Good morning, Happy 4th of July welcome to Food Holidays: July 4th, 2021 . If you decide to shoot off Fireworks please be careful. If your cooking today come and leave me a comment and let me know what your making.
If David was home we would be fixing Brisket or Ribs with Deviled Eggs (Scared Eggs) as Charlie calls them. With Potato Salad (Redneck Salad) again Charlie’s name and Corn on the Cob with a Dessert.
SInce David is going to be working Charlie has asked to order Pizza which we plan on taking with us when we go down to the end of the Street to watch Fire Works. Would you like to come with us?
National Barbecue Day is celebrated every May 16 to serve as a reminder of the delicious food that Americans have access to. Go to a restaurant or have a grill in your own backyard. Just make sure you celebrate the day with great fervor!
History of National Barbecue Day
Barbecues are one of America’s favorite pastimes. Since the activity is highly common in the U.S., it is no surprise that a special day has been dedicated to celebrating the barbecuing tradition.
Although the concept of Barbecuing did not originate in America, the activity has become an essential part of American culture today. The history of Barbecuing in the U.S. goes back to Colonial times where any celebration was incomplete without a cookout.
After the Revolutionary War was won and the first bridge was built over the Missouri River, Barbecue celebrations erupted all over the Nation. Even the American Presidents are famous for hosting massive Barbecues during times of success and on days of special observances.
In fact, George Washington’s diary is said to have referenced a Barbecue event that lasted for three days — that’s how deeply rooted barbecuing is in the country’s history!
Barbecues are a White House tradition thanks to President Lyndon B. Johnson who started this trend by hosting the first-ever Barbecue in the presidential headquarters. The food items served at the event included delicious Texas-style Barbecue Wings.
Five Facts About Barbecue:
- Barbecues have been a White House tradition since Thomas Jefferson. Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, hosted the first barbecue at the White House that featured Texas-style Barbecued Ribs.
- The most popular Holidays for Barbecuing are, in order, July 4th (71 percent), Memorial Day (57 percent), and Labor Day (55 percent)..
- The most popular foods for cooking on the grill are, in order: Burgers (85 percent), Steak (80 percent), Hot Dogs (79 percent) and Chicken (73 percent).
- The side dishes most commonly prepared on the grill are, in order, Corn (41 percent), Potatoes (41 percent), and Vegetables (32 percent).
- The most popular flavors of Barbecue Sauce are Hickory, followed by Mesquite, Honey, and then Spicy-Hot.
Caesar Salad Day
Anyone who has ever had a traditional Italian meal or been to an Italian restaurant knows this delicious Salad mix referred to as Caesar Salad.
Comprised of Romaine Lettuce and Croutons with a delicious blend of Parmesan Cheese, Egg, Garlic, Black Pepper, Worcestershire Sauce, and Lemon Juice (and, in some cases, Anchovies) many people feel that this Salad is something akin to heaven in a bowl.
That’s why Caesar Salad Day came to pass, to celebrate this delicious blend of foliage and seasonings!
History Of Caesar Salad Day
The first thing to know about Caesar Salad is that it was not actually named for the ill-fated leader of Rome. At least not directly. No, Caesar Salad is instead credited to Caesar Cardini, an Italian Immigrant who got into the restaurant business in the US and Mexico in the early 20th century.
Like most of the great culinary inventions, the Caesar Salad wasn’t necessarily the result of a deliberate design or a stroke of genius. Instead, Caesar Salad came about in a moment of desperation. At one point in 1924 there was a bit of a rush on Caesar Cardini’s restaurant in Tijuana.
As the day happened to be the 4th of July, many merry-makers were celebrating American Independence Day and Cardini was stuck without enough food to feed them all. So the clever chef quickly got to work to keep the customers happy, throwing whatever he could into a bowl.
The result? This delicious combination of ingredients, delivered with a little ‘chef’s flair’, as Cardini tossed it right at the table.
From there, these American guests loved what they ate so much that they took the idea with them back to California. Then, it eventually made its way to New York City in the 1940s and many people there still love it today.
Like most food, the Caesar Salad has undergone multiple variations throughout the history of its existence. Originally, Anchovies were not included as part of the Caesar Salad, and that can still be commonplace today.
In some restaurants that are fancier, however, patrons may occasionally find bits of actual Anchovy in with the Salad. In addition, as a complement to the natural Anchovy flavor, comes the Worcestershire Sauce.
Cardini would likely not be pleased by the common occurrence of using Anchovies as he was decidedly opposed to placing Anchovy directly in his Salad.
Of course, that’s not all that has been added over time! Many different versions of the Caesar Salad exist today, including Steak Caesar Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, and shrimp Caesar Salad. All of these have graced the menus of various restaurants throughout the world.
How to Celebrate Caesar Salad Day
Ready to celebrate Caesar Salad Day? Get started! Consider these ideas for getting into the spirit of celebrating this healthy, delicious Salad that can be eaten as a side dish or a meal:
Eat a Traditional Caesar Salad
The best way to celebrate Caesar Salad Day is to make sure to eat a traditional Caesar Salad, in the traditional style! That’s right, most people have been eating Caesar Salad wrong all this time!
The correct way to eat a Caesar Salad is to have it prepared with whole Romaine leaves. In fact, it is truly proper to consume the Salad by lifting those leaves by the stem and eating them with the fingers. Cardini never intended for this to be a Salad eaten with a fork!
Alas, even if Caesar Salad isn’t eaten as a finger food, enjoying one of these delicious salads is the perfect way to honor the day.
Try Making a Caesar Salad
In today’s world, making a Salad is pretty easy because most grocery stores offer bottle versions of Caesar Dressing that are simple and delicious. Just toss sRomaine Lettuce, a bit of shaved Romano or Parmesan Cheese and a few crunchy Croutons into a bowl. Pour bottled dressing over the mixture and, just to get fancy, squeeze a Lemon on the top of the Salad for fun. A tasty and (somewhat) healthy treat!
If you don’t want to go to all the trouble of making a Caesar Salad by hand don’t forget most grocery stores off pre-made Salad kits including Caesar Salad kits.
Learn Some Fun Facts About Caesar Salad
Of course, everyone now knows that Caesar the Roman ruler had nothing to do with the Caesar Salad. But what other interesting facts remain unknown? Spread these facts around on Caesar Salad Day to keep the fun alive!
- The Guinness World Record for the largest Caesar Salad was set in Tijuana, Mexico by Canirac restaurant in 2007. The Salad weighed more than 3 tons and took more than 160 participants to make it!
- As Caesar Salad popularity grew, so did the demand for Romaine Lettuce. Today there are nearly 80,000 acres of Romaine Lettuce Farms and between 1990 and 2009, the per capita consumption of Romaine in the US increased by more than 600%!
- Some people are worried that the raw Eggs in Caesar Salad dressing might create a problem with Salmonella. However, the fact that it is combined with Lemon Juice means any germs will be killed off by the Citrus fruit acidity. It’s safe to eat raw Eggs in Caesar dressing!
- The original Caesar Salad made by Cardini didn’t contain Anchovies and it also only had one large Crouton–not several like it is served today.
No, matter how you plan to indulge, be sure to enjoy a big Caesar Salad for Caesar Salad Day!
Recipe for Caeser Salad:
- 6 cloves Garlic, peeled, divided
- ¾ cup Mayonnaise
- 5 Anchovies Anchovy fillets, minced
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, or more to taste
- Salt to taste
- Ground Black Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- 4 cups day-old Bread, cubed
- 1 head Romaine Lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
- Step 1 Mince 3 cloves of Garlic, and combine in a small bowl with Mayonnaise, Anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan Cheese, Worcestershire Sauce, Mustard, and Lemon juice. Season to taste with Salt and Black Pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Step 2 Heat Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the remaining 3 cloves of Garlic into quarters, and add to hot oil. Cook and stir until brown, and then remove Garlic from pan. Add Bread Cubes to the hot oil. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove Bread Cubes from Oil, and season with Salt and Pepper.
- Step 3 Place Romain Lettuce in a large bowl. Toss with dressing, remaining Parmesan Cheese, and seasoned Bread cubes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
