today in food history

[HUCK]

FRIDAY - JANUARY 11, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Civilised adults do not take apple juice with dinner.”
Fran Lebowitz, Metropolitan Life (1978)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Hot Toddy Day
- Japan: Kagami-Biraki (Rice Cakes Festival). The round rice cakes (kagami mochi) that were offered to the deities that visit on New Year's are broken into pieces (kagami biraki) and eaten.

1807 Ezra Cornell was born. Cornell was one of the founders of the Western Union Telegraph Co. He endowed Cornell University, an agricultural land grant university which opened in 1868. Today, Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, offers many programs, including Agricultural and Life Sciences, Hotel Administration, and Nutritional Sciences.

1874 Gail Borden died. Borden was the Inventor of the process for making condensed milk, and founder of New York Condensed Milk Co., later to become the Borden Co. (Remember Elsie the Cow?)

1878 Milk was supposedly delivered to homes in bottles for the first time, rather than being ladled from metal cans.

1917 The French government regulated the price of Gruyere cheese as a war rationing method.

1949 The first recorded snowfall in Los Angeles, California.

1963 The 'Whisky A Go-Go' opens in Los Angeles - the first disco in the U.S.


DID YOU KNOW?

Fruits that do not store starch do not get any sweeter after being picked. Melons, citrus fruit and pineapples are examples of this. They will only get softer, not sweeter.


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

[HUCK]

SATURDAY - JANUARY 12, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Cold soup is a very tricky thing and it is the rare hostess who can carry it off. More often than not the dinner guest is left with the impression that had he only come a little earlier he could have gotten it while it was still hot.”
Fran Lebowitz, journalist


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Marzipan Day

1833 Marie-Antoine Carême died in Paris. Carême was known as "the cook of kings and the king of cooks". He is the founder and architect of French haute cuisine. His story is one out of a Dickens novel.
He was one of 25 (?) children born to an impoverished family who put him out on the street at the age of about 10 to make his own way in the world. Lucky for the world he knocked on the door of a restaurant for a job. He might have knocked on the door of a blacksmith!
By the age of 21 he was chef de cuisine to Talleyrand. He also served as head chef to the future George IV of England, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Baron James de Rothschild. He wrote several large books on cookery, which included hundreds of recipes, menus, history of French cookery, instructions for organizing kitchens, and directions for elaborate architectural constructions of food for display (pièces montées). Carême died at the age of 48.

1885 John Bloomfield Jarvis died. A civil engineer, he designed and built the Boston Aqueduct and the 41 mile long Croton Aqueduct (New York City's water supply for over 50 years from 1842).

1899 Paul Hermann Muller was born. A Swiss chemist who discovered that DDT was a potent insecticide. It was the most widely used insecticide for more than 20 years, and helped to increase food production around the world. Due mainly to its accumulation in animals that eat insects, and its toxic effects on them and those further up the food chain, it has been banned in the U.S. since 1972. However its residue was still found in some foods grown in the U.S. in 2002!

1916 Ruth Rogan Benerito was born. American chemist who was a pioneer in the development of wash and wear fabrics. She also helped develop cotton fabrics that are stain resistant. Thanks to Benerito, your chef's jacket can be clean and wrinkle free.

1948 The opening of Britain's first supermarket, at Manor Park, run by the London Co-Op. (I have conflicting information on this. Some sources say the first supermarket in Britain, ‘The Premier,’ opened on September 1, 1951).

2001 William Hewlett died. Founder with David Packard of Hewlett Packard Company. Before they became famous for computers and printers etc., some of their early inventions were an automatic urinal flusher and a weight loss shock machine!


DID YOU KNOW?

FLOUR: Generally speaking, flour made from hard winter wheat contains 13% to 15% protein (gluten).
Bread flour is made from hard wheat which produces dough that is elastic and can expand well.
Flour made from wheat grown in the hot months of summer is soft wheat with only 4% to 9% gluten.
Cake and pastry flour is made with fine textured soft wheat, producing tender dough with little stretch for products needing a crumbly texture.
All purpose flour is a mixture of the two types, with about 11-12% gluten.


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

[HUCK]

SUNDAY - JANUARY 13, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Corn chowder. That's an interesting choice. You do know that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in corn chowder.”
Stanley Tucci as Nigel in the movie 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Peach Melba Day

1808 Salmon Portland Chase was born. He was Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln, and later Chief Justice.

1921 Pierre Franey was born. A French chef who became famous as the chef of 'Le Pavillon' restaurant in New York City from 1945 to 1960. He published several cookbooks and collaborated with Craig Claiborne on the New York Times food column, 'The 60 Minute Gourmet'.

1957 The Frisbee was invented. The pie tins of the Frisbee Pie Company of Connecticut were the inspiration for the creation of the Frisbee. A Wham-O employee supposedly saw drivers for the pie company showing Yale students how to throw the pie tins.

1962 Ernie Kovacs, innovative comedian, died. One of Kovacs' first TV appearances was in Philadelphia in 1950 with a chef, Albert Mathis from the Gulph Mills Country Club, in a live unrehearsed cooking show titled 'Deadline for Dinner.'

1968 "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & Pips is #1 on the charts.

2002 U.S. President George W. Bush fainted after choking on a pretzel while watching a football game on TV in the White House.


DID YOU KNOW?

Gluten is a protein formed when water and wheat flour is mixed. Gluten gives bread dough elasticity, strength and gas-retaining properties. Wheat is the only grain with sufficient gluten content to make raised or leavened loaf of bread.


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

[HUCK]

MONDAY - JANUARY 14, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Dealing with network executives is like being nibbled to death by ducks.”
Eric Sevareid, journalist. (1912-1992)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
- Bulgaria: Vinegrower's Day

1814 The last London Frost Fair on the frozen Thames River. Entertainment, and a large selection of food vendors on ice.

1841 Juliet Corson was born. A cookery teacher and writer, founder of the New York Cooking School in 1876. She wrote many articles and several cookery books, including 'Cooking Manual' (1877), 'Twenty-five Cent Dinners for Families of Six' (1878) and 'Miss Corson's Practical American Cookery' (1886).

1861 David Wesson was born. Wesson was an American chemist and in 1900 he developed a method to make pure cotton seed oil palatable, and formed the Southern Oil Company. Wesson Oil was the first vegetable oil used in the U.S. Cotton seed oil is noted for its lack of taste, which allows the flavors of foods to come through. It is used in margarine, salad dressings, and in commercially fried foods.

1890 Rolla N. Harger was born. A biochemist, he invented the first successful test machine for blood alcohol content, the Drunkometer, in 1931.

1898 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson died. Dodgson's pen name was Lewis Carroll. He was an English mathematician and creator of ‘Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.’ Alice had a habit of eating and drinking unknown substances.

1948 T-Bone Burnett, record producer and artist was born.

1984 Ray Kroc died in San Diego, California. Ray Kroc sold blenders for milkshakes, and one of his customers was a restaurant in San Bernardino, California owned by Maurice and Richard McDonald. Kroc set up a chain of drive-in restaurants based on their efficient assembly line production kitchen. He opened his first restaurant on April 15, 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois. By 1961 he had 228 restaurants and he bought out the McDonald brothers. When he died in 1984 there were over 7,500 McDonald's restaurants.


DID YOU KNOW?

Head cheese, also called souse and brawn, is a jellied loaf or sausage. Originally it was made entirely from the meaty parts of the head of a pig or calf, but now can include edible parts of the feet, tongue, and heart. The head is cleaned and simmered until the meat falls from the bones, and the liquid is a concentrated gelatinous broth. Strained, the meat is removed from the head, chopped, seasoned and returned to the broth and the whole placed in a mold and chilled until set, so it can be sliced. Head Cheese Recipe


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

[HUCK]

TUESDAY - JANUARY 15, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
- UK: National Soup Day

1785 William Prout was born. An English chemist, he was the first to classify food components into 3 main divisions - carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

1799 John Hetheringoton, a London haberdasher, created the top hat. A large crowd gathered to see this new hat, and he was charged with disturbing the peace (charges later dropped). The hat was an immediate success.

1889 A patent was issued to Daniel Johnson of Kansas City, Kansas, for a ‘Rotary Dining Table’ for use on ships. The table and attached chairs rotated so that everyone could be served from one spot, making it unnecessary to carry food around the table to serve everyone.

1919 The Great Molasses Flood. On January 15, 1919, a large 50 foot high storage tank in Boston burst and sent a tidal wave of over 2 million gallons of molasses traveling at over 30 miles per hour. Houses, buildings and parts of the elevated rail system were crushed in its path. Twenty-one people died, and over 150 were injured. It took over 6 months to clean up the mess. The damage was in the millions of dollars.

1945 Joan Johnson of the vocal group the 'Dixie Cups' was born.

1964 Jack Teagarden, jazz trombonist died.

1986 Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn was introduced by General Mills.

1990 Campbell's Soup produces its 20 billionth can of tomato soup.


DID YOU KNOW?

Hog maw is the lining of a pig's stomach. Similar to 'Haggis,' Maryland Stuffed Hog Maw is stuffed with sausage, bread crumbs, potatoes and onions, sewn closed, and then simmered and baked.


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

[HUCK]

WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 16, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Dieting: A system of starving yourself to death so you can live a little longer.”
Jan Murray


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Fig Newton Day
- Hot & Spicy International Food Day

1769 A riot occurred at the Haymarket Theatre in London, when a 'magician' did not show up to perform. He had claimed he would get into a quart tavern bottle "and there sing several songs."

1868 William Davis, a Detroit, Michigan fish dealer, received a patent for a refrigerator car ('ice box on wheels'). He also designed the first refrigerated railway car.

1920 Prohibition began in the U.S., which banned the sale of all alcoholic beverages. Gangsters flourished, importing and producing bootleg alcohol, and American drank more than ever. Prohibition was finally repealed in 1933. The end of the 'noble experiment.'

1957 Three B-52's made the first nonstop, around the world flight by jet planes, taking off from Castle Air Force Base in California. The trip took 45 hours and 19 minutes.

2000 A truck carrying evaporated milk is driven into the state capitol building in Sacramento, California, killing the driver.


DID YOU KNOW?

Humble pie was a 17th century English dish made with the heart, liver, kidneys, etc. of a deer, baked in a crust with apples, currants and spices. In Old English, 'numble' referred to edible animal organs (liver, kidneys, heart, etc). Originating in the 17th century, a 'numble pie' evolved into 'umble pie' and finally 'humble pie'.


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

[HUCK]

THURSDAY - JANUARY 17, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“On spinach: "I dislike it, and am happy to dislike it because if I liked it I would eat it, and I cannot stand it."
Le Prudhomme in Flaubert's ‘Dictionnaire des idées reçues’


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Hot Buttered Rum Day
- St. Anthony the Abbot, patron saint of pigs & butchers.

1501 Leonhard Fuchs was born. He was a German botanist who compiled the first modern glossary of botanical terms. The plant and the color fuchsia were named for him.

1560 Gaspard Bauhin was born. A Swiss botanist who developed a binomial system of plant classification. He published 'Pinax Theatri Botanici', which was a compilation that included over 6,000 species that had appeared in works from Theophrastus, Dioscorides and many later herbals.

1705 John Ray (Wray) died. A leading 17th century English naturalist and botanist. He contributed to the advancement of taxonomy, and established the species as the basic unit of taxonomy.

1706 Benjamin Franklin was born. American diplomat, publisher, inventor, etc. Among his inventions were the Franklin stove and biofocal eyeglasses. He also published 'Poor Richard's Almanac.'

1890 Peter Henderson died. A Scottish-American scientist, known as the 'Father of America Horticulture,' he published 'Gardening for Profit’ and 'Gardening for Pleasure'.

1922 Betty Marion White was born. She was the actress who played the 'Happy Homemaker' Sue Ann Nivens on the Mary Tyler Moore TV show.

1929 Popeye the spinach loving sailor first appeared in the comic strip 'Thimble Theatre.'

1997 Clyde W. Tombaugh died. An American astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. Born on a farm near Streator, Illinois, he made his first telescope from old farm equipment parts.

2001 Norway lifted a ban on exports of whale meat.


DID YOU KNOW?

Chick pea and garbanzo bean are 2 names for the same thing (Cicer arietinum) a member of the Pea family (Fabaceae). They are also called ceci (Italy), Egyptian pea, gram, Kichererbse (Germany), and revithia (Greece).
Garbanzo is the name used in Spanish speaking countries. The English name chickpea comes from the French chiche, which comes from the Latin cicer.
Chickpeas have 361 calories per 100g, and are rich in carbohydrates, proteins, phosphorus, calcium and iron.


FEATURED ARTICLES:

African Heritage & Health Week: February 1-7, 2013
Coinciding with Black History Month, African Heritage & Health Week commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South. Read more....

2013 Inaugural Gala Crab Soup Recipe: Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring, MD, today made public the recipe to its award-winning Crab Soup that will be served January 20 at a President Obama Inaugural Gala. Read more....


FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 17, 2013)

1) What small vegetable takes its name for its part in the diet of one of the branches of the U.S. military in the second half of the 19th century?

2) This egg-shaped tropical fruit has a brittle, wrinkled rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds. The seeds are edible, so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The name of this fruit is:
a) Babaco
b) Pomegranate
c) Mamee Apple
d) Passion Fruit
e) Guava

3) William Mitchell, a research chemist for General Foods, invented a chemical process in 1956. For years the company searched for a way to utilize it, and finally came up with a novelty product in 1974. (Periodically a story surfaces (untrue) that when this product is eaten together with a certain beverage, the results will prove deadly.)
Can you describe this process and name the novelty food?

4) Cook them, mash them up, dehydrate them. Reconstitute them with moisture to make a dough; cut into a uniform size and shape and package in air tight containers. They were introduced in 1969 by Proctor and Gamble. What were they when they started out, and what is the name of the final packaged product?

5) This relative of buckwheat originated in Western China and neighboring areas. Its traditional role was medicinal - the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although it is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, it sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, it began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews. Botanically speaking, it is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. It was introduced to the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Today most of it is frozen for commercial and institutional use; only about a quarter of the crop is sold fresh.
What is this strange plant?

6) The origin of English shoe sizing is directly connected with a grass grain and a decree issued by Edward I of England in about the year 1305.
What grain and how is it connected with English shoe sizes?

7) This food product, introduced by General Foods in 1965, was added by NASA to the galley of the Gemini astronauts. In July 1969 it traveled to the Moon on the Apollo mission.
Name this food product.

8) This relative of the apple and pear is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, it is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The fruit as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and more juicy. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine, handsome shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering. In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. In hotter countries, the woolly rind disappears and the fruit can be eaten raw. Because it’s rarely used in its raw form in the United States, the hard and dry flesh of this fruit turns light pink to purple, becoming softer and sweeter when it’s cooked. Because of the astringent, tart flavor, they are commonly made into preserves and jellies.
Name this fruit.

9) They were first developed in Sicily and were known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called them one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed them prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round. It was not until the early twentieth century that they were grown in the United States. All that are commercially grown in the United States are grown in California. They are actually a flower bud, and if allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color.
Name this plant.


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

[HUCK]

FRIDAY - JANUARY 18, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Feasting is also closely related to memory. We eat certain things in a particular way in order to remember who we are. Why else would you eat grits in Madison, New Jersey?”
Jeff Smith, 'The Frugal Gourmet Keeps the Feast' (1995)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Peking Duck Day

1778 Captain Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands. He named them the Sandwich Islands, after Lord Sandwich, who was then first Lord of the Admiralty.

1799 Joseph Dixon was born. An American inventor and manufacturer. Among his many accomplishments, he produced the first pencil made in the U.S.

1813 Joseph Farwell Glidden was born. Glidden, an Illinois farmer, received a patent for the first commercial barbed wire on November 24, 1874. The beginning of the end to open range and the cowboy. Glidden formed the Barb Fence Company with his partner Isaac L. Ellwood, and became one of the wealthiest men in the country.

1818 George Palmer was born. Palmer, of Huntley and Palmer biscuit manufacturers, introduced the first biscuit tins.

1882 Alan Alexander Milne was born. Creator of Winnie the Pooh, the honey loving bear.

1943 Pre-sliced bread was banned in the U.S. for the duration of World War II, to conserve metal from spare parts that might be needed.

1990 The first McDonald’s in Moscow opened.


DID YOU KNOW?

Chess pie was popular in colonial America, and is still popular in the southern U.S. It is a pie with a simple filling of eggs, butter, sugar and lemon juice (and sometimes a small amount of flour). The name could be a corruption of 'cheese pie' (the custard could seem to be cheese). There are similar cheese-less cheese cake recipes.
(Recipe for Mini Chess Pies)


FEATURED ARTICLES:

African Heritage & Health Week: February 1-7, 2013
Coinciding with Black History Month, African Heritage & Health Week commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South. Read more....

2013 Inaugural Gala Crab Soup Recipe: Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring, MD, today made public the recipe to its award-winning Crab Soup that will be served January 20 at a President Obama Inaugural Gala. Read more....


FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 17, 2013)

1) What small vegetable takes its name for its part in the diet of one of the branches of the U.S. military in the second half of the 19th century?

2) This egg-shaped tropical fruit has a brittle, wrinkled rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds. The seeds are edible, so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The name of this fruit is:
a) Babaco
b) Pomegranate
c) Mamee Apple
d) Passion Fruit
e) Guava

3) William Mitchell, a research chemist for General Foods, invented a chemical process in 1956. For years the company searched for a way to utilize it, and finally came up with a novelty product in 1974. (Periodically a story surfaces (untrue) that when this product is eaten together with a certain beverage, the results will prove deadly.)
Can you describe this process and name the novelty food?

4) Cook them, mash them up, dehydrate them. Reconstitute them with moisture to make a dough; cut into a uniform size and shape and package in air tight containers. They were introduced in 1969 by Proctor and Gamble. What were they when they started out, and what is the name of the final packaged product?

5) This relative of buckwheat originated in Western China and neighboring areas. Its traditional role was medicinal - the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although it is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, it sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, it began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews. Botanically speaking, it is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. It was introduced to the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Today most of it is frozen for commercial and institutional use; only about a quarter of the crop is sold fresh.
What is this strange plant?

6) The origin of English shoe sizing is directly connected with a grass grain and a decree issued by Edward I of England in about the year 1305.
What grain and how is it connected with English shoe sizes?

7) This food product, introduced by General Foods in 1965, was added by NASA to the galley of the Gemini astronauts. In July 1969 it traveled to the Moon on the Apollo mission.
Name this food product.

8) This relative of the apple and pear is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, it is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The fruit as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and more juicy. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine, handsome shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering. In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. In hotter countries, the woolly rind disappears and the fruit can be eaten raw. Because it’s rarely used in its raw form in the United States, the hard and dry flesh of this fruit turns light pink to purple, becoming softer and sweeter when it’s cooked. Because of the astringent, tart flavor, they are commonly made into preserves and jellies.
Name this fruit.

9) They were first developed in Sicily and were known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called them one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed them prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round. It was not until the early twentieth century that they were grown in the United States. All that are commercially grown in the United States are grown in California. They are actually a flower bud, and if allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color.
Name this plant.


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

[HUCK]

SATURDAY - JANUARY 19, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Food is a subject of conversation more spiritually refreshing even than the weather, for the number of possible remarks about the weather is limited, whereas of food you can talk on and on and on.”
A.A. Milne, English author, 'Lunch' (1934)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Popcorn Day
- Tin Can Day (See 1825 below)

1825 Ezra Daggett and Thomas Kensett of New York City were granted the first U.S. patent for food storage in tin cans. They had been canning seafood since developing the process in 1819.

1915 George Claude of Paris was issued a U.S. patent for a neon tube advertising sign.


DID YOU KNOW?

Chewing gum as we know it today may be an American invention, but humans have been chewing various gums, resins and latex secretions of plants for thousands of years. Mastic gum has been chewed by Mediterranean peoples for thousands of years, and Native Americans chewed the resin from spruce trees.
The first commercial chewing gum, State of Maine Spruce Gum was introduced in 1850. It was made using spruce tree resin, which had a harsh taste and tough texture. (I believe it is still available in northern New England).
In 1871 Thomas Adams patented chicle gum, with sugar and sassafras flavoring. It had the right chewing properties with no harsh taste or texture, and it caught on quickly with the American public.
This was soon followed (by other companies) with peppermint flavored gum in 1885, ‘Chiclets’ (gum with a hard sugar coating in 1900, Juicy Fruit and Spearmint flavors in 1893, and finally bubble gum in 1928.


FEATURED ARTICLES:

African Heritage & Health Week: February 1-7, 2013
Coinciding with Black History Month, African Heritage & Health Week commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South. Read more....

2013 Inaugural Gala Crab Soup Recipe: Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring, MD, today made public the recipe to its award-winning Crab Soup that will be served January 20 at a President Obama Inaugural Gala. Read more....


FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 17, 2013)

1) What small vegetable takes its name for its part in the diet of one of the branches of the U.S. military in the second half of the 19th century?

2) This egg-shaped tropical fruit has a brittle, wrinkled rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds. The seeds are edible, so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The name of this fruit is:
a) Babaco
b) Pomegranate
c) Mamee Apple
d) Passion Fruit
e) Guava

3) William Mitchell, a research chemist for General Foods, invented a chemical process in 1956. For years the company searched for a way to utilize it, and finally came up with a novelty product in 1974. (Periodically a story surfaces (untrue) that when this product is eaten together with a certain beverage, the results will prove deadly.)
Can you describe this process and name the novelty food?

4) Cook them, mash them up, dehydrate them. Reconstitute them with moisture to make a dough; cut into a uniform size and shape and package in air tight containers. They were introduced in 1969 by Proctor and Gamble. What were they when they started out, and what is the name of the final packaged product?

5) This relative of buckwheat originated in Western China and neighboring areas. Its traditional role was medicinal - the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although it is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, it sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, it began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews. Botanically speaking, it is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. It was introduced to the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Today most of it is frozen for commercial and institutional use; only about a quarter of the crop is sold fresh.
What is this strange plant?

6) The origin of English shoe sizing is directly connected with a grass grain and a decree issued by Edward I of England in about the year 1305.
What grain and how is it connected with English shoe sizes?

7) This food product, introduced by General Foods in 1965, was added by NASA to the galley of the Gemini astronauts. In July 1969 it traveled to the Moon on the Apollo mission.
Name this food product.

8) This relative of the apple and pear is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, it is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The fruit as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and more juicy. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine, handsome shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering. In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. In hotter countries, the woolly rind disappears and the fruit can be eaten raw. Because it’s rarely used in its raw form in the United States, the hard and dry flesh of this fruit turns light pink to purple, becoming softer and sweeter when it’s cooked. Because of the astringent, tart flavor, they are commonly made into preserves and jellies.
Name this fruit.

9) They were first developed in Sicily and were known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called them one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed them prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round. It was not until the early twentieth century that they were grown in the United States. All that are commercially grown in the United States are grown in California. They are actually a flower bud, and if allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color.
Name this plant.


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

[HUCK]

SUNDAY - JANUARY 20, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“On days when warmth is the most important need of the human heart, the kitchen is the place you can find it; it dries the wet sock, it cools the hot little brain.”
E.B.White (1899-1985)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Buttercrunch Day
- Reindeer Day
- National Cheese Lovers Day (see 1964 below)
- St. Sebastian, patron of gardeners.

1910 Joy Adamson was born. Naturalist and author of 'Born Free' about Elsa, a lion cub. She had also researched culinary and medicinal uses of various plants in Kenya.

1920 The 50-50 Club opened, supposedly the first 'speakeasy.'

1964 The world's largest cheese was made, a 34,000 pound cheddar. It was created by the Wisconsin Cheese Foundation for the 1964/65 New York World's Fair. It took 170,000 quarts of milk from 16,000 cows. It was eaten at the 1965 annual meeting of the Wisconsin Dairymen & Cheesemakers Association.

1988 Russian goldminers found the remains of a prehistoric mammoth with flesh so well preserved that it looked edible. ("Where's Mikey, he'll eat anything").

1998 American researchers announced they had cloned calves that could be used in the production of medicinal milk.


DID YOU KNOW?

Cheshire cheese is the oldest cheddar type cheese, and the oldest named cheese in Britain. There are 3 varieties, a white, a 'red' (actually yellow in color) which is dyed with annatto, and a blue-veined variety originally considered undesirable when it occurred accidentally.


FEATURED ARTICLES:

African Heritage & Health Week: February 1-7, 2013
Coinciding with Black History Month, African Heritage & Health Week commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South. Read more....

2013 Inaugural Gala Crab Soup Recipe: Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring, MD, today made public the recipe to its award-winning Crab Soup that will be served January 20 at a President Obama Inaugural Gala. Read more....


FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new on January 17, 2013)

1) What small vegetable takes its name for its part in the diet of one of the branches of the U.S. military in the second half of the 19th century?

2) This egg-shaped tropical fruit has a brittle, wrinkled rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds. The seeds are edible, so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The name of this fruit is:
a) Babaco
b) Pomegranate
c) Mamee Apple
d) Passion Fruit
e) Guava

3) William Mitchell, a research chemist for General Foods, invented a chemical process in 1956. For years the company searched for a way to utilize it, and finally came up with a novelty product in 1974. (Periodically a story surfaces (untrue) that when this product is eaten together with a certain beverage, the results will prove deadly.)
Can you describe this process and name the novelty food?

4) Cook them, mash them up, dehydrate them. Reconstitute them with moisture to make a dough; cut into a uniform size and shape and package in air tight containers. They were introduced in 1969 by Proctor and Gamble. What were they when they started out, and what is the name of the final packaged product?

5) This relative of buckwheat originated in Western China and neighboring areas. Its traditional role was medicinal - the dried root was a popular remedy for a wide range of illnesses. Its primary function was to induce vomiting, although it is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, it sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 it sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, it began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews. Botanically speaking, it is considered a vegetable, but it's most often treated as a fruit — though it's rarely eaten raw. It was introduced to the United States at the end of the eighteenth century. Today most of it is frozen for commercial and institutional use; only about a quarter of the crop is sold fresh.
What is this strange plant?

6) The origin of English shoe sizing is directly connected with a grass grain and a decree issued by Edward I of England in about the year 1305.
What grain and how is it connected with English shoe sizes?

7) This food product, introduced by General Foods in 1965, was added by NASA to the galley of the Gemini astronauts. In July 1969 it traveled to the Moon on the Apollo mission.
Name this food product.

8) This relative of the apple and pear is one of the earliest known fruits. For over 4,000 years, trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, it is also found in Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. The fruit as we know it in the United States is a different fruit from that found in Western Asia and tropical countries, where the fruit is softer and more juicy. In colder climates, the fruit has a fine, handsome shape, a rich golden color when ripe, and a strong fragrance, judged by some to be heavy and overpowering. In the raw form, the rind is rough and woolly, and the flesh is hard and unpalatable, with an astringent, acidulous taste. In hotter countries, the woolly rind disappears and the fruit can be eaten raw. Because it’s rarely used in its raw form in the United States, the hard and dry flesh of this fruit turns light pink to purple, becoming softer and sweeter when it’s cooked. Because of the astringent, tart flavor, they are commonly made into preserves and jellies.
Name this fruit.

9) They were first developed in Sicily and were known to both the Greeks and the Romans. In 77 AD the Roman naturalist Pliny called them one of earth's monstrosities, but many continued to eat them. Historical accounts show that wealthy Romans enjoyed them prepared in honey and vinegar, seasoned with cumin, so that this treat would be available year round. It was not until the early twentieth century that they were grown in the United States. All that are commercially grown in the United States are grown in California. They are actually a flower bud, and if allowed to flower, the blossoms measure up to seven inches in diameter and are a violet-blue color.
Name this plant.


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