Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: December 14th, 2022. Would you take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate and why you picked that Holiday.
National Biscuits and Gravy Day**
NATIONAL BISCUITS AND GRAVY WEEK
National Biscuit and Gravy Week takes place during the second week in September celebrating the home-spun Southern Way to start the day. National Biscuits and Gravy Day is a good reason to sit down to a hot breakfast. Allowing everyone to begin the day with a full stomach.
Biscuits and Gravy is a popular American breakfast, especially in the South. Some say Biscuits and Gravy took place immediately after the American Revolutionary War. Once the US pulled away from Britain, food shortages set in. Notably, those shortages hit the South particularly hard. People came up with a good way to load up on carbohydrates before going out to labor.
National Biscuits and Gravy Week is an organized incentive to learn about the different types of Gravy. Becoming educated about Gravy comes with homemade Bread. Try dipping bread in a variety of Gravies to sample a couple or several.
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. The 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 one. Gravy used on Biscuits and Gravy is based on centuries-old cooking methods first perfected in France. The Gravy is based on a roux Flour and fat, with added Milk. The ideal cooks took the available ingredients and developed the perfect Gravy.
HOW TO OBSERVE #BiscuitAndGravyWeek
Use #BiscuitAndGravyWeek to get in on the conversation on Social Media.
Check out one of the Cookbooks dedicated to the Southern breakfast:
- Biscuits and Gravy: A Guide to B&G by Russell Dale
- Southern Biscuits by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart
NATIONAL BISCUIT AND GRAVY WEEK HISTORY
We couldn’t identify the source of National Biscuit and Gravy Week.
Happy National Bouillabaisse Day allows you to enjoy 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 many variations, including simpler versions. The main components of Bouillabaisse are Fish, including Eel and Shellfish, Vegetables, and the Broth. What makes Bouillabaisse unique are the Herbs and Spices. Also, the Broth and Fish are served separately. Accompanied by sliced Bread with a Rouille spread including Garlic Mayonnaise).
- Did you know Bouillabaisse is the most famous Fish Stew of the Mediterranean, and its home is considered to be Marseilles.
- Bouillabaisse was originally the fare of the local fishermen who on returning from a fishing expedition sorted heir catch : some to be sold on the local market , some to be kept to be eaten at home.
- When making Bouillabaisse at least four of the following fish should be included: Rascasse, White Rascasse – Fielas (Congre), Araignée (Vive) – Chapon (Scorpène), Galinette (Rouget Grondin) * facultative, Saint-Pierre Cigale de mer, Langouste.
- According to Curnonsky, there is a legend that Bouillabaisse was first brought by Angels to the Three Marys of the Gospel, when they were shipwrecked in the marshes between the two branches of the Rhone River near Arles.
- One of the earliest uses of the word Bouillabaisse was in the 1830s as a term expressing the rapidity of the cooking.
NATIONAL BOUILLABAISSE DAY ACTIVITIES
- If you like Seafood, consider making Bouillabaisse to celebrate National Bouillabaisse Day. Find a simple recipe or take on the challenge of a fancier version.
- Look up restaurants nearby that serve Bouillabaisse and pick as many as you can for your own taste challenge. Bonus points for supporting local businesses.
- B originated in ancient Greece, a similar dish also appears in Roman mythology: it’s the Soup that Venus fed to Vulcan.
5 TYPES OF FISH USED MAKE BOUILLABAISSE
- Etrille Velvet Crabs can make their way into this Stew as part of the Shellfish component. The largest of the swimming Crab family, Etrille Velvet Crabs can be found in the Western parts of the Mediterranean Sea.
- Rascasse Rogue French for red Rascasse, it’s a spiny Mediterranean Rockfish. A white Rascasse can also be used for the Stew.
- A Grondin, or Sea Robin, can sometimes replace the Rascasse. A family of bottom-feeding Scorpaeniform fish.
- Congre a kind of Eel head is sometimes used for the Stew.
- Baudroie, or Monkfish, are typically found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Baudroie can grow to be over five feet long, though the average size is about three feet.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL BOUILLABAISSE DAY
- By celebrating this popular Mediterranean dish, it reminds us that even learning about a recipe can bring us closer to other Countries regardless of the Oceans in between.
- Whether it’s giving Bouillabaisse a taste or buying all the ingredients to make something new, this day helps us get out of our comfort zone.
- 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 this Soup whenever you get a craving for Seafood.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
