Turns out that National French Fry Day is not celebrated on the same fixed date each year anymore. It was previously observed on July 13th, but is now celebrated on the second Friday of July each year. Apparently this change was implemented after several fast food chains (i.e.. Checkers and Rally's — wherever they are ) petitioned the National Day Calendar to always align the holiday with a Friday. So this year, 2025, for the first time it falls on July 11th.— the closest Friday to the 13th. Which means one of these years it’ll be on FRIDAY THE 13th.

But i digress…

On whatever day National French Fries Day falls — if you love French fries like most Americans — we should all say a heartfelt THANK YOU to (Chef!) James Hemings — America’s first classically trained chef de cuisine of any hue — who was born enslaved , owned by Thomas Jefferson for most of his young life, but died a free man at the age of 36.

Most of the french fries featured in thie mini vid above are from @Le.Succulent. BEST French fries I’d had in a really long time. Soooo sad that this Park Slope African-French Fusion Restaurant recently closed its doors for good 😢… As have the two other local businesses run by amazing Black women — Chef Heather Johnston’s beloved wine shop, Good Wine and the beautiful Bon Bon Lakay by Haitian heritage Chef Edgina Désormeaux…. Sadly that’s the way capitalism seems to always go for underfunded women-owned businesses —particularly for women of color…

But for now, BACK TO JAMES: After rigorously learning & mastering the French culinary arts in Paris during Jefferson’s appointment there (1784-1789), then-enslaved Chef James Hemings returned to America as our nation’s first classically trained Chef de Cuisine. He introduced and thereby helped popularize once UNfamiliar dishes (hard to believe french fries werent always common!) that are now mainstay American faves like: macaroni & cheese!, ice cream!!, crème brulée, meringues, whipped cream… and yes FRENCH FRIES!…in fact most of these dishes he’s known for have a food holiday THIS very MONTH of JULY!… which I’ve started to refer to as to “James Hemings’ July,” accordingly — including Bastille Day upcoming on July 14th — considering hat James Hemings was THERE along with Thomas Jefferson when that all went down in July of 1789! ….

How do you like your French fries?!

Plain (salt only) ? …Loaded? (e.g., bacon! 🥓, cheese! 🧀, chives etc. — “the works” ) with catchup? With mayo like the Belgians?…with Dijon (my fave!)…? Definitely the latter for me — although I ain’t mad at plain (hot, fresh, delish! fries) nor loaded either (with good quality toppings!) … pls add your COMMENTs below , thanks!!

#NationalFrenchFriesDay #HappyFrenchFriesDay

#Americanfood #macaroniandcheese

#icecream #crèmebrulée #meringues #whippedcream #FRENCHFRIES

#bacon 🥓 #cheese 🧀 #chives #theworks #catchup #mayo #dijon

#frenchfries #jameshemings #foodie #foodhistorian #history

SIDE NOTE: it also happens to be Blueberry Muffin Day

Remember those BLUEBERRIES 🫐 we picked yesterday? well apparently we were supposed to make muffins with them today so, Voilà!

These Blueberry Muffin beauty shots are also from Chef Melanie Delacourt’s delicious place on 5th Ave in Park Slope Bklyn once upon a time called Le Succulent —which closed sadly back in 2023. Melanie made amazing main dishes, sides, and such but also was/is an excellent baker too…

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