[1] Gnocchi gratin with leeks and chanterelle mushrooms. The recipe is below (photos #1 and #6 © Colavita Recipes).

[2] Pumpkin soup with bacon-sage gnocchi. Here’s the recipe (photos #2, #3, #4, and #5 © DeLallo).

[3] Gnocchi antipasto salad. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Gnocchi with cabbage and kielbasa. Here’s the recipe.

[5] Gnocchi mac and cheese. Here’s the recipe.

[6] Look for gnocchi in your grocer’s refrigerated case.

While Americans have Taco Tuesdays, the 29th of every month is National Gnocchi Day in Argentina. Here’s the origin of the holiday, and there are more gnocchi recipes below.

Given how easy it is to make gnocchi (starting out with store-bought fresh or frozen versions), why not port the holiday into your home?

There are 15+ delicious recipes below, most of which don’t use a traditional Italian red or white sauce. But first:

> The history of gnocchi.

> The history of pasta.

> The different types of pasta: a glossary.

> The difference between pasta and noodles, below.

> The year’s 20 pasta holidays.
 
 
WHAT ARE GNOCCHI? 

Gnocchi (NYO-kee) are not pasta, but light and fluffy Italian dumplings. The word “gnocchi” means “dumplings” in Italian. There are two suggestions for the origin of the word:

 
The most commonly known in the U.S. are made from potatoes and flour, although other styles are noted below. You can find butternut squash, spinach, and sweet potato gnocchi on modern menus, and creative chefs can create myriad flavors.

Shapes and ingredients vary by region in Italy, and some recipes even substitute semolina for potato flour.

Gnocchi not Italian! They’re of Middle Eastern origin (and the originals were, in fact, made from semolina dough). As the Roman Empire expanded, favorite recipes were brought home and adapted, based on local ingredients and preferences.

Depending on where you are in Italy, you can find:

 
Whether covered in sauce, tossed in butter, or pan-fried, gnocchi are crowd pleasers.

> The history of gnocchi.

> The history of potatoes.

> The history of pasta.

> What are gnudi, and how are they related to gnocchi?
 
 
RECIPE: GNOCCHI GRATIN WITH LEEKS AND CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS 

This rich gnocchi recipe from Colavita is a festive side dish for everyday dinners or special occasions.

There are 14 more recipes below.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add a handful of salt.

2. ADD the gnocchi to the salted, boiling water. When the gnocchi float to the top of the water (about 3-4 minutes), they are finished cooking. Scoop them out of the water with a sieve or slotted spoon and place them in a colander to drain. Reserve 1 cup of the gnocchi cooking water.

3. DRIZZLE the cooked gnocchi with olive oil so they don’t stick, and set aside.

4. HEAT the Colavita olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. ADD the chanterelles, and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.

5. ADD the Dijon mustard, cream, and rosemary. Cook until the cream has reduced by half and the mixture is thick, about 5-8 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

6. ADD the cooked gnocchi to the sauce and stir to incorporate. If necessary, add some of the reserved gnocchi water, a little bit at a time. This will loosen up the sauce and make it creamy (without adding any extra cream!).

7. REMOVE from the heat and mix in the grated Parmesan cheese. Serve.
 
 
15 MORE GNOCCHI RECIPES 

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National Meat Week is an industry promotion that begins on the last Sunday in January. Running for eight days, the event invites restaurants to show their skills with the best cuts of meat.

This year, Meat Week begins on January 29th and runs through February 5th.

Chefs are challenged to offer their best and latest creations, from barbecue and pulled pork ready to filet mignon and foie gras.

The holiday began in 2005, when Chris Cantey and Erni Walker of Tallahassee, Florida, created Meat Week to celebrate barbecued meats across the country.

But you can celebrate with meat that’s prepared in any way: barbecued/smoked, braised, grilled/broiled, pan-fried, pan-seared, pot roasted, roasted, stewed, and stir-fried—and in the case of crudo and tartare, raw.

And of course, you can put your own skills to work at home.

This year, we’re having a nightly dinner with friends, going to a different home each night. It’s a great excuse to get together.

Here’s a tip from Sterling Silver Premium Meats:

Never cut into a piece of meat to see if it is done. This only allows the juices to run out!

 
 
> The different cuts of beef.

> The different cuts of chicken.

> The different cuts of lamb.

> The different cuts of pork.

> The different types of ham.

> The different types of ribs.

[1] Grilled steak (photo © Sterling Silver Premium Meats).

[2] Tamarind-glazed pork ribs (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.).

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[1] German chocolate cake. The recipe link is at right (photo © Betty Crocker).

[2] Chocolate layer cake with peanut butter filling and frosting. The recipe link is at right (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[3] Chocolate icebox cake. The recipe link is at right (photo © Kings Cupboard).

[4] Black Forest cake. The recipe link is at right (photo © Sweet Street Desserts).

[5] Molten chocolate cake, also called lava cake. The recipe link is at right (photo © Galaxy Desserts).

What to bake on January 27th, National Chocolate Cake Day? Take a look at the chocolate cake recipes that follow.

> The history of cake and the different types of cake: a photo gloassary.

> The year’s 55 cake holidays.

> The history of chocolate.

> See the chocolate cake and wine pairings below.
 
 
MORE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES 

 
 
CHOCOLATE CAKE & WINE PAIRINGS 

Amarone. Amarone is very similar to Port, a classic dessert wine. This full-bodied red wine has a rich chocolate flavor, with spiced and coffee undertones. It’s an international favorite and a bit on the expensive side. If you’re on a budget, a Ripasso is a good substitute.

Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais Nouveau is not specifically a dessert wine, but it is a young, simple, and fruity red wine made that pairs with desserts. It is made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France.

Brachetto D’Acqui. Brachetto is a sweet sparkling red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. It’s the perfect affordable dessert wine that goes naturally well with everything from fresh fruits to pastries and elaborate desserts.

Lambrusco. Lambrusco, from Italy, is made in dry (secco), semi-sweet (semisecco), and sweet (dolce) varieties. The dolce wines can be very sweet. Perhaps get a semisecco and a dolce to see which you prefer.

Late Harvest Zinfandel. A contribution from California, late-harvest wines are made from grapes that are left on the vine after they’ve reached their peak ripeness. This intensifies the sweetness and delivers lush, nectar-like flavors.

Madiera. Oxidized, fortified wines such as Madeira from Portugal have been exposed to heat to develop a complex muted, caramel-like saltiness—think toffee, dried fruit, and orange rind—which complements any chocolate cake with nuts, including flourless chocolate cakes.

Rosso Dolce. Rosso Dolce is a blush wine produced in the Moscato d’Asti style, with residual sugars giving it an off-dry finish. Instead of the Moscato (Muscat Blanc) grape, it is produced with red grapes from the Trentino-Alto Adige area of Italy.

Tawny or Ruby Port. Ports are well-loved dessert wines from Portugal and are a natural pairing with anything chocolate (including a box of chocolates). Tawny Port has primary notes are caramel and hazelnut, with secondary berry and mocha flavors. Ruby Port is less complex with fruity flavors. (Here are the different types of Port.)

Vin Santo. This full-bodied, sweet dessert wine from Tuscany has aromas of hazelnut, caramel, honey, tropical fruit, perfume and dried apricot. In Italy, it is customary to have a glass after dinner with biscotti to dip into the wine.

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Here’s a gift for the home mixologist who wants to produce stunning designer ice cubes: The Ice Designer.

It’s an innovative brass plate that helps you create ice cubes in five different designs.

Custom designs are also available.

And National Ice Cube Day is June 21st.

You make the pattern by pressing the ice cube onto the brass plate. The thick, deep grooves in the highly conductive metal plate emboss the ice cube quickly and are relatively long-lasting in a drink.

Plus, the novelty never wears off!

This device is pricey ($197) but pays off in a lifetime of elegance.
 
Head to TheIceDesigner.com.
 
 
 
 
> The history of ice for drinks.
 
 
> Ice cube tray history.

One of the five ice cube designs (photo © The Ice Designer).

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[1] Luscious orange shortbread bars (all photos © Fruits From Chile).

[2] Navel oranges fresh off the tree.

[3] In addition to baking and cooking, navel oranges are a hand fruit.

[4] Why they’re called “navel” oranges. The appearance of the navel is the result of a mutation,” Moses says. The mutation created a conjoined twin, an aborted second orange at the opposite end of the stem. It looks like a human navel, but is in fact a small, second orange [source].

January is National Citrus Month, traditionally a time when oranges and lemons appear in more recipes—like this Orange Shortbread Bars recipe from Fruits From Chile.

In the cold months, when most fruits don’t grow in the U.S., Chile is a source of apples, apricots, avocados, blueberries, cherimoya, cherries, citrus, figs, grapes, kiwifruit, lucuma, nectarines, papaya, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranates, and raspberries.

This recipe uses Chilean navel oranges.

> The history of oranges.

> The history of navel oranges is below.
 
 
RECIPE: ORANGE SHORTBREAD BARS 

Cook time is 30-35 minutes for the shortbread crust, and an additional 30-40 minutes once the filling is added. Chilling time is 1 hour.
 
Ingredients For 24 Squares

For The Shortbread Crust

 
For The Citrus Filling

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Thoroughly butter a 9×13 inch glass baking pan.

2. MAKE the shortbread crust. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Add the slices of butter and orange zest.

3. USING a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into the flour until you have a coarse crumb. Transfer the dough to your buttered baking dish. Use your fingers to press the crust pan. Transfer to the preheated oven. While the shortbread is baking…

4. PREPARE the citrus filling. Stir together the flour and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add the eggs, orange juice and zest, then whisk thoroughly to combine.

5. BAKE the shortbread for 30-35 minutes, or until golden at the edges. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Then pour the citrus filling onto the partially-baked crust.

6. RETURN the pan to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the topping is set—when you jostle the pan, the liquid should jiggle a bit, but not run.

7. LET the pan sit on a rack until cooled to room temp. Then chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, allowing the bars to be fully set.

8. TOP the bars with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Slice and enjoy.
 
 
NAVEL ORANGE HISTORY 

The appearance of the navel is the result of a mutation that created a conjoined twin, an aborted second orange at the opposite end of the stem. It looks like a human navel but is in fact a small, second orange.

It first appeared on a single branch on a sour orange tree in the garden of a monastery in Bahia, Brazil. There but for chance it might still be, unknown. But a Presbyterian missionary came upon it in the mid-1800s.

It was intriguing to find an orange with a belly button and a baby orange inside. But more importantly, it was sweet and had no seeds.

Because the mutant navel orange was seedless, all of the navel oranges that followed are genetically identical to the original orange. A seedless orange has no way to reproduce naturally, so a nurseryman has to graft sprouted buds onto another tree’s trunk and roots.

The missionary took a cutting, propagated some little trees, and sent them to William Saunders at the USDA in Washington.

Navel Oranges Come To America 

Saunders had a neighbor named Eliza Tibbets who headed west to the new Riverside Colony in California around 1872. It had the Mediterranean climate that was great for citrus, and Tibbets joined others in growing subtropical fruits.

Saunders sent his former neighbor two or three little starter trees that thrived and grew to maturity. Fruits from those trees won a citrus fair in the Riverside area, and were declared the most spectacular citrus fruit anyone had ever seen or ever tasted.

And thus, was the beginning of what became the immensely successful commercial navel orange industry in California.

One of Tibbets’ two trees still stands and bears fruit, at the corner of Magnolia and Arlington in the middle of Riverside.

Its roots have been swapped out, and its old-age fruit is small these days, but it still holds quite a story [source].

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