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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

Mother’s Day Articles and Recipes

Grilling & Barbecue 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?

Barley is the common name for any cereal grass of the Hordeum genus. Most of the world's barley crop is used for animal feed. A special variety is used in the production of malt for brewing beer. Barley is also used in the distillation of of alcoholic beverages, in the manufacture of vinegar and breakfast foods, and as a thickener in soups.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Daily Trivia Questions are below

TODAY’S FOOD QUOTE

“You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make.”
Earl Wilson
 

FOOD HOLIDAYS - TODAY IS:

• National Nutty Fudge Day (Maple Nut Fudge Recipe)

• UN: [International Day of Plant Health]

• American Craft Beer Week (May 11-17, 2026)
  [Brewers Association]   (Beer Trivia  - Beer Articles)
  (Beer Quotes)

• Go Public Gardens Days  (May 8-17, 2026)
  [American Public Gardens Assn

• [Food Allergy Awareness Week] (May 10-16, 2026)
  (Food Allergy Articles)

• [World Salt Awareness Week] (May 11-17, 2026)
  (Salt Trivia  ·  Salt Kitchen Tips  ·  Salt Quotes)
 

TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

1777 Philip Lenzi, a London confectioner, ran the first advertisement for Ice Cream in the U.S. in the New York Gazette.  (Ice Cream Trivia & Facts)

1792 Charles-Somon Favart died in Belleville, France.  A French playwright and pastry cook, one of the founders of the opera comique.

1803 Justus von Liebig was born (died April 18, 1873). German chemist who made major contributions to organic and agricultural chemistry.  Developed Liebig Extract of Beef, a concentrated liquid meat extract.

1820 Florence Nightingale was born (died Aug 13, 1910).  English nurse who established modern nursing practice.

1874 African American inventor Elijah McCoy received U.S. patent #150,876 for a folding ironing table. A prolific inventor, McCoy received 57 patents in his lifetime, and is supposedly the source of the expression "the real McCoy," meaning "the real thing."

1874 Charles Orvis (C. F. Orvis Company in Manchester, Vermont) received patent for a Fishing-Reel, the prototype for modern fly reels.
(Fishing Trivia  ---  Fish Quotes)

1878 Catherine Esther Beecher died (born Sept 6, 1800).  An American educator and author of 'Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book', etc.
 Catherine Beecher Biography)

1889 John Cadbury died.  He was the founder of Cadbury chocolate company.

1896 Charles B. Brooks of Newark, New Jersey was issued U.S. patent No. 560,154 for a dust proof bag for street sweepers.

1912 The Beverly Hills Hotel opened.

1933 U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Agricultural Adjustment Act into law. Its purpose was to reduce overproduction of agricultural products by paying farmers subsidies not to plant on part of their land, thereby raising the value of crops.
(Agriculture Trivia)

1978 The U.S. Commerce Department announced that hurricane names would no longer be exclusively female. Both male and female names would now be used.

1994 Roy J. Plunkett died.  He was the inventor of Teflon (Polytetrafluoroethylene) in 1938.  The first nonstick cookware using Teflon was sold in 1960.

2008 U.S. first class postage rates were raised to 42 cents and post cards to 27 cents.

2020 Coronavirus: North Dakota State Fair in July is canceled;  Steak 'n Shake restaurants to close at least 50 locations permanently.
 

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

April 23-June 21, 2026  Busch Gardens Food & Wine Festival - Williamsburg, Virginia

May 9-17, 2026  84th Annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival - Buckhannon, West Virginia

May 13-16, 2026  48th World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest - Memphis, Tennessee

May 14-17, 2026  Calavaras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee - Calaveras County Fairgrounds, Calif.

May 15-16, 2026  World Championship Bison CookOff
Santa Anna, Texas

May 16, 2026  The World's Largest Pancake Breakfast
Springfield, Massachusetts

May 16-17, 2026  South 9th Street Italian Market Festival - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

(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?
· Farmer's account for about 90% of the U.S. labor force.
· Jacob Schweppe demonstrated his process for making artificial mineral water.
· Chrysanthemums were introduced to England from China. Both the greens and blossoms are edible.
· Pineapples are introduced to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii).
· Marie Harel is said to have developed Camembert cheese in Normandy.

2) Mike Ilitch was born in Yugoslavia in 1929, immigrated to the U.S., played baseball for the Detroit Tigers farm team, worked in several jobs including as a door to door salesman. He began cooking in the back kitchen of a Detroit nightclub, saved up his money and opened his own restaurant in 1959 in Garden City, Michigan.  His company was very successful - in 1982 he was able to buy the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and in 1992 he purchased the Detroit Tigers baseball team. 
What is the name of this family owned fast food business?

3) What cookie did Nabisco introduce in 1912 to compete with Hydrox Biscuit Bonbons?

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

Beer in cans & bottles (packaged beer) outsold draught beer for the first time in 1940. Canned beer outsold bottled beer for the first time in 1969.

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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?

BASMATI RICE: A small but long grained aromatic rice with a nutlike flavor and aroma ('basmati' means fragrant). Basmati rice is of Southeast Asian origin, and has been cultivated in India and Pakistan for over 8,000 years.

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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?

There are over 450 varieties of acorn, many of which have been used for food. They are native to all continents except Australia.

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Website last updated on Tuesday, May 12, 2026