Welcome, to our series sharing Food Holidays: July 26th, 2021. Take a look at the Holidays being celebrated today and let me know which one you most would like to celebrate and why.
Charlie and I said we would pass celebrating either the Bagel or the Coffee Milkshake while David says he would like to celebrate both Holidays. How about you and why?
National Bagelfest Day is celebrated on July 26 to recognize the scrumptious Bread that is light and tasty. Not everyone likes the Mass-produced Bread available at stores, and would rather resort to a fresh Bagel, baked at a Bakery.
Did you know the Bagel is the only Bread that is boiled before being baked? Well, it’s facts like these and more that National Bagelfest Day is all about. All you need is an empty stomach, Caffeine. Coffee for most people but for me I would take Sweet Tea and a Bagel. How about you?
Did you know I worked at several bakeries inside Grocery Stores and also a actual Bakery in our town called Houston Street Bakery and I didn’t know Bagels are boiled before being baked.
History of National Bagelfest Day
National Bagelfest Day is a celebration that started in Mattoon, Illinois. The idea for the event was introduced by Murray Lender, the man who owns the Bagel Factory and Lender’s Bagels. National Bagelfest Day all started in 1986 when Murray decided to host a breakfast for the people of his town in Mattoon.
From that day onwards, National Bagelfest Day has been celebrated to honor Bagels and the different flavors Bagels have brought to the usual breakfast menu. Today, this event has evolved into a Festival that includes a Parade, live music, a Miss Bagelfest Contest, lots of fun, and of course, Bagels!
Before you start munching on Bagels, let’s find out a bit more about their History. Bagels are a Bread product that originated from the Jewish communities of Poland. Bagels were officially mentioned for the first time in an Arabic cookbook from the 13th Century. The spread of Bagels across the world also took time and the breakfast item did not reach England until the 19th century.
The exquisite Bread was brought into America by Polish Jews that had migrated to the region. These immigrants then became owners of a popular Bagel business called Bagel Bakers Local 338. It is also important to note that the sizes of Bagels have evolved over time and have greatly increased. For instance, an average Bagel was three ounces in 1915 but weighed around six ounces by 2003.
Five Facts about Bagels
- Bagel History dates back to 1783, according to popular belief. Bagels were created to honor King John III Sobieski of Poland, after he protected Austria’s people from an attack by Turkish invaders. Rumor has it a local Austrian Baker created the Bagel in the shape of a stirrup to honor the renowned horseman, and named it a “Beugel” (the Austrian word for stirrup).
- Bagels are the only Bread that are boiled before baked. Once the Bagel dough is shaped into a circle, they are dipped in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. After that, they are drained and baked for about 10 minutes.
- That little hole in the center isn’t just for looks. Rumor has it the age old “role with the hole” design is rather efficient! The Bagel hole comes in handy to thread multiple Bagels onto a dowel, making transport easily, especially for street vendors selling the Doughy delights.
- Too busy to down breakfast and your morning cuppa Joe? Try combing your Caffeine fix with your breakfast bite with a Buzzed Bagel! Molecular biologist Robert Bohannon created a Bagel that actually contains the Caffeine equivalent of one to two cups of Coffee. Lord, don’t let David know that or its what he will want for breakfast everyday.
- Believe it or not, despite the myriad Bagel flavors available from Blueberry to the “Everything” Bagel, the most popular choice is Plain, followed closely by Sesame.
Recipe: Homemade Bagels
- 1 ¼ cups Water
- 4 ½ cups Bread Flour
- 3 tablespoons White Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- 1 tablespoon instant Yeast
- 4 quarts Water
- 1 cup Honey (Optional)
Toppings:
- 2 tablespoons Poppy Seeds (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons Sesame Seeds (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons dried Onion Flakes (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon Coarse Salt (Optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Combine 1 1/4 cup Water, Flour, Sugar, 1 teaspoon Salt, Vegetable Oil, and Yeast in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed using the Dough hook until well-developed, about 8 minutes. To ensure the Gluten has developed fully, cut off a Walnut-sized piece of dough. Flour your fingers, and then stretch the dough: if it tears immediately, the dough needs more kneading. Fully developed dough should form a thin translucent “windowpane.”
- Step 2 Transfer the dough to a lightly Oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel, and let rise for 2 hours.
- Step 3 Punch the dough down, place it on a lightly Floured work surface, and use a knife or dough scraper to divide the dough into 6 pieces (or more, for smaller bagels). Roll each piece of dough into a Sausage shape about 6 inches long. Join the ends to form a circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, and let the bagels rest for 15 minutes.
- Step 4 Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. Arrange small plates with Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, and Onion Flakes next to the baking sheet.
- Step 5 Bring 4 quarts Water to a boil in a large pot. Add Honey, if desired (see Editor’s Note). Boil the Bagels, three at a time, until they rise to the surface of the pot, about 1 minute per side. Remove the Bagels with a slotted spoon and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 6 Dip the tops of the wet Bagels into the toppings and arrange them, seeds up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Bake in the preheated oven until the Bagels begin to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
National Coffee Milkshake Day
Pretty much everyone loves Coffee, and a huge part of Humanity even depends on it to wake them up every morning. But what happens during the Summer, when it’s too hot to enjoy a steaming cup of Coffee without sweating profusely?
There’s nothing pleasant about soaking your clothes with sweat right after your morning shower. Luckily, someone thought of all of those things and invented something wonderful: Coffee Milkshakes!
The History of Coffee Milkshake Day
The term “Milkshake” was first used in 1885. At that time, Milkshakes were very different from what you can currently get at Dairy Queen, as they were Alcoholic drinks made with Eggs and Whiskey, much like today’s Eggnog. Soon after, however, the word “Milkshake” began to refer to Ice Cream-based drinks made with Chocolate, Strawberry, or Vanilla Syrups.
By the 1930s, Milkshakes were a popular drink at the kind of Malt Shops depicted in many of today’s Movies, which were common student meeting places. In the 1940s and 1950s, sharing a Milkshake became a gesture of intimacy between a couple who were dating.
Somewhere along the way, Coffee was added to Milkshakes to give them both a Caffeine Boost and the unique Coffee flavor loved by millions worldwide, and then a day was created to celebrate the delicious combination of Coffee and Ice Cream. There have been countless variations of this drink, one is Starbucks’ Frappuccino.
Recipe: Coffee Shake
1 teaspoon Instant Coffee Granules ¾ cup Milk 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons White Sugar, or to taste 6 Ice Cubes 2 teaspoons Chocolate Syrup (Optional)
Directions
- Step 1 Combine the instant Coffee, Milk, Vanilla Extract, Sugar, Ice, and Chocolate Syrup in a blender; blend until smooth.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
