Thursday, April 16, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“Vegetarianism is harmless enough, though it is apt to fill a man with wind and self-righteousness.” Sir Robert Hutchinson FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• National Eggs Benedict Day (Origin of Eggs Benedict) • Day of the Mushroom [Mushroom Council] (October 15 is National Mushroom Day) (Mushroom Trivia --- Mushroom Recipes) (Mushroom Quotes) • Feast of St. Drogo, patron of coffee house owners and keepers. • St. Magnus of Orkney, patron of fishmongers. • St. Bernadette's Day, patron of shepherds. TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1521 Martin Luther arrived at the Diet of Worms. This was NOT the first fad diet. 1838 The French occupy Veracruz, Mexico during 'The Great Pastry War' (see Nov 30, 1838) 1886 Sir Edward Salisbury was born (died Nov 10, 1978). English botanist and ecologist. Director of Royal Botanical Gardens (1943-1956). His books include 'The Living Garden' (1935), 'The Biology of Garden Weeds' (1962). 1890 Donald Forsha Jones was born (died June 19, 1963). American geneticist who invented the double-cross method of hybrid corn development, making production of high-yielding hybrid corn practical. (Corn Trivia --- History of Corn) 1906 William James Farrer died. An Australian agriculturist, he developed new varieties of wheat. (Wheat Trivia and Facts) 1924 Henry Mancini was born. Oscar winning music composer, he wrote many songs and film scores, including the score for 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' 1928 Ellsworth Milson Statler died. American hotel owner, founder of Statler Hotels. His Statler Hotel in Buffalo, New York was the first hotel in the U.S. to have running water and private baths in each room. 1941 The original Elsie the Cow died. Elsie the cow was originally a cartoon character appearing in ads for Borden Milk. At the 1939 New York World's Fair, when people began asking where Elsie was, Borden's picked a cow originally named 'You'll do Lobelia' from their herd to be Elsie. Elsie stared in commercials, made personal appearances, and even starred in an RKO movie, 'Little Men.' Elsie was injured in a truck accident in 1941 and had to be put to sleep. She is buried in Plainsboro, New Jersey. (Borden’s Trivia and Facts) 1956 On the 'I Love Lucy' show, Lucy stomped grapes in Rome, and wrestled with another female grape stomper. An inspiration for future 'food wrestling' entrepreneurs. 1978 Joseph Delteil died (born April 20, 1894). French writer and poet. Also wrote 'La Cuisine palolithique' (1964) featuring cuisine naturelle using unprocessed foods. 1996 A segment about mad cow disease was aired on the Oprah Winfrey show. Later, a group of Texas cattle ranchers sued Winfrey for her comments. (The cattle ranchers lost the suit). 2020 Busch Beer offers a year of free beer to 250 couples whose weddings were postponed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. 2020 Taneytown, Maryland reminds residents to wear pants when checking their mailbox (True!). ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** April 10-19, 2026 Sourdough Bread Festival Cherry Valley, California April 13-19, 2026 21st Annual City Restaurant Week Wilmington, Delaware April 17-18, 2026 Annual California Antique Farm Equipment Show - Tulare, California April 18, 2026 - Maryland Chicken Wing Festival Crownsville, Maryland April 18-19, 2026 Michigan Alpaca Fest Allegan, Michigan April 18-19 & 22-26, 2026 - 79th Annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival - Meyersdale, 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? · Quaker introduces Quaker Quick Oats, one of the first convenience products. · William Isaly created the Klondike Bar, squares of ice cream covered with milk chocolate. · Girl Scout cookies go on sale for the first time. · The Mounds candy bar is introduced by Peter Paul. 2) Name this herb. The native habitats of this herb are wide indeed, covering the temperate and northern parts of Europe, Siberia, and North America. It has a long history of use in the kitchen, with some recipes from China going back at least 5,000 years. Rumanian Gypsies used it as part of their fortune telling rituals, and when dried bunches were hung in the house it was believed to drive away disease and evil influences. It is a hardy, fast growing herb in the lily family, having clusters of usually pink to purple edible flowers and is cultivated for its long slender leaves. This herb is used in salad dressings, herb butters and vinegars, soups, stews, and croquettes. The flowers are also edible, and make a nice addition to salads. It contains significant amounts of Vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium, iron, and sulfur. It is believed to strengthen nails and teeth, and has antibiotic properties. It is said to be an appetite stimulant, relieve high blood pressure, and is a natural insect repellent. It inhibits mildew, and is used in feed for turkey hatchlings. 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 |