Friday, December 19, 2025Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“There is nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.”
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• Oatmeal Muffin Day (Muffin Trivia)
(Muffin Recipes --- Muffin Quotes) • National Hard Candy Day • Dec 17-23: Saturnalia - Ancient Roman festival honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture and harvest.
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1686 Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe leaves his island after 28 years and arrives back in England on June 11, 1687. 1732 The first issue of ‘Poor Richard's Almanac’ was published by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. 1809 Pierre Joseph van Beneden was born. A Belgian parasitologist, he discovered the life cycle of tapeworms. 1815 Benjamin Smith Barton died (born Feb 10, 1766). American physician and naturalist, he wrote the first American botanical textbook, 'Elements of Botany' (1803). 1843 Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' was published (various sources list both Dec 17 and Dec 19). 1863 Frederick Walton of London, England applied for a patent for Linoleum (patent 3,210 granted May 31, 1864), the first widely used smooth surface floor covering. He received 88 patents, including for a varnish, plastics, artificial leather, distillation, etc. 1871 Albert L. Jones of New York received patent No. 122,023 for corrugated paper, an "improvement in paper for packing" which could be used to make boxes. 1899 Jerome Bonapart Rhodes of Shreveport, Louisiana was granted patent No. 639,290 for "an improvment in waterclosets." 1903 The Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan opened in New York. Originally open to horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and pedestrians, the Williamsburg Bridge soon became a vital transportation route for trolleys and elevated subway trains, spurring the growth of Brooklyn's working-class neighborhoods. 1909 The 'New' Palace Hotel opened in San Francisco. It replaced the original Palace Hotel that was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire.
(see also Oct 2, 1875) 1960 'Calendar Girl' by Neil Sedaka is released by RCA Victor Records. 1973 In his 'Tonight Show' monologue Johnny Carson joked, "You know what's disappearing from the supermarket shelves? Toilet paper. There's an acute shortage of toilet paper in the United States." Many viewers took this at face value and there was a run on toilet paper over the next few days!
1997 'Titanic' opened in U.S. theatres.
(Authentic Roast Turkey Recipe from the Titanic)
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** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Nov 18, 2025-Jan 4, 2026 National Gingerbread House Competition & Display - Asheville, N. Carolina December 1-31, 2025 55th Annual Christmas in Newport - Newport, Rhode Island December 10-22, 2025 The Bracebridge Dinner
Yosemite National Park, California December 19-20, 2025 Winter Beer Festival
Seattle, Washington December 20-29, 2025 NOLA Christmasfest
New Orleans, Louisiana • NEW YEARS EVE EVENTS (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?
· Eighteen year old Jasper Newton 'Jack' Daniel established his distillery in Tennessee.
· J. Osterhoudt of New York City received a U.S. patent for the first tin can with a key opener.
· Breyer's Ice Cream is founded in Philadelphia.
· The metric system was authorized to standardize weights and measures in the U.S. 2) What do the following have in common: carrots, celery, dill, parsnips, fennel, caraway, anise, coriander, cumin, poison hemlock and water hemlock? 3) How many pounds of dates can a date palm produce each year, and how many years can they produce? 4) What vegetable do you use more energy to eat and digest than you obtain from the vegetable? 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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