March 25: National Pecan Day, International Waffle Day, and Lobster Newberg Day

National Pecan Day

The pecan dessert I know best is pecan pie.  I cringe when I think about the ingredients of pecan pie, but I'll still reach for a piece every now and then.  Everyone I know with Southern ties has a family-specific pecan pie recipe that they just will not share.  Don't want a full size pie?  Try pecan tassies instead.

Another treat I enjoy pecans in are turtles (the candy of course, not the marine animal they're named for.)  They're delightfully simple to make and children love helping to put them together.  Plus, it's always fun to watch someone's reaction when you say, "I ate a turtle!  Would you like one?"

And the National Pecan Shellers Association has all the nutrition information you'd ever want about pecans, plus some recipes.



International Waffle Day

Today was one of the many days on my calendar that I had down as "Waffle Day."  Thankfully, Mr. Breakfast clears up the confusion about National Waffle Day- today is International Waffle Day, not National Waffle Day.  If you're in New York, Gothamist can help you find the best waffles nearby.  In Los Angeles?  The HuffPo has you covered.  Since it is International Wafle Day, you may want resources for while you're abroad - be it London, Paris,  Melbourne, or Singapore.  Waffles can be found in just about every country.


National Lobster Newberg Day

This is another food named after a person, although the story has a slightly different twist than most - the food was named not in honor of the person, but out of spite!  According to Steak Perfection, Ben Wenberg created the dish called Lobster a la Wenberg and shared the recipe with Charles Delmonico who put it on the menu at his restuarant.  It was a hit with customers, but Wenberg and Delmonico eventually had a falling out.  Delmonico removed the dish from his menu but it proved too popular to remain off the menu for long.  Under pressures from customers but not wanting to have Wenberg's name on his menu, Delmonico switched a few letters around and put the dish back on the menu under the name Lobster a la Newberg.  Just goes to show you should never anger someone who has the power to name a dish after you.

And since it's always neat to find old recipes, Michigan State University has the first known published recipe of Lobster a la Newberg online for you to see. I find it amusing that the dish is called "Lobster a la Newberg or Delmonico."  I can't help but think Delmonico got the last laugh.

And I'm not sure if it's Newberg or Newburg - I've seen it both ways.   I'm sticking with Newberg, though, since that's how it is in the original recipe.

January 24: Lobster Thermidor Day & Peanut Butter Day

National Lobster Thermidor Day

By the time I finish this year-long experiment, I'll probably have a huge list of new foods I'll need to try, either homemade or bought. 

And that list will include lobster thermidor.

Another dish I had never heard of until today, lobster thermidor sounds like a truly indulgent meal and I want one now.  When I try lobster thermidor, I'll probably first try it in a restaurant and then attempt it at home if I really like the dish.  (My main reason for trying it in a restaurant first?  I don't want to deal with live lobsters - those claws look so intimidating!)  Oprah.com has Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor recipe and just look at those ingredients!  Cream, cognac, tarragon, mustard....That looks like a recipe for deliciousness.


National Peanut Butter Day

Peanut butter is one of those foods that works great as a topping (on apples, celery, bread, etc), pairs well with other spreads (jellies, jams, honey), can be an  ingredient (as in peanut butter cookies or pasta) or can be scooped out of the jar with the spoon and just eaten by itself.  I think everyone is familiar with peanut butter and has their favorite brand of peanut butter.  I'm not particularly brand-loyal to peanut butter, I just like to buy the simplest peanut butter.  When was the last time you looked at the ingredient list on a jar of peanut butter?  You'd be surprised what goes into most peanut butter.  I try to buy brands that are simple (some brands out there only have 2 ingredients - peanuts and salt!) and have no ingredients I'd work with in a lab setting.  If the peanut butter separates, that's fine by me.  It's not that hard to mix it all back together.  The only downside to buying more "real" peanut butter is I have to keep it in the fridge where it gets really cold and hard to spread.  To combat this, I scoop some out into a bowl and microwave it for about 30 seconds.

To celebrate Peanut Butter Day, I opted for a quick snack during the State of the Union speech because I wasn't hungry enough yet for a full dinner.  I topped a toasted slice of homemade bread with crunchy peanut butter.  Since it was looking a little plain (but still delicious as-is) and I had some rhubarb pie (see yesterday's post) that needed salvaging, I put a couple of spoonfuls of cooked rhubarb on top.  This ended up being a very nice snack, but I wish I had apples or bananas.  Apple slices just seem perfect for dipping into peanut butter and I love peanut butter banana sandwiches.

So whether you like crunchy, creamy, super loaded with unpronounceable ingredients, or you make  your own, enjoy a scoop of peanut butter and think of new ways to use peanut butter.