FoodReference.com  (Since 1999)

   “The duty of a good Cuisinier is to transmit to the next generation everything he has
    learned and experienced.”                        Fernand Point, 1941

 

 

Weekly Trivia Quiz is below

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“Salt is what makes things taste bad when it isn't in them.”
Anonymous
 

Food Holidays - Today is:

• National Blueberry Popover Day
     · Blueberry Popover Recipe
     · Popover Facts & Trivia · Blueberry Facts & Trivia

• World Salt Awareness Week (March 10-16, 2014)
[On March 12, 1930 Mahatma Gandhi began his march to the coastal village of Dandi, to protest the British salt monopoly.]
     · Salt Facts and Trivia · Salt Kitchen Tips
     · Articles: Salt of the Earth Part 1 · Part 2

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

On this day in:

1845 One possible date given for the death of John Chapman ('Johnny Appleseed'). An American pioneer and legend, he planted apple seeds in the Ohio River valley area - Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.   (The date is variously given as March 10, 11 or 18 - March 18 is the most accepted date).

1867 Lillian D. Wald was born. She was a scientist and nurse, and among her activities, she helped initiate the enactment of pure food laws in the U.S.

1873 John Torrey died. He was the first professional botanist in the New World.

1876 Alexander Graham Bell's first successful experiment with the telephone. He spoke through the instrument to his assistant, Thomas A. Watson, in the next room. Bell writes, "I then shouted into M [the mouthpiece] the following sentence: 'Mr. Watson--come here--I want to see you.' To my delight he came and declared that he had heard and understood what I said."

1914 At the National Gallery in London, a suffragette slashed Diego Velázquez's 'Rokeby Venus' with a meat cleaver.

1955 Aaron 'Bunny' Lapin received a patent for Reddi-Wip.

1980 Herman Tarnower died (born March 18, 1910). American physician and author of the bestselling 'The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet' (1979). He was shot to death by Jean Harris.

1998 The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) reported that food stamps were issued to almost 26,000 dead people in the past 2 years. The study only covered 4 states, California, Florida, Texas and New York.

2005 Patience Gray, British cookery writer, died. 'Plats Du Jour' (1957), 'Honey From A Weed' (1986)
 

UPCOMING FEATURED FOOD FESTIVALS

March 13-16, 2014  International Dutch Oven Society's World Championship Cook-Off - Sandy, Utah
March 14-15, 2014  Iowa Rabbit Festival - Iowa, Louisiana
March 15, 2014  21st Annual Taste of Yountville - California
March 15, 2014  5th Annual Pigfest - Tallahassee, Florida
March 15, 2014  12th Wild Hog Explosion - Bandera, Texas

FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ    (new on March 7, 2014)

1) This item was so expensive up until the 1500s that it was used in small amounts in medicines, but not in food.
     [a] saffron;  [b] vanilla;  [c] sugar

2) Which of the following are mentioned in the Old testament and are among the earliest cultivated foods?
     [a] almonds and dates
     [b] rice and wheat
     [c] basil and saffron

3) Those with thyroid problems should avoid eating large amount of these foods.
     [a] salt and lemons
     [b] cabbage and cauliflower
     [c] asparagus and broccoli

4) There are 3 varieties of this cheese, a 'white', a 'red' and a 'blue veined'. It is the oldest named cheese made in the British Isles.
     [a] Stilton;  [b] Caerphilly;  [c] Cheshire

5) What are the 3 major fruits native to North America?
   [a] apples, blueberries, Thompson seedless grapes
   [b] cranberries, Concord grapes, apples
   [c] blueberries, Concord grapes, cranberries

6) This large vegetable is best eaten when about 18 inches long, although they can grow to twice that size. They are related to the black eyed pea, and are popular in China. 
Name this vegetable.

7) These fungi are common on plant leaves and in the intestinal tracts of warm blooded animals. They are also found in the soil and in saltwater. Some are also used in food and vegetable production. 
Name this fungi.

8) The seeds and leaves of these evergreen trees and shrubs contain poisonous alkaloids that stop the heart of an animal so quickly that no symptoms are seen; the animal just drops dead. The flesh of the berries are the least poisonous parts.  These trees were sacred to the Druids, and wood from the trees was formerly used to make long bows.
Name this tree.

9) What is a deep dish (casserole or soufflé dish) fruit pie (peach is most common) with only a top biscuit dough crust?

10) This black, bulbous fungus is considered by most U.S. farmers as a plant disease. The Aztecs considered it a delicacy, and it is still prized in Mexican cuisine.
Name this fungus.

Click here for the answers to this Culinary Quiz
 

 

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.
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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