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Once upon a time, on an island far away, conquering invaders arrived and took the land away. The island was Sicily, the invaders were Arabs, and when the invaders from North Africa attacked the boot end of Italy, they brought a food source that would change culinary history forever.

Many believe that the Venetian explorer Marco Polo changed culinary culture with his return to Europe after 20 years in China. The Chinese were clever, thrifty and wise, and when Marco Polo discovered what they were eating, he realized he had found a secret that must be shared with Italy.

With the eve of our nations birthday approaching, there are a few culinary creations from the past and some tasty tidbits from American history simply must be shared; just as Marco Polo shared his discoveries with Italy, and as the North African Arabs left a legacy for Sicily.

Before our first independence day in 1776, the British upper crust in society considered themselves to be macaronis. A macaroni was a well educated person who had traveled extensively throughout the European Continent and was highly refined by experiencing a broad range of cultural diversity. The culinary arts were part of this diversity and wherever the macaronis traveled, they brought with them and sought out, the food items that were considered delicacies in Europe. The high fashion British at the time imitated Italian dress and as a result, the term “macaroni” was used to describe any affluent English subject.

As the Revolutionary War began, the upper-crust British looked down their noses at the commoners that were the American colonialists. All the British macaronis believed the colonists were country common folk and privately snickered as the young Americans began protesting for freedom from the British Crown.

How can they govern themselves, the English would whisper behind scented hankies, They’re only Yankee Doodles!

With many colonial Americans having German and Dutch origins, there can little surprise that the word Yankee came from the mispronunciation of the Dutch word for English, and that the Low German word Doodle, translates roughly into simpleton.

As the British loyalists scoffed, laughed, and belittled the Yankee Doodles, the first Americans looked at the foppish and English macaronis as icons of oppression.

The British were proud of their worldly ways and to be considered a macaroni was one of the highest compliments ever. When the uncultured Colonials began to march against English taxation, the British would laugh and say, these commoners are so uncouth and out of style, if they place a feather in their coon skin caps they believe they are macaronis!

The young Americans, not to be outwitted by the British macaronis, turned the criticism around and after the battle of Bunker Hill, “Yankee Doodle” and the many verses of the song that followed became a classic Revolutionary War anthem.

When the British were finally defeated and surrendered in Yorktown, the royal band played, “The world turned upside down.” When the somber British musicians were finished, the rag tag colonial band of George Washington’s army played “Yankee Doodle.”

Yankee Doodle went to town

A-riding on a pony

He stuck a feather in his cap

And called it macaroni!

Yankee Doodle keep it up

Yankee Doodle dandy

Mind the music and the step

And with the girls be handy

Many believe that Marco Polo brought dried pasta back from China and introduced macaroni to Italy. Others insist the North African Arabs brought dried pasta along to eat as they invaded Sicily, but no matter which event happened first, the Italians embraced pasta as no nation had before.

In America, the Yankee Doodles have been celebrating summer and the Fourth of July for centuries and with the heat of summer, pasta dishes — hot or cold — are a way of life in modern America.

Who could imagine a fourth of July lunch without a chilled macaroni salad or a summer evening without savory sautéed chicken served over a favorite pasta?

Yankee Doodle Noodle red, white and blue pasta salad

For the pasta salad, you will need the following ingredients:

1 pound elbow macaroni

One red bell pepper

One sweet onion

Radishes

Celery

Carrots

Cucumber

Miracle Whip or mayonnaise

Cider vinegar

Celery seeds

Salt and pepper

Boil macaroni in salted water until tender, rinse & chill

Chop vegetables and mix with Miracle Whip, a splash of vinegar, salt, pepper and celery seeds. Blend with chilled pasta and enjoy!

For a 4th of July theme, soak a few radish slices in blue food coloring for garnish along with red pepper slices.