Remembering the Inventor of the Graham Cracker

Today marks the passing of Sylvester Graham in 1851. A vegetarian who also promoted temperance, Graham is best remembered for introducing the Graham Cracker in 1829. 

Want to know s'more? In addition to advocating for vegetarianism and the use of coarse, whole grain flour, he was against the consumption of potatoes, tobacco and alcohol, coffee and tea, chocolate and pastries. Not surprisingly, Graham was hated by butchers and bakers, as well as liquor and tobacco companies. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. Graham Crackers and milk were a frequent afterschool snack when he was growing up.

Happy National TV Dinner Day!

Happy National TV Dinner Day! 

Though there is some dispute about when Swanson introduced their first TV Dinner (as well as who truly came up with the idea), there's no arguing that when most people think of TV dinners, they think of Swanson. 

The story goes that Swanson exec Gerald Thomas came up with the idea when the company had a ton of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. The poultry was packaged with stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes and peas, and an icon was born! 

TV Dinners were a rare treat in our home, and I was also a sucker for the Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes, corn, and the brownie or apple cobbler dessert. 

What was your favorite TV dinner? When was the last time you had one? — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and he is highly suggestible. In fact, he will be spending the next half-hour searching for available tv dinners in his local grocer's freezer.

The Life and Death of Two Fast Food Mavens

What's the old saying? The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away? 

Today marks the life and death of two fast-food chicken mavens. On this day in 1890, Harland Sanders (left) was born in Indiana. The "Colonel" went on to found the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and help pioneer fast food franchising. He sold KFC to a group of investors for $2 million and went on to become a spokesman and brand ambassador. His image and likeness are still used by the chain's owner, Yum Brands. 

On his day in 2014, Samuel Truett Cathy (right) died at the age of 93 due to complications from diabetes. Cathy is known as the inventor (with his brother Ben) of the Chick-Fil-A sandwich, which they created at their restaurant, The Dwarf Grill in Hapeville, GA. The sandwich was later licensed to Waffle House and the Houston Astrodome until the first standalone Chick-Fil-A opened in 1967, with the sandwich as its signature item. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. He's not a big fan of either KFC or Chick-Fil-A, and prefers the ALDI Red Bag Chicken or the fried chicken from Royal Farms.

Remembering the Guy Who Invented the Microwave

Today marks the 55th anniversary of the death of Percy LeBaron Spencer. And if you're saying to yourself, "wow, he looks like a guy who'd invent something like the microwave oven," you'd be right! 

In 1945, Spencer was working for American Appliance Company (now Raytheon). He invented the microwave oven after noticing that the chocolate bar in his pocket melted while he was standing near a magnetron. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. During a local radio station appearance, he microwaved pork rinds for the on-air staff. He is still waiting to be asked back.

Happy Birthday to Luther Crowell, Inventor of the Square-Bottomed Grocery Bag

They said he was "crazy", and maybe he was. But happy birthday to inventor Luther Crowell, born on this day in 1840. Crowell held almost 300 patents when he died in 1903, none more important than U.S. Patent No. 123,811, which was for a machine that created square-bottomed grocery bags. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet. In the upcoming issue you can read about THG's favorite area grocery stores, view a photo gallery of found shopping lists, and more. Stay tuned to this blog and our website for details and ordering info.

Happy Birthday to Catharine Beecher, Author of The First American Cookbook

Happy birthday to author and educator Catharine Beecher, born on September 6, 1800. 

In 1841, she would publish 'Miss Beecher's Domestic Receipt Book,' regarded as the first cookbook written by and for an American audience. And, yes, she's the sister of author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Happy Birthday to Jack Daniel!

Happy birthday to Jasper Newton "Jack" Daniel, born on this day in 1850. Or 1846. Or January of 1849. Daniel's exact birthdate is not known, and the date varies depending upon which records or what biographer you put stock in. 

Daniel, of course, is the founder of the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, where Daniel learned the art of distilling from moonshiner Dan Call and his master distiller, Nathan "Nearest" Green.

I have not touched the stuff in ages, thanks to some wild nights fueled largely by the green label variety that purports to be smoother. — Dan Taylor

Today in Food History: Happy Birthday to the Inventor of the Ice Cream Scoop

Happy birthday to Alfred L. Cralle, born on September 4, 1866 in Lunenburg County, VA. In 1897, Cralle would receive a patent for his invention known as The Ice Cream Scoop. Cralle's invention, shown above, is still in use today. — Dan Taylor

Dan Taylor is the editor/publisher of The Hungover Gourmet and he's currently digging Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

Today in Food History: The First Hardee's Opens in Greenville, NC

On September 3, 1960, Wilbur Hardee opened the first Hardee’s in Greenville, NC. Customers were attracted to the fast food operation thanks to the 15-cent made-to-order charbroiled burgers. Today, there are roughly 1,500 Hardee’s locations in the US.

Hardee's cannot operate under the name Hardee's in Canada, due to a trademark dispute with the Harvey's burger chain. All Canadian outlets operate under the Carl's Jr. banner. 

After being acquired by Imasco, most of the remaining Burger Chef restaurants were converted to Hardee's or closed. In a nod to Big Chef's history, Hardee's brought back that chain's Big Shef burger several times over the last 25 years. 

You can read more about Big Chef—and the unsolved Speedway Murders—in the upcoming issue of The Hungover Gourmet. — Dan Taylor