Your 4 October food & drink takeaways
The part played by food on an historic day for travel, a turn-of-the-century social historian’s influence on modern-day chefs and writers and the man who turned mixing it in the kitchen up a notch.
Just some of food & drink delights that 4 October brings to the table.
Click on the links for extra helpings.
A curated taster menu of every day’s food & drink associations
Food in travel
1883
The famous Orient Express makes its first run from Paris to Giurgiu in Romania, via Munich and Vienna. Passengers were then ferried across the Danube to pick up another train to Varna, from where they completed their journey to Constantinople by another ferry
"The inaugural dinner menu, of October 4th, 1883, featured oysters, turbot with green sauce, chicken chausseur {picture below} a chaud-froid of game animals (a.k.a. meat coated in a creamy jellied sauce—hooray for aspic!), chocolate pudding, and a dessert buffet (because who doesn’t have room for petit fours after a 4-course dinner?), all served to the tinkling tones of a baby grand piano."
1958
BOAC (now British Airways) begins operating the first transatlantic passenger jet service with flights between London and New York
“It was a thrilling experience. We served customers madeira biscuits and coffee when they came on board, followed by cocktails and canapes, and then a five-course lunch with wines. Petit Fours followed and then there was Afternoon Tea! Our customers loved it – they ate and drank from when they got on board until the time they got off”
1976
British Rail's '125' high speed train goes into service between London and South Wales, the world's fastest diesel train service
"Hot food is served quickly from an on-board kitchen with the aid of a state-of-the-art microwave oven."
Food and drink birthdays
1879
American plant geneticist, botanist, agronamist and chemist, contributed to the development of hybrid corn (maize) – a revolutionary method of seed production that improved corn crops around the world
1893
English social historian and author, Food in England, a strong influence on many contemporary cooks and food writers
1916
English inventor of the Kenwood Chef food mixer
1931
English designer and restaurateur, Quaglino’s, Boundary, Lutyens
1935
French chef, TV presenter, A Cook’s Tour of France and author, The Cuisine of the Sun, The Cuisine of the Rose, The French Family Feast
1948
New Zealand–born chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality
1978
Greek-Australian chef, restaurateur and TV personality
1981
Austrian specialty chef who works as a TV and Radio chef
1976
American actress and cookbook author, The Kind Diet
Food art of the day
Woman Baking Bread by French Realist painter Jean-Francois Millet, born on this day in 1814. Millet was noted for his scenes of peasant farmers.
