In the long stretch from midday luncheon to dinner at 8 p.m., the duchess felt peckish. One day she ordered some refreshments: a pot of tea and whatever was in the kitchen—biscuits, scones, a slice of cake. On subsequent days, she invited friends to stop by, and the custom of afternoon tea* was born (details).

When was the last time you had afternoon tea with friends? Less fuss than a brunch or dinner party, it can be an elaborate buffet of foods or as simple as a pot of tea and cookies.

We love finding special cookies, like Tea Aura’s leaf-shaped shortbread. The cookies are enhanced with finely-ground tea, similar to Biscottea, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

Tea Aura cookies are available in Chocolate Mint Tea, Earl Grey Tea, Lavender Currant, Matcha Green Tea and Rooibos Chai Tea.

Pick a day and invite friends. If you work during tea time, plan something in the office. At THE NIBBLE, we have tea every day at 4:30.

Afternoon tea can be as simple as a cup of
tea and some charming cookies, like these
leaf-shaped shortbreads from TeaAura. Photo
by River Soma | THE NIBBLE.

A year of tea party ideas.
*Afternoon tea is often erroneously referred to as “high tea.” High tea is a working class supper—far from the elegance of afternoon tea.
  

Hot cross buns are warm and tempting: Why
wait for Easter? Photo © Aimee Herring |
Amy’s Bread.

“Hot cross buns,” you think. “Aren’t they for Easter?”

This sweet yeast bun, dotted with currants and topped with an icing cross (originally the cross was simply knife cuts in the dough), is believed to predate Christianity.

Food historians note that the cross bun was eaten by the ancient Saxons to honor the goddess Eostre. The cross is believed to have symbolized the four quarters of the moon; the name also crossed over to Christianity (Eostre is believed to be the origin of “Easter”).

While the bun, considered an Easter bread, is traditionally served on Good Friday, once you’ve made them, you’ll want them all year round.

So make a batch for brunch today and enjoy them as you contemplate today’s tip:

Why have egg nog only for Christmas and New Year’s Eve? (Well, there are the overwhelming calories, but perhaps that’s beside the point.)

We enjoy ice cream on the coldest January day and hot coffee in the dog days of August.

So even if you enjoy the specialness of gingerbread during the holidays, don’t hold back. After all, National Gingerbread Day is June 5th. The food holiday calendar is begging you to eat outside the box.

Learn more about all the food holidays, starting with how the holidays get created.

The date palm tree is believed to have originated in northern Africa. It was cultivated along the banks of the Nile River throughout the “fertile crescent.”*

*Also known as the “cradle of civilization,” this area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers comprised the lands we now know as Iraq, small portions of Iran and Turkey, the Levantine coast of the eastern Mediterranean (Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Syria and the West Bank) and Egypt’s Nile Valley.

Wild dates are not edible, but early horticulturalists discovered how to grow a version bearing sweet fruit. Whatever they did, a premium date has the sweetness of honey crossed with sugar syrup. The flesh is soft and easily digestible. Its simple sugars—fructose and dextrose—replenish energy quickly.

Why else should you snack on dates?

The science behind dates is also impressive. The fruit is loaded with different antioxidants that help with cholesterol, inflammation, eyesight and various cancers.

As with any food, quality makes a big difference. There are luscious dates that are “food for the gods,” and sad, dried-out dates that at best should only be used for cooking and baking. If you can’t find good dates locally (we have this problem), you can buy them online. NutsOnline.com is a good source.

You can also find pitted dates and organic dates, plus delicious date confections: dates rolled in chopped nuts or coconut, or covered in chocolate.

TYPES OF DATES
If you don’t know your dates, start with one type and then try other varieties. Each has its own appeal.

 
HOW TO ENJOY DATES
In addition to snacking from the bag:

Make it a date!

The creamiest peanut butter ever. Photo
by Jaclyn Nussbaum | THE NIBBLE.

In addition to the protein in peanut butter, here’s a new reason to eat more of it: Planters Creamy Peanut Butter and Planters Crunchy Peanut Butter.

The famous nut company launched a peanut butter in the 1970s, but then discontinued it. We’re so glad that Mr. Peanut adjusted his monocle and refocused on these new peanut butter formulations.

We’ve enjoyed many brands of peanut butter, but the new Planters PB has one special quality: It is so silky-smooth that you can spread the thinnest slick of PB on bread to add just a touch (try it with a turkey sandwich) or to save calories.

EDITOR’S NOTE: WE REGRET THAT THE PRODUCER OF THE VIDEO HAS DISCONTINUED IT.

Challah, the traditional Jewish bread, dates to ancient Israel.

The word itself refers to a tithe of bread that was given to the priests, who had no income. A portion of the dough was sanctified, and the remainder was used for ordinary consumption.

It became customary to serve challah with all Sabbath and holiday meals. Before cutting the bread, a blessing for the food (a motzi) is recited.

Challah arrived in America with Jewish immigrants. The word is pronounced CHAH-luh, with a guttural ch as in the German word ach (here’s an audio pronunciation).