Did you know....by Divinity

“I want to plant more pawpaws here. There's a few around, but the fruit is pretty bland.”

“I've never even heard of a pawpaw. Must google.”

“TODAY’S EVENTS IN FOOD HISTORY

* National Mocha Day
* St. Michael's Day, patron of grocers and bakers. (Also called Goose Day in some locations - "If you eat goose on Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year round."

1860 Chapin Aaron Harris died. He was cofounder of the first dental school in the world, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery.

1967 Gladys Knight and the Pips released 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine.'

1974 The TV show 'Alice' debuted. Most of the action took place in Mel’s Diner.

1978 'Boogie Oogie Oogie' by Taste Of Honey is #1 on the charts

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?
The Turnip is a hardy plant that has been cultivated for over 4,000 years and is believed to have originated somewhere in central Asia. Turnips are widely cultivated for human food and livestock feed, but they have often been considered as only fit food for the poor an starving.
Supposedly Henry VIII liked his turnips roasted and the tender young leaves served in a salad. Goethe stated that 'they are best mixed with chestnuts.'
Turnips grow best in cool climates. Spring varieties do not keep, but winter varieties will keep for up to 2 months in a cool place. Their excellent keeping properties made them a wintertime staple. They are low in calories and a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium and calcium.”

“1967 Gladys Knight and the Pips released 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'.

I heard that song through the speakers the other night while messing around in the shop.

Pumped up the volume, I did; dropped what I was doing and boogie oogie oogied.”

“But can you listen to it and not think of the California Rasins?”

“www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0MKjE83gPY
Library filter won't allow me to peruse this video, but you can...”

“TODAY’S EVENTS IN FOOD HISTORY

* National Mulled Cider Day
* St. Jerome, patron of librarians and students.

1861 William Wrigley, Jr. was born. William Wrigley Jr. started out as a traveling salesman at the age of 13, selling soap for his father's company. He had a series of sales jobs, one which gave chewing gum as a premium. Customers liked the gum better than the product, so he was soon marketing his own gum, Juicy Fruit in 1893, and later that year Wrigley's Spearmint. He was an advertising genius, and his company became one of the largest advertisers in the U.S., and the largest chewing gum manufacturer in the world.

1958 The Frisbee was patented. The pie tins of the Frisbee Pie Company of Connecticut were the inspiration for the creation of the Frisbee. A Wham-O employee supposedly saw drivers for the pie company showing Yale students how to throw the pie tins.

1960 The last episode of 'The Howdy Doody Show' airs on NBC.

1962 The United Farm Workers union is founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

1982 The TV show 'Cheers' debuted.

2004 California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that bans the production and sale of foie gras beginning in 2012.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?
The word hamburger probably existed by the end of the Middle Ages.

In 1802 the Oxford English Dictionary defined 'Hamburg steak' as salt beef. Referring to ground beef as 'hamburger' dates to the invention of the mechanical meat grinder during the 1860s. 'Filet de boeuf a la Hambourgeoise,' was sold in Boston in 1874, while Hamburger Beef Steak appeared on the Lookout House Restaurant menu in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the mid-1870s. During the last years of the 19th century ground round or hamburger became associated with a hot sandwich, and early 20th century illustrations depict hamburger served on sliced white bread or toast. 'Hamburger Steak, Plain' and 'Hamburger Steak, with Onions,' was served at the Tyrolean Alps Restaurant at the 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair.

The modern hamburger (on a bun) appears during World War I. The White Castle restaurant chain was established in 1916 at Wichita, Kansas and by the early 1920s sold hamburgers. Some scholars say the first hamburger served on a bun appeared in 1917 at Drexel's Pure Food Restaurant, Chicago. By 1920 hamburgers on buns were sold in San Francisco and Cincinnati, and by the mid-1920s, hamburgers were recognizable to most Americans.
University of California, Davis, Nutrition Department
http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/exhibits/food/index.html”

“Lots of old-timers from my part of Mi. would call hamburgers "hamburgs." Hmm.

Mmm, mulled cider sounds yummy right now.”

“TODAY’S EVENTS IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Noodle Day

1790 Jacob Schweppe demonstrated his process for making artificial mineral water.

1893 Cream of Wheat was developed by Nabisco Foods

1951 Will Keith Kellogg died. He founded Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Co. (W.K. Kellogg Company) to manufacture cereals (cornflakes were the first) developed by his brother John Harvey Kellogg.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?
The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a fruit tree native to Malaysia with small, dark reddish brown to purple fruit with a smooth, thick rind, 5 or so seeds. The flavor is described variously as that of peach and pineapple, strawberry and grape, peach and apple, etc. The juicy flesh, divided into sections like an orange, almost melts in your mouth. Many say it is the most delicious fruit in the world. It is usually found only in local markets because it must ripen on the tree, and they only keep a short time. Mangosteens are not related to the mango.”

“TODAY’S EVENTS IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Angel Food Cake Day

1796 Traditional date for the creation of the metric system, 10/10.

1886 The Tuxedo was created. Griswold Lorillard of Tuxedo Park, N.Y. fashioned the first tuxedo for men.

1892 Earle Dickson was born. He invented Band-Aids for his wife, who had frequent kitchen accidents, cutting or burning herself. He worked as a buyer for Johnson & Johnson, who soon began manufacturing Band-Aids.

1913 Adolphus Busch died. Founded Annheuser Busch in 1866 with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser.

1913 A dike was blown up by the U.S. engineers to complete the final stage of the Panama Canal, and the waters of the Pacific met the waters of the Atlantic.

1933 Waldo L. Semon received a patent on a method for making plasticized PVC, now know as Vinyl.

1933 Proctor & Gamble began marketing 'Dreft,' the first synthetic detergent for home use. Detergents perform better in hard water than soaps.

1966 Simon and Garfunkel release their album, 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme'


DID YOU KNOW?

Archaeological evidence indicates that Britons were milking cows at least 6,000 years ago.

Archaeological evidence also suggests that:
• cattle were domesticated about 8,500 years ago.
• goats were domesticated 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.
• sheep were domesticated about 11,000 years ago.”

“I hate Dreft....they used to make me soak in bathtubs with Dreft to soak off the bandages after my skin grafts.....the smell brings back alot of bad memories.....”

“Skin grafts?! What the heck happened, Div?”

“TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

• Florida: Farmer's Day
• St. Edwin, patron of tramps and parents of large families.

1492 Columbus Day. Christopher Columbus arrived at the Bahamas

1810 The first Oktoberfest is celebrated in Munich. Oktoberfest originated as a horse race to celebrate the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria (later King Louis I) to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Today it is a 2 week festival ending on the 1st Sunday in October, during which more than 1 million gallons of beer are consumed at the Munich festival.

1849 In Great Britian, Charles Rowley patented a safety pin. (However, safety pins existed prior to his patent)

1914 Margaret E. Knight died. American inventor, she invented an improved paper bag machine to make bags with flat bottoms.

1923 Jean Nidetch was born. founder of ‘Weight Watchers’, offering dieting products and services. It began as a discussion group for weight loss.

1950 Takeshi Kaga was born. A Japanese actor, he is best known as the host of the very successful TV show, 'Iron Chef.' It has been shown around the world dubbed or subtitled. There is an American version of the show on the Food Network, hosted by Kaga's nephew, Mark Dacascos.

1963 'Sugar Shack' by Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, hits number 1 on the charts.

1965 Paul Hermann Muller died. A Swiss chemist who discovered that DDT was a potent insecticide. It was the most widely used insecticide for more than 20 years, and helped to increase food production around the world. Due mainly to its accumulation in animals that eat insects, and its toxic effects on them and those further up the food chain, it has been banned in the U.S. since 1972. However its residue is still found in some foods grown in the U.S. in 2002!

1983 The last wringer washer machine was made by Maytag.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

Breadfruit is a tall tropical evergreen tree of the mulberry family, native to the Malay Archipelago, and a close relative of the jackfruit and Osage orange. Breadfruit has been found throughout the South Pacific since prehistoric times, and is a staple food in many of the Pacific islands.
Breadfruit is a round, bumpy fruit, 8-10 inches across. They are rarely eaten raw, but rather used cooked as a vegetable - any method used for potatoes may be used for breadfruit. Breadfruit is said to have both an acquired taste and texture.”

“tree...I had a birthmark removed...I've had 13 skin grafts....”

“TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Yorkshire Pudding Day
• St. Colman's Day, patron of cattle and horses.

54 A.D. Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus, Emperor of Rome A.D. 41-54, died by poisoning. Known as Claudius I, supposedly he was poisoned with mushrooms by his wife Agrippina, after her son Nero was named as his heir.

2006 Six Flags theme park in Gurnee, Illinois holds a live cockroach eating contest.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

California:
• accounts for more than 90% of U.S. wine production.
• grows 99.5% of all dates grown in the United States.
• grows about 88% of United States strawberries.
• grows about 70% of asparagus grown in the United States
• produces about 21% of U.S. milk production.
• produces two-thirds of the world's walnuts.
• produces 80% of the world's supply of almonds.”

“wow...California is awesome!!!!...a garden of Eden!!!”

“TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Chocolate Covered Insect Day
• National Dessert Day

1834 Henry Blair received a patent for a corn planter. He was the first African American to be granted a patent.

1926 'Winnie-the-Pooh' (the honey loving bear) by A. A. Milne is published.

1972 'Everybody Plays The Fool' by Main Ingredient is #1 on the charts

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

Candied (crystallized) fruit has been around since at least the 14th century. Whole fruit or pieces of fruit can be preserved in this manner. Basically the method is simply to place the barely ripe fruit in increasingly stronger solutions of heated sugar syrup, and the syrup gradually replaces the water content of the fruit. The process can take from several days to several months, depending upon the type and size of fruit.”

“And then, in one month, the entire world's supply of candied fruit is made into fruit cakes.”

“TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Seafood Bisque Day

1688 William Cheselden was born. An English surgeon and teacher, he was one of the first to describe the role of saliva in digestion.

1917 In France, Salvation Army volunteer Helen Purviance made the first doughnuts for homesick U.S. soldiers. The doughnuts became a symbol of the spirit of the Salvation Army's work to ease the hardship of WW I soldiers on the frontline.

1937 'Woman's Day' magazine began publishing.

1962 Snacking in the Ring: Boxer Evander Holyfield was born. On June 28, 1997, Mike Tyson bit off a chunk of Evander Holyfield's ear in the 3rd round of a boxing match. Tyson was disqualified.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

Numbers:
• There are some 60 species and over 8,000 varieties of grapes growing throughout the world, and all can be used to make juice and/or wine.
• There are over 5000 varieties of pears.
• There are 47 breeds and types of sheep in the U.S. and more than 900 different breeds of sheep worldwide.
• There are more than 500 different varieties of bananas.
• There are more than 1,000 varieties of cherries in the United States, but fewer than 10 are produced commercially.”

“One thing I miss about living in Michigan is all the varieties of cherries I could get from local farmers. Yum.”

“TODAY IN FOOD HISTORY

• National Nut Day

1843 Stephen Moulton Babcock was born. He developed a test to measure the fat content of milk, which which helped improve the quality of commercial dairy production.

1896 Charles Glen King was born. King was a biochemist who discovered vitamin C in 1932. He extracted and isolated it from lemon juice.

1981 The FDA approved the artificial sweetener Aspartame (NutraSweet) for tabletop use.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

Nesselrode pudding is a delicious dessert made by adding chestnut puree to a custard cream, frequently with candied fruit, raisins, and/or sultanas added. Usually topped with whipped cream. M. Mouy, the chef to Count Karl Robert von Nesselrode, a 19th century Russian statesman, is usually credited with its creation.
There are several other dishes named for Count Nesselrode, all containing chestnuts or chestnut puree. Nesselrode Pie, Nesselrode Torte, Bombe Nesselrode.”

“I have a recipe or two for Nesselrode desserts. I haven't made the torte in years.”

“I LOVE candy corn!!!!!!!!


National Candy Corn Day

1815 Andrew Jackson Downing was born. American horticulturist, author of ‘The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America’ (1845) and editor of the 'Horticulturist' periodical.

1894 The first U.S. patent for a time clock was issued to Daniel Cooper of Rochester, New York.

1990 'Ice Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice is #1 on the charts.

View: Today in Food History Calendar for the year
View: Food Timeline 50,000 BC to 2009
View: Extensive Food Festival Listings


DID YOU KNOW?

Safflower is a thistlelike Eurasian plant (Carthamus tinctorius) of the daisy family, having heads of red or orange flowers that are the source of a red dye. The seeds, which look like small pine nuts, contain an oil used in foods (especially margarines), cosmetics, paints, and medicine. The flower petals are sometimes used as a substitute for saffron ('bastard saffron'). Safflower has been found in Egyptian tombs dating to about 3500 B.C.”

“DID YOU KNOW?

Safflower is a thistlelike Eurasian plant (Carthamus tinctorius) of the daisy family, having heads of red or orange flowers that are the source of a red dye. The seeds, which look like small pine nuts, contain an oil used in foods (especially margarines), cosmetics, paints, and medicine. The flower petals are sometimes used as a substitute for saffron (bastard saffron). Safflower has been found in Egyptian tombs dating to about 3500 B.C.”

“When installing a gas line from the meter through the outside wall of a house you must use a right-left nipple instead of a union in California.”

“National Chocolate Covered Anything Day
Eat What You Want Day

1773 The Boston Tea Party. A group of men dressed as Indians, boarded ships at Griffin's wharf and dumped hundreds of tea chests into Boston harbor. The American Revolution began.

1833 Seaman Asahel Knapp was born. An American agriculturist, he began the system which evolved into the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service.

1863 Gerard Adriaan Heineken bought the Amsterdam brewery, 'The Haystack', which dated back to 1592. This was the beginning of Heineken beer.

1884 William Fruen of Minneapolis, Minnesota patented an automatic liquid vending machine.

1965 British author, W. Somerset Maugham died. Among the titles of his novels and short stories are: 'Cakes and Ale', 'The Alien Corn' and 'The Breadwinner.'

1976 On the 'Barney Miller' TV show, Wojo's hippie girlfriend baked a batch of ‘special’ brownies for the precinct.

1980 Harland Sanders died at Shelbyville, Kentucky. Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food restaurant chain.

2004 Country Music singer Willie Nelson opened his own restaurant, the Texas Roadhouse Grill, in Austin, Texas.”

“2009 - It's a good day to be alive!”

“Thanks, Divinity!

Today is a mixed bag..............a pretty good mix.”

“The Peabody Museum is located at 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Mass., within the Harvard University campus.


...Look... a street named after ME!”

“awesome!”

“A street AND candy named after you. Damn and all I got was some spicy beef named for me”

“and a pepper!!!”

“Spicy beef and a pepper. That about sums it up for me”