National “Cheese Lover’s” Day

Five Food Finds about Cheese

• Cheeses are more flavorful at room temperature. Let them stand for a half hour before serving.

• Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded history.

• Artisan cheese, made in small batches from local sources, is growing at a pace that exceeds even the growth rate of general cheese consumption in America.

• Some studies claim that cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss and American cheeses can help to prevent tooth decay.

• A study by the British Cheese Board in 2005 showed cheese has positive effects on sleep, not nightmares as Ebeneser Scrooge seemed to think.

On This Day in Food History…

1785 Samuel Ellis advertised to sell his Oyster Island with no takers. Later renamed Ellis Island

1920 The 50-50 Club opened, considered the 1st ‘speakeasy.’

1964 The world’s largest cheese was presented at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, weighing in at over…

Superstitions run rampant in the South.  Some of the more well-known ones are:  step on a crack, break your momma’s back; don’t cross a black cat or you’ll have bad luck; don’t walk under a ladder, or you’ll have more bad luck; break a mirror and you’ll have 7 years bad luck.  I like to focus on the superstitions that bring good luck, such as, find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck, or rubbing a rabbit’s foot, or my favorite – eating black-eyed peas and turnip greens on  New Year’s Day to ensure a prosperous year.

For the past fifteen years, my husband and I have hosted a Hoppin’ John party to provide tasty black-eyed peas and turnip greens for our friends in hopes of bringing another year of good luck.  The suggested origin of this tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General…