Friday, April 10, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing "Embraceable You" in spats.” Woody Allen
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• National Cinnamon Crescent Roll Day • The First Arbor Day (see 1872 below) • National Farm Animals Day • National Public Health Week: April 6-12, 2026 (1st full week in April) [American Public Health Assoc.] • Egg Salad Week in 2026 is April 6-12 (week after Easter, March or April) Dedicated to the many delicious uses for all of the Easter eggs that have been cooked, colored, hidden and found.
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1633 Bananas were supposedly displayed in the shop window of merchant Thomas Johnson. This was the first time the banana had ever been seen in Great Britain. It would be more than 200 years before they were regularly imported. In 1999 remains of a banana were found at a Tudor archaeological site on the banks of the Thames River. This would seem to date it 150 years earlier than Thomas Johnson's banana. A classic food mystery!
(Banana Trivia and facts) 1752 William Cheselden died. An English surgeon and teacher, he was one of the first to describe the role of saliva in digestion. 1766 Sir John Leslie was born. A Scottish physicist and mathematician, he was the first to freeze water artificially (create ice artificially). He used an air pump apparatus. (Water Trivia --- Water Quotes) 1845 Erastus B. Bigelow patented a new loom to manufacture gingham cloth. Until then all gingham was hand made. The classic red and white checked restaurant tablecloth is and example of gingham cloth. 1849 Walter Hunt of New York patented the safety pin. However, safety pins existed prior to this patent 1872 The first Arbor Day was observed in Nebraska. It was proposed by J. Sterling Morton and publicized by the State Board of Agriculture as a tree-planting holiday. Nebraska at that time was a treeless plain, with nothing to break the wind other than the normal digestive functions of mammals. Trees were also needed for fuel, shade, building houses, etc. Estimates are that more than one million trees were planted in Nebraska on that first Arbor Day.
It was proclaimed an official state day in 1874. Other states have since adopted the idea, and several U.S. presidents have declared national Arbor Days, usually the last Friday in April. The idea has also spread to other countries. [The National Arbor Day Foundation] 1894 African American inventor G. W. Murray received 2 patents for a Furrow Opener & Stalk Knocker and a Cultivator & Marker. 1944 Synthetic quinine was made for the first time at Harvard University. (see Cinchona Bark) 1982 Saturday Night Live had viewers vote whether to boil 'Larry the Lobster' or not. The audience voted to free him. (Lobster Trivia --- Lobster Quotes) 1991 The last remaining Horn & Hardart Automat closed its doors. It was located at Third Avenue and 42nd Street in New York City. Frank Hardart and Joe Horn opened the first Automat on June 9, 1902 at 818 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. The birth date of modern fast food. (Automat Trivia and Facts) 1995 A smoking ban in New York for restaurants with more than 35 seats began today.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** April 2-12, 2026 - Clay County Agricultural Fair
Green Cove Springs, Florida April 10-11, 2026 - 48th Annual Pig Cookin' Contest
Newport, North Carolina April 10-12, 2026 - 13th Annual Boudin Festival
Scott, Louisiana April 10-12, 2026 79th Annual Poteet Strawberry Festival - Poteet, Texas April 10-19, 2026 Sourdough Bread Festival
Cherry Valley, California April 11-13, 2026 - Annual World Grits Festival
St. George, South Carolina (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?
· Legislation in San Francisco banning discrimination based on Height or Weight became effective.
· The population of the U.S. is now 281,421,906.
· Smucker's introduced Uncrustables, frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crusts already cut off.
· Craig Claiborne died. Influential American food writer, cookbook author. 2) This vegetable represents the 3rd largest fresh vegetable industry in the U.S. Per capita consumption in the U.S. is about 19 pounds. By contrast, Libya has per capita consumption of about 67 pounds. World production is about is about 14 pounds each year for every man woman and child in the world. Name this vegetable. 3) What country has the highest per capita potato consumption?
a) Russia b) Ireland c) Poland
d) Belarus e) Peru 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 | 
