Tidbits of History, August 29

August 29 is:

More Herbs, Less Salt Day
National Chop Suey Day
Chop suey is a Chinese American dish originating in the mid to late 19th century for Chinese immigrants in San Francisco.
Chop suey consists of small pieces of meat, chicken or shrimp stir-fried with celery, onions, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms and/or other vegetables, and served over rice, usually with soy sauce.

Difference between Chop Suey and Chow Main:
What is chop suey?

While it has roots in southern China, chop suey is one of the most popular kind of dishes in Americanized Chinese food. While its specific definition can vary from chef to chef, chop suey almost always includes some kind of meat (beef, chicken, pork, or seafood) paired with vegetables and sometimes an egg. After that, there are a few other distinguishing features:

The Base: It’s typically served with rice as its base. You might occasionally see it with steamed noodles.
The Sauce: It’s topped with a thick, starch-based gravy.
The Variations: There are too many to count—basically, chop suey is a kind of dish, with little differences at every Chinese restaurant you go to.

Ok, then, what is chow mein?

Chow mein does share some similarities with chop suey: notably, it’s made with meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or tofu), vegetables, and a sauce. Both are Chinese-American staples, but there are a few distinct differences. Here’s how to tell if what you’re eating is chow mein:

The Base: It’s crispy stir-fried noodles. In fact, this is the easiest way to spot the difference between chow mein and chop suey. If there’s rice, it’s chop suey. If there are noodles, it’s probably chow mein.
The Sauce: Soy sauce, never thickened.
The Variations: Sometimes, you’ll see this same dish, but with steamed noodles. This is often called lo mein.

Birthday of John Locke (August 29, 1632), English philosopher who wrote “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding”. His arguments concerning liberty and the social contract later influenced the written works of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and other Founding Fathers of the United States. In fact, one passage from the Second Treatise is reproduced verbatim in the Declaration of Independence, the reference to a “long train of abuses.” Such was Locke’s influence that Thomas Jefferson wrote: “Bacon, Locke and Newton… I consider them as the three greatest men that have ever lived, without any exception, and as having laid the foundation of those superstructures which have been raised in the Physical and Moral sciences”.

1786 – Shays’ Rebellion, an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers, began in response to high debt and tax burdens.

Birthday of Oliver Wendell Holmes (August 29, 1809), American poet, essayist, and novelist.

From Asimov, Isaac. Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts. New York, Bell Publishing Company, published in 1981:

Birthday of Charles F. Kettering, (August 29, 1876), American inventor, engineer and holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco and head of research at General Motors. Among his most widely used automotive inventions were the electric starting motor and leaded gasoline. The electric automobile self-starter which was perfected in 1911 made it possible for women to drive without a male companion to crank the engine.

United States Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado on this date in 1958.

Saddam HusseinAugust 29, 1990, Saddam Hussein declared that America couldn’t beat Iraq

August 29, 2005: Hurricane Katrina wreaks devastation in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. New Orleans is flooded. Responsible for the killing of an estimated 1,836 people and causing over $108 billion in damage.

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