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


Also visit our main website, TheNibble.com.





VALENTINE’S DAY: Chocolate ‘Gingerbread’ Man Or Girl


He’s just a hunk, a hunk of chocolate love (photo © Choclatique.
  For the Valentine whose heart desires two-and-one-half pounds of solid milk chocolate, the creative chocolatiers at Choclatique suggest Chocolate Man (in photo) or Chocolate Girl (she has long eyelashes and a hair bow).

There’s no gingerbread—just 100% chocolate (plus decorations).

Each Chocolate Man and Girl is custom made and decorated to order.

It can be inscribed with a name (include the information in the special notes section at checkout).

Chocolate Man and Girl are 13″ tall, 10″ wide and 1/2″ thick, and are made of all-natural, premium chocolate. Get yours now:

  • Chocolate Man
  • Chocolate Girl
  •  
    They’re $50.00 each and nicely packaged.

     

     


    THE HISTORY OF VALENTINE’S DAY

    This holiday for lovers has roots in an annual Roman celebration called Lupercalia, held on February 15th.

    Men stripped naked, grabbed goat- or dog-skin whips and spanked young maidens, with the goal of increasing their fertility.

    The pagan celebration remained wildly popular well into the fifth century C.E.—more than 150 years after Emperor Constantine had made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.

    Church leaders were unable to put a stop to the celebration, so scholars contend that they converted it into a Christian festival with this story:

    The third century C.E. Roman Emperor Claudius II, seeking recruits for his army, forbade young men to marry before serving.

    In defiance, the priest Valentine performed marriages in secret (he also helped martyrs at the time of persecution, and when in prison converted guards and their families to Christianity).

     


    St. Valentine—Valentinus in Latin (photo © Communio).

     
    He was executed by beheading on February 14, 270 and ultimately became Saint Valentine (his relics repose in the Church of Saint Praxedes in Rome). A feast day for St. Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 C.E., but was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of Saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI (because not enough was known about Valentine).

    Valentine greetings for loved ones were popular as far back as the Middle Ages. According to Wikipedia: “The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.” Poems were written to one’s beloved; in the 19th century, they were replaced by mass-produced greeting cards.

    In 1850, Esther Howland, an American printer and artist, was among the first to publish and sell Valentine cards in the United States. In the early 1900s the Norcross card company became one of the first companies to manufacture Valentines. With the exception of Christmas, Americans exchange more cards on Valentine’s Day than any other time of year.

    In 1861, chocolate manufacturer Richard Cadbury created the first heart-shaped box of chocolate for Valentine’s Day; and commercialization took over.
      

    Comments off

    TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Valentine Food Gifts


    One of five alternatives to Valentine
    chocolate. Photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma.

      Situation: You need a great gift for Valentine’s Day. The recipient doesn’t want chocolate candy.

    Solution: five recommendations for delicious food items that aren’t chocolates.

    Our Valentine Top Picks include:

    1. Godiva Chocolate Vodkas & Chocolate Liqueurs

    2. Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa, a chocolate- and coffee-infused tequila.

    3. Cakeslider Creations push-up pops filled with buttercream-frosted cake.

    4. Richart Chocolate Chocomacs, innovative macarons filled with ganache and topped with a chocolate paillette.

    5. Two Hearts Bakery Heart-Shaped Pies On A Stick (a Williams-Sonoma exclusive)

     
    Read the full review to learn more about these luscious choices.

      

    Comments off

    TIP OF THE DAY: Make A Streusel (Crumble, Crisp) Topping

    A crumb or crumble topping—a.k.a. streusel—is a stroke of genius, says chef Johnny Gnall. A few basic ingredients, mashed together by hand and popped into the oven, results in a sweet, rich, crumbly voluptuousness that’s wonderful with any number of sweets. It’s a low fuss, crowd-pleasing dessert topping that can really dress things up.

    Crumble topping, known in German as streusel (SHTROY-zul,) is a crumb topping of butter, flour and sugar; it can contain chopped nuts or rolled oats. The word derives from the German “streuen,” meaning to sprinkle or scatter. Streusel is used as a topping for a variety of pies, fruit crisps, cakes and pastries, most notably coffee cakes. A pie with a streusel topping is sometimes referred to as a “crumble pie.”

    A cobbler is the British term for a crisp. Here are the related desserts: betty, buckle, crumble, grunt, pandowdy, slump, etc.

    The best thing about a crumble topping is its versatility.

  • Sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream to make a reverse “à la mode.”
  • Drop it onto plain yogurt for a breakfast—healthier than a breakfast pastry.
  • Top baked apples or pears.
  • Munch on it plain, instead of a cookie, cake or pie.
  •  
    Apple crumble with ice cream. Get the recipe. Photo courtesy Betty Crocker.
  • And of course, there’s the classic use, the fruit crumble—a crustless or one-crust fruit pie (that also can be made in single-serving ramekins). Just toss thinly sliced apples in some melted butter with cinnamon and sugar, spread evenly in a pie pan, top with the raw crumble topping, and bake. With the crumble on top, you won’t even miss the crust.
  •  
    THE BEST CRUMBLE TOPPING

    In this recipe, made with whole wheat flour and golden brown sugar, oats add a pleasant heartiness—plus, they’re a second whole grain. You can substitute white flour and hold the oats; but you’ll get much more flavor as shown.

    Crumble Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup golden brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 8 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  •  
    Depending on how you plan to use the crumble, you’ll also need apples, pie filling, etc. While we’d much rather cook our own fruit than use even the best pie filling, most people—including kids—like it under a crumble topping.
     
    Preparation
    1. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together with your fingers, pinching the butter into the dry mix until it forms balls the size of a pea.

    2. Once all of the dry mix is incorporated into the butter, spread out on a cookie sheet or baking tray topped with a piece of parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. For a crispier crumble you can bake longer, but you may prefer it on the softer side, especially with baked apples.

    CRISP, CRUMBLE, COBBLER: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

    Crisp. A crisp is a deep-dish fruit dessert made with a crumb or streusel topping and baked. A betty is a crisp topped with buttered bread crumbs or bread pieces instead of streusel; “brown” (as in apple brown betty) refers to the brown sugar in the recipe.

    Crumble. Crumble is the British term for a crisp.

    Cobbler. A cobbler topping is different from a crisp or crumble, which has a crumb topping. Shortcake batter or biscuit dough is dropped onto the fruit before baking. The dish got its name because the lumps of cooked dough resembled cobblestones. Related desserts include a grunt, which is a spoon pie with biscuit dough on top of stewed fruit (fruit which is steamed, not baked); a pandowdy, a spoon pie with a rolled top crust that is broken up to allow the juices to come through; and a slump, a spoon pie topped with biscuit dough or pie crust, which can be baked or steamed, and can be made upside down.

    Learn your pie and pastry types in our Pie Glossary.

      

    Comments off

    Roasted Cauliflower Recipe With Brown Butter, Lemon & Pistachios


    [1] From field to plate: Low-calorie cauliflower is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and cancer-fighting antioxidants (photo © Esin Deniz | Panther Media).


    [2] The pistachio nut, a member of the cashew family, grows on a small tree that originated in Central Asia and the Middle East (photo © Paul Wence| Pexels).


    [3] The lemon also grows on a small tree: a species of evergreen native to Asia, primarily Northeast India, Northern Myanmar and China (photo © Dominika Rose Clay | Pexels).


    [4] Purple cauliflower, along with orange and green varieties, resulted from a natural mutation (photo © Sheila Joy | Unsplash).


    [5] Orange cauliflower (photo © Botanica Restaurant | Los Angeles).


    [6] Green cauliflower (photo © The Seed Collection).

      Cauliflower is a member of the cancer-fighting cruciferous† family of vegetables, Brassicaceae, also called Brassicas, which includes arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage/Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, collards, horseradish/wasabi, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, radish, turnip, and others.

    In addition to being low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, cauliflower and its cruciferous cousins are packed with cancer-fighting phytochemicals* (a type of antioxidant). They can also be turned into delicious and easy recipes, so load up!

    Blanching or steaming cauliflower is quick, easy, and healthy. We steam it in two minutes in the microwave so that we don’t lose precious nutrients to boiling water.

    But some people need vegetable recipes with more sex appeal. Here’s an easy recipe from THE NIBBLE’s chef Eric Dantis that’s easy and very flavorful.

    Be careful not to overcook cruciferous veggies. They have a high sulfur content; overcooking releases the sulfur and gives them a very unappealing odor as well as a less-than-attractive taste.

    Here are more ways to enjoy cauliflower.

    The history of cauliflower is below.
     
     
    RECIPE: ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH BROWN BUTTER, LEMON & PISTACHIOS

    Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

  • 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets (see the next section)
  • 2 tablespoons of good quality butter
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons pistachios
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PREHEAT THE oven to 400°F.

    2. TOSS the cauliflower in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

    3. ROAST it in the oven until just tender, about 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the florets. Set aside in a bowl.

    4. HEAT a pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and let the milk solids start to brown. Swirl the pan to ensure even browning. When the milk solids are browned and the butter begins to smell nutty, add the pistachios and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    5. TASTE; if it’s too rich for you, squeeze a touch more lemon. Toss with the cauliflower and enjoy.
     
     
    WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE REST OF THE CAULIFLOWER?

    Don’t throw it away: It’s just as delicious as the florets, just not as good-looking. Cut into pieces, steam, then mash with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper for another delicious dish. We top ours with some plain, nonfat Greek yogurt.

    The leaves of cauliflower are edible but have a stronger taste than the florets and stems.

    If you know someone with a hamster or rabbit, they’d probably appreciate the leaves.
     
     
    CAULIFLOWER HISTORY

    Cauliflower originated in the area around the Mediterranean Sea. It has been cultivated across Europe since the 1500s.

    Cauliflower closely resembles broccoli in appearance: They are Brassicas cousins, if not siblings. The biggest difference is cauliflower’s white coloring.

    Cauliflower remains white due to the protective leaves growing around the head (see photo #1). The leaves shield the head from the sun, preventing the formation of chlorophyll, and keeping the head from turning green.

    The Roman naturalist and author Pliny the Elder (23/24 – 79 C.E.) included cyma among cultivated plants he described in his Natural History. “Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma,” translates to “Of all the varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is cyma.”

    In the Middle Ages, early forms of cauliflower were associated with the island of Cyprus. This association continued when the plant was brought to Western Europe, where cauliflower was sometimes known as Cyprus colewort.

    The word cauliflower derives from the Italian cavolfiore, meaning cabbage flower, from the Latin words caulis (cabbage) and flōs (flower).

    Cauliflower was introduced to France from Genoa, Italy in the 16th century. It was grown in the greenhouses of King Louis XIV, and was considered a rare delicacy (it could be a challenge to grow).

    The great French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678 ) included recipes for cauliflower (chouxfleur in French) in his seminal cookbook, Le cuisinier françois (“French Cooking”) [source].

    The vegetable ultimately made its way to commoners and then on to England. The British brought it to India in 1822. Eventually, cauliflower arrived in North America, in the 1900s [source].
     
     
    Cauliflower In The U.S.

    Today, California produces more cauliflower than any other state (China is the world’s leading producer of cauliflower).

    Cauliflower is grown in the Salinas Valley of California, also known as the “Salad Bowl of the World.” The growing season is long: It can last 10 months due to California’s moderate climate and rich soil.

    Other growers include Arizona, Florida, Michigan, New York, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin [source].

    In recent years, due to mutations, cauliflower can be found in different color varieties including orange, purple (photos #4, #5 and #6).

    _______________

    *Many studies have found a link between eating cruciferous vegetables and cancer protection. Specifically, the phytochemicals, including sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol and crambene, help the enzymes in your body that destroy carcinogens before they can damage your cells.

    †The name “cruciferous” is an informal classification for members of the Brassica family. It derives from the Latin Cruciferae, meaning cross-bearing. That’s because the four petals of the flower(s) resemble a cross.

     

     

     

    CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

     
     

      

    Comments off

    FOOD HOLIDAY: Monday Morning Quarterbacking The Super Bowl Food

    This got buried under zillions of emails, so we didn’t read it before the Super Bowl. But we find it just as interesting the day after.

    The “Big Game” has become much more than a football game: It’s the second biggest day for food consumption in the United States, after Thanksgiving.

    So, says Charles Platkin, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College and editor of DietDetective.com, here are the eye-opening exercise equivalents for some favorite football snacks, along with Dr. Platkin’s recommended alternatives. While football season is over, snack time never is.

  • THREE FRIED MAC AND CHEESE BALLS = RUNNING 249 FOOTBALL FIELDS. At more than 500 calories per ball, made with peanut oil, egg, cheese, butter, flour, macaroni, milk and more, what do you expect? Fit Tip: Try baking, adding veggies, and using whole-wheat pasta and low-fat cheese.
  •  
    Are you kidding: 68 minutes playing “catch” to burn off three pigs in blankets? Photo courtesy Pepperidge Farm.
  • THREE PIGS IN BLANKETS = PLAYING CATCH WITH A FOOTBALL FOR 68 MINUTES (NONSTOP). Hot dogs wrapped in a crescent or biscuit dough adds up: Each one you pop in your mouth is 66 calories. Fit Tip: Low calorie franks (fat free), with low-fat crescent dough.
  • THREE SLICES OF PIZZA HUT MEAT LOVER’S PIZZA = 1,229 MINUTES OF TEBOWING. That’s more than 20 hours of continuous praying to burn off those calories. Each slice is loaded with high-calorie meats, including pepperoni, ham, beef, bacon and sausage. Fit Tip: Try cheeseless pizza with plenty of veggies—broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms or even artichoke hearts—on top. Also, avoid personal pan and stuffed-crust pizzas: The thick, oily crust equals added fat and calories.
  • SIX BOTTLES OF BUDWEISER BEER = DOING “THE WAVE” 4,280 TIMES. Beer and football may go together, but keep in mind, each beer is 145 calories. Fit Tip: Planning on having a few bottles? Try Beck’s Premier Light at only 64 calories per 12-ounce bottle, or MGD Light, 64 calories, Michelob Ultra or Natural Light at 95, or you can go very low with Budweiser Select for 55. Best bet is to sample a few light beers before the game to see which ones you prefer.
  • BLIMPIE’S SUPER STACKED BLIMPIE BEST = 313 MINUTES OF CHANTING, POINTING AND WAVING A FOAM-HAND NUMBER ONE. This calorie-laden sub includes cholesterol-filled slow-cured ham, salami, cappacola, prosciuttini and provolone. Fit Tip: Go for low-fat cheese and skip the mayo. If you’re buying at Blimpie, try the Deli Trio Sub, a low-cal combination of ham, oven-roasted turkey and roast beef at 330 calories for a 6-inch sub.
  • ONE DEVILED EGG = 12 MINUTES OF CHEERLEADING. Deviled eggs are made with mayo, and mayo is very high in calories. Fit Tip: Use low-fat mayo, or how about just hard-boiled eggs with hot sauce?
  • ONE SLICE OF HOOSIER SUGAR CREAM PIE = 58 MINUTES OF CLIMBING THE STADIUM STAIRS. It’s been said that this is the unofficial state pie of Indianapolis (where the Super Bowl is being held this year). The name says it all. “Sugar cream pie” is made with sugar, flour, whipping cream, milk and butter in a pie shell. Fit Tip: Go to eatingwell.com or cookinglight.com and put “healthy cream pie” in the search box.
  • ONE KFC EXTRA CRISPY CHICKEN BREAST AND ONE EXTRA CRISPY DRUMSTICK = 203 TOUCHDOWN DANCES IN THE END ZONE. That’s a lot of dancing! Deep-fried chicken is very high in calories, especially the extra crispy kind. Fit Tip: Bake skinless chicken and use whole-grain bread crumbs.
  • APPLEBEE’S CHILI CHEESE NACHOS = 159 MINUTES OF PLAYING PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL. That’s nonstop time. Just like beer, nachos and the Big Game go hand-in-hand. Fit Tip: Make your own nachos with low-fat cheese and black beans. Use salsa and make your own whole-wheat pita chips and you’ll be even better off.
  • TEN LAY’S CLASSIC POTATO CHIPS WITH KRAFT FRENCH ONION DIP = 134 MINUTES DANCING TO MADONNA DURING THE HALFTIME SHOW. Dancing is actually great exercise (if you don’t get ill from all the food you’ve eaten already). Each chip is 10.5 calories, and every dip of dip is 60 calories. Fit Tip: Try Popchips, and make your dip with low-fat mayo or non-fat yogurt.
  • FIVE TOSTITOS RESTAURANT-STYLE TORTILLA CHIPS WITH 7-LAYER DIP = 110 MINUTES CLEANING THE STADIUM AFTER THE GAME. Each chip has 20 calories (yes, 20!) and 1 tablespoon of the seven-layer dip is approximately 70 calories. Fit Tip: The answer is salsa: It’s very low in calories. And pick baked, low-calorie chips at about 120 calories per ounce. If you’re eating the chips, have one at a time, and don’t put out huge bowls of them. Make sure you have to get up each time you want more than six chips.
  • ONE PIZZA HUT CRISPY BONE-IN WING BUFFALO BURNIN HOT WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING = FACE PAINTING 8 WILD FANS. You ever see some of the fans who get their faces painted? Traditional wings are deep fried, not to mention the super high-calorie ranch or blue cheese dressing. Fit Tip: You can easily make the wings yourself. Remove the skin (it saves lots of calories), soak them in hot sauce or roll them in egg whites, dip them in bread crumbs and bake them in the oven. Skip the blue cheese dressing, which has about 305 calories for 4 tablespoons. Dip them in hot sauce instead.
  • ONE BACON CHEDDAR JALAPENO POPPER = 60 MINUTES PERFORMING IN A MARCHING BAND. Those poppers are made with cream cheese, bacon and Cheddar cheese. Each one will cost you a bit of marching. Fit Tip: Use turkey bacon, low-fat cream cheese and Cheddar cheese. Bake, don’t fry.
  • JUST ONE PEANUT = COACHING FOOTBALL FOR A LITTLE OVER A MINUTE. One peanut has about 5.5 calories. A handful, or about one ounce (30 peanuts), is 166 calories. Fit Tip: Nuts are healthy, but they’re very high in calories. Don’t keep a huge bowl in front of you. And try to eat one at a time; don’t shove a handful in your mouth all at once.
  •   

    Comments off

    The Nibble Webzine Of Food Adventures
    RSS
    Follow by Email


    © Copyright 2005-2024 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. All images are copyrighted to their respective owners.