September 9, 2020 – National Wiener Schnitzel Day | National Teddy Bear Day

Did You Know That Your Lovable Old Bear Was Named For A United States President?

Welcome to September 9th, 2020 on the National Day Calendar. I’m John McClain filling in for Marlo Anderson.  Today we celebrate a serious schnitzel and the softer side of Teddy Roosevelt.

If the name Wienerschnitzel makes you think of hot dogs, you are not alone.  The popular American fast food restaurant has been serving up dogs since 1961. But true Wiener Schnitzel is an Austrian dish that comes with a few strict rules.  In Vienna this dish is made with veal by law and the name “Wiener” is German for Viennese cutlet. A schnitzel is the method of preparing any meat that is pounded thin, breaded and fried.  Austrians are quite serious about the dish and even  trademarked the name, claiming the recipe came from an Austrian Field Marshal in 1869.  But the Italians have a bone to pick with this story and insist that the dish was borrowed from their cotoletta alla milanese, which is nearly identical except the veal is left on the bone.   On National Wiener Schnitzel Day settle the score with your own favorite recipe.  Or head to Wienerschitzel if you don’t have a dog in this fight.   

President Theodore Roosevelt was an avid outdoors man and loved hunting. On one particular trip in 1902, his companions lassoed a black bear and gave him the opportunity to take a shot. Roosevelt refused to kill the defenseless animal and said, “I couldn’t be proud of myself if I shot an old, tired, worn-out bear that was tied to a tree.” News of this incident spread across the country and people admired his compassionate choice. So much so that it inspired a toy maker in Brooklyn, NY to create a stuffed animal that was dubbed Teddy’s Bear. The bear became wildly popular and soon was in high demand. On National Teddy Bear Day we celebrate this lovable toy and the softer side of the President who inspired it. 

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