THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


Also visit our main website, TheNibble.com.

TIP OF THE DAY: Have A S’mores Party

August 9, 2013 at 6:50 am · Filed under Entertaining, Food Holidays, Recipes

S’mores can be as basic as two graham crackers, a piece of chocolate bar and a marshmallow. This is the campfire treat first published by the Girl Scouts in their 1927 handbook.

Or you can get creative with it. If you do, today’s the day:

August 10th is National S’mores Day. So make yourself a toasty, melty treat—and consider a summer s’mores bash, maybe for Labor Day Weekend. You can serve the classics plus riffs like these, and invite guests to create their own signature s’mores:

  • Chocolate Graham Cracker S’mores
  • Deconstructed Sundae S’mores
  • Gourmet Marshmallow S’mores
  • Ice Cream Sandwich S’mores
  • Le Petite Écolier S’mores (with “Little Schoolboy” cookies)
  • S’mores Ice Cream Pie or Tart
  • More!
    		•   
    S’mores to the max. Photo courtesy ZoeBakes.com.
     

    Pastry chef Zoë François of ZoeBakes.com used her skills to create the ultra-fancy s’mores in the photo (here’s the recipe).

    Here’s how to throw a s’mores party, including the recipes mentioned above.

    If you invent something special at your s’mores party, we want to hear about it!

      

    Comments off

    FOOD FUN: Potato Smashers

    August 8, 2013 at 8:40 am · Filed under Food Fun, Recipes, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs


    Potato smashers—tasty and fun to smash. Photo
    courtesy PotatoGoodness.com.    		  

    The name “smashed potatoes” has already been claimed for roughly mashed potatoes with the skins on. So this recipe is called Potato Smashers.

    We love smashing the potatoes (or the kids will enjoy doing it for you). And the prep time is just 5 minutes, cook time 30 minutes.

    RECIPE: POTATO SMASHERS

    Ingredients For 8 Servings

  • 5 small Yukon Gold potatoes and 5 small red potatoes or other type of choice (fingerlings, russets, white)
  • 1 pint mini bell peppers (red, orange and yellow*)
  • 8 sprigs cilantro, picked from stems
  • Cooking spray
  • Salt, chili powder and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Garnish: 4 tablespoons of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • Optional: for heat, blend red or green jalapeños with the bell pepper slices
    		•
     
    *You can use conventional bell peppers, but the minis save slicing time.
    Preparation

    1. PLACE whole potatoes into a microwave-safe covered dish. Do NOT puncture for steam escape. Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes.

    2. CUT peppers into small (1/4-inch) slices. Spray a nonstick pan with cooking spray and heat to medium. Add peppers and sauté until they start to brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

    3. REMOVE potatoes from microwave and, using a layer of paper towels to cover the potatoes, smash them on a cutting board until 1-3/4-inch thick. You can use the side of a coffee cup or a flat cooking utensil to smash the potatoes.

    4. SPRAY sauté pan with cooking spray; heat on high and add smashed potatoes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until potatoes start to brown.

    5. PLACE potatoes on a plate and layer with sour cream or yogurt, peppers and cilantro. Dust with salt, chili powder and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

      

    Comments off

    TIP OF THE DAY: Turn Leftovers Into Ragout (Stew)

    August 8, 2013 at 8:19 am · Filed under Meat & Poultry, Recipes

    The term ragoût (rah-GOO) may sound fancy, but it’s the French word for stew. When you make a quick-and-easy version from leftovers, it’s certainly more tempting-sounding than “leftovers stew.”

    The word origin is a bit more glamorous: ragoûter, meaning “to revive the taste.” And yes, it’s etymologically related to the Italian ragù, a sauce for pasta and other foods.

    The basic method for ragoût involves slow cooking over low heat. But forget the slow cooking, and throw leftovers into a pot to create something new and tasty, meat-based or vegetarian.

    The ingredients can include anything you’ve got, with poultry/meat or vegetarian. Almost about any vegetable can be added. If you don’t have leftover veggies, steam some carrots and potatoes or whatever you have and toss them into the pot.

    		  


    Turn leftovers into ragoût. Photo courtesy
    Spice Islands.
    Check the fridge for:

  • Beans, grains and legumes
  • Meat, poultry, tofu
  • Potatoes, rice and pasta
  • Vegetables
  • Optional garnishes: grated cheese, fresh herbs
    		•

     


    Combine beef broth with soup concentrate
    for an “instant” stew base. Photo courtesy
    College Inn.    		   Check the spice rack for anything that appeals to you, from classics like oregano and thyme to assertive like chili flakes or curry. Think of a few dashes of a “surprise” sweet spice, like allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg. And don’t forget the herbs.

    The next step is to make the sauce, from:

  • Packaged beef stew seasoning mix and water (check the spice section in the store; McCormick makes one)
  • Tomato juice or vegetable juice (you can combine with broth)
  • Soup concentrate (cream of mushroom or other vegetable, minestrone/vegetable, tomato, etc.)
  • Stock or canned broth
  • Wine
  • Worcestershire sauce

    •  
    The art is in mixing the different ingredients and reducing them to a stew-like consistency (otherwise, you’ve got soup—which is also a great use for leftovers). Your own palate and eye will guide you.
     

      

    Comments off

    TIP OF THE DAY: Antipasto Salad For Lunch Or Dinner

    August 7, 2013 at 8:15 am · Filed under Recipes, Tip Of The Day, Vegetables-Salads-Herbs

    Given the attention our recent Greek salad recipe got on Twitter, we’ve decided to follow up with an antipasto salad.

    You don’t see these on menus too often, because it’s not an authentic Italian dish. It takes traditional antipasto ingredients and layers them atop romaine: an Italian “chef salad.”

    It’s a hearty lunch or dinner salad to serve on hot days, when you don’t want to cook; and of course works as a smaller salad course. Simply place the romaine on a platter or in a serving bowl, and top with other ingredients. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad right before serving.
     
     
    RECIPE: ANTIPASTO SALAD

    Ingredients For Two Servings

  • 1/2 cup (3 ounces Genoa salami) or other hard salami
  • 1/2 cup other meat of choice, julienned
  • 1/4 cup Provolone cheese, julienned
  • 1/2 cup artichoke hearts
  • 2 tablespoons olives (your choice of type), pitted
  • 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes (halved if desired)
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • Additional choices from the list below
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 cups romaine, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces
  • Red wine vinaigrette (recipe below)
  • Focaccia or bread of choice
    		•   


    When it‘s too darn hot and you don’t want to cook, serve a hearty, chilled antipasto salad. Photo courtesy Boar’s Head.

     
    Make a fish-based antipasto salad by substituting anchovies, sardines and tuna for the meats.

     


    Add leftover beans or bean salad to your
    antipasto salad. Photo of cannellini beans
    courtesy Blogspot.Gourmetrecipe.com.    		   OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS

  • Arugula
  • Basil leaves, julienned
  • Bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup bocconcini (small mozzarella balls)
  • Cannelloni or other beans
  • Capers
  • Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • Fennel
  • Gardiniera, regular or hot
  • Grilled vegetables
  • Fusilli pasta, cooked
  • Flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Pepperoncini
  • Pepperoni prosciutto or other Italian deli meat
  • Sliced marinated onions
  • Sundried tomatoes
  • Optional garnish: 1/4 cup Asiago, Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, roughly grated
    		•
     
    RECIPE: RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

    Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    •  
    Preparation

    1. PEEL garlic clove, halve and let infuse into olive oil for 30 minutes.

    2. REMOVE garlic and whisk together other ingredients, with salt and pepper to taste.

      

    Comments off

    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery

    August 7, 2013 at 7:27 am · Filed under Cookies-Cake-Pastry, Top Pick Of The Week

    In 2002, Kee Ling Tong left a career on Wall Street to create artisan chocolates in SoHo. Kee’s Chocolates have garnered fans worldwide.

    In 2003, international investment banker Joan Coukos launched Chocolat Moderne in Chelsea.

    More recently, Umber Ahmad traded finance for flour (and plenty of chocolate) and opened Mah-Ze-Dahr, an online bakery. Her wares attracted the interest of chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio, and they are now looking for a retail space for a joint venture.

    Until that happy day, you can buy her Chocolate Explosion Cookies, Dark Chocolate Brownies and—better yet—the Heaven In A Box Sampler—from the website.

    Read the full review and treat yourself to something delicious.

    		  
    Don’t want chocolate cake? Check out the brownies! Photo courtesy Mah-De-Zahr Bakery.
     

      

    Comments off

    The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures


    © Copyright 2005-2026 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners.