Season your food with a pinch of gremolata,
a mixture of herbs and other seasonings.
Photo courtesy Aunt Nellie’s. Get the soup
recipe.

Gremolata (alternate spelling gremolada) is a lively fresh-chopped condiment that commonly includes parsley and/other green herbs, lemon zest and garlic.

It’s probably most familiar to Americans as the traditional accompaniment to osso bucco, a braised veal shank dish that’s a top-seller at Italian restaurants.

But it’s a great accent to many dishes. And because it’s so flavorful, you can cut back on salt.

Whether you’re serving meat (from lamb, pork or rib roast to veal and venison), poultry, pasta, potatoes and other vegetables (we love it with sautéed string beans), salad, risotto, soup or stew, a pinch of gremolata spices up any dish. The citrus note is perfect with white fish like cod and halibut to dark fish like mackerel (in fact, it’s great with any seafood). And it’s easy to make. Just chop and mix:

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

You can add sea salt; but we prefer to serve salt separately so that people can use it or not.

There are many variations to a basic gremolata. Mint, other green herbs, anchovies or chopped hazelnuts can be included. If cilantro will pick up your dish, for example, make a cilantro gremolata.

The varieties are only limited by the imagination of the cook. Here are some pointers:

• For more citrusy flavor, add lemon juice and orange zest.
• Use grapefruit, lime or orange zest instead of the lemon zest.
• Add or substitute mint for the parsley with lamb dishes.
• Add grated horseradish for beef dishes.
• Substitute capers for garlic and basil for parsley, and serve with smoked salmon.
• Add to breadcrumbs.
• Make a gremolata crust for fish (delish).
• Use it in olive oil as a marinade.

Some sources say that gremolata is the Italian word for chopped or ground. We haven’t found it in the dictionary, but chalk it up to dialect.

Two lucky winners will each receive two bags of every flavor of Laurel Hill Tortilla Chips, including:

• Multigrain
• Nacho Cheese
• Olive & Caper
• Pumpkin Seed
• Sea Salt & Lime

Made with all-natural ingredients, no preservatives and a selection of healthy ingredients like chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa and pumpkin, these chips taste as good as they sound. They’re also gluten-free, kosher and vegan. With a thick texture and unusual rectangle shape, Laurel Hill tortilla chips will have you dipping away.

• Learn more about Laurel Hill Tortilla Chips by checking out our review or by visiting LaurelHillFoods.com.

Open the bag of Sea Salt & Lime tortilla chips
and you’ll smell the natural lime oil flavoring. Photography by Hannah Kaminsky | THE
NIBBLE.

• To Enter This Gourmet Giveaway: Go to the box at the bottom of our Gourmet Snacks Page and click to enter your email address for the prize drawing. Approximate Retail Value Of Each Prize: $30.00. This contest closes on Monday, January 31st at noon, Eastern Time. Good luck!

Make creamy salad dressing by adding a
bit of cream to basic vinaigrette. Photo
courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.

When we ask people why they just don’t whisk together 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 4 tablespoons olive oil, one often-heard response is that the family prefers creamy dressing.

Done! Just whisk together 1/2 part cream. It that’s not creamy enough, add more cream.

And don’t forget to season your vinaigrette with a pinch of salt and pepper, for starters. For more flavors, add:

• A pinch of dry mustard
• A half teaspoon of Dijon mustard (or other favorite mustard)
• Minced garlic
• A pinch of anchovy paste, hot chile paste, olive paste, pesto or tomato paste (we use Amore brand)
• Your favorite herbs (we like minced dill, parsley and/or oregano but experiment with anything at hand, including horseradish)
• Your favorite spices

Share your tips for a creamy dressing.

But we had a good experience with the Microwave Pasta Boat.

Those who cook pasta know that this simple product takes a fair amount of time. It can take a stock pot full of water up to 30 minutes to boil. Hopefully, boiling water doesn’t splash as you drain the pasta into a colander.

The Microwave Pasta Boat improves on the pasta-cooking experience.

The Microwave Pasta Boat has a steamer
rack for cooking other foods.

• The pasta is cooked in less than 20 minutes—less time than it would take a stock pot of water to boil on the stove.
• If you’re cooking multiple dishes, it frees up a burner.
• No water boils over onto the stove.
• There’s a built-in strainer; no colander or other pot is needed.
• The strainer lid makes straining a cinch.
• The drained pasta remains in the boat, where you can toss it with sauce, olive oil, butter, etc.
• You can also mix pasta salad and other recipes in the boat, without needing another pot or bowl.
• For everyday meals, the pasta boat can be brought to the table for serving or passing.
• The device doubles as a vegetable steamer.
• You can store leftover pasta, pasta salad, vegetables, etc. in the fridge.
• Extras include a stay-cool handle that doubles as a spaghetti measure, and a steaming rack for cooking vegetables and other foods. And it’s dishwasher safe.

The only problem is that the stated cooking times always produce overcooked pasta. Since microwave ovens differ, you’ll have to experiment to see what times work with yours. Cook the pasta for a few minutes short of the recommended time, then test a piece. You’ll soon know what works for your microwave.

Which gets back to our overall review: We like the pasta boat. It saves time and dish washing; it’s well worth the $9.59 price (on Amazon.com) and, more importantly, the storage space.

Drink Grandma’s Cherry Pie. Photo
courtesy 1800 Tequila.

You can have your pie and drink it, too.

The mixologists at 1800 Tequila have created drink versions for Caramel Apple Pie, Grandma’s Cherry Pie and Pumpkin Pie.