“I always wondered why babies spend so much time sucking their thumbs. Then I tasted baby food.”
Robert Orben (1927--) American humorist.
Today is:
~ National Cafe Au Lait Day
~ Feast of Shesmu, Egyptian god of the Wine Press.
~ Fornacalia; Old Roman Bread Festival or Feast of Ovens
1665 Rudolph Jacob Camerarius was born. A German botanist, he showed the existence of sexes in plants, and identified the stamen and pistil as the male and female organs.
1876 Canned sardines went on sale in the U.S. for the first time. They were packed in oil. (Some sources say 1873).
1889 H.L. Hunt, the pioneering Texas oil millionaire (Hunt Oil Company) was born. He carried a brown bag lunch to his office each day and considered himself as 'just plain folks.'
1958 'Sugartime' by the McGuire Sister topped the charts.
2002 New regulations to go into effect this year require German pig farmers to spend at least 20 seconds every day with each pig, 10 seconds in the morning and 10 seconds in the afternoon.
2008 The USDA announced the largest beef recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaghterhouse.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The Litchi (Litchi chinensis) a member of the Sapindaceae family, which includes the Akee, Longan and Soapberry tree, is native to the low elevations of southern China, where it has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. It is now cultivated throughout most southern Asiatic countries, including India, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines; they have been grown in the Caribbean since the 18th century, and were introduced to Hawaii, Florida and California in the late 19th century.
The fruit, commonly called a litchi nut, are about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter when fresh, and have a red brittle shell, with white translucent flesh and a single large seed. Litchi are eaten fresh or dried, and are also available canned in syrup. The flesh is fragrant and sticky, sweet and juicy; the dried fruit has a smoky taste somewhat like a raisin. A versatile fruit, they are excellent in fruit salads, sweet and sour sauces, and dessert sauce. The may be used in stir fries, salads, poultry dishes, and even served over ice cream.
Photos of litchi
http://www.vivairosariotramontana.it/en/catalogo/fruttiferi/Litchi%20chinensis.jpg
