Good evening, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: November 17th, 2021. Did you know today is National Apple Cider Day and this is David’s favorite drink in the Winter. Since he is off tomorrow and we need to go grocery shopping now that Fall is in the Air and its cooling off I need to pick up Apple Cider for David tomorrow and Hot Chocolate for Charlie and I.
Fall, makes me think of Pumpkin Carving, and Carmel Apples. Along with cooler temperatures and Apple Cider! Apple Cider is of those things that just are a symbol of Fall. We can’t forget Apple Cider Day falls right in the middle of Fall.
Apple Cider Day was created to celebrate this delicious drink and the many recipes . Whichever Apple Cider you prefer, let’s celebrate today!
This is a time when we pick Apples, snack on Apples, and turn them into Caramel Apples. People bob for Apples, A game based on old Celtic traditions.
What is Apple Cider Day?
Apple Cider Day falls annually on November 18th and it is a day dedicated to celebrating the beverage known as Apple Cider!
There are several different types of Apple Cider. Including Alcoholic, and Kid Friendly versions of Apple Cider and this Holiday celebrates them all.
Five facts to know about Apple Cider:
- Kids were baptized in Cider during the 14th Century because it was believed that Cider was more sanitary than water.
2. President John Adams drank Cider every morning because he believed Cider promoted good health. Adams lived to 90 years old.
3. Cider Apple names: “Hangdown,” “Kentish Fill-Basket,” “Glory of the West.”
4. It takes about 36 Apples to make one gallon of Apple Cider.
5. Caesar’s troops brought back Apple Cider after storming England in 55 BCE.
National Vichyssoise Day
National Vichyssoise Day is celebrated on November 18th of each year in the U.S. This is the day we recognize and relish the hearty Soup made using Pureed Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Cream, and Chicken Stock. The soup’s name might be hard to pronounce because its French, but its usually pronounced as ‘vish-i-swaz.’ The soup is loved by many because of its thick and creamy texture. The Soup is very easy to prepare and makes a filling meal. Although the soup is traditionally eaten as a cold dish, you can vary the temperature according to your taste.
HISTORY OF NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
In 19th-Century France, soup recipes made using Pureed Leeks and Potatoes were common. French cookbooks from those times called these soups ‘Potage Parmentier’ or ‘Potage à la Parmentier’ named after the French Nutritionist and scholar Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who helped pioneer the use of Potatoes in 18th Century France. These soup recipes were similar to the Vichyssoise soup.
Culinary historians haven’t been able to pinpoint one clear origin of this soup and one narrative of its history dates back to King Louis XV of France who, in his fear of being poisoned, asked his servants to taste a Potato Leek Soup he had been served. By the time King Louis XV started eating the soup, it had gone cold. Julia Child offered another narrative and called it “an American invention.” Julia Child version claims that in 1917, a French chef at the Ritz-Carlton in New York City called Louis Diat, who grew up in a small town called Vichy in France, adapted his mother and grandmother’s Potato and Leek Soup recipe, which led to the birth of Vichyssoise. Diat’s interview in 1950 in the “New Yorker” magazine who confirmed this story.
The New Yorker article also mentioned that the soup derived its name from the town, Vichy, and was called ‘Crème Vichyssoise Glacée.’ A hot version of the same soup prepared by the French chef Jules Gouffé existed in a cookbook in 1869.
LET”S CELEBRATE NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
- Get in that DIY spirit and locate the recipe in a cookbook or on the internet and make this Soup for yourself or your loved ones.
- Never lose an opportunity to show off your cooking skills to your followers. Prepare this Soup then upload a picture of your creation on Instagram to get mouths drooling.
- Use this day to reconnect with your family and go out for dinner. Order the Vichyssoise at your local restaurant for a wholesome dinner.
5 FACTS ABOUT VICHYSSOISE
- The famous Chef, Anthony Bourdain, listed the soup as one of his favorite foods and included the recipe in his first cookbook, “Kitchen Confidential.”
- In Batman Returns, Bruce Wayne tries the soup and exclaims, “It’s cold!” to Alfred, his butler. Alfred confirms by saying that “the soup is supposed to be cold.”
- If Potatoes and Leeks aren’t for you, why not try a different version of the Soup like Cauliflower Vichyssoise, Avocado Vichyssoise, or Carrot-Ginger Vichyssoise.
- Louis Diat’s family had the soup to soothe the Summer heat by pouring in cold milk to lower the soup’s temperature.
- Vichyssoise Soup is rich in Fiber, Vitamin C, Proteins, and Calcium.
WHY WE CELEBRATE NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
- Vichyssoise makes for a good meal since the soup is very filling. It’s also a day to remind ourselves to eat well.
- Many people who don’t know about this soup will learn about it thanks to this Holiday which allows us to be thankful for the delicious varieties that our cuisines have to offer.
- A happy tummy is a happy soul and its what you will have when you try Vichyssoise out.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
