March 7th is National Crown Roast Of Pork Day. If you love pork roasts, consider a crown roast of pork for a special occasion.

What is a crown roast of pork?

Cut from the rib portion of the loin, a crown roast—whether lamb, pork, or veal—is one of the most impressive special-occasion entrées.

The “crown” is made from two rib racks that are bent into a circle and then tied together with kitchen twine. A butcher can do this and present you with a handsome circle of ribs, ready to cook (photo #4).

A pork rib roast is a smaller, simpler version of a pork crown roast, just one of the rib racks.

A delicious crown roast recipe follows.

This classic recipe is a crowd-pleaser. It’s from Betty Claycomb of Alverton, Pennsylvania, for Taste Of Home.

Says Betty: “It looks so elegant that everyone thinks I spent a lot of time on this roast. But it’s actually so easy!

“The biggest challenge is to remember to order the crown roast from the butcher ahead of time.”

> Check out the other cuts of pork.
 
 
RECIPE: CROWN ROAST OF PORK WITH MUSHROOM DRESSING

Ingredients

 
For The Mushroom Dressing

 
Preparation

You can see a video of the preparation here.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place the roast, rib ends up, in a shallow roasting pan and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover the rib ends with foil. Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours. Meanwhile…

2. MELT the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and celery; sauté until tender. Stir in the bread cubes, salt, and pepper. Spoon the dressing around the roast. Brush the sides of the roast with the preserves.

3. BAKE until a thermometer inserted into the meat between ribs reads 145°F, 45-60 minutes. Remove the foil and let the meat stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

If you don’t want to slice the roast at the table, bring the platter to the table to present it to family and guests, before returning to the kitchen to slice.
 
 
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*The difference between dressing and stuffing: While they have the same ingredients, dressing is cooked in a pan, outside of the meat (or in a separate pan altogether), while stuffing is dressing that is stuffed and cooked inside a bird.

[1] A crown roast of pork with mushroom dressing. The recipe is below (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Each person gets a luscious slice of meaty rib (photo © Harry & David).

[3] While the dressing looks impressive in the center of the roast, it’s messy when the ribs are sliced (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[4] An uncooked crown roast, which consists of two rib racks tied together (photo © Robinson’s Prime Reserve).

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It’s only here for the month of March, so gather ye bottles while ye may (photo © Diageo).

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, there’s a limited edition flavor from Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur. Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake Irish Cream Liqueur is Baileys’ first-ever, minty green flavor, an adult (and proudly Irish) twist on a classic treat.

Vanilla, mint, and a hint of chocolate are blended into the delectable flavor of classic Baileys. The hue is pale green, and the liqueur is just waiting for you to:

 
It’s on shelves this month (or while supplies last), for $24.99 per 750 mL bottle.

Treat yourself, and get an extra bottle for a friend.

> The history of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur.

> For more Baileys flavors and recipes, head to Baileys.com.

 
Preparation
 
1. BLEND the Baileys and ice cream and Baileys to your preferred thickness. ​

2. PLACE the desired amount of whipped cream (a lot or a little) into a bowl, add a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and fold the sauce into the whipped cream once or twice.​

3. POUR the shake into a tall glass, then top with the thick cream. Garnish as desired.

Variations

The Nibble played around with variations including chocolate, chocolate chip, and mint ice cream flavors. We really loved this shake with mint cookie ice cream.

For either the original or Nibble version, we preferred the taste and texture of crushed OREO Mint Flavored Creme Chocolate Sandwich Cookies to the shaved chocolate.

If you have long-handled spoons, you can go overboard and put a few cubes of brownie at the bottom of the glass, then pour the shake on top. When you’ve finished sipping the shake, spoon up the brownies, drenched in the shake.
 
 

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As a food publication, we receive lots of samples. Energy bars, protein bars, and snack bars are a particular group that we’ve tasted and tasted, but find it hard to write about without spending lots of time on comparative nutrition. Health isn’t the focus of the Nibble; great-tasting food is. Hence, our Top Pick Of The Week, is great-tasting Simple Bars.

They’re less than a year old (launching August 1, 2022) and are well worth your attention.

Simple Bars are better-for-you snack bars with minimalist, healthy ingredients, starting with nuts and seeds for protein and fiber.

Founder Amanda Ament created the line because she “was amazed by the fact that I could not find a single sugar-free snack bar. Not one.

“I realized I could not possibly be the only one searching, so I decided to make my bars available to others.”

She worked with a food scientist to perfect the recipe and founded The Simple Company. Check out the photos of her journey to making delicious, sugar-free snack bars.

The bars contain:

 
 
FOUR DELICIOUS FLAVORS

Flavors include:

 
Each ingredient in each flavor has its own special natural properties that work together to create a unique, flavorful experience.⁣

Each 35g bar has 160 calories, 5g to 6g protein, and 7g to 8g dietary fiber.

We find them refreshing as a snack or as dessert, with a cup of coffee.
 
 
GET YOUR SIMPLE BARS

Head to SimpleBars.com.

All flavors are delicious, so we recommend the Variety Pack.

You may wish to get some for friends and family who are steering clear of Easter confections. Simple Bars are pretty much guilt-free, and the wrapper colors (photos #2 and #4) are just right for a pastel holiday.

[1] Simple Bars in four flavors: Almond & Dragonfruit, Chocolate Sea Salt, Almond Marcha & Chia, Walnut & Golden Spicess (photo © The Nibble).

[2] Go nuts with this protein-packed, all-natural snack bar (photos #2, #3, and #4 © Simple Bars).

[3] Beyond different nuts and seeds, each flavor has something special. Here, almond and chia are enhanced with matcha tea powder.

Energy bars and protein bars have become increasingly popular in recent years as a convenient and portable snack or meal replacement option for people on the go.

First, the difference between the two:

 
The history of energy bars and protein bars dates back decades.

 
Energy bars and protein bars began to trend in the 1990s. Balance Bar, MET-Rx, and ProBar Meal Bars debuted, marketed towards athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts.

But the natural foods movement and the increase in gym memberships engendered a wide variety of flavors and formulations and became popular snacks for busy people who wanted a convenient snack or meal replacement option for people who are busy or active and want something more nutritious than a Snickers bar.

They were soon joined by snack bars: not necessarily energy- or protein-focused, but better-for-you snacks. Brands proliferated, including Bobo’s Oat Bars, Lara Bars, Kind Bars, and Luna Bars, among numerous others.

Today there are bars to accommodate any food plan: gluten-free, keto, nut-free, vegan, etc. And thanks to Simple Bars, you can find a sugar-free snack bar, too!
 
 
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*The Chocolate & Sea Salt flavor has dark chocolate, and other flavors have allulose, a naturally occurring sugar that naturally occurs in fruits like figs and raisins. It’s about 70% as sweet as sugar and has virtually no calories. The bars contain just enough to provide a hint of sweetness. Here’s more about it.
 
 

[4] Simply delicious.

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[1] Just wash and eat for a delicious snack or dessert (photo © Gelson’s Market).

[2] Strawberry milk. The recipe is below (photo © Bluebird Chelsea | London).

[3] Strawberry Rosé Ice Pops Recipe. The recipe is above (photo © California Strawberry Council).

[4] Frozen Strawberry Margarita. The recipe is above (photo © Discover California Wine).

February 27th is National Strawberry Day. As we were deciding which of our favorite strawberry recipes to feature, we thought: Why not present all of them?

Check them out, below.

May is National Strawberry Month.

> The history of strawberries.
 
 
STRAWBERRY RECIPES

 
 
STRAWBERRY TRIVIA

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Here’s another recipe for National Pistachio Day: a cumin-spiced pistachio pesto recipe that is delicious on:

 
> Check out these additional pistachio recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

> The history of pistachio nuts.

> The year’s pistachio holidays.

> The year’s 38 nut holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CUMIN-SPICED PISTACHIO PESTO RECIPE

This recipe adds a Middle Eastern spin to pesto, from the pistachio nuts to the cumin (see more about cumin below). Unlike Italian pesto, this recipe has no cheese; the recipe is vegan.

The recipe makes enough for 2-3 pounds of chicken or fish. Prep time is 15 minutes.

Thanks to Pereg Gourmet for the recipe.
 
Ingredients For 1 Cup

 
Preparation

1. ADD the pistachios to a food processor and pulse at high speed. Add the lime zest and juice and process at high speed.

2. ADD the rest of the ingredients. For the parsley, twist the bunch with your hands, separating the leaves and small stems from the long bottom stems. Discard the bottoms.

3. MIX on low speed or pulse, stopping to push down the mixture. Once all the ingredients are incorporated…

4. BLEND at high speed until a uniform puréed consistency is achieved. This should take around 15-30 seconds. For a smoother texture, blend for up to 1 minute.

5. TASTE and just the seasoning accordingly, adding more salt or lime juice as desired. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
 
 
For Salmon Or White Fish (Cod, Flounder, Tilapia) With Pistachio Pesto

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. On a parchment-lined tray, place the salmon, skin-side down, and pat dry. Spread the pesto generously over the fish. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes (baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish.)
 
 
For Eggs With Pistachio Pesto

If you’d like some heat, blend 1/2 a jalapeño chile into the pesto mix and drizzle on scrambled eggs.

For a refreshing take on sunnyside-up eggs, add the pesto to the hot skillet before adding the eggs.
 
 
WHAT IS CUMIN

Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a member of the parsley family (Apiaceae). It originated in the Iranian plateau.

Cumin seeds are easily confused visually with caraway seeds, another spice in the parsley family. Many Slavic and Uralic languages refer to cumin as “Roman caraway” or “spice caraway.” The distantly related Bunium persicum and Bunium bulbocastanum and the unrelated Nigella sativa are both sometimes called black cumin [source].

[1] Pistachio pesto on casarecce pasta. Here’s the recipe for this delicious pasta dish (photo © Love & Olive Oil | DeLallo).

[2] Pistachio pesto on toast (photo by Shana Maikhor | Rule Of Plum).

[3] Whole and ground cumin seeds. You’ll need ground cumin for this recipe (photos #3 and #4 © The Spice Lab).

[4] Middle Eastern lamb stew, seasoned with cumin.

Cumin was a significant spice for the Minoans in ancient Crete. The ancient Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container (much as pepper is frequently kept today), a practice that continues in Morocco.

Cumin was also used heavily in ancient Roman cuisine and in India.

Cumin was introduced to the Americas by Spanish and Portuguese colonists. And some spice trivia: Cumin is often used as part of bird food mixes [source].

According to McCormick, cumin is one of the top 10 spices sold in the U.S. In fact, cumin is the second-most-sold spice in the world, just behind black pepper [source].
 
Ways To Use Cumin

Cumin has a distinctive flavor and aroma: earthy, nutty, piquant, tangy, and warming.

 
Use ground cumin in:

 
This week we tossed some into a shrimp boil, along with cloves. The flavor and aroma were a delight!
 
 

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