Thursday, June 4, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“Never commit yourself to a cheese without having first examined it.” T.S. Eliot
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• National Cheese Day (Cheese Trivia and Stats)
(Cheese Quotes --- Cooking & Storage Tips) • National Cognac Day (Cognac & Brandy Articles) • National Moonshine Day ((June 4, 2026 - 1st Thurs - some sources say it is always on June 5) • Capitol Hill Ocean Week (June 2-4, 2026) [National Marine Sanctuary Foundation] Explore the ocean-climate connection and how we can make ocean conservation part of climate strategies and nationally determined contributions to address climate change. • UK: British Tomato Fortnight: (June 1-14, 2026)
[British Tomato Growers’ Association]
(Tomato Trivia | Tomato Recipes)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1070 The Birth of Roquefort Cheese: According to legend, a young shepherd left his rye bread and sheep's cheese in the cave of Combalou to pursue a shepherdess. Later when he returned to the cave, he discovered his meal covered in a blue-green mould. He tasted the cheese and was delighted. Roquefort cheese was born. (Roquefort trivia & facts) 1845 Hatch's sowing machine for wheat, oats and other grasses was first demonstrated. 1872 Robert Chesebrough of New York patented a method for making Vaseline. 1895 African American inventor Joseph Lee patented a machine for "bread crumbing." It was intended for use by restaurants to crumb large quantities of bread scraps. 1907 The automatic washer & dryer are introduced. 1912 Massachusetts becomes the first state to adopt a minimum wage law. (Massachusetts Food Trivia) 1916 Gaylord Nelson was born (died July 3, 2005). Former U.S. senator and governor of Wisconsin. He founded Earth Day in 1970, and helped spawn modern environmental activism. (see Earth Day: April 22). 1936 (Sources vary: 1936 or 1937). Sylvan Goldman ran a successful chain of grocery stores, where customers could carry hand baskets while they shopped. In 1936, when he was a major owner of the Piggly-Wiggly supermarket chain, he invented the shopping cart. He got the idea from a wooden folding chair. He designed the cart by putting a basket on the seat, another below and wheels on the legs. He and a mechanic, Fred Young put one together with a metal frame, and wire baskets. The frames could be folded up and the baskets stacked, which took up less storage room. Customers were reluctant to use this new contraption, so Goldman hired fake shoppers to wheel the carts around pretending to shop so people could see how useful the cart could be!
They became a hit, and he formed a new company to manufacture the carts. It is hard to imagine a supermarket or discount store without shopping carts today. 1970 At the 43rd National Spelling Bee, Libby Childress wins spelling the word 'croissant.' 1974 The Cleveland Indians were playing bad, and fewer and fewer fans came to watch them play. They had a ‘Ten Cent Beer Night’ to bring out the fans. Only 22,000 fans turned out in a stadium that could seat 60,000, but they made up for the low numbers by becoming so drunk and unruly, going on the field and disrupting the game, that the Indians had to forfeit the game to the Texas Rangers. 1980 Earle McAusland, publisher/editor of Gourmet magazine died at age 89. 2003 Martha Stewart stepped down as head of her media empire hours after being charged with conspiracy, securities fraud etc. 2007 Vincent Sardi Jr. died. He operated the famous Broadway restaurant, 'Sardi's' for 50 years. He retired in 1997. 2008 Folgers Coffee is acquired by J.M. Smucker Co. from Procter & Gamble. 2022 A California court ruled that a bumblebee is a fish under California law, and thus should be protected by the state’s endangered species ordinances. The judges explained that "although the term fish is colloquially and commonly understood to refer to aquatic species," the law, as it is written, makes the legal "definition of fish… not so limited."
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** May 31-June 6, 2026 Duncan Hines Days
Bowling Green, Kentucky June 1-30, 2026 - Idaho Wine and Cider Month
Statewide, Idaho June 3-6, 2026 - Wine & Food Week - Houston, Texas June 4-7, 2026 - Pine Island Cheese Festival
Pine Island, Minnesota June 4-7, 2026 - 117th Annual Lebanon Strawberry Festival - Lebanon, Oregon June 5-6, 2026 - 38th International Horseradish Festival - Collinsville, Illinois June 5-6 & 13, 2026 40th Georgia Peach Festival
Byron & Fort Valley, Georgia (SEE ALL FOOD FESTIVALS and OTHER FOOD EVENTS)
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ (new DAILY questions)1) The following events took place in the same year.
What year is it?
· First Farm Aid Concert was held at Champaign, Illinois.
· The first McDonald’s restaurant, in Des Plains, Illinois, became the first fast food museum.
· Former vice-residential candidate Geraldine Ferraro appeared in a Diet Pepsi TV commercial.
· Creme Fraiche won the Belmont Stakes, ridden by Jockey Eddie Maple 2) These are various herbs in the parsley family, with small white or greenish flowers. They are native from Greenland to central Russia, but are naturalized over most of Europe. Their roots, leaves and stems are used in cooking and the fruits are used in liqueurs. The stems are also candied and used in jam. Essential oils from the seeds, root and stem are used to flavor spirits, candy, ice cream and baked goods. The seed oil is also used in perfume and toothpaste.
Can you name these plants? 3) A bitter extract from this southern European plant root is used in Angostura bitters, chocolate, vermouth, certain aperitifs, candy, ice cream and vanilla flavorings. The name is derived from an ancient king of Illyria, who supposedly discovered the medicinal value of the plants. Name this plant.
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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