Wednesday, February 4, 2026Daily Trivia Questions are below TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE“An old-fashioned vegetable soup, without any enhancement, is a more powerful anticarcinogen than any known medicine.” James Duke M.D.(U.S.D.A.)
FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:• Stuffed Mushroom Day
(Stuffed Mushroom Recipes --- Mushroom Quotes) • Homemade Soup Day (Soup Recipes | Soup Trivia)
(Soup Quotes) • Medjool Date Day (a large cultivated variety of date native to Morocco) [Wikipedia] • Japan: Setsubun (includes Bean Throwing Festival) Feb 3 or 4. Setsubun celebrates the transition from winter to spring. • Pride in Foodservice Week (Feb 2-6, 2026)
[Assoc. of Nutrition & Foodservice Professionals] • [African Heritage & Health Week] February 1-7
(commemorates the foods, flavors and healthy cooking techniques that were core to the wellbeing of African ancestors from Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the American South.)
TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY1790 John Bachman was born. A Naturalist who wrote some of the text for John James Audubon's albums of birds and mammals of North America. He also published his own works on botany, agriculture and southern animals. 1810 Alexis Benoit Soyer was born. French chef and author. Chef of the London Reform Club. He opened kitchens in Ireland during the famine to sell food at 1/2 price and was an advisor on food to the British army during the Crimean War. Invented several stoves and kitchen utensils. Wrote 'The Pantropheon; or History of Food' (1853), 'A Shilling Cookery Book for the People' (1854), ‘Soyer's Charitable Cookery’ (1847). 1854 Cadbury received a Royal Warrant as "manufacturers of cocoa and chocolate to Queen Victoria" 1879 John H. Heinz received a patent for an 'Improvement in Vegetable-Assorters.' ("machines for assorting vegetables, fruits, pickles etc. according to their size"). (Heinz Trivia and Facts) 1887 Interstate Commerce Act created the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate Railroads, the first industry to be subject to Federal regulation.
(Railroads & Railroad Food Trivia) 1894 Quebec, Canada holds its first Winter Carnival. 1906 Clyde W. Tombaugh was born. An American astronomer who discovered the planet Pluto in 1930. Born on a farm near Streator, Illinois, his first telescope was made from old farm equipment parts. 1925 Robert Koldewey died (born Sept 10, 1855). A German archaeologist who discovered and confirmed the existence and location of the ancient Hanging Gardens of Babylon (excavations 1899-1917). 1930 Candy maker Frank C. Mars of Minnesota introduced the Snickers bar in 1930. 1941 Roy J. Plunkett received U.S. patent No. 2,230,654 for Teflon ("a new composition of matter which is highly resistant to corrosive influences and to oxidation, and which can be molded and spun and put to a wide variety of uses where its peculiar properties would be advantageous."). He had discovered it by accident in 1938. 1946 Dan Quayle is born. Destined to make ‘potatoe’ famous. 1952 Jerry Shirley of the rock group 'Humble Pie' was born. 1964 'Noodles', guitarist of 'The Offspring' was born. 1983 Karen Carpenter died from anorexia nervosa. 1998 Bill Gates was hit with a cream pie (cake?) in Brussels. The person responsible for the event was Noel Godin whose hobby is throwing cream cakes/pies at celebrities. He has written a book about his adventures. 2013 France overturned a 200 year-old law that banned women from wearing trousers. 2013 Canada withdraws the penny from circulation.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** January 20-Feb 12, 2026 NYC Restaurant Week
New York, New York February 5-16, 2026 - Florida State Fair
Tampa, Florida February 6-8, 2026 Bonita Springs Seafood & Music Festival - Bonita Springs, Florida February 6-15, 2026 79th Annual Holtville Carrot Festival - Holtville, 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?
· A fully functioning toilet made of 227 lbs of 18-karat solid gold was stolen from Blengeim Palace in the UK
· A study by US Foods of 500 food delivery drivers, 28% reported taking food from a customers orders.
· Mexico City announced a ban on plastic bags, straws, utensils and other disposable plastic plastic items.
· Japan resumes commercial whaling for the first time in almost 30 years.
· In Tottori, Japan a 2.7 pound Snow Crab sold for a record 5 million yen ($46,000) at this year's first auction of the season.
· A flock of up to 60 aggressive wild turkeys are reported to be terrorizing residents at Holiday City in Toms River, New Jersey. 2) Polytetrafluoroethylene is also known as what? 3) The name of this Neapolitan specialty actually means 'pants' or 'trouser leg.' What is it? 4) What popular cocktail created around 1900, was named after a village in eastern Cuba? 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 | 
