November 16, 2009 at 8:42 am
· Filed under Food Holidays
The “Tweety Bird” of the 21st century. Image
via GraphicAlerts.com.
Every day is a different official food holiday. We’ve compiled all the food holidays here, and keep adding to them weekly as we receive notice of new holidays. It’s a great reference article.
If you’d like to get the daily food holidays via Twitter, along with a link to a relevant tidbit, article or recipe, sign up for Twitter.com/TheNibble.
We post other items to Twitter that we don’t post to the blog (and vice versa), although we do post our articles to both.
November 16, 2009 at 8:28 am
· Filed under Contest
If you possess a love of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans and “Big Bean” dreams, endless imagination and a thorough understanding of manufacturing, marketing and Research and Development—you could join fourth-generation candy man Herman Rowland Sr. for a day at the helm of Jelly Belly Candy Company. That’s the grand prize in the “Be the Jelly Belly Big Bean” sweepstakes, and it comes with a “paycheck” of $10,000 (no small beans!).
Visit the website BetheBigBean.com to get training in the workings of a candy plant and test your ability to handle the pressure of management, while making and packing as many Jelly Belly beans as possible.
The sweepstakes launches today and runs through July 31, 2010. If you don’t want to run the company, there’s an Instant Win game for a chance to score one of thousands of great Jelly Belly prizes.
Try your turkey and swiss “half and half.”
Photo courtesy Sargento.
When serving sandwiches, offer a variety of condiments and recommend that diners mix and match: one half of a roast beef, ham or turkey sandwich with chutney, one half with Roquefort Dijon mustard, for example. It’s like having two different sandwiches, and just one way in which specialty condiments transform everyday foods into gourmet treats.
We love the Dijon mustards of Laurent du Clos so much, we can eat them from the jar—especially the amazing Roquefort mustard. Other favorites include the Saffron Aïoli mayonnaise from Restaurant Lulu and the fabulous flavored mayos from The Ojai Cook—all Top Picks Of The Week.
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.
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.
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.
