Most of us think of holidays as one of those few days our employer actually pays us to stay home. We all know the big ones: New Year's, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. And yes, some employers are a little more generous but most likely you'll have no more than 7 days a year that you consider a holiday. Depending on your religious beliefs you may add a few more to that annual list, and find that you're up to a dozen or so.
For a day to be considered a "National Holiday" it needs to be declared so by Congress. And then of course we have the "commercial holidays" that we all love, which in effect are simply days that have become popular over the years. We all love them, but for some of us that just isn't enough. Organizations, corporation, and even loosely connected groups of people can "declare" a day for any reason they choose. Some of these days catch on and become popular with the general population, some remain only recognized by their creator, and some fizzle out and become a mere memory after only a year or two.
The point is - Every day, somewhere someone is celebrating something.

Monday, August 16, 2010

August 16 ~ Happy Bratwurst Day

While I have found a variety of Bratwurst days and festivals around the country on many different days, my research points to August 16th as National Bratwurst Day.  I was able to find a few interesting facts about bratwurst.

The sausage became popular in the US in the 1920s in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin.  Don't you just love that name, Sheboygan...if I lived in Wisconsin that's where I'd want to live just because I like saying the name.  Indications are that the name bratwurst is a compound of the German words for "fry" and "sausage", but most often this sausage is grilled by the American consumer, and frequently it is poached in beer first.  Even that simply recipe, poach in beer and grill, can have any number of variations which can be found in proliferation on the internet.

Feel free to comment with your favorite recipe, hint, or tip for cooking brats.
Posted by Rita Ballantyne at 8:00 AM
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