Foie gras with Sauternes…

Oysters and Champagne or Chablis…

Pasta with red sauce and Chianti…

Steak with Cabernet Sauvignon…

Thai food and Riesling…

These are classic food and wine pairings.

But what if you’d like to try something different?

Matthieu Yamoum, beverage director of the Baccarat Hotel in New York City, has suggestions that we’d never have thought of—seemingly unusual pairings of wines, spirits, and even cocktails.

Yet his unexpected matches are just as tasty…maybe even better!

Here are his recommendations.
 
 
DIFFERENT FOOD PAIRINGS

 
For details, check out the full story on CNN Travel.
 
 
MORE UNUSUAL FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS

Here are some of our own favorites:

 
 
A final note: There are no “rights” and “wrongs,” there’s just what you like.

[1] Can you imagine pairing fruit liqueur with food? Well…Midori melon liqueur pairs with prosciutto and other cured meats, in the time-honored pairing of melon and prosciutto (photo © Midori Melon Liqueur).

[2] With a green salad—plain or topped with your favorite proteins and/or fruits—have a glass of blanco (silver) tequila Here’s the recipe (photo © Blueberry Council).

[3] Try a Vodka Martini with tacos (photo © Sable & Rosenfeld).

[1] Neft is a winner in a dry Martini, any vodka cocktail, or neat (all photo © Neft Vodka).

[2] Neft vodka on the rocks. The vodka is packaged in oil drum-shaped cans, available in black or white.

[3] Neft is also made in a single-portion, 100 ml size.

[4] The Pride barrel.

[5] Austrian fields growing ancient varieties of rye.

[6] The Rhaetian Alps in Austria, source of the water used to distill Neft Vodka.

There, rain and snowmelt water is filtered for 50 years through the layers of limestone and slate beneath.

That accounts for part of the special flavor, but a bigger part is the blend of four gluten-free, non-GMO, ancient rye grains* grown in lower Saxony, that are distilled into the vodka.

Neft is crafted at Destillerie Freihof, a 130-year-old family-run distillery in Lustenau, Austria.

The packaging is an unbreakable metal barrel that stays cold for hours.

For gifting, Neft Vodka is a great combination of presentation and taste.

If you’re wondering why the vodka is packaged in a barrel shape, it’s because Neft means “oil” in Russian, and the brand was created to honor oil workers. (There is Cyrillic lettering on one side of the can.)

Neft Vodka was created by a petroleum engineer from Western Siberia, who observed the endurance and sacrifice displayed by the Siberian oil pioneers† in the 1970s. When she decided to create a vodka brand, she fashioned it to pay tribute to them.

One source says that the unbreakable barrel allowed the workers to carry a container of vodka that wouldn’t break. There’s more about the barrel below.

In 2012, Ekaterina Kuzmina wanted to create a vodka that paid homage to her family’s roots in the Siberian oil workforce [source 1, source 2].

She was determined to make a vodka of outstanding quality for which those original workers would be proud.

Kuzmina, sought the best organic ingredients and settled on the mountainous Vorarlberg region in the westernmost part of Austria, where pristine Alpine spring water and distillation methods produce some of the best spirits in the world.

Critics agree.

 
Neft donates 50 cents from every barrel sold to one of six charities they support.

Are you ready for a taste?
 
 
THE FLAVOR

The great Alpine water, multiple-distillation process, and proprietary carbon-layer filtration produce a vodka of exceptional purity. Neft is elegant, creamy, smooth, and viscous, and can be joyfully sipped neat.

It truly is a luscious, ultra-premium vodka.

Get a group of tasting professionals in a room and you’ll hear a multitude of descriptors:

 
If that sounds like a lot, clear your palate, taste, re-taste, and see what you come up with.
 
 
UNIQUE OIL BARREL PACKAGING

The tin-and-aluminum cans are made in black and white, plus a multicolor Pride design and a seasonal holiday barrel. The vodka inside is the same.

Why an oil barrel?

The barrels aren’t just to stand out: They’re insulated and will stay cold for up to 6 hours, according to the company. They’re also suitable for outdoor use since they can’t shatter if dropped.

And yes, you can refill the empty barrels with whatever you like.

The metal barrels are more sustainable packaging. According to the company:

 
Although the 750ml can is listed at the MSRP‡ of $36.99 on the Neft website, we’ve seen a 750ml bottle for $29.95.

There’s also a 1-liter barrel for $44.99; and a 100ml barrel for $9.99.

Some people are stymied by the rubber stopper at the top of the barrel. If you need it, see the video below.
 
 
> The history of vodka.

________________

*The ancient rye grains—Amato, Askari, Rasant, and Pollino—are thousands of years old and contribute to the unique flavor of Neft. They were selected for their soft and mild flavor profiles.

†The vodka is produced in Austria. It’s unfortunate that the Russian oil issue was brought on by the current Ukraine invasion, but the brand was founded in 2011 and is made in Austria.

‡MSRP is an abbreviation of Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price.

††The company was founded in 2011. The vodka first arrived in the U.S. in 2017.

‡‡The industry only recognizes “premium” vodka as the highest level. Brands in vodka and other categories have marketed themselves as super-premium and ultra-premium, based on the quality of ingredients and, in vodka’s case, the number of distillations and other features.
 
 

May is National Barbecue Month, and May 16th is National Barbecue Day. What better way to celebrate than by making your own barbecue sauce. Today’s featured recipe is a Pineapple Rum urbon BBQ Sauce made with dark rum. There are additional links below to more recipes that use beer, bourbon, cola, and dark chocolate.

Barbecue sauce is the number one product we receive over the transom (i.e., unsolicited). Living in an apartment with no outdoor space to barbecue, it’s not a product we used much—until it started to arrive in droves a few years ago.

The majority of the products we taste are perfectly fine, but not special enough to write about. Most are made from ketchup or tomato paste, vinegar, a sweetener (often high fructose corn syrup—HFCS), salt, onion powder, other spices (including cayenne or another chile), molasses, and maybe some mustard.

So when we made the Pineapple Rum BBQ Sauce recipe below, our tastebuds were dazzled. But before we introduce the recipe…
 
 
HOW DO YOU SPELL BBQ? BARBECUE? BARBEQUE?

People often ask about the correct spelling: Is it barbecue, barbeque bar-b-que, or BBQ?

The answer is that barbecue and barbeque are alternative spellings, and BBQ and Bar-B-Q are abbreviations. According to Grammarist, “barbecue gained clear ascendancy in the late 19th century, and it has gone unchallenged ever since.”

We chose to use “barbecue” in THE NIBBLE because more of its professional standing with barbecue groups and publishers. But in terms of how “America” spells it, a Google search done today shows:

 
No surprise that the easiest is the most common.

Kōloa Rum, which created the featured recipe, spells it BBQ. We honor their spelling in their recipe.

Barbecue Trivia: The word “barbecue” comes from the Haitian Arawakan word “barbakoa,” meaning “framework of sticks.” It refers to a raised wooden structure used to either sleep on or cure meat.

> The history of barbecue, which dates to prehistory.

> See the different types (styles) of barbecue sauce, below.

>There are more barbecue sauce recipes, below.
 
 
RECIPE: PINEAPPLE RUM BBQ SAUCE

The dark rum used in this recipe has notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and espresso, making it a delicious sipping rum. You can also pour it over ice cream.

Dark rum, also called black rum, is aged after distilling, typically in charred oak or barrels, for three to five years. Aging in wood creates a darker color and bolder flavor. The longer the aging, the darker the color and the more intense the flavor.

(Caveat: faux dark rum can be made by the addition of molasses, burnt sugar, or caramel.)

Kolōa Rum Company’s Rum & Pineapple BBQ Sauce is a real treat. The dark rum and fresh pineapple create a delicious, complex, superior flavor.

Once you see how easy it is to make barbecue sauce, you may never buy another bottle.

For more Kōloa rum recipes, visit KololaRum.com.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX all ingredients in a blender and pulse to desired consistency.

2. POUR into a small saucepan and bring to boil, allowing the sauce to cook down and darken in color.

3. POUR into a jar. The sauce will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
 
 
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BARBECUES SAUCE

It’s that time of year when we Northerners polish the grill, buy loads of charcoal, and stock up on meat for those outdoor barbecues. And what barbecue is complete without that sweet, tangy, smoky condiment we call barbecue sauce?

Different regions developed different styles of barbecue sauce, so there’s a lot from which to choose.

Whether it’s Carolina-, Kansas City- or Texas-style or a simple mop sauce or marinade, almost every grill master has some form of barbecue sauce at hand. Here’s a quick comparison of the major barbecue sauce types. All are based on tomato paste (or in cheaper recipes, ketchup):

 
Plus

[1] Homemade barbecue sauce with pineapple and rum (photos #1 and #3 © Kōloa Rum).

[2] The recipe uses fresh pineapple, which gives so much more flavor than canned (photo © Produce Marketing Guide).

[3] Koloa Dark Rum.

[4] Ketchup takes the plac4e of tomatoes paste in this recipe (photo © Brett Jordan | Unsplash).

[5] Mustard of choice: Dijon (photo © Maille Mustard).

[6] Worcestershire sauce adds nuances of flavor (photo © Peter Baron | CC-By-NC-2.0 License).

[7] Maple syrup replaces refined white sugar (photo © Nadine Primeau | Unsplash).

Established in 2009, Kōloa Rum Company produces artisanal, single-batch Hawaiian rum and ready-to-drink cocktails at its distillery in Kalāheo, Kaua’i and operates Hawai’i’s first distilled spirits Tasting Room and Company Store. The company’s award-winning portfolio includes its premium Kaua’i White, Gold, Dark, Spice, Coconut, Coffee, Cacao, and Aged rums, in addition to a collection of delicious ready-to-drink cocktails. Products are available for purchase online, at select retailers nationwide, as well as in Australia, Canada, and Japan. For more information, visit KoloaRum.com.

________________

*Hawaiian vowels—Ā ā, Ē ē, Ī ī, Ō ō, Ū ū—are not treated as separate letters, but are alphabetized immediately after unaccented vowels. Here’s more about the Hawaiian alphabet. The straight bar placed above a letter (usually a vowel) is called a macron. Its name derives from Ancient Greek μακρόν (makrón) “long,” since it was originally used to mark long or heavy syllables in Greco-Roman metrics. It now more often marks a long vowel.

[1] Baked apple roses (photo and recipe © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Fuji apples (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Beet juice—a delicious drink by itself (photo © Knudsen).

[4] The recipe uses maple syrup instead of refined sugar (photo © Rent Mother Nature).

Whether you’re watching the Run For The Roses* or looking for a special bite for Mother’s Day, these baked apple “roses” fit the bill. They’re actually a cross between a baked apple and a pastry: apple slices infused in beet syrup on a base of flaky puff pastry. It’s a beautiful treat.

The recipe was developed by Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, who notes that they are “versatile enough to present as part of breakfast in bed, as a surprise midday snack, or a ‘nightcap’ to end the day on a high note.”

If you haven’t had beet juice and pause at buying it for this recipe, let us assure you: It’s delicious, straight, or in cocktails.

Prep time is 25 minutes, cook time is 15 minutes, additional time is 15 minutes, and total time is 55 minutes.

If you have a mandoline, use it to slice the apples.
 
 
RECIPE: MINI ROSE CAKES
 
Ingredients

May 4th is National Orange Juice Day, and we went over our list of 10 uses for orange juice besides drinking it. We opted for the 11th use: Bake something with it! We dug up a Fresh Orange Cookie recipe we’ve been meaning to try for a while.

This recipe, from Pillsbury Kitchens, delivers a fresh, bright, citrusy taste in cookie form. Both the cookies and the icing contain orange juice and orange zest (grated peel).

And because they’re not an everyday cookie, they make a special dessert alone, or with ice cream or sorbet.

> The 11 basic types of cookies.

> A glossary of cookie types.

> The history of cookies.

> 10 more uses for orange juice.

> The history of oranges.
 
 
RECIPE: FRESH ORANGE COOKIES

These cookies are soft, almost cake-like.

 
Ingredients For 72 Cookies

 
For The Frosting

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and 1 cup of butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and eggs; blend well. Add all the remaining cookie ingredients; mix well.

2. DROP the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 8 to 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are light golden brown. Immediately remove the cookies from the cookie sheets onto a rack or counter. Meanwhile…

3. BLEND all the frosting ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, adding enough orange juice for desired spreading consistency. Frost the warm cookies.
 
 
TIPS

[1] Orange butter cookies are soft and cake-like (photos #1 and #2 © Pillsbury).

[2] The icing has orange just and zest, but you can also add a dash of orange extract.

[3] The best way to soften butter for a recipe is to set it on the counter for 1-2 hours. The amount of time depends on the temperature of your kitchen (photo © Sorin Gheorghita | Unsplash).

[4] Natalie’s Orange Juice, one of our favorite brands(photo © Oberweis Dairy).

[5] Zest the orange before squeezing the juice (photo © Eva Elijas | Pexels).