Eleven Eleven Eleven

Today (November 11) is Veterans Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I.

The day honors veterans of all wars. In Washington DC the national Veterans day service takes place at Arlington Cemetery, where they will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Closer to home, the St. Louis branch of the American Legion has a service at the Soldier's Memorial downtown. Many people will visit Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Several local municipalities also have their own ceremonies.

However, there are some other ways to commemorate the day. Did you know that the holiday can be celebrated by having a ravioli meal? The idea dates back to the end of World War I when President Woodrow Wilson, knowing that the returning soldiers would be wanting a home cooked meal, he invited 2,000 soldiers to the White House and helped his staff chefs cook them ravioli (which was then newly trendy due to the advent of commercial canning).

I love Italian food, and never pass on an excuse to eat it, so when Tony and I went out to eat today I ordered ravioli. However, because it sounded good to me, in a twist on tradition my ravioli was toasted. The six large round ravioli were very lightly breaded, fried perfectly, and arranged around the edge of a plate with a small bowl of pomodoro sauce in the middle for dipping. They were wonderful.

Thanks, Veterans, for all your sacrifices!