Today is.... (I have two for you)
#1: "NATIONAL COLD CUTS DAY"
Dagwood, eat your heart out. March 3rd is National Cold Cuts Day. Call them lunch meats, deli meats, sandwich meats or cold cuts. Some like them thick, while others stack them mile high. Others still just like them with cheese and crackers. However you like them, National Cold Cuts Day was made for sandwich and snack makers.
There are the deli staples like the humble turkey and ham. Then there are the culinary delights like salami and prosciutto and flavors that require a more acquired taste like head cheese and braunschweiger. Whatever your taste, there is a cold cut for everyone. Well, everyone except the vegetarian.
Every nationality has a flavor all their own when it comes to seasoning, curing and aging a variety of meats. The taste is altered by spices, smoking and time. When the animal is butchered, temperature and air circulation affect the flavor, too.
It’s essentially an art history lesson all rolled into one, and at the end of it all, there’s mouth-watering food that can be enjoyed with friends and a good beverage.
Or, it’s simply a piece of meat meant to make a meal. Breaking bread with friends sounds so much more delightful, though.
Bologna is one of the most popular cold cuts in the United States due to a famous commercial. Named after the Italian city of the same name, bologna is similar to an Italian sausage called Mortadella.
Other popular cuts are chicken, roast beef, pastrami, corned beef and pepperoni.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Visit a local deli and enjoy the following recipes:
Cold Cuts Party Salad
Dill Pickle Ham Pinwheels Ham Rollups
Crock Pot BBQ Ham Sandwiches
and... #2 "NATIONAL MULLED WINE DAY"
National Mulled Wine Day is observed annually on March 3rd. This is a day for those 21 years and older to warm up from the winter chill with a nice glass of mulled wine.
Mulled spirits are wine and liquors that have been heated and spiced. Mulled wine is usually made with red wine with various spices, fruits and sometimes slightly sweetened with honey. Popular blends include cinnamon, nutmeg, citrus, vanilla, anise, cloves, raisins or pears.
Wine was first recorded as spiced and heated in First Century Rome.
The combination of the heated spirits and spices are a warm welcome on a cold winter’s day and have long been considered a balm against illness during this time of year.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Try making some at home with this recipe: Mulled Wine
Enjoy some mulled wine (Remember always drink responsibly and never to drink and drive) !