Brian Petro
@smartguyinatie.com
Food and drink historian, educator, and nerd. Looking at what we eat from the intersection of culture and curiosity.
Juicy watermelon! The secret to a sweet crop? Cut back on watering a week before harvesting. Originating in ancient Egypt, they were a crucial water source. Try a watermelon gazpacho with cucumber and jalapeño for a refreshing, spicy kick! #Watermelon Grow guide here: vegplotter.com/grow-guides/...
millions will stream sunday’s super bowl without seeing this ad.
#OnThisDate, 3 Feb 1815, the first commercial #cheese factory was founded in Switzerland. They were able to make the cheese more consistent in quality while also aiding local farmers. #FoodHistory #History #SayCheese
#OnThisDate, 2 Feb 1897, Alfred Cralle was awarded patent 576,395 for an "Ice Cream Mold and Disher." Originally from VA, he ended up in Pittsburgh working in a drug store and hotel. He noticed it was hard for people to scoop #icecream, and decided to solve the problem. #BlackHistory #FoodHistory
#OnThisDate, 1 Feb 1960, four Black men sat at a Woolworth's dining counter in Greensboro, NC. They were refused service, but refused to leave. This began a series of nonviolent protests around the country. This act attracted nationwide media attention. #BlackHistoryMonth #FoodHistory #History
#OntThisDate, 26 January 1838, the first major temperance law in the country was passed in Tennessee. It only prohibited the sale of "spiritous liquors" in taverns and stores. The punishment for breaking the law was at the discretion of the court. #History #FoodHistory #Temperance
🍐 Stacked pear and Brie with walnuts and a light champagne honey scented with lemon and nutmeg. Simple and smooth when savored slow, the kind of small plate that feels like an earned reward at the end of the day. #TheOutpost #Cooking #Cooksky #Foodsky #Recipe Click here for recipe 🍽️🍜👨🍳🐝🦋
"Saul" and "Juan" work as irrigators in CAs Imperial Valley. Here they are removing the irrigation from the broccoli rapini fields, so that the machine can come in to harvest the crop. #WeFeedYou
"Moises" shares, "It was 29° in Sunnyside WA when we arrived at 6:30am this day to begin pruning cherry trees. It is so cold it's hard to feel your hands. It's a hard job. We must balance on a ladder cutting branches with heavy shears. We earn minimum wage." #WeFeedYou
🦆 Crispy duck tenders tossed with chilies, basil, and a glossy Thai sauce. Bell pepper adds brightness, basil brings perfume, and the duck stays tender inside its crisp shell. A fast, fragrant stir-fry with real table presence. #TheOutpost #Cooking #Cooksky #Foodsky #Recipe Click for recipe 🍽️🍜👨🍳🐝🦋
#OnThisDate, 9 Jan 1980, Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" regained the #1 spot in the country. Holmes has stated as late as 2019 that he has not tried a pina colada. After his music career, he became a playwright and an author. #FoodHistory #History
#OnThisDay, 7 Jan 1784, the D. Landreth Seed Company was founded. They have been providing seeds of all varieties, from vegetables to flowers to grass for the lawn. Their seeds were bought by many founding fathers, and they now deliver globally. #FoodHistory #History
Easy Toffee Shortbread Cookies Recipe – Buttery, Crunchy & Irresistible jadarecipes.com/homemade-tof...
Toffee Shortbread Cookies with Toffee Bits & Chocolate Chips
Crunchy edges and tender centers dotted with toffee bits and chocolate chips. Bake these Toffee Shortbread Cookies for sweet homemade treats.
jadarecipes.com
#OnThisDate, 6 Jan 1929, Sheffeld Farms in New York introduced milk in a carton. Up to this point, milk was delivered in glass bottles, which were heavy and had to be collected, washed, and delivered for each use. The cartons were disposable and more convenient. #History #FoodHistory
Super Mario Bros. Cookies (1992-1993): A line of bite-sized cookies, shaped like a myriad of characters from Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Available in Chocolate, Honey, and Cinnamon varieties...check this 🧵for more info!
A 1547 recipe for #medicinal #rose honey and rose sugar to soothe aching throats. I could use it myself right now. www.culina-vetus.de/2026/01/05/r... #culinaryhistory #foodhistory #earlymodern #medicalhistory
Workers in King City CA are harvesting broccoli. They earn piece rate so try to go as fast as they can so they could earn more money. However this field has been harvested before and this is the last pass. It is hard to harvest enough to make more than minimum wage. #WeFeedYou
#OnThisDate, 5 Jan 1943, American agricultural #scientist George Washington Carver passed away. While most know him for developing new uses for peanuts, he promoted ways to reduce soil depletion and environmentalism. He helped many poor Black #farmers make the most of the soil they had.
"Raul" is repairing irrigation pipes for next year in Soledad CA. "During the season, many pipes break. Now that there isn't a lot of irrigation going on, us irrigators are taking advantage of the opportunity to repair the damaged ones." #WeFeedYou
"Soco" is laboring removing weeds and dry vines in Tulare County, so that the vineyards are ready for the pruning season. She works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday, earning minimum wage. She is a single mother and works very hard to provide for her children. #WeFeedYou
It's always white wine season. Learn about the whole process of making it.👇
My mom's apple cake is an avalanche of apples, a tiny bit of batter, and a cascade of cinnamon baked into a hulking mass of fall awesomeness in a tube pan that people will demand you make again and again. smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/moms...
#OnThisDate, 7 Sep 2002, the world's largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made in Oklahoma. Weighing in at 900 lbs., it had 350 lbs. of pb and 144 lbs. of jelly. There is no record of the flavor of the jelly. The current world record was set in 2010. #Food #FoodHistory #PBJ
This tractor driver in NorCal is calling it a day from preparing the soil for the next planting. Grape orchards can yield for 30 years before needing to be pulled and replanted but often wine grape plants will be replanted more often to keep the grape quality. #WeFeedYou
This is my go-to weeknight-friendly (i.e. everything is done, including the nonnegotiable grilled cheese alongside, in under an hour) tomato soup. Grape or cherry tomatoes do the heavy lifting here, providing flavor, nuance, and sweetness I wasn’t getting canned. smittenkitchen.com/2024/03/week...
It's the peak season in the grape harvest in Arvin CA. "Sonia" is taking boxes back to her packing station. When packed with grapes, each box can weigh up to 22 lbs. It was 11:30 AM on this day and the temperature was already 91°. #WeFeedYou #CALOR
Good run down on the chemical nasties to watch out for in food (and other products) www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Ingredient red flags: how to spot the chemicals to avoid in food, kitchenware and cosmetics
Should your makeup be fragrance-free? Is it time to purge your kitchen of plastic? Are all food dyes dangerous? These are the everyday ingredients that could be harming your health
theguardian.com
