A Second Helping of Edible People Quiz

Answer: Lewelling's foreman

Since Lewelling developed the Bing cherry in 1875, it is impossible for him to have named it for either Bing Crosby or Bing Devine (crooner/actor Harry Lillis 'Bing' Crosby wasn't born until 1903, and St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets baseball executive Vaughan Pallmore 'Bing' Devine didn't arrive in this world until 1916). I have no idea if Lewelling had a son, let alone whether or not he was nicknamed Bing.

No, the cherry was named for Lewelling's Manchurian foreman Ah Bing, who worked alongside Lewelling in the cultivation of the delicious Bing cherry. Funtrivia members who are afflicted by arthritis or gout will be happy to know that a study done by the United States Department of Agriculture indicates that Bing cherries can relieve the pain and swelling brought on by those two conditions.

Answer: Sylvester Graham

Graham Kerr, aka the Galloping Gourmet, might use Graham crackers in creating dessert dishes or snacks, but he's not the Graham for whom the crackers are named. Billy Graham, the evangelist, has probably enjoyed Graham crackers during his long life, but he, too, is the wrong Graham. Graham Johnson III could have taken Graham crackers with him on his exploration trips to Antarctica, but his distinction lies in the fact that he is the first man to be buried in Antarctica (on the Graham Peninsula, which is named for Sir James Graham, who was First Lord of the Admiralty at the time of John Biscoe's 1832 exploration of the Antarctica peninsula. Biscoe named the peninsula in Sir James' honour). Neither Graham Johnson nor Sir James gave their name to the cracker.

The Graham cracker is named for Rev. Sylvester Graham (1794-1851), an American Presbyterian minister who was a proponent of vegetarianism. In 1829, he invented Graham bread, made from unsifted, unrefined flour, free from chemical additives like chlorine and alum (both of which were used by bakers of the day to whiten bread - wholewheat bread was considered fit only for peasants and frontiersmen!) Parson Graham promoted vegetarianism as a measure to cure alcoholism and curb 'natural urges'. He felt that alcohol should be reserved for medicinal use only and that an unhealthy diet "stimulated excessive sexual desires" which led to disease and insanity. He gave public lectures throughout New England on the subject of diet and disease, and let it be known that he frowned on both sex and women wearing tight corsets. Newspaper reports of his lectures invariably mentioned the number of women who fainted during the lectures, although it is not known whether they fainted because he talked about sex (a taboo subject for public discussion in those days) or because they were wearing the tight corsets required by the fashions of the day. One Boston newspaper reported that in 1837 Rev. Graham had great difficulty in finding a hall in that city to rent for one of his lectures due to threats of violence against him by local butchers and bakers!

Graham acquired quite a following, known as Grahamites, who dutifully eschewed meat and alcohol, sustaining themselves, no doubt, on Graham bread and Graham crackers. However, following Graham's early death at age 58, the movement petered out.

Rev. Graham would no doubt be terribly disappointed to learn that today's Graham crackers are more often than not made with refined flour and, horrors, sugar!

Answer: False

No royalty was involved in the naming of this popular dish, which is comprised of cubes of cooked chicken in a cream sauce (with mushrooms and peppers), served in vol au vent pastry shells. Chicken a la King's origins are shrouded in mystery. Some claim that it was named for William King (died 1915) of Philadelphia.

Others say that its present name is a corruption of Chicken a la Keene, and was named by its creator, the chef at Claridge's Hotel in London, in honour of American guest James R. Keene whose horse won a major race in Paris in 1881. Still others maintain that the dish was created in 1890 and named for James' son, Foxhall, by Charles Ranhofer, the chef who made Delmonico's the finest New York restaurant of its day. Finally, there are those who are certain that Chicken a la King was created by New York's Brighton Beach Hotel chef George Greenwald in 1898, and named in honour of frequent guests Mr. and Mrs. E. Clark King II.

Answer: Ballerina Anna Pavlova

Who hasn't drooled over the lighter-than-air concoction named for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881-1931), who was also said to be lighter than air? Both Australia and New Zealand claim rights as originator of this wonderful concoction of meringue, cream and fruit. In 1977, British food writer Hilary Fawcett compiled the 'Good Food Guide', highlighting fine restaurants in the British Isles (despite what you've heard about British cuisine, there are indeed fine British restaurants and very good British cooks!). The Guide listed the Pavlova as a New Zealand contribution to the dessert menu. Ex-pat Aussies in the UK raised such a fuss that Fawcett maintained that she had to conduct a straw-vote poll, and subsequent issues of the Guide gave the palm to Australia.

Nellie Melba, the Australian diva, was immortalized in such culinary offerings as Peach Melba and Melba toast, while Jenny Lind, aka The Swedish Nightingale, inspired a soup, a ham dish, and an oyster dish, and also had a melon named for her. Charles Ranhofer, the chef at New York's Delmonico's Restaurant, named a chicken dish for Clara Morris, the most popular American actress of the late nineteenth century.

Answer: One of Edward VII's paramours

Suzette Charles, the second African-American woman to become Miss America (in 1984), and Suzette McQueen, former outstanding American college athlete and (at time of writing) now the Assistant Director in the Athletics department at Adelphi University in New York State, may enjoy a serving of Crepes Suzette, but neither of them is responsible for the name of the dish. Suzette Banger is a fictional character played by Goldie Hawn in the movie 'The Banger Sisters', and her last name wasn't really Banger - it was just a stage name.

According to chef Henri Charpentier (1880-1961), who claimed to have created the exotic dessert, the inspiration for Crepes Suzette was a young woman, known only as Suzette. She accompanied that royal philanderer, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), on a visit to the Cafe de Paris in Monte Carlo in January, 1898. The prince ordered a special dessert and when Charpentier produced the flaming crepes he wanted to name them for the royal guest. However, Bertie, in an uncharacteristic moment of modesty, insisted that it be named for his charming companion. The editors of Larousse Gastronomique, the encyclopaedia of cuisine, dismiss Charpentier's claim, but do not indicate any other reason why the dish is called Crepes Suzette.

Answer: San Francisco

Italian colaratura soprano Luisa Tetrazzini, known to the music world as 'the Florentine Nightingale', was born in Florence, Italy in 1871 and was one of the world's most popular opera singers during her lifetime. She made her American debut in San Francisco in 1905 and had a great affection for the city (once during a contractual hang-up that prevented her from performing in a theatre in San Francisco, she declared at a press conference that she would sing in San Francisco even if she had to sing in the streets - and she did! On Christmas Eve, 1910, Tetrazzini stood on a makeshift platform at the corner of Market and Kearney and sang for an enraptured audience of thousands). It was in San Francisco that Chicken Tetrazzini was created and named for her.

The epitome of the caricature of female opera singers as fat ladies (too much Chicken Tetrazzini?), Tetrazzini was also short and her acting abilities were even shorter. However, her glorious voice endeared her to audiences all over the world in such roles as Violetta in 'La Traviata' and Lucia in 'Lucia di Lammermoor' . While she carried on an oft-times bitter rivalry with Nellie Melba, the Australian diva, Tetrazzini was generally popular with other opera singers of the day. Her biggest fans were Enrico Caruso and Adelina Patti.

Tetrazzini retired from the stage in 1932, and her declining years were plagued by financial problems and ill health. She died in Milan in 1941.

Answer: Charles Delmonico

There may be someone named Susan Newberg, but she has nothing to do with the lobster dish, and as far as I know, there is no towns named Newburg in Nova Scotia, and thanks to Funtrivia member Greyinggranny I now know that there is a Newburgh in Maine (it's in Penobscot county in the Bangor area). Both localities are famed for their lobsters, but neither of them have anything to do with Lobster Newberg.

It was Charles Delmonico, owner of Delmonico's Restaurant in New York, who named the dish in the late 19th century.

The story goes that he was presented with the recipe by his friend Captain Ben Wenberg who had discovered it in his travels (although we are never told where). After chef Charles Ranhofer had added some refinements to Wenberg's original recipe, Delmonico placed it on his menu under the name Lobster Wenberg.

Some time later, the friends had a falling out and Delmonico promptly stopped serving Lobster Wenberg. The restaurant's patrons, who had developed a liking for the dish, demanded that it be re-instated, and Delmonico bowed to their wishes.

However, he re-named it Lobster Newberg. Nowadays, spelling varies - Newberg, Newburg and Newburgh are all common - and the term can be applied to any seafood dish prepared a la Newberg (in a cream and sherry sauce).

Answer: Caesar Cardini

Caesar Cardini (1896-1956), owner of the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana, Mexico, created this salad, which has Romaine lettuce, anchovies, lemon juice, and egg as its main ingredients. No doubt American comedian Sid Caesar and Cuban-American actor Cesar Romero noshed on the salad that bore their name, but Julius Caesar never enjoyed one, since Tijuana and the Hotel Caesar did not exist in the first century BCE.

Answer: Mamie Eisenhower

Mamie is the only First Lady to have a fudge recipe named for her. Her fudge, which she made as a Christmas season treat, calls for marshmallow creme, which gives it a melt-in-your-mouth consistency and sweetness. President Eisenhower called his wife's concoction 'the million dollar fudge'. You can find the recipe for Mamie Eisenhower fudge at www.christmas-joy.com/recipes/fudge.htm

There is a line of baked goods in the US named for Dolly (or Dolley, spellings vary) Madison. They were first marketed in 1937 as 'Cakes and Pastries fine enough to be served at the White House'. Fudge is not included in the line-up

Lucy Webb Hayes was known as Lemonade Lucy because of her adamant opposition to alcohol being served at the White House during Rutherford B. Hayes' term of office, but there is no record of her making fudge.

Eleanor Roosevelt was far too busy being a human rights activist to worry her head about fudge-making.

Answer: Purim

Homentashn are served up during Purim and are named for Haman, the villain in the biblical story of Esther (Homentashn means Haman's Pockets in Yiddish). In Israel these delicious cookies are called Oznei Haman, which is Hebrew for Haman's Ears. During Purim, it is customary to re-tell the story of Esther and the audience is encouraged to make rude noises whenever Haman's name is mentioned. During Purim observant Jews distribute food baskets to those in need. In Israel, Purim is celebrated with festive parades known as Ad-D'lo-Yada.

Homentashn are generally made by rolling the cookie dough (flavoured with orange juice or citrus zest) as thin as possible and then cutting it into circles. The filling is placed in the centre of the circle, and the dough is folded on three sides to make a triangular-shaped cookie. The traditional filling is poppy seeds, but Homentashn can also be made with nuts, prunes, dates, apricots, even cheese. Yeast dough can be used instead of cookie dough.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and has its own culinary treats, as does Sukkot, the Festival of Booths. Hannukah, the Festival of Lights, often coincides with the Christian Advent/Christmas season and celebrates the miracle of the Maccabees, and is always a time of feasting.