Food Holidays: December 6th, 2021

Welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: December 6th, 2021. Today is a Holiday to be remembered and forgotten if you ask Charlie and I. It’s National Gazpacho Day which Charlie and I do not eat. Do you? Along, with National Cook for Christmas Day which we will also sit out because we haven’t decided what we are doing for Christmas. Have you decided what your doing?

National Gazpacho Day

Ask anyone what they think of Gazpacho, and they’ll say a chilled, Tomato Soup. But it wasn’t always made that way: Gazpacho originated in Andalusia, a region of Spain, way back in the Middle Ages. Back then Gazpacho was made out of a combination of Stale Bread, Oil, Vinegar, and Water all pounded together with a mortar and pestle. At that time, Spain was part of the Islamic world, so the name Gazpacho comes from an Arabic word for “soaked Bread. The primary ingredients are Tomatoes/Tomato Juice, Bell Peppers, and Cucumber, which get transformed into Soup througha blender.

NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY ACTIVITIES

1. If you want to leave your Gazpacho celebrations in the hands of experts, find the best Spanish restaurant near you. Then order a bowl of Gazpacho, and Sherry (if you’re of age!) and Boquerones for extra points. Then you should close your eyes and pretend you’re in España.
2. f you’d rather have a more hands-on celebration, you can make the Soup at home. Head to the Grocery Store or Farmers Market to pick up Vegetables. Make sure the Vegetable are fresh. Then gather the Oil, Vinegar, Salt, and Pepper out of your pantry. Grab the Blender and you’re pretty much done! If you can, try to make the Soup a few hours before you plan to eat it: then the flavors develop more after they’ve had some time to sit for a while.
3. We love Gazpacho, but we wouldn’t say it makes for a satisfying meal on its own. Invite friends over to celebrate National Gazpacho Day and round out the menu with easy Spanish classics like Patatas Bravas, and Tortilla Española.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY

1. Gazpacho isn’t something that many people would think of as an everyday recipe. Gazpacho seems more suited for a special dinner party, or a hot summer day. But Gazpacho couldn’t be simpler to make. Go out and buy Tomatoes, Peppers, and Cucumbers. Everything else you need is in your pantry. Once you have the ingredients, it’s as simple as chopping those Vegetables up and throwing them in a blender.
2. The traditional Gazpacho recipe is a Tomato-based soup. Over the years people have come up with dozens of modifications. Throw spicy Peppers in if you want to kick the Soup up a notch. If you’d prefer something green, omit the Tomatoes and make a cucumber-Avocado Gazpacho. Craving soup that’s a bit sweeter? Watermelon Gazpacho has become an incredibly popular variation.
3. Gazpacho couldn’t be easier to make. The most difficult part is actually finding the freshest, most flavorful Vegetables. Since you aren’t employing any heat cooking techniques to coax any flavor out of them, you have to be sure that the Veggies are already in peak condition. No sad, tasteless Tomatoes allowed!

National Microwave Oven Day

National Microwave Oven Day takes place every year on December 6th to celebrate one of the most influential kitchen appliances. Microwave Ovens serve a variety of uses, from cooking Popcorn, to heating leftovers, or melting Chocolate or Butter, and heating Water. These days, you can even make Microwave Cake! Microwave Ovens also use less energy than Conventional Ovens, sometimes up to 80% less. There’s no doubt that Microwave Ovens change our lives for the better. It’s no surprise that we have a Holiday dedicated to celebrating the Microwave’s uses.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY

Percy Spencer, a self-taught American Engineer, developed a means to prepare food with Microwaves safely. In 1945, he realized a Candy Bar in his pocket was melting while working with active radar. Amazed by his discovery, Spencer set out to prepare Popcorn in the Microwaves. He then attempted to cook an Egg. The Egg test performed far worse than the Popcorn test, and blew up in his coworker’s face! Nowadays we know that we can use Microwave Ovens to cook or even poach Eggs.

Spencer, who worked at Raytheon, experimented with numerous ways to cook food with Microwaves safely. He discovered that he could direct the magnetron’s power into a metal box and trap it there. He also noted that food placed in the box quickly heated up. Raytheon submitted a patent for a Microwave Oven on October 8, 1945. Raytheon introduced the Radarange Microwave in 1947, which stood nearly 6 feet tall and cost $5,000. In 1955, Raytheon outsourced its patents to Tappan, which launched a Microwave that still wasn’t applicable for domestic use, and cost $1,295 at the time. Raytheon bought Amana in 1965 and released a Countertop Microwave for $495 in 1967. Shortly after, Litton invented a Microwave Oven with a design similar to those used today, which helped promote home Microwaves. In the United States, there were around 40,000 microwaves in use in 1971, rising to one million by 1975.

Although some early models leaked, giving them a negative reputation, Microwaves popularity grew. Recipes for Microwavable Meals were abundant throughout the 1980s, as were consumer goods like Cupcake Kits but the majority of these items were of poor quality. Nonetheless, by 1986, around 25% of American households owned a Microwave Oven, and by 1997, that figure had climbed to 90%.

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY

1. Reheat your leftovers or prepare meals from scratch with your Microwave Oven.
2. If you don’t have a Microwave Oven or you need an upgrade? Then today is the perfect day to purchase a Microwave Oven.
3. The Holidays and all the fine dining that comes with it are just around the corner. Why not melt Chocolate in the Microwave to prepare for the dipping frenzy?

5 FACTS ABOUT MICROWAVES

1. Did you know both Jupiter and the Sun emit Microwaves.
2. You can even use a microwave to remove labels from jars.
3. Spinach retains virtually all the folate in it when cooked in a Microwave and loses about 77% when cooked on a traditional stove.
4. Sealed containers or foods such as Eggs and Squash can explode when heated in a Microwave Oven because of the pressure build-up.
5. Did you know Amazon currently has over 3,800 Microwave Cookbooks on sale.

WHY EVERYONE LOVES NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY

1. With a Microwave Oven, you never have to wait too long to enjoy your meal because Microwaves can cook faster than traditional ovens and Microwaves create less of a mess.
2. Microwave Ovens take the stress out of reheating leftovers. You warm your meals up at the push of a button. No fuss, no muss.
3. With Microwave Ovens, you never have to worry about your food getting burnt. The timer ensures your meal is just the way you like it.

National “Cook for Christmas” Day

Allows us to cook and prepare foods we will be serving on Christmas Day. Allowing us time to relax on that day. I don’t know about you but I think I will work on the Desserts we will be serving including all the Candy Charlie is wanting to make.

Here are today’s Top Five Christmas Food:

1. Apple Cider
2. Egg Nog
3. Christmas Cookies
4. Cranberry Sauce
5. Christmas Ham

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates