Food Holidays: October 1st, 2021

Good morning, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 1st, 2021. Take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which Holiday you most would like to celebrate and why. David says he would like to have a Pumpkin Pie while Charlie and I pass as we don’t care for Pumpkin. How about you?

National Pumpkin Spice Day

The symbol of the Harvest Season in fall and the dessert passed around most at the Christmas table gets its special day on National Pumpkin Pie Day, December 25. Featuring a Pie Shell base filled with Pumpkin Custard, Pumpkin Pies are garnished and served with various spices like Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger. If you missed out on celebrating National Pumpkin Day around Halloween, now is the time to make up for it! 

HISTORY OF NATIONAL PUMPKIN PIE DAY

It’s uncertain how National Pumpkin Pie Day Celebrations began, Pumpkin Pie itself has a rich history. The name originates from the Greek word ‘pepon’, meaning ‘large melon’ and was adopted by the French as ‘pompon’ and was eventually changed into ‘pumpion’ by the English. 

The first pilgrims who settled in the Plymouth Colony may have made a sort of Pumpkin Pie. With Pumpkins brought to them by Native Americas, the first settlers were able to make a Pumpkin Custard using Milk, Honey, and Spices. This is what led to the serving of the Pumpkin Pie at the first Thanksgiving ever. 

In 1651, famous French Chef François Pierre de la Varenne published one of his most important French cookbooks, “Le Vrai Cuisinier François” (The True French Cook). This was translated into English in 1653 and featured a recipe for Pumpkin Pie under the name ‘Tourte of Pumpkin’.

Recipes for ‘pumpion pie’ made their way into English cookbooks by the 1670s. Experimental recipes lessened, and a more defined version started appearing, with the inclusion of Spices. Optional ingredients included Raisins, Apples, and Currants. 

But in 1796 the Pumpkin Pie really took shape when “American Cookery” was authored and published by American Orphan Amelia Simmons. It was the first of its kind to contain recipes more suited to American tastes and had a recipe for Pumpkin Pudding, which is baked in a Crust. It was similar to the Pumpkin Pie we eat today.

Nowadays, the recipe inspirations for Pumpkin Pie are endless, thanks to Pinterest. A staple dessert on Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, Pumpkin Pie really is the perfect Holiday treat. 

5 facts about Pumpkins:

1. The largest Pumpkin Pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. This Pumpkin Pie used 80 pounds of cooked Pumpkin, 36 pounds of Sugar, 12 dozen Eggs and took six hours to bake.
2. In early Colonial times, Pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of Pies, not the filling.
3. Did you know Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
4. The largest Pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
5. The Connecticut field variety is the traditional American Pumpkin.

NATIONAL PUMPKIN PIE DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Cut yourself a slice of Pumpkin Pie and add Garnish and Whipped Cream.
2. Pumpkin Pie filling is now used in other food recipes as well, such as Smoothies and Cookies. If a Pie is not your thing, try Pumpkin in a different form but with the same great taste!
3. If you’ve baked a Pumpkin Pie, discovered a new bakery that makes the best Pumpkin Pie or tried a new recipe, post it on Social Media! Using the hashtag #NationalPumpkinPieDay.

PUMPY-UMPY FACTS ABOUT PUMPKINS

1. The largest pumpkin pie in the world was 20 feet long and arrived at the New Bremen Pumpkinfest. The Pie consisted of 109 gallons of Milk, 1212 pounds of canned Pumpkin, 2796 Eggs, 15 pounds of Cinnamon, and 525 pounds of Sugar!
2. In the olden days, Pumpkins were mostly used as an ingredient for making Pie Crusts, rather than used as a filling.
3. Pumpkins were once famous for curing snake bites and getting rid of freckles.
4. The traditional American Pumpkin is the Connecticut field variety.
5. Pumpkin wasn’t the original choice for carving. The first jack-o’-lanterns were made using potatoes or turnips! It wasn’t until much later when Pumpkins were considered a more suitable choice.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL PUMPKIN PIE DAY

1. We have to admit, people have Pumpkin fever! We love the versatility in which Pumpkin is used in recipes, Sweet to Spicy. There is a reason Americans go crazy for the Pumpkin Spice Latte!
2. What other Fruit is so iconic that it spans over three Holiday celebrations? Pumpkins are at the center of Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas and deserve their own Holiday!
3. The dinner table is incomplete on Christmas without a Pumpkin Pie which gets passed around a lot and is loved by almost everyone.

World Vegetarian Day

I would like to let you know that approximately 10% of the world’s population is Vegetarian, and that India has the lowest per capita Meat consumption in the world? On October 1, we celebrate the benefits of being a Vegetarian and admit that the Meatless lifestyle can actually be awesomely delicious. So get out the Carrot Sticks, Tofu, Cheese Pizza, Veggie Burgers, and other Meat-free delights, because it’s World Vegetarian Day!

WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY ACTIVITIES

1. Even if you’re not a Vegetarian, become one for this Holiday and bring Vegetarian food to share with your friends or family. If you don’t want to put in any extra effort? Buy a ready-made Veggie tray. Everybody loves Veggie trays—even the most avid Meat eaters.
2. Try a Meatless option at a restaurant. Are you the type of person who skips over the Vegetarian section of the menu without so much as a cursory glance? Then today the opportunity to explore the Veggie offerings, and opt for a Meatless meal. The meal might be more delicious than Steak.
3. Shop at a farmer’s market and purchase the freshest Vegetables and Fruits you can find at your local Farmer’s Market. With Fall in the air, you’re sure to find a diverse offering of Meatless foods to appeal to any taste.

WHY WE LOVE WORLD VEGETARIAN DAY

1. Going Meatless spares Animals — and conserves Fossil Fuel. Did you know it takes 78 calories of Fossil Fuel to churn out 1 calorie of Beef, but just 1 calorie of Fossil Fuel to produce 1 calorie of Soybeans? That’s 780% more efficient than Meat production!
2. Vegetarian diets typically involve consuming lots of the good stuff you can’t always find in Meat: Fiber, Folic Acid, Vitamins C and E, Magnesium, Unsaturated Fat, and Phytochemicals. That translates into lower Cholesterol, reduced risk of Heart Disease, Lower Blood Pressure, and a healthier weight.
3. Vegetarian food can be delicious when Meatless diets get a bad rap for being bland and tasteless — but that’s not always true. Any Vegetable can be turned into scrumptious Veggie-based Pancakes. Pizza

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates