"food holidays" news and stories

For the most part, food and drink holidays come one per day, but today it's a regular smorgasbord.

Today is National Lollipop Day, National Hot Dog Day and National Ice Cream Soda Day! And that sounds like...well, a stomach ache. I would suggest not eating them all at once but maybe eating them at each meal. Maybe some lollipops for breakfast, a hot dog or two for lunch, and a couple of ice cream sodas for dinner.

Here's a history of the lollipop from Wikipedia, and here are some cool lollipops you can buy from Candy Favorites. Here are some hot dog recipes, including Spanish Hot Dogs and Rice, Joan Lunden's Paprikash, and Hot Dog Ramen. Then make yourself an ice cream soda or two.

Sometimes I wonder who designates holidays for a particular day. For example, today it's National Pecan Pie Day. Why on July 12? Is this a particularly important day in pecan history? Is the person who came up with pecan pie born on this date? I would think it would be better to have it in the fall or winter, when (I think) people are more pie-oriented. Even the more general National Pie Day is in January.

So anyway, let's make a pecan pie today. Here's a classic recipe from Karo syrup, and here's a Pecan Torte with Chocolate Glaze from Marcia Adams. Or how about a Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, from AllRecipes?

As we've mentioned before, there's a "national day" for everything. Even for chocolate eclairs!

My mom loved these things though I haven't had one in years. Here are several recipes for various chocolate eclair-oriented desserts from cooks.com, including Chocolate Eclairs, Chocolate Eclair Cake, and Cream Puffs.

Of course, if you're trying to eat well, this isn't your week. With this and National Ice Cream Soda Day in the same week, it's all much too tempting. Though we don't need a holiday to eat food like this. You can always start that diet next week, right?