Abel Gonzales Is The Fried Food King Of The Texas State Fair (Cool Weird Awesome 856)
The Texas State Fair is getting underway, and if it's fried food you're after, you have Abel Gonzales Jr., aka "Fried Jesus," to thank.
Mike Yurosek, The Founding Father Of Baby Carrots (Cool Weird Awesome 854)
One hundred years ago today was the birthday of Mike Yurosek, the father of the baby carrot. Here's the story of how he came up with the idea.
Omar Kneidlik And The ICEE Made Summer A Lot Cooler (Cool Weird Awesome 815)
We’re in the heat of summer, and here’s the story of a guy who's helped millions cool down: Omar Knedlik, the inventor of the ICEE.
If It’s Thursday, It’s Time For Pea Soup And Pancakes In Sweden (Cool Weird Awesome 790)
This past Monday was National Day in Sweden, but it's Thursday that the real fun gets underway, because that’s when people eat pea soup and pancakes. Together.
Hanson Gregory, The Sea Captain Who Gave The Doughnut Its Hole (Cool Weird Awesome 786)
Fried dough cakes have been around seemingly forever, but for National Doughnut Day, we have the story of an innovation that helped make this treat the icon that it is today: the invention of the doughnut hole.
The Sometimes Salty History of the Cheez-It (Cool Weird Awesome 777)
Today in 1921, Green and Green cracker company of Dayton, Ohio trademarked the name of a new product that is still doing quite well: it’s the birthday of the Cheez-It.
A Chef Got Irritated With A Wealthy Diner And That’s Why We Have Potato Chips (Cool Weird Awesome 731)
It's National Potato Chip Day, so of course we’re going to take you through the history of potato chips and the story of chef George Crum, the man sometimes called “the Edison of grease.”
Detroit-Style Pizza Got Its Shape From Another Famous Detroit Industry (Cool Weird Awesome 713)
For National Pizza Day, here's the story of one of the hottest types of pizza in the country: Detroit-style, first made in a special pan that wasn't meant to be a pan at all.
PEZ Was Sold In Metal Tins Before Its Famous Dispensers Were Invented (Cool Weird Awesome 669)
Today in 1952, PEZ received a US patent for its famous dispensers, which, like the candies they contain, were first intended to help people quit smoking.
How A Giant Pack Of Life Savers Ended Up In A Northern New York Town (Cool Weird Awesome 653)
Today in 1987, the community of Gouverneur, in northern New York, placed on its town green a giant roll of Pep-O-Mint Life Savers. It was a tribute to a local man, Edward John Noble, who ended up making Life Savers one of the best known candies in the world. Plus: a cat in Tokyo drops by a Buddhist temple garden, walks into the gravel patterns and takes a big old nap.