Food Holidays: December 14th, 2021

Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: December 14th, 2021. Did you know today is National Biscuit and Gravy Day? If I had knew this when Charlie took David, my sister Debbie and I out to I Hop for Breakfast this morning I would have ordered Biscuits and Gravy which is so yummy!!

National Biscuits and Gravy Day*

Five food facts to know about Biscuits and Gravy:

1. Biscuits and Gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the South which consists of a doughy Biscuit covered in Sausage or Sawmill Gravy, made from the drippings of cooked Pork Sausage and flavored with Black Pepper.

2. The meal emerged after the American Revolutionary War, when food stock was in short supply. 

3. Gravy and Biscuits became a popular dish for Southern Plantation workers because the ingredients were cheap and in abundance

4. The word “Biscuit” comes from a Latin word “bis” which means to cook. 

I5. This Gravy is also known as a “Gravy Biscuit.” 

National Biscuit and Gravy Week is celebrated during the second week in September and celebrates the home-spun Southern Way to start the day. Biscuits and Gravy a good reason to sit down to a hot breakfast and start the workday with a full stomach.

Biscuits and Gravy is a popular American breakfast, especially in the South. Some say its emergence took place immediately after the American Revolutionary War. Once the US pulled away from Britain, food shortages set in. Those shortages hit the South particularly hard. People came up with a good way to load up on Carbohydrates before going out to work.

National Biscuits and Gravy Week is an organized incentive to learn about the different types of Gravy. When learning about Gravy also research Homemade Bread. Try dipping the Bread in a variety of Gravies to sample to see which you like better.

While several varieties of Biscuits and Gravy find their way into kitchens, generally, it’s a soft Dough Biscuit covered with Gravy. The Gravy may be made from White Flour, or Roux Flour, Milk and the drippings of cooked Pork, Sausage, or other meat.

The heritage of the American South explains the Southern tradition of Biscuits and Gravy. Scottish roots run deep, and Biscuits baked for the breakfast are made in a very similar way to Scottish Shortbread. A little more liquid turned the originally hard Biscuit into a soft Biscuit. The Gravy used on Biscuits and Gravy is based on Centuries-old cooking methods first perfected in France. The Gravy is based on a Roux which is Flour and Fat with added Milk. The cooks took the available ingredients and developed the perfect Gravy and Biscuits.

LET’S CELEBRATE #BiscuitAndGravyWeek

Use #BiscuitAndGravyWeek to share your creation on Social Media.

Here is a book dedicated to the Southern breakfast:

Biscuits and Gravy: A Guide to B&G by Russell Dale

NATIONAL BISCUIT AND GRAVY WEEK HISTORY

We were unable to identify the source of National Biscuit and Gravy Week.

National Bouillabaisse

I hope you take the time to enjoy this French Stew on December 14th. Bouillabaisse traces its roots all the way back to ancient Greece and has made its way to the U.S. with variations, including simpler versions. The main component of Bouillabaisse is Fish, including Eel and Shellfish, Vegetables, and Broth. What makes this Stew unique are the Herbs and Spices? Also, the Broth and Fish are served separately, accompanied by sliced Bread with a Rouille spread.

NATIONAL BOUILLABAISSE DAY ACTIVITIES

1. If you like Seafood, consider making the dish to celebrate the Holiday. Find a simple recipe or take on the challenge of a fancier recipe. Either way, we’re sure you’ll have fun making the Stew and enjoying the results.
2. Look up restaurants in your neighborhood that serves the Stew and pick as many as you can for your own taste challenge.
3. Bouillabaisse originated in ancient Greece; a similar dish appears in Roman mythology. Did you know this is the Soup that Venus fed to Vulcan.

5 TYPES OF FISH USED TO PREPARE BOUILLABAISSE.

1. Etrille Velvet Crabs can make their way into this Stew as part of the Shellfish component. The largest of the swimming Crab family, which can be found in the Western parts of the Mediterranean Sea.
2. Rascasse Rogue which is French for red rascasse, is a spiny Mediterranean Rockfish. A White Rascasse can also be used for the Stew.
3. Grondin: A Grondin, or Sea Robin, can sometimes replace the Rascasse which are a family of bottom-feeding Scorpaeniform Fish.
4. Congre] is a kind of Eel and its head is sometimes used for the Stew.
5. Baudroie, or Monkfish, are typically found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Did you know they can grow to be over five feet long, though the average size is about three feet.

WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL BOUILLABAISSE DAY

1. Learning about other Cultures is important. By celebrating this popular Mediterranean dish, it reminds us that even learning about a recipe can bring us closer to other Countries.
2. Food can push us to try new things. Whether it’s giving this dish a taste or buying the ingredients to create a new recipe, this Holiday helps us get out of our comfort zone.
3. You’ll have a new dish to add to your dinner rotation. If you want to avoid Chicken or Beef for a day, Bouillabaisse which incorporates at least four types of Fish, is the savory solution. Celebrate by learning how to make Bouillabaisse, and then, cook some whenever you get a craving for Seafood.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates