Thursday, February 5, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“He was so twisted he could eat soup with a corkscrew.”
Annette Bening as Myra Langtry in 1990 movie 'The Grifters'
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• Chocolate Fondue Day • [World Nutella Day] - Nutella is a commercial brand of a paste made from chocolate and hazelnuts. It is used in flavoring pastries, candy making or just spread on bread or toast. • Pride in Foodservice Week (Feb 2-6, 2026)
[Assoc. of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals] • [African Heritage & Health Week] February 1-7
(commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South.)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1644 The first livestock branding law in the American colonies is passed in Connecticut. All cattle, sheep and swine over 6 months old must be ear-marked or branded. The fine for non-compliance was 34 cents per head. 1799 John Lindley was born (died Nov 1, 1865). British botanist and horticulturist. Wrote 'The Theory and Practice of Horticulture' (1840) and 'The Vegetable Kingdom' (1846). 1840 Sir Hiram Maxim was born. An American born inventor. Among his hundreds of inventions were a hair curling iron, a mousetrap, an automatic sprinkling system, gas motors, and a machine gun. 1850 Gail Borden was issued U.S. patent No. 7,066 for a method to produce 'Portable Desiccated Soup-Bread' - a meat biscuit capable of long term storage. 1872 Lafayette Benedict Mendel was born. An American biochemist who published various papers on nutrition. His work on vitamins and proteins helped establish modern concepts about nutrition.
(Nutrition Articles) 1884 Willis Johnson of Cincinnati, Ohio received U.S. patent No. 292,821 for an 'Egg Beater'. (Egg Trivia) 1907 Frederic Martin Sr. of Columbus, Ohio received a patent for a 'Washboard' ("improved metallic plate having a series of staggered projections upon the face thereof...adapted for use as a rubbing-plate for washboards") 1914 William Burroughs, novelist, was born. He wrote 'Naked Lunch.' 1953 Rationing of sweets ends in Great Britain. 1967 Tom Smothers fell into a vat of chocolate today. (The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered). 1972 'American Pie' by Don McLean was number one on the music charts. 1981 A new record Jell-O mold is created in Brisbane, Australia, using 9,246 gallons of Jell-O. (Jello Trivia) 2010 Five crates of Scotch whisky and 2 of brandy, buried under ice for more than 100 years, were recovered by a New Zealand team restoring an Antarctic hut used in 1909 by polar explorer Ernest Shackleton.
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** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** January 20-Feb 12, 2026 NYC Restaurant Week
New York, New York February 5-16, 2026 - Florida State Fair
Tampa, Florida February 6-8, 2026 Bonita Springs Seafood & Music Festival - Bonita Springs, Florida February 6-15, 2026 79th Annual Holtville Carrot Festival - Holtville, California (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 Arizona Territory was created.
· There were 2,004 breweries in the United States producing about 2 million barrels of beer.
· Granula, probably the first breakfast cereal is introduced.
· Gerard A. Heineken bought an Amsterdam brewery, which dated back to 1592. The beginning of Heineken beer. 2) WHAT AM I: This plant, native to Mediterranean Europe, is an ancient symbol of wisdom and immortality.
A perennial shrub about 2 feet high, it is a member of the mint family and has over 500 varieties. Its flowers are fragrant, usually purple or blue, sometimes white, red or pink. They are rich in nectar, and it's honey is in great demand in Europe because of its spicy flavor. Some varieties, have broad leaves; others have foliage variegated with red, yellow, or white.
Valued by the Chinese in the seventeenth century, they would trade three chests of China tea for just one chest filled with its leaves from Dutch merchants.
For most of its long history it has been a healing herb (supposedly curing everything from snake bites, eye problems, infection, epilepsy, intoxication, memory loss, worms and intestinal problems) or prescribed as an aphrodisiac.
As far back as ancient Greek and Roman times, healers advocated it for a variety of ailments. Charlemagne ordered that it be grown in his royal gardens. Arab physicians in the 10th century went so far as to claim that it extended life to the point of immortality.
It was an old custom to rub leaves on the teeth to clean them and benefit the gums. American Indians used it for medicinal purposes. The oil is valued in perfumery and toilet preparations, especially those for men. Placed among linen, it discourages insects. Also helps repel cabbage butterflies and improves the flavor of cabbage.
The dried leaves are employed by food manufacturers in seasoning meats, baked goods, and beverages. They are also used to flavor vermouth and various bitters. For years it has been used in the preserving of foods. Now it is known that it contains powerful anti-oxidants which slow spoilage. It is also antibacterial in nature, it is effective in treating sore throats and is even effective as an antiperspirant. 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
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