SUICIDE OF A GOURMAND

The Roman Apicius is often credited with writing the oldest existing cookbook, “De re coquinaria.” And historians hold that Apicius’ love of food may have led to his suicide. Apicius decided life was no longer worth living when he realized that so much of his fortune had been spent on his kitchen that he would not be able to long continue his luxurious way of life.

Etymologists have theorized that the Italian lasagna may have started as the Greek lagana or lasanon. Of these two, lagana, meaning ribbon, seems more likely. The older lasanon isn’t often used as a reference to food. It means chamber pot.

In Greek mythology, night gave birth to two sons. Hypnos is the god of sleep. His brother, Thanatos, brings death.

Forty percent of the world’s almonds and 20 percent of all peanuts are used by chocolate manufacturers.

Ray Harroun, who may have been the first winner of the Indianapolis 500 auto race, averaged a speed of 74.602 miles per hour in the 1911 contest.

The world’s fastest flying insect is the dragonfly, which can hit speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

In a normal year, anywhere from 25 to 50 million Americans contract influenza.