National King Cake Day – January 6th

January 6th is National King Cake Day (North America)

10 Fun Facts about King Cake: (thanks to New Orleans & Company)

The name “King Cake” comes from the biblical story of the three kings who brought gifts to baby Jesus
Most king cake is colored with Purple, Green and Gold frosting or sugar. These colors each represent a special meaning: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. These three colors were chosen by the first Krewe of Rex to be the heraldry for the King of Carnival.
King cakes typically have a hidden plastic baby inside. Whoever finds it must either bring the next cake or throw a party, thus sparking an unending round of food and fun (most of the babies now come OUTSIDE of the cake and are placed in the cake by the person who buys the cake)
Some bakeries have signature trinkets in lieu of a plastic baby. For example, restaurant Cochon has a small plastic pig for their king cakes.
The King Cake Baby has become so synonymous with New Orleans culture that the NBA team Pelicans has a King Cake Baby mascot and the former triple-a baseball team located in New Orleans was called the Baby Cakes
Though King Cake is available in some forms year-round, New Orleanians are mostly steadfast on only eating it during Carnival Season which starts on January 6th (Twelfth Night) and runs through Mardi Gras Day (aka Fat Tuesday)
King cakes have continued to evolve through the years and while “traditional king cake” is somewhere between a cinnamon role and coffee cake, many bakeries are now making fruit-stuffed king cakes and even savory king cakes
A king cake alternative known as a Queen’s Cake or Galette de Rois is a traditional French pastry which is baked to celebrate Epiphany (Twelfth Night) and is typically puff pastry with almond frangipani (on a personal note, I like queen cake better than king cake!)
It is believed that French-Canadian explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville brought the traditions of Mardi Gras to southern Louisiana, but the king cake tradition itself is thought to have arrived around 1870 from France
Though it is widely associated with Epiphany/Twelfth Night, which is of significance in Christianity, the King Cake is believed to have Pagan origins

Today’s Food History

1884 Gregor Johann Mendel died. Mendel was an Austrian botanist whose work was the foundation of the science of genetics. Working mainly with garden peas (some 28,000 plants over 7 years), he discovered what was to become known as the laws of heredity.
1901 Philip Danforth Armour, died. American industrialist who pioneered the use of refrigeration and meat canning. Armour & Co. became the largest meatpacker in the world and this helped Chicago become the meatpacking capital of the world. (The fact that Chicago is the ‘Windy City’ may have helped also).
1910 ‘Kid Chocolate’ (Elgio Saldana) was born. He became Cuba’s first world boxing champion in 1931 after defeating Benny Bass for the Jr. Lightweight Championship.
1929 Sheffeld Farms of New York began using wax paper cartons instead of glass bottles for milk delivery.
1936 Warner Bros. Loony Tunes character ‘Porky Pig’ makes his debut.
1988 The famous Paris restaurant ‘La Coupole’ was sold and eventually replaced by an office building. It was famous for its Welsh rarebit, and had been frequented by James Joyce, Henry Miller and many other notable Americans.

Categories: January Food Holidays, January food holidays

Tagged: foodimentary, January 6th foods, King Cake Day, National King Cake Day, New Orleans and co

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September 25th is officially National Quesadilla Day!

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1777 Johann Heinrich Lambert died. He proved that Apple pie was irrational. Oops – never mind – that was ‘pi’ that he proved was an irrational number.

1843 Melville Reuben Bissell was born. Bissell invented the carpet sweeper in 1876.

1879 The Cream Separator was patented.

1974 It is first reported that freon from aerosol cans is destroying the ozone layer above the earth.

1976 The largest dolphin caught with rod and reel weighed 87 pounds. It was caught off the coast of Costa Rica.

1985 William Cumming Rose died. An American biochemist, he researched amino acids, and established the importance of the 8 essential amino acids in human nutrition.

Categories: Food Holidays, September Food Holidays

Tagged: facts, five food finds, food, foodimentary, fun, life, national food service worker's day, today's food history, todays food history

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September 25th is National Quesadilla Day*

John-Bryan Hopkins

September 25^th is National Quesadilla Day

Today’s 5 Facts about the Quesadilla:

The word, Quesadilla, in Spanish, literally means “little cheesy thing.”
It is said that one in three Americans make a quesadilla every week. * V&V Supremo®’s Chihuahua® Brand Quesadilla Cheese is the best choice for making your quesadillas authentic.
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.
While 66% of people use two tortillas when they make quesadillas, the traditional Mexican method requires folding one tortilla in half.
In culinary terms, a quesadilla, is a tortilla that is filled with cheese, other toppings, then grilled or pan fried.

*Created in 2019 by Foodimentary & V&V Supremo®

For more information on National Quesadilla Day and to learn more about how V&V Supremo® is celebrating, visit www.nationalquesadilladay.com or follow along on social media @vvsupremo and #NationalQuesadillaDay.

Today’s Food History

On this day in…

1851 Jacob Fussell, a Baltimore dairyman, opens the first commercial ice-cream factory.
1869 R.I.P. Joseph Dixon. An American inventor and manufacturer. Among his many accomplishments, he produced the first pencil made in the U.S.
1969 ‘Ice Cube’ (O’Shea Jackson) singer and actor, was born.
1992 At a spelling bee in a Trenton, New Jersey school, U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, corrects a student’s spelling of ‘potato’ by telling him it should have an ‘e’ at the end.

Categories: Food Holidays, September Food Holidays

Tagged: #FoodHolidayBook, #NationalQuesadillaDay, #Quesadilla

September 1st is National Gyro Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Gyros:

A gyro is a dish of meat roasted on a vertical spit. It is usually served as a sandwich, also called a gyros, with tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce, wrapped in pita bread.
To make gyros, pieces of meat are placed on a tall vertical spit, which turns in front of a source of heat, usually an electric broiler.
If the meat is not fatty enough, strips of fat are added so that the roasting meat remains always moist and crisp.
The rate of roasting can be adjusted by varying the strength of the heat and the distance between the heat and the meat, allowing the cook to adjust to varying rates of consumption.
The outside of the meat is sliced vertically in thin, crisp shavings when done. It is generally served in an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with various salads and sauces.

Today’s Food History

1819 J.J. Wood patented a plow with interchangeable parts.
1826 Alfred Ely Beach was born. American inventor and publisher of Scientific American magazine.
1906 Karl August Folkers was born. He was the first to isolate vitamin B12.
1914 Martha, the last surviving Passenger Pigeon died on September 1, 1914 at the Cincinnati Zoo, the species having been commercially hunted to extinction.
1940 Lillian D. Wald died. She was a scientist and nurse, and among her activities, she helped initiate the enactment of pure food laws in the U.S.
1951 The Premier, the first supermarket in Britain, opened it’s doors.

Categories: Food Holidays, September Food Holidays

Tagged: greek, gyro, meat

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March 11th is National “Eat Your Noodles” Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Noodles:

- 1. Dry noodles are considered a form of unleavened bread
  2. In China archaeologists discovered the world’s oldest bowl of noodles, thought to be over 4000 years old. They were made of millet flour.
  3. “Instant” noodles were invented in 1958. They are flash fried then quickly dried. This made for a long shelf life.(If they are kept dry, some say they will remain edible for decades)
  4. Over 40% of the flour in Asia is used to make noodles. Feeding over half of the world’s population.
  5. Thomas Jefferson brought the first “macaroni” noodles to America in 1789 after returning from a trip to France.

Today’s Pinterest Board : Foodimentary

Today’s Food History

- 1791 Samuel Mulliken of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania received a patent for a machine to thresh corn and grain.
- 1853 Self rising flour was supposedly invented by Henry Jones of Bristol.
- 1903 Lawrence Welk, champagne music-maker, was born.

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national eat your noodles day

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March 10th is National Ranch Dressing Day / #RanchDressingDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Ranch Dressing:

In 1954 ranch dressing was invented at Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California.
Ranch dressing has been the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992, overtaking Italian dressing.
Hidden Valley brand owns the right to ‘the Original Ranch®‘ After decades of trademark lawsuits similar products can be labeled ‘ranch style’ or simply ‘ranch’
While popular in the United States and Canada, ranch dressing is virtually unknown in most of the world
Since 1972 Hidden Valley Ranch has been owned by Clorox.

Today’s Pinterest Board : Foodimentary

Today’s Food History

1845 RIP John Chapman, ‘Johnny Appleseed’ ,an American pioneer and legend, he planted apple seeds in the Ohio River valley area (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois)

1867 Lillian D. Wald was born. She was a scientist and nurse, and among her activities, she helped initiate the enactment of pure food laws in the U.S.

1873 RIP John Torrey, he was the first professional botanist in the New World.

1914 At the National Gallery in London, a suffragette slashed Diego Velázquez’s ‘Rokeby Venus’ with a meat cleaver.

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national crab day

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March 9th is National Crab Day! 🦀

John-Bryan Hopkins

5 food facts about crab cakes

A crab cake is an American dish composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, milk, mayonnaise, eggs, yellow onions, and seasonings.

The two most common styles of Maryland crab cakes are known as Boardwalk and Restaurant.

Boardwalk crabcakes are typically breaded and deep-fried, and are often filled with stuffing of various sorts and served on a hamburger bun.

Restaurant crab cakes, which are sometimes called gourmet crab cakes, are often prepared with no filler, and are composed of all-lump crab meat served on a platter or open-faced sandwich.

Many restaurants that offer Maryland crab cakes will offer to have the cakes fried or broiled.

On This Day in Food History…

1822 Charles Graham of New York received a patent for artificial teeth.

1839 Famous Food Fights

The Great Pastry War ended this day. A brief conflict began on November 30, 1838, between Mexico and France caused by a French pastry cook who claimed that some Mexican Army soldiers had damaged his restaurant. The Mexican government refused to pay for damages. Several other countries had asked the Mexican government for similar claims in the past due to civil unrest in Mexico, without any resolution. France decided to do something about it, and sent a fleet to Veracruz and fired on the fortress outside the harbor. They occupied the city on April 16, 1838, and through the mediation of Great Britain were promised payment of 600,000 pesos for the damages. They withdrew on March 9, 1839.

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

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March 8th is National Peanut Cluster Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Peanut Cluster:

‘Peanut Cluster’ is referred to a type of candy that mixes melted chocolate and peanuts.
These crunchy treats are a perfect combination of a sweet and salty deliciousness.
There are several versions of peanut clusters including caramel clusters, butterscotch clusters and chocolate peanut clusters.
Peanuts have a higher antioxidant capacity over grapes, green tea, tomatoes, spinach, carrots and many more.
Peanut clusters have been around for many years dating way before 1912 when they were made popular by the Goo Goo Cluster.

Fun Fact:

Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought peanuts with him to the moon.

During World War II the the Emporia Wholesale Coffee Company “shipped approximately 50,000 pounds of chocolate peanut clusters weekly for consumption by those on the fighting front.”

Today’s Pinterest Board : Foodimentary

Today’s Food History

1824 RIP Jean Jacques Regis de Cambaceres, A French politician and gourmet, a contemporary and rival of Talleyrand and Carême. The dinners he gave were legendary. He refused to admit late-comers, and was demanded complete silence while dining.

1923 The Coca Cola 6 bottle carton was introduced.

1992 RIP Christian K. Nelson, inventor of the Eskimo Pie at age 98.

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national peanut cluster day

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March 7th is National Cereal Day! / #NationalCerealDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Interesting Food Facts about Cereal

The word cereal comes from Cerealia, the name of ancient Roman ceremonies that honored Ceres, the goddess of grain.

The first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, Granula was invented in the United States in 1863 by James Caleb Jackson.

Cereal is often eaten cold with with milk, yogurt, and sometimes fruit, but may be eaten dry.

Astronauts from Apollo 11 ate cereal during their mission to the moon. The cereal with fruit was compressed into cubes because the lack of gravity made bowls of milk impossible.

The average American eats 160 bowls of cereal each year.

Today’s Food History

1804 John Wedgwood, the son of Josiah Wedgwood of pottery fame, founded the Royal Horticultural Society.

1849 Luther Burbank was born. American horticulturist, he developed many new varieties of fruits and vegetables, including the Burbank Potato (1873), the Shasta Daisy, over 100 varieties of plums and prunes and 10 varieties of berries.

1897 Dr. John Kellogg served corn flakes for the first time to his patients at his hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan. They wouldn’t be sold commercially until 1906.

1914 The Coca Cola Bottler’s Association was formed.

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: cereal day, national cereal day, National Food Holiday

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March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day / #PeanutButterDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Five Food Finds about Peanut Butter

An 18oz jar of peanut butter needs 850 peanuts

The USA produce about 6% of the world’s crop of peanuts: by comparison India and China, together, produce about 70%

West Coast people prefer chunky peanut butter, whereas those in the East Coast people like creamy

Peanuts account for 2/3rds of the total snack “nuts” consumption in the USA

96% of people, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put the peanut butter on before the jelly

Two presidents of the USA, Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson, were peanut farmers

Food related Events of March 1

also: National Fruit Compote Day

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1784 E. Kidner opened the first cooking school in Great Britain.

1927 Harry Belafonte, singer, actor, was born. His biggest hit was “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song” in 1956.

1970 U.S. commercial whale hunting ended.

1989 Jack Dietz holds the world’s record for watermelon seed spitting, 66 feet 11 inches.

1989 A 75 year-long ban on beer was lifted this day in Iceland.

1990 The British Royal Navy began issuing rum rations to sailors as early as 1655. The Royal New Zealand Navy was the last navy in the world to end daily rum rations for sailors in 1990.

2002 McDonald’s announced in a press release that it has agreed to pay 10 million dollars to Hindu and vegetarian groups to settle lawsuits over its use of beef flavoring in its French Fries.

Today’s Pinterest Board at : Foodimentary

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Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national peanut butter lover's day

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The official 2020 ‘Food Holiday’ list

John-Bryan Hopkins

Search by Month

January

February

March

April

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August

September

October

November

December

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Categories: April Food Holidays, August Food Holidays, December Food Holidays, February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, January Food Holidays, July Food Holidays, June Food Holidays, March Food Holidays, May Food Holidays, November Food Holidays, October Food Holidays, September Food Holidays

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February 26th is National Pistachio Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five things to know about Pistachio:

Pistachio nuts are a member of the cashew family and are closely related to mangos, sumac, and even poison ivy.

Iran produces more pistachios than any other country in the world with over 200k tons per year.

In Asia they are often referred to as ‘green almonds & the ‘happy nut’. In Iran they are called the ‘smiling nut.’

Male pistachio trees are alternate bearing, meaning they produce heavier crops every other year.

All pistachio shells are naturally beige in color. Many companies dye inferior nuts red or green.

Today’s Food History

1852 John Harvey Kellogg was born. A health food pioneer, developed the first breakfast cereals for his patients, Granose (flaked wheat) and toasted corn flakes.

1857 Emile Coue was born. A French pharmacist, he was an advocate of autosuggestion. He suggested repeating the following sentence 15 to 20 times in the morning and evening: “Every day, and in every way, I am becoming better and better.” It is said that 20% claim it works.

1895 Michael Joseph Owens patented an automatic glass blowing machine that could make multiple bottles at the same time. A big advance in bottle making, spurring the mass sale of beer, alcohol and sodas.

1903 RIP Richard Jordan Gatling, inventor of the Gatling Gun. He also developed machines for sowing rice, wheat, and other grains, and the steam plow.

1928 Fats Domino (Antoine Domino) was born in New Orleans. One of rock-and-roll’s earliest stars, one of his early hits was ‘Blueberry Hill’ in 1956.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national pistachio nuts day

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February 25th is National Chocolate Covered Peanut Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Chocolate Covered Peanuts Day

Here are today’s five thing to know about Chocolate Covered Peanuts:

The original chocolate covered peanut candy are Goobers first sold in 1925. The word “Goober” was a common slang word for peanut.
Peanut M & M’s were not introduced until 1954. They were tan until 1960 when colors were first introduced.(yellow, green, & red)
Rapper, Eminem’s original stage name was M & M, his name was eventually changed for obvious trademark issues.
The initials M & M stand for the Forrest Mars from Mars Candies and Bruce Murrie from Hershey Chocolates.
In 1976 red M & M’s were replaced with orange. The red dye(red #2) was ruled to be a potential carcinogen. Red did not return until 1987.

Daily Quote:

“M & M’s, the chocolates that melt in your mouth nor in your hand” first used in 1954

Extra: It is said that M & M’s were tan in color for decades because if they DID melt in your hand it would not show

Today’s Pinterest Board : Foodimentary

Today’s Food History

1904 Adelle Davis was born. Nutritionist, and author of ‘Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit.’ She promoted many theories that have been labeled as unfounded and dangerous by the medical community.

1918 Wartime food rationing began in parts of England

1922 Donald McLean was born. McLean was a Scottish potato expert who supposedly discovered the world’s largest private collection of potatoes, with 367 varieties.

1934 RIP Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton, an American botanist, she helped establish the New York Botanical Gardens.

1950 RIP George Richard Minot, American physician, Minot was one of the developers of the ” raw-liver diet ” used to treat pernicious anemia.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national chocolate covered peanuts day

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February 20th is National Muffin Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Muffin Day!

Here are today’s five thing to know about Muffins:

American muffins are referred to baked breads in small tins while “English” Muffins are oven-baked, then cooked in a griddle.

The word Muffin likely derives its name from the an Old German word Muffen, the plural of Muffe meaning a small cake.

The Muffin Man was a real guy! He delivered muffins to homes along Drury Lane in England.

American muffins are similar to a cupcake in size and cooking methods but cupcakes are almost always made with cake batter.

The blueberry muffin is the official state muffin of Minnesota.

The corn muffin is the official state muffin of Massachusetts.

Today’s Food History

1829 Yuengling Brewery in Pennsylvania opened. It is the oldest brewery still operating in the U.S.
1872 Cyrus W. Baldwin received a patent for an electric elevator. It was installed in the Stephens Hotel in New York City.
1872 Silas Noble and J.Cooley of Massachusetts were issued a patent on a toothpick manufacturing machine.
1872 Luther Childs Crowell of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was granted a patent for a machine which made square bottom paper bags. It is the same basic design still used today.
1890 Hershel Geguzin was born in Lithuania, Known openly in America as a professional impostor and Hollywood restaurateur. He posed as Russian Prince Michael Alexandrovich Dmitri Oblensky Romanoff. Opening Romanoff’s restaurant in Beverly Hills in the 1930s, attracting Hollywood movie stars and millionaires
1985 Clarence Nash died. The original voice of Donald Duck.
2001 Foot-and-mouth disease ravages livestock in Britain in the worst epidemic since 1967. By March it has spread to mainland Europe. Millions of animals are destroyed.
2009 Hershey’s, the largest U.S. candy maker, closed its candy factory in Reading, Pennsylvania. The factory produced among others, the Zagnut, York Peppermint Pattie, and 5th Avenue candy bars. Production was moved to their new factory in Monterey, Mexico.

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Categories: February food holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: food holidays, muffin day, National muffin day

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February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Chocolate Mint Day!

Here are today’s five thing to know about Chocolate Mint:

In tea houses and dinner halls of the early 1900’s mint sprigs and dark chocolates served after desserts for patrons to ‘chew for good breath and aid digestion’.

Thin Mints account for over 25% of the annual Girl Scout cookie sales.

Andes chocolate mints, created in 1921, have little to do with the Andes mountains. They were once called “Andy’s Candies” but the owner ‘found that men did not like giving boxes of candies with another man’s name on them to their wives and girlfriends’ so he changed the name.

Frango Mints, perhaps the first chocolate mints, were first patented in 1918. They were sold in tea houses and sold frozen to emphasize the sharp mint flavor.

Ancient Greeks believed mint could cure hiccups.

Today’s Food History

1764 Gottlieb Sigismund Kirchhof was born. He developed a method for refining vegetable oil, and also improved brewing & fermentation.

1855 Bread Riots in Liverpool.

1906 Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company (W.K. Kellogg Company) was founded by Will Keith Kellogg to manufacture breakfast cereals (cornflakes).

1913 Cracker Jack began to put prizes in each box.

1976 Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with Great Britain when the two couldn’t settle their disagreement on the ‘cod war’ fishing rights issue.

1985 Cherry Coke was introduced nation-wide

1999 The world’s largest strawberry shortcake was created in McCall Park, Plant City, Florida, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. The city holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest strawberry shortcake, over 6,000 pounds.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national chocolate mint day

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February 18th is National Drink Wine Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Wine:

It takes around 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to make one bottle of wine.

Before corks were broadly used in wine bottles, wooden stoppers wrapped in oil-soaked rags were common.

Even though corks were commonly used since the 1600’s it wasn’t until 1795 that the corkscrew was patented. Before then the corks would have caps, similar to champagne corks.

An average bottle of wine is about 25 fluid ounces( officially 750 milliliters)

Most ancients urns found in greece, egypt, and the Mediterranean are ‘casks’ that held wine. The sealed elongated box that holds them are called ‘caskets’

Today’s Food History

1871 Harry Brearley was born. Brearley was an English metallurgist who invented stainless steel in 1912.

1885 The ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by Mark Twain was published.

1901 Hubert Cecil Booth patented the vacuum cleaner. Because of its large size, he mounted the machine on a horse carriage, with a long hose to reach inside a house

1930 At the St. Louis International Air Exposition, a cow supposedly flew in an airplane for the first time, and this same cow became the first cow to be milked while flying.

1968 Actress Molly Ringwald was born. Two of her movies were ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985) and ‘In the Weeds’ (2000).

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national drink wine day

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February 17th is National Café au Lait Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Café au Lait Day

5 Food Facts about Cafe au Lait Day

Cafe au lait is coffee with hot milk added.

In Europe, “café au lait” stems from the same continental tradition as “café con leche” in Spain.

In Poland it is referred to as “kawa biała” (“white coffee”).

In Germany it is referred to as “Milchkaffee” (“milk coffee”).

In The Netherlands “koffie verkeerd” (“incorrect coffee”).

In the French-speaking areas of Switzerland, a popular variation is the “café renversé” (“reverse coffee”), made by using the milk as a base and adding espresso, in reversal of the normal method of making a “café au lait”.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1665 Rudolph Jacob Camerarius was born. A German botanist, he showed the existence of sexes in plants, and identified the stamen and pistil as the male and female organs.
1876 Canned sardines went on sale in the U.S. for the first time. They were packed in oil.
(Some sources say 1873).
1889 H.L. Hunt, the pioneering Texas oil millionaire (Hunt Oil Company) was born. He carried a brown bag lunch to his office each day and considered himself as ‘just plain folks.’
1958‘Sugartime’ by the McGuire Sister topped the charts.
2002 New regulations to go into effect this year require German pig farmers to spend at least 20 seconds every day with each pig, 10 seconds in the morning and 10 seconds in the afternoon. I do not know about what regulations there might be for spending time with German cows, sheep, chickens and other farm animals.
2008 The USDA announced the largest beef recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national cafe au lait day

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February 16th is National Almond Day! #NationalAlmondDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Five Food Finds about Almonds

1. Almonds are mentioned several times in the New and Old Testaments. They are revered as symbols of divine approval.

2. Almonds are actually fruits, related to cherries and plums.

3. Raw Almonds contain prussic acids, the eating of more than a handful can be lethal.

4. A key indicator of cyanide poisoning was the faint smell of roasted almonds on the victim.

5. Greek mythology tells of the beautiful princess Phyllis, who was left waiting at the altar on her wedding day by her intended, Demophon. Phyllis waited for years for him to return, but finally died of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed Phyllis into an almond tree, which became a symbol of hope.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…
- 1909 Richard McDonald was born. He was one of the brothers who founded McDonald’s fast food restaurants. Richard also designed the golden arches logo.
- 1932 James E. Markham of Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards in Mississippi, received the first patent for a fruit tree. It was for a peach tree whose fruit ripened later than other varieties.
- 1937 Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers received a patent for Nylon. (Which he discovered in 1935). One of its first uses was to replace the hog bristles that had been used in toothbrushes. Think about it: people used to brush their teeth with pigs hair.
- 1959 Rap singer ‘Ice T’ was born (Tracy Morrow).
- 2009 Burgers & Beer on the Road: A truck carrying 40,000 pounds of frozen hamburger patties hit the center median, and dumped thousands of pounds of burgers onto Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City. A few hours later on Interstate 84, also in Utah, a truck carrying 40,000 pounds of Fat Tire Beer hit the center median and spilled its load on the highway. Neither driver was injured.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national almond day

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February 15th is National Chewing Gum Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Five Food Find about Chewing Gum

Kids in North America spend approximately half a billion dollars on bubble gum every year.

100,000 tons of bubble gum is chewed every year all around the world.

Scientists found a 9,000-year- old wad of chewing gum in Sweden.

A mathematician once calculated and figured out that the energy Americans expend everyday when chewing bubble gum was enough to light a city of ten million people.

It is believed that ancient Greeks found relief from stress by chewing a gum that was made from a resin.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1758 Benjamin Jackson advertised mustard for sale for the first time in America. The advertisement was in the Philadelphia Chronicle, and claimed Jackson was the first and only manufacturer of mustard in America

1809 Cyrus Hall McCormick was born. McCormick is credited with the development of the first mechanical reaper.

1957 ‘The Banana Boat Song’ (Day-O) by Harry Belafonte is number one on the charts.

1965 Canada adopted its new red & white flag with a red maple leaf in the center.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national chewing gum day

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February 14th is National Cream-Filled Chocolates Day! #ValentinesDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Five Food Find about Valentine’s Day Candy

In the 1800’s, physicians commonly advised their lovelorn patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining.

More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

At one time, conversation candies were made into shapes including horseshoes, baseballs, and watches.

At least 10 new conversation heart sayings are introduced each year. Recent additions include “Yeah Right,” “Call Home” and “Puppy Love.”

It is believed that Madame Du Barry served chocolate to all her suitors; Casanova consumed chocolate instead of champagne to induce romance; and Montezuma, the king of the ancient Aztecs, believed chocolate would make him virile.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1779 RIP Captain James Cook, British explorer who charted and named many Pacific Islands, including the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii).

1803 Moses Coats patented an apple parer.

1838 Margaret E. Knight was born. An American inventor, she invented an improved paper bag machine to make bags with flat bottoms.

1886 California oranges were first shipped East by rail.

1903 The U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor was established.

2003 Dolly the sheep died. Dolly was the first animal cloned from an adult animal. (Born July 5, 1996)

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

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February 13th is National Italian Food Day / #NationalItalianFoodDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Five Food Finds about Italian Food

It was not until the 1700’s that tomatoes were first found in Italian dishes.

The ‘essential’ ingredients in Italian food include: olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiana, capers, tomatoes, sausage and of course pasta.

An average Italian meal is divided in two parts, primo piatto & secondo piatto; the primo include a pasta or risotto; the secondi includes any meat and fish meals, complemented by a contorno, a side dish of vegetables.

The Italian dessert, Tiramisu, (ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with mascarpone cheese and egg yolks then flavored with liquor and cocoa) roughly translates to “pick-me-up.” Did you know that this dessert did not appear in the U.S. until the early 1980’s?

Italians prefer their pasta cooked ‘al dente’ literally meaning “to the tooth.” The pasta should be a bit firm, offering some resistance to the tooth, but tender.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1837 Riot in New York over high price of flour

1933 The House of Commons defeated a bill that would have prohibited the sale of alcohol in the U.K.

1967 The Beatles single ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ is released.

2000 The last original ‘Peanuts’ comic strip is published.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: National Italian Italian Food Day

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February 11th is National Peppermint Patty Day! / #PeppermintPattyDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Peppermint Patty Day!

Five Food Finds about the Peppermint Patty:

1. In 1940 York Cone Co. produced the first Peppermint Patties.

2. Peppermint Patties were sold only in northeastern states until 1975.

3. Peppermint Patties have one of the least about of calories and fat compared to other nationally popular candy bars.

4. Charles Schulz introduced “Peppermint Patty” to his Peanuts comic strip on August 22, 1966

5. Patricia Reichardt is Peppermint Patty’s actual name.

Today’s Food History
on this day in…

1785 The Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture was founded. It is the oldest active agricultural organization in the U.S.
1847 Thomas Alva Edison was born. Chefs use his inventions everyday, including light and music to work by.
1926 Paul Bocuse, French chef, was born at Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, France. He is known as one of the founders of ‘nouvelle cuisine’.
1963 Julia Child’s ‘The French Chef’ premiered on TV.
1977 The heaviest lobster known was caught off Nova Scotia, weighing in at 44 lb 6 oz (20.14 kg).
1994 Use of the genetically engineered growth hormone for cows, RBGH begins.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: National peppermint patties day, national peppermint patty day

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February 10th is National “Have a Brownie” Day! / #BrownieDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five thing to know about Brownie:

It is said that the brownie was created at the Palmer House Hotel during the 1893 Columbian Exposition( The largest World’s Fair of it’s time) when the owner Bertha Palmer asked the chef to make a ‘ladies dessert’.
The word ‘brownie’ became so popular that soon after the Expedition even Kodak named one of it’s first hand held cameras after them, the little ‘brownie.’
Brownies were one of the very first prepackaged food ‘mixes’ ever sold. First appearing in the Sears, Roebuck catalogue in 1897.
Fannie Farmer, the First Lady of American Cookery, published the first written recipe for brownies in 1896.
A popular turn of the century alternative was considered of equal importance, the ‘blondie‘, which used many of the same ingredients except chocolate. Many believed chocolate to be a ‘vice’ on the same level as alcohol and even coffee.

Daily Quote:

“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.”
Benjamin Franklin

Today’s Pinterest Board : Foodimentary

Today’s Food History

1846 Ira Remsen was born. He was an American chemist, co-discoverer of saccharin, the artificial sweetener.

1933 The Postal Telegraph Co. of New York City delivers the first singing telegram with a box of chocolates.

1944 Author Frances Moore Lappe was born. Author of the best selling ‘Diet for a Small Planet’ (1971) The first best seller to encourage a vegetarian diet. Her premise was that the raising of animals was wasteful & potentially harmful to the environment.

1945 The Andrews Sisters recording of ‘Rum and Coca Cola’ hit #1 on the popular music charts.

1957 The ‘Styrofoam’ cooler was invented.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

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February 8th is National Potato Lover’s Day! / #PotatoDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s food finds about potatoes:

The word potato is derived from a Native American word “Batata”

The first cultivated potatoes date back to 500o BC in Peru. Originally, they were purple and when cooked they turn a deep blue color.

Most of the nutrients found in potatoes are in its skin.

The average American eats 140 pounds of potatoes per year.

The word spud actually means “to dig a small hole in the ground, similar to spade, a tool to dig small holes.

Did you know that February is National Snack Food Month? Check out our STRANGE snack food taste off!

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1795 Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge was born. A German chemist who developed a method for obtaining sugar from beet juice.

1886 Wilhelm Koppers was born. This cultural anthropologist developed theories on the origins of society based on studies of hunter-gatherer tribes.

1898 John Sherman of Worcester, Massachusetts received a patent for the first machine to fold and seal envelopes.

1925 Actor Jack Lemmon was born. A couple of his film titles: ‘The Fortune Cookie’ and ‘Days of Wine and Roses’

1946 Adolfo De La Parra of the music group ‘Canned Heat’ was born.

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Categories: Food Holidays, November Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national potato lover's day

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February 7th is National Fettuccine Alfredo Day / #NationalFettuccineDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Fettuccine Alfredo Day!

Here are today’s food finds about fettuccine:

Fettuccine is a flat, thick noodle made of flour and egg.(literally meaning “little ribbons” in Italian)

The original recipe for Fettuccine “Alfredo” is pasta made from fettucine noodles tossed with one part parmesan cheese and 3 parts butter.

It was named by an Italian restaurateur at his restaurant Alfredo on the Via della Scrofa in Rome in 1914.

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, early movie stars, fell in love with the dish while on their honeymoon in 1927. This helped to make the dish and Alfredo world famous.

There are authentic “Alfredo’s” restaurants in the US, Alfredo’s at Rockefeller Center in New York City is the most well known.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1804 John Deere was born. Inventor and manufacturer, he developed the first steel plow in 1838. The mass production of the plow helped make farm yields per acre increase 10 fold within two decades.

1894 Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax died. A musical instrument maker, he invented the saxophone. The shape was said to have been patterned after plumbing pipes and first constructed by a pipe fitter.

1989 It was reported that a “rain of sardines” fell in Ipswich, Australia. The rain was said to have taken place for over 15 minutes littering the town and countryside with fish and frogs.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: national fettuccine alfredo day

February 5th is National Frozen Yogurt Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy National Yogurt Day!

Here are today’s five things to know about FroYo:

While regular yogurt has been around for 5000 years, frozen yogurt was originated in New England in the 1970s.

When frozen yogurt first hit the market in the 1970s, it was not as popular as it is today. Many consumers felt that the dessert was too tart and similar to room temperature yogurt.

In the ’80s, frozen yogurt manufacturers began to play with the dessert’s recipe, adding flavor and changing the texture.

They were able to create the frozen yogurt we are familiar with today, something a bit more palatable to the public.

The health conscious crowds began to eat up the product, skyrocketing sales to $25 million. The growth did not stop there; by the ’90s, the product had reached $330 million in sales.

Today’s Food History

1872 Lafayette Benedict Mendel was born. An American biochemist who published various papers on nutrition. His work on vitamins and proteins helped establish modern concepts about nutrition.

1884 Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio, received a patent for an egg beater.

1914 William Burroughs, novelist, was born. He wrote ‘Naked Lunch.’

1967 Tom Smothers fell into a vat of chocolate today. (The Smo

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

February 5th is World Nutella Day! / #WorldNutellaDay #NutellaDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Happy #WorldNutellaDay!

Here are today’s five things to know about Nutella:

Nutella, a chocolate & hazelnut spread, outsells ALL brands of peanut butter worldwide.

Hazelnuts were originally used as an inexpensive filler. sales increased and soon became it’s trademark flavor.

In the aftermath of World War 2 Italian stores offered a service called “smearing”, which allowed local children to bring in a slice of bread on which they could have some Nutella spread.

In Europe the Nutella jar is usually made of glass, whereas in North America it is made of plastic.

One jar of Nutella is sold every 2.5 seconds worldwide.

Today’s Food History

1872 Lafayette Benedict Mendel was born. An American biochemist who published various papers on nutrition. His work on vitamins and proteins helped establish modern concepts about nutrition.

1884 Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio, received a patent for an egg beater.

1914 William Burroughs, novelist, was born. He wrote ‘Naked Lunch.’

1967 Tom Smothers fell into a vat of chocolate today. (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered).

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

Tagged: world nutella day

February 4th is National Homemade Soup Day!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five things to know about homemade soup:

Women are more than twice as likely to eat soup as men, 9.67% vs. 4.0%

The Middle English word soupen meant “to drink in sips”, which is how most soups were consumed. The words “soup,” “supper,” “sip,” and “sop” are derived from this term.

Andy Warhol(who’s real name was Andrew Warhola) is famous for his Campbell ‘s soup can art of the 1960’s. Did you know his first works sold for around 100 dollars? Today they sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

We ‘eat’ and don’t drink soup. In most cultures, soup is had as a part of the meal. According to etiquette experts, since we consume soup with a spoon as opposed to sipping it from a bowl, we ‘eat’ it.

The word soup is of Sanskrit origin! It is derived from the su and po, which means good nutrition.

Today’s Food History

1906 Clyde W. Tombaugh was born. An American astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. His first telescopes were made from old farm equipment parts

1930 Candy maker Frank C. Mars of Minnesota introduced the Snickers bar in 1930. Did you know? Snickers was the name of his prized race horse.

1941 Roy J. Plunkett received a U.S. patent for Teflon. He accidentally discovered it in 1938.

1983 RIP Karen Carpenter from complications associated with anorexia nervosa.

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Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

February 3rd is National Carrot Cake Day! / #NationalCarrotCakeDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five things to know about carrot cake:

Carrots were first cultivated in north Africa & the Mediterranean. They originally were purple or grey in color. Introduced to Europe around 1000 years ago.

The weed/flower Queen Anne’s Lace is actually a wild carrot.

Jello in the 1930’s offered ‘carrot pie’ flavored gelatin.

People first grew carrots as medicine, not food, for a variety of ailments.

Carrots are one of the rare vegetables which are more nutritious cooked than raw.

Today’s Food History

1468 RIP Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of moveable type printing. Inspired by the screw presses used in winemaking.

1815 The world’s 1st commercial cheese factory was established in Switzerland.

1913 The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. It gave Congress the power to levy taxes on income. In 1913 less than 1% of the population paid income tax at the rate of 1%. Before this taxes were acquired primarily on food, merchandise sales, etc.

1916 The Cafe Voltaire opened in Zurich, Switzerland, a meeting place for members of what was to be known as the Dada movement.

1959 The day the music died. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) are killed in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa.

Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays, Uncategorized

February 2nd is National Tater Tot Day! / #NationalTaterTotDay

John-Bryan Hopkins

Here are today’s five food finds about tater tots:

Tater Tots literally mean “baby potatoes”; tatter for potato & tots “meaning little one.”

Americans consume over 70 million pounds or Tots per year.

Tater Tots were first invented in 1953 at the Ore-Ida Labs

Tater is slang for potato (origin: 1750–60; America; by Apheresis, tato, and substitution of -er for final -o, tater).

In Australia, tater tots are known as “potato gems.”

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1795 The French government offers a prize of 12,000 francs for a method of preserving food for transport to the French army. It was eventually won by Nicholas Appert who invented a successful method to can food.
1820 Jean Etienne Bore, died. Inventor of the sugar granulating process, founder of the sugar industry in Louisiana.

1869 The removable steel plow blade is invented by James Oliver.

1887 The first Groundhog day is observed in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

1892 William Painter received a patent for the crown-cork bottle cap with a cork seal. It was used up until the 1970s, when the cork liner was replaced with a plastic liner.