National Lasagna Day
July 29
The first recorded recipe of lasagna was set down in the early 14th-century in the cookbook, Liber de Coquina. The most known variation in the world traces back to the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna and is referred to as ‘Lasagne al Forno’. This name refers to the familiar layered dish made with a thick ragù and bechamel sauce, ricotta or mozzarella cheese, typically flavored with wine, onion, and oregano. The most expensive lasagna in the world is served in Las Vegas in Portofino at the Mirage. It is the “Diamond and Gold” lasagna for $100 a slice. The lasagna is made of the layers of pasta stuffed with porcini mushrooms, Iberico ham and Prosciutto di Parma as well as 24-month-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, buffalo mozzarella and Kobe Bolognese spread between each layer. A “foiefredo” sauce — an Alfredo sauce infused with foie gras — tops the dish. On top, White Diamond truffles shaved table side and last but not least, 23-karat gold flakes.
National Lipstick Day
July 29
If you were a wealthy woman in Ancient Rome, chances are you had your own professional team of hairstylists and makeup artists, called cosmatae, to apply your lipstick every day. But, unfortunately, many early iterations of lipstick contained toxic ingredients like white lead and vermillion. The average woman spends $15,000 on makeup in her lifetime—and of that amount, $1780 goes toward lipstick. Both men and women in Ancient Egypt wore lipstick as a symbol of their status. They applied it almost daily with wet sticks of wood and favored colors such as magenta, blue-black, and orange—though red was also a popular shade.
Today’s Birthdays of Note….
Dak Prescott – QB Dallas Cowboys – born in Sulphur, Louisiana
Benito Mussolini – Italian Fascist Dictator – born in Forli, Italy
