge within the genus and is closest to the genus progenitor. Cultivars include, Butternut type, also Bell type, robinson and Decker-Walters p.80, Three horticultural groupings of C. moschata cultivars are recognized in the commercial trade of North America, Bell. The bell squash Butternut is an important winter squash with excellent quality and it was selected for better fruit shape from the heirloom cultivar Canada Crookneck and introduced by the Breck Seed Company in 1936. The elongated neck of the buff-coloured Butternut fruit is generally straight, the neck is entirely usable because the small seed cavity is confined to the bulbous base of the fruit. Waltham Butternut is similar, but produces a higher proportion of fruits with straight necks and it was obtained by crossing New Hampshire Butternut with an African plant introduction to the USA, and has been a very popular cultivar ever since its commercial introduction in 1970. Similar to Butternut with a neck that twists during cultivation. Cultivars belonging to group, in USA Neck pumpkin and Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck, in Italy and France Tromba d Albenga. Neck pumpkin most popular in the Mid-Atlantic states of the United States, also within this group Canada Crookneck from which Butternut was originated. Tromboncino - a summer squash, also known as Zucchetta, long Island Cheese Pumpkin - exterior resembles a wheel of cheese in shape, color, and texture. Robinson and Decker-Walters p.80, Three horticultural groupings of Cucurbita moschata cultivars are recognized in the trade of North America. Fruit variable, but usually oblate with a buff-coloured rind, musquée de Provence or Moscata di Provenza. Giromon - A large, green cultivar, grown primarily in the Antilles, haitians use it to make the traditional soupe giromon, in celebration of Haitian Independence on New Years Day. Aehobak, also called Korean zucchini, is the edible, green to yellow-green summer squash of Cucurbita moschata, an aehobak has the shape of zucchini, but has thinner, smoother skin and more delicate flesh. It is usually sold in shrink-wrapped plastic, similar shape but a different species than the most common Cucurbita argyrosperma cushaw type
4.
Cucurbita
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Cucurbita is a genus of herbaceous vines in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, also known as cucurbits, native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their fruit, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd depending on species, variety, and local parlance. Other kinds of gourd, also called bottle-gourds, are native to Africa and belong to the genus Lagenaria and these other gourds are used as utensils or vessels, and their young fruits are eaten much like those of Cucurbita species. Most Cucurbita species are vines that grow several meters in length and have tendrils. The yellow or orange flowers on a Cucurbita plant are of two types, female and male, the female flowers produce the fruit and the male flowers produce pollen. Many North and Central American species are visited by specialist bee pollinators, the fruits of the genus Cucurbita are good sources of nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, among other nutrients according to species. The plants also contain phytochemicals, such as cucurbitin, cucurmosin. There is debate about the taxonomy of the genus, as the number of accepted species varies from 13 to 30, the five domesticated species are Cucurbita argyrosperma, C. ficifolia, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo. All of these can be treated as winter squash because the fruits can be stored for months, however. Cucurbita fruits have played a role in culture for at least 2,000 years. They are often represented in Moche ceramics from Peru, after Christopher Columbuss arrival in the New World, paintings of squashes started to appear in Europe early in the sixteenth century. The fruits have culinary uses including pumpkin pie, biscuits, bread, desserts, puddings, beverages. Pumpkins and other Cucurbita fruits are celebrated in festivals and in flower, Cucurbita species fall into two main groups. The first group are annual or short-lived perennial vines and are mesophytic, the second group are perennials growing in arid zones and so are xerophytic, tolerating dry conditions. Cultivated Cucurbita species were derived from the first group, growing 5 to 15 meters in height or length, the plant stem produces tendrils to help it climb adjacent plants and structures or extend along the ground. Most species do not readily root from the nodes, an exception is C. ficifolia. The vine of the perennial Cucurbita can become semiwoody if left to grow, there is wide variation in size, shape, and color among Cucurbita fruits, and even within a single species. C. ficifolia is an exception, being uniform in appearance
5.
Cucurbita maxima
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Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species. This species originated in South America from the wild Cucurbita andreana over 4000 years ago, the two species hybridize quite readily but have noticeably different calcium levels. Many cultivars of Cucurbita maxima have been developed, as in C. pepo, plants exist with a bush habit that is particularly evident in young plants, but older plants grow in the wild-type vining manner. Arikara squash is a variety of C. maxima. Fruits weigh from four to eleven pounds, the shape of the fruit can be tear-drop or round, and they are colored in a mottled orange and green pattern. It is desired both for its qualities and as a seasonal decoration. This variety traces its ancestry to the Arikara tribe of the Dakotas, banana squash has an elongated shape, with light blue, pink or orange skin and bright orange flesh. Boston marrow sweet tasting, narrow at one end and bulbous at the other. Buttercup squash is one of the most common varieties of winter squash, with a turban shape and dark green skin. The Candy Roaster landrace was originally developed by the Cherokee people in the southern Appalachians, another heirloom variety, it is quite variable in size, shape, and color, yet most have fine-textured orange flesh. This variety enjoys continued popularity, particularly in the southern Appalachians, Hubbard squash is another cultivar of this species that usually has a tear-drop shape. They are often used as a replacement for pumpkins in cooking, according to one source, the name comes from Bela Hubbard, settler of Randolph Township, Ohio in the Connecticut Western Reserve. Many other sources list an alternate history and these sources state the hubbard squash came to Marblehead, Massachusetts through Captain Knott Martin. A woman named Elizabeth Hubbard brought the fruit to the attention of her neighbor, mr. Gregory subsequently introduced it to the market using Mrs. Hubbards name as the eponym. Gregory later bred and released the blue hubbard, which has a bluish-gray skin, the other major variety, the golden hubbard squash, has a bright orange skin. Gregory advertisements for the date from at least 1859. The hubbard squash, including regarding the name, is even the subject of a childrens ditty. Jarrahdale pumpkin is a pumpkin with gray skin and it is nearly identical to Queensland Blue and Sweet Meat varieties
6.
Cucurbita foetidissima
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Cucurbita foetidissima is a tuberous xerophytic plant found in the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The type specimen was collected from Mexico by Humboldt and Bonpland sometime before 1817, the feral perennial buffalo gourd has evolved in the semiarid regions and is well-adapted to desert environments. It contains high amounts of protein and carbohydrates and yields abundant oil, the carbohydrates that are formed in the tap root have led to the idea of growing the plant for biofuel. The fruit is consumed by humans and animals. When mature, a marked by increasing desiccation of vine, leaves, fruit-stem, and fruit. Geographic location and genetics make it likely that Cucurbita scabridifolia originated as a naturally occurring hybrid of C. foetidissima. Cucurbita foetidissima requires little water and grows best in semiarid and arid environments, warm weather is required during the five- to eight-month vegetation period. This perennial is well adapted to agricultural lands such as sandy loam soils which have to be well-drained. Germination temperature range is between 15 °C and 37 °C with an optimum at 25 °C, the maximum depth for a successful germination is 12 cm. The germination is possible in a pH range from 2.2 up to pH8, asexual propagation is possible from nodal roots. The leaves of the gourd are typically entire and heart-shaped with a base of 10–13 cm. The flowers are borne singly at the nodes of the vines after an amount of annual vegetative growth has taken place. The fruit has a diameter of 7–10 cm, the fruit weighs 120 g to 150 g, with 292 to 315 seeds per fruit. The seeds, which are 12 mm long and 7 mm wide, weigh about 4 g per 100 seeds, the seeds often remain viable for months or even years within an undamaged gourd. One hectare of plants can produce 2.5 tons of seed, the plant forms a fleshy tap root which is used as a storage and overwintering structure. The central tap root can weigh up to 72 kg, a four-year-old root grown under cultivation can reach a fresh weight of 45 kg and a length of 2.5 m. Cucurbita foetidissima is native to North America in the central and southwestern United States, the buffalo gourd has the potential of being a crop adapted to arid to semiarid lands. Fresh gourd, The fresh young gourd can be eaten like squash, the mature fruit is no longer edible, due to bitter compounds
7.
Filipino cuisine
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Philippine cuisine consists of the food, preparation methods, and eating customs found in the Philippines. Dishes range from the simple, like a meal of fried salted fish and rice, to the complex paellas. Popular dishes include, lechón, longganisa, tapa, torta, adobo, kaldereta, mechado, puchero, afritada, kare-kare, pinakbet, crispy pata, hamonado, sinigang, pancit, and lumpia. During the pre-Hispanic era in the Philippines, the preferred Austronesian methods for preparation were boiling, steaming and roasting. The ingredients for common dishes were obtained from locally raised livestock and these ranged from kalabaw, baka, manok and baboy to various kinds of fish and seafood. In 3200 BCE, Austronesians from the southern China and Taiwan settled in the region that is now called the Philippines and they brought with them knowledge of rice cultivation and other farming practices which increased the number and variety of edible dish ingredients available for cooking. Direct trade and cultural exchange with Hokkien China in the Philippines in the Song dynasty with porcelain, ceramics, many of these food items and dishes retained their original Hokkien names, such as pancit, and lumpia. The Chinese food introduced during this period were food of the workers and traders, which became a staple of the noodle shops, through the trade with the Malay-Indonesian kingdoms, cuisine from as far away as India and Arabia enriched the palettes of the local Austronesians. These foods include various dishes eaten in areas of the part of the archipelago today, such as puto derived from Indian cuisine puttu, kurmah, satti. Spanish colonizers and friars in the 16th century brought with them produce from the Americas like chili peppers, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, chili leaves are frequently used as a cooking green. Spanish dishes were eventually incorporated into Philippine cuisine with the more complex dishes usually being prepared for special occasions, some dishes such as arroz a la valenciana remain largely the same in the Philippine context. Some have been adapted or have come to take on a slightly or significantly different meaning, arroz a la cubana served in the Philippines usually includes ground beef picadillo. Philippine longganisa despite its name is akin to chorizo than Spanish longaniza. Morcon is likely to refer to a beef roulade dish not the bulbous specialty Spanish sausage, today, Philippine cuisine continues to evolve as new techniques, styles of cooking, and ingredients find their way into the country. Traditional dishes both simple and elaborate, indigenous and foreign-influenced, are seen as are more current popular international viands, however, the Filipino diet is higher in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol than other Asian diets. Filipino cuisine centres around the combination of sweet, sour, and salty, although in Bicol, counterpoint is a feature in Philippine cuisine which normally comes in a pairing of something sweet with something salty, and results in surprisingly pleasing combinations. Adobo is popular not solely for its simplicity and ease of preparation, but also for its ability to be stored for days without spoiling, and even improve in flavor with a day or two of storage. Tinapa is a fish while tuyo, daing, and dangit are corned, sun-dried fish popular because they can last for weeks without spoiling
8.
Coconut milk
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Coconut milk is the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a mature coconut. The opacity and rich taste of milk are attributed to its high oil content. Coconut milk is a food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean. Coconut milk is distinguished from water by its thicker consistency. Unlike coconut water, which is the liquid found directly inside a coconut, coconut milk is the result of combining coconut water with coconut meat. The grating process can be carried out manually or by comminution, Coconut milk exists in two grades, thick and thin. Thick coconut milk contains 20-22% fat while thin coconut milk contains 5-7% fat, thick milk is prepared by directly squeezing grated coconut meat through cheesecloth. Thin milk is produced by soaking the squeezed coconut meat in water and further squeezing the meat until a thinner liquid forms, thick milk contains soluble, suspended solids, which makes it a good ingredient for desserts and rich and dry sauces. Because thin milk does not contain these soluble solids, it is used in general cooking. Coconut milk has a fat content of 24%, depending on the fat level of the coconut meat, when refrigerated and left to set, coconut cream will rise to the top and separate out from the milk. To avoid this in commercial coconut milk, an emulsifier and a stabiliser have to be used, manufacturers of canned coconut milk typically combine diluted and comminuted milk with the addition of water as a filler. Some brands sold in Western countries add thickening agents or emulsifiers to prevent the milk from separating inside the can, Coconut milk can be consumed on its own or as a milk substitute in tea, coffee, and baking. It is an ingredient in many tropical and Asian cuisines for curries or other seasonings, meats, vegetables. Coconut rice is a rice cooked in coconut milk consumed in Southeastern Asia, nasi lemak is a Malaysian version of coconut rice, while the same dish is called nasi uduk in Indonesia. Coconut milk is used throughout Asia for making traditional serabi. In Brazil, coconut milk is used in northeastern cuisine, generally with seafood stews. In Colombia and Panama, the flesh of coconut and coconut milk are used to make sweet titoté. In Venezuela, meat dishes are prepared with milk and shredded fish in a dish called mojito en coco
9.
Pumpkin
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A pumpkin is a cultivar of a squash plant, most commonly of Cucurbita pepo, that is round, with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and deep yellow to orange coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp, some exceptionally large cultivars of squash with similar appearance have also been derived from Cucurbita maxima. Specific cultivars of winter squash derived from other species, including C. argyrosperma, in New Zealand and Australian English, the term pumpkin generally refers to the broader category called winter squash elsewhere. Native to North America, pumpkins are grown for commercial use and are used both in food and recreation. Pumpkins, like squash, are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest evidence, pumpkin-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500 BC, was found in Mexico, since some squash share the same botanical classifications as pumpkins, the names are frequently used interchangeably. Pumpkin fruits are a type of botanical berry known as a pepo, traditional C. pepo pumpkins generally weigh between 6 and 18 pounds, though the largest cultivars regularly reach weights of over 75 pounds. The color of pumpkins derives from orange carotenoid pigments, including beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha and beta carotene, the word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for large melon, something round and large. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word that is used today, pumpkin. The term pumpkin has no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning, all pumpkins are winter squash, mature fruit of certain species in the genus Cucurbita. Characteristics commonly used to define pumpkin include smooth and slightly ribbed skin, circa 2005, white pumpkins had become increasingly popular in the United States. Other colors, including green, also exist. Pumpkins are grown all around the world for a variety of reasons ranging from agricultural purposes to commercial and ornamental sales. Of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkins, the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Canada, Mexico, India, the traditional American pumpkin used for jack-o-lanterns is the Connecticut Field variety. As one of the most popular crops in the United States,1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year, the top pumpkin-producing states include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, 95% of the U. S. crop intended for processing is grown in Illinois, Nestlé, operating under the brand name Libbys, produces 85% of the processed pumpkin in the United States, at their plant in Morton, Illinois. In the fall of 2009, rain in Illinois devastated the Nestlé crop, Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted in early July. The specific conditions necessary for growing pumpkins require that soil temperatures three inches deep are at least 60 °F and soil that holds water well
10.
Quesadilla
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A quesadilla is a tortilla, usually a corn tortilla but also sometimes made with a wheat tortilla, which is filled with cheese and then grilled. Other items, such as a mixture of spices or vegetables, are often added. A full quesadilla involves two tortillas filled with cheese and stacked on top of each other, halves are a single tortilla filled with cheese and folded into a half-moon shape. The origin of the quesadilla was colonial Mexico, the quesadilla as a food has changed and evolved over many years as people experimented with different variations of it. Quesadillas are commonly sold at Mexican restaurants, in the central and southern regions of Mexico, a quesadilla is a flat circle of cooked corn masa, called a tortilla, warmed to soften it enough to be folded in half, and then filled. They are typically filled with Oaxaca cheese, a stringy Mexican cheese made by the pasta filata method, the quesadilla is then cooked on a comal until the cheese has completely melted. They are usually cooked without the addition of any oil, often the quesadillas are served with green or red salsa, chopped onion, and guacamole. While Oaxaca cheese is the most common filling, other ingredients are used in addition to or even substituting the cheese. In some places, quesadillas are also topped with other ingredients, avocado or guacamole, chopped onion, tomato, serrano chiles, and cilantro are the most common. Salsas may also be added as a topping, Mexican quesadillas are traditionally cooked on a comal, which is also used to prepare tortillas. As a variation, the quesadillas can be fried in oil to make quesadillas fritas and it is then immersed into hot oil until the exterior looks golden and crispy. Other variations include the use of flour tortillas instead, especially in northeastern Mexico. Wheat dough is most commonly used in place of corn masa, in this case, the flour tortilla is prepared, folded and filled with cheese, exactly as the corn. Sometimes, cheese and ham are sandwiched between two flour tortillas, then cut into wedges to serve what is known as sincronizada in Mexico. Despite appearing almost the same as a quesadilla, it is considered a different dish. The sincronizada is frequently confused with quesadillas by tourists because it is called a quesadilla in most Mexican restaurants outside of México. The quesadilla is a favorite in the southwestern U. S. where it is analogous to a grilled cheese sandwich. It is prepared in a similar manner except for the inclusion of local ingredients, a flour tortilla is heated on a griddle, then flipped and sprinkled with a grated, melting cheese, such as Monterey Jack, Cheddar cheese, or Colby Jack
