[1] Lobster Mac & Cheese on the half shell (photo © Goldbelly).

[2] Lobster Mac & Cheese in ramekins (photos #2 and #3 © Bloomingdale’s).

[3] Lobster Mac & Cheese in your own casserole dish.

[4] Gnocchi Mac & Cheese. Here’s the recipe (photo © DeLallo).

[6] Two-Pasta Mac & Cheese. Here, it’s elbows and wagon wheels, but you can choose your favorites. Here’s the recipe (photo © Barilla).

Yesterday, July 14th, was National Macaroni & Cheese Day (there are links to 20+ mac and cheese recipes below). We were so busy preparing a Bastille Day French-focused dinner that we totally forgot about the Lobster Macaroni & Cheese from Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co. It’s one of our keep-it-in-the-freezer-until-you-need-an-indulgent-treat.

The lobster mac and cheese comes in regular and gluten-free. The regular is available in a plate-your-own version, or ready plated on the half shell (a large scallop shell), or in ramekins.

They arrive frozen and go from freezer to oven to table in 40 minutes.

And the flavor: heavenly!

Mounds of succulent Maine lobster and shell pasta are blended with creamy mascarpone cheese and topped with toasted garlic parmesan panko breadcrumbs.

It’s the very definition of elevated comfort food.

Get some to treat yourself, or to send as gifts.

There’s also Crabmeat Macaroni & Cheese.

Hancock ships via Goldbelly and Bloomingdale’s.

Want to look at more delicious food? Head to the Hancock website.

We’ve been a fan of Hancock Lobster products since we began The Nibble, way back in 2004.
 
 
NEED MORE REASONS TO CELEBRATE WITH LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE?

 
And:

 
 
MAKE LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE FROM SCRATCH

1) This recipe for Baked Lobster Mac & Cheese With 4 Cheeses adds layers of cheesy flavor with Cheddar, Gruyère, Monterey Jack and Parmigiano Reggiano.

2) How about Lobster Mac & Cheese With Gruyere & Havarti? You can substitute any two melting cheeses*.
 
 
> The history of macaroni and cheese.

> The history of pasta.

> Lobster trivia, plus 30+ lobster recipes.
 
 
MORE MAC & CHEESE RECIPES

 
 
________________

*A melting cheese is one that melts easily when heated. These are the cheeses used for grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and nachos. Examples include Cheddar, Colby, Gruyère, Havarti, Fontina, Monterey Jack, Muenster [American), Provolone, and Swiss [Emmenthal]. Here’s more about melting cheese.

It’s July 14th, the day to toast to Bastille Day (“le quatorze juillet” in French). The holiday is officially called the Fête Nationale (“National Celebration”).

Here’s the history of Bastille Day, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on July 14, 1789. It was a rallying point in the French Revolution.

How to celebrate?

If you’re near a French restaurant, head there. If not, here are the 25 top French foods you can cook at home.

No inclination to cook? Make a sandwich of a crispy baguette, fresh chèvre (goat cheese), sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil leaves, with a grind of fresh pepper and a glass of the French wine of your choice. (This is one of our favorite lunches year-round.)

Need some French wine pairings with fresh goat cheese?

 
 
COCKTAILS FOR BASTILLE DAY

A glass of French bubbly is always popular. Add Angostura bitters, sugar, and a maraschino cherry garnish (updated to a lemon or orange twist) and you have a Champagne Cocktail (recipe in ‡footnote).

But there are more with which to celebrate.

Top French cocktails include the Sidecar, among others. Then, there’s the 1789, the date of the storming of the Bastille (the recipe is below).

Some recipes from The Nibble archives:

 
 
 
RECIPE: 1789 COCKTAIL, THE DRINK FOR BASTILLE DAY

This drink uses a popular French apéritif wine†, Bonal Quina. You can substitute a sweet red vermouth like Punt E Mes.

Another ingredient is Lillet Blanc, a French aromatized wine†. If you don’t have any (but we highly recommend it, to drink on its own), a less-sweet substitute is white vermouth.

Another substitute is St. Germain elderflower liqueur (another favorite of ours), though it’s sweeter than Lillet.

The 1789 is traditionally served in a Martini glass. You can substitute a small wine glass or a Champagne flute.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. CHILL a Martini glass (or substitute).

2. COMBINE the Bonal Quina, Lillet Blanc, and whiskey In a mixing glass. Add the ice and stir to chill.

3. STRAIN into the chilled Martini glass and garnish with the orange peel.

[1] French 75, made with gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. Here’s the recipe (photo © Tanqueray).

[2] Kir Royale combines crème de cassis with Champagne. Here’s the recipe. A conventional Kir (recipe) is made with white wine (photo © The Mercury | Atlanta [now closed].

[3] The 1789 cocktail was named for France’s independence day, known as Bastille Day in the U.S. It’s traditionally served in a Martini glass, but you can use a wine glass (photo © Adam Jaime | Unsplash).

*The main grape varieties used in Provençal rosés are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Tibouren, and, occasionally, Carignan.

†The difference between fortified wine and aromatized wine: Fortified wines have added alcohol, in the form of flavorless grape brandy. The result is a sweeter, richer version of regular wine. Examples include Madiera, Marsala, Port, and Sherry. Aromatized wines are wines that are flavored with fruit, spices, and florals (angelica, chamomile, chinotto, cinchona, gentian root, mistelle, nutmeg, quinine, and saffron, for example) in addition to the added flavorless grape brandy. Americano (from Italy), Barolo Chinato (Italian), Byrrh (French), Lillet (French), Quinquina (Spanish), and vermouth (originally Italian) are examples.

‡Champagne cocktail ingredients: 1 sugar cube, Angostura bitters, Champagne or other sparkling wine (chilled), lemon or orange twist, for garnish. Place the sugar cube on a bar spoon and douse with bitters. Drop the cube into a chilled Champagne flute. Fill the glass with Champagne or other sparkling wine. Garnish with a lemon or orange twist. Some recipes add brandy, but this is the original.
 
 

[1] Plantspired steak skewers with summer squash and onions (both photos © Nasoya).

[2] Plantspired Steak sandwich with caramelized onions.

Thank you, Nasoya, for sending us a sample of Plantspired Plant-Based Steak. It’s become a staple in our kitchen, going from fridge to plate in 30 seconds.

And no one guessed it wasn’t real meat until, towards the end of enjoying a grain bowl, one taster hesitantly asked.

But in its Korean BBQ Flavor, these tender, marinated, sliced steak-like strips, made with textured soy protein, are char-grilled over an open flame and paired with sweet and smoky bulgogi sauce that goes with everything.

Walmart also has Plantspired Zesty Mexican Style and a Savory Tuscan Style, for $3.98 (the SRP, which you may find for the Korean BBQ flavor at other stores, $6.98).

The 7-ounce package (14 grams of plant-based protein) is a generous portion for one and can be split into two servings.

Plantspired Plant-Based Steak is so versatile:

It’s Rye Day the 13th is a food holiday started by the Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit Distillery in 2016. It was begun as a promotional opportunity for restaurants and bars.

The organizers suggest “a coast-to-coast toast” with Rye.

It reminds us of National Gnocchi Day, which occurs on the 29th of every month, in Argentina. All celebrants have gnocchi for lunch or dinner.

But we digress: back to the Rye.

Why not have Rye Day The 13th at home? Look in your closet: Do you have a bottle?

If not, Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Old Forester, Redemption, Sazerac, Woodford Reserve, and other brands are waiting for you!

Rye whiskey is known for its full-bodied, spicy flavor. It has a peppery finish, and it’s much dryer than Bourbon, the spirit most related to it. The latter is sweeter, being made of at least 51% corn. Rye is made with at least 51% Rye). Here’s more about Rye vs. Bourbon.

How about a Rye cocktail party?
 
 
CLASSIC RYE COCKTAILS

There are scores, if not hundreds, of Rye cocktails. But the two you should try first are the most popular:

 
If you want something simpler, try:

 
 
> Check out the different types of whiskey.

[1] The Manhattan, the most popular Rye cocktail (photo © The Mercury | Atlanta [now closed]).

[2] Second of the legendary Rye cocktails, The Sazerac, from New Orleans. Here’s the recipe (photo © Old Forester).

[1] Loaded bacon cheese fries are easy to make (both photos © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] A Greek salad with Greek-seasoned fries (oregano, thyme, garlic). Here’s the recipe.

[3] Grown In Idaho frozen crinkle-cut fries (photo © Coltrane’s).

July 13th, National French Fry Day: The very name suggests that, no matter how hard you’ve been trying to avoid fried foods, you deserve a serving of crisp fries today—like the Loaded Bacon Cheese Fries recipe below.

The good news: This recipe is for baked French fries (photo #1). No added fat!

They’re just as delicious, and so much easier to make. You don’t even have to peel potatoes: The recipe uses frozen Grown In Idaho crinkle-cut fries (photo #3). (and if you haven’t tried them, you’ll be pleasantly surprised).

You might as well double the recipe for these Loaded Bacon Cheese Fries, because the first batch will be devoured in minutes!

If it sounds familiar, this recipe is featured in the Idaho Potato Commission’s Big Idaho Potato Truck television commercial, and folks across the country have been clamoring for the recipe.

You can even use them to top a green salad. If it sounds strange, check this out (photo #2).

Does eating fries on a salad make them guilt-free?

> 16 more French fry recipes.

> The history of French fries.
 
 
RECIPE: LOADED BACON CHEESE FRIES

 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the oven to 425°F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet or large cast-iron skillet with cooking spray.

2. SPREAD out the crinkle-cut fries in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

3. BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Then sprinkle the fries evenly with cheese. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

4. REMOVE from the oven and sprinkle with the bacon. Drizzle with the sour cream or ranch dressing, then sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

5. SERVE immediately with ketchup on the side.
 
 
> Beyond salads: More ways to use ranch dressing.