National Waffle Day on August 24th commemorates the anniversary of the first waffle iron patent issued. Celebrate by savoring your favorite kind of waffle!
On August 24, 1869, Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York received his patent for the waffle iron. While waffles existed long before then, the invention made waffles more readily available.
Eaten throughout the world, a waffle is a leavened batter or dough. When cooked between two patterned plates, the dough bakes in the waffle’s characteristic uniform impressed surface. Waffles also come in many forms. Depending on the type of batter or iron used, the resulting waffle varies by consistency, size, shape, and flavor.
Waffle irons and waffles originated around the 14th century. An anonymous husband penned the first known waffle recipe as a set of instructions for his wife. According to the manuscript, Le Ménagier de Paris, each of the four recipes began:
Beat some eggs in a bowl, season with salt and add wine. Toss in some flour, and mix. Then fill, little by little, two irons at a time with as much of the paste as a slice of cheese is large. Then close the iron and cook both sides. If the dough does not detach easily from the iron, coat it first with a piece of cloth that has been soaked in oil or grease.
Enjoy your favorite waffle recipes. Or visit a local restaurant for some fresh served waffles. Restaurants across the country specialize in waffles, crafting delicious combinations for every meal of the day. No matter your preference, there’s a waffle for you!
Invite friends over for a waffle making party. Set up a buffet with fresh fruit, syrups, and nuts. Ask them to bring their best ingredients and get tasting! You never know what you’ll discover. Make it breakfast, brunch, snack or dessert, waffles are very versitile.
National Crème Brûlée Day on July 27th presents an opportunity to enjoy a mouth-watering custard for dessert. Since there are several flavors, don’t miss out!
Crème brûlée is also known as burnt cream, crema Catalana, and Trinity crème. The dessert consists of a rich custard base. The custard is then topped with a contrasting layer of caramelized sugar. Chefs achieve this final layer by using a small propane torch.
While vanilla is the most common custard base of crème brûlée, the dessert comes in a range of other flavors. Coffee, citrus, nut, chocolate, and other fruit flavors find their way on to menus frequently. However, other unique flavorings such as green tea, lavender, liqueurs, and even savory crème brûlée add an interesting finish to any meal.
The earliest known reference of crème brûlée, as we know it today, appears in Francois Massialot’s 1691 cookbook.
If making a crème brûlée at home, follow the recipe precisely. Don’t make any substitutions. Here is a crème brûlée recipe for you to make and share. Or, invite a friend to join you at your favorite restaurant. Post on social media using #NationalCremeBruleeDay.
National Tapioca Pudding Day on July 15th encourages us to dig into this pudding dish enjoyed around the world!
Tapioca is a starch derived from the cassava root. While the root looks similar in shape and color to a sweet potato, in its natural form, cassava contains cyanide. However, grinding down the root produces a flour or powder used as a thickening agent. It may also be produced tapioca into pearls. Also known as manioc or yucca, growers cultivate cassava around the world. A part of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, this woody shrub is native to South America but is also grown in Asia and Africa.
Once a staple in early American households, tapioca was dehydrated to survive long sea voyages without spoilage. In a dehydrated form, tapioca earns an extended shelf life. Cooks wanting to make homemade tapioca should plan ahead. Tapioca pearls must soak overnight before using them.
For those sensitive to gluten, substitute tapioca in place of flour as a thickening agent in recipes. Try it in recipes for pancakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Tapioca also provides an excellent source of vitamin B, manganese, and iron. Turn to tapioca if you’re having trouble gaining weight or have a sensitive stomach. Tapioca is a gentle ingredient and helps to add healthy weight gradually.
For those who want to enjoy tapioca more quickly, minute and instant tapioca puddings make the process easier. Make a quick parfait with layers of fruit and whipped cream. It will definitely make a perfect celebration that way. However, we also enjoy tapioca in Boba tea, a Taiwanese tea-based drink.
As you explore tapioca, don’t forget it’s not just a pudding. Try it in soup, beverages, and baked goods, too. No matter how you celebrate, be sure to try a variety of tapioca recipes. Share your favorite way to cook with this versatile ingredient. Share how you’re celebrating by posting on social media using #TapiocaPuddingDay.
National Blueberry Muffin Day on July 11th gives us a great reason to get up in the morning and celebrate! Americans love their blueberry muffins so much, it’s their number 1 favorite muffin flavor. Whether it is for breakfast or a snack, blueberry muffins are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
While enjoying a delicious blueberry muffin, consider the powerhouse the blueberry is. This once wild berry became domesticated during the early 1900s thanks to the observations of Elizabeth Coleman White and the research of Dr. Frederick V. Coville. Before their efforts, wild blueberries were never successfully transplanted and raised in any farming operation for personal or commercial production. The only way to enjoy fresh blueberries was to seek them out where they grew naturally.
Today we can enjoy the abundant potassium, vitamin C and B6, and other health benefits of the blueberry much more readily than they did 120 years ago. We bake them into muffins and eat them by the handfuls. They are so likable that we celebrate blueberries as a popsicle, cheesecake, pie, and a popoverday, too! Don’t forget, July is also National Blueberry Month.
While celebrating the day, be sure to make a few for co-workers and family, too. It’s not a celebration if you don’t share. It is America’s favorite muffin after all.
Give making your own a try! If you don’t bake, be sure to stop by your favorite bakery and pick up a few. Give them a shout out, too.
Use #BlueberryMuffinDay to share and follow on social media.
Real milk takes the spotlight on World Milk Day, always on June 1. The day is intended to bring attention to activities connecting the dairy sector.
The annual observance is marked with events across the globe: milking demonstrations and farm visits; games and competitions; concerts; distribution of milk products; and conferences, seminars and information sharing.
Did you know: The dairy sector supports more than one billion people’s livelihoods. More than six billion people globally consume dairy products, making it a $413.8 billion market.
China is the fastest-growing dairy market. Europe, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina are the primary dairy-producing countries.
However, drinking milk in the U.S. has been on the decline since about 2000. In the 1980s, more than 50 percent of the dairy products regulated by the USDA was beverage milk. By 2015, that had dropped to 33 percent. Prompting the downward trend, according to market watchers, is the annual decline in the market consumption of ready-to-eat cereals. (source: American Farm Bureau)
WORLD MILK DAY HISTORY
In 2001, the United Nations selected June 1 as World Milk Day to celebrate the essential contributions of the dairy sector to sustainability, economic development, livelihoods, and nutrition.
Watch for local promotions of dairy products in your area and take advantage of specials. Visit the website https://worldmilkday.org/ to learn more about the day. Use the social media tags #WorldMilkDay, #RaiseAGlass to be part of the trending popularity on World Milk Day.
