Celebrate National Margarita Day

February 22, 2023 by
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Today is National Margarita Day in the United States. This is, of course, not an official holiday, but is one of the myriad food "celebration" days that highlight specific dishes, ingredients, and beverages. You can literally celebrate a different food every day if you so desire. These days range from National Cream Puff Day in January to Oatmeal Muffin Day in December. Pink… read more

Pancake day around the world

February 20, 2023 by
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In yesterday's antipasto post I briefly discussed Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday), which happens tomorrow. Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day around the world, and every country celebrates with their own version. The Guardian's Yvonne Lam takes a look at seven different styles of pancake that span the globe. Spanish-style French toast (Torrijas) from The… read more

Super Bowl Sunday calls for super food

February 8, 2023 by
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Millions of people will gather around their television sets this Sunday as the 57th Super Bowl takes place in Arizona. Even if you aren't a fan of American football (which ironically is played almost exclusively with the hands and not the feet), you might tune in to see the commercials or the halftime show. And, most likely, you'll be eating… read more

Dishes to celebrate the lunar new year

January 21, 2023 by
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The Lunar New Year falls on January 22 this year, and ushers in the Chinese New Year as well as celebrations in other Asian countries including Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The holiday begins on the new moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. For Chinese celebrants, 2023 heralds… read more

Holiday memories, made new

December 25, 2022 by
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I looked back today at what I wrote during the holidays in December 2019, a few months before the world was turned upside down. The post, about favorite holiday food memories, was about the dish of nuts that my grandparents always put out during the Christmas season. That memory is more poignant today because not only were traditions put on… read more

Pastry chefs wow with edible holiday decorations

December 20, 2022 by
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Gingerbread houses across the nation are suffering from a serious case of envy over the creations showcased in a recent Forbes article about amazing edible decorations from talented pastry chefs. While these displays are made from gingerbread, chocolate, and other foods, they are not meant to be eaten. Some of them take months to complete, only to be viewed for… read more

What’s the best time for the holiday meal?

November 22, 2022 by
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You've set your Thanksgiving (or other holiday) menu, gathered the ingredients, cleaned the china and linens, and are all set to start your feast. Now the question remains: what time should you serve the meal? The Washington Post's Becky Krystal recently explored this question, and found the time periods that met with the most approval. Accidental turkey from Food Network… read more

Keeping it basic for the holidays

November 11, 2022 by
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Adventurous cooks who like to try new foods are often stymied during the holidays. We would appreciate adding new or unusual items to the menu, but the diehard traditionalists want everything to be exactly the same - often leading to hard feelings or at least a classic sitcom situation. Instead of fighting the traditionalists, there is a case to be… read more

The foods of Día de Muertos

November 2, 2022 by
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On the heels of Halloween is the Mexican celebration Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead, celebrated November 1-2 each year. Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced to the ancient Aztecs, who felt that instead of mourning the deceased, people should celebrate their lives and welcome their spirits back to the land of the living once a year. Spanish… read more

Celebrate National Coffee Day

September 29, 2022 by
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The US and Canada are celebrating National Coffee Day today, and the international 'official' holiday is just around the corner on October 1. Coffee shops will have specials all day long, and baristas will be whipping up everyone's favorite caffeinated beverages, whether it's a latte, espresso, flat white, or just a good cuppa. While coffee beverages of all sorts are… read more

The foods of Yom Kippur

September 28, 2022 by
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Ten days after the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah, which began on September 25) is Yom Kippur, the most holy day on the Jewish calendar. It is the last of the ten days of penitence, and this year begins at sundown on October 4. Although this isn't necessarily as food-centric as other holidays, there are two meals associated with this… read more

Mooncakes with a twist

September 6, 2022 by
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The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, which this year falls on 10 September, is the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. The holiday is also celebrated by many other Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. While originally conceived as a harvest celebration, the focus these days is on family reunions, so the festival often draws comparisons to US… read more

Celebrate Bastille Day with French food and drink

July 13, 2022 by
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Food, drinks, and fireworks in July aren’t limited to the United States. Ten days after America’s Independence Day, the French also have their own red, white and blue holiday. Called Bastille Day by English speakers, the day is known to the French as “La Fête Nationale,” and it celebrates the anniversary of the liberation of France marked by the storming… read more

World Chocolate Day is here

July 7, 2022 by
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Today is World Chocolate Day! The middle of summer is a brave choice to host this food holiday in the Northern Hemisphere, but there is a reason: it's celebrated on 7 July because that is allegedly the date that chocolate was first brought to Europe in 1550. It's not as though we really need a day to celebrate chocolate, because… read more

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

May 3, 2022 by
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Before I begin extolling the virtues of celebrating Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo, I want to make sure that everyone knows that this holiday is NOT Mexican Independence Day. What Cinco de Mayo does commemorate is the Mexican Army’s victory over the French Empire at the first Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862. Regardless of its actual historical significance,… read more

Sweets for Eid al-Fitr

May 2, 2022 by
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Muslims around the world are celebrating the end of Ramadan with Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Food is at the forefront to celebrate the end of Ramadan fasting. The foods eaten vary depending on the culture of the local celebrants, but sweets are an important aspect no matter where Eid feasts happen. BBC's Good Food provides us with a list of eleven… read more

Jazz up your juleps

April 29, 2022 by
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Few celebrations have a cocktail that is as strongly associated with the day as the Kentucky Derby is with the mint julep. In one week (May 7), the 148th edition of "The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports" will be run, and there is no telling how many mint juleps have been sipped since the inaugural event in 1875. Southerners love their… read more

Anzac Day is a food tradition worth celebrating

April 25, 2022 by
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While many “holidays” about food are completely fabricated events to promote a product, some foods are associated with real holidays that have a more noble purpose. This is the case with the Anzac biscuit, made to commemorate Anzac Day on 25 April (I know, it's already 26 April in Australia but the rest of us can still celebrate it). Seed-studded Anzac biscuits from… read more

Foods to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year

March 19, 2022 by
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March 20 marks the beginning of Nowruz, the traditional Persian New Year festival celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, and the Kurdish regions of Iraq, Turkey and Syria, throughout Central Asia, and by members of the diaspora worldwide. Coinciding with the spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, Nowruz is a two-week celebration that centers on visiting relatives, picnicking, travelling, and eating traditional… read more

Celebrate Pi day with pie!

March 14, 2022 by
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I usually forget about the "National Pie Day" that occurs in January, but that is okay since the logical choice for the day is Pi day, which is today. What better way to celebrate the mathematical constant that is such an integral part of pies? Everyone can find something that pleases them in the pie family due to its infinite… read more

Mardi Gras returns to New Orleans

February 28, 2022 by
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Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) and festivities are in full force in New Orleans after a pause in 2021 due to Covid. Celebrated as the last extravagance before the austere days of Lent, Mardi Gras features indulgent food and drink. Even if you don’t celebrate the religious holiday, the festival is a good excuse to eat classic New… read more

Get ready for SuperBowl Sunday

February 5, 2022 by
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In just over a week, the larges sporting event in the United States will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as the Cincinnati Bengals face off against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Not only is Super Bowl Sunday an important day for sports fans, it’s also the second biggest food event in the nation behind Thanksgiving. Watching… read more

Celebrate Burns Night with these foods

January 24, 2022 by
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While we can't possibly post about each and every celebratory food day, some occasions do call for recognition. One of these is Burns Night, which honors the January 25 birthday of revered Scottish poet Robert Burns. (It's also the day before my birthday so I have extra reason to celebrate my fellow Aquarian.) Delicious Magazine (UK) recently posted their perfect… read more

Get ready to celebrate the year of the tiger

January 19, 2022 by
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February 2 ushers in the Chinese New Year as well as new year's celebrations in other Asian countries including Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The Chinese calendar is a lunar/solar calendar and other names for this festival – the most important in the Chinese calendar – are the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival. The celebration begins on the… read more

Do you have what it takes to make the Queen’s pudding?

January 10, 2022 by
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Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year. Numerous celebrations will take place to mark the occasion, and to coincide with the summer's festivities, the royals - in partnership with Fortnum & Mason - are asking citizens to create a special pudding in honor of the anniversary. Summer berry pudding with vanilla fromage frais… read more
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