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Chef James

“The duty of a good Cuisinier is to transmit to the next generation everything he has learned and experienced.”
 
Fernand Point, 1941

FEATURED FOR MAY

Updated: Over 9,000 Food Festivals

Grilling & Barbecue Articles & Recipes

Summer & Picnic Food, Tips & Recipes

Sports & Tailgating Articles & Recipes

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FEATURED RECIPES & TIPS

· Original Frank's Redhot Wings

· Ultimate Party Wings

· More Chicken Wing Recipes

· More Appetizer Recipes·

· French Onion Dip

· Jack's Screaming Red Sauce

· Potato Salad Recipes

· Cole Slaw Recipes

· Chicken Salad Recipes

· Kickoff Kabobs

· Banana Bread Recipes

· Mushroom Appetizer Recipes

· Crunchy Snack Mixes

· Mustard and Mustard Sauces

· Salsa Recipes

· Baked and Stuffed Potato Recipes

· Mac & Cheese Recipes
 

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May Food Holidays:

For Details, History and more DAY, WEEK and MONTH Food Holiday designations, including LINKS to Holiday Origins and Additional Information:
SEE Detailed MAY Food Calendar

MAY is:

• American Cheese Month

• Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month

• Grain of the Month: Amaranth

• International Mediterranean Diet Month

• National Artisan Gelato Month

• National Barbecue Month

• National Egg Month

• National Hamburger Month

• National Salad Month

• National Salsa Month

• National Strawberry Month (also the start of peak California Strawberry season.)

• National Tavern Month (since 1953)

• National Vinegar Month

• World Trade Month (since 1935)

• UK: National Asparagus Month

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DID YOU KNOW?

Navy Beans are small, white and oval with a refined texture and delicate flavor. These are the beans used for the famous Boston and English baked beans, because their skin and fine texture do not break up on cooking. These beans were named for their part of the U.S. Navy diet during the second half of the 19th Century.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Daily Trivia Questions are below

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“A man's own dinner is to himself so important that he cannot bring himself to believe that it is a matter utterly indifferent to anyone else.”
Anthony Trollope, English novelist (1815-1882)
 

FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:

• National Grape Popsicle Day (Popsicle Trivia)

• UK: [National BBQ Week] (May 25-31, 2026)
 

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

1755 The first municipal water pumping plant in America was installed at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  Water was supplied from a 70 foot high tank that was filled with water pumped from a spring through wooden pipes.

1893 Ontario creates Algonquin Park as a wildlife sanctuary. It is Canada's first provincial park.

1901 Chapman Jay Root founded the Root Glass Works in Terre Haute, Indiana to manufacture glass bottles that would withstand high internal pressures.  In 1916 the company would win the design competition for what would become the iconic 6.5 ounce Coca-Cola bottle.

1901 Conrad Arnold Elvehjem Born.  American biochemist who identified nicotinic acid as a vitamin (one of the B vitamins), and that a deficiency on nicotinic acid resulted in the disease pellagra.
(Vitamin Trivia)

1907 Rachel Louise Carson was born; author of 'Silent Spring.'  An American biologist, the book was concerned with the dangers of environmental pollution, especially DDT.

1919 U.S. patent No. 1,304,623 was issued for 'Pyrex' glass (sodium borosilicate glass).  The patent was assigned to Corning Glass Works by the inventors, Corning research chemists Eugene C. Sullivan and William C. Taylor.

1930 Richard G. Drew of St. Paul, Minnesota patented removeable masking tape (U.S. patent No. 1,760,820). He worked out a deal with 3M to market it under the 'Scotch' brand (Sept 8, 1930).

1933 The first automatic soda fountain dispenser is introduced by Coca-Cola.

1936 On this date the 'Queen Mary', Cunard lines new 1,000 ft, 81,000 ton passenger ship, set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.  In 1967 the Queen Mary was purchased by the city of Long Beach, California, where it arrived on December 9, 1967 to begin its new roll as a museum, hotel and conference center.

1937 The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco officially opened to the public with a week long Fiesta Week celebration, beginning today with an exclusive 'Pedestrian Day.'

1966 Heston Blumenthal was born. English celebrity chef, author and restaurateur. Owner of 3 Michelin star restaurant, ‘The Fat Duck’ and ‘The Hinds Head’ in Bray, Berkshire, and ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal’ in London.[Website: www.thefatduck.co.uk]

1975 British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was born.  Known as the 'Naked Chef,' on his BBC TV cooking shows (the name refers to simplicity, not nudity).  He has had several TV shows, 'The Naked Chef,' 'Return of the Naked Chef,' 'Happy Days with the Naked Chef,' 'Jamie's Kitchen,' 'Return to Jamie's Kitchen,' and 'Oliver's Twist.'  He has also written several cookbooks.

1993 The Canadian House of Commons approved the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

2020 Coronavirus: TGI Friday's to permanently close up to 20% of its 386 U.S. locations.
 

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A FEW FEATURED FOOD FESTIVALS
(See All 9,000 Food, Wine & Beer Festivals)

May 27-30, 2026  35th Annual Erie's Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival - Erie, Pennsylvania

May 28-30, 2026  Mentone Egg Festival
Mentone, Indiana

May 29-30, 2026  Mike The Headless Chicken Festival
Fruita, Colorado

May 29-31, 2026  5th Annual Windy City Hot Dog Fest
Chicago, Illinois

May 30-31, 2026  14th Annual Minnesota Grillfest
St. Paul, Minnesota

May 31-June 6, 2026  Duncan Hines Days
Bowling Green, Kentucky

(SEE ALL FOOD FESTIVALS and OTHER FOOD EVENTS)
 

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FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ    (new DAILY questions)

1) All of the following events took place in the same year.  What year is it?
· First franchised McDonald's was opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, by Ray Kroc.
· The first Waffle House restaurant opened in an Atlanta suburb, Avondale Estates.
· The first microwave oven for home use was introduced for about $1,200.
· Kellogg introduced Special K breakfast cereal.

2) This food was created by Ruth Graves Wakefield in the 1930s, near Whitman, Massachusetts.  Ruth and her husband owned a small Inn and she came up with the recipe by accident when she had to substitute ingredients in a recipe.
Name this food.

3) The cluster bean is most likely native to India. It is used as a vegetable, and for producing a food additive that is used as a thickener and stabilizer in commercial food processing. It has almost 8 times the thickening power as cornstarch, and is used in dressings, sauces and baked goods. It is also used in paper manufacturing, textiles, printing, cosmetics and even in pills to hold them together. Name this food additive.
  a) chicle.   b) guar gum.  c) agar-agar.
  d) gum tragacanth.
Click Here for Today’s Quiz Answers
 

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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
 

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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

DID YOU KNOW

Botanically, grapes are berries. There are about 25 million acres of grapes worldwide.

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A FOOD LIFE

"There are those who say that a life devoted to food -- cooking it, eating it, writing about it, even dreaming about it -- is a frivolous life, an indulgent life.  I would disagree.  If we do not care what we eat, we do not care for ourselves, and if we do not care for ourselves, how can we care for others?"
Fictional cookery writer Hilary Small, in episode 6, series 2 of 'Pie In the Sky'

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Click Here for
Food Emergency
Websites, Phone #s, E-mails, etc.

 

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Classic Fish and Seafood Recipes
 

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DID YOU KNOW?

Archaeological excavations in 2009 at a 31,000 year old site in the Czech Republic uncovered a large cooking pit with the remains of 2 Mammoths and other animals. Now That's a Barbecue!

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IN SEASON FOR SPRING

VEGETABLES
(Recipes  --  Tips)
Asparagus
Avocados
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Collard Greens
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions
Peas
Plantains
Radishes
Rhubarb
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Turnips

FRUITS (Tips)
Apples
Apricots
Bananas
Blackberries
Kiwifruit
Lemons
Limes
Pineapples
Strawberries

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DID YOU KNOW?

Dried locusts are about 75% protein and 20% fat.

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Website last updated on Wednesday, May 27, 2026