A standard plate of meat and veggies gets a sprinkling of glamour with pomegranate arils. Get the recipe at PomWonderful.com.

Garnishes can improve any dish, savory or sweet, plain or fancy—a tuna sandwich, filet mignon, plate of pasta, dish of ice cream. As with fashion, the “accessories” take a look from now to wow.

Deciding in advance on the garnish is as much a part of our planning process as the basic recipe. It’s easy to choose the right garnish, as we show in this article.

The right final touch on the plate makes people take notice. In other words, it’s not just another bowl of tomato soup.

It’s easy to keep garnishes at the ready in the pantry and the freezer. Freeze extra chives, rosemary sprigs, berries and pomegranate arils and you’ll be prepared for most dishes.

Check out our article, Garnish Glamour, for an easy roadmap.

Of the products we’ve tried recently, here’s what we’re selected for our mother, aunt and other special moms:

 
See the full review for details.
 
FOOD FACTS

It’s time to celebrate National Pigs In Blankets Day, April 24th.

Ask for some pigs in blankets in the U.K., and you’ll get a cocktail sausage wrapped in bacon (more like a pig in a pig, we think).

At IHOP, the International House Of Pancakes, you can chow down on pork sausage links rolled in a pancake “blankets.”

But across the U.S., what caterers declare to be the most popular hors d’oeuvre is a cocktail frankfurter in a pastry blanket. And don’t forget the mustard.
 
 
PIGS IN BLANKETS HISTORY

Culinary historians have tracked the first recipes for modern pigs in blankets—small cocktail franks baked in flaky crust—to 1950. According to FoodTimeline.org, these pastry-wrapped piggies are likely direct descendants of Victorian-era canapés.

The earliest recipe found in American cookbooks that was called “pigs in blankets” was published in the 1930. But there was no frankfurter or other sausage: it comprised oysters wrapped with bacon.

We highly recommend Dijon mustard (check out the different types of mustard).

While pigs in blankets are classic cocktail fare, we find them even more delicious with beer. The following recipe was adapted from Pillsbury.
 
 
RECIPE: PIGS IN BLANKETS

Ingredients For 48 Pieces

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Unroll both cans of dough and separate into 16 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise into 3 narrow triangles.

2. PLACE 1 frank on the thin point of each triangle. Roll up, starting at the point. Place it seam side down on an ungreased cookie sheet (you’ll need two sheets for this amount). Repeat with the remaining franks.

3. BAKE for 11 to 14 minutes or until golden brown, switching the position of cookie sheets halfway through baking. When done baking, immediately remove the from the cookie sheets to a serving tray(s) and serve.
  

This Chili Corn Bread Salad recipe was adapted from another recipe by Emily Carncross of Lodi, Wisconsin. She used Crave Brothers mascarpone (one of the world’s best—more about Crave cheeses) and Wisconsin Cheddar.*

Emily comments, “I was looking for something different to bring to a potluck and came across this salad. I did not have any sour cream, so I substituted mascarpone cheese and really liked the taste it added to the dressing.”

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*Why is Cheddar capitalized? It’s due to editorial style. Some publications capitalize the names of foods named after places. Cheddar is a place, as are Asiago, Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola, Parmesan (Parma), Roquefort and many others. Other cheese names, such as blue cheese, chevre/goat cheese, cream cheese, and mozzarella, are descriptive rather than place names. THE NIBBLE thus does not capitalize them.
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RECIPE: MEXICAN LAYERED SALAD

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BAKE. Prepare cornbread batter according to package directions. Stir in the chilies, cumin, oregano, and sage. Spread in a greased 8-inch-square baking pan.

2. BAKE at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool.

3. MIX. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mascarpone, and dressing mix; set aside.

4. LAYER. Crumble half of the cornbread into a 13x9x2-inch pan. Layer with half of the beans, mayonnaise mixture, corn, tomatoes, green peppers, onion, bacon, and cheese. Repeat for a second layer (the dish will be very full).

5. CHILL. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer. Yield: 12 servings.
 
 
WANT A BASKET CASSEROLE DISH?

These are currently available on Amazon. The selection changes (or disappears entirely), so if these links aren’t still active, you’ll have to look around:

[2] Bake cornbread from a mix, then layer the salad with convenience items like canned black beans…(photo © Bush’s Beans)

[2] …canned corn…(photo © Libby’s Vegetables)…

[2] …fresh vegetables, and bacon! (photo © iGourmet)

Try slices of queso blanco with a hot mango
salsa as a first course or even for dessert.
Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

There are fresh and aged Hispanic cheeses. The ones you may be most familiar with are the fresh cheeses:

 
Check out the different types of Hispanic cheeses. The terms “Hispanic” and “Mexican” are used interchangeably, but “Hispanic” more accurately conveys that the cheeses are used throughout Latin America.

All cheeses can be made more glamorous with cheese condiments. Among all the different condiments that can be served with Mexican cheese, salsa, not surprisingly, pairs well. A fruit salsa—mango or peach, for example, with cheese—is a spicy alternative to the conventional European fruit-and-cheese plate.

If you do want to go the salsa route, make this recipe from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Wisconsin cheese makers create much of the Hispanic-style cheeses sold in the U.S. A large number of Hispanic cheese makers have moved from Mexico and other Latin American countries to produce the cheeses in Wisconsin.

RECIPE: QUESO BLANCO WITH MANGO JALAPEÑO SALSA

Ingredients

Cool, sweet mango, contrasted with hot jalapeño, adds an exciting kick to Hispanic-style cheeses. During peach season, you can substitute fresh peaches. You can also use strawberries, which are available year-round; fresh blueberries in season; nectarines and plums; even apples and grapes.