THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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FOOD HOLIDAY: National Guacamole Day

Yesterday was National Guacamole Day, but it’s a dish that we enjoy almost every week of the year. To make the best, use avocados from Mexico. We hate to say it, because we prefer to support American businesses, but the Mexican Hass avocados are simply better—creamier and more flavorful, the best avocados we’ve ever had. As a result, they make the best, creamiest guacamole. Why?

  • Hass avocados from Mexico are grown in the mountains in the state of Michoacan, in volcanic soil, in semitropical temperatures with the perfect combination of sunshine and abundant rainfall. It makes a big difference.
  • They are left on the tree until they reach the perfect maturity, which allows for that depth of flavor and creamy texture when ripe.

Avocados are good for you. Yes, they have calories (from heart-healthy unsaturated fats); but they’re also packed full of antioxidants, fiber, folic acid and other B items, potassium and Vitamin E.

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A Hass avocado from Mexico. Photo courtesy AvocadosFromMexico.com.

  • Avocados originated in Mexico. Find out more, plus lots of avocado recipes, at AvocadosFromMexico.com.
  • If the avocado originated in Mexico, why is it called the Hass? Because a California avocado grower propagated seedlings and sold one to a postman named Rudolph Hass, who patented the name. Read more about the history of the Hass avocado.
  • Do you know about avocado oil? It has the highest smoke point of any culinary oil, and a good brand is absolutely delicious. Check out Olivado avocado oil, a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

 

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TIP OF THE DAY: Watermelon Radishes

evergreenseeds-com

Grow your own with seeds from
EvergreenSeeds.com.

Thanks to farmers markets, we’re seeing more of the watermelon radish, a large Chinese radish—up to 3 inches and more in diameter—with reverse radish coloring. It has a white exterior and a beautiful rosy-magenta flesh, which resembles a watermelon and captivates everyone who sees it.

A sweet radish without the peppery bite, its color and mildness make it a lovely surface for hors d’oeuvres and a beautiful garnish (sliced, quartered, or julienned).

  • Serve slices in lieu of mozzarella with sliced tomatoes, basil and balsamic vinegar—a change of pace that saves calories and fat.
  • Toss thin slices with mâche or microgreens in a Dijon-honey vinaigrette.
  • Add them to sandwiches for color, flavor and crunch. Try watercress and radish sandwiches with unsalted butter. Cook them like turnips.
To store watermelon radishes, discard the leafy tops and wrap the radishes in plastic. They’ll keep for several weeks. By the way, the Chinese name is shinrimei, and the radish is known by several other names including Rose Heart and Beauty Heart.

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PRODUCT: Gourmet Marshmallows

People in Vancouver are lucky; they can drive down to Butter Baked Goods and pick up their handmade marshmallows. While the store does not have online sales, we had the pleasure of tasting the marshmallows at a trade show earlier this year, and recently came across the marshmallows at Dean and DeLuca.

Of course we bought them, and they were just as good as we remembered—airy, delicate and beautifully flavored. You can send them as a Thanksgiving or holiday gift via DeanandDeluca.com: three gift-boxed bags in Pumpkin Spice, Toasted Coconut and Vanilla are $28.00. (When you get to the site, search for “marshmallows.”)

Gourmet marshmallows are one of our favorite sweet treats: made from egg whites, sugar, gelatin and flavoring, there’s no fat or cholesterol,* and one large marshmallow is very satisfying. You can put them in hot chocolate, craft gourmet s’mores and use them as accents with other desserts.

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Toasted Coconut Marshmallows from Butter
Baked Goods. Photo by Hannah Kaminsky | THE NIBBLE.

*You may get a bit of fat from added toppings, like chocolate morsels or coconut.

 

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TIP OF THE DAY: Chocolate Place Cards

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Tasty placecards: Use affix the card to a pumpkin bonbon. Photo courtesy of WeddingBee.com.

For Thanksgiving dinner, it’s easy to make place cards that are good enough to eat: Just stick a card in a bonbon (preferably, pumpkin, maple or other holiday flavor).

If you’re artistically inclined, buy tent place cards at any card shop or stationery store. Then look for candies the size of a quarter: flat chocolate turkeys or pumpkins, nonpareils or colorful white chocolate pastilles. Affix a piece of candy to the left side of each place card, using a paste of 2T confectioner’s sugar and 3 to 4 drops water. The cards add fun and anticipation from the moment people see the table. Guests can remove and eat the chocolate at the end of dinner.

For other holidays, you can attach Christmas trees, hearts, bunnies, etc. If you don’t want place cards, use chocolate place settings.

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PRODUCTS: Pig Out On Bacon Popcorn, Toffee & More

Tell every bacon addict with a sweet tooth about the Pig Out! package from Roni~Sue Chocolates: an assortment of bacon candy for $30.00 that includes:

  • Pig Candy, chocolate-covered bacon strips
  • Bacon Buttercrunch, toffee rolled in coarse-chopped nuts mixed with chopped bacon
  • BaCorn, caramel popcorn tossed with bits of candied bacon and chile-flavored pinon nuts

Our favorite is the caramel corn—it’s light and crunchy and difficult to put down. But all three bacony treats will make a bacon lover squeal.

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Bacon Toffee has the usual elements—plus
small pieces of smoky bacon mixed in with
the nuts. Photo by Evan Dempsey | THE NIBBLE.

 

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