JUNE 22, 2014 – NATIONAL ONION RINGS DAY – NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DAY

                       NATIONAL ONION RINGS DAY

Dipped in a batter or in bread crumbs and deep fried, tasty onion rings are a popular hors d’oeuvre or side dish all across the United States and are celebrated each year on June 22 for National Onion Rings Day.
Also found in Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and some parts of Asia, onion rings exact origin is unknown.

• A recipe called “Fried Onions with Parmesan Cheese” is included in John Mollard’s 1802 cookbook “The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined”.  Within the recipe, it suggests cutting onions into 1/2 inch rings, dipping them into a batter made of flour, cream, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese then deep frying them in “boiling” lard. It is suggested that they are served with a sauce made of  melted butter and mustard.
• Some believe that a recipe  for French Fried Onions (not claiming to be the originator of the recipe) appeared in the Middletown, NY Daily Times on January 13, 1910.
• The Pig Stand restaurant chain, founded in Oak Cliff, Texas in the early 1920′s is one of the claimants to the onion rings invention.
• A recipe for deep-fried onion rings that are dipped in milk then dredged in flour appeared in a 1933 Crisco advertisement in The New York Times Magazine.  
• In the 1960′s, the A&W restaurant is credited with popularizing the onion rings in fast food restaurants.

To celebrate National Onion Rings Day, head to your favorite “onion ring” serving restaurant, place your order and enjoy or try one of the following “tried and true” recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/beer-battered-onion-rings-recipe.html
http://www.food.com/recipe/buttermilk-batter-fried-onion-rings-51736
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oven-baked-onion-rings/
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-onion-rings/
NATIONAL ONION RINGS DAY HISTORY
Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National Onion Rings Day, an “unofficial” national holiday.
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NATIONAL CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DAY

June 22 celebrates National Chocolate Eclair Day.  Today is a day for everyone to enjoy a delicious cream filled pastry that is covered in smooth, mouth-watering, chocolate.
The dough of an eclair, is piped into an oblong shape with a pastry bag and baked until it is crisp and hollow on the inside.  Once the pastry has cooled, it is then filled with a vanilla flavored custard, whipped cream or chiboust cream and then iced with chocolate.  

• Originating during the nineteenth century in France, the eclair was first called “pain à la duchesse” or “petite duchesse”.
• It is believed, by food historians, that eclairs were first made by French chef Antonin Careme (1784-1833).
• The word “eclair” comes from the French word, meaning “flash of lightning”.   The connection between this and the French pastry remains unclear.

The 1884 Boston Cooking School Cook Book, by Mrs. D.A. Lincoln, has the first known English-language recipe for eclairs.

• Long Johns are marketed under the name eclairs in some parts of the United States.  The two are not quite identical.  Long Johns are made with donut pastry and typically filled with a vanilla pudding or custard, making it a simpler and less expensive alternative to the eclair. 

Following are a few of our “tried and true” recipes for you to make, share and enjoy National Chocolate Eclair Day!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-eclair-cake/
http://dailydishrecipes.com/e-is-for-eclair-real-chocolate-eclair-cupcakes/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/chocolate-eclairs-recipe/index.html
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-eclair-graham-dessert