[1] The iconic muffaletta sandwich from New Orleans, perfect for Mardi Gras (recipe plus photos #1 and 2 © Chabaso Bakery | New Haven).

[2] Chabaso uses their semolina ciabatta loaf for the muffaletta sandwich.

[3] A packed muffaletta from Gelson’s Market (photo © Gelson’s).

[4] This muffaletta sandwich was made the easy way, with a jar of Mazzetta’s Italian Olive Salad & Sandwich Spread, shown in the next photo (photos #4 and #5 © (photo © Mezzetta).

[5] Hack: a jar of Mazzetta Italian Olive Salad.

If you’d like to have some food for Mardi Gras, the muffaletta (also spelled muffuletta) sandwich, a New Orleans classic, is great for two or for a crowd! If you’re not celebrating Mardi Gras, April 23rd is National Picnic Day, National Hoagie Day is May 5th, November 3rd is National Sandwich Day…and any day is a good day for a sandwich.

Thanks to Chabaso Bakery in New Haven for the recipe. The history of the muffaletta sandwich is below.

> More Mardi Gras recipes.

> The history of Mardi Gras.

> The history of the muffaletta sandwich is below.

> The history of the sandwich.

> The different types of sandwiches.

> The year’s 27 sandwich holidays.

> The year’s 20 bread holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: MUFFALETTA SANDWICH
 
Ingredients For The Olive Salad

 
Ingredients For The Sandwich

 
Preparation

1. MIX the olive salad ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar as desired.

2. SCOOP out some of the dough inside the bread if it’s especially thick. Lay the bread slices down face up on a cutting board. Spoon the olive salad on both the top and bottom halves.

3. LAYER the meats and cheeses on the bottom half, then join with the top half. Cut into quarters.

4. SERVE immediately, or for even better flavor, wrap in plastic and allow the bread to soak up juices for one hour before serving.

 
 
MUFFALETTA SANDWICH HISTORY

Across Europe, particularly in France and Italy, For hundreds of years, the tradition of Mardi Gras (French), a.k.a. Martedi Grasso (Italian), and in the U.S. and England, Carnival, Fat Tuesday, or Shrove Tuesday, is a festive prelude to Lenten fasting.

The celebration of food, parades, and revelry originated as the last night when it was possible to eat rich, fatty foods before giving them for the next 40 days of Lent. In fact, the very word carnival comes from the Latin “Carne vale”, meaning “flesh, farewell.”

While in the 1540s the word meant, in a figurative sense, “a time of merrymaking before Lent,” by the 1590s it had evolved to mean feasting or revelry in general [source].

In the U.S., the Mardi Gras festival is largely limited to New Orleans, where the French Quarter has been home to a large Mardi Gras parade since the 1800s. The King Cake and other foods became part of the festivities.

The Muffuletta sandwich was also born in the French Quarter, although not specifically for Mardi Gras. However, this New Orleans classic is usually part of any Mardi Gras party.

The sandwich was invented at one of the city’s oldest markets, the Central Grocery, founded in 1906.

Sicilian immigrants working at the nearby farmer’s market would buy salami, ham, mortadella, Swiss/Emmental cheese, provolone cheese, olive salad, and muffuletta bread (a soft, round, flat Sicilian sesame loaf). They would eat them as separate components, not dissimilar to an antipasto.

The owner of the grocery store suggested they slice the bread and combine all of the components into a sandwich.

Thus, the muffuletta sandwich was born [source].

The muffaletta sandwich has ingredients similar to an Italian hero, but on a different type of bread.

The Central Market sells both its muffaletta sandwich and separate jars of olive salad on Goldbelly. The ingredients include black and green olives, carrots, cauliflower, celery, peppers, and pistachios. It is marinated in olive oil, cottonseed/canola oil, and seasonings: garlic, salt, vinegar, and “secret spices.”

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The traditional King Cake for Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a yeast ring, topped with white icing and sanding, sparkling, or other decorating sugar in the colors of New Orleans: purple, green, and gold. But of course, you don’t have to use a yeast ring to make a King Cake. The top chefs of New Orleans create their own special versions in individual portions for dessert.

So you can apply the icing and sparkling sugar to cupcakes, ice cream cakes, panna cotta, cookies, whatever. Our easy idea is to make your favorite bundt cake, layer cake, sheet cake, or other cake and top it with boiled white icing and sparkling sugar.

> More Mardi Gras recipes.

> The history of Mardi Gras.

> The history of the Bundt cake.
 
 
RECIPE: MARDI GRAS KING CAKE BUNDT

Bake or buy a 12-cup Bundt cake.

For the from-scratch recipe for the cake (photo #1), visit Brown Eyed Baker.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WHISK the powdered sugar and milk together in a bowl until smooth. Pour over the top of the cooled cake.

2. SPRINKLE one-sixth of the top with half of the yellow sugar, then repeat on the opposite side. Repeat with green and purple sugars to form alternating bands of color.

[1] A Bundt cake topped with King Cake icing and colored sugar (photo © Brown Eyed Baker).

[2] A classic King Cake yeast cake (photo © King Arthur Baking).

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[1] This breakfast toast or snack is apple pie filling plus goat cheese or sour cream (photos #1 and #2 © Roth Cheese | Facebook).

[2] Roth makes 8-ounce logs of plain goat cheese, and 4-ounce logs of blueberry, garlic, honey, and seasonal cranberry logs.

[3] The original recipe used sourdough, but we think country bread is even better (photo © Good Eggs)

[4] Garnish with an optional drizzle of honey (photo © Heather Barnes | Unsplash).

When we came across this recipe from Roth Cheese of Wisconsin, it was called Cinnamon Baked Apples with Creamy Chèvre. What it was: sourdough toast spread with goat cheese (chèvre), topped with apple pie filling—in this case, a from-scratch filling of cooked apples.

Because the goat cheese in the photo looked like sour cream, we immediately thought of our favorite Sour Cream Walnut Apple Pie, on toast instead of a pie crust.

Roth Cheese suggests the recipe as an appetizer on toast, or substituting crackers for bread and using the baked apples as a dip.

We loved it for breakfast and for snacking. Use mascarpone (slightly sweet, very creamy) and it’s dessert! For dessert, we switched out the thyme for this easy candied nuts recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: APPLE PIE TOAST WITH CHÈVRE OR SOUR CREAM

We’ve tried the recipe as originally created, with goat cheese, sour cream, mascarpone, and ricotta. All or delicious.

Roth also makes a Honey Goat Cheese that will add another layer of sweetness.

Note that Roth makes plain goat cheese in both 4-ounce and 8-ounce sizes. You’ll need eight ounces.

A hack is to purchase a top brand of apple pie filling. We tried both Comstock and Lucky Leaf Organic.

Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time for the baked apples is 1 hour.
 
Ingredients For 1 Cup Apple Filling and 1 Cup Chèvre

 
For The Goat Cheese Spread

 
To Assemble

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. TOSS the apples, apple cider or water, brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a 9×9-inch baking dish. Place into the oven, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until softened and caramelized. While apples are baking…’

3. WHIP the chèvre with heavy cream in a medium bowl until smooth. If you are using sour cream, mascarpone, or ricotta, this step isn’t needed.

4. TOAST the slices of bread, and place them on a serving tray. Spread 2 tablespoons of the chèvre mixture on each slice, and top with the baked apples. Garnish with fresh thyme and a drizzle of honey, if desired. For dessert, substitute candied nuts for the thyme.

To serve as a dip:

 
 
> The History Of Apples

> The History Of Honey

February 26th is National Pistachio Nut Day, a snack beloved by many. But pistachios also shine in recipes, like those below.

> The history of pistachio nuts.
 
 
PISTACHIO RECIPES

Breakfast

 
Appetizers, Soups & Salads

 
Mains & Sides

 
Snacks

 
 
PISTACHIOS & HEALTH

A USDA study presented on Monday shows that pistachio nuts, already one of the lowest-calorie nuts, may contain fewer calories per serving than originally thought.

Why? Scientific research indicates that fat from nuts is poorly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

The study confirmed that the fat from pistachio nuts, specifically, is not completely digested or absorbed, resulting in a lower energy value. Energy value translates into calories. (The exact calorie savings has yet to be calculated.)

Fats make up the largest component of nuts. Here’s the nutritional breakdown for pistachios.

The study also confirmed the heart-healthy benefits of pistachios among individuals who included 1.5 to 3 ounces of pistachio nuts in their daily diets.

Dubbed the “skinny nut” by nutrition experts, about 30 pistachio kernels make a satisfying, 100-calorie snack.

Another research finding: In-shell snackers eat 41% fewer calories than those who snack on shelled nuts. Not only does it slow down the eating process, but researchers also found that in-shell pistachios offer a visual cue to help reduce intake.

Pistachio nuts are also nutrient-dense and are an excellent source of copper and manganese vitamin B6 and a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, protein, and thiamine.

[1] A favorite for snacking (photo © The Gilded Nut).

[2] Poached pear with pistachio cloak (photo © Brendan Mica | Santuari Restaurant | Los Angeles).

[3] Pistachio Muffins With Chocolate Chunks (photo © Agnese Italian Recipes | Blogspot)

[4] White chocolate pistachio fudge (photo © Seduction Meals).

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Baked Potato with Tomato-Basil Relish and Balsamic Drizzle. Sliced tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper are combined to create a zesty Italian-inspired relish that is spooned on top of a warm, baked Idaho® potato. Add a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze and serve.

February is National Potato Lover’s Month and we wanted to publish this before it ends.

In addition to being a splendid way to enjoy a baked potato—no butter or sour cream—it’s also a colorful alternative to beige food and gray winter.

This easy-to-make, festive and elegant side is titled Baked Potato with Tomato-Basil Relish and Balsamic Drizzle (it takes longer to say it than to make it, almost).

The potato is topped with a zesty, Italian-inspired relish of halved cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

For a tangy-sweet finish, a drizzle of balsamic glaze tops it all (photos #1 and #2).

The recipe was developed by Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting at Home for the Idaho Potato Commission.

See how Sylvia makes her baked potatoes in the oven, the microwave, the air fryer, and an instant pot.

> The Different Types Of Potatoes

> The History Of Potatoes
 
 
RECIPE: BAKED POTATOES WITH TOMATO-BASIL RELISH & BALSAMIC DRIZZLE

Halved cherry or grape tomatoes and basil ribbons are tossed in a flavorful balsamic vinaigrette, then spooned over baked Idaho® russet potatoes, and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. It’s a healthful, light, and delicious dish that is vegan and gluten-free.

What’s the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic glaze?

If you reduce balsamic vinegar into a syrup, you get balsamic glaze. It’s a luscious condiment for drizzling over savory or sweet dishes. If you haven’t had it, try it: You’ll become a fan.

Here’s a recipe and more about balsamic glaze.
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the sliced tomatoes, garlic, basil ribbons, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl and mix to combine.

2. CUT a slit into the warm baked potatoes and fluff up the flesh with a fork.

3. DIVIDE the tomato relish between the two potatoes. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze and serve immediately.

[1] You can drizzle extra balsamic over the tomato-basil relish (photos #1 and #2 © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] The view from above: a lovely dish.

[3] The nice thing about cherry tomatoes is that they’re available year-round from hothouses, to add color to dishes tomatoes aren’t in season (photo © Love Food Art | Pexels).