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impactlab_2011 00929.txt

#Top 10 Best Space Food If you were in space what would you get to eat? Although launching food in space is a necessity, it doesnt mean it has to be boring. The original space menu was bland, odorless and lacked texture, but times have changed and adding some flavor is extended essential for periods astronauts spend in orbit. You cant expect an average meal on the International Space station to be like a night at the Ritz, but no ones complaining. The ambiance of orbital dining apparently more than compensates for lackluster meals. But astronauts have a few standby favorites as well as the occasional special treat. Dinners in space have come a long way since the start of the Space age but which cosmic gastronomic delights are the best? Treat yourself to this sampling: 10. Japanese Takeout The addition of Japans laboratory to the space station not only provided a huge new module for science experiments, it also opened the orbital outpost to Japanese culture#including a nice assortment of new beverages and foods. In 2008, the shuttle Endeavour astronauts were happy to serve as guinea pigs for a variety of new dishes, including negima (a Japanese beef and scallions dish), okonomi, tofu with hoisin sauce and udon noodles. 9. Swedish meatballs Celebrity chef Rachael Ray whipped up Swedish meatballs, a Thai chicken dish and vegetable curry for the crew of space shuttle Discovery in December 2006. It wasnt the first time a celebrity chef tried to perk up astronaut cuisine though#Emeril Lagasses spicy green beans, which were among five dishes flown to the space station earlier that year, apparently held up well in zero-gravity. 8. Yogurt Bone loss is a problem during long-duration spaceflights, so a calcium-rich food like yogurt is a popular menu choice. Astronauts can choose from blueberry-raspberry, peach and strawberry. The Russians go one better with garlic-and herb-studded cheeses. For the picky eater, theres always yogurt-covered granola bars. 7. Chicken soup Feeling a bit under the weather? Theres no one to make chicken soup for rundown astronauts. The next best thing might be chicken consomme. Just add hot water and dont worry about using a spoon. 6. Tortillas With a relatively long shelf life and few crumbs, tortillas are the bread of the space program. One of the favored fillings: good old peanut butter and jelly. On special occasions, astronauts have managed to bring up other yeasty specialties, including bagels (imported from the family bakery of Canadian-born astronaut Greg Chamitoff) and German pumpernickel bread. 5. Shrimp Among the lessons six-time flier Story Musgrave passed along to rookie astronauts: Eat shrimp cocktail. The dehydrated crustaceans, coated in a spicy sauce, are requested the most food item in NASAS space pantry. Musgrave ate them at every meal#including breakfast. 4. Hot sauce A squirt of hot sauce can do wonders to wake up taste buds deadened by weightlessness, a phenomenon currently blamed on the redistribution of body fluids in microgravity. There are, however, plenty of easy solutions to the problem: salsa, barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, garlic paste, Thai hot sauce, Tabasco#3. M&ms Theyre candy-coated chocolates#candies or chocolate-covered peanuts #in NASA parlance, but you and I would call them M&ms. Itd be a tough call whether astronauts like eating them or playing with them best. What we do know is that the colorful orbs show well on TV. 2. Dried produce Fresh fruits and vegetables are a rarity in space, so astronauts make do with a variety of canned and dried offerings. Russian cuisine presents another option: raw onions and garlic. It may sound a little intense for American palates, but after a few months in orbit, apparently folks will try anything to break up the monotony. 1. Mystery Meals Space station flight engineer Garrett Reisman kept the cameras rolling while he sat down to dinner with his Russian crewmates and visiting shuttle astronauts in June 2008. Among the offerings: a can labeled Appetizing Appetizer.##Nothing like a little mystery to spice up your life. LINK Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati e

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