John-Bryan Hopkins's Blog, page 3
March 4, 2019
March 4th is National Pound Cake Day! / #NationalPoundCakeDay
Here are today’s five thing to know about Poundcake:
The Pound Cake is a British creation that dates back to the early 1700s.
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Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt mold, and served either dusted with powdered sugar, lightly glazed, or sometimes with a coat of icing.
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In Britain pound cake is more commonly known as ‘Sponge cake’ or ‘Madeira cake’.
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The German “Eischwerkuchen” cake is a recipe very similar to the pound cake.
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In France pound cake is a traditional and popular cake of the French region of Brittany, and uses the same quantity of the four ingredients but with no added fruit of any kind.
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Today’s Food History
◦ 1634 Samuel Cole supposedly opened the first tavern in the U.S., in Boston.
◦ 1792 Samuel Slocum was born. He invented a machine to make pins with solid heads and a machine for sticking the pins in a paper holder for sale.
◦ 1792 Oranges were said to have been introduced to Hawaii.
◦ 1927 RIP Ira Remsen An American chemist, co-discoverer (with Constantine Fahlberg) of saccharin, the artificial sweetener. (The FDA has required warning labels, since 1972, on products using saccharin because it is a suspected carcinogen).
March 3, 2019
Um… March 3rd is National Moscow Mule Day! / #MoscowMuleDay
The original Moscow Mule combined Smirnoff vodka and ginger beer.
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The famous copper mugs were part of the original Moscow Mule recipe.
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Because of the popularity of this cocktail, Smirnoff Vodka took off.
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The Moscow Mule had it’s own jingle!
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Today’s Food History
◦ 1709 Andreas Sigismund Marggraf was born. A German chemist, in 1747 he extracted sugar from the sugar beet and determined it was identical to cane sugar. It wasn’t until 1802 that the first beet sugar refinery would be built.
◦ 1797 The first patent for a washing machine was issued to Nathaniel Briggs
◦ 1855 Congress authorized $30,000 to purchase dromedaries (camels) for the military to use in the Southwest.
◦ 1879 Elmer McCollum was born. He was a chemist who discovered vitamins A, B and D.
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March 1, 2019
March 1st is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day / #PeanutButterDay
Five Food Finds about Peanut Butter
An 18oz jar of peanut butter needs 850 peanuts
The USA produce about 6% of the world’s crop of peanuts: by comparison India and China, together, produce about 70%
West Coast people prefer chunky peanut butter, whereas those in the East Coast people like creamy
Peanuts account for 2/3rds of the total snack “nuts” consumption in the USA
96% of people, when making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put the peanut butter on before the jelly
Two presidents of the USA, Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson, were peanut farmers
Food related Events of March 1
also: National Fruit Compote Day
Today’s Food History
on this day in…
1784 E. Kidner opened the first cooking school in Great Britain.
1927 Harry Belafonte, singer, actor, was born. His biggest hit was “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song” in 1956.
1970 U.S. commercial whale hunting ended.
1989 Jack Dietz holds the world’s record for watermelon seed spitting, 66 feet 11 inches.
1989 A 75 year-long ban on beer was lifted this day in Iceland.
1990 The British Royal Navy began issuing rum rations to sailors as early as 1655. The Royal New Zealand Navy was the last navy in the world to end daily rum rations for sailors in 1990.
2002 McDonald’s announced in a press release that it has agreed to pay 10 million dollars to Hindu and vegetarian groups to settle lawsuits over its use of beef flavoring in its French Fries.
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Today’s Pinterest Board at : Foodimentary
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February 26, 2019
The official 2019 March ‘Food Holiday’ list is here!! / #March
Celebrate March Food Holidays
National Fresh Celery Month
National Noodle Month
National Flour Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Nutrition Month
National Peanut Month
National Hot Cross Bun Day (Good Friday)
National Sauce Month
National Caffeine Awareness Month
Daily Holidays
March 1
National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
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March 2
National Banana Cream Pie Day
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–March 3
National Cold Cuts Day
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March 4
National Poundcake Day
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March 5
National Cheese Doodle Day
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March 6
National Oreo Day
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March 7
National Cereal Day
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March 8
National Peanut Cluster Day
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NationalMeatball Day
National Crab Day
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National Ranch Dressing Day
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March 11
National “Eat Your Noodles” Day
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March 12
National Milky Way Day
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March 13
National Chicken Noodle Soup Day
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March 14
National Potato Chip Day
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March 15
National Peanut Lovers’ Day
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March 16
National Artichoke Heart Day
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March 17
National Irish Food Day
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March 18
National Sloppy Joe Day
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March 19
National Oatmeal Cookie Day
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March 20
National Ravioli Day
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March 21
National Crunchy Taco Day
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March 22
National Water Day
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March 23
National Chips and Dip Day
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National Cake Pop Day*
National Tortilla Chip Day
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March 25
National International Waffle Day
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March 26
National Nougat Day
National Spinach Day
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March 27
National World Whisky Day
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March 28
National Black Forest Cake Day
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March 29
National Chiffon Cake Day
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National Hot Chicken Day
National Turkey Neck Soup Day
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National Oysters on the Half Shell Day
National Clam Day
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February 23, 2019
February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day!
1. Banana trees are considered giant herbs, not ‘trees’ at all.
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2. A cluster of bananas is known as a hand, each banana are fingers.
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3. Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on bug bites are said to relieve itching and inflammation.
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4. Over 95% of American households purchase banana at least once a month.
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5. Bananas are one of the only fruits harvested every day of the year. They do not grow in regions that have dramatic seasonal changes.
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Today’s Food History
on this day in…
1884 Casimir Funk was born. Funk was a Polish-American biochemist who came up with the word ‘vitamine’ later changed to ‘vitamin.’
1896 Leo Hirshfield introduced the Tootsie Roll at his small store in New York City. It was supposedly named after his 5 year old daughter, whose nickname was ‘Tootsie.’
1931 RIP Helen Porter Mitchel, her stage name, Nellie Melba was a world famous operatic soprano born in Australia. Melba Toast and Peach Melba were named for her.
1944 RIP Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a chemist who invented Bakelite, the first plastic that did not soften when heated. Those black plastic knobs on stoves were made of bakelite.
1997 Scientists in Scotland announced the first successful cloning of an adult mammal, Dolly, a sheep.
February 22, 2019
February 22nd is National Margarita Day! / #NationalMargaritaDay
Five Things to know about the Margarita
1. The original recipe for the Margarita is a concoction of equal parts tequila, orange liquor and lime, served over ice with a salt-rimmed glass.
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2. Some say the Margarita is a version of a popular prohibition drink called the Daisy, a drink found on Mexican border towns substituting brandy with tequila . Margarita in Spanish means Daisy.
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3. One ‘Origin’ Myth about the Margarita is that in October 1941, a bartender at Husson’s cantina in Ensenada, Mexico created the drink for Margarita Henkel, a well known German celebrity.
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3. Another ‘Origin’ Myth about the Margarita is that in 1948 at the Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas created the drink for the singer Peggy Lee. The Spanish version of Peggy’s name is Margarita (Margaret).
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4. ‘Authentic’ Margaritas are made with bitter Mexican limes (key limes). These are smaller thin-skinned limes, much more tart than regular limes.
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5. The IBA’s (International Bartenders Association) official standard for the margarita is 7:4:3, that is 50% Tequila, 29% Cointreau, 21% fresh lime or lemon juice.
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On This Day in Food History…
1630 Supposedly, Quadequina, an American Indian, introduced English colonists to popcorn.
1879 Woolworths, the first chain store, opened in 1879 in Utica, New York. Woolworth’s diners were the first to introduce the Frito Chili Pies and helped to popularize grilled cheese sandwiches and BLT’s,bacon ,lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.
1920 The first artificial rabbit is used at a dog racing trace in Emeryville, California.
1925 RIP Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt, English physician, he invented the short (6 inch) clinical thermometer, before then they averaged over 18″ in length.
1987 RIP Andy Warhol,American painter of the pop art movement. In the 1960s he made paintings of Campbell’s Soup cans.
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February 21, 2019
February 21st is National Sticky Buns Day! / #NationalStickyBunsDay
Here are today’s five things to know about sticky buns:
Sticky buns are also known as cinnamon rolls and monkey bread.
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A sticky bun should always be made of yeast dough.
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Ancient Egyptians were the first people to add honey and nuts to their bread.
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In the UK and Canada, sticky buns are known as “chelsea buns” and contain raisins!
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German settlers in Pennsylvania created the modern day sticky bun.
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Today’s Food History
1554 Hieronymus Bock died. A German botanist whose work contributed to the transition from medieval beliefs to modern science.
1741 Jethro Tull died. He was an English agriculturalist and inventor whose ideas were instrumental in the development of modern English agriculture. One of his inventions was a horse drawn seed planting drill that sowed 3 even rows of seeds at once. (1701). The music group ‘Jethro Tull’ was named for him.
1858 Edwin T. Holmes sells the first electric burglar alarm in the U.S., in Boston, Massachusetts. His workshop was later used by Alexander Graham Bell.
1895 Carl Peter Henrik Dam was born. Dam was a Danish biochemist who discovered vitamin K in 1939.
1927 Erma Bombeck was born. Writer, humorist, you will find some of her quotes about family and food on the Food Reference website.
1931 Alka Seltzer was introduced.
1985 Nathan Pritikin died. A nutritionist who believed that exercise and a low fat, high unrefined carbohydrate diet helped reverse his own heart disease. He founded the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976.
1989 The USDA approved ‘Simplesse,’ a low calorie fat substitute.
1994 Whirlpool began manufacturing a refrigerator that was significantly more efficient, and did not use freon. Freon has been implicated in the destruction of ozone in the atmosphere.
February 19, 2019
February 19th is National Chocolate Mint Day!
Here are today’s five thing to know about Chocolate Mint:
In tea houses and dinner halls of the early 1900’s mint sprigs and dark chocolates served after desserts for patrons to ‘chew for good breath and aid digestion’.
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Thin Mints account for over 25% of the annual Girl Scout cookie sales.
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Andes chocolate mints, created in 1921, have little to do with the Andes mountains. They were once called “Andy’s Candies” but the owner ‘found that men did not like giving boxes of candies with another man’s name on them to their wives and girlfriends’ so he changed the name.
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Frango Mints, perhaps the first chocolate mints, were first patented in 1918. They were sold in tea houses and sold frozen to emphasize the sharp mint flavor.
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Ancient Greeks believed mint could cure hiccups.
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Today’s Food History
1764 Gottlieb Sigismund Kirchhof was born. He developed a method for refining vegetable oil, and also improved brewing & fermentation.
1855 Bread Riots in Liverpool.
1906 Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company (W.K. Kellogg Company) was founded by Will Keith Kellogg to manufacture breakfast cereals (cornflakes).
1913 Cracker Jack began to put prizes in each box.
1976 Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with Great Britain when the two couldn’t settle their disagreement on the ‘cod war’ fishing rights issue.
1985 Cherry Coke was introduced nation-wide
1999 The world’s largest strawberry shortcake was created in McCall Park, Plant City, Florida, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. The city holds the Guinness record for the world’s largest strawberry shortcake, over 6,000 pounds.
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February 18, 2019
February 18th is National Drink Wine Day!
It takes around 2 1/2 pounds of grapes to make one bottle of wine.
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Before corks were broadly used in wine bottles, wooden stoppers wrapped in oil-soaked rags were common.
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Even though corks were commonly used since the 1600’s it wasn’t until 1795 that the corkscrew was patented. Before then the corks would have caps, similar to champagne corks.
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An average bottle of wine is about 25 fluid ounces( officially 750 milliliters)
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Most ancients urns found in greece, egypt, and the Mediterranean are ‘casks’ that held wine. The sealed elongated box that holds them are called ‘caskets’
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Today’s Food History
1871 Harry Brearley was born. Brearley was an English metallurgist who invented stainless steel in 1912.
1885 The ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by Mark Twain was published.
1901 Hubert Cecil Booth patented the vacuum cleaner. Because of its large size, he mounted the machine on a horse carriage, with a long hose to reach inside a house
1930 At the St. Louis International Air Exposition, a cow supposedly flew in an airplane for the first time, and this same cow became the first cow to be milked while flying.
1968 Actress Molly Ringwald was born. Two of her movies were ‘The Breakfast Club’ (1985) and ‘In the Weeds’ (2000).
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February 16, 2019
February 16th is National Almond Day! #NationalAlmondDay
1. Almonds are mentioned several times in the New and Old Testaments. They are revered as symbols of divine approval.
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2. Almonds are actually fruits, related to cherries and plums.
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3. Raw Almonds contain prussic acids, the eating of more than a handful can be lethal.
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4. A key indicator of cyanide poisoning was the faint smell of roasted almonds on the victim.
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5. Greek mythology tells of the beautiful princess Phyllis, who was left waiting at the altar on her wedding day by her intended, Demophon. Phyllis waited for years for him to return, but finally died of a broken heart. In sympathy, the gods transformed Phyllis into an almond tree, which became a symbol of hope.
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Today’s Food History
on this day in…
1909 Richard McDonald was born. He was one of the brothers who founded McDonald’s fast food restaurants. Richard also designed the golden arches logo.
1932 James E. Markham of Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards in Mississippi, received the first patent for a fruit tree. It was for a peach tree whose fruit ripened later than other varieties.
1937 Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers received a patent for Nylon. (Which he discovered in 1935). One of its first uses was to replace the hog bristles that had been used in toothbrushes. Think about it: people used to brush their teeth with pigs hair.
1959 Rap singer ‘Ice T’ was born (Tracy Morrow).
2009 Burgers & Beer on the Road: A truck carrying 40,000 pounds of frozen hamburger patties hit the center median, and dumped thousands of pounds of burgers onto Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City. A few hours later on Interstate 84, also in Utah, a truck carrying 40,000 pounds of Fat Tire Beer hit the center median and spilled its load on the highway. Neither driver was injured.
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