D.

Hanukkah is the 8-day celebration of the miracles that occurred when the Maccabees regained control of the Temple in Jerusalem. One miracle that occurred was that one jug of oil was found, meant to keep the temples lamps lit for one day, but the flames lasted for eight. Eating food fried in oil during the Hanukkah celebration is a tradition meant to represent the miracle of the lamp oil. December 14^th is the first night of the Hanukkah Celebration.

A.

The five different ways to commit the premier sin of gluttony included eating too soon, too much, too eagerly, too lavishly, or too daintily (!). Gluttony was also considered a “gateway drug” that would the deadly sin of lust, or to one of the other deadly sins: pride, wrath, envy, greed, and sloth.

B.

With sales reaching over 4 billion (US$) in 2023, Oreo is the top-selling cookie brand in the world according to Food Business News. Nabisco first launched the cookie in 1912 as a copycat to another popular chocolate and cream sandwich cookie called “Hydrox” and has grown in popularity since. December 4^th is National Cookie Day.

C.

A coffee bean is the seed of a red cherry-like fruit. Often the coffee cherry has two seeds. When the ripe cherries are harvested, the seeds are extracted. Ultimately these will be roasted—either lightly or intensely, giving the final coffee its distinctive aroma and taste.

D.

In  general, we believe in pairing wine with mood as much as food, so if you’re in the mood to drink Champagne, absolutely please proceed. It’s also true that Champagne is extremely versatile when it comes to food pairing. In fact, fried chicken, creamy cheeses, and sushi are often cited as three of the most delicious pairings with Champagne. Spaghetti and meatballs? Your call. The acidity in the tomato sauce could be a limiting factor; on the other hand, Champagne and meatballs sounds like a win.

C.

The study published in the African Journal of Ecology, sought to understand how lizards adapt to urban life. Lizards in Togo, Africa, were caught “stealing” pizza from the tables of diners at a seaside resort. Studies showed that the lizards had incorporated pizza as part of their daily diet, in the absence of their typical nutrition found in the wild that is not present in urban environments. The four-cheese pizza was the tails-down favorite of the lizards, the scent alone bringing them down from trees to snag a bite. Man, does pizza have its fans or what?

C.

While A, B, and D seem entirely conceivable, scientists at Cardiff University in Cardiff, Wales, have discovered that as temperatures rise due to climate change, Americans are eating more sweets.  The researchers tracked the food purchases of US households from 2004 to 2019 then laid that data over regional weather data. The result: the hotter the weather, the more sugar people consume. Hot weather makes the human body lose water, causing us to crave hydration and some form of cooling. For many in the US that means reaching for an ice cold sugary soda or a bowl of ice cream.

D.

Joe refers to one Josephus Daniels, former secretary of the US Navy under President Woodrow Wilson. During the World War I era, Daniels tried to reform the Navy morally. He increased the number of chaplains, discouraged prostitution at Naval bases, and, most controversially, banned the consumption of wine and alcohol, suggesting that soldiers would be better off drinking coffee instead. For soldiers, a “cup of joe” became a frequent part of daily life.

D.

While A and C would definitely be frowned upon by Italians (and mark you as a rube tourist), the answer is D. In Italy, and in Italian restaurants, cappuccino never follows lunch or dinner. Because cappuccinos are comprised of a lot of milk (which is filling), the proper time to drink one is exclusively in the morning according to Italian etiquette.

A.

Those cute little suitcase-sniffing canines will stroll right by you and your luggage unless you’ve got some dried apricots (or any other fruit or vegetable, fresh or dried) stuffed in your bag. And don’t even think about that Italian salami. Airport pups go mad for it.  What can you bring in? Allowable foods include most packaged snacks, coffee and tea, edible insects (good to know, right?) and surprisingly, seafood. The key to bringing in any food, however, is to declare it no matter what. If you don’t declare it and the food turns out to be on the can’t-bring-in list, you can be fined anywhere from $300 to $10,000.

C.

While A,B, and D have probably happened more than once, the answer according to Food & Wine magazine is C. Guests (known as “campers”) who overstay their welcome are one of the banes of a restaurant’s existence. Especially guests who, an hour after closing, are still sipping the one inch left of their lukewarm Chardonnay. According to the magazine, here are four other signs that it’s time to settle up and head home:   You smell the scent of candles being blown out, there are trash bags being drug out the front door, the bartender isn’t as friendly anymore, and the table has been completely cleared.

C.

According to Food & Wine magazine, the juices from a rare or medium-rare steak are a mixture of water and myoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting oxygen to muscle tissues. Myoglobin changes colors when it is exposed to oxygen and at different levels of doneness, so a rare or medium-rare steak is much more pink than one that’s cooked until well done.

D.

Kyrgyzstan, along with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, is the “center of origin” for garlic, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Even today, garlic only truly grows wild in central Asia, In ancient Chinese and Indian medicine, garlic was used for its perceived medicinal qualities. How it ever got to Italy is anyone’s guess, but researchers think it probably arrived sometime during the Middle Ages. Whether garlic does indeed ward off vampires is also anyone’s guess.

C.

The first written use of the term “blue plate special” was on October 22, 1892, when the chain restaurant Fred Harvey Company mentions the special as a regular feature for diners on their menu. According to World Wide Words, a website dedicated to etymology, the plates often had dividers so the food could be portioned out correctly. “blue plate specials” were originally intended to be affordable and nutritious. The decision to put these meals on blue plates was based on research on concerning the psychology of colors. Since blue is not a color often associated with food, the restaurants assumption was that diners would see the food as unappealing and therefore eat less, thereby allowing the meal to be cheaply priced.

A.

The holes in Swiss cheese are the result of a beneficial bacteria call shermanii, which, under the right conditions, produces carbon dioxide. Swiss cheese is made at a warm temperature (about 70° Fahrenheit) so the cheese is soft and mailable as it ferments. As the bacteria grow, CO2 gas is released, creating the signature bubbles—or eyes as cheesemakers call them. Once the cheese is cooled, it solidifies with the holes intact. If a batch comes out with no holes, it is considered “blind.”

C.

Sales data from DoorDash showed that Reese’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs were, without question, the number one candy purchased the week of Easter last year. Cadbury Crème Eggs came in at second place—first place in the state of California—and Starburst Jelly Beans were number three. Peeps showed up at number nine on the list, noting that yellow is the most popular color choice for the squishy treat.

A.

The largest empanada ever made was recorded in 2017 and weighed 1,200 pounds according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It took workers one week to make the giant filled pastry, using 550 pounds of onions, 155 pounds of beef, 99 pounds of chicken, 11 pounds of olives, 5 pounds of dried raisins, and 150 eggs. The empanada was made in Pomaire, Chile—just outside of Santiago—with the goal of bringing attention to the small village.

B.

French fries came out on top as the most ordered item on DoorDash last year. They are also the most ordered item for the last decade, with more than 600 million orders of fries since 2013. Fried chicken, cheeseburgers and pizza were very popular items as well, all ranking in the top five most-ordered foods.

C.

“Corned” is a culinary term for food preserved in salt, and historically these large grains of rock salt were the size of corn kernels. Corned and cabbage has long been a staple of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations, but contrary to popular belief, it is actually an America invention, according to the Smithsonian. For centuries, Irish citizens rarely ate beef in their home country, as cows were considered a sacred animal and were only killed for meat if they were too old to work the fields or produce milk. When Irish immigrants came to the US, the only beef they were able to afford was corned beef and purchased it almost exclusively from Kosher butchers. Today, what we know of as Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage is actually Jewish corned beef thrown into a pot with potatoes and cabbage. St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, March 17^th. Slainté!

C.

If you feel like there just aren’t enough options these days, well The Economist would perhaps beg to differ. The magazine reports there are 11.8 million places in the world where you can dine—or at least eat. That said, the number would have been higher if thousands of restaurants and eating establishments hadn’t closed in the wake of the Covid pandemic.

B.

According to the International Chili Society (ICS), Homestyle Chili is the only type of chili that contains beans. The ICS hold chili cook-offs around the world, and although there are differing (and often contentious) opinions about regional chili, the organization has helped to codify the various styles of chili and streamline the dish for the sake of competition. February 27^th, 2025 is National Chili Day.

B.

According to the Environmental Working Group which advises the USDA, avocados top the “Clean Fifteen” list as the #1 fruit/vegetable least likely to carry dangerous chemical residues from pesticides. Carrots are on the “Clean” list too, coming in at #15. In the opposite direction, topping the “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits/vegetables most likely to have such residues are strawberries (#1) and spinach (#2). So wash them well!

D.

“Longevity noodles”—known as changshou mian in Mandarin Chinese—date back more that 4,000 years in Chinese diets, according to history.com. According to Chinese lore, the tradition of eating them for Chinese New Year (January 29 in 2025) is said to have begun during the Han dynasty in 206 BCE. The emperor at the time associated long life with a long face. In Chinese, the word for face is similar to the word for noodle, hence the tradition.

C.

This was a tough quiz, but according to the Centers for Disease Control, the top five most nutrient-rich vegetables are (in order): watercress, Chinese cabbage (so-called Napa cabbage is a familiar type of Chinese cabbage), chard, beet greens, and spinach. Artichokes, alas, do not make the cut. A vegetable’s “nutrient density score” is a measure that evaluates the amount of essential nutrients in a food relative to its calorie content. Watercress scores a perfect 100!

A.

According to the reservation site Toast, the “Girl Dinner” trend began early in 2024 when TikToker Olivia Maher posted a casual video of her creation. The trend immediately took off. The dinner consists of a thoughtfully arranged plate of snacks and small bites, similar to a cheese and charcuterie board, often along with wine.

A.

Despite its reputation as being indestructible, fruitcake only lasts up to 6 months in the pantry, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Some bakers actually recommend letting the cake age for a few months before consuming. Tannins in the dried fruit seep into the cake and give it a spicier and fruitier flavor, and a softer texture.

A.

“Food noise” is what you are experiencing when you have constant intrusive thoughts about food. The phenomenon, according to psychologists, is disruptive and stressful. Interestingly, the phenomenon of food noise has been given credence by the rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Consumers of the drugs have reported a surprising side benefit: unrelenting thoughts about food—which had formerly taken up a lot of space in their brains—had lessened and, in some cases, gone away completely.

E.

Any and all of them. The singer Dua Lipa recently posted a video of herself drinking Diet Coke mixed with pickle juice and jalapeno sauce (not sure if I’m a fan of this idea). And that’s just the beginning. The “dirty soda” mixology trend now encompasses cola mixed with everything from coconut milk to protein shake powder. The Coca-Cola company has jumped on the trend, recently coming out with Zero Sugar Oreo Coke, and their new Orange Cream Coke will be released soon. Of course, for decades, colas have been mixed with spirits (Jack Daniel’s and Baccardi in particular). And mixing Coke with red wine is also still “a thing.” The latter, by the way, is called a kalimotxo.

C.

Each bloom of Crocus Sativus has 3 stigmata that are removed by hand and then dried for the most expensive spice on earth, saffron. Even the fastest pickers can harvest up to 30,000 flowers a day. Saffron is cultivated in central Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, India, China, and Iran which produces an estimated 95% of the worlds saffron.

C.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, bananas are the world’s most eaten fruit. Although there are 1600 different varieties of bananas globally, nearly 50% of all the bananas consumed are just one variety” the long, yellow Cavendish. The name comes from a 19th-century English duke who was sent a package of the bananas and whose gardener grew them in a greenhouse. And yes, avocadoes are a fruit (not a vegetable).

A.

It appears that the dishwasher knows no limits. As reported in Food & Wine magazine, the Tik Tok trend of putting lettuce, celery, and other produce in a dishwasher to wash them is a really bad idea. Dishwashers can harbor residual chemicals that could prove harmful if eaten. Food & Wine says these items, too, should never go in a dishwasher: cast iron pans, enamel Dutch ovens, wooden spoons, cheese graters, and insulated mugs. As for #B, I personally think you’ll ruin your dishwasher if you put takeout containers in it. But I do know #C, a woman who regularly washes her son’s Legos in the dishwasher.

C.

Garum is a fish sauce that was used by the ancient Romans to intensify the flavors of just about any dish it was put into. (And the Romans put it in everything!) Garum was made from mashed up and fermented anchovies, which are exceedingly high in umami (the “5^th taste” often defined as savory deliciousness). Today, anchovies are experiencing a renewed appreciation by Western chefs who use them in lots of dishes (without telling you). In Asian cuisines, fish sauces like garum have never gone out of fashion and are commonly used.

C.

Forbidden rice was once reserved for Chinese emperors and other wealthy and powerful people in ancient China, due to its supposed ability to promote longevity and vitality. Forbidden rice is black in color and has a nutty flavor with fruity notes. Traditional Chinese medicine reveres nutrient-packed grains, believing them to strengthen kidney function, promote circulation, and support a person’s qi, or life force, by restoring harmony and balance in the body.

C.

Believe it or not, a true Greek salad (horiatiki) almost never contains lettuce. Horiatiki is traditionally a summer dish, and Greeks eat very seasonally. Lettuce in Greece only grows in the winter months. If you want an authentic Greek salad, make yours with tomatoes (in big chunks), cucumbers (peeled), sweet red onion, bell peppers, and kalamata olives—with the pits! Top with a thick slab of feta cheese, dried Greek oregano, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Pair with a crisp Greek white wine such as Assyrtiko and you’ll be transported to a sunny Greek island in no time.

C.

According to a recent piece in The New York Times, there are now 42,000 McDonald’s fast-food restaurants around the world. The article goes on to report that on any given day, 84 million Americans eat fast food. In the year 2000, at one of the heights of McDonald’s popularity, 90% of American children ages 6 to 9 had visited a McDonald’s in any given month. Those children are now young Millennials, the demographic in the U.S. with the highest consumption of fast food.

D.

The microwave oven was invented in 1947 by a radar engineer who worked for Raytheon, a military defense contractor. The engineer—Percy LeBaron Spencer—was fiddling around with radar when he noticed it had melted the candy bar he was eating. After filing a patent, Raytheon created the first microwave oven. It was the size of a refrigerator and called the Radarange.

B.

Los Angeles ranked # 4 as one of the “Best Cities for Grilling Meat” based on a report that considered 17 metrics including, local interest in grilling, access to good butchers, home improvement chains (for grills and supplies), average cost of meat, and ideal weather for grilling outdoors. The top five in rank were: #1 Melbourne, FL, #2 Santa Fe, NM, #3 Apple Valley, CA, #4 Los Angeles, CA, and #5 Orlando FL. The survey of nearly 500 cities was done by Lawn Love, a lawn and landscape company.

C.

Is it sweet? I guess so! Van Leeuwen just announced a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter to create an espresso ice cream based on her song “Espresso.” The ice cream is a blend of espresso-flavored ice cream with brownies, chocolate chips and fudge swirls. 50% of the profits for this special release will be donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York City, which provides support for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness.

C.

Okay, this wasn’t a very cheerful quiz, but it’s fascinating. In the 19^th century, the parsimonious Pennsylvania Dutch community laid out lavish funeral banquets. Raisin pie, also known as funeral pie, had the starring role. “There will be raisin pie soon” became a euphemism for an ill person taking a turn for the worse. The pie filling, made from a pound of raisins, sugar, lemon, eggs and flour, was considered a luxury in an era when grapes had to be painstakingly deseeded by hand. A labor of love, the funeral pie was also practical, as the ingredients were available year-round. When expensive funeral feasts drifted out of fashion, raisin pie disappeared with them.

C.

Botanist and USDA employee Frank N. Meyer introduced a new variety of dwarf lemon from China to California in the 1930s. The “Meyer lemon,” as it was named, soon became popular for being sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons. But in 1956, the Department of Agriculture prohibited the Meyer lemon after the variety was discovered to host the tristeza virus, which can easily spread to other citrus plants through aphids. Inspectors in some California counties even went door to door, making sure Meyer lemon trees were destroyed. It was not until 1976, when an “improved” virus-free Meyer lemon plant was developed at the University of California at Riverside, that it regained popularity.

D.

Dutch lifestyle magazine Dailybase analyzed Tripadvisor data to find the highest number of 5-star reviews for eating and drinking places in Europe, and London came out on top. Barely. Edging Paris out by a mere 8 points, London is well-known for its traditional pub culture, as well as cutting-edge Michelin Star restaurants. London garnered a total of 2,906 5-star reviews reflecting the authentic experiences of both tourists and locals. Still, we’re tempted to call it a tie.

C.

For decades, the Nobel Banquet, which honors that year’s Nobel Laureates, always ended with Nobel ice cream for dessert. While the ice cream flavors varied, the presentation remained the same. Lights were dimmed, and servers presented spectacular trays of ice cream surrounded by glowing, hissing sparklers (perhaps a nod to Alfred Nobel’s discovery of dynamite in 1867). In 1999, organizers decided to vary the dessert menu. But you can find Nobel ice cream at the Nobel Museum Bistro in Stockholm, Sweden. Also called glace Nobel, the dessert is a molded bombe of vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet, served with a foil-wrapped chocolate Nobel medal.

B.

True vanilla is extracted from the vanilla “bean,” technically the pod of a vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia). The orchid is native to Mexico and parts of Central and South America, where the tiny Melipona bee evolved to pollinate the orchid flower. Vanilla is now produced around the world in tropical areas such as Madagascar, Tahiti, and Indonesia, where the orchids are pollinated by hand. After being harvested, the green vanilla pods are cured, giving them their characteristic brown color. Strictly speaking, wine does not have vanilla flavors. But it may have vanillin flavors. Vanillin is an organic compound called a phenolic aldehyde found in, for example, the fibers of oak trees and present in new oak barrels. Vanillin tastes a lot like vanilla, which is why we often use the terms interchangeably.

D.

In Bordeaux, France, eel-like lamprey are an unassuming local specialty. These slithering, scaleless fish are caught from nearby rivers; they mostly live in coastal or fresh bodies of water. Lamprey can be 5 inches to as much as 3 feet in length and are often deglazed in red wine and baked into casseroles. Lamprey à la Bordelaise consists of lamprey, cured ham, red Bordeaux wine, fresh herbs, garlic, leeks, and other vegetables blended into a thick stew. Just the ticket for a First Growth?