[1] Blueberry popovers. Here’s the recipe from Joy The Baker (photo © Joy The Baker).

[2] A popover, hot from the oven, is opened and filled with preserves. Here’s the recipe, originally from Elephantine Blog (now closed) and reprinted by Allspice Online.

[3] Serve blueberry or cherry jam or preserves on the side. Here’s the recipe for this two-ingredient blueberry jam from A Pretty Life In The Suburbs.

[4] For National Blueberry Popover or Cherry Popover Day, you can add dried blueberries or cherries to the batter (photo © Murrays Cheese).

[5] You can use a regular muffin pan to make popovers. Special popover pans, like the one above, have deeper wells and make a taller, more dramatic-looking popover (photo © Chefs Catalog).

March 10th is National Blueberry Popover Day. March 3rd is National Raspberry Popover Day and September 1st is National Cherry Popover Day.

That’s three opportunities to enjoy flavored popovers and you can make classic popovers any day.

Surprisingly, there is no National Popover Day, although plain popovers are divine—perhaps our favorite bread.

Popovers are delicate, almost hollow “rolls” that majestically rise up over the tops of the pans they’re baked in (i.e., they pop over).

The outsides are crisp and brown, the interiors soft and airy. The tops “pop over” the baking tin.

In the U.K. they’re called Yorkshire pudding and are often served as a side with a slice of prime rib or other beef (see the exact difference between a popover and Yorkshire pudding below).

In the U.S., they’re enjoyed as a special substitute for rolls or biscuits and are often served at brunch with butter or jam (although neither is required).

Popovers are not difficult to make. The only challenge is to serve them quickly since as they cool they deflate. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave. They won’t return to their original puffiness, but they’ll still be yummy.
 
> The history of popovers is below.

> The history of blueberries.

> The history of cherries.
 
 
RECIPE: POPOVERS

If you don’t want to add the dried fruits, simply leave them out of the recipe.

You can make savory variations by adding garlic, herbs, or other flavorings.

You can even bake them, fill them (e.g., with scrambled eggs and bacon in photo #5), and bake them a little longer.

You can also celebrate the holidays by serving blueberry or cherry preserves with plain popovers (photos #3 and #4).

Ingredients For 12 Popovers

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. Place one rack in the lower third position, topped with an empty baking sheet

2. PLACE 1/2 teaspoon of butter into each well of a 12-well muffin pan; set aside.

3. PLACE the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, the eggs, milk, sugar, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Turn off the blender, add the flour, replace the lid, and blend until just smooth, about 30 seconds. Set the mixture aside in the blender. If you don’t have a blender, whisk thoroughly in a bowl.

4. PLACE the muffin pan on the heated baking sheet in the oven, and bake until the butter sizzles, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the muffin pan and the baking sheet from the oven (you can place them on the stovetop). Fill the wells of the muffin pan halfway with batter.

5. RETURN the muffin pan and baking sheet to the oven. Note: After you do this, do not open the oven door at any time during the baking period! Bake until the popovers have puffed up and the tops are starting to brown about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the popovers are golden brown all over, about 15 minutes more.

6. REMOVE the muffin pan and baking sheet from the oven and place them on a wire rack. Remove the popovers from the pan and serve immediately.
 

POPOVER HISTORY

The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding, a batter pudding made in England since the 17th century [source].

Both use the same batter. The difference:

Eight years later a popular 18th-century English cookbook writer, Hannah Glasse, published the recipe in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy.

She renamed it Yorkshire Pudding—it is not known why. She wasn’t from Yorkshire and dripping puddings were not particular to that area. Perhaps, with a writer’s flair, she wanted a name that sounded better than “dripping”; or perhaps she wanted it to appear that she had created the recipe (the earlier book was not widely known and the recipe was anonymous).

The recipe crossed the pond where its name changed again in an American cookbook. Some sources place the first cookbook appearance of popovers was Mary F. Henderson’s Practical Cooking & Dinner Giving, published in 1876 (and sometimes cited as M.N. Henderson).

The following year, Buckeye Cookery, first published in 1877. The cookbook called them “Pop-Overs.” They were Dripping/Yorkshire Puddings without the drippings.

It became one of the premier American cookbooks of the 19th century.

The oldest known written reference to popovers is in a letter that dates to 1850 [source].
 
 

It’s the perfect smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day and a way to drink kale.

This “Lean, Mean, Green Smoothie” is from chef David Venable at QVC. It’s a more healthful libation than green beer and Irish coffee.

“This smoothie is packed with good-for-you fruits and vegetables, but tastes like a sweet treat,” says David. “The bright color is perfectly festive and would be a great way to start your St. Paddy’s Day. Be sure to serve this in clear glasses so that everyone can see your holiday spirit!”
 
 
RECIPE: GREEN SMOOTHIE

Ingredients For 2 Servings

1. PLACE the grapes, honeydew, kale, spinach, banana, avocado, pear, water, and ice in a blender, in the order listed.

2. BLEND on high speed until the mixture is smooth and pourable. Serve immediately.
  

What’s the deal with salt, and why is the government trying to limit it in prepared foods?

Everyone needs to eat a certain amount of salt. The body doesn’t produce sodium (salt), but it requires it in order to perform a variety of essential functions.

Salt helps to maintain the fluid in blood cells and is used to transmit information in nerves and muscles, among other functions.

HOW MUCH SALT IS TOO MUCH?

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium (salt) per day. That’s one single teaspoon.

But the average American’s salt intake is more than twice that: 3,436 milligrams (mg) of sodium daily. Here’s more information from the USDA.
 
It’s not from the salt shaker, typically, but from the large amounts of salt hidden in prepared foods—packaged foods, take out and restaurant meals.

Whatever the source, nine out of 10 Americans eat too much salt, according to The Centers for Disease Control.

A diet that contains more than that one teaspoon of salt per day is associated with high blood pressure, a potentially fatal condition that affects one in four Americans. While other factors, such as age, family history and race, play a role in your risk of high blood pressure, lowering your sodium intake can help significantly reduce the risk.

 
SALT IS “THE SILENT KILLER”

The more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure will be, leading to heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

According to Consensus Action for Salt and Health, high blood pressure is the leading global risk factor for mortality, resulting in seven million deaths per year.

Thanks to LoSalt, a leading reduced sodium salt, for these tips.

TIP: WHEN USING LOTS OF SALT IN THE KITCHEN IS A GOOD IDEA

Salt can be used to extinguish a grease fire. Pour salt on the flames; never use water. We keep a large salt server with kosher salt on our stove to add pinches in cooking, but also to help in a crisis. (Yes, we also have a fire extinguisher.)

ABOUT LOSALT

LoSalt, a tasty alternative in the reduced-sodium category, has 66% less sodium than regular salt. This is achieved by using a ratio of 33% sodium chloride and 66% potassium chloride.

As long as you don’t need to avoid extra high levels of potassium (e.g. endocrine or kidney disorders), this natural ingredient is a good filler. Consult with your healthcare advisor to be sure it’s O.K. for you.

Guinness, which has chocolaty notes, is a great match with chocolate desserts. Whip one up for St. Patrick’s Day, and serve it with a small glass of Guinness.
RECIPE: GUINNESS CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Ingredients For 6 Servings

Preparation

1. MELT the dark chocolate and butter in a bain-marie and add in the Guinness.

2. BEAT the egg yolks and superfine sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture in with egg yolks and slowly fold in the whisked egg whites until everything is smooth.

3. TRANSFER the mousse to serving dishes and chill. Serve with fresh raspberries or other seasonal berries.

Ingredients For 25 Truffles

Preparation

1. COMBINE the cream and Guinness to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and grated orange zest. Mix together until the chocolate is fully melted; then leave the chocolate mix until it is cool to the touch, but not set.

2. TAKE generous teaspoons of the mixture and roll in your hands to form small round truffles. Dust in cocoa powder or coconut powder. Allow to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

PREFER ICE CREAM?

Check out this chocolate stout float.

Modern Oats is a packaging concept that puts oatmeal in a grab-and-go mode.

All you have to do is add hot water to cover the oats in the coated paper container, put the lid back on, wait 10 minutes and enjoy. No microwave is required, and the colorful packaging gives a boost to starting the day.

The rolled oats are grown by family farmers in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. They are minimally processed by steaming and flaking; you look into the carton and see what looks like “real oats,” instead of the small particles familiar to consumers of instant oatmeal. The oat flakes provide a textural differences that deliver a more solid bite (and, the company says, optimal absorption of nutrients).

Modern Oats are produced in a 100% gluten free facility and are certified GF, Non-GMO, Halal, Kosher, Vegan and 100% Whole Grain. (Whew: There’s no more room left on the carton for any more certifications).

Oats are naturally gluten free*, and are the only major grain proven to help blood cholesterol†.

The containers were initially intended to be sold in coffee shops and other convenience locations, for a suggested retail of of $3.25 per cup. The brand’s parent company, Innovative Beverage Concepts Inc., develops products for cafés.

While retail prices vary widely, we were surprised at the cost to buy them online:

 
Depending on how much you typically spend on breakfast, it could be a wash, a bargain or a convenience premium that’s worth it for the fiber grain infusion (one serving delivers 28% of the recommended Daily Value of whole grains).

Or, you could cook up a weekly batch of steel-cut oats every Sunday, bring the portion to work and heat in the office microwave. If you enjoy your oats without sugar or with a noncaloric sweetener, you can also save the not-insignificant sugar calories in the various flavors:

 
But, there’s just as much—if not more—sugar in many of the foods we pick up for breakfast. Interestingly, a Pop Tart, though empty calories, has fewer calories and the same amount of sugar.

And if you think you’re not getting sugar in that bagel and cream cheese, check again. According to Self nutrition data, a small plain bagel, half to one-third the size of today’s supersized bagels, has 6g of sugar.

Is a cup of Modern Oats better than grabbing a bagel or a pastry? Absolutely!
 
*In the milling and processing process, oats are susceptible to cross-contamination; so that not all oatmeal and other oat products are gluten free. /font>

†Eating three grams of soluble fiber from oats each day, as part of a diet that’s low in fat and cholesterol, has been shown to lower blood cholesterol. This may reduce the risk of heart disease.