Coca-Cola Day

Mother's Day--6Greek Fest ...18Memorial Day 20

Today is V-E Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe, in 1945. At exactly the same moment, a great song called Candy hit number one, sung by Johnny Mercer and one of our favorite girl singers, Jo Stafford. It's all before our time, but we like it anyway.

A man largely responsible for the easy availability of beef in the American diet was born today in 1855. John "Bet A Million" Gates, the inventor and promoter of barbed wire, pushed his product on rangers, who found it cheap and effective. And suddenly the herds grew.

Emil Christian Hansen, a scientist working in Danish breweries, developed a means of culturing brewer's yeast in such a way that its performance (and therefore the flavor of the beer) became much more consistent than it had been. He also discovered that there are two species of brewer's yeast: the kind that floats, and the kind that sinks. He was born today in 1842.

Today is Coca-Cola Day. It was sold for the first time on this date in 1886. Invented by pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton, Coke and beverages like it (Dr Pepper, for example, which was already in the market) were sold more in drugstores than anywhere else. Pemberton offered Coca-Cola as a "brain and nerve tonic." He sold on average a big nine glasses a day during the first year at his Atlanta drugstore. A few years later, unhopeful for the future of his invention, Pemberton sold the rights to the formula to Asa Candler for $2300. Candler added an ingredient much more important than any of the ones Pemberton thought of: marketing. Indeed, the promotion of Coca-Cola to the general public worldwide is one of the most important chapters in the history of advertising.The aspect of Coca-Cola that most interests me is that the formula for it is so bitter that it requires a great deal of sugar to bring it into a balance that tastes good. Nine teaspoons of sugar are in every twelve-ounce can. Imagine putting that much sugar in coffee or any other beverage! Part of the balance is also struck with the acidic carbonated water. If you've ever had a Coke that was allowed to go flat, you know how insipidly sweet it is. The bubbles play against the sugar.Whatever else can be said about Coca-Cola, there's no question we drink far too much of it. Really, it's brown sugar water. Anybody try the new version of Coke with vitamins and minerals?

Coke, Texas is about midway between Dallas and Shreveport, in the northeast corner of the state. Although it still has about a hundred residents, it's considered a ghost town, its downtown almost entirely defunct. It was one of hundreds of towns across America that were a day's horse ride from the next town in any direction. They became defunct with the coming of the automobile. It was founded in the 1850s because coal mines were nearby. Coke--the solid fuel left over after coal and tars are distilled out of coal--was produced there. Here's a web site with more about Coke, Texas. The nearest place to eat is about eight miles away in Yantis, on the Lake Fork reservoir: the Oak Valley Catfish Kitchen.

mahi-mahi, n.--The Hawaiian name for a fish found in warm seas worldwide. It's also known as dorado and dolphinfish. It does vaguely resemble the mammalian dolphin, but is a true fish. They grow quickly to sizes of two to five feet long, and so represent a sustainable food fish species. It's a very good fish for grilling, needing just basic seasoning and a light sauce, if any. Mahi-mahi has an iridescent skin and light gray flesh. It's a little chewier than most fish, especially when it isn't very fresh, and it doesn't freeze well.

Felix Gallerani was born today in 1938, in Tirol, the part of Italy near Austria. Felix came to New Orleans in the 1970s to be the chef of the flagship restaurant in the Hilton Riverside Hotel. However, he shortly thereafter decided he'd had enough of the kitchen and went into the dining room as the maitre d'. He held that position for a very long time at Begue's, where he became well known. He spent a few years at the front door at Broussard's before buying Cafe Volage in the 1990s. He sold the restaurant in 2007, and passed away a year later. He used to call into my radio show to talk about food and the antics of his parrot, Pistachio.

Pitcher Catfish Hunter pitched a perfect game for Oakland against the Minnesota Twins today in 1968. . . Graphic designer Saul Bass was born today in 1921. . . Henry Baker, one of the earliest users of microscopes in science, was born today in 1698. . . Today in 1919, Edward George Honey proposed an international holiday celebrating the end of World War I, Armistice Day. . . Today in 1999, Nancy Mace became the first female graduate of The Citadel, a previously all-male military college.

Today is the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel. Among many other roles, he is the patron of bakers and grocers.

"It takes a lot of dough to make the upper crust."--Alfred E. Neuman, fictional goofball and mascot of Mad Magazine. He was on its cover for the first time today in 1956. Today is also the birthday of Mad itself, in 1952.

"But Daddy. . . Coke has vitamins!"--My son Jude at age three, trying to persuade me to let him have Coca-Cola right before bedtime.