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Brian Petro

@smartguyinatie.com

Food and drink historian, educator, and nerd. Looking at what we eat from the intersection of culture and curiosity.

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Latest posts by Brian Petro @smartguyinatie.com

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millions will stream sunday’s super bowl without seeing this ad.

07.02.2026 14:11 πŸ‘ 433 πŸ” 92 πŸ’¬ 10 πŸ“Œ 8
On this date, 3 Feb 1815, the first commercial cheese factory was founded in Switzerland. They were able to make the cheese more consistent in quality while also aiding local farmers.

On this date, 3 Feb 1815, the first commercial cheese factory was founded in Switzerland. They were able to make the cheese more consistent in quality while also aiding local farmers.

#OnThisDate, 3 Feb 1815, the first commercial #cheese factory was founded in Switzerland. They were able to make the cheese more consistent in quality while also aiding local farmers.

#FoodHistory #History #SayCheese

04.02.2026 00:25 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
On This Date, 2 Feb 1897, Alfred Cralle was awarded patent 576,395 for an "Ice Cream Mold and Disher." Originally from VA, he ended up in Pittsburgh working in a drug store and hotel. He noticed it was hard for people to scoop ice cream, and decided to solve the problem.

On This Date, 2 Feb 1897, Alfred Cralle was awarded patent 576,395 for an "Ice Cream Mold and Disher." Originally from VA, he ended up in Pittsburgh working in a drug store and hotel. He noticed it was hard for people to scoop ice cream, and decided to solve the problem.

#OnThisDate, 2 Feb 1897, Alfred Cralle was awarded patent 576,395 for an "Ice Cream Mold and Disher." Originally from VA, he ended up in Pittsburgh working in a drug store and hotel. He noticed it was hard for people to scoop #icecream, and decided to solve the problem.

#BlackHistory #FoodHistory

02.02.2026 13:45 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

PSA:

When speaking of a culture, ethnicity or group of people, the name should be capitalized.Β 'Black' with a capital 'B' refers to people of the African diaspora. Lowercase 'black' is simply a color.

01.02.2026 18:37 πŸ‘ 12 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 3
On This Date, 1 Feb 1960, four Black men sat at a Woolworth's dining counter in Greensboro, NC. They were refused service, but refused to leave. This began a series of nonviolent protests around the country. This act attracted nationwide media attention, elevating the average American's knowledge of their cause.

On This Date, 1 Feb 1960, four Black men sat at a Woolworth's dining counter in Greensboro, NC. They were refused service, but refused to leave. This began a series of nonviolent protests around the country. This act attracted nationwide media attention, elevating the average American's knowledge of their cause.

#OnThisDate, 1 Feb 1960, four Black men sat at a Woolworth's dining counter in Greensboro, NC. They were refused service, but refused to leave. This began a series of nonviolent protests around the country. This act attracted nationwide media attention.

#BlackHistoryMonth #FoodHistory #History

01.02.2026 18:43 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
First Prohibition law passed in TN on this date, 26 January, 1838. It prohibits the sale of spirits in taverns and stores.

First Prohibition law passed in TN on this date, 26 January, 1838. It prohibits the sale of spirits in taverns and stores.

#OntThisDate, 26 January 1838, the first major temperance law in the country was passed in Tennessee. It only prohibited the sale of "spiritous liquors" in taverns and stores. The punishment for breaking the law was at the discretion of the court.

#History #FoodHistory #Temperance

26.01.2026 14:28 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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🍐
Stacked pear and Brie with walnuts and a light champagne honey scented with lemon and nutmeg. Simple and smooth when savored slow, the kind of small plate that feels like an earned reward at the end of the day. #TheOutpost #Cooking #Cooksky #Foodsky #Recipe

Click here for recipe

πŸ½οΈπŸœπŸ‘¨β€πŸ³πŸπŸ¦‹

14.01.2026 19:23 πŸ‘ 37 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 2
Irrigators removing the irrigation pipes from a field so the crop to be harvested

Irrigators removing the irrigation pipes from a field so the crop to be harvested

"Saul" and "Juan" work as irrigators in CAs Imperial Valley. Here they are removing the irrigation from the broccoli rapini fields, so that the machine can come in to harvest the crop. #WeFeedYou

14.01.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 1418 πŸ” 343 πŸ’¬ 48 πŸ“Œ 19
Workers pruning cherry trees

Workers pruning cherry trees

"Moises" shares, "It was 29Β° in Sunnyside WA when we arrived at 6:30am this day to begin pruning cherry trees. It is so cold it's hard to feel your hands. It's a hard job. We must balance on a ladder cutting branches with heavy shears. We earn minimum wage." #WeFeedYou

12.01.2026 18:30 πŸ‘ 143 πŸ” 47 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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πŸ¦†
Crispy duck tenders tossed with chilies, basil, and a glossy Thai sauce. Bell pepper adds brightness, basil brings perfume, and the duck stays tender inside its crisp shell. A fast, fragrant stir-fry with real table presence. #TheOutpost #Cooking #Cooksky #Foodsky #Recipe

Click for recipe

πŸ½οΈπŸœπŸ‘¨β€πŸ³πŸπŸ¦‹

09.01.2026 14:53 πŸ‘ 23 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
Cover to the single "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes. It shows a man in white, handcuffed.

Cover to the single "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes. It shows a man in white, handcuffed.

#OnThisDate, 9 Jan 1980, Rupert Holmes' "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" regained the #1 spot in the country.

Holmes has stated as late as 2019 that he has not tried a pina colada. After his music career, he became a playwright and an author.

#FoodHistory #History

09.01.2026 15:23 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Bloomsdale Farms, 1914

Bloomsdale Farms, 1914

#OnThisDay, 7 Jan 1784, the D. Landreth Seed Company was founded. They have been providing seeds of all varieties, from vegetables to flowers to grass for the lawn. Their seeds were bought by many founding fathers, and they now deliver globally.

#FoodHistory #History

07.01.2026 13:48 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Toffee Shortbread Cookies with Toffee Bits & Chocolate Chips Crunchy edges and tender centers dotted with toffee bits and chocolate chips. Bake these Toffee Shortbread Cookies for sweet homemade treats.

Easy Toffee Shortbread Cookies Recipe – Buttery, Crunchy & Irresistible jadarecipes.com/homemade-tof...

07.01.2026 13:22 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Vingate milk cartons from Summi Farm, MN.

Vingate milk cartons from Summi Farm, MN.

#OnThisDate, 6 Jan 1929, Sheffeld Farms in New York introduced milk in a carton. Up to this point, milk was delivered in glass bottles, which were heavy and had to be collected, washed, and delivered for each use. The cartons were disposable and more convenient.

#History #FoodHistory

06.01.2026 14:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A black and white ad for Super Maio Bros cookies, with an image of three boxes, each open at the top, from which artwork from Super Mario manuals and materials emerge, along with cookies shaped like caped Mario, Yoshi, and Princess Peach

A black and white ad for Super Maio Bros cookies, with an image of three boxes, each open at the top, from which artwork from Super Mario manuals and materials emerge, along with cookies shaped like caped Mario, Yoshi, and Princess Peach

Super Mario Bros. Cookies (1992-1993): A line of bite-sized cookies, shaped like a myriad of characters from Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World. Available in Chocolate, Honey, and Cinnamon varieties...check this 🧡for more info!

06.01.2026 12:29 πŸ‘ 289 πŸ” 46 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 4
Honey - this is the chapter illustration of a late fourteenth century Tacuinum Sanitatis. The illumination shows three bee skeps on a board, surrounded by bees flying and landing to enter their hives. Honey was prized for a multitude of assumed medicinal qualities and features in many 'health food' recipes of the medieval and early modern periods in Germany.

Honey - this is the chapter illustration of a late fourteenth century Tacuinum Sanitatis. The illumination shows three bee skeps on a board, surrounded by bees flying and landing to enter their hives. Honey was prized for a multitude of assumed medicinal qualities and features in many 'health food' recipes of the medieval and early modern periods in Germany.

A 1547 recipe for #medicinal #rose honey and rose sugar to soothe aching throats. I could use it myself right now.

www.culina-vetus.de/2026/01/05/r...

#culinaryhistory #foodhistory #earlymodern #medicalhistory

05.01.2026 21:07 πŸ‘ 11 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Workers in King City CA are harvesting broccoli. They earn piece rate so try to go as fast as they can so they could earn more money. However this field has been harvested before and this is the last pass. It is hard to harvest enough to make more than minimum wage. #WeFeedYou

05.01.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 957 πŸ” 365 πŸ’¬ 24 πŸ“Œ 12
#OnThisDate, 5 Jan 1943, American agricultural #scientist George Washington Carver passed away. While most know him for developing new uses for peanuts, he promoted ways to reduce soil depletion and environmentalism. He helped many poor Black #farmers make the most of the soil they had.

#OnThisDate, 5 Jan 1943, American agricultural #scientist George Washington Carver passed away. While most know him for developing new uses for peanuts, he promoted ways to reduce soil depletion and environmentalism. He helped many poor Black #farmers make the most of the soil they had.

#OnThisDate, 5 Jan 1943, American agricultural #scientist George Washington Carver passed away. While most know him for developing new uses for peanuts, he promoted ways to reduce soil depletion and environmentalism. He helped many poor Black #farmers make the most of the soil they had.

05.01.2026 22:25 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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"Raul" is repairing irrigation pipes for next year in Soledad CA. "During the season, many pipes break. Now that there isn't a lot of irrigation going on, us irrigators are taking advantage of the opportunity to repair the damaged ones." #WeFeedYou

04.01.2026 21:00 πŸ‘ 348 πŸ” 47 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 4
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πŸ•
Warm, simple, and exactly what a slow weekend wants. A buttery crust, crisp bacon, melted cheese, and soft eggs coming together in one easy, golden pie that feels like brunch without trying too hard. #TheOutpost #Cooking #Cooksky #Foodsky #Baking #Bakesky #Recipe #Pizza

Click for recipe

πŸ½οΈπŸœπŸ‘¨β€πŸ³πŸπŸ¦‹

04.01.2026 13:09 πŸ‘ 44 πŸ” 6 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
A farm worker removing weeds and dry vines

A farm worker removing weeds and dry vines

"Soco" is laboring removing weeds and dry vines in Tulare County, so that the vineyards are ready for the pruning season. She works 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday, earning minimum wage. She is a single mother and works very hard to provide for her children. #WeFeedYou

04.01.2026 15:01 πŸ‘ 223 πŸ” 48 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

I was looking for an image just like this.

04.01.2026 15:49 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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It's always white wine season.

Learn about the whole process of making it.πŸ‘‡

04.01.2026 01:00 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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My mom's apple cake is an avalanche of apples, a tiny bit of batter, and a cascade of cinnamon baked into a hulking mass of fall awesomeness in a tube pan that people will demand you make again and again.

smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/moms...

20.09.2025 13:22 πŸ‘ 201 πŸ” 12 πŸ’¬ 13 πŸ“Œ 2
A world record peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made on this day, 7 Sep 2002, in Oklahoma. 

This image is not that sandwich.

A world record peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made on this day, 7 Sep 2002, in Oklahoma. This image is not that sandwich.

#OnThisDate, 7 Sep 2002, the world's largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich was made in Oklahoma. Weighing in at 900 lbs., it had 350 lbs. of pb and 144 lbs. of jelly.

There is no record of the flavor of the jelly.

The current world record was set in 2010.

#Food #FoodHistory #PBJ

08.09.2025 00:31 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Tractor driver in NorCal calling it a day from preparing the soil for the next planting.

Tractor driver in NorCal calling it a day from preparing the soil for the next planting.

This tractor driver in NorCal is calling it a day from preparing the soil for the next planting. Grape orchards can yield for 30 years before needing to be pulled and replanted but often wine grape plants will be replanted more often to keep the grape quality. #WeFeedYou

07.09.2025 20:00 πŸ‘ 329 πŸ” 58 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2
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Savour Sicily: The essential food and wine pairings you must try - Decanter Sicilian food and wine – an island for foodies keen to indulge in fresh seafood, ripe vegetables and classics such as arancini and cannoli.

Some Sicilian food porn

www.decanter.com/learn/sicili...

07.09.2025 22:39 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This is my go-to weeknight-friendly (i.e. everything is done, including the nonnegotiable grilled cheese alongside, in under an hour) tomato soup. Grape or cherry tomatoes do the heavy lifting here, providing flavor, nuance, and sweetness I wasn’t getting canned.

smittenkitchen.com/2024/03/week...

07.09.2025 16:26 πŸ‘ 28 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
A grape vineyard showing the packing stations in a worker carrying empty boxes to her station

A grape vineyard showing the packing stations in a worker carrying empty boxes to her station

It's the peak season in the grape harvest in Arvin CA. "Sonia" is taking boxes back to her packing station. When packed with grapes, each box can weigh up to 22 lbs. It was 11:30 AM on this day and the temperature was already 91Β°. #WeFeedYou #CALOR

06.09.2025 20:00 πŸ‘ 347 πŸ” 63 πŸ’¬ 6 πŸ“Œ 7
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Ingredient red flags: how to spot the chemicals to avoid in food, kitchenware and cosmetics Should your makeup be fragrance-free? Is it time to purge your kitchen of plastic? Are all food dyes dangerous? These are the everyday ingredients that could be harming your health

Good run down on the chemical nasties to watch out for in food (and other products)

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

06.09.2025 22:51 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0