Peanut butter cups: We love them!

How can you make the everyday peanut butter cup even better? Create them yourself, using better ingredients than are used in mass-marketed PB cups.

The trick is to buy the most delicious chocolate morsels (or gourmet chocolate) and the tastiest peanut butter. You can use your favorite “shade” of chocolate—dark, milk or white—as long as it’s great stuff.

The good news: The “recipe” is easy.

And it’s timely: You can make peanut butter cups for Easter, topped with jelly beans or other candy Easter ornaments.

Have fun with this one!

Drink Green

Make green beer, sparkling wine, ginger ale, lemon-lime soda (7-Up, Sprite) or club soda.

ANOTHER TIP: Pour any effervescent beverage down the side of the glass, rather than into the center. It preserves more bubbles.

It’s easy being green on St. Patrick’s Day. Photo by MBPhoto | IST.

Eat Green

Color dips, condiments and other creamy foods green. Use 10-12 drops green food color per 1/2 cup of:

 
On St. Patrick’s Day, it’s easy being green.
  

Uh oh, no wine? Pick a substitute. Le Creuset French oven available at SurLaTable.com.

There are a number of substitutes for both red and white wine; although, advises chef Louis Eguaras, you need to be sure that the sweetness level of the substitute is appropriate to the dish (i.e., grape juice may not work in every dish).

Red Wine Substitutes

White Wine Substitutes

Keep A Supply Of “Cooking Wine”

To be sure we always have wine, we take the last few ounces from a bottle of wine and fill up small repurposed bottles with tight caps—eight or sixteen ounces, one for red wine, one white. The limited amount of air keeps the wine usable for months and the small bottles tuck into the back of the fridge. You can keep topping off the “cooking wine” bottle: It’s O.K. to mix different wines.

Never buy anything called “cooking wine”: It’s the dregs!

We love this fusion recipe for St. Patrick’s Day: Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls. It’s from Dietz and Watson, purveyors of fine deli meats.

Chinese egg rolls are filled with cabbage and bits of pork. Here, corned beef substitutes for the pork, creating an “Irish” egg roll. The recipe serves 4.

“FUSION” CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE EGG ROLLS

Ingredients

Substituting lots of corned beef for bits of pork makes this an “Irish” egg roll. Photo courtesy Dietz & Watson.

Preparation

1. COOK CABBAGE. Melt butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add cabbage and cook just until the cabbage starts to give off liquid and reduces in half. Do not overcook; the cabbage should remain crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate cabbage until completely cool, at least two hours.

2. MAKE EGG ROLLS. On a work surface, create double wrappers by layering one egg roll wrapper on top of another, flat. Spread each of the four doubled wrappers evenly with 1 teaspoon of sandwich spread. Pat cabbage dry with a paper towel. Distribute the cabbage on the wrappers and top with the corned beef. Heavily brush the edges of one egg roll wrapper with the beaten egg. Begin rolling the wrapper tightly around the filling. Halfway up, fold in the sides, then continue to roll the rest of the way. Repeat with the other wrappers.

3. FRY EGG ROLLS. In a large, high-sided pot, heat the oil to 350°F. Gently drop in the egg rolls and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on a towel. Slice in half on the bias.

4. SERVE. Serve with stone ground mustard or Chinese mustard for dipping.
  

[1] Some say there’s nothing better than hot jalapeño poppers with a cold beer (photos #1 and #2 © Anchor Foods).

[2] Poppers appreciate a creamy dip. Or, you can serve them with salsa.

Who knew that jalapeño poppers were invented by a major food company? We always figured they’d come out of some hip Tex-Mex restaurant.

But it turns out that Anchor Food Products of Appleton, Wisconsin invented jalapeño poppers in 1992—making 2012 the 20th anniversary of poppers.

The original poppers were jalapeño chiles stuffed with cream cheese or Cheddar, battered and deep-fried—a spicy American snack version of the Mexican dish, Chiles Rellenos (stuffed bell peppers). The company is a major supplier to restaurants, and that’s where most people head for poppers (here’s a restaurant locator), along with a “Like to Party” Facebook Sweepstakes).

You can also find Anchor Poppers in the frozen foods section of the supermarket. Anchor’s expanded line includes seven flavors, the most popular of which are Original, Cream Cheese & Cheddar Cheese Jalapeño Poppers and Fire-Roasted Poblano & Jalapeño Popper Bites.
 
Poppers are delicious with a beer and can be served with a dip or sauce: marinara sauce, pepper jelly, ranch dressing, salsa, or other favorite. We combine pepper jelly with fat-free Greek yogurt to add a bit of sweetness without the cholesterol; plus a breading of Japanese-style panko breadcrumbs.

Try some now, or save them for Cinco de Mayo.
 
 
MAKE YOUR OWN POPPERS

While the actual date of the product launch is lost to time, Anchor Food Products applied for a trademark on the term “Jalapeño Poppers” on April 30, 1992.

Since the end of 2001, Anchor Poppers has been part of the H.J. Heinz family of brands; the poppers are produced by the McCain Foods division.

Find more about Anchor Poppers.