November 16 – National Fast Food Day

National Fast Food Day

Five Food Finds about McDonald’s

Antarctica is the Only Continent without a McDonald’s

They Serve 46 Million People Everyday

McDonald’s has served 100 Billion Burgers and Counting

In England, you will find a McDonald’s location that is housed by an extremely old building. In fact, one of the walls of this location dates back to the 13th century. It’s rare for McDonald’s to have historic locations here in America. Americans are known for building bigger and better things. Even the location that housed the first McDonald’s drive thru was tore down and rebuilt.

The most popular international McDonald’s location is located in Moscow. The location is found on Pushkin Square and serves an outstanding number of people each day. In fact, this one location serves an amazing 40,000 people each day.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1620 The first corn (maize) was supposedly discovered (by European settlers) by some Pilgrims led by Myles Standish, while exploring the area near Provincetown, Massachusetts. They named the spot Corn Hill.
1867 Leon Daudet was born. French journalist and novelist, well known gastronome of his time.
1913 The first volume of Marcel Proust’s ‘Remembrance of Things Past’ was published. On January 1, 1909, he ate a piece of tea-soaked toast whose taste caused a flood of childhood memories. In his 7 volume allegorical novel ‘Remembrance of Things Past,’ the character Swann has a similar experience when he bites into a lemon cookie (a madelaine) which brings on a similar flood of memories. This is one of the most widely quoted allusions in literature.

Categories: Food Holidays, November Food Holidays

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

May 14 is National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

Tender, flaky and light as feather,

an amazing buttermilk biscuit is perfect for anytime of a day.

Celebrate! it’s National Buttermilk Biscuit day

Did you know…

In the United Kingdom, the word “biscuit” is used to refer to what we in the United States would call a “cookie”.
White flour, commonly used to bake biscuits, is almost instantly metabolized into sugar. Biscuits will quickly spike your blood-sugar level.
Mustard is a common condiment to use on biscuits in the south, especially to accompany ham.
Most biscuit recipes call for a healthy dose of butter in the baking process. Despite this, many people butter their biscuits after they are served as well.
The main difference between biscuits and rolls is the leavening agent. Biscuits use baking soda. Rolls use yeast.

Today’s Food History

1686 Gabriel Fahrenheit was born. Fahrenheit was a German physicist who invented the Fahrenheit temperature scale thermometer. It was the first thermometer to use mercury instead of alcohol, which also extended the temperature range of thermometers.
1853 Gail Borden applied for a patent for condensed milk.
1878 Vaseline petroleum jelly was trademarked by Robert August Chesebrough.
1896 The coldest May temperature ever recorded in the U.S. lower 48 states: Minus 10 F at Climax, Colorado.
1919 R.I.P. Henry John Heinz. Founder of the H.J. Heinz company and creator of its slogan ’57 varieties.’
1943 Jack Bruce of the music group ‘Cream’ was born.
1985 The first McDonald’s restaurant, in Des Plains, Illinois, became the first fast food museum.
1991 World’s largest burrito created, 1,126 pounds
1994 The FDA announced that the ‘Flavr Savr’ tomato, a biotech developed food, is safe.
2008 The Chicago City Council repealed its ban on the sale of Foie Gras.

Categories: Food Holidays, May Food Holidays

Tagged: buttermilk biscuit, facts, five food finds, food, foodimentary, fun, life, national buttermilk biscuit day, national food holidays, todays food history

April 10 is National Cinnamon Roll Day

Interesting Food Facts about Cinnamon Roll

True cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka.
In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process.
Two teaspoons of cinnamon has about 12 calories.
Cinnamon has many health benefits. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, memory function, and even leukemia and lymphoma.
In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was only affordable by the wealthy elite of society. A person’s social rank could be determined by the number of spices they could afford.

Fun Fact:

Cinnamon rolls are known in Sweden as “kanelbulle.” This word literally means cinnamon bun. Other than kanelbulle, cinnamon roll and cinnamon bun, they are also known as sticky rolls and sticky buns.

“Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold.”

Philadelphia-style cinnamon rolls date back to the 18th century. It contains honey, sugar, cinnamon and raisins.

Today’s Food History

1633 Bananas were supposedly displayed in the shop window of merchant Thomas Johnson. This was the first time the banana had ever been seen in Great Britain. It would be more than 200 years before they were regularly imported. In 1999 remains of a banana were found at a Tudor archaeological site on the banks of the Thames River. This would seem to date it 150 years earlier than Thomas Johnson’s banana. A classic food mystery!
1752 William Cheselden died. An English surgeon and teacher, he was one of the first to describe the role of saliva in digestion.
1766 Sir John Leslie was born. A Scottish physicist and mathematician, he was the first to freeze water artificially (create ice artificially). He used an air pump apparatus.
1849 Walter Hunt of New York patented the safety pin. However, safety pins existed prior to this patent.
1872 The first Arbor Day was observed in Nebraska. It was proposed by J. Sterling Morton and publicized by the State Board of Agriculture as a tree-planting holiday. Nebraska at that time was a treeless plain, with nothing to break the wind other than the normal digestive functions of mammals. Trees were also needed for fuel, shade, building houses, etc. Estimates are that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on that first Arbor Day. It was proclaimed an official state day in 1874. Other states have since adopted the idea, and several U.S. presidents have declared national Arbor Days, usually the last Friday in April. The idea has also spread to other countries. The National Arbor Day Foundation
1894 African American inventor G. W. Murray received 2 patents for a Furrow Opener & Stalk Knocker and a Cultivator & Marker.
1944 Synthetic quinine was made for the first time at Harvard University.
1982 Saturday Night Live had viewers vote whether to boil ‘Larry the Lobster’ or not. The audience voted to free him.
1991 The last remaining Horn & Hardart Automat closed its doors. It was located at Third Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City. Frank Hardart and Joe Horn opened the first Automat on June 9, 1902 at 818 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. The birth date of modern fast food.
1995 A smoking ban in New York for restaurants with more than 35 seats began today.

Categories: April Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: daily food holiday, facts, five food finds, food, foodimentary, fun, life, national cinnamon day, today's food history, todays food history

December 16 is National Chocolate Covered Anything Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

5 Star Recipe from MyRecipes.com

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1773 The Boston Tea Party. A group of men dressed as Indians, boarded ships at Griffin’s wharf and dumped hundreds of tea chests into Boston harbor. The American Revolution began.

1833 Seaman Asahel Knapp was born. An American agriculturist, he began the system which evolved into the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service.

1863 Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought the Amsterdam brewery, ‘The Haystack’, which

dated back to 1592. This was the beginning of Heineken beer.

1884 William Fruen of Minneapolis, Minnesota patented an automatic liquid vending machine.

1965 British author, W. Somerset Maugham died. Among the titles of his novels and short stories are: ‘Cakes and Ale’, ‘The Alien Corn’ and ‘The Breadwinner.’

1976 On the ‘Barney Miller’ TV show, Wojo’s hippie girlfriend baked a batch of ‘special’ brownies for the precinct.

1980 Harland Sanders died at Shelbyville, Kentucky. Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant chain.

2004 Country Music singer Willie Nelson opened his own restaurant, the Texas Roadhouse Grill, in Austin, Texas.

Categories: December Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: facts, food, foodimentary, fun, life, National Chocolate Covered Anything Day, national food holidays, wordpress

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

National Buttermilk Biscuit Day

Five Food Finds about Biscuits

In the United Kingdom, the word “biscuit” is used to refer to what we in the United States would call a “cookie”.

White flour, commonly used to bake biscuits, is almost instantly metabolized into sugar. Biscuits will quickly spike your blood-sugar level.

Mustard is a common condiment to use on biscuits in the south, especially to accompany ham.

Most biscuit recipes call for a healthy dose of butter in the baking process. Despite this, many people butter their biscuits after they are served as well.

The main difference between biscuits and rolls is the leavening agent. Biscuits use baking soda. Rolls use yeast.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1686 Gabriel Fahrenheit was born. Fahrenheit was a German physicist who invented the Fahrenheit temperature scale thermometer. It was the first thermometer to use mercury instead of alcohol, which also extended the temperature range of thermometers.

1853 Gail Borden applied for a patent for condensed milk.

1878 Vaseline petroleum jelly was trademarked by Robert August Chesebrough.

1896 The coldest May temperature ever recorded in the U.S. lower 48 states: Minus 10 F at Climax, Colorado.

1919 R.I.P. Henry John Heinz. Founder of the H.J. Heinz company and creator of its slogan ’57 varieties.’

1943 Jack Bruce of the music group ‘Cream’ was born.

1985 The first McDonald’s restaurant, in Des Plains, Illinois, became the first fast food museum.

1991 World’s largest burrito created, 1,126 pounds

1994 The FDA announced that the ‘Flavr Savr’ tomato, a biotech developed food, is safe.

2008 The Chicago City Council repealed its ban on the sale of Foie Gras.

Some Material Used from FoodReference.com with Permission.

Categories: Food Holidays, May Food Holidays

Tagged: buttermilk biscuit, facts, fahrenheit temperature scale, five food finds, flavr savr tomato, food, foodimentary, fun, gail borden, h j heinz company, henry john heinz, life, national buttermilk biscuit day, national food holidays, todays food history, vaseline petroleum jelly

It’s Margarita Weekend. I’ll drink to that!

John-Bryan Hopkins

Foodimentary’s moto is to “Celebrate food Every Day”

Since 2011 we officially proclaimed:

The 3rd Friday in February is to be:

National Margarita Weekend.

Hey Start Early! It’s 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

A little Margarita History

Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: dreaded day, fast food, Maragaritas, margarita, national margarita day, national margarita weekend, saturday and sunday, slow food, snail

National Crunchy Taco Day

CookingLight

March 21

is

National Crunchy Taco Day

Five things you should know about

Taco Bell

Founder, Glenn Bell, first opened the chain “Del Tacos,” a hot dog and taco franchise.
He was the first to fry his taco shells in advance. Before then, they were fried on demand.
They were the first fast food chain to have move tie-in promotions.
In 1962, a tacos only cost 19 cents.
Even though the 1990 Chihuahua was an advertising phenomenon, taco sales actually went down during that period.

On This Day in Food History…

1925 Teaching the theory of evolution became illegal in Tennessee.
1984 A section of Central Park is renamed ‘Strawberry Fields’ to honor John Lennon.
1994 Due to bad harvests, there is a shortage of Japanese grown rice. Japan’s Imperial Palace begins serving royal meals to the Emperor & Empress with rice grown in the U.S., China and Thailand.
1999 Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones landed in the Egyptian desert, having completed the 1st ‘Around the World’ hot air balloon flight. According to the BBC, they carried fresh food, including bread, cheese and pre-cooked steaks to last for 6 or 7 days, after which they made due with dried foods such as cereals and powdered milk. The flight began in the Swiss Alps, took 19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes, and covered 29,056 non-stop miles.

Categories: Food Holidays, March Food Holidays

Tagged: five food finds, foodimentary, national crunchy taco day, today in food history

National Eggs Benedict Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

National Eggs Benedict Day

Five Variations of Eggs Benedict

Eggs Blackstone substitutes streaky bacon for the ham and adds a tomato slice.

Huevos Benedict substitutes avocado for the ham, and is topped with both salsa and hollandaise sauce.

Eggs Sardou substitutes artichoke bottoms and crossed anchovy fillets for the English muffin and ham, then tops the hollandaise sauce with chopped ham and a truffle slice. The dish was created at Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans in honor of the French playwright Victorien Sardou. A more widespread version of the dish starts with a base of creamed spinach, substitutes artichoke bottoms for the English muffin, and eliminates the ham.

Portobello Benedict substitutes Portobello mushrooms for the ham, and is a popular alternative for Catholics observing the Friday Fast.

Eggs Provençal replaces the Hollandaise sauce with Béarnaise Sauce.

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1521 Martin Luther arrived at the Diet of Worms. This was NOT the first fad diet.

1906 William James Farrer died. An Australian agriculturist, he developed new varieties of wheat.

1924 Henry Mancini was born. Oscar winning music composer, he wrote many songs and film scores, including the score for ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

1928 Ellsworth Milson Statler died. American hotel owner, founder of Statler Hotels. His Statler Hotel in Buffalo, New York was the first hotel in the U.S. to have running water and private baths in each room.

1941 The original Elsie the Cow died. Elsie the cow was originally a cartoon character appearing in ads for Borden Milk. At the 1939 New York World’s Fair, when people began asking where Elsie was, Borden’s picked a cow originally named ‘You’ll do Lobelia’ from their herd to be Elsie. Elsie stared in commercials, made personal appearances, and even starred in an RKO movie, ‘Little Men.’ Elsie was injured in a truck accident in 1941 and had to be put to sleep. She is buried in Plainsboro, New Jersey.

1956 On the ‘I Love Lucy’ show, Lucy stomped grapes in Rome, and wrestled with another female grape stomper. An inspiration for future ‘food wrestling’ entrepreneurs. Actually, this is one of the funniest sitcom episodes ever made.

Categories: April Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: anchovy fillets, borden milk, d, facts, food, foodimentary, fooFoodimentary, fun, hollandaise sauce, james farrer, life, National Eggs Benedict Day, national food holidays, restaurants, statler hotel in buffalo new york, todays food history, wordpress

National Pancake Day

John-Bryan Hopkins

MyRecipes.com

February 21

is

National Pancake Day

**Five things you should know about**

Pancakes

Throughout Europe most people celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes–
Pancakes are associated with the day before lent because it was a way to use up “rich foods” such as eggs, milk, & sugar, before the 40 days fast begins–
A waffle is basically a pancake with a syrup trap. -Mitch Hedberg
Pancakes became popular because of the ease of quickly producing them in large quantities. They’re ideal for a big celebration or a large family’s breakfast.–
While cooking pancakes, the French often make a wish, while flipping the pancake to turn it over, while holding a coin in the other hand.

On This Day in Food History…

1554 Hieronymus Bock died. A German botanist whose work contributed to the transition from medieval beliefs to modern science.
1741 Jethro Tull died. He was an English agriculturalist and inventor whose ideas were instrumental in the development of modern English agriculture. One of his inventions was a horse drawn seed planting drill that sowed 3 even rows of seeds at once. (1701). The music group ‘Jethro Tull’ was named for him.
1858 Edwin T. Holmes sells the first electric burglar alarm in the U.S., in Boston, Massachusetts. His workshop was later used by Alexander Graham Bell.
1895 Carl Peter Henrik Dam was born. Dam was a Danish biochemist who discovered vitamin K in 1939.
1927 Erma Bombeck was born. Writer, humorist, you will find some of her quotes about family and food on the Food Reference website.
1931 Alka Seltzer was introduced.
1985 Nathan Pritikin died. A nutritionist who believed that exercise and a low fat, high unrefined carbohydrate diet helped reverse his own heart disease. He founded the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976.
1989 The USDA approved ‘Simplesse,’ a low calorie fat substitute.
1994 Whirlpool began manufacturing a refrigerator that was significantly more efficient, and did not use freon. Freon has been implicated in the destruction of ozone in the atmosphere.

Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: five food finds, foodimentary, national pancake day, today in food history

November 16 – Today’s Food History

John-Bryan Hopkins

National Fast Food Day

Today’s Food History

on this day in…

1620 The first corn (maize) was supposedly discovered (by European settlers) by some Pilgrims led by Myles Standish, while exploring the area near Provincetown, Massachusetts. They named the spot Corn Hill.
1867 Leon Daudet was born. French journalist and novelist, well known gastronome of his time.
1913 The first volume of Marcel Proust’s ‘Remembrance of Things Past’ was published. On January 1, 1909, he ate a piece of tea-soaked toast whose taste caused a flood of childhood memories. In his 7 volume allegorical novel ‘Remembrance of Things Past,’ the character Swann has a similar experience when he bites into a lemon cookie (a madelaine) which brings on a similar flood of memories. This is one of the most widely quoted allusions in literature.

Categories: 101 - lessons in food, Daily Food History, Encyclopedia, Food Facts

Tagged: facts, fast food, food, foodimentary, fun, life, todays food history

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National Almond Day

MyRecipes.com

February 16

is

National Almonds Day

**Five things you should know 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 handfull can be lethal. this is why all almonds are dried, roasted and/or pasteurized.

4. A key indicator of arsenic 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

On This Day in Food History…

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.

Categories: February Food Holidays, Food Holidays

Tagged: five food finds, foodimentary, national almonds day, today in food history