THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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TIP OF THE DAY: Bloody Mary Garnishes

Many people add a celery stalk to a Bloody Mary. But how about a fennel stalk instead? It has the same crunch with a much more flavor.

Or, use other vegetable garnishes, from dilly beans to pickled asparagus.

And how about a glass rimmer, from celery salt to cracked black pepper?

There are so many ways to garnish your Bloody Mary that the garnishes become a mini-snack, as shown in the photo.

Check out our list.

Then, share your own favorites.

 
Go for the garnishes on your Bloody Mary.
Photo courtesy Morton’s Salt.
 
  

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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Best Brownie Mixes


Moist, fudgy and fabulous. Photo courtesy
Williams-Sonoma.

  When you get a craving for great brownies, wouldn’t it be wonderful if a batch emerged from your oven right there and then?

All you need are Baked brownie mixes.

Made exclusively for Williams-Sonoma by the famous New York City bakery, the mixes use Callebaut and Guittard chocolate and cocoa powder. All you need to do is add butter and eggs to turn out three varieties of delectable baked goods:

  • Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies
  • Brown Sugar Blondies
  • Peanut Butter Brownies
  •  
    Don’t take your pick, because you’ll want to try all three. Read the full review.

    The history of brownies.

    More of our favorite brownies and brownie recipes.

    The different types of brownies.

    Brownie trivia quiz.

     

      

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    Blood Orange Margarita Recipe For Cinco De Mayo

    Still looking for a special way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

    Combine the ever-popular Margarita with luscious blood orange juice. This recipe includes the traditional lime juice via the sour mix and layers it with the flavor of blood orange.

    Thanks to Tequila Avión for this recipe.

    The recipe does not use a salted rim, in order to enjoy the delicate flavors of the blood orange juice.

    > The history of the Margarita.

    > The history of blood oranges.
     
     
    RECIPE: BLOOD ORANGE MARGARITA

    Ingredients Per Cocktail

  • 1½ ounces tequila
  • ¾ ounce Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 1 ounce blood orange juice
  • ½ ounce fresh sour mix (equal parts lime juice (and/or lemon juice) and simple syrup, shaken vigorously)
  • Ice
  • Garnish: orange twist
  •  
    Preparation

    1. ADD all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.

    2. SHAKE and strain; serve over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange twist.
     
     
    > More Margarita recipes.

    > More about Tequila Avión.

    > More blood orange recipes.

     

    Blood Orange Margarita Recipe
    [1] A Blood Orange Margarita is another way to enjoy luscious blood oranges (photo © Grain & Cane).


    [2] Blood orange juice from Mongibello (photo © Mongibello Juice).

     

     
     

    CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.
     
     
     
      

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    TRENDS: Vegetable Gardening


    Grow your own! Photo by Chrissi Nerantzi |
    SXC.

      How does your garden grow?

    In a survey conducted by Garden-Share.com, vegetable gardening is the most popular gardening trend (20.6%), followed by small-space gardening (17.1%) and organic gardening (16.3%). To tie these all together, you can grow your own organic tomatoes or other veggies in a small space.

    The economy, the price of gas and consumers’ concerns about the origins of the food they eat are spurring home gardening.

    And then there‘s the personal satisfaction of growing your own food. While 43.6% of survey participants responded that “Yes, you can save money by vegetable, fruit and herb gardening,” another 28.2% said, “It doesn’t matter, it’s enjoyable.”

    Tomatoes, though technically a fruit, are by far the favorite vegetable to grow. Peppers took second place with 8.1%.

     
    Want to give vegetable (and fruit) gardening a try? Here are some tips from Garden-Share.com:

  • Plan in advance. Decide what you want to grow and how much time and space you can devote to your garden. Tomatoes and berries are easy for beginners. Learn what works in each season.
  • Select a site and start small. A 3’ x 6’ raised bed and a few containers are a good beginning project. Consider one container each of cucumbers or zucchini, two to three of peppers or tomatoes and four to five plants of smaller crops like beans or lettuce.
  • Prepare the soil. You’ll need fertile, well-drained soil. Building raised beds allows the soil to drain faster and warm more quickly.
  • Check the light. Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sun a day. If you get less than that, consider growing leafy green vegetables or root crops like beets, carrots and radishes.
  • Grow what you like to eat. Pick your favorite vegetables and have fun watching them mature.
  • Be patient. The time it takes from planting to picking can vary. For example, radishes take about three weeks, cucumbers about six weeks and peppers about 12 weeks. Anyone who has eaten freshly picked produce knows that a garden is worth the effort.
  • Have fun and share. Your garden doesn’t need to be perfect. Enjoy the recreation and share your experiences and photos on Garden-Share.com.
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    TIP OF THE DAY: Cinco De Mayo Food Means A Salsa Bar & Beer!

    Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates an 1862 battle between the Mexicans and the French, is celebrated by more Americans than Mexicans (see the history of Cinco de Mayo).

    It’s easy to pull together a Cinco de Mayo celebration with prepared food (just open the bottles).

    Our favorite easy entertaining choice is a salsa bar with a tasting of Mexican beer. Invite friends for a Mexican Happy Hour.

    There are so many different types of salsa, from salsa verde made with green tomatillos, to corn and black bean, to fruit flavors such as peach and pineapple.

    For the most interesting varieties and best tastes, pick up a selection of favorites at a specialty food store. Don’t forget the tortilla chips!

     
    Pineapple salsa and black bean and corn
    salsa are two of our favorites. Photo
    by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.
     
    Head to the supermarket or liquor store to pick up a selection of Mexican beers. The majority of Mexican beer is produced by two large companies:

  • FEMSA is the maker of Bohemia, Carta Blanca, Dos Equis, Indio, Sol, Superior, Tecate and the seasonal Noche Buena.
  • Grupo Modelo produces Corona, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Modelo Light, Negra Modelo and Pacifico.
  • Estrella, Montejo and Victoria are made by smaller producers.
  •  

    Try to find our favorite Mexican beer, Negro Modelo. It’s a dark, Münchener (Munich)-style beer: a full-bodied dark lager beer that is a model for other “Bavarian-style” beers.

    One last thing: Mexican tunes for background music. Ask friends if they have any to bring.

      

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