As President, Jefferson once recieved a 1235 pound
wheel of cheese as a Christmas gift; coining the phrase:
"The Big Cheese". His love of cheese led to the invention of Macaroni and Cheese in his kitchen at Monticello--perhaps America's first contribution to the Culinary world. He actually designed the pasta maker needed for Mac & Cheese (shown here at the right), when a pasta maker he had ordered from Italy failed to meet his expectations. He also was the first to grow eggplant in the New World. Boy, did Jefferson LOVE food!!!
Charcoal
Charcoal brickettes were invented by a millionare friend of Henry Ford, named KINGSFORD. They often went camping together, but being millionare businessmen in wool suits, hated gathering fire wood. Ford mentioned that they had an overabundance of the wooden pegs used to hold the canvas tops to the Model As. Kingsford bought them, ground them up, formed the brickettes, and camping and cook-outs have never been the same since. Until the 1950s, you could only buy Kingsford charcoal at your local Ford Dealership.
Strange but True:
During the 1920s (the era of silent films), popcorn was banned from movie theaters because it was too noisy.
Hot Tamalies candy is rejected "Mike & Ikes" that are then
covered with a cinnamon coating.
Milk Duds candy got its name because they are "duds"--rejects
The candy maker originally wanted them to be round.
The strawberry gets its name from that fact that the earliest
farmers to cultivate them packed straw under the plants to
keep the berries from touching the ground and rotting.
The ancient Irish made jack o'lanterns from red beets
Gelatin products are made by boiling the bones and hooves
of cows, horses, and pigs. Thats why 'animal by-products' is
listed in the ingredients of candy cigarettes.
Remember the song: Mellow Yellow? Its actually a drug song
about smoking banana peels. I prefer my bananas w/ ice cream
Long before it was used in food, the ancient Egyptians used
cinnamon as 'air freshener' in mortuaries.
Orthadox churches have bulbed towers to honor the onion, a
symbol of purity, strength, and wealth in the ancient world.
Long before it was used in the kitchen, PYREX glass was used
to make railroad lanterns. It proudest honor was to be used
as window glass in the Apollo Space Capsules.
