today in food history

[HUCK]

MONDAY - JANUARY 21, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“From Black pudding to pickled jellyfish, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. What we see and taste as beautiful depends largely on what our family and friends approve of -- with just a little room for personal preference.”
Laurence Mound, Introduction to 1988 reprint of 'Why Not Eat Insects' by Vincent M. Holt (1885)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Granola Bar Day
- National Hot & Spicy Food Day (?)
- Rid the World of Fad Diets Day
- New England Clam Chowder Day
- St. Agnes of Rome, patron of gardeners and Girl Scouts.

1338 Charles V of France was born. It was Charles V who commissioned Taillevent to write what would become the first professional cookery book written in France, 'Le Viandier'. Forks were mentioned in an inventory during his reign. Some believe that he died as a result of eating amanita mushrooms.

1937 Marcel Boulestin became the first television cook when he presented the first of the ‘Cook’s Night Out’ programs on the BBC. (There is some dispute about this date - various sources differ on the year. Accurate records appear not to be available).

1912 Konrad (Emil) Bloch was born. Nobel prize winner for his work on cholesterol and fatty acids. He discovered that high levels of cholesterol may lead ultimately to increased risk of heart attacks.

1985 James Beard, culinary expert and cookbook author, died in New York at age 81.


DID YOU KNOW?

Chile is the leading fruit exporting country in the Southern Hemisphere, supplying over 2.168 million tons of fruit to the world market. (2010)
Over 200 varieties of fresh fruit from Chile reach 70 countries around the world.

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]

TUESDAY - JANUARY 22, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Good manners: The noise you don't make when you're eating soup.”
Bennett Cerf, humorist, publisher (1898-1971)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Blonde Brownie Day
- Feast of St. Vincent, patron of wine growers and vinegar makers.

1561 Francis Bacon, Viscount Saint Albans, Baron of Verulam aka Sir Francis Bacon, was born. Lawyer, statesman, philosopher, etc.

1892 Coca-Cola incorporated.

1988 The first airport cow lounge. Schiphol airport in Amsterdam opened a special departure lounge for cows, serving pre-flight food and drink to traveling cattle.

1997 Lottie Williams, 48, of Tulas, Oklahoma became the only person known to have been hit by man made debris from space. She was struck on the shoulder while walking in a park, by a small piece of a used Delta II rocket that had been used to launch a military satellite in April, 1996.

1999 'Have You Ever?' by Brandy is #1 on the charts.


DID YOU KNOW?

Pacific salmon die after their first spawning, whereas the Atlantic salmon does not die after its first spawning, but returns year after year to its breeding place to spawn again.


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]

WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 23, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Great eaters and great sleepers are incapable of anything else that is great.”
Henry IV of France (1553-1610)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Rhubarb Pie Day
- National Pie Day
- Women's Healthy Weight Day
- St. Bernard of Vienne, patron of farm workers and field hands.

1806 William Pitt 'The Younger' died. At 46, Pitt was the youngest British Prime Minister. There is some disagreement over his last words. Some say they were ‘Oh, my country! how I love my country!’. Others claim he said ‘Oh, my country! how I leave my country!’; or ‘My country! oh, my country!’; or my favorite, ‘I think I could eat one of Bellamy’s veal pies.’

1832 French painter Édouard Manet was born on this day in 1842. His first significant painting was 'The Absinthe Drinker.' He was an associate of the Impressionists.

1862 Agoston Haraszthy de Mokcsa brought 1,400 varieties of grapevines from Europe to California in 1862, and planted the first large vineyard in California in the Sonoma Valley. After the phyloxera blight destroyed much of Europe’s vineyards, some of these same vines, now on resistant American root stock, helped save the European wine industries.

1919 Ernie Kovacs, innovative comedian, was born. 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.'

1931 Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova died. A famous dessert of Australian or New Zealand origin was named for her. It is a meringue with whipped cream and fruit. (Please, no more email on this subject - both countries have strong supporters for the origin, and in an effort at compromise, I have split the credit with both.)

1961 Wilhelm Koppers died. This cultural anthropologist developed theories on the origins of society based on studies of hunter-gatherer tribes.

1963 Three million gallons of soybean oil flooded streets in Mankato, Minnesota when a storage tank ruptured. Eventually the oil ended up in the Mississippi River. In the spring, more than 10,000 ducks were found dead in the wetlands along the river.

1971 The coldest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was recorded at Prospect Creek Camp on the Alaskan Pipeline in northern Alaska - minus 80 degrees F.


DID YOU KNOW?

Rhubarb is a relative of buckwheat and has an earthy, sour flavor. Rhubarb thrives in cold climates and originated in Western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Siberia and neighboring areas. The 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 rhubarb is also a mild astringent. This medicinal role caused the price of the dried root to rise. In 1542, rhubarb sold for ten times the price of cinnamon in France and in 1657 rhubarb sold for over twice the price of opium in England. Beginning in the eighteenth century, rhubarb began to be consumed in foods, primarily drinks and meat stews.


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]

THURSDAY - JANUARY 24, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Health food may be good for the conscience but Oreos taste a hell of a lot better.”
Robert Redford


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Peanut Butter Day
- Beer Can Appreciation Day (See 1935 & 1959 below)

1920 Eskimo Pie Patent Day (Various years are quoted, 1919, 1920 and 1922). The Eskimo Pie was patented by Christian K. Nelson, an ice cream salesman in Onawa, Iowa.

1935 The Beer can (created by the American Can Co.) was introduced in Richmond, Virginia by the Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey. The products were Krueger's Finest Beer and Krueger's Cream Ale.

1939 Maximilian Bircher-Benner died. He was a Swiss doctor who developed the cereal product 'Muesli,' which is similar to Granola.

1950 P.L. Spencer received a patent for the microwave oven. (applied for on October 8, 1945).

1959 Coors launched the 7 ounce seamless, recyclable aluminum beer can.

1988 Charles Glen King died. King was a biochemist who discovered vitamin C in 1932. He extracted and isolated it from lemon juice.


DID YOU KNOW?

Barley is the common name for any cereal grass of the Hordeum genus. Most of the world's barley crop is used for animal feed. A special variety is used in the production of malt for brewing beer. Barley is also used in the distillation of of alcoholic beverages, in the manufacture of vinegar and breakfast foods, and as a thickener in soups.


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 25, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?”
Annita Manning


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Irish Coffee Day
- Dinner Party Day

1799 Eliakim Spooner of Vermont patented a gravity feed seed planting machine. It was not until 1840 that a truly practical seed planting machine was developed.

1874 British author, W. Somerset Maugham was born. Among the titles of his novels and short stories are: 'Cakes and Ale', 'The Alien Corn' and 'The Breadwinner.'

1945 Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first U.S. city to fluoridate its drinking water, to reduce tooth decay.


DID YOU KNOW?

Quince is not edible when raw (very hard, bitter and tart), and must be cooked before eating. When thoroughly cooked, it makes an excellent preserve.
Quince preserves are the ancestors of modern jams and marmalades. The Portuguese quince preserve 'marmalada' was the original marmalade.


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 26, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“I am sure my music has a taste of codfish in it.”
Edvard Hagerup Grieg, Norwegian composer (1843-1907)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Peanut Brittle Day
- Australia: National Australia Day
- St. Timothy's Day, patron against stomachaches

1788 Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor.

1838 The first state temperance law was passed in Tennessee.

1861 Samuel Slocum died. He invented a machine to make pins with solid heads & a machine for sticking the pins in a paper holder for sale.

1875 The first battery-powered dentist’s drill was patented by George F Green of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

1932 William Wrigley, Jr. died. He started out as a traveling salesman at the age of 13, selling soap for his father's company. He had a series of sales jobs, one of which gave chewing gum as a premium. Customers liked the gum better than the product, so he was soon marketing his own gum, Juicy Fruit in 1893, and later that year Wrigley's Spearmint. An advertising genius, his company became the largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world.

2007 Food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst died. Author of 'The Food Lover's Companion,' 'The Joy of Cookies,' and more than a dozen other books.


DID YOU KNOW?

Rhizomes are knobby underground stems that are known for their pungent and flavorful flesh. The rhizome family includes ginger, turmeric and galangal among a few other, lesser known rhizomes. Rhizomes are not a significant source of any nutrients – most especially because they are rarely eaten in great enough quantities to constitute a serving. Ginger is a tropical Asian herb that is known for its spicy aromatic roots. In ancient India, ginger was believed to spiritually cleanse the body.


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 27, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“I am very happy with what is happening to chefs. I am very happy that chefs can drive Rolls-Royces.”
Wolfgang Puck, Los Angeles Times (1978)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Chocolate Cake Day

1521 The Diet of Worms begins. Not a fad diet, but the assembly of the Holy Roman Empire at which Martin Luther made his famous appearance.

1832 Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was born. 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.

1851 John James Audubon died. Ornithologist, naturalist and artist, known mainly for his paintings and sketches of North American birds.

1910 Thomas Crapper died. He is the frequently said to have invented the flush toilet. He was a plumber, he had several patents issued, but they seem to be improvements to devices invented by others.

1922 Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Jane Cochran) died. In 1889 Bly successfully completed an attempt to beat the record of Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg to go 'Around the World in Eighty Days'. Bly was a U.S. newspaper reporter and completed the journey in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

1950 'Science' magazine announce the discovery of the new antibiotic, terramyacin. What made it unusual is that Pfizer & Co. had discovered the antibiotic in a soil sample from Indiana. Pfizer had been searching soil samples from around the world for new bacteria fighting organisms.

1984 Michael Jackson's hair catches fire while filming a Pepsi commercial.


DID YOU KNOW?

Richard Hellmann was a deli owner in New York City in the early years of the 20th century. He made his salads and sandwiches with his wife Nina's mayonnaise. It was so popular, that he began selling it by the scoop, and then in bulk to other stores. In 1912 he built a factory for producing it in jars, and was an immediate success. His Blue Ribbon mayonnaise in jars contributed greatly to the surge in popularity of cole slaw as a side dish.


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]

MONDAY - JANUARY 28, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“I beseech you heartily, scurvy, lousy knave, at my desires, and my requests, and my petitions, to eat, look you, this leek: because, look you, you do not love it, nor your affections and your appetites and your disgestions doo's not agree with it, I would desire you to eat it....if you can mock a leek, you can eat a leek.”
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) 'King Henry V'


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Blueberry Pancake Day

814 Charlemagne died. Charlemagne, Charles I, Charles the Great, King of the Franks, Charles le Grand, Carolus Magnus, Karl Der Grosse, King of the Lombards, master of Western Europe, Emperor. Some of the food related 'facts' I have come across related to Charlemagne:
* the peacock was first served in Europe during his reign;
* Saurbraten was invented by Charlemagne;
* Roquefort cheese was a favorite of his;
* the knife began to be used to eat food for the first time during his reign (rather than the fingers);
* Roses were used to cover his tables for meals.
I have no real corroboration for any of these 'facts'.

1807 London's Pall Mall became the first street to be lighted by gaslight.

1855 William S. Burroughs was born. An American inventor, Burroughs invented and manufactured the first adding machine with a printer.

1873 Colette, (Sidonie Gabrielle) was born. A French novelist, her novels contain many exact and detailed descriptions of food and the pleasures of the table, and quite a few recipes. (Colette’s Truffle Recipe)


DID YOU KNOW?

Safflower is a thistlelike Eurasian plant (Carthamus tinctorius) of the daisy family, having heads of red or orange flowers that are the source of a red dye. The seeds, which look like small pine nuts, contain an oil used in foods (especially margarines), cosmetics, paints, and medicine. The flower petals are sometimes used as a substitute for saffron. Safflower has been found in Egyptian tombs dating to about 3500 B.C.


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 28, 2013)

1) According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) what percentage of the total U.S. food production do Americans waste each year?
a) 5% b) 10% c) 15% d) 20% e) 25%

2) Who was the first Athlete to appear on a Wheaties cereal package? What year?
a) Duke Snyder
b) Lou Gehrig
c) Dizzy Dean
d) Jackie Robinson
e) Bob Feller

3) There are more than 20,000 varieties of orchid. What is the only major edible product obtained from a species of orchid?

4) Most Americans are familiar with 'Uncle Ben's Rice.' Who was Uncle Ben?
a) A fictional character from a novel.
b) The invention of an advertising agency.
c) A Texas rice grower.
d) The owner and president of a rice production company.
e) A South Carolina rice broker.

5) They are picked by hand and immediately dipped in boiling water. They are then left heating in the sun during the day, and wrapped to sweat at night for up to 20 days. They are then air dried for up to 6 months, while also allowing them to ferment. They are then crushed and treated with water and alcohol.
What the heck are they?

6) How many varieties of tomato are there?
a) 100 b) 500 c) 1,000 d) 5,000 e) 10,000

7) What is the most popular beverage in the world?
a) tea b) coffee c) milk d) beer e) wine

8) In the 18th and 19th century this was a generic term used for various sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar.

9) The zest of this pear shaped, wrinkled green Southeast Asian fruit is used in cooking, as are the unusually formed leaves. The leaves have a unique double shape that looks like two leaves joined end to end.
Name this fruit.

10) The first Dunkin Donuts and the first Howard Johnson's were both in what city?
a) New York City
b) Quincy, Massachusetts
c) Detroit, Michigan
d) Hartford, Connecticut
e) Topeka, Kansas


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 29, 2013

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”
George H.W. Bush, 41st U.S. President, commenting about the menus on Air Force One. (NY Times 3/23/1990)


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

- National Corn Chip Day

1878 The first patent for a glass milk container was issued to George Lester.

1924 Carl R. Taylor of Cleveland, patented the first U.S. ice cream cone rolling machine.

1978 Sweden banned aerosol cans. No more Reddi-Wip

2004 A 60 ton, 56 foot long sperm whale exploded on a busy street in Tainan, Taiwan. A buildup of gas from internal decay caused the explosion. Researchers were taking the whale by truck to the National Cheng Kung University for a necropsy. The whale had beached itself and died on January 17. No one was injured in the explosion, but blood and entrails showered cars and shops, and traffic was held up for several hours while the mess was cleaned up.


DID YOU KNOW?

Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea, Gongylodes group), also known as turnip cabbage, is a form of cabbage, a member of the mustard family. It is not a root vegetable, but rather a fleshy bulbous stem just above the ground. Kohlrabi is of European origin, and popular in Germany, Russia, Hungary and also in China (gai laarn tau).
There are both green and purple skined types, and both have creamy white flesh. Kohlrabi may look like a turnip, but its taste is very different, with a sweet, peppery, broccoli/cucumber flavor and crisp texture. They are excellent raw by itself and in salads, and may also be steamed, stir fried, braised or stuffed. The cooked leaves have a collard like flavor.


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 28, 2013)

1) According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) what percentage of the total U.S. food production do Americans waste each year?
a) 5% b) 10% c) 15% d) 20% e) 25%

2) Who was the first Athlete to appear on a Wheaties cereal package? What year?
a) Duke Snyder
b) Lou Gehrig
c) Dizzy Dean
d) Jackie Robinson
e) Bob Feller

3) There are more than 20,000 varieties of orchid. What is the only major edible product obtained from a species of orchid?

4) Most Americans are familiar with 'Uncle Ben's Rice.' Who was Uncle Ben?
a) A fictional character from a novel.
b) The invention of an advertising agency.
c) A Texas rice grower.
d) The owner and president of a rice production company.
e) A South Carolina rice broker.

5) They are picked by hand and immediately dipped in boiling water. They are then left heating in the sun during the day, and wrapped to sweat at night for up to 20 days. They are then air dried for up to 6 months, while also allowing them to ferment. They are then crushed and treated with water and alcohol.
What the heck are they?

6) How many varieties of tomato are there?
a) 100 b) 500 c) 1,000 d) 5,000 e) 10,000

7) What is the most popular beverage in the world?
a) tea b) coffee c) milk d) beer e) wine

8) In the 18th and 19th century this was a generic term used for various sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar.

9) The zest of this pear shaped, wrinkled green Southeast Asian fruit is used in cooking, as are the unusually formed leaves. The leaves have a unique double shape that looks like two leaves joined end to end.
Name this fruit.

10) The first Dunkin Donuts and the first Howard Johnson's were both in what city?
a) New York City
b) Quincy, Massachusetts
c) Detroit, Michigan
d) Hartford, Connecticut
e) Topeka, Kansas


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 30, 2013
TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE
“I have no truck with lettuce, cabbage, and similar chlorophyll. Any dietitian will tell you that a running foot of apple strudel contains four times the vitamins of a bushel of beans.”
S.J. Perelman


TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
- National Croissant Day

1516 Duke Wilhalm IV of Bavaria instituted Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law, and probably the first consumer protection law.

1649 Charles I, king of England, Scotland and Ireland Died. Ice cream is said to have come from France when he married Henrietta Maria, daughter of Henri IV, and sister of Louis XIII.

1868 Charles Darwin's 'Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication.' was published.

1888 Asa Gray died. A leading American botanist of his time and a supporter of Darwin, he co-authored 'Flora of North America' with John Torrey.

1947 Steve Marriot of the music group 'Humble Pie' was born.

1951 Ferdinand Porsche died. He was an Austrian engineer who designed the VW Beetle in 1935.

1969 The Beatles perform for the last time in public, on the roof of Apple Studios.

2009 A pro-vegetarian Super Bowl ad from animal rights group Peta was too raunchy for NBC. They turned down the ad featuring several nearly naked models becoming very intimate with a pumpkin, broccoli, asparagus, and eggplant, with the flashing message "Studies show vegetarians have better sex."

2009 Restaurateur Milton Parker died at the age of 90. Owner of the famous Carnegie Deli in New York from 1976 until his retirement in 2002.


DID YOU KNOW?
Luau originally referred to only the leaves of the taro plant, which are eaten as a vegetable. It then came to refer to dishes prepared with the leaves, and finally to the feasts at which the dishes were served.


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 28, 2013)
1) According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) what percentage of the total U.S. food production do Americans waste each year?
a) 5% b) 10% c) 15% d) 20% e) 25%

2) Who was the first Athlete to appear on a Wheaties cereal package? What year?
a) Duke Snyder
b) Lou Gehrig
c) Dizzy Dean
d) Jackie Robinson
e) Bob Feller

3) There are more than 20,000 varieties of orchid. What is the only major edible product obtained from a species of orchid?

4) Most Americans are familiar with 'Uncle Ben's Rice.' Who was Uncle Ben?
a) A fictional character from a novel.
b) The invention of an advertising agency.
c) A Texas rice grower.
d) The owner and president of a rice production company.
e) A South Carolina rice broker.

5) They are picked by hand and immediately dipped in boiling water. They are then left heating in the sun during the day, and wrapped to sweat at night for up to 20 days. They are then air dried for up to 6 months, while also allowing them to ferment. They are then crushed and treated with water and alcohol.
What the heck are they?

6) How many varieties of tomato are there?
a) 100 b) 500 c) 1,000 d) 5,000 e) 10,000

7) What is the most popular beverage in the world?
a) tea b) coffee c) milk d) beer e) wine

8) In the 18th and 19th century this was a generic term used for various sauces whose only common ingredient was vinegar.

9) The zest of this pear shaped, wrinkled green Southeast Asian fruit is used in cooking, as are the unusually formed leaves. The leaves have a unique double shape that looks like two leaves joined end to end.
Name this fruit.

10) The first Dunkin Donuts and the first Howard Johnson's were both in what city?
a) New York City
b) Quincy, Massachusetts
c) Detroit, Michigan
d) Hartford, Connecticut
e) Topeka, Kansas


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