Friday, February 27, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“The pie is an English institution which, planted on American soil, forthwith ran rampant and burst forth into an untold variety of genera and species.” Christopher Crowfield (Harriet Beecher Stowe) FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• National Kahlua Day (a coffee liqueur) [Kahlua.com] • National Strawberry Day (Strawberry Trivia & Facts) • National Protein Day (origin unknown) • [National Invasive Species Awareness Week] (Feb 23-27, 2026) Raise awareness and identify solutions to invasive species issues at local, state, tribal, regional, international and national levels. • [National Eating Disorders Awareness Week] (Feb 23-March 1, 2026) • National FFA Week: Feb 21-28, 2026 [Future Farmers of America] • UK: [Real Bread Week] (Feb 21-March 1, 2026) A celebration of additive-free loaves and the people who make them. TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1827 The first Mardi Gras celebration was held in New Orleans. 1879 Saccharin, an artificial sweetener, was discovered by Constantine Fahlberg and Ira Remsen at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. The FDA required warning labels from 1977 to 2000 on products using saccharin because it was a suspected carcinogen. After additional research, the FDA repealed the warning labels and declared saccharin safe for consumption. (Saccharin Trivia & Facts) 1899 Charles Best was born (died March 31, 1978). Co-discoverer in 1921 (with Dr. F. Banting) of the hormone insulin, used to treat diabetes. 1900 Felix Hoffman of the German Farbenfabriken of Elberfeld Company was issued U.S. patent 644,077 for 'Acetyl Salicylic Acid'' - soon to be marketed by Bayer AG as the familiar pain reliever, Aspirin. [Aspirin was originally developed by Charles Frederic Gerhardt in 1853, but he never followed up on it and it was soon forgotten]. (See also Jan 21, 1868). 1902 John Steinbeck was born. American novelist, some of his titles were: 'The Grapes of Wrath,' 'Tortilla Flats' and 'Cannery Row.' 1936 Ivan Petrovich Pavlov died. Pavlov's work with dogs actually started as a study of digestion. He theorized that digestion was controlled in part by sensory inputs of sight, smell and taste - and as he discovered, ding-ding - sound; 'conditioned reflex.' 1941 At the 13th Academy Awards, 'The Grapes of Wrath' won awards for Best Director (John Ford) and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Darwell as Ma Joad). Based on John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name dealing with the Great Depression, tenant farmers, migrant workers, the dust bowl and California. 1962 David Burke was born. A multiple award winning American celebrity chef and restaurateur. 1971 'One Bad Apple' by The Osmonds was #1 on the music charts. 1985 Former vice-presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro appeared in a Diet Pepsi TV commercial. (Pepsi Trivia) 1993 Jose Duval died (born 1919). Actor and singer, he played the coffee planter, Juan Valdez, in commercials for Columbian coffee. 1997 Kingsley Davis died (born Aug 20, 1908). World renowned American sociologist and demographer. An expert on population trends, he coined the terms 'population explosion' and 'zero population growth.' ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** February 12-March 1, 2026 Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival - Indio, California February 21-March 2, 2026 New York City Beer Week New York, New York February 25-March 1, 2026 92nd Annual Minneapolis Home + Garden Show - Minneapolis, Minnesota February 26-28, 2026 World's Championship Bar-B-Que - Houston, Texas February 26-March 8, 2026 Florida Strawberry Festival - Plant City, Florida February 27-March 1, 2026 Annual National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show - Albuquerque, New Mexico February 28, 2026 Kennett Winterfest Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (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? · The Cobb salad was invented by Robert Cobb at his Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood, California. · The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is invented. · Cola flavored Jell-O was introduced (it didn't sell very well and was soon dropped). 2) This genus of tuberous rooted herbs of the daisy family, is native to Mexico and Central America, and grows at elevations of 5,000 feet and above. (It is the national flower of Mexico.) They were brought to Spain in 1789 and soon spread to Britain, France and the rest of Europe. The botanist, Andreas Dahl, considered it a vegetable, and the French, like the Aztecs, cultivated the plant for its edible tuber. The tuber has a taste similar to the Jerusalem artichoke, and are cooked in the same manner. The emphasis soon switched to its use as a garden flower, when some of the larger, double flowered varieties arrived in Europe. There are about 2,000 varieties grown for their flowers, which include single and double flowers in white, yellow, red, orange, purple and bicolor. Name this plant. 3) This cheese was developed as a cheaper substitute for Roquefort in the early 1900s. After the second World War it was very successfully marketed throughout Europe and especially in Britain. It is now considered one of the world's best blue cheeses. a) Cambazola. b) Danablu. c) Gorgonzola. d) Maytag Blue. e) Saga Blue. 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 |