[1] No boring flour here: These fingers have a terrific breading of corn flakes and chopped pecans (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Pecans are a great crust for chicken, but if you prefer, you can use your nut of choice. Macadamias? Pistachios? (photo © Schermer Pecans).

[3] Corn Flakes are our favorite coating for fried chicken. Check out this recipe (photo © Kellogg).

[4] Buffalo wings cinnamon honey. You can make your own by mixing cinnamon into plain honey. Or, Drizzle Honey makes a great one (photo © Drizzle Honey).

[5] The tenderloin, shown on top of the breast here, is actually underneath the breast (image by A.I.).

Chicken finger lovers: the cluckin’ good piece of poultry that’s also known as chicken tenders and chicken strips, has its own holiday on July 27th.

A delicious chicken fingers recipe and dipping sauce options follow. But first:

> The year’s 40 chicken holidays.

> The history of chicken.

> The different cuts of chicken. How many can you name?

> Gettin’ geeky: chicken terminology.

> The history of chicken fingers is below.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN FINGERS WITH A PECAN CRUST

A treat for the whole family, this recipe adds even more flavor and protein with a crunchy pecan coating. You can use sauces for dipping or creating your own.

The recipe is from Beba Cates of Pearland, Texas, and sent to us by the Taste Of Home Editorial Team5x.

Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes.

You can also find pre-cut raw chicken tenders in many markets. Yes, you can also find ready-to-heat-and-eat chicken tenders/fingers in the frozen food aisle, but trust us: This recipe is so much better!
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. In a shallow bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients (pecans through salt).

2. PLACE the milk in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in milk, then roll in pecan mixture.

3. PLACE the strips in a single layer in an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, until juices run clear, 12-15 minutes.
 
 
SAUCES FOR CHICKEN FINGERS

Chicken fingers welcome just about any condiment. We always serve a “flight of sauces,” three or more options.

The basics condiments include usual round up of barbecue sauce, honey (including hot honey), honey mustard, ketchup, marinara, ranch, and sweet and sour sauce.

Sophisticated palates will appreciate:

 
 

[6] Chicken tenders at the market (photo © Butcher Shoppe Direct) .

For something relatively new on the scene, the origin of chicken fingers (also called chicken tenders or chicken strips) is lacking in detail. Who first served them? When? Where?

Fried chicken fingers-tenders-strips as we know them today emerged in the 1960s-1970s in the American South.

While several restaurants claim to have invented them, they likely developed simultaneously in multiple locations, given the burgeoning fast-food industry’s need for convenient, handheld chicken options.

The concept was partly inspired by the popular British meal, fish and chips†, substituting breaded, fried chicken for the breaded, fried fish.

Chicken fingers exploded in the 1980s and 1990s as chain restaurants like Raising Cane’s (founded 1996) and Zaxby’s (founded 1990) built entire concepts around them. In fact, the Chicken Fingers holiday was created by Raising Cane’s founder, Todd Graves (with concurrent promotional opportunities, of course)..
 
 
What Part Of The Chicken Do The Fingers Come From?

Chicken fingers are typically cut from the chicken breast, specifically the pectoralis major, the large pectoral muscle. They’re cut into long, finger-like strips along the grain of the muscle.

However, another part of the chicken, the tenderloin (pectoralis minor), is also used. It’s a smaller, separate muscle that lies underneath the main breast meat (photos #5 and #6).

This tender morsel is literally the most tender part of the chicken, and is where the name comes from. Note that fast food chains use the less expensive breast meat.

History provided by Claude A.I. 2025-07-27.
 
 
________________
 
*Real vs. faux honey mustard: Store-bought honey mustard often contains real honey, but the amount can be small. Less expensive sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, or glucose syrup are commonly added, sometimes as the main sweetener. The packets you get from foodservice may contain little or no real honey. Read the ingredients label.

†Fish and chips—fried fish with a side of thick-cut fried potatoes (the chips), first appeared in London around 1860. Their popularity exploded: a cheap, filling, portable food for working-class families. By 1910, there were more than 25,000 fish and chip shops across Britain.

The dish became so culturally important that during both World Wars, the British government ensured that fish and chips remained one of the few foods not rationed!
 
 

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July 25th is National Hot Sundae Day, a favorite of our youth. Every year we give ourselves permission to make one. Because we’re picky, our hot fudge brands of choice are two artisan companies that make small-batch products from top ingredients:

 
Both companies make other delicious dessert sauces, which we are fond of giving as party favors and stocking stuffers.

Ice cream lovers may be captivated to know that there are more than 50 ice cream holidays per year, plus 7 ice cream drink holidays (floats, shakes), plus the following:
 
 
THE YEAR’S 6 ICE CREAM SUNDAE HOLIDAYS

 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER ABOUT ICE CREAM

> The history of the ice cream sundae.

> The history of hot fudge.

> The history of ice cream.

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

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> The year’s 8 ice cream drink holidays.

> How to set up a DIY sundae party bar.
 
 

[4] Somebody’s Mother’s is tops on our list.

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[1] Peach Melba (January 13th): vanilla ice cream, a poached peach half, and raspberry purée (photo © Danilova Janna | Smarterpix).

[2] July 7th: Check out these different ways to make a strawberry sundae (photo © Elena The Wise | Smarterpix).

[3] Hot fudge is calling our name on July 25th (photo © Pixabay | Pexels).

[1] Fruit-based aqua fresca is a thirst-quencher in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Here’s the recipe (photo © New York Times | Photo: Christopher Testani | Stylist: Simon Andrews).

[2] Coconut water is almost always drunk cold, as that’s when it’s most refreshing. But you can still serve it in a pretty with a garnish of forget-me-nots (photo © Julia Blotskyaya | Pexels).

[3] Iced tea. The garnish of apple slices (approximately 86% water) makes them a hydrating snack as well (photo © Tim DeWeerdt | Pexels).

[4] Ice water. Water hydrates equally whether cold or room temperature, still or sparkling, plain, or or flavored (photo © Hint).

[5] Lemonade can be flavored in so many ways. Check out these recipes (photo © Simit + Smith).

[6] A smoothie adds protein to your favorite hydrating fruits if the recipe includes yogurt Here’s the recipe (photo © Lil’ Luna).

[7] Spa water. Citrus fruits, berries, and herbs are a standard blend. For herbs, consider basil, cilantro, dill, fennel fronds, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, sage, and tarragon (photo © Sunset Valley Growers).

A hot day in July is a great day to hold National Refreshment Day. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday, this year July 24th.

“Refreshing” can mean food or drink, but it should be cool and light with thirst-quenching qualities.

You should increase your intake of fluids—especially water—to help your body maintain proper fluid balance and support essential physiological functions.

While water is undoubtedly the best hydrator, we researched the most refreshing drinks worldwide and drew up a list of refreshers, below.

But, bad news for some: alcohol is not on the list.
 
As good as that cold beer may feel great down, alcohol actually makes you thirstier—it’s dehydrating, the opposite of what the body needs in hot weather. See why below.

Also below:

> Foods that are hydrating.

> The year’s 24 beverage holidays.
 
 
REFRESHING BEVERAGES AROUND THE WORLD

Refreshing Drinks In The U.S.

In alphabetical order:

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Europe

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Latin America

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In The Middle East and Africa

 
 
Refreshing Drinks In Asia

 
We didn’t include Thai iced tea or coffee because of the large amount of heavy sweetened condensed milk.
 
 
 
REFRESHING FOODS

Certain foods are widely considered to be refreshing. Not surprisingly, they tend to be: chilled or cold, light in texture, moist or juicy. They can be sweet or tart.

 
Savory choices:

 
In general, stay away from salt. Lemon or lime zest, grated ginger, and mint are cooling substitutes.
 
 
WHY ALCOHOL MAKES YOU THIRSTIER

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it removes water from the body by increasing urine production. This causes the body to lose more fluids than it takes in, leading to dehydration.

 
If you must have any alcohol, the trick is to alternate each drink with tall glasses of water.
 

[8] One of our favorite sparklers, S. Pellegrino Sparkling Water, comes in cans for easy portability and recycling (photo © San Pellegrino).

 
To dot the I’s and cross the T’s, another juice holiday is August 29th, National Lemon Juice Day.
 
________________
 
*Not all bubble tea contains tea, despite the name. Yes, traditional bubble tea contains real brewed tea (black, green, jasmine, oolong, etc.), mixed with milk or fruit flavorings, sweetened, and served with tapioca pearls, jelly, or popping boba.
 
Non-tea bubble tea is made with milk, creamers, or fruit syrups, but no actual tea (and is thus caffeine-free). Some examples: taro “milk tea” (taro powder and milk), fruit “milk tea” (made with fruit syrups and milk), and brown sugar boba (milk, brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearls [boba]).

> The history of bubble tea.

†The spritz originated in northern Italy in the 19th century when Austrian soldiers diluted local wines with a “spritz” (splash) of soda water. Over time, it evolved into a cocktail with a bitter liqueur and sparkling wine, like the Aperol Spritz. (The history of the spritz).

With the rise of non-alcoholic or “zero-proof” versions of alcohol, mocktails are created that follow the same formula: a bitter or aromatic base, a sparkling component (water, tonic water), citrus juice, and an optional citrus or herb (mint, rosemary) garnish.

‡Fruits with the highest water content include those that are 90% and above water (cucumber, cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon) and those that are 80% to 89% (apples, grapefruit, grapes, oranges, peaches, pineapple, raspberries).

Other fruits are still nutritious, but less hydrating—and more calorie- and fiber-dense per gram. They include avocado, banana, passionfruit, persimmon, and dried fruits.

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We often come across a debate about if a hot dog (or burger) is a sandwich. Now that it’s National Hot Dog Month, let’s settle it.

Yes, the hot dog is a sandwich, as is the burger, taco, and burrito.

 
The difference between buns and rolls is below, but first:

> The different types of sandwiches: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 25+ sandwich holidays.

> The years 20+ bread holidays are below.

> The history of the sandwich.
 
 
THE 10 SANDWICH CATEGORIES

While there’s no universally agreed-upon taxonomy, culinary professionals and food historians have come to group sandwiches based on structure, assembly, and serving style.

Here are the 10 major sandwich categories, based on their form and preparation, in alphabetical order.

Note that sandwiches can occupy more than one category. For example an open-faced hot roast beef sandwich with gravy belongs to both the Open-Faced and Hot categories. In photo #4, the open-faced finger sandwich (photo #11) also belongs in the Delicate category. In photo #7, the Grilled-Pressed-Hot Sandwich can also be a closed sandwich—and probably should be a subset of Closed Sandwich, except that Hot Sandwich can also be Open-Face.

It takes a true keeper of the flame to want to sort these things out and contribute them to the vast world of food knowledge.
 
 
Breakfast Sandwich

 
 
Closed Sandwich

 
Another sub category is the Delicate Sandwich (photo #4), providing just a bite or two and often made with finer ingredients (photo #11).

 
 
Dessert Sandwich

 
 
Folded or Pocket Sandwich

 
 
Grilled-Pressed-Hot Sandwich

 
 
Hero-Sub-Hoagie-Baguette Sandwich

 
 
Layered-Stacked Sandwich

 
 
Open-Faced Sandwich

 
 
Rolled or Wrapped Sandwich

 
 
Stuffed or Filled Bread

 
 
BUNS, ROLLS AND BISCUITS: THE DIFFERENCE

Americans typically use the word “bun” instead of “roll” to denote the bread that holds hot dogs and burgers.

But we should be calling them rolls, not buns.

There is no official difference: Both are single-serve breads, and the FDA only stipulates that buns and rolls weigh less than one-half pound (as opposed to loaves of bread, which must weigh one pound or more).

Why do Americans ask for a burger bun and a whole wheat bun, yet a ciabatta roll and a Kaiser roll? Cinnamon roll yet sticky bun?

Manufacturers and retailers use whichever term they want.

But there is order to be had in the bread universe!

The American Institute of Baking uses this distinction:

 
We wish everyone who is a stickler for accuracy good luck getting people to change the words they use!
 
 

 

[11] Five finger sandwiches filled with curried egg salad, smoked salmon, cucumber, ham, and artisan peanut butter and jelly (photo © Fortnum & Mason).

[1] A hot dog is most definitely a sandwich (photo © Vermont Smoke & Cure).

[2] The Egg McMuffin introduced America to the breakfast sandwich (see †footnote) Here’s the recipe for this better-for-you version (photo © Aero Farms).

[3] Closed sandwich, the most common category. Here’s the recipe for this yummy Reuben sandwich (photo © Marion’s Kitchen).

[4] A finger sandwich, an open-faced finger sandwich, and a pinwheel. Here’s the recipe (photo © Pinch Me I’m Eating).

[5] This dessert sandwich grills chopped quality chocolate bars on brioche (and almonds, cinnamonn, whatever), with a side of vanilla ice cream (photo © Parma 8200).

[6] In the Folded Sandwich we present some food fusion: Chicken Caesar Salad [U.S.] in pita [Greece] (photo © Leanna Myers | Unsplash).

[7] In the Grilled / Hot category, here’s one of our favorites: mozzarella, fresh basil, and roasted red peppers. Here’s the recipe (photo © Lauren’s Latest).

[8] In the Hero-Sub-Hoagie-Baguette category, the bành mì sandwich, a Vietnamese-French fusion of Vietnamese ingredients on a baguette. Here’s the recipe (photo © Simple Healthy Kitchen)..

[9] The Club is the classic stacked sandwich: a BLT with turkey or chicken. We like to add avocado and arugula or watercress (photo © Peteer | SmartPix).

[9] Open-Faced Sandwiches (tartines in French) can be as plain or fancy as you wish. This trio equals a sandwich-and-a-half (photo © Ella Olsson | Unsplash).

[10] Wrap sandwiches are easily portable, and a thin flatbread wrap is a nicer alternative to risen bread (photo © National Pork Board).

*The difference between finger sandwiches and tea sandwiches: These are similar and may share fillings, but not the same, largely due to shape. Finger sandwiches are a subset of tea sandwiches, made in finger-like rectangles. Tea sandwiches can have any shape.

> Both are created for afternoon tea, bridal showers, lunch buffets, hors d’oeuvre, and even kids’ meals, since the small shapes appeal to children (check out these PB&J piano keys finger sandwiches).

> The fillings for both are often sophisticated. They can be more elegant variations of everyday fare, e.g. Brie with fig jam, curried egg salad, goat cheese with roasted red peppers or arugula, pimento cheese, smoked salmon with capers.

> Finger sandwiches are made on thinly-sliced, crustless bread, 3–4 inches long by 1-inch wide (finger-sized, but coincidentally, finger food). Over time, the term has been adopted by other types of small sandwiches, but the rectangular “finger” is the proper form.
 
> Tea sandwiches are also made on thinly-sliced, crustless bread, and often sophisticated fillings. Initially created for afternoon tea, they consist of buttered bread with sliced cucumber, deviled ham, egg salad, watercress, or other delicate filling. They are most often cut into triangles but also rectangles; rounds, ovals, and specialty shapes (using cookie cutters); and squares.

†The first McDonald’s Egg McMuffin was introduced in 1971 in Santa Barbara, California, as a handheld breakfast option. It was invented by franchisee Herb Peterson, who was inspired by Eggs Benedict. It became a part of the national McDonald’s menu in 1977.
 
 

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[1] Cranberry White Chocolate Halfsies With Orange Zest (all photos © Halfsies).

[2] Nutella Halfsies.

[3] Reese’s Pieces Halfsies.

[4] M&M Halfsies Cookies.

[5] For the chocoholics, Double Chocolate Chip.

Halfsies Cookies are a must-try member of the artisan food scene in New York State’s Hudson Valley.

They give a nod to the best homemade cookies of our youth while integrating the jumbo-tall yumminess of cookis like Levain, with an added sprinkle of fun.

The Halfsies Cookie Company, founded by Dave and Heather Maffei, has mastered the integration of culinary nostalgia with its own unique style in the world of small-batch gourmet cookies.

We find them to be irresistible, and they’re our Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
WHAT MAKES HALFSIES UNIQUE?

 
Who could ask for anything more? Not us!

There’s lots more to relate, including cookie flavors below. But first:

> The history of cookies.

> The 10 basic types of cookies.

> Cookie favorites: a photo glossary of hundreds of cookie varieties.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.
 
 
ORIGIN STORY: THE COOKIES DIDN’T START OUT AS “HALFSIES”

There was no deliberate business decision to sell cookies halves, rather, the name came from a family moment.

To begin at the beginning, in 2018, Dave Maffei traded store credit from returned Gucci loafers for a KitchenAid mixer, embarking on a ten-month journey to perfect the ultimate cookie recipe.

His goal was ambitious yet simple: create cookies that were crispy on the outside while maintaining a soft, chewy interior.

The “Halfsies” name itself emerged from a moment of maternal practicality. When Dave first brought his cookies (then full-sized) to Heather’s parents’ house one Easter, her mother thought they were “way too big” and cut them all in half before serving them on a fancy tray.

Dave was initially mortified by this, but everyone loved the cookies. What could have been a deflating critique instead became the perfect branding opportunity, and the name stuck.

Thanks, Mom, for saving us [i.e., Dave and Heather] time in pondering how to differentiate the cookies from other artisan offerings.

For consumers, the benefit over other artisan cookies include:

 
Their half-cookie format seems to be unique in the artisanal cookie space. Which is not to say that the “half” concept hasn’t existed for a while, exemplified by:

 
 

[6] Halfsies cookies as they were first conceived by a mother-in-law: large cookies cut in half.
 
 
AND NOW, THE FLAVORS

From the creative mind of Maffei have come more than 350 flavors, with a dozen or so available in any particular week.

Recent months’ flavors are shown in the chart. Before you devour them, note that:

 
Are you next?

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