"food holidays" news and stories

Yesterday was a surprisingly busy day for holidays, so you can be forgiven if, while you were caught up in the festivities surrounding National Aviation Day, Potato Day, and Root Beer Float Day, you neglected to commemorate Hot and Spicy Food Day.

But for Angelenos, at least, who are looking to carry the celebration of explosive entrees into the weekend, The Huffington Post has provided a handy round-up of the spiciest food in Los Angeles.

A number of the reviews are lifted from LA Weekly's Pulitzer-prize-winning food columnist, Jonathan Gold, and if his prose gets your mouth watering, then you really are one of those truly adventurous gourmet spirits, the culinary equivalent of cliff divers and Polynesian firewalkers.

In the month that houses the nation's premier evening of gluttony -- the average American consumes some 4,500 calories every Thanksgiving Day, not to mention seemingly endless leftovers -- it's no wonder November is a dreaded month for dieters nationwide. But despite its most famous celebration, the month also ironically serves as the healthy host to National Pepper Month, Vegan Month, National Pomegranate Month, and National Peanut Butter Lover's Month.

Excuses for culinary celebrations range from tame (National Sunday Day, Nov. 11), to obvious (National Turkey Day -- you guessed it, Thanksgiving Day), to practical (National Leftovers Day follows Turkey Day), to downright bizarre (Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day, Nov. 9). So get cooking -- if only for the holidays that you can stomach.

Notable national food holidays for the month of November, after the jump...

You know what I love most about America? The way that we have a holiday for everything. And even when we run out of holidays, we just make up more holidays and continue using them as excuses to glut. And when it's a food holiday, we are officially permissed to double-gorge! So here's a heads-up for my favorite August food holidays -- y'know, so you can get your shopping done early and beat the mad holiday rush.

• August 1 - Raspberry Cream Pie Day: This shortcut Chilled Raspberry Cream Pie recipe from Rachael Ray can be whipped up in a jif. It'll be just like one of those No-Bake commercials when your friends and family are fawning over you for spending the day slaving over the stove while you're secretly sniggering to yourself, "Heh heh, it was no bake, you fools!"
• August 2 - Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Sure, you could wade through the freezer case, or you could man up and make your own. Consider these decadent peanut-butter-'n'-honey-flavored "Bee-Nut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches" from Domestic Goddess.

Wow, talk about the ultimate holiday.

Of course, most people don't need a special holiday to celebrate their love of cheese pizza (if I could eat if for every single meal of my life...well, I wouldn't, that would be boring, but it's probably my favorite food). But this would be a good day to make a pie of your own. Hopefully today just happens to be your "cheat day" if you're on a diet.

Here's a bunch of cheese pizza recipes, from Jeff Varasano, MealsMatter, MyRecipes, RecipeZaar, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril, and Rachael Ray.

Of course, if you don't want to make your own and want to call Pizza Hut or Papa John's or maybe go the store and buy a frozen Mystic or Freschetta or even Ellio's, well, that's OK too! And don't forget the posts from our Pizza Day celebration.

Come on, Blueberry Popsicle Day? Really? I guess if you're going to have a whole set aside for a food, it's cool that it's a rather specific, different food. Makes it more special somehow.

I don't think I've ever had a blueberry popsicle. I've had grape, orange, cherry, raspberry, banana, watermelon, root beer, and many other flavors, but I don't think I've ever come across a blueberry flavored popsicle.

Here's a recipe for Blueberry and Vanilla Parfait Pops. Not a pure blueberry popsicle because it includes frozen yogurt, but it's close enough. Here's one for Blueberry-Peach Tequila Popsicles. And if you'd like to find out more about blueberries in general, check out the U.S. Blueberry Council.