Friday, July 3, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that food came out of his nose.” Garrison Keillor FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• International Plastic Bag Free Day Dedicated to spreading the word that a plastic bag free world is possible and that sound environmental alternatives to single use plastic bags are available. • Air Conditioning Appreciation Days (Annually July 3 to Aug 15) • National Fried Clam Day (see 1916 below) (Fried Clams Recipe --- Trivia --- Clam Quotes) • National Chocolate Wafer Day • National Eat Beans Day (Bean Recipes) (Bean Trivia --- Bean Quotes) • Canada's National Fishing Week (June 27-July 5, 2026) [Canadian National Sportfishing Foundation] TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1608 In Canada, the city of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain. 1806 Michael Keens presented the first cultivated strawberry combining flavor and appearance, at the Royal Horticultural Society. ".... I have for a considerable time employed myself in raising new varieties from seed, which has been not only a source of great amusement to me, but also very profitable in my profession." (Strawberry Trivia) 1844 The last pair of Great Auks was killed near Iceland. They had been hunted to extinction for food and bait. Great Auks (Garefowl) were almost 3 feet tall, with short wings, similar to penguins. They were flightless, which made them vulnerable to hunters. 1857 Anna Maria Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford died (born Sept. 3, 1783). Originator of British Afternoon Tea during the late 1830s. [AfternoonTea.co.uk] 1890 Idaho became the 43rd state, the Potato State. (Idaho Trivia & Facts) 1908 M.F.K. Fisher (Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher) was born (died June 22, 1992). Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was an American food critic and writer and the author of various articles, essays and books about food. She also translated Brillat-Savarin's 'The Physiology of Taste' in 1949. 1916 Lawrence ‘Chubby’ Woodman is said to have invented the fried clam at his concession stand in Essex, Massachusetts. A local fisherman who liked Woodman's homedmade potato chips, suggested he fry up some of his clams. (see [New England Historical Society website] for details.) 1922 ‘Fruit Garden & Home Magazine' was founded. Two years later it was renamed ‘Better Homes & Gardens’. 1924 Clarence Birdseye, with the financial backing of W. Hodges, W. Gamage, B. Jones, I.L. Rice and J.J. Barry, founded the General Seafood Corporation. The birth of the frozen food industry. See also March 6, 1930. (Clarence Birdseye Bio) 1929 Unusual uses for kitchen appliances: Foam rubber was developed at Dunlop Laboratories. British scientist E.A. Murphy used a kitchen mixer to whip natural latex rubber. 1985 The honey bee was designated the official state insect of Missouri on July 3, 1985. (Honeybee Trivia --- Missouri Trivia & Facts) 2004 An Estonian couple won the World Wife-Carrying Championships in the remote village of Sonkajarvi in Finland. The prize includes the wife's weight in beer and a portable sauna. [Sonkajarvi website] 2005 Gaylord Nelson died (born June 4, 1916) Former senator and governor of Wisconsin. He was the founder of Earth Day in 1970, and helped spawn modern environmental activism. (see Earth Day: April 22). 2009 The movie 'I Hate Valentine’s Day' opened in U.S. theaters. 2019 Frankfort, Kentucky: A Jim Beam warehouse with about 45,000 barrels of bourbon was destroyed by a massive fire. Firefighters from four counties responded.. No injuries were reported. The whiskey destroyed represented only about 1% of Jim Beam's bourbon inventory. (Bourbon Trivia & Facts) 2020 Coronavirus: Walmart converting 160 of its parking lots into Drive-In Movie Theaters. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** June 19-July 12, 2026 Alameda County Fair Alameda County Fairgrounds, California July 1-5, 2026 - Key Lime Festival - Key West, Florida July 2-5, 2026 - 79th Annual Fishin' Fiesta Freeport, Texas July 3-4, 2026 - Taste of Minnesota - Minneapolis, MN July 4, 2026 - Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog-Eating Contest - Coney Island, New York July 4-11, 2026 170th Gibson County Fair Princeton, Indiana July 4-11, 2026 - 100th National Cherry Festival Traverse City, Michigan (SEE ALL FOOD FESTIVALS and OTHER FOOD EVENTS) ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new DAILY questions)1) All of the following events took place in the same year. What year is it? · Procter & Gamble introduces Jif Peanut Butter. · The first completely enclosed shopping mall, Southdale Shopping Center opens in Edina, Minnesota · At a Fourth of July family picnic, Milton Levine came up with the idea for the Ant Farm. · Del Monte Pineapple Grapefruit Drink was introduced 2) Pick it, wash it, hollow it out, fill it with cream or milk and bake it whole. What is it, and what pie evolved from this recipe? 3) The jack-o-lantern, or carved pumpkin was originally made from what vegetable? 4) Who is the world's largest purchaser of beef? a) U.S. Military. b) McDonald's. c) Burger King. d) Walmart. e) Japan. Click Here for Today’s Quiz Answers ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Read an article about Chef James and the FoodReference.com website published in the Winona Daily News, Minneapolis StarTribune, and numerous other newspapers: Click here for the Article ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** 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. · Barbara Saba, my sister, who taught me how to dance. · Cpl. Thomas E. Saba, my nephew. Died in action on Feb. 7, 2007 in Iraq. He was 30 yrs. young. Chef James TOP |