Celebrate with a chocolate milkshake.
Photo courtesy Cherry Marketing Institute.

The Random House Dictionary describes a milkshake as an American creation, “a frothy drink made of cold milk, flavoring, and usually ice cream, shaken together or blended in a mixer.” And it states that the first printed reference dates to 1885.

It’s easy to make one. The recipe is below.
 
 
MILKSHAKE HISTORY: ALCOHOL, NO ICE CREAM!

That original milkshake was not suitable for children or teetotalers. It was an alcoholic drink, a “…sturdy, healthful eggnog type of drink, with eggs, whiskey, etc., served as a tonic as well as a treat.”*

By 1900, the whiskey and eggs were out, and the term “milkshake” referred to “wholesome drinks made with chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla syrups.”*

Yet, the milkshake still contained no ice cream.

The modern milkshake was born in 1922, when an employee at a Chicago Walgreens, Ivar “Pop” Coulson, was inspired to add two scoops of ice cream to malted milk. Malted milk was a drink made by blending milk, chocolate syrup and malt (malt was invented in 1887—as a nutritional supplement for infants).

The malted milkshake shot to stardom nationwide. By the 1930s, soda fountains were known as “malt shops.” In 1937 two milkshake-worthy events occurred: A superior blender was invented by Fred Waring, and the flexible straw was invented by Joseph Friedman.

But not all milkshakes were malted milkshakes. Many people preferred their milkshakes malt-free.

By the late 1930s, the term “frosted” was being used to describe maltless milkshakes that blended ice cream and milk into one smooth drink, while a “float” had scoops of ice cream “floating” in milk.

Soda fountain owners also came up with their own names. In New England, milkshakes were variously called frappes (Massachusetts), velvets, frosteds, and cabinets (Rhode Island, referring to the freezer cabinet from which the ice cream was scooped). Someone in a drive-through restaurant in St. Louis invented the concrete, a milkshake so thick that it was handed out the order window upside down for a wow factor. (We’ve had a few, and would argue that the concrete is not really a milkshake, but ice cream that’s been blended with just enough milk to turn it into a malleable form. It needs to be eaten with a spoon: It’s so thick it can’t be drunk through a straw).

No one knows what the next milkshake evolution will be, but we recommend going back to the original. Hold the egg, but add some Godiva Chocolate Liqueur to celebrate National Chocolate Milkshake Day (or a shot of whiskey, perhaps).

Don’t like chocolate? Mark your calendar for June 21st, National Vanilla Milkshake Day.

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*Source: Stuart Berg Flexner, Listening to America (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1982) p. 178.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE

Ingredients Per Shake

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. POUR into a tall glass, garnish as desired, and serve. Whipped cream, a maraschino cherry, or other garnish is optional (and overkill).

FOOD TRIVIA

In the 1950s, a milkshake machine salesman named Ray Kroc bought and became the exclusive distributor of a speedier milkshake machine, the Multimixer. He inadvertently invented modern fast food with his vision of franchising the McDonald’s hamburger stand in San Bernardino, California—just so he could sell several Multimixers to each location!
 
 
FLOAT, MALTED, MILKSHAKE: THE DIFFERENCE

A float, also known as an ice cream soda, is a carbonated soft drink—cola, root beer, etc.—with one or more scoops of ice cream “floating” in it.

A milkshake, “shake” for short, is a blend of ice cream, milk, and flavoring. The scoop of ice cream is blended into the milk; you can’t see the ice cream.

A thick shake has multiple scoops of ice cream, which thicken the drink—“So thick,” advertised one soda fountain, “that the straw stands up straight.”

A malt, short for malted milk, is a milkshake with added malted milk powder. The powder is made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk. It was originally developed, in 1897, by a pharmacist, James Horlick. He intended it as a gruel—a nutritional supplement—for infants.

Soon enough, parents discovered how tasty it was…and the rest is history.
 
 

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.