Friday, December 5, 2025Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• World Soil Day [UN Food & Agricultural Org.] • National Bartender Appreciation Day (Dec 5, 2025 - 1st Friday) [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics] • National Sacher Torte Day (Sacher Torte Trivia) • National Comfort Food Day. • Repeal Day: The ‘Noble Experiment’ Ends
(see 1933 below) • Cookie Cutter Week: (Dec 1-7 ?)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1624 Gaspard Bauhin died. A Swiss botanist, he developed a binomial (2 name) system of plant classification. He published 'Pinax Theatri Botanici', which was a compilation that included over 6,000 species that had appeared in works from Theophrastus, Dioscorides and many later herbals. 1822 Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz was born. An American naturalist, cofounder with her husband (Louis Agassiz), of the Anderson school of Natural History. She was also the first president of Radclife College. 1854 Aaron Allen patented a folding chair. Setting up for banquets becomes a whole lot easier. 1855 Clinton Hart Merriam was born. A biologist, he studied the effects of using birds to control agricultural pests. He also helped found the National Geographic Society. 1870 Alexandre Dumas died. French author ('The Three Musketeers', etc.) was also well known as a gourmet, and author of 'Grande Dictionnaire de la cuisine,' which he finished a just a few weeks before his death in 1870. It was published in 1872. 1876 D.C. Stillson patented the Stillson wrench, the first practical pipe wrench. Fixing that leaky pipe in the kitchen became a lot easier. 1920 Benjamin L. Holt died (born Jan 1, 1849) In 1904 he Invented the first practical track-type or crawler tractor (caterpillar tractor). 1933 Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment, repealing the 18th Amendment and ending prohibition, 'the noble experiment.' The official effective date is December 15, 1933. Cheers! (Prohibition Trivia) 1935 Ernest Brundin and Frank Lyon set up the first commercial scale hydroponic plant culture system. A patent was issued to them on December 1, 1936. 1960 Walter D. Teague died (born Dec 18, 1883). A pioneering industrial designer, he designed Steuben glassware, cameras for Kodak and Polaroid and Texaco gas stations. 1967 'Apple,' the Beatles (Apple Corps) clothing store opened in London. (Closed July 30, 1968). 1974 The BBC broadcast the last episode of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus.' 1985 A bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux that had belonged to Thomas Jefferson, sold at Christie’s London for 105,000 British Pounds ($158,000). The world's most expensive wine. (Bordeaux Wine Article) 2006 New York became the first U.S. city to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant food when the Board of Health voted to ban them today. NYC restaurants will have until July 1, 2007 to stop using frying oils with artery clogging trans fats, and will have to eliminate trans fats from all foods by July 1, 2008.
(Trans Fats Facts)
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** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Nov 18, 2025-Jan 4, 2026 National Gingerbread House Competition & Display - Asheville, N. Carolina November 29 & Dec 6, 2025 Winter Wonderland
Franklin, North Carolina December 1-31, 2025 55th Annual Christmas in Newport - Newport, Rhode Island December 5-7, 2025 German Christmas Market
Augusta, New Jersey December 6-7, 2025 - 33rd Annual Indio International Tamale Festival - Indio, 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?
· Cracker Jack began to put prizes in each box.
· The National Biscuit Co. introduced 'Mallomars', chocolate covered marshmallow cookies.
· Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat cereals are introduced by Quaker Oats Co.
· Peppermint Life Savors are introduced.
· The first drive-up automobile service station opened, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2) These were created in 1886 in his candy store by Leo Hirschfield. Initially he would make them for his daughter, but he soon began to make them for sale to other children in the neighborhood. He named the candy for his daughter. 20 to 30 million of these are made each day, still under the same name and with the same formula as the original. The company that makes them also makes 50% of the lollipops in the U.S. Name this candy. 3) This is an ancient dish mentioned in Greek and Roman literature, but the modern version from Spain contains 2 ingredients from the New World which did not arrive in Spain until the 16th century. It's classified as a salad in Andalusian cookbooks, but Americans call it a soup. What is this confusing dish, AND what are the 2 New World ingredients? 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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