Tuesday, January 13, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“Ponder well on this point: the pleasant hours of our life are all connected by a more or less tangible link, with some memory of the table.” Charles Pierre Monselet FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• National Peach Melba Day (Peaches & Peach Melba) • National Gluten-Free Day (Gluten Intolerance & Wheat Allergies) • National Pizza Week (Jan 11-17, 2026 - begins 2nd Sun) (Pizza Trivia and History --- Pizza Recipes) (Pizza Quotes) TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1808 Salmon Portland Chase was born. He was Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln, and later Chief Justice. 1885 Alfred C. Fuller was born (died Dec 4, 1973). Canadian-born American businessman, founder of the Fuller Brush Company in 1906 in Hartford, Connecticut 1921 Pierre Franey was born. A French chef who became famous as the chef of 'Le Pavillon' restaurant in New York City from 1945 to 1960. He published several cookbooks and collaborated with Craig Claiborne on the New York Times food column, 'The 60 Minute Gourmet'. 1949 To protect its dairy industry, Prince Edward Island, Canada, bans the sale or manufacture of margarine. (Margarine Trivia & Facts) 1951 Bernard Loiseau was born (died Feb 24, 2003). French chef, owner of La Cote d'Or in Saulier, a Michelin three-star recipient. He committed suicide, supposedly in response to reports that his restaurant might lose one of its 3 stars. 1957 *Production of the Pluto Platter began (renamed Frisbee in 1958) See Sept 30, 1958 for patent. The pie tins of the Frisbie Pie Company in Connecticut were the inspiration for the creation of the Frisbee. *Many sources give Jan 23 as the date. I am not sure which is correct. 1962 Ernie Kovacs, innovative comedian, died. One of Kovacs' first TV appearances was in Philadelphia in 1950 with a chef, Albert Mathis from the Gulph Mills Country Club, in a live unrehearsed cooking show titled 'Deadline for Dinner.' 1968 "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight & Pips is #1 on the charts. 2002 U.S. President George W. Bush fainted after choking on a pretzel while watching a football game on TV in the White House. (see also Jan 8, 1992) ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Novvember 14, 2025 - January 17, 2026 Gingerbread House Competition & Display Lahaska, Pennsylvania January 1-31, 2026 - Napa Valley Restaurant Month Napa Valley, California January 8-18, 2026 Restaurant Week South Carolina Statewide, South Carolina January 15-18, 2026 35th Annual Frog Leg Festival Fellsmere, Florida January 16-19, 2026 Annual Napa Truffle Festival Napa, 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? · Joseph Gayetty marketed the first commercially manufactured toilet paper in the U.S. · H.N. Wadsworth of Washington D.C. received the first American toothbrush patent. · First successful milk condensery was built by Gail Borden in Burrville, Connecticut. · A cold front barrels over the U.S. and on April 7 snow falls in every state in the country. · The 1st issue of the Atlantic Monthly was published, containing the 1st installment of Oliver Wendell Holmes' 'The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table.' 2) Named for the inventors, Forrest and Bruce, this food product was first made for use in the military. For 11 years from 1976 to 1987 one variety of this product was not produced, due to an action by the FDA, even though the FDA action did not effect this particular product! Many consumers protested, and the University of Tennessee was partially involved in forcing the company to reconsider the discontinuance of the one variety. Eventually the company relented and began producing it again. It was reintroduced it at about the same time as glasnost and the crumbling of the anti-Red scare. Focus groups were held to decide the correct proportions for the gradual reintroduction of the banned variety during the Christmas season of 1985. 3) This carnivorous fish ranges in size from 6 inches to 5 feet in length, but one Pacific species can reach almost 12 feet. The family contains about 100 species which are widespread in tropical and subtropical seas. They are found mainly in shallow water, where they live among reefs and rocks. Their smooth, muscular bodies may be vividly marked or uniformly colored. One species is bluish and frequently covered with a yellowish algae which gives it a greenish hue. Some are dark brown with yellow and black markings. They have a large head and mouth, and small rounded gill openings on each side. They are typically nocturnal feeders, eating other fish and mollusks. The Romans considered them a great delicacy, and wealthy gourmets bred them in expensive seaside fish-ponds. There is a legend concerning the unusual diet they were fed, and true or not, there are many mentions of how delicious these cultivated fish were. They have fatty flesh, but are fairly delicate in flavor and texture. Henry I of England died from indigestion caused by eating this fish, which can sometimes be toxic. Name this fish. 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 TOP |