Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: June 2nd, 2022. Would you take a look at the Food Holidays: June 2nd, 2022 and let me know which Holiday you most want to celebrate and why. Charlie and I haven’t ever tried a Chocolate Macaroon so we will stick to Eggs today. How about you?
National Chocolate Macaroon Day
HISTORY OF NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MACAROON DAY
A Macaroon is a small Cake or Cookie. The chief ingredients in a Macaroon are Almond Powder, Egg Whites, and Ground Sugar. Flavors are added as per individual preference. Dessert lovers also add Coconut Shavings, Condensed Milk, and Ground Nuts for added flavor. The Macaroons are baked on edible Rice Paper in an oven.
It is believed that Macaroons originated some time in the 8th or 9th Century in an Italian Monastery. The desserts were introduced in France in 1533 when Monks from the Monastery joined King Henry II’s pastry chef. A few centuries later, two Benedictine nuns named Sister Marie-Elizabeth and Sister Marguerite sold Macaroons to pay for rent during the French Revolution.
Sister Marie-Elizabeth and Sister Marguerite Macaroons became famous in the French province and the sisters were known by the name of ‘Macaroon Sisters’ throughout Europe. The dessert has now become synonymous with French cuisine and today some of the best Macaroons can be tasted in France. The dessert also enjoys great popularity in other European, Asian, and Latin American Countries.
We have Mrs. Esther Levy to thank for popularizing the great American Macaroon. In 1871, Mrs. Levy published the “First Jewish American Cookbook.” Mrs. Levy originally published this recipe in the chapter on Cakes as there was not a chapter on cookies. However, this is understandable, as the texture of a Macaroon isn’t very Cookie-like. It is soft and a little chewy, more like a Cake than a Cookie. However, the bite-size serving is most definitely Cookie-like.
Macaroons deserve to be celebrated and recognized for their own characteristics. Coconut was substituted for Almond Flour when the first Coconut Palms planted in Florida began to yield fruit. Macaroons are not only tasty little delights, they were also an early exercise in the Locavore movement, eating produce grown close to home.
National Chocolate Macaroon Day celebrates the especially indulgent and rich flavor of Chocolate and encourages those with a sweet tooth to try out this flavor. Chocolate Macaroons taste best with a cup of Tea.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MACAROON DAY
- Look up an easy recipe online for Chocolate Macaroons and try making some at home.
- Head to your nearest Bakery and treat yourself to Chocolate Macaroons. Remember to bring some home so that you can share with your family.
- Take photos of your favorite Chocolate Macaroons and post them online with the hashtag #NationalChocolateMacaroonDay.
5 FACTS ABOUT MACAROONS
- French Macaroons might be the most loved but the dessert didn’t originate in France the first recipes for Macaroons came from Italy.
- Macaroons are often confused with the popular Macaron, and although they have similar ingredients, the two sweets are vastly different in appearance. Though some people use the terms interchangeably.
- A Cupcake may contain up to 600 calories while a Macaroon has about 70–100 calories!
- Macaroons are also available in a bunch of weird flavors like Wasabi and Cheetos!
- Macaroons became popular and favored by Jewish people due to their unleavened nature, meaning they can be enjoyed throughout the Passover period.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE NATIONAL CHOCOLATE MACAROON DAY
- National Chocolate Macaroon Day is all about indulging in your favorite treat without feeling guilty about it.
- Macaroons have been around for Centuries now. This holiday also celebrates a historical recipe that has been personalized by different cultures with locally available ingredients.
- Chocolates are everyone’s favorite and what can be better than Macaroons filled with or dipped in rich, creamy Chocolate?
Five Food Finds about Macaroons
- A Macaroon is a type of light, baked confection, described as either small Cakes or Meringue-like Cookies depending on their consistency.
- The original Macaroon was a “small sweet Cake consisting largely of ground Almonds” similar to Italian Amaretti.
- The English word Macaroon and French Macaron come from the Italian Maccarone or Maccherone.
- This word itself is derived from Ammaccare, meaning crush or beat, in reference to the Almond Paste which is the principal ingredient.
- Most recipes call for Egg Whites usually whipped to stiff peaks, with ground or powdered seeds, generally Almonds or Nuts. Alternatively, Coconuts, a seed, can be used.
National Egg Day
National Egg Day June 3 finds Eggs finally breaking out of their shell.
Did you know Eggs had some tough years as health experts fretted about the high cholesterol content. But after a revision of the American Heart Association’s guidelines in 2000, the health benefits of Eggs seemed to outweigh the concerns.
The AHA says healthy adults can enjoy an Egg per day and easily remain within the daily cholesterol limit.
Also, a single egg has only 75 calories, which is great for those looking to lose weight. And the seven grams of protein in an average Egg almost makes this a superfood with a great calorie-to-protein ratio.
Those of us who are big fans of Eggs can feel free to use National Egg Day to utter that timeless phrase, “How do you want your eggs?” It doesn’t matter if it’s 7am, 7pm, or somewhere in between.
Eggs are great to eat anytime or any day.
NATIONAL EGG DAY ACTIVITIES
- Americans primarily eat Chicken Eggs, that’s not the case in all cultures. Pheasant, Quail, and Turkey Eggs are all popular to eat around the world, offering a slightly different taste from Chicken Eggs. Consider trying Duck Eggs, which have more of an orange and blue tint to them. Do you need more food at breakfast? An Emu Egg is equal to about 12 Chicken Eggs, while an Ostrich Egg is equal to about 24 Chicken Eggs.
- Don’t let National Egg Day slip away without cooking a new Egg recipe. Consider trying an Egg recipe from another culture, including Huevos Mexicana, Oyakodon from Japan.
- Eggs aren’t just for eating on this holiday. Consider visiting the local Zoo and see if you can learn more about Birds and Eggs in nature. Build a birdhouse with a transparent plastic back so you can see the Eggs and the hatchlings as they develop. Because it’s June, consider playing Mythbusters at home and testing whether it’s hot enough to fry an Egg on the sidewalk.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL EGG DAY
- Most people crack the Egg shell over the frying pan and don’t think any further about it, uncracked Eggshells are great for crafts. At Easter time, many people paint and decorate Hard-boiled Eggs. You can use Eggs in arts and crafts at other times too. Hollowed out Eggs of all sizes including Ostriches to Robins are used in home crafts and decorations. Just make sure you hollow out the Egg first.
- We feel pretty confident in saying that, no matter how much you love eating Egg dishes, you haven’t tried every possible way to cook Eggs. If you’re sure you have, you should apply to be the permanent CEO of National Egg Day. Eggs can be cooked alone or placed in other recipes. Nearly every culture incorporates Eggs into its cuisine, the number of worldwide Egg recipes is almost endless.
- Nutritionists have not only found that the nutritional value of Eggs outweighs their cholesterol level, but Eggs have a positive effect on brain development and on memory enhancement. The nutrient, choline, which is similar to the family of B- Vitamins, which plays a part in the process of developing signaling molecules in the brain. This means moms should hide the Sugary breakfast cereal when it’s test day at school for the kids; serve Eggs instead!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
