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TUESDAY - JANUARY 1, 2013
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average. Which means you've met your New Year's resolution.”
Jay Leno, TV host, comedian
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- New Year's Day
- National Bloody Mary Day
- Oatmeal Day.
- UK: National Hangover Day
- St. Basil's Day (Eastern Orthodox). St. Basil's cake with a coin inside is traditionally served. Whoever gets the coin will have good luck for the New Year.
45 BC New Year's Day was celebrated for the first time on January 1 when the Julian calendar took effect.
1449 Lorenzo de Medici (The Magnificent) of Florence was born. Many in this Italian noble family were patrons of learning and the arts. Lorenzo’s great granddaughter, Catherine, is known as the ‘mother of French haute cuisine’ because when she married the French king Henry II, she brought the finest Italian chefs, and her passion for fine food, with her to France. (With apologies to my French readers. Reasonable rebuttals accepted for future publication).
1735 Paul Revere was born. A silversmith and American Revolutionary folk hero, he also made surgical instruments and false teeth.
1772 The London Credit Exchange Company issued the first traveler’s checks.
1800 Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton died. A French naturalist, he was a pioneer in several fields including plant physiology. He conducted many agricultural experiments and introduced Merino sheep to France. First director of the Museum of Natural History in Paris.
1863 Daniel Freeman is the first to submit a claim under the new Homestead Act, for 160 acres near Beatrice, Nebraska.
1876 The first world's oldest trademark is the red triangle registered for Bass Pale Ale. (Some sources say 1883 or 1890)
1876 The first agricultural experiment station was established at Middleton, Connecticut.
1895 C.W. Post of Battle Creek, Michigan introduced Postum Food Coffee, a coffee substitute made from wheat, bran and molasses.
1896 Alfred Ely Beach died. American inventor and publisher of Scientific American magazine.
1898 Post Grape Nuts are introduced by C. W. Post of Battle Creek, Michigan. (There are no grapes or nuts in Grape Nuts).
1905 The New York Times builds the Times Tower at Long Acre Square, has the name changed to Times Square and celebrated the event with a New Year's Eve Fireworks show. The beginning of an American tradition at Times Square.
1907 The Times introduced the New Years Eve Ball on their building at Times Square in New York. Descending to mark the end of the old and the beginning of the New Year ever since.
1909 Marcel Proust had a flashback. 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 named Swann has a similar experience when he bites into a lemon cookie (a 'Madeleine') which brings on a similar flood of memories.
1935 In Miami, the first Orange Bowl was played on this day in 1935. Bucknell University wins over the University of Miami, 26-0.
1935 The first Sugar Bowl football game was played on this day in 1935 in New Orleans.
1935 B. (Barnard) Kliban was born. A satirical cartoonist, best known for his cat cartoons. A few of his cartoon book titles: 'Never Eat Anything Larger Than Your Head', 'The Biggest Tongue in Tunisia'.
1942 Country Joe McDonald of 'Country Joe and the Fish' was born.
1958 The agreements establishing the European Economic Community (EEC or Common Market) went into effect.
1994 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect between the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
1996 The last Polynesian tree snail, species Partula turgida, died at the London Zoo. They lived on the South Pacific island of Raiatea, where the residents imported predatory snails from Florida to eat a pest snail, originally imported from Africa. Instead they ate the native Tree Snail to extinction. We never seem to learn about the consequences of introducing nonnative species.
1998 Smoking is banned in California restaurants and bars.
2002 The 'euro' was introduced, the new monetary unit of the European Union.
DID YOU KNOW?
American financier and philanthropist Diamond Jim Brady was known to eat 6 or 7 giant lobsters, dozens of oysters, clams and crabs, 2 ducks, steak and desserts at a single sitting. George Rector, a New York restaurateur said he was 'the best twenty-five customers I ever had.'
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on December 24, 2012)
1) This native of Queensland is one of Australia's few contributions to the world's food plants, this tree and its food product were named for an Australian chemist who was born in Scotland. It is said that he never tasted the food named after him.
2) What country produces 2/3 of the world's garlic?
a) Mexico
b) China
c) United States
d) Italy
e) Brazil
3) This organic acid is the main acid present in apples and other fruits. It is also found in grapes, especially those grown in colder areas. It is used as a food additive and flavoring agent in candies and beverages.
4) In old cookbooks, a name sometimes given to the cantaloupe. This tropical tree and its fruit is native to India, and is actually in the cashew family.
5) This water soluble vitamin is related to a tobacco alkaloid, and is used to treat pellagra. Good sources are meat, poultry, fish, peanuts, and whole grain cereals.
6) This Lebanese specialty is composed of bulgur, parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, olive oil and lemon juice.
7) This nut is still harvested mostly from the wild, although there are a few commercial plantations in its native area (attempts to cultivate it elsewhere have been mostly unsuccessful). The trees (Bertholletia excelsa) grow to a typical 150 feet high, and the 'fruit' that contains the nuts weigh 5 pounds each! Gathering them when they fall to the ground can be dangerous, so harvesters carry shields to protect themselves. There are 8 to 30 nuts inside the hard coconut-like 'fruit', and an axe must be used to open it. The nuts have a high oil content of about 65% by weight.
8a) When and where were the first practical vending machines used in the U.S., and what did they vend?
8b) When did the first soft-drink vending machines appear?
9) When you see the term 'Veronique' on a menu, what one item can you be sure the dish will contain?
10a) What family of plants do all of the following belong to: parsnips, anise, cumin, poison hemlock, fennel, and sea holly?
10b) What family do these belong to: coriander, dill, caraway, goutweed, celery?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
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WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 2, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“Numbers written on restaurant checks within the confines of restaurants do not follow the same mathematical laws as numbers written on any other pieces of paper in any other parts of the Universe.”
Douglas Adams, 'Life, The Universe and Everything' (1982)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Cream Puff Day
- National Buffet Day
- Feast Day of St. Marcarius, patron saint of confectioners, cooks, pastry chefs. (Before he became a hermit, Marcarius was a sugarplum merchant).
- St. Adelard's Day, patron of gardeners.
- Switzerland: Berchtoldstag (Berchtold's Day). This day honors the founding of Bern in 1191, by Duke Berchtold V. Legend claims that he went hunting and said he would name the city for the first animal he killed, which was a bear (bern).
1923 Secretary of the U.S. Dept of Interior, Albert Fall, resigns due to public outrage over the Teapot Dome scandal.
1975 Working with Canadian zoologist Freud Urquhart, amateur naturalist Kenneth C. Brugger discovered the winter home of the Monarch butterfly in the mountains of central Mexico. The refuge he found was only about 200 square meters and contained about 20 million butterflies.
1983 'Maneater' by Daryl Hall & John Oates is #1 on the charts.
1990 Campbell's Soup introduces Cream of Broccoli soup. It becomes their most successful new soup in 55 years.
2005 H. David Dalquist, the creator of the aluminum Bundt Pan in 1950, died in Minnesota at the age of 86.
DID YOU KNOW?
AMARANTH: A staple of the Incas and the Aztecs, this pseudo-grain has been grown for thousands of years. The kernels are tiny—about 4,000 per teaspoon—but their nutritional impact is big. Amaranth contains more protein, iron, potassium, phosphorous and magnesium than other grains and is a great source of the amino acid lysine. People who are allergic to gluten can eat amaranth with no trouble.
Amaranth has a pleasant, nut-like flavor and toasting them before grinding them adds to their flavor. The seeds may be used in bread recipes to add texture and flavor, or can be popped like corn. The seeds can be ground into flour, but, it has no gluten for baking purposes, so you will have to mix it with other flours. The ratio would be 1:3 (¼ amaranth, ¾ wheat = 1 cup)
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on December 24, 2012)
1) This native of Queensland is one of Australia's few contributions to the world's food plants, this tree and its food product were named for an Australian chemist who was born in Scotland. It is said that he never tasted the food named after him.
2) What country produces 2/3 of the world's garlic?
a) Mexico
b) China
c) United States
d) Italy
e) Brazil
3) This organic acid is the main acid present in apples and other fruits. It is also found in grapes, especially those grown in colder areas. It is used as a food additive and flavoring agent in candies and beverages.
4) In old cookbooks, a name sometimes given to the cantaloupe. This tropical tree and its fruit is native to India, and is actually in the cashew family.
5) This water soluble vitamin is related to a tobacco alkaloid, and is used to treat pellagra. Good sources are meat, poultry, fish, peanuts, and whole grain cereals.
6) This Lebanese specialty is composed of bulgur, parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, olive oil and lemon juice.
7) This nut is still harvested mostly from the wild, although there are a few commercial plantations in its native area (attempts to cultivate it elsewhere have been mostly unsuccessful). The trees (Bertholletia excelsa) grow to a typical 150 feet high, and the 'fruit' that contains the nuts weigh 5 pounds each! Gathering them when they fall to the ground can be dangerous, so harvesters carry shields to protect themselves. There are 8 to 30 nuts inside the hard coconut-like 'fruit', and an axe must be used to open it. The nuts have a high oil content of about 65% by weight.
8a) When and where were the first practical vending machines used in the U.S., and what did they vend?
8b) When did the first soft-drink vending machines appear?
9) When you see the term 'Veronique' on a menu, what one item can you be sure the dish will contain?
10a) What family of plants do all of the following belong to: parsnips, anise, cumin, poison hemlock, fennel, and sea holly?
10b) What family do these belong to: coriander, dill, caraway, goutweed, celery?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
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THURSDAY - JANUARY 3, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
On Chopsticks: "You do not sew with a fork, and I see no reason why you should eat with knitting needles."
'Miss Piggy's Guide to Life' (1981)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day
- National Drinking Straw Day (see 1888 below)
1795 Josiah Wedgwood died. English inventor, artist and world renowned pottery designer and manufacturer. His daughter, Susannah, was the mother of Charles Darwin.
1871 Oleomargarine was patented by Henry Bradley of Binghamton, New York. Hippolyte Mege-Mouries developed margarine in France in 1869, and received a U.S. patent in 1873 for margarine. There were many patents granted for various formulas and manufacturing techniques for margarine in the U.S. beginning in 1871. I can remember, as a kid, kneading a plastic pouch of margarine, with a red dot of food coloring, to distribute the color throughout the margarine. The dairy industry was able to have laws passed that prevented manufacturers from coloring the margarine. (The natural color of margarine is white).
1888 The first patent for wax coated paper drinking straws (made by a spiral winding process) was issued to Marvin C. Stone of Washington, D.C.
1892 John Ronald Reuel Tolkein was born. Author of 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Food and hospitality play important roles in both.
1921 Studebaker announced that it would stop making farm wagons. Studebaker began making horse drawn wagons in 1852, and started experimenting with the new 'horseless carriage' in 1897.
1979 Conrad Nicholson Hilton died. Founder of one of the most well known and largest hotel chains. It all began when he and his father turned their large New Mexico house into an inn for traveling salesmen.
1980 Joy Adamson died. Naturalist and author of 'Born Free' about Elsa, a lion cub. She had also researched culinary and medicinal uses of various plants in Kenya.
2000 Charles Schulz created his last 'Peanuts' comic strip.
2002 Alfred Heineken died. Grandson of Gerard Adriaan Heineken, the founder of Heineken Brewery. Alfred was president of the company from 1964 to 1989.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although fish oils high in omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of heart disease, caution must be used when taking capsules of fish oil as supplements. Since they 'thin' the blood, taking too much can cause excessive internal and external bleeding. You are much better off eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
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FRIDAY - JANUARY 4, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table manners.”
George Mikes, British author, ‘How to be an Alien’ (1946)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Spaghetti Day
1493 Columbus returned from his first voyage to the New World.
1863 James Plimpton of New York patented 4 wheeled roller skates.
1905 Actor Sterling Holloway was born. He was also the voice of Winnie The Pooh, the honey loving bear in Disney's animated version.
1997 Billionaire Harry Helmsley died. Husband of the infamous Leona (‘Queen of Mean,’ ‘Queen of Greed’), his real estate holdings included the Empire State Building.
2002 An Italian shepherd, the world's oldest man died at the age of 112. Quote: "....love your brother and drink a good glass of red wine every day."
DID YOU KNOW?
Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, it is essential for the development and maintenance of connective tissue. Vitamin C speeds the production of new cells in wound healing and it is an antioxidant that keeps free radicals from hooking up with other molecules to form damaging compounds that might attack tissue. Vitamin C protects the immune system, helps fight off infections, reduces the severity of allergic reactions and plays a role in the synthesis of hormones and other body chemicals. Green peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, and other fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamin C.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
SATURDAY - JANUARY 5, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.”
'Garfield' - Jim Davis
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Whipped Cream Day
- St. Simeon Stylites’ Day, patron of shepherds.
1589 Catherine de Medici, wife of King Henry II of France died. She is sometimes called the 'mother of French haute cuisine' because the Italian chefs she brought with her from Florence had a strong influence on the development of French cuisine. One of the things they brought with them was ice cream.
1786 Thomas Nuttall was born. English naturalist and botanist. He also collected and studied plants in the United States, especially around the Chesapeake Bay area.
1794 Edmund Ruffin born. The father of soil chemistry in the U.S.
1889 According to the ‘Oxford English Dictionary’ the word 'hamburger' first appeared in print on this day in a Walla Walla, Washington newspaper.
1914 Aaron 'Bunny' Lapin was born. Lapin was the inventor of whipped cream in an aerosol can (Reddi-Wip) in 1947. It was first sold by milkmen in St. Louis in 1948.
1943 George Washington Carver died. African American agricultural scientist and innovator. He developed hundreds of uses for peanuts, soybeans and sweet potatoes. He founded the George Washington Carver Research Foundation at Tuskegee, for agricultural research.
1961 'Mr. Ed' the talking horse debuts on TV.
2007 Momofuku Ando died in Osaka, Japan. Mr. Ando was the founder of Nissin Food Products, and invented 'Instant Ramen' noodles.
2009 A locally caught bluefin tuna weighing 282 1/2 pounds sold for $104,700 ($371 lb) at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market auction. Prized by sushi lovers, the normal price for bluefin tuna is about $25 - $50 per pound. A dramatic bluefin population decline, lower quotas and bad weather are affecting prices.
DID YOU KNOW?
Although the tamarillo is native to South America, most of the tamarillo sold in the U.S. is imported from New Zealand, where it is grown commercially. The original name, tree tomato, was used until 1967 when New Zealand invented the tropical sounding name tamarillo to market it.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
SUNDAY - JANUARY 6, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“Onion rings in the car cushions do not improve with time.”
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- Apple Tree Day
- National Shortbread Day
- National Bean Day
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.
DID YOU KNOW?
Annatto is a tropical American tree whose seeds are used to produce a food coloring used in cheese, margarine, butter, rice and smoked fish. Annatto is widely used in Latin America and the Caribbean cuisines as both a coloring agent and for flavoring. Central and South American Indians used the seeds to make a body paint, and as a lipstick. (also called achiote, and lipstick tree)
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
MONDAY - JANUARY 7, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“There are no corn chip bushes or Cherrios vines on a farm, and spaghetti trees have yet to be discovered. No cow is made of bologna, liverwurst, or frankfurter, no part of a chicken is a McNugget, no chicken has a boneless breast, and no part of a hog is made of sausage, spam, or has suger-cured bacon as part of its anatomy.”
Harvey Blatt, 'America's Food' (2008)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Tempura Day
1618 Francis Bacon became Lord Chancellor of England.
1827 Sir Sanford Fleming was born. He devised the present system of time zones while working for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
1896 The ‘Fannie Farmer Cookbook’ was published.
1901 Alfred Packer is released from prison. He served 18 years for cannibalism after being stranded in the Rocky Mountains. (Actually he was convicted of murder, since cannibalism was not against the law).
1958 Ant Farms go on sale. Milton Levine had the idea at a July 4th family picnic.
1972 "American Pie" by Don McLean is #1 on the charts.
DID YOU KNOW?
Regular sliced bacon is .062 inches thick (1/16 inch) 16 - 20 slices per pound. Thin sliced bacon is .031 inches thick (1/32 inch) 28 - 32 slices per pound, and thick sliced bacon is .111 inches thick (1/8 inch) 10 - 14 slices per pound.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
TUESDAY - JANUARY 8, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“There are many miracles in the world to be celebrated and, for me, garlic is the most deserving.”
Felice Leonardo (Leo) Buscaglia (1924-1998)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National English Toffee Day
- Feast of St. Erhard of Regensburg, patron of bakers
1676 Charles II of England revoked his previous proclamation suppressing Coffee Houses due to public response. (See Dec 23, 1675)
1800 The first soup kitchens in London were opened to serve the poor.
1823 Alfred Russel Wallace was born. Wallace was a British naturalist who developed a theory of natural selection independently of Charles Darwin. He sent his conclusions to Darwin, and their findings were both presented to the Linnaean Society in 1858.
1825 Eli Whitney died. Inventor of the cotton gin, but more important he developed the concept of mass producing interchangeable parts.
1872 African American inventor Thomas Elkins received his second patent. It was for a ‘Chamber Commode’ - a combination "bureau, mirror, book-rack, washstand, table, easy chair, and earth-closet or chamber-stool."
1894 Pierre Joseph van Beneden died. A Belgian parasitologist, he discovered the life cycle of tapeworms.
1926 Comedian 'Soupy Sales' was born. Most of his routines ended with Soupy receiving a pie in the face.
1940 Britain's Ministry of Food instituted rationing of butter, sugar and bacon.
1992 President George H.W. Bush becomes ill on a trip to Japan and vomits on Japanese Prime Minister Miyazawa Kiichi.
1998 Walter E. Diemer died. While working for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company, he experimented with recipes for chewing gum as a hobby. (He really liked his gum!). He invented bubble gum in 1928.
2002 Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy's Hamburger chain, died.
DID YOU KNOW?
Rabbit was a favorite of of French monks, because they considered them fish and could eat them when abstinence from meat was called for.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 9, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“There are two Italies.... The one is the most sublime and lovely contemplation that can be conceived by the imagination of man; the other is the most degraded, disgusting, and odious. What do you think? Young women of rank actually eat -- you will never guess what -- garlick! Our poor friend Lord Byron is quite corrupted by living among these people, and in fact, is going on in a way not worthy of him.”
Percy Bysshe Shelley in a letter from Naples (22 December 1818)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Apricot Day
1838 The first Flea Circus in the U.S. opened at 187 Broadway in New York City.
1858 Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton was born. An American botanist, her efforts were a major factor in the establishment of the New York Botanical Gardens.
1956 The first ‘Dear Abby’ column was published.
1969 “I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye is #1 on the charts.
1980 "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes is #1 on the charts.
1995 Peter Cook, British actor and comedian died.
DID YOU KNOW?
CARROTS: Red, black yellow, white, purple - these were the colors that carrots started out with. Everything but orange. Carrots were first cultivated in Afghanistan in the 7th century, and they started with yellow flesh and a purple exterior. It was the Dutch who developed the orange carrot, and the French in the 17th who most likely developed the elongated carrot, ancestor of the ones we eat today. The English brought the carrot to the New World.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
-
THURSDAY - JANUARY 10, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“Beautiful soup, so rich and green
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!
Beautiful soup! Who cares for fish
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth of beautiful soup?”
Lewis Carroll,'Alice in Wonderland'
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
1778 Carolus Linnaeus died. He was a Swedish botanist who developed the modern system for defining and naming plants.
1839 Indian tea became available in Britain for the first time. Up until this time only tea from China had been available, and that was very expensive. The development and import of Indian tea brought the price down so all could afford it, and it quickly became the national drink.
1863 London's Metropolitan, the first underground passenger railroad opened at 6 a.m.
1919 Restaurateur Milton Parker was born. Owner of the famous Carnegie Deli in New York City from 1976 until his retirement in 2002.
1969 The last issue of the Saturday Evening Post was published. 1821-1969
1977 Ruth Graves Wakefield died. Inventor of the Toll House Cookie, the first chocolate chip cookie, at the Toll House Inn neart Whitman, Massachusetts in the 1930s.
1984 Wendy's 'Where's the Beef?' ad campaign began. Burgers aren’t just for kids anymore.
DID YOU KNOW?
The World's Largest Hairball was found in a cow's stomach during slaughter at a Holcomb meat-packing plant, the hairball weighs 55 pounds (when wet) and was 38 inches in circumference. It's on display at the Finney Co. Museum, Garden City, Kansas.
FEATURED ARTICLES:
Swai Fish: Have you come across Swai Fish yet on a restaurant menu, or at your local supermarket? In 2011 this Asian river catfish was the 6th most consumed seafood in the U.S. by weight, with American Catfish slipping to 7th place. Read more....
Cashing in Cabbage: This year's Minnesota State Winner in Bonnie Plants Cabbage Program is Madelyn Price of Riverview Elementary School, Farmington, Minnesota. She grew a humongous cabbage and was selected by Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Mr. David J. Frederickson. Madelyn will receive a $1,000 saving bond towards education. Read more....
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 3, 2013)
1) In 1859 George Gilman and his partner George Huntington Hartford invented a new retailing idea, and opened their first store in New York City. 52 years later (1912) they had 400 stores, when George Hartford's son John had an even more radical idea for their stores. Within 5 years they had over 3,000 stores, and had revolutionized America's food habits.
3 questions: What was the first idea of the 2 Georges in 1859?
What was the idea of Hartford's son John?
Finally, what is the name of the company?
2) Do you know when electric refrigerators were first sold to American housewives and how much they cost?
3) Gas ranges (stoves) were first introduced in the 1850s.
Why did it take several decades for them to become popular?
4) In 1967 Wisconsin was the last state to finally permit the sale of what food product, but still maintained special taxes on it?
5) In 1903, a German importer received a ship load of beans that had been soaked with saltwater during a storm. He turned to his researchers to figure out a way the shipment might be saved.
What did they come up with?
6) Why are there thousands of grasshoppers in the foundation blocks of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas?
7) What percentage of all pumpkins are sold for food?
8) What herb is used in the production of imitation maple syrup, rum and butterscotch flavors?
9) This cheese dates back to the 7th or 8th century, and was first produced by Irish or Italian Benedictine Monks in a valley in France, and is now considered a German cheese.
What is this multinational cheese?
10) What do avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, chilies, and tomatoes have in common?
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten
(it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq.
He was 30 yrs. young.
Chef James
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