American Heirlooms - June 2021

American Heirlooms - June 2021

302-653-2411

MAY 2021

Two years ago, my family found a Popular Mechanics article that highlighted the science behind the perfect burger. We use their advice to this day, and we have enjoyed some great burgers since. For example, their experts found that brushing butter on the bun and toasting it before assembling the burger created a far superior flavor than a cold, raw bun. I even took their advice and add ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise to my burgers. According to the Popular Mechanics experts, this offers just the right balance of salty, sweetness, and acidity. In my humble opinion, it just tastes great. Perhaps one of the strangest pieces of advice we received from the article was in the mechanics of how to eat the burger. Apparently, the best way to eat a burger is upside down, with the top bun facing the ground. The argument is that this makes the burger easier to consume — although the experts admitted you could eat a burger however you preferred.

Who knew there was so much science behind this summertime grill-out staple?

making burgers over an open flame, and with the help of our Popular Mechanics knowledge and Bethany’s skills in the kitchen, I’m sure these burgers will be a hit. Personally, I’m most excited to cook and eat breakfast in nature. We’re cooking up some eggs and bacon, and I already know enjoying this meal out of doors will be one of the best breakfasts we have had in a long time — even if we forget the salt! There’s just something that happens to your breakfast when you cook it outside and start your day out there, too. The meal has a finer, fuller flavor. For as much as I don’t enjoy the bugs and the heat, I do enjoy a cookout with friends and family or around the fire at a family campout. Whenever you put people around the table or good food, the ice breaks. Food brings us together — regardless of whether we eat our burgers upside down or right-side up.

Bethany has been practicing her burger technique this spring in anticipation of a secret trip we planned for our children’s last day of school at the end of April. I haven’t gone camping since I was a teenager, and my children might find it humorous that I’m going camping. Usually I prefer to sleep and eat my meals indoors, away from the heat and bugs! However, I recently read Patrick F. McManus’ “Kid Camping from Aaaaiii! To Zip” and was inspired. McManus has a bunch of different lists on what to bring and do, and on his food list, he has marshmallows on there four different times! I guess without marshmallows, you’re not really camping like a child. So, Bethany and I decided to surprise the children with a camping trip to celebrate the end of another school year. In preparation for the trip, Bethany has been practicing

–Ethan Zimmerman

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We’re inspired by stories of leaders who are committed to their craft and community. Recently, our friends at Sauder & Stoltzfus, LLC shared the story of Milton Hershey, and it’s too good not to share — much like his famed candy bars. Hershey was born on Sept. 13, 1857, in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. He was raised in a Mennonite family and on a farm. When he was 14 years old, Hershey quit school and became a printer’s apprentice, but he was fired shortly after. It may have been an influential move for Hershey, who was later an apprentice for a local confectioner named Joseph Royer. (This was his mother and aunt’s idea, who told him, “Watch every penny son. God gives us all we have.”) After the candy shop closed, Hershey went to Denver and learned how to make caramel. He soon traveled across the U.S. looking for a new candy opportunity and found a job selling candy with a New York City-based company. But it just wasn’t a good fit for him. Hershey returned home and began researching how to perfect candy recipes. In 1886, Hershey started the Lancaster Caramel Company, and his candies soon became so popular that Hershey employed more than 1,300 people. In 1900, Former president John F. Kennedy would go on to preside over historic changes, including NASA’s growth and the emergence of the Peace Corps. Sadly, Kennedy’s tragic and controversial death often overshadows his work — meaning very few people may know just how impressive it is that Kennedy was able to do all that he did with debilitating back pain. Kennedy was plagued by ailments in childhood. This included bouts with whooping cough, measles, and scarlet fever. He was also diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, but his severe back pain would be his Achilles’ heel. Historians believe he had osteoporosis — the degeneration of the bone — in his lower back. Kennedy underwent spinal surgery multiple times, but the procedures reportedly did nothing to help. To combat this, Kennedy then tried various medications, including codeine, which is an opioid, and methadone, which is similar to morphine. Experts believe Kennedy could have been on as many as 12 medications at one time, many of which cause extreme mood swings during times when the nation’s leader needed to be the most lucid man in the room. (The Bay of

Pigs Invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, for example, happened when he was on these medications.)

Other doctors on Kennedy’s treatment team prescribed what was then called “exercise.” This form of physical therapy appears to be the only treatment that worked for Kennedy! (It’s also believed he underwent massage therapy, had heat therapy, and began swimming to treat his back pain, and all of these treatments helped in combination.) Soon, Kennedy’s doctors began to believe that treating him with intense medications was not ethical. His doctors weaned him off the drugs and only prescribed “exercise” routines. Furthermore, it’s been speculated that Kennedy’s leadership abilities were far better when he wasn’t on the medication, making it all the more imperative that he opted for physical therapy. It’s been more than 60 years since Kennedy found relief for debilitating back pain through physical therapy, but the studies being done on his life, legacy, and the pain he suffered continue to astound historians and offer a glimpse into treatments for those in leadership.

Hershey sold the company for $1 million and began his next adventure: Hershey Chocolate Company.

In those days, milk chocolate was highly difficult to produce. Milk was easily spoiled, but Hershey’s factory was located in the middle of dairy farm fields in Pennsylvania, which provided him with a lucrative opportunity. He could use fresh milk from the farmers to craft succulent chocolate bars that became popular fast. None of that would have been possible if Hershey had given up after one of his many setbacks. Hershey never forgot where he came from and continued to support his local Pennsylvania community. He and his wife, Catharine Sweeney, were known for their philanthropy to children’s organizations, and the Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania is named in his honor.

Today, Hershey Company’s products continue to delight the sweet teeth of people everywhere — all thanks to one man who refused to give up.

2 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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Humans have long been fascinated by flight. Even before the bygone days of the Wright Brothers’ early designs, mankind has been developing new modes of transportation for the skies, and the flying car is set to be the next big frontier. Just one year ago, CNBC reported that flying cars — or air taxis — are poised to become the next big innovation in travel and air transportation. Large vehicle manufacturers like Toyota and Hyundai have devoted entire departments to flying car development, and Morgan Stanley researchers have reported that the “urban aircraft market” could be valued at $1.5 trillion by 2040.

taxi service in 2024, having recently acquired Uber’s air taxi division from the ride-share company.

Joby is developing all-electric modes of

air transportation, which the company says is more efficient and powerful than current jet-fuel models of flight. The cost to use and operate the aircraft is much more affordable, too. After 10 years of development, Joby has created an aircraft that can travel 150 miles on one charge and carry one pilot and four passengers. The aircraft is designed to vertically lift off and land on the ground, eliminating the need for long stretches of runway when in use. Furthermore, it can reach speeds up to 200 miles per hour. Joby hopes this can lessen the toll of traffic jams. Thomas Insights reports that Joby has done more than 1,000 test flights. The company will soon break ground on a manufacturing facility, inching closer to its 2024 deadline and battery-powered air travel.

These projections received a major boost recently, as Joby Aviation, an air taxi developer, went public in February.

According to our friends at Thomas Insights, going public is the next step in the company’s continued progression toward improving transportation. Joby is valued at $6.6 billion and is expected to receive more than $1.6 billion with the move. It’s the first company to reach an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to certify its electric vertical take- off and landing (eVOTL) aircraft, and the U.S. Air Force has also certified its aircraft. The company expects to launch its

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix first 3 ingredients until Jell-O is dissolved. Pour into

• 3 oz strawberry Jell-O

• 1 cup boiling water

shallow pan and chill until set. Cut in squares. Put in glass dish or Jell-O mold.

• 1/2 cup cold water

• 1/4 cup sugar

2. In a second bowl, blend the next 4 ingredients

• 1/2 cup any fruit or juice

until Jello-O and sugar are dissolved. Chill until set. Blend together Jello-O and remaining ingredients, and pour over Jello-O squares.

• 3 oz strawberry Jell-O

• 1 cup boiling water

3. Refrigerate until set and serve with more fruit on top if desired.

• 2 cups Cool Whip

• 3 oz cream cheese

Photo credit: Heather Brooke Zimmerman

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Brought to you by KCS Builders of American Heirlooms and Penns Creek Furniture 291 Blackiston Rd. • Clayton, DE 19938 Phone: (302) 653-2411 • Email: [email protected] The Swiss Craftsman

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Inside this Issue

The Secret to a Perfect Burger Page 1

How Physical Therapy Helped JFK Be a Better Leader What We Can Learn From Milton Hershey Page 2

Flying Car Launches Into New Possibilities

Broken Glass Jell-O Page 3

Winning the Bluetooth Wars Page 4

When Apple introduced their AirPod Bluetooth earbuds a few years ago, a major player emerged onto the burgeoning Bluetooth audio scene. But that scene wasn’t new: Earbuds, headphones, and speakers can all utilize Bluetooth tech, with every manufacturer jumping into the pool. But as anyone over 30 can tell you, Bluetooth was originally a wireless headset product, not a type of connectivity. And that’s raising questions about the viability of the Bluetooth market as well as the future of the current war for customer dollars in the market. Bluetooth audio tech was designed to wirelessly connect your phone with an in-ear speaker and tiny headset. But spoken-word audio isn’t the same thing as a vibrant musical experience with a range of high and low sounds, depth, and bass. You wouldn’t want to listen to a concert through your cellphone; in the same way, Bluetooth isn’t set up to transmit music to a speaker, headphone, or earbud. Manufacturers have developed workarounds, and the quality of their work determines how good (or bad) the end result sounds. Bluetooth is obviously capable of a lot more than it was designed for, and its near universality makes it an attractive choice.

What does that mean for most listeners? Likely not very much — if a good manufacturer made your headphones or speakers, their clever workarounds to the “Bluetooth problem” will likely mean little decrease in quality compared to “wired” options. Most of us can’t tell the difference. But for true audio fidelity, we still have to hook up with a cable. And as manufacturers vie for market share, a smart company that designs a brand-new wireless tech based around music instead of talk could gain much — and leave Bluetooth behind in the process. And whoever does that will be the real winner of the Bluetooth wars.

But it still wasn’t designed for music.

4 • THE SWISS CRAFTSMAN

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