Crispy “Greek donut holes” and honey are a
special treat. Photo courtesy Stix
Mediterranean Grill | NYC.

We wanted to make something special for Mother’s Day, and were excited to come across these loukoumades at Stix Mediterranean Grill in New York City. We thank them for the yummmy recipe.

Loukoumades are a fried-dough honey pastry popular in the Mediterranean. Deep fried dough is soaked in sugar syrup or honey and cinnamon, and sometimes sprinkled with sesame. A modern analogy is a yeast “donut hole,” but much tastier.

The name (loo-koo-MAH-dess) derives from the Turkish word lokma, meaning mouthful or morsel. In ancient Greece, these deep fried dough balls were served to winners at the Olympics; so they’re a perfect treat for a champion mom.

Loukoumades can be served in one, two or more pieces, loose or on skewers, for dessert. A cup of tea is an excellent companion. For something more elaborately with ice cream and a drizzle of honey.

These crispy fried dessert dumplings are made with yeast; the dough must rise.

 
Use top quality honey: The better the honey, the more delicious the loukoumades.

LOUKOUMADES RECIPE

Ingredients

Use quality honey: It makes a big difference. Photo by Liv Friis-Larsen | IST.

Preparation

1. DISSOLVE yeast in water and let set for 10 to 15 minutes.

2. SIFT flour and salt together. Make a hole in flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Mix gently while continuously adding warm water until a soft, sticky dough is formed. Cover dough with clean, damp dishtowel. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size.

3. MAKE the syrup: Combine the sugar, honey and water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 6 minutes. Remove from high heat; cover to keep warm.

4. HEAT oil in deep fryer. Use a tablespoon to drop batter into hot oil. When batter floats and is golden and puffy, remove to drain on paper towel.

5. POUR syrup over hot loukmades and sprinkle with cinnamon.
 

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE PASTRY RECIPES.

A sprinkle of parsley adds garnish glamour to
this plate of pasta. Photo courtesy Galli
Restaurant | New York
City.

We love garnishing dishes with fresh herbs: We snip them onto everything from breakfast eggs to soup, salad and sandwiches to main courses and sides. But what if you don’t have any on hand? Reach for the dried herbs and spices.

If you frequent finer restaurants, you may notice that the chef sometimes sprinkles dried herbs or spices as a garnish around the rim of the plate or bowl.

Why? It ads artistry and color as well as flavor; you can dip forkfuls of food into the garnish.

You can use fresh or dried herbs or spices, chopped nuts or seeds. How many of the following do you already have in your pantry?

TAKE YOUR PICK

Tomato soup with a very light rim garnish, and more garnish glamour in the center. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

FOOD 101: GARNISH

To garnish means to provide something ornamental; to adorn or decorate.* With food, it means something that adds flavor or decorative color. One of the classic food garnishes in America: boiled potatoes garnished with chopped parsley.

MORE WAYS TO GARNISH EVERYTHING

See our article, Garnish Glamour, for many ways to garnish both savory and sweet foods.

*In the law, garnish means to attach money due or property belonging to a debtor.

Make a pound cake even more delicious with
Meyer lemon juice. Photo courtesy
Melissas.com.

Bursting with delicious Meyer lemon flavor and a sizzle of ginger, this pound cake is delicious and easy to make for Mother‘s Day. The recipe is courtesy of Melissas.com, purveyors of fine produce.

Bake this cake in a 4-5 cup nonstick loaf pan. Serves 6.

MEYER LEMON & GINGER POUND CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients

Ingredients For The Glaze

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Generously butter pan, then flour it, gently tapping out excess. Chill 10 minutes.

2. FINELY GRIND together fresh ginger and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor (mixture will be wet).

3. WHISK together flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and salt. Stir together milk and vanilla in a small bowl.

4. BEAT together butter, remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer, until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Meyer lemon. Photo courtesy Melissas.com.

5. ALTERNATIVELY ADD flour and milk mixtures to butter and eggs in 4 batches, beginning with flour and mixing at low speed until each batch is just incorporated. Mix in ginger sugar until just combined, then lemon juice.

6. SPOON batter into pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown on top and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Carefully loosen edges with a knife and immediately invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

7. MAKE the glaze. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar to 1 tablespoon lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add more juice, 1 drop at a time, if glaze is too thick. Drizzle decoratively over top of cake. Serve with a side of whipped cream.

 
ABOUT MEYER LEMONS

Once grown only as an ornamental garden lemon and frequently found only at farmers’ markets, the Meyer lemon has slowly graduated into commercial production. Unlike its two popular counterparts, the Eureka and Lisbon lemons, the Meyer lemon has mild, sweet, juicy flesh.

Although too tart to eat out-of-hand, Meyer lemons are beloved by chefs for flavoring both savory and sweet dishes. Use Meyer Lemons as a low calorie seasoning on fish, poultry, vegetables and fruit desserts. The juice is a fresh alternative to high fat salad dressings and sauces.

As with other lemons, Meyer lemon juice retards browning on cut avocados and apples, while vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower and turnips will stay white when cooked in water accented with lemon juice.
 

SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEMONS.

Look for a small Fair Trade logo that
identifies fairly traded products. Photo
courtesy Green Mountain Coffee.

Today’s tip is to purchase a Fair Trade product. May 11th is World Fair Trade Day.

Fair Trade is a practice that seeks to aid economically challenged, small-scale farmers around the world. Many of them labor in poverty to produce the cacao, coffee beans and other crops we take for granted. Because of the “system,” they often earn less than it costs to produce the crop.

While America’s small farmers often endure severe economic hardships, American children go to school and families have access to public health care and other assistance. In third world countries, however, these “essentials” can be hard to come by. And since school is not mandatory in certain countries, many children instead work in the fields to contribute to the household income.

Why is the situation so bleak? Most small family farmers live in remote locations and lack access to credit, so they are vulnerable to local middlemen who offer quick cash for their crops, at a fraction of their value.

Through Fair Trade, farmers and their families earn better incomes for their hard work. This allows them to hold on to their land, keep their children in school and invest in the quality of their harvest.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: BABY STEPS

Use your purchasing power to make an impact on the lives of small farmers and their families.

 
THE FAIR TRADE MOVEMENT

Certified Fair Trade products now comprise a multi-billion dollar industry, with over 10,000 products in the marketplace. Consumer demand for fairly traded products has steadily risen over the last decade, thanks to the tireless work of dedicated advocates and advocacy organizations, committed companies and student activism.

Fairly traded chocolate is delicious. Photo courtesy Divine Chocolate.

Fair Trade is a business practice that protects the environment while improving livelihoods.
The fair trade movement, which includes different certifying agencies, has a vision of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices, so that farmers can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood. Read more about it at FairWorldTradeProject.org.

You’ll see different logos on Fair Trade products: There are many organizations around the world dedicated to the promotion of fair trade and its values. In North America, the leading organizations are the Fair Trade Federation (FTF), TransFair USA, and the Fair Trade Resource Network.

Internationally, the big names are World Fair Trade Organization and FLO International. Here’s more about Fair Trade certifying agencies and the logos to watch for.

Thanks in advance for pitching in this great cause.

The tall, cool Southside cocktail. Photo
courtesy Tanqueray Gin.

Yesterday we presented three of the most popular cocktails of the 1920s, including the Gin Rickey, the French 75 and the Martini. Prohibition was in effect from 1920 through 1933, so Jazz Age cocktails were made with bootleg liquor.

While President Woodrow Wilson vetoed the National Prohibition Act (informally known as the Volstead Act), his veto was overridden by the House and the Senate. Prohibition became law on October 28, 1919, as the 18th amendment to the United States Constitution. The amendment prohibited the production, sale and transport of “intoxicating liquors,” although it did not define what “intoxicating liquors” might be.

Prohibition became effective at midnight on January 17, 1920. Rather than turn America into a more decent society, it engendered disrespect for the law and the rapid growth of organized crime. By 1933, public opposition to Prohibition had become overwhelming.

Why did Prohibition become law in the first place? In the first two decades of the 20th century, America was a church-going, God-fearing culture. The Temperance Movement was instrumental in generating negative feelings about alcohol. By 1916, legal prohibition was already in effect in 26 of the 48 states.

The history lesson is over; how about some cocktails?

SOUTHSIDE COCKTAIL RECIPE

The Southside was the signature cocktail at New York’s legendary 21 Club, a former speakeasy. It’s also said to have been the favorite drink of notorious Prohibition-era bootlegger Al Capone and his gang, whose home turf was the south side of Chicago.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE one mint sprig with lime and simple syrup. Add gin and shake well.

2. POUR into a collins glass over crushed ice and stir until the outside of the glass frosts. Top with soda and garnish with sprig of mint.

The White Lady cocktail—probably not a favorite among gentlemen. Photo courtesy Tanqueray Gin.

WHITE LADY COCKTAIL RECIPE

Introduced in the late 1920s, the White Lady was a variation of a gin cocktail called the Delilah, which used crème de menthe. The Savoy hotel’s barman, Harry Craddock, replaced the mint with orange liqueur and the White Lady became an instant classic. (The Savoy hotel is in London; there was no prohibition in the U.K.)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaker, fill with ice, shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES.

A delicious spring salad. Photo courtesy
LearnToCook.com.

Make hay while the sun shines; ditto with the fleeting vegetables of spring.

What makes this a spring salad? Seasonal ingredients, including asparagus and green peas. The recipe, from LearnToCook.com, serves 4. The warm tomato vinaigrette can be used with any green salad, any time of the year.

RECIPE: FRESH PEA & ASPARAGUS SPRING SALAD

Ingredients

Preparation

1. PEEL thick stemmed asparagus about halfway up stalk. Otherwise, remove white/light portion at end of stalk.

2. SHELL the peas. Leave raw or blanch, if desired.

3. BOIL salted water in a large pot. When boiling, add the asparagus. Cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and immediately put asparagus into ice water bowl. Leave for a couple minutes and drain again. Lay on a dishtowel and dry. Cut the asparagus in half or in thirds. OPTIONAL PREPARATION: We steamed the asparagus in the microwave.

4. COMBINE the lettuces, chives and parsley in a large bowl. Pour up to half the vinaigrette over the greens. taking care not to drench them in dressing (less is more).

5. ADD the peas and asparagus. Toss with the salad. If needed, add a little more dressing; season with salt and pepper. Serve.
 
WARM TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

Fresh peas from the pod are heavenly, raw or cooked. Photo by Gaetan Lee | Wikimedia.

Preparation

1. HEAT the olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat and add shallots. Turn the heat to low and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Do not brown.

2. ADD ½ cup tomatoes and simmer 3 to 5 minutes. Add vinegar, garlic, wine, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes until reduced to a thick sauce.

3. SEASON to taste and stir in remaining tomatoes and capers.

4. SERVE warm on top of the salad.

The Gin Rickey. Photo courtesy Tanqueray
Gin.

The latest version of “The Great Gatsby” opens in cinemas today, begging the question, what did Gatsby serve at those wild parties?

We know from the novel that Gatsby was a bootlegger. In the summer of 1922, when novel is set, Prohibition was two and a half years old. (Read this delightful article on Jay Gatsby by Kevin Roose, who explores how Gatsby made his money and whether author F. Scott Fitzgerald may have attributed more wealth to him than he could actually have had.)

Aside from the Gin Rickey, the novel doesn’t mention what else people were drinking at those weekend-long extravaganzas. But given the popular cocktails of the Prohibition Era, Tthe Martini and the French 75 most certainly would have been on the menu.

So get your cocktail shaker ready and mix up your own Jazz Age cocktail menu for Mother’s Day. This is Part 1; Part 2 presents two more 1920s cocktails, the South Side and the White Lady.

GIN RICKEY RECIPE

Why did the Gin Rickey alone get mentioned in “The Great Gatsby?” It is said to have been the preferred pour of F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s a wonderful warm weather drink.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. Build in a highball glass with ice. Stir and top with soda water.

2. Garnish with a lime wedge.

FRENCH 75 COCKTAIL RECIPE

Made from gin, Champagne, lemon juice and sugar, the French 75 was created in 1915 by Harry MacElhone at the New York Bar in Paris (later called Harry’s New York Bar). It was said to have such a kick that it felt like being shelled with the powerful French 75mm field gun, also called a 75 Cocktail or a Soixante Quinze. The French 75 was popularized in America at New York City‘s famed Stork Club.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. Shake ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker.

2. Strain into a rocks glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a lemon peel curl.

The French 75, a sparkler. Photo courtesy Tanqueray Gin.

FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL RECIPES.

The Greek cousin of nachos. Photo courtesy Chobani Greek Yogurt.

Today’s tip looks at adapting popular recipes to other cultures. As an example, we’re giving Tex-Mex nachos a Greek makeover—a fresh spin on a party classic that uses feta and naan or pita crisps instead of Cheddar or Jack cheese and tortilla chips. It also adds some heartiness with ground lamb.

This recipe, from Chobani Greek Yogurt, makes 6 servings. Enjoy it with beer, wine or iced mint tea.

GREEK NACHOS RECIPE

Ingredients

For The Yogurt Salsa

For The Nachos

A delight for feta fans. Photo courtesy Chobani Greek Yogurt.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 400°F.

2. BROWN ground lamb in olive oil over medium heat until fully cooked; then drain oil.

3. RUB naan bread with small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, cut into triangle wedges with pizza cutter and place on baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes to desired crispness.

5. COMBINE yogurt, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, salt, and cumin in a food processor; process to desired smoothness. Add more onion, cucumber, and/or feta cheese as desired.

6. ASSEMBLE nachos by placing triangle wedges of naan on a plate, then fresh spinach, then ground lamb, yogurt salsa, olives, tomatoes, more feta cheese and italian herb seasoning on top as desired.

Find more recipes at Chobani.com.

Both the chocolate cake and yellow cake
are excellent. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE
NIBBLE.

Along with hoards of other New Yorkers, we go cupcake crazy. Every time a new cupcake shop opens, no matter how far away the neighborhood, we go running into the subway with great enthusiasm—usually because of a rave review from a person or publication.

Most of the time we’re disappointed: The cupcakes taste like muffins, not cake; the chocolate cupcakes lack intensity of chocolate flavor; and the buttercream is too sugary. Let everyone else ooh and aah over such cupcakes: Our palate sets a higher bar.

House Of Cupcakes, a winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars program, has just arrived in Manhattan’s West Village.* House of Cupcakes gets it right.

Both chocolate and yellow cakes are excellent: light but full of flavor. The buttercream has just enough sugar, but not an overload. As a result, the cupcakes are spot-on and never cloying, despite the generous amount of frosting. There are also sugar-free and vegan cupcakes.

*It’s locared at 101 Seventh Avenue South at Grove Street (Sheridan Square).

House of Cupcakes makes more than 35 varieties of cupcakes, baked and decorated in-store daily. Mini-cupcakes, breakfast cakes, cookies, sugar cookies, push pops, cake pops and pull-apart sheet cakes (made from cupcakes) are also on the menu, along with custom and special occasion cakes (birthday, baby shower, etc.). A full line of hot and cold beverages is served.

The original House Of Cupcakes opened in Princeton, New Jersey in 2008. The overwhelming success of the store caught the eye of the founder of Party City, who helped the one-shop business develop into multiple locations and franchising.

He also cleverly snapped up licenses for Disney, Nickelodeon and Marvel characters, Barbie, Care Bears, Hot Wheels and professional sports teams including the New York Yankees, New York Mets, New York Giants, New York Jets and more in the works.

The net result: a cake and cupcake with wares that satisfy. Handsome gift boxes in Tiffany blue make a gift of these cupcakes a royal experience.

Every cupcake has festive decor. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

For more information on House of Cupcakes, visit HouseOfCupcakes.com or become a Facebook fan.

If you’d like your next career move to be a cupcake store, ask about a franchise and tell us when you open: We’ll be by for more cupcakes.

Whole espresso beans in high-design
packaging. Photo courtesy Filicori Zecchini.

Once upon a time, most of the espresso served in America was imported from Italy. In the 1970s, when coffee bean stores began to proliferate in the U.S., some people began to buy espresso that was roasted locally—from Don Francisco’s in L.A., Green Mountain Roasters in Vermont, Peet’s Coffee in Oakland, Starbucks in Seattle, White Coffee in New York, and numerous others.

Now, returning to the roots, a venerable Italian espresso roaster, Filicori Zecchini, is bringing its beans from Bologna, Italy, to tempt espresso-loving Americans.

The coffee has attracted fine restaurateurs in sophisticated coffee towns from New York to Honolulu. When restaurants pioneer, consumers follow.

So until a Filicori Zecchini café opens near you, you can buy the beans on Amazon. There are seven blends in whole beans and pods. Hopefully, they’ll soon be coming to a retailer near you. The company also sells fine teas, cocoa and other products, including the chocolate and mint sauces used in the recipe below.

So you don’t have to go to Italy for an authentic espresso experience; that experience has come to you. At a recent tasting at Rosemary’s restaurant in New York City, which features the coffee, we couldn’t stop drinking cup after cup of classic espresso and specialty espresso drinks.

As a treat for an espresso-loving friend, family member or colleague, can purchase bags online at Amazon.com, which carries several of the company’s seven blends.

The menu at Filicori Zecchini cafés is packed with tempting coffee drinks, all delicious. We particularly were attracted to this “Cialdino After Eight,” a special ice cream cone filled with espresso, chocolate and mint whipped cream.

Unfortunately, the cialdini—plural of cialdino, for the type of ice cream cone—is not currently sold on Amazon with the company’s other products. But don’t let that stop you from making this delcious drink in a conventional espresso cup or a small glass:

RECIPE: AFTER EIGHT COFFEE

Ingredients Per Drink

A memorable after dinner drink, the After Eight from Filicori Zecchini.

 
Preparation

1. POUR chocolate topping into cup or cone. Follow with espresso.

2. TOP with mint whipped cream.

3. GARNISH with chopped chocolate and mint leaves on the top. Serve with a side of After Eight mints or cookies.

MINT WHIPPED CREAM RECIPE

Ingredients

 
*If adding creme de menthe, substitute vanilla extract.
 
Preparation

1. USE a whipped cream dispenser or whip the cream by hand. To beat by hand…

2. CHILL the bowl, beaters and cream thoroughly before beginning. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream, mint extract and sugar in the chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Makes about 2 cups.

Learn more at FilicoriZecchini.it and follow the brand on Facebook: and Twitter.
 
WHAT IS ESPRESSO

Espresso is not a type of bean; it’s a type of dark roast applied to the raw bean, as well as a method of preparation, the coffee beverage produced by an espresso machine.†
 
Discover more about espresso and espresso drinks in our Espresso Glossary.

†Technically, espresso is a beverage made from 7 grams of finely ground dark roast coffee, that produces 1.5 ounces of extracted beverage under 9 bars of brewing pressure at brewing temperatures of around 190°F to 200°F, over a period of 25 to 30 seconds of brew time.