Today we celebrate a piece of toasted bread served like a fondue, the Welsh Rarebit. I never had one but today is a good day to learn a little history about it. This day is observed annually on Sept 3rd.
Welsh Rarebit or Welsh Rabbit is a traditional Welsh dish. It is made with a savory sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients and served hot after being poured over slices of toasted bread or served in a chafing dish like a fondue.
Welsh is the term for a rabbit but Welsh Rarebit actually does not contain rabbit. During the 18th century, it was served as delicious supper in Taverns served with ale. It is usually made of white bread and cheddar cheese. Some recipes call for cayenne pepper for a little heat, or paprika for that smoky flavor, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
A legend mentioned in Betty Crocker’s Cookbook claims that Welsh peasants were not allowed to eat rabbits caught in hunts on the estates of the nobility, so they used melted cheese as a substitute.
Today, Welsh rarebit is a popular dish across Europe and in certain parts of the rest of the world. If you’ve never had Welsh rarebit before, National Welsh Rarebit Day is a great opportunity to try it for the first time!
So, today, Welsh Rarebit should be enjoyed. Find a restaurant who serves them where you live our you can always make yourself some at home and share some photos on social media using #WelshRarebitDay.
1783 Treaty of Paris signed
The American Revolution officially comes to an end when representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Spain, and France sign the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783. The signing signified America’s status as a free nation, as Britain formally recognized the independence of its 13 former American colonies, and the boundaries of the new republic were agreed upon: Florida north to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast west to the Mississippi River.
The events leading up to the treaty stretched back to April 1775, on a common green in Lexington, Massachusetts, when American colonists answered King George III’s refusal to grant them political and economic reform with armed revolution. On July 4, 1776, more than a year after the first volleys of the war were fired, the Second Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence. Five difficult years later, on October 1781, British General Charles Lord Cornwallis surrendered to American and French forces at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing to an end the last major battle of the Revolution.
In September 1782, Benjamin Franklin, along with John Adams and John Jay, began official peace negotiations with the British. The Continental Congress had originally named a five-person committee–including Franklin, Adams, and Jay, along with Thomas Jefferson and Henry Laurens–to handle the talks. However, both Jefferson and Laurens missed the sessions–Jefferson had travel delays and Laurens had been captured by the British and was being held in the Tower of London. The U.S. delegation, which was distrustful of the French, opted to negotiate separately with the British.
(excerpted from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/treaty-of-paris-signed)
