It’s time for another national food holiday commemorating chocolate. Today is National Chocolate Cake Day. In celebration, here is a link to Tastespotting’s wonderful collection of chocolate cake recipes. Enjoy!
The world’s highest chocolate tasting
You heard me right, the world’s highest chocolate tasting. Chocolate deliciousness at Mt. Everest. How’s that for a view?
Project: Chocolate Sherpa is the creation of Belgian Adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke. He will be trekking with 100 pounds of chocolate to Everest Base Camp, elevation 17,552 feet, for this most adventurous tasting. And it is for a great cause, raising funds for the Nepal Mobile Hospital.
Sounds like quite an adventure. Louis-Philippe is looking for sponsors and volunteers. Those interested can email him. For more information, go to http://chocolate-sherpa.blogspot.com/
Totally random chocolate fact #2
With the Inauguration just a couple of days away, I thought I’d continue with the presidential chocolate theme. Or, in this case, First Lady’s chocolate. This one is rather unique. Eleanor Roosevelt ate three chocolate covered garlic balls a day. It was her doctor’s advice that eating this would improve her memory.
Chocolate and the Inaugural ball
What is a party without chocolate? In celebration of Barack Obama’s upcoming Inauguration, I wanted to explore chocolate as served at Presidential Inaugural balls. I began at the beginning.
Although there was a grand ball held by sponsors to honor President George Washington, according to the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, “It was not until 1809, however, after the Inauguration of James Madison at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., that the tradition of the Inaugural ball began.” First Lady Dolley Madison hosted the gala. The first “official” Inaugural ball wasn’t the only debut that night. At the ball, a new drink called “chocolate” was served. From the beginning, there was chocolate.
Abraham Lincoln’s second Inaugural ball in 1865 featured numerous chocolate delicacies, including chocolate ornamental pyramides, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate (it is unclear if this last one is hot chocolate or chocolate candy). Here is a copy of the menu from the Szathmary Culinary archive. Only three copies of the menu are known to exist.
The cold Washington weather also factored in. There was no heat nor sufficient insulation in the temporary structure built for Ulysses Grant’s 1873 Inaugural ball. Freezing guests danced in their overcoats and hats. With such cold temperatures, they ran out of hot chocolate and coffee.
Chocolate ice cream was served at numerous Inaugural balls, including those for Grover Cleveland and William McKinley.
Now there are multiple Inaugural balls with multitudes of chocolate desserts. Bill Clinton holds the record for the most officials balls with fourteen in 1997. The Inaugural festivities for President Clinton also featured some of the more festively named chocolate treats. Tom’s Cookies specially baked the Heavenly Hillary (brownie with nuts), the Tipper Chipper (chocolate chip laced with M&Ms) and the Gore ‘Smore (brownie, marshmallow cream, chocolate ganache and graham cracker).
I am sure chocolate will abound, once again, at this year’s festivities.
Totally random chocolate fact #1
Happy Chocolate Covered Cherry Day!!
That’s right. Today is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day! What a totally random celebratory day. It made me curious, however. Just who thought up this holiday and why? I decided to try to find out. And so I became introduced to the bizarre world of food holidays.
There’s literally a food holiday designation for every day of the year. Britain celebrates National Cherry Day on July 19th, but they aren’t chocolate covered. February 18th is Crab Stuffed Flounder Day. Seriously! Who comes up with this stuff… There’s even a National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night on August 8th. What?? Apparently warm summer nights result in desperation as gardeners get rid of their overabundant zucchini crop in the dead of night by accosting their neighbor’s porches. October 7th is Four Prunes Day. What I want to know is, why four? Why not one or eight or even any number at all? There’s even a Moldy Cheese Day on October 9th. But what I’m not sure about is if they truly mean moldy cheese hiding in the fridge (yech) or cheeses like blue cheese.
But I digress. Back the the original question. Who designated National Chocolate Covered Cherry day? I found lots of wonderful recipes, stunning photos, but no specific answer. The closest I got was this one from the National Confectioners Association website: Usually a company or individual connected to the candy type contacts a major calendar of events publisher – like Chase’s Calendar of Events. The day is often chosen for a significant reason. For example, the day before Halloween is Candy Corn Day. So there you have it. Somebody, most likely a manufacturer of the product, simply chooses it to push their product. But I do like celebrations, so lets celebrate this day and all it’s chocolate covered cherries!
Happy New Year!!!
All of us at Cabaret wish you and your family a very Happy New Year and 2009 filled with joy, abundance and happiness!!!
