“Maple Syrup Saturday is celebrated every third Saturday of March and this year it will be observed on March 15…” ~ national day today

and I’m letting y’all know on the 11th b/c it’s otherwise a blank food/drink holiday day lol 😆

My fave thing to use maple syrup for is in lieu of the bartender’s basic ‘simple syrup’ when making a high quality cocktail 🍹 at home … [hyperlink to the Langston Hughes “hard daddy” cocktail created in Nov 2026 at an interracial party he attended and named after one of his famous blues poems]. Maple syrup is a star ingredient…

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THIS LINK takes you back to the whole month calendar aerial view to explore more food & drink ‘holidays’

Photos & Text / Copy By: Tonya Hopkins aka The Food Griot: “Sharing Savory Stories on the Makings of America’s Cuisines”…

ABOVE: that time I had impromptu company coming over and needed simple snacks so I kitchen-scissored & fried up some homemade corn chips from a package of tortillas I found in my fridge. It took about the same amount of time (maybe less) as it would have to run to the nearest store to buy a bag. The tortillas weren’t stale yet but were moving in that direction day by day anyway. Plus, unlike many most modern folks i actually enjoy frying things up erry now & then (at the right temp using healthy oils with high heat thresholds). But that’s a topic for a whole ‘nother post…

BELOW: still life snapshots of “restaurant style” chips served up at establishment on both coasts — and at home (family friend Corina’s in LA….)

Corn is such an important now global crop, a wonderful edible, distillable medium to learn food history. Its such an essential foodstuff (and industrial use item) the world wouldn’t have without the cultivating genius of ancient Mesoamericans…

BECOME PART OF MY PATREON to learn more inclusive history through food.

And if you’re already part of my Patreon, be sure to utilize your perks & benefits for deeper dives on topics of interest to you

THIS LINK takes you back to the whole month calendar aerial view to explore more food & drink ‘holidays’ …

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A fascinatingly tart yet slightly sweet fleshy bright fruit with ancient roots in N. Africa, the Middle and Far East, notably China…

TFG DRINKS! Delish drink I came up with by mixing apricot juice with smashed basil (see below re: this herb’s origins), and an amazing American whiskey …

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If you’re already part of my Patreon community, pls do take advantage of the perks there for more commentary and convos to learn more on any particular topic. If you’re not part of my Patreon here’s the link to JOIN thanks!

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THIS LINK takes you back to the whole month calendar view to explore more food & drink ‘holidays’

“Maple Syrup Saturday is celebrated every third Saturday of March and this year it will be observed on March 16…” ~ national day today

My fave thing to use maple syrup for is in lieu of the bartender’s basic ‘simple syrup’ when making a high quality cocktail 🍹 at home … [hyperlink to the Langston Hughes “hard daddy” & to the MLK cocktail trio]

ABOVE: that time I had impromptu company coming over and needed simple snacks so I kitchen-scissored & fried up some homemade corn chips from a package of tortillas I found in my fridge. It took about the same amount of time (maybe less) as it would have to run to the nearest store to buy a bag. The tortillas weren’t stale yet but were moving in that direction day by day anyway. Plus, unlike many most modern folks i actually enjoy frying things up erry now & then (at the right temp using healthy oils with high heat thresholds). But that’s a topic for a whole ‘nother post…

BELOW: still life snapshots of “restaurant style” chips served up at establishment on both coasts — and at home (family friend Corina’s in LA….)

Corn is such an important now global crop, a wonderful edible, distillable medium to learn food history. Its such an essential foodstuff (and industrial use item) the world wouldn’t have without the cultivating genius of ancient Mesoamericans…

BECOME PART OF MY PATREON to learn more inclusive history through food.

And if you’re already part of my Patreon, be sure to utilize your perks & benefits for deeper dives on topics of interest to you

THIS LINK takes you back to the whole month calendar aerial view to explore more food & drink ‘holidays’ …

SIGN-UP  to receive a colorful copy of my newsletter in your inbox ONCE a MONTH. Have a look at the online web browser version of January’s digest  HERE..

A fascinatingly tart yet slightly sweet fleshy bright fruit with ancient roots in N. Africa, the Middle and Far East, notably China…

TFG DRINKS! Delish drink I came up with by mixing apricot juice with smashed basil, an amazing American whiskey …

************************************************

If you’re already part of my Patreon community, pls do take advantage of the perks there for more commentary and convos to learn more on any particular topic. If you’re not part of my Patreon here’s the link to JOIN thanks!

************************************************

THIS LINK takes you back to the whole month calendar view to explore more food & drink ‘holidays’