Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 23rd, 2021. I wish my dad was here this morning because I would like to make Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream for Charlie.
I grew up on but Charlie hasn’t ever had. Have your children had Homemade Ice Cream if so what flavor is there favorite and why?
July 23
National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
Observed annually on July 23rd, National Vanilla Ice Cream Day is a Holiday in which people can enjoy a type of Ice Cream that’s enjoyed all over the world. Although this Ice Cream isn’t the most popular one in the U.S (that distinction belongs to Chocolate), Vanilla is the second most popular Ice Cream Americans enjoy.
However, it should be noted that the popularity of Vanilla has slowly risen over the last few years, so maybe someday it will become the most popular Ice cream Flavor not only in the U.S but all over the world.
The History Of Vanilla Ice Cream
Although were unable to ascertain the History of National Vanilla Ice Cream Day, we do know the History of Vanilla Ice Cream quite well, so we thought that we’d speak about it for a few moments. To talk about the history of Vanilla Ice Cream, however, we have to begin by talking about the individual Histories of Vanilla and Ice Cream.
Vanilla is an ingredient that belongs to the Orchid family and has been used in Central and South America and the Caribbean for hundreds of years, but it’s a plant that can be traced back to the Totonacs—an Indigenous people that lived on Mexico’s east coast.
When the Aztecs conquered the Totonacs during the 15th century, they acquired the plants and used them. Later on, the Spanish would then conquer the Aztecs and they ended up with Vanilla—which they spread across the Caribbean and Europe.
Even though there are various myths surrounding the first invention of Ice Cream, many historians believe that Vanilla originated in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Although it wasn’t specifically the modern Ice Cream we enjoy today, it was a Frozen Milk-like confection that was made with Buffalo or Goat Milk that was heated with Rice Flour.
All through the Middle Ages, Arabs enjoyed an icy refreshment known as Sharabt in Arabic—known as Sherbet in English. These were chilled Fruit drinks that were flavored with Quince, Pomegranate, or Cherry Juices. This spread through Europe where it transmuted into various types of different Ice Cream types.
By the 18th century, the French had been using Vanilla to flavor their Ice Cream for quite some time and Thomas Jefferson brought the delicacy to the United States during the late 18th century. In fact, Jefferson even wrote his own recipe for Vanilla Ice Cream—a recipe that’s currently in the U.S Library of Congress.
How To Observe National Vanilla Ice Cream Day
National Vanilla Ice Cream Day can easily be observed by anyone with a sweet tooth by just having this delicacy in one of its many forms. A person can have a Vanilla Ice Cream Cone, have a Vanilla Shake (although there’s a separate day for that dessert item), or have a dish such as Dame Blanche—a dish that means “White Lady” and is made from Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, and warm liquid Chocolate. All delicious ways to enjoy this sweet Holiday.
Five Facts About Vanilla:
- Vanilla is the only edible Fruit of the Orchid family, the largest family of flowering plants in the world.
- It’s a Tropical Orchid, and there are more than 150 varieties of Vanilla, though only two types – Bourbon and Tahitian — are used commercially.
- Vanilla grows within the 20-degree band either side of the Equator and is Native to the Americas.
- The Olmeca people on the Gulf Coast of Mexico were perhaps the first to use Vanilla as a flavoring in beverages.
- The Totonaca people of the Gulf coast of Mexico were probably the first people to domesticate Vanilla.
Vanilla Ice Cream Day:
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream 2 cups Half-and-Half Cream ¾ cup white Sugar 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Directions
- Step 1 In a large bowl, combine the Heavy Cream and the Half and Half. Gradually whisk in the Sugar until blended.
- Step 2 Whisk in the Vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, until very cold, at least 3 hours or as long as 3 days.
- Step 3 Whisk the mixture to blend and pour into the canister of an Ice Cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Eat the Ice Cream at once or transfer to a covered container and freeze up to 8 hours.
Official* Hot Dog Day
The Sun is out, and you’re at the Amusement Park, the Rollercoaster is filling the air with the clack-clack-clack of wheels on rails. The scent of a thousand different Fair Foods fill the air, but one stands out above all the rest.
It’s rich, it’s savory, it’s the smell of a thousand mysterious meat products put into one delicious Sausage casing, broiled up on a flame grill, and sent out on a bun with all the fixings. Official* Hot Dog Day celebrates this most delicious and tantalizing of treats, and its extensive history!
Learn about Hot Dog Day
A lot of people are going to have fond memories of eating hot dogs as children. For some people, this reminds them of some of the fairs and fetes that they used to go to when they were younger. For others, it may remind them of the barbecues that they used to have with their families.
Or, maybe a Hot Dog is always your go-to snack when you go to a Football or Basketball game? There is no denying that Hot Dogs are tasty, yet we can’t eat Hot Dogs every day, because they’re not exactly bursting with Nutrients. That’s why Hot Dog Day is the perfect excuse for you to indulge in this treat.
A Hot Dog is simply a Steamed or Grilled Sausage Sandwich whereby the Sausage is typically served within a Hot Dog Bun, which is partially sliced to fit the Sausage inside. The Sausage used is a Frankfurter or a Wiener.
Hot dog condiments and preparation vary regionally. For example, some of the typical garnishes include Olives, Bacon, Coleslaw, Grated Cheese, Chili, Jalapenos, Sauerkraut, or Onions. Typical condiments include Cheese Sauce, Relish, Mayonnaise, Ketchup, and Mustard.
History of Hot Dog Day
Given Official* Hot Dog Day is an international event, where it begins and who sponsors it tends to vary by region. In the USA it’s primarily the industry partners that participate in promoting the Holiday, whereas in other Countries around the world it may be Historical organizations celebrating the role Hot Dogs played in their History.
Did you know that the Frankfurter was named for the Germany City of Frankfurt, where it was said to originate? Well now you do! There’s even multiple varieties of Hot Dogs! The Original Hot Dogs came in a natural casing, which in case you didn’t know were made from the small Intestines of Sheep. Intestines were regularly used for making all kinds of Sausages, Hotdogs included!
Then you have Skinless Hotdogs, in order to hold them together they’re cooked in a cellulose casing that gets taken off when they get packaged. Since Cellulose is Kosher and cheaper than Kosher Intestine, this is often how the delicious Kosher Hot Dogs are often made.
Official* Hot Dog Day is celebrated all over, and if you’ve ever enjoyed a warm Hot Frank at a Summer BBQ, then you’re no doubt celebrating too!
How to Celebrate Hot Dog Day
The best way is to serve yourself up a great meal with Hot Dogs! Charlie’s personal favorite is the old classic, Home-made Mac and Cheese served with slices of Hot Dogs in them. We also really enjoy Hot Dogs in our Chili, that’s if we don’t have a Bun to make a Classic Chili Dog which is my favorite. How about you?
Get all your friends together in your backyard and encourage them to bring their favorite Hot Dogs and Condiments. Share stories of your first Hot-dog, and all the memories you have around this classic Summertime treat. There’s something about a Hot Dog with the slight char that comes from being grilled that always has us waiting for Official* Hot Dog Day.
If you really do want to do something a bit different on Hot Dog Day, why not join a Hot Dog eating contest which I am sure David might win because he loves Hot Dogs and can eat a dozen at a time.
If you think that your going to be able to eat a lot of Hot Dogs within a specified period of time, you never know; you could end up being the champion!
However, we better warn you that there are people who enter eating contests for a living, and they train their bodies specifically for the task, so you’re going to be up against some stiff competition. Nevertheless, a Hot Dog Contest can certainly be a fun and unusual thing to do, and you’re going to get to eat Hot Dogs in the process, so everyone’s a winner, right?
If you take a look online, you will be able to find food-eating contests that are going on in your area. Of course, you could decide to host your own Hot Dog eating contest, between friends and family. This will certainly be a fun way to spend the day, and you will have more chance of winning. You could get everyone to pay an ‘entry-fee’ and this could be the prize fund for the winner.
Another way to celebrate Official* Hot Dog Day is by making your own Hot Dog creation. Hot dogs are typically served with Ketchup, Mustard, and Onions, depending on your taste.
However, why not have fun experimenting with toppings, to see what sort of creations you can come up with? There are so many options, including crumbled Gorgonzola, Baked Beans, Grilled Pineapple, Pickled Green Beans, Caramelized Onions, and much more. You don’t know until you try it!
Crispy Bacon is another popular one. Why not go for something completely unusual and out-of-the-box? You never know, you may be able to come up with the next big thing in Hot Dogs! If you do, be sure to share a photo on Instagram to get everyone’s mouth drooling!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
