When is National Baked Alaska Day?
Wednesday February 1stOn February 1st in a commemoration called National Baked Alaska Day, ice cream and cake came together.
Baked Alaska is made with hard ice cream on a base of sponge cake and topped with a shell of toasted meringue, a traditional dessert that is also known as "Omelette Norvegienne."
In 1867, an earnest discussion erupted in the United States over the prospect of purchasing Alaska from Russia. In 1868, Alaska became a United States territory under the control of Secretary of State William Seward, who agreed to a purchase price of $7 million. Many of the purchaser's mistakenly thought that the purchase was a huge mistake referred to as "Seward's Folly."
Enter Charles Ranhofer, the sous chef at Delmonico's Restaurant in New York City, is the chef. He was known for naming new and renaming old dishes after famous people and events. Baked Alaska fit the bill, capitalizing on the tense debate surrounding the purchase of frozen north. In a hot oven, it was cold, almost frozen, and quickly toasted before serving.
From 1862 to 1896, he served as the chef at Delmonico's from 1862 to 1896. During his tenure, he also created Lobster Newburg, another popular dish associated with a national food holiday..
