Here are today’s five things to know about the croissant:
Each croissant rolls are made of 50 or more thin layers of pastry & butter.
According to legend, it was Marie Antoinette (Austrian Princess who married Louis XVI), introduced the croissant to France.
The French newspaper Le Figaro named the croissant from bakery Pierre Hermé the best in Paris in 2013. It also won in 2006.
Since Starbucks bought French baker Pascal Rigo’s San Francisco-based La Boulange, the chocolate croissant has become the coffee chain’s bestselling pastry.
In 2013, chef Dominque Ansel came up with the cronut — a deep-fried croissant/doughnut combination that became all the rage at his New York bakery.
Today’s Food History
1649 Charles I, king of England, Scotland and Ireland Died. Ice cream is said to have come from France when he married Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henri IV, and sister of Louis XIII.
1868 Charles Darwin’s ‘Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication.’ was published.
1969 The Beatles perform for the last time in public, on the roof of Apple Studios.
2009 RIP Restaurateur Milton; age of 90. Owner of New York’s famous Carnegie Deli from 1976 until his retirement in 2002.
Here are today’s five things to know about Chocolate:
The first French word for chocolate mousse translates in English to“chocolate mayonnaise”.
The “blood” that you see in the infamous “shower scene” in Psycho is actually chocolate syrup.
The history of chocolate cake goes back to 1764, when Dr. James Baker discovered how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans between two massive circular millstones.
A process for making silkier and smoother chocolate called conching was developed in 1879 by Swiss Rodolphe and made it easier to bake with chocolate as it amalgamates smoothly and completely with cake batters.
In the U.S.A, “chocolate decadence” cakes were popular in the 1980s; in the 1990s, single-serving molten chocolate cakes with liquid chocolate centers and infused chocolates with exotic flavors such as tea, curry, red pepper, passion fruit, and champagne were popular.
Today’s Quote: “All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.”~Charles M. Schulz
Today’s Food History
1521 The Diet of Worms begins; an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire where Martin Luther made his famous appearance.
1851 RIP John James Audubon: Ornithologist, naturalist & artist, known for his paintings & prints of North American birds.
1910 RIP Thomas Crapper: Said to have invented the flush toilet. Many believe he simply “improved” the device invented by others.
1984 Michael Jackson’s hair catches fire while filming a Pepsi commercial.
Here are today’s five thing to know about Peanut Brittle:
“Brittle” is a type of confection consisting of flat, broken pieces of hard sugar candy.
Peanut brittle made with corn syrups & nuts began appearing in cookbooks around the 19th century.
Because we find peanut brittle recipes most commonly in American cookbooks, it is generally recognized as an American recipe.
The history of peanut brittle is tied to Tony Beaver, a lumberjack folk hero. In the story, Tony Beaver creates peanut brittle when he stops a flood using peanuts and molasses.
According to the history of peanut brittle candy, brittle was probably the first candy ever made.
Today’s Food History
1838 The first state temperance law was passed in Tennessee.
1875 The first battery-powered dentist’s drill was patented by George F Green of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
1932 RIP William Wrigley, Jr. He started Juicy Fruit chewing gum in 1893, & later Wrigley’s Spearmint. Wrigley’s boson became the largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world.
2007 RIP Sharon Tyler Herbst Author of ‘ The Food Lover’s Companion,’ ‘The Joy of Cookies,’ & many more food related books.
Here are today’s five things to know about Irish Coffee:
Irish coffee typically consists of black coffee, sugar, whipped cream, and Irish whiskey.
Some say it was invented in Ireland and was intended to help travelers keep warm while traveling the Atlantic Ocean.
It is said that Stanton Delaplane brought the drink to the United States and convinced the Buena Vista bar in San Francisco to put it on their drink menu.
Tom Bergin’s Tavern in Los Angeles, also claims to have been the originator and has had a large sign in place reading “House of Irish Coffee” since the early 1950s.
A similar hot Irish drink is called the Hot Irish Monk – cocoa, Frangelica (available kosher in select places) and whiskey.
Today’s Food History
1799 The first US patent for a seeding machine was issued to Eliakim Spooner of Vermont
1858 Mendelssohn’s “The Wedding March” was first played at Queen Victoria’s daughter’s wedding
1945 Grand Rapids, Michigan became the 1st U.S. city to fluoridate its drinking water an effort to reduce tooth deca
High-res version
