Old School Thursday: Brave New World Edition

For a day officially dedicated to tradition and history – it’s National Chocolate Chip Day and the saint’s day for St. Isidore the Farmer, patron of agricultural workers, livestock and ranchers – today certainly is all about the Bright Modern Future.

It started in 1923, when Listerine was registered as a trademark, freshening breath and causing winces everywhere. Just a few years later, in 1930, United Airlines employed the first flight attendant, who served a meal (that was no doubt delicious) of chicken, fruit salad and rolls on a flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming (now that’s a leg known for it’s innovation). Precursor to the Jetsons, obviously.

Things got a little less sweet in 1989, when Hershey reduced the size of the Hershey bar, but didn’t cut the cost. Funny, 1989 is the summer I spent eating Hershey bars with abandon, mostly because I could savor them.

Today in 1991, shiny, futuristic Tokyo was infused with a bit of history, even as it was officially accepted as a culinary powerhouse: a branch of L’Ecole de Cordon Bleu opened there today.

And finally, in what was not so much a boon for the future as it was a blow to history, today marks the one year anniversary of the death of culinary historian Karen Hess, who wrote books celebrating the rich culinary tradition of America, like The Taste of America and Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection.