Welcome to November 9, 2021 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate spooky adventures in the swamp and in the kitchen.
If you visit Louisiana and you’re the adventurous type, you may want to take a trip to Manchac Swamp. Located about 30 minutes from New Orleans, the swamp is a beautiful but sometimes frightening area. And we aren’t talking about the gators. It’s rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Marie Brown. Brown once lived in a nearby town and was a voodoo priestess. But no one paid much attention to her and she felt ignored. Rumor has it that she sat on her porch singing “One day I’m going to die and take the whole town with me.” Then a hurricane hit in 1915, and she disappeared…along with much of the town. It’s National Louisiana Day and there’s plenty to explore in the Pelican State other than New Orleans. Which is still awesome, by the way.
If you’re not from Philadelphia, you’ve likely never heard of Scrapple. This regional favorite was brought to Philly by German immigrants where it was popular with rural communities. Farmers butchered their hogs, and used most of the meat for sausages or bacon, but all of the remaining parts were made into scrapple. The traditional version was made only with meat, but American immigrants combined it with cornmeal or buckwheat, and formed it into a loaf. The loaf is sliced and fried, and typically served as a breakfast side dish. Today the recipe may also include beef, chicken or turkey. You might see it topped with applesauce, ketchup, maple syrup or horseradish, though not all at the same time. On National Scrapple Day, celebrate by trying something different. Go on, I dare you! 
I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.
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