But nature’s first ready-to-eat candy was the date. Figs may have been the first cultivated food (more about that below), but dates, which followed them, became the go-to candy.

Wild dates are not edible, but early farmers discovered how to make the date palm bear sweet, succulent fruit. Honey, dates, figs and honey-coated nuts satisfied the sweet tooth for millennia.
 
DATE NUTRITION

A premium date has the sweetness of honey crossed with sugar syrup. The flesh is soft and easily digestible. Its simple sugars—fructose and dextrose—replenish energy quickly (dates have been called “the world’s first energy snack”).

Dates are as sweet as any dessert—but the sweetness is natural sugar (largely glucose and fructose), not refined sugar.

With only 24 calories per date (248 calories per 3.5 ounce/100 gram serving), nutritious dates are as satisfying as empty-calorie candy and baked goods. They are high in dietary fiber and contain more potassium than bananas. They are virtually fat-free, cholesterol-free and sodium-free. And they contain an impressive number of vitamins.

The science behind dates is also impressive. The fruit is loaded with different antioxidants that help with cholesterol, inflammation, eyesight and various cancers.

As with any food, quality makes a big difference. There are luscious dates that are “food for the gods,” and sad, dried-out dates that at best should only be used for cooking and baking. If you can’t find good dates locally (we have this problem), you can buy them online. Nuts Online is a good source.

You don’t need to mourn the sweet fruits of summer when you have a supply of good dates.

And, as we’re close to Valentine’s Day, you have a good reason to make it a date.

As with everything, there are different grades of quality. Go for the best. If your grocer doesn’t have the best, buy online.

TYPES OF DATES

Different date varieties ripen at different types during the season. The peak season for harvesting dates is mid-autumn through mid-winter (October through January in the U.S.). That means that a good variety is available now.

Some varieties are chewier than others, some varieties are sweeter than others. But whatever the variety, look for plump, shiny dates and steer clear of those that are too sticky or covered with crystallized sugar.

Most dates are sold with the pits in. To pit them for cooking, dust the blade of a paring knife with flour to minimize sticking.

California’s Bard Valley, on California’s southeast border, is our nation’s date-growing capital.

BARHI DATES: A small to medium size, barhi dates are nature’s caramel. The skin turns from amber to golden brown when the dates are cured. Sensual, velvety and syrupy-soft, a hint of vanilla gives them a caramel-like flavor. Add some mascarpone and you’ll have a dessert with flavor and texture extraordinaire.

DAYRI DATES: A medium to large size, with a soft (as opposed to chewy) texture. Of all the date varieties, Dayri dates have one of the strongest, most quintessentially “date-like” flavors. They’re generally not as sweet as Medjool, so are an alternative for those who want a less sweet date. When fully ripe, the skin is brown to dark brown.

[1] Barhi dates. [2] Dayri dates. [3] Khadrawi dates. [4] Medjool dates (date photos courtesy Good Eggs). [5] Dates grow in clusters at the top of the date palm tree (photo courtesy Dates Are Great).

DEGLET NOOR DATES: Deglet Noor dates are chewy, medium-sweet, and substantial. They have a brown sugar sweetness, with rich, nutty overtones. They’re considered a dry date, giving them a longer shelf life and a more meaty texture great for tossing into salads. The variety is not sticky, so they’re good grab-and-go snacks. Those who generally don’t like dates should try them.

HALAWI/HALAWY DATES: A small to medium date with bright golden brown skin and tender flesh, these soft dates are appropriately named: Halawy means sweet in Arabic.

KHADRAWI/KHAWDRY DATES: Khadrawi dates have been called pudding-like. They would fit right in on a plate of chocolates. The medium to large fruits are not overly sweet. The skin is orange-brown to light-brown. These dates do not keep well, so need to be eaten fresh.

MEDJOOL DATES: Medjool dates have a meaty, chewy texture with a strong, quite sweet flavor. The most common date variety grown commercially in California, a top-quality Medjool is large and pillowy.

THOORY DATE: This sweet, nutty date is in the dry style. It is known as the “bread date” because it is qwll suited to baking. The medium to large fruit has golden-brown flesh.

ZAHIDI DATES: Zahidis are a medium-size fruit with smooth, glossy, golden-yellow skin. It has a meaty, semi-dry texture that makes it good for snacking or baking.

[6] Bacon-wrapped dates. [7] Fish with a date crust. [8] Dates in a grain dish (photos 6-8 courtesy Medjool Dates). [9] Date cake (photo courtesy Bestia LA). [10] Dates with honey syrup (photo courtesy Melissas).

Just look for “date recipes” and you’ll find hundreds of ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

 
BREAKFAST

Serve chopped dates with breakfast foods to start the day with more energy. They’re delicious on hot or cold cereal and you can refrain from adding refined sugar. Or serve as a garnish for pancakes or eggs. More ideas:

 
APPETIZERS & WITH COCKTAILS

 
MEALS

 
SNACKS

 
DESSERT

 
 
THE HISTORY OF DATES

Archaeobotanists found evidence that the dawn of agriculture may have come with the domestication of fig trees in the Near East some 11,400 years ago—around 9400 B.C.E.

This is roughly 1000 years before the domestication of the dietary staples wheat, barley and legumes. The discovery makes the fruit trees the oldest known domesticated crop (source).

The date palm tree is believed to have originated in northern Africa. It was cultivated along the banks of the Nile River and throughout the Fertile Crescent, a crescent-shaped region containing the comparatively moist and fertile land of the otherwise arid and semi-arid lands of Western Asia*, the Nile Valley and the Nile Delta.

Also known as the “cradle of civilization,” this area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers comprised the lands we now know as Iraq, small portions of Iran and Turkey, the Levantine coast of the eastern Mediterranean (Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Syria and the West Bank) and Egypt’s Nile Valley.

Here’s more on the first domesticated plants and animals.

*Western Asian comprises Anatolia, the Arabian peninsula, Armenian Highlands, Iran, the Levant, Mesopotamia, the Sinai Peninsula and the South Caucasus.

[2] Want cake without all the chocolate? Go for blondies instead (photo © Valrhona Chocolate).

[3] Key lime or lemon bars also do the trick, although are more jiggly than brownies and blondies (photo © Baking Obsession).

If you don’t have the time or inclination to bake from scratch, the easiest specialty cheesecake starts with a purchased cheesecake base.

In the case of this Brownie Caramel Cheesecake (photo #1), you can purchase the brownies, too; or make a quick batch from a mix.
 
 
RECIPE: BROWNIE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

 
Topping Variations

 
Preparation

1. CUBE the brownies/bars. Place as desired atop the cheesecake. We made concentric circles and covered the whole top.

2. WARM the sauce as needed to drizzling consistency, and drizzle over the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
 
OTHER CHEESECAKE TOPPINGS

Fruit Curds

Spread the top of the cheesecake with fruit curd (photo #3).

Commonly available choices are cranberry, Key lime, lemon, orange or passionfruit.

It’s easy to make fruit curd from scratch; but it takes a bit of time and clean-up.
 
Cookies & Candy

 
For fruit curd, cookies or candy, no sauce is necessary. Instead, you can serve the cake with an optional dab of whipped cream.
 
There are many other ways to dress up a store-bought cheesecake, from pie filling to shaved chocolate.

We love a cheesecake iced with chocolate ganache. So check out the next section.

Long before there were “foodies,”* those who a decade later would bear the mantle sought out the famous Grimbletorte.

This spectacular cheesecake from Miss Grimble’s, one of the early gourmet cheesecake bakers in New York City. Its point of differentiation was simple: liqueur in the batter and ganache on the top and sides.

Miss Grimble (Sylvia Balser Hirsch, 2019-2006) sold the business around 1989 and retired. The subsequent owner discontinued the Grimbletorte.

Here’s more about the original Miss Grimble.

To approximate the Grimbletorte:

 
Mrs. Hirsch’s cake decorators wrote “Grimbletorte” across the top of the iced cheesecake, also in ganache. Proust may keep his madeleines; we want our Grimbletorte.

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*What’s the difference between a foodie, connoisseur, gourmet, gourmand, gastronome, epicure and glutton? Check it out.
 
  

Just walking up to a spread like this is exciting! [1] DIY taco and wing bar from Burlap + Blue. [2] Taco bar fixings from Ebay.

So we decided to combine the ideas into what morphed from the help-yourself buffet into the DIY food bar.

All the food can be easily prepared in advance and served at room temperature. Proteins, rice and beans can be kept on a warming tray, in a slow cooker, or whatever you have (or can borrow).
 
FOR DIETARY PREFERENCES

 
To drink:

 
INGREDIENTS FOR A TACO BAR

Make a selection from these ingredients. If we’ve left out any of your favorites, please let us know!

 
Plus: rice and beans.

*If you’ve never made taco beef, it couldn’t be easier. Just cook and crumble the ground beef over medium high heat, sprinkling with taco seasoning as it cooks. Drain the grease; that’s it.

This is a lot simpler, since wings are a DIY dish in the first place: a platter of wings, celery sticks, hot sauce and blue cheese dressing†.

There are many ways to make wings. By varying the seasonings on the wings and the types of sauces, Food Network came up with 50 wing recipe variations.

You’re probably not up for making two, much less 50, variations; but here’s what you can do to make your wings special:

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†Buffalo wings were invented in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, as an impromptu, thrown-together midnight snack. Co-owner Teressa Bellissimo fried the wings, covered them in hot sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery—because that’s what she had available. Here’s a longer history of buffalo wings.
 
MORE DIY FOOD BARS

Cocktails, Hors D’Oeuvre & Appetizers

 
Main Meals

 
Desserts & Snacks

[1] Classic, casual Buffalo wings became such a favorite—rolling out across America—that chefs at all types of restaurants created their own versions of wings. Previously, plates of wings had not been a restaurant menu item. Here’s a classic take from Bon Appetit. [2] An elegant take from Distilled NY. [3] Italian spices and hot chiles (photo courtesy Carrabba’s Italian Grill). [4] Thai-spiced wings with fresh mango (photo courtesy Spice Market | NYC).