Which Benedict Came First? Welcome to April 16, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate counting beans and extraordinary eggs. Today is National Bean Counter Day, a day to celebrate our accountant friends who have just finished taking all of our boxes of receipts and turning them into official forms that will, hopefully, keep the IRS at bay for another year! The term “bean counter” can be considered derogatory but many have embraced it as a badge of honor and even refer to themselves as “bean counters”. The term can be traced to the 1600’s and the German word “Erbsenzahler” (erbsen for “beans”, zahler for “counter”). Back then, accountants likely used an abacus with beans or beads to track financial transactions, thus the term “bean counter”. Today we celebrate our money maestro’s, number cruncher’s and bean counters and we hope the IRS isn’t listening! It has been said that Eggs Benedict was named for Pope Benedict XIII, who requested the dish often. Then there’s the story of Mrs. LeGrand Benedict who couldn’t decide what to order while dining at Delmonicos in New York. The chef came up with a similar recipe and claims to have named it after her.  Finally there’s Lemuel Benedict, a Wall Street Broker who ordered buttered toast, two poached eggs, bacon and hollandaise sauce. Apparently, it was such a winning combination that it went on the menu at the Waldorf hotel, which begs the question, which Benedict came first?  On National Eggs Benedict Day, there’s no need to quibble. Enjoy this dish that is fit for anyone with "eggstraordinary" taste. I’m Anna Devere, and I’m Marlo Anderson.  Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day.