Today is National Rum Day.

Rum, a favorite drink in colonial times, has fallen out of favor. Sure, the rum-based Mojito is America’s favorite cocktail (rum, mint leaves, lime juice, club soda and simple syrup), according to CocktailGuru.com. Some people may order a Cuba Libré (rum, Coke and lime juice) or the Polynesian-inspired Mai-Tai (light rum, cream of almond, triple sec, sweet and sour mix and pineapple juice).

But few people are enjoying rum straight up or on the rocks.

That’s a shame, because an aged rum from a fine producer is a beautiful thing. If you don’t have a good aged (añejo) rum at home, meet a friend at your favorite watering hole to try one.

When the workday ends, we’ll be enjoying a bottle of Ron Abuelo, brought to us from Panama by a friend (and available at fine spirits stores in the U.S.).

Yo ho ho and a snifter of really fine rum.
Photo courtesy Ron Abuelo.

What Is Rum?

Rum is a spirit distilled from freshly pressed sugar cane. To make an añejo (aged) rum, pressed sugar cane juice is fermented and distilled. It is then placed in small Bourbon barrels for aging (fine spirits are aged in Bourbon, sherry and other used oak barrels to pick up flavor nuances that remain in the wood).

Rum has been made in the Caribbean since the 17th century. Sugar cane was brought to the Caribbean from Southeast Asia, where spirits made from cane juice appeared much earlier.

Ron Abuelo (Grandfather’s Rum) was established in 1908 as the first sugar mill in the recently formed Republic of Panama. In 1936, founder Don José Varela decided to try the rum business.

Today, the company produces four expressions of dark oak-aged rums: Añejo, 7 Años (aged 7 years, this standout has won numerous awards, including a Double Gold Medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition), 12 Años and the limited edition Ron Abuelo Centuria (if you have a bottle, please let us know so that we can plan a visit).

At a suggested retail price of $22.99, the 7 Años won’t break the bank. Amber in color, it is smooth as silk on the palate, with a medium body. A sip yields caramel and vanilla notes from the wood, plus some fruitiness and perhaps a bit of toasted coconut. The finish yields spicy and nutty notes.

Of course you can use aged rum for mixed drinks, but our favorite way to enjoy it is straight from a snifter.

Yo ho ho and a bottle of [aged] rum!

A nutritious, delicious plate of falafel,
hummus and tabbouleh. Photo by J. Java
| Fotolia.

As with Indian and Japanese cuisines and other international foods, the presence of falafel has expanded in America. Fifty years ago, if your city had a significant Middle Eastern population, you might be able to find a casual fast food restaurant and get a falafel-in-pita sandwich or a combination plate of falafel, hummus, babaganoush and tabbouleh.

Today, Trader Joe’s sells ready-to-heat-and-eat falafel (and the pita to go with it), and Falafel Republic sells falafel in supermarkets nationwide.

Even the traditional “falafel stand” has expanded to a falafel bar, offering a dozen or more self-serve accompaniments: pickled vegetables, salads, olives, sauces and more.

Protein-rich, fiber-rich falafel with lots of veggies: What could be better tasting, better for you and fun!

That’s why this week’s Top Pick is also our Tip Of The Day: Make falafel and set up your own falafel bar. In addition to a special family meal, it’s fun party fare.

We’ve got four pages of information, recipes and serving suggestions.

What do you do when you’re finished with the newspaper?

Hopefully, you recycle it.

But before it hits the recycling bin, consider these uses:

Luscious lemon meringue pie. Photo courtesy McCormick.

Schwann Food Company, maker of Mrs. Smith’s Pies, surveyed Americans on their three favorite pies. The results:

1. Apple Pie
2. Pumpkin Pie
3. Chocolate Cream Pie
4. Cherry Pie
5. Pecan Pie
6. Lemon Meringue Pie
7. Blueberry Pie
8. Key Lime Pie
9. Peach Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipes

Actually, it’s likely an English mis-translation from the French nappe pliée, meaning neatly folded linen napkins. The phrase was first recorded in 1780 in Pasley’s Private Sea Journals: “Their Persons Clean and in apple-pie order on Sundays.” The Oxford English Dictionary’s entry comes from Sir Walter Scott in 1813.

August 14th is National Creamsicle Day.

Many foods—from yogurt thousands of years ago, to cream cheese, fudge, ganache, ice cream soda, and Toll House Cookies in the late 19th/early 20th century—were invented as the result of happy accidents. The Popsicle®, the first of the “sicle” ice cream novelties, was no different.

> The Creamsicle Ice Cream Cake recipe is below.

> Check out these Creamsicle recipes, from Creamsicle cheesecake to Creamsicle fudge.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE POPSICLE & THE CREAMSICLE

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson mixed together a fruit drink (believed to be orange-flavored) from powder and water and inadvertently left it on the porch.

It was an unseasonably cold night in the San Francisco suburbs, and when Frank found his drink the next morning, it was frozen. He eased it out of the glass and, holding it by the stirrer, ate it.

While Frank may have enjoyed his frozen fruit drink over the years, the public story doesn’t continue until 1923. A 29-year-old husband and father working in the real estate industry, Frank made what he called Epsicles for a fireman’s ball.

They were a sensation, and Frank obtained a patent for “a handled, frozen confection or ice lollipop.’” His kids called the treat a Popsicle (photo #4), after their Pop.

So Frank created Popsicle Corporation and collaborated with the Loew Movie Company for the nationwide marketing and sales of the product in movie theaters.

By 1928, Epperson had earned royalties on more than 60 million Popsicles.* But his happy days ended with the Great Depression. In 1929, flat broke, Frank had to liquidate his assets and sold the patent to, and his rights in, the Popsicle Corporation.

Following three more corporate sales over the years, Popsicle® and Creamsicle® are now part of Unilever’s Good Humor Division.

While the record isn’t clear, Frank may also have invented the twin Popsicle, with two sticks so it could be shared by two children.

Over the years, the Popsicle Corporation continued to create frozen treats on a stick: the Fudgsicle (a chocolate-flavored pop with a texture somewhat similar to ice cream), the Creamsicle (vanilla ice cream and orange sherbet) and the Dreamsicle (a Creamsicle filled with ice milk instead of ice cream).
 
 
NATIONAL CREAMSICLE DAY

August 14th is National Creamsicle Day*. You don’t need to buy a Creamsicle to celebrate: Have a scoop of vanilla ice cream with one of orange sherbet.

You can also make vanilla cupcakes with orange frosting or top vanilla ice cream with orange liqueur.

Or, enjoy this recipe for Creamsicle Ice Cream Cake:
 
 
RECIPE: CREAMSICLE® ICE CREAM CAKE

Check out these beverage pairings for ice cream cake, plus more ways to celebrate ice cream cake > below.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SOFTEN the ice cream at room temperature until it is just spreadable.

[2] A Creamsicle ice cream cake with a layer of orange marmalade. Here’s the recipe from Life Love Sugar (photo © Life Love Sugar).

[3] Another approach to Creamsicle ice cream cake, using ladyfingers. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cook’s Country).

[4] The invention that started it all: the Popsicle® (photo © Unilever).

3. COVER the cake layer with orange marmalade. Place in the freezer until the marmalade hardens slightly. Then cover it with vanilla ice cream, using a spatula. If not using the marmalade, simply top the cake with the ice cream.

4. Place the middle layer atop the bottom layer, then top the middle layer with the top layer.

5. Cover in plastic wrap and freeze until ready to slice and serve. Garnish sliced pieces with a sprinkle of fresh orange zest.

Thank you, Frank Epperson.
 
 
Variation: Creamsicle Pie & More

Using a graham cracker pie crust, you can make an ice cream pie instead of an ice cream cake.

There are other ways to celebrate: Creamsicle-flavored cakes, cookies, cupcakes, cocktails, fudge, and Martinis. Here are more Creamsicle-inspired recipes. (While the word “Creamsicle” has become generic, like Kleenex, the trademark is the property of Unilever.)
 
 
MORE ABOUT ICE CREAM CAKE

> The history of ice cream cake.

> The history of ice cream.

> The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts: a photo glossary.

> The history of cakes and the different types of cake: a photo glossary.

> Easy ice cream cake recipes.

> Beverage pairings for ice cream cakes.

_________________

*There seems to be no National Popsicle Day or National Fudgsicle Day, but National Grape Popsicle Day is May 27th, National Cherry Popsicle Day is August 26th and National Blueberry Popsicle Day is September 2nd.

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