cookiesinheaven

Labels: Food History, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara History, St. Barbara

For most of human history, frozen meant frightening. The challenge up north was to stay warm. Then came ice cream.

It was first the food of kings and queens. Who else could afford the extravagance of ice in summer? Eighteenth century etchings show it being scooped by angels. Shaped into swans. Delivered to the gods.

Now, it’s on every corner, in every supermarket freezer. Some great. Some not so great. And some downright artisanal. Exotic. Goat cheese and cherry, anyone? - OnPoint Radio

Labels: Food History, Ice Cream, radio

Happy National Donut Day....

National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday in June. In 1917, Salvation Army female volunteers known as “lassies” prepared thousands of fresh donuts to the homesick soldiers that served in France during World War I. National Donut Day was officially established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression.

Labels: donuts, Food History, food holidays

Labels: Food History

Interstate Bakeries Corp. said today its Wonder bread brand would disappear from Southern California grocery stores after it shuts down bread baking operations in the region Oct. 29.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Interstate said it planned to close all four of its Southland bread bakeries, located in Glendale, Pomona, San Diego and in Los Angeles southeast of USC. The company will also close 17 distribution centers and 16 outlet stores.

In all, about 1,300 jobs will be eliminated.

Wonder bread was first marketed more than 80 years ago and has been sold in Southern California since at least the 1940s, the spokeswoman said. Interstate acquired the brand when it bought Continental Baking Co. from Ralston Purina Co. in 1995 for $461 million in stock and cash. - Latte Times

Labels: bankruptcy, Bread, Food History

Labels: Drinks, Food History, Kentucky Derby

The EARTH DINNER cards are designed to spark stories and memories of the foods and people we love, and perhaps to inspire new thinking about the foods we choose everyday.

Each card is designed so that everyone in the group can participate. Incorporate the cards into the whole evening. Above all, try to make sure each person has an opportunity to both share and listen to each other's stories. If you don't get through all of the cards, save them for your next celebration, or use them weekly at your dinner table! There are no wrong answers. Everyone wins this game!

Click to download a sample of EARTH DINNER™ cards

A third card quizzed us on the correct price for Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee. I aced this one. (One of the occupational hazards of being a food writer is that one's gray matter is completely used up by useless food knowledge.) I was surprised that the card didn't explain why the coffee is so expensive, but then I remembered the process behind this rare commodity. Let's just say it's not a topic for the dinner table.

Labels: Dinner, earth day, Food History