Tuesday, May 5, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“But when the time comes that a man has had his dinner, then the true man comes to the surface.”
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• Cinco de Mayo (Articles & Recipes) • National Hoagie Day. • [Herb Week] (May 3-9, 2026)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1719 Andrew Meikle was born (died Nov 27, 1811). A Scottish millwright, he invented the first successful drum threshing machine which separated the grain from the cobs, stalks or husks. He patented the machine April 9, 1789. 1809 Mary Kies of South Killingly, Connecticut, received a patent for a technique for weaving straw with silk and thread. The first woman to receive U.S. patent. 1865 Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Jane Cochran) was born. In 1889 Bly successfully completed an attempt to beat the record of Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg to go 'Around the World in Eighty Days'. Bly was a U.S. newspaper reporter and completed the journey in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes and 14 seconds. 1893 Panic hit the New York Stock Exchange and the stock market crashed. By year's end, the country was in a severe depression; over 15,000 businesses go bankrupt and more than 600 banks close. 1903 James Beard, culinary expert and cookbook author was born (died Jan 21, 1985). Quote: “The kitchen, reasonably enough, was the scene of my first gastronomic adventure. I was on all fours. I crawled into the vegetable bin, settled on a giant onion and ate it, skin and all. It must have marked me for life, for I have never ceased to love the hearty flavor of raw onions”. [James Beard Foundation] 1925 John T. Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution in a Tennessee public school. 1926 Ann B. Davis was born. She played the role of Alice the housekeeper and cook on the TV show 'The Brady Bunch' (1969-1974). 1936 U.S. patent No. 2,039,345 was granted to Edward Ravenscroft of Glencoe, Illinois for the first bottle with a screw cap and a pour lip. 1961 Jim Gardner and Leonard Rawl opened the first franchised Hardee's fast food restaurant, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. (see also Sept 3, 1960) 1978 Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Crepes in a former Burlington, Vermont gas station. Their business will grow to compete with Haagen-Dazs. 2008 Irv Robbins died (born Dec 6, 1917). Co-founder, with Burt Baskin, of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain in 1946 in Glendale, California.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** April 23-June 21, 2026 Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival - Williamsburg, Virginia May 1-9, 2026 131st Sequim Irrigation Festival
Sequim, Washington May 3-9, 2026 - West Tennessee Strawberry Festival
Humboldt, Tennessee May 6-10, 2026 St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival
St. Augustine, Florida May 7-9, 2026 54th Rayne Frog Festival
Rayne, Louisiana May 7-9, 2026 41st Annual Texas Crab Festival
Crystal Beach, Texas May 8-17, 2026 128th Edition Rochester Lilac Festival - Rochester, New York (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 USDA approved 'Simplesse,' a low calorie fat substitute.
· A 75 year-long ban on beer was lifted in Iceland.
· The USSR issued ration cards for sugar due to a shortage.
· The movie 'Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death' was released.
· Hershey's introduces the Symphony candy bar. 2) What type of oil did the ancient Egyptians use before olive oil was known?
a) radish seed oil. b) sunflower seed oil.
c) avocado oil. d) whale oil. e) palm oil. 3) Several Virginia Algonquian Indian words have been borrowed by the English language. Can you name any? 4) What is the difference between Japanese and Chinese chopsticks? 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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