TODAY'S FOOD QUOTE
"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June."
Al Bernstein
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Meat & Heat
One of my favorite combinations is meat and hot peppers. There is something about meat, particularly red meat, and hot peppers that I find irresistibly enticing. Like most "chile heads" I think a wide.....more
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY
~ First Day of Spring
~ National Agricultural Day
~ National Ravioli Day
~ St. Cuthbert's Day, patron of shepherds.
1602 The Dutch East India Company was established and the Netherlands granted it a monopoly on trade with Asia.
1727 Sir Isaac Newton died. The story is that an apple falling on his head inspired his theory of universal gravitation. The apple is thought to have been the green skinned 'Flower of Kent' variety.
1932 Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov Died. Ivanov was a Soviet biologist. Others had previously shown it was possible to artificially inseminate domestic animals, Ivanov developed the practical procedures in 1901. Initially working with horses, by the early 1930s the procedure was being used on other farm animals.
1941 'All That Meat And No Potatoes' was recorded by jazz musician Fats Waller.
View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings
KITCHEN TIPS
HOW MANY BEETS....:
~ 1 pound of beets without tops gives 2 cups of cooked beets.
~ 2 to 3 1/2 lbs. are needed to make 1 quart of canned beets.
~ 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb. will make 1 pint of frozen beets;
~ 1 bushel (52lb) will make 35 to 42 pints of frozen beets.
~ 1 pound of beet greens gives 4-6 cups of cooked greens.
~ 1 to 1 1/2 lb. are needed for 1 pint of frozen greens; 15 lb. for 10-15 pints of frozen greens.
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ
1) The following events all took place during the same year:
~ The first trainload of California oranges leaves Lost Angeles for the East.
~ John Deere, plow & cultivator manufacturer dies on May 17 at the age of 81.
~ An automatic milk bottle filler and capper was patented.
~ 'Mrs. Rorer's Philadelphia Cookbook' was published.
~ At the age of 28, Theodore Roosevelt gives up ranching in North Dakota and returns to New York and politics.
~ Congress passes a bill to tax and regulate the manufacture and sale of Oleomargarine.
~ The Raffles Hotel opens in Singapore.
~ Hires Rootbeer is first sold in bottles, but Hires advertising continues to emphasize Hires extract to brew your own at home.
~ Maxwell House coffee goes on sale. Joel Cheek originally created the special blend for the Maxwell House hotel in Nashville, Tennessee.
~ Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta sells the first Coca-Cola, a headache syrup mixed with carbonated water.
~ Moxie is created by Massachusetts physician Augustin Thompson, its full name is Moxie Nerve Food.
~ Dr Pepper is introduced at the Old Corner Drug Store in Waco, Texas.
During what single year did all the above events occur?
2) His real name was Guillaume Tirel (1310-1395), usually known by his nickname. He was chef to Duke of Normandy, Philip VI, Charles V and Charles VI, and is author of one of the oldest books on cookery, Le Viandier. He is also said to have invented a miniature cream puff which was filled with either a sweet mixture for a dessert, or a savory mixture as an appetizer.
What was his nickname, and what is the name of this miniature cream puff he created?
3) The folktale about Rapunzel ("Rapunzel, let down your golden hair"), revolves around the theft of a root plant from a witch's (or magician's) garden. 'Rapunzel' is also another name for this edible plant. It is a hardy biennial plant native to southern Europe, with edible white roots, up to 10 inches long. The roots are eaten raw in salads, or cooked like turnips. The long, oval leaves which form a rosette at the root crown can also be used in salads or cooked like spinach. Sometimes the young shoots are prepared like asparagus. Once very popular, especially in England during Shakespeare's time, it is not widely cultivated today.
Name this plant.
4) The world's largest producers of this food product are Turkey, the U.S., Greece, Australia and Iran. It takes over 4 tons of plant product to produce 1 ton of this food. Sometimes they are treated with a lye solution, sometimes with lye and then burning sulfur, and sometimes with sulfur dioxide. Usually there is no chemical treatment at all. Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians discovered this product by simply observing what happened naturally. Californians observed this same thing in 1873, and started the modern production of this product. Today about half of the world's production comes from California, but the finest comes from Malaga in Spain.
What is this food product?
5) This unique fruit probably originated in Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and has been cultivated in southeast Asia and Malaysia for several hundred years. They have prominent longitudinal ridges and range in color from yellow to orange. There are 2 varieties found in markets, one very sour and the other slightly sweet. They are bruised easily, so handle with care. They can be eaten out of hand or sliced and used as a garnish or in salads. They can also be used in curries and tarts. (Hint: A physical description of this fruit would probably give away the answer.)
Name this fruit.
6) Developed in 1935, this consists of a bar with chocolate, sugar, oat flour, cacao fat, skim milk powder and artificial flavoring.
What is the name of this 'bar'?
7) Take some fish, grind it up, add some eggs, meal and seasonings and stuff it into the fish skin, and poach it.
What is it and where did it come from?
8) This Mexican dish is actually of Aztec origin. Captain John Smith described them as they were made by Native Americans of Virginia in 1612 "Their corne they rost in the eare greene, and bruising it in a morter of wood with a Polt, lappe it in rowles in the leaves of their corne, and so boyle it for a daintie."
What is this ancient dish?
9) The name of this Neapolitan specialty actually means 'pants' or 'trouser leg.'
What is it?
10) This plant is believed to be the wild ancestor of the cultivated leek. Its flavor is in between garlic and onion, but milder.
Name this plant.
Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
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Dedication
This website is dedicated to:
Gladys Ehler, my mother, who taught me patience and how to make Sauerbraten (it is still my favorite)
Edward Ehler, my father, who taught me a love of books and history.
Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq. He was 30 yrs. young
Chef James
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