[1] Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur (both photos © Tia Maria).

[2] Have a refreshing Tia Tonic, and check out these other Tia Maria cocktail recipes.

August is National Coffee Month; National Coffee Day is September 26th, National Iced Coffee Day is May 25th, and International Coffee Day is October 1st. While most coffee drinkers can be convinced to upgrade their cup—to a cappuccino, for example—how about a coffee cocktail?

It’s easy to add a shot of your favorite spirit or liqueur to hot or iced coffee—and to get a can of Reddi Wip to top it. But how about a Tia Tonic?

The mixologists at coffee liqueur brand Tia Maria Cold Brew partnered with premium brand Q Tonic to create this refreshing cold brew cocktail.

Tia Maria is made with 100% Arabica coffee beans and Madagascar vanilla, and Q Mixers Tonic Water is made with extra carbonation, quinine and organic agave. (It’s our favorite for drinking straight quinine water.)
 
 
RECIPE: TIA TONIC
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. FILL a highball glass with ice. Add the tonic water and the liqueur. Garnish and serve.

You can find more Tia Maria cocktail recipes here.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF COFFEE

> THE HISTORY OF TONIC WATER

> THE HISTORY OF COCKTAILS

August 25th is National Banana Split Day, celebrating an iconic sundae invented in 1904 by a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist in Pennsylvania.

In those days, pharmacies contained soda fountains, and it wasn’t unusual for a junior pharmacist to fill in as a soda jerk*.

He made the sundae in a long dish called a boat (hence the alternate term, banana boat). The banana was cut in half lengthwise (the “split”) and placed on the bottom of the boat. The banana was topped with three scoops of ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream.

Chocolate, pineapple, and strawberry sauces were spooned over the ice cream, and the sundae was garnished with whipped cream, crushed nuts, and a maraschino cherry.

And voilà: the banana split we all know and love was born (photo #4).

Here’s the history of the banana split.

There have been numerous creative approaches to the original. In addition to today’s Banana Split Ice Pops, we have more fun banana split-inspired recipes below—from banana split waffles to sushi and s’mores.

Plus, a banana split party bar!
 
 
AMERICAN HERITAGE FINELY GRATED BAKING CHOCOLATE

The ice pops recipe, from American Heritage Chocolate, uses the brand’s Finely Grated Baking Chocolate (photo #3).

We really like this product, which incorporates the brand’s old-fashioned approach to artisan chocolate.

While you can use any grated chocolate in the recipe, American Heritage chocolate, which is 57% cacao, has been enhanced with subtle flavors of anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper. Most chocolate uses only vanilla.

The American Heritage spices pay tribute to the original chocolate drink of the Olmecs, Mayas, and Aztecs, which was flavored with chili pepper, cinnamon, cornmeal, musk, and vanilla. (Here’s more about it.)

American Heritage Chocolate, made in the style of Colonial-era artisans (that’s the “American heritage”), is sold exclusively by “living history” sites, museums, and specialty gift shops like Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and the Old North Church in Boston; and on Amazon.

American Heritage products are OU Kosher, Rain Forest Alliance Certified, and preservative-free.
 
 
RECIPE: BANANA SPLIT ICE POPS

This recipe combines the flavors of a banana split that features the flavors of banana with chocolate ice cream, and toppings of crushed pineapple, strawberries, and peanuts.

It has everything but the maraschino cherry and whipped cream. So we got creative:

We added a maraschino cherry to the top of the pop. When ready to serve them, simply attach the cherry to the top of the pops with some whipped cream, and hand them to the lucky recipients.

Prep time is 15 minutes; freeze time is 6 hours.

A note about copyright: Popsicle®, Fudgsicle® and Creamsicle® are trademarks of brands owned by
 
For The Pops

 
For The Garnish

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE 1 banana until very smooth. Thinly slice the second banana; set aside.

2. COMBINE in a heatproof bowl the half and half, the grated chocolate, sugar, and salt. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring frequently until chocolate melts, about 5 minutes.

3. ADD the cornstarch, banana purée, and pineapple. Stir until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly before stirring in the strawberries.

4. POUR the mixture into 10 to 12 ice pop molds, filling each to 1 inch below the top. Use an ice pop stick to press the banana slices into each mold cavity. Place the lid on the mold and insert the sticks according to the manufacturer’s directions. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

5. GARNISH the pops. Briefly dip molds in a bowl of hot water to loosen. Remove the pops and transfer them to a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Drizzle with the melted chocolate and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. The pops will keep in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic, for up to one month.
 

MORE BANANA SPLIT RECIPES

 
 
________________

*That’s not an insult: Soda jerk was job title of drugstore assistants who operated the soda fountain. The name was inspired by the “jerking” action of pulling the fountain handle back and forth to dispense the soda.

[1] Banana Split Ice Pops: all the flavors of a banana split, frozen on a stick (photos #1, #2 and #3 © American Heritage Chocolate).

[2] What’s missing? The maraschino cherry!

[3] American Heritage Finely Grated Chocolate.

[4] The classic banana split (photo © The Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook).

[5] Banana Split Sushi. Here’s the recipe (photo © RA Sushi | Orlando).

[6] Banana Split Waffles, for brunch or dessert. Here’s the recipe (photo © Krusteaz).

[7] This Deconstructed Banana Split uses grilled bananas. Here’s the recipe (photo © Sushi Samba [alas, now closed]).

[1] Ham and Cheddar waffles with red pepper sauce. The recipe is below (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] The sauce for this recipe is made from roasted red bell peppers. Here’s how to roast them (photo © Alexandra Cooks).

[3] Waffles topped with grilled mushrooms and scallions, pickled onions, microgreens and sour cream (photo © Gelson’s).

[4] Getting fancy: a waffle topped with smoked salmon, sour cream and caviar. Here are more affordable caviar types (photo © Tsar Nicoulai).

[5] Even fancier: Foie gras waffles with fried quail egg, bacon and sautéed apples (photo © Barrington’s Restaurant | Charlotte, North Carolina).

Here’s something different for National Waffle Day (August 24th): savory ham and cheese waffles made with a base of mashed potatoes instead of flour. It can be made with all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend for a completely GF waffle.

Serve them for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.

Thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for the recipe, and check out their many other recipes. Also check out:

> The 15 Different Types Of Waffles

> The History Of Waffles

> The History Of The Waffle Iron
 
 
RECIPE: HAM & CHEDDAR WAFFLES

The recipe was written for cheddar cheese, but we used gruyère, a more elegant touch.

For a spicier touch, try a jalapeño cheddar or pepperjack. Cabot Creamery makes delicious pepperjack plus spicy cheddars in cracked pepper, habanero, horseradish and hot buffalo wing.

Because we’re not keen on sweetness in savory food, we reduced the agave sweetener in the sauce to 1/2 teaspoon. You can cut out the sweetener entirely, and make the sauce spicy with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or a dash or two of hot sauce.

We served the waffles with a side of sour cream, chopped chives and dill.
 
 
Ingredients For The Waffles

 
Ingredients For The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the roasted red peppers in a broiler. Place an oven rack 6 inches from the broiler element; preheat the broiler. While the broiler heats, line a baking sheet with foil.

Place the peppers on the baking sheet and broil until the peppers are charred black on all sides, turning them with tongs as needed.

Transfer the peppers to a heatproof bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap to let the peppers steam. Once they are cool enough to handle, rub off and discard the charred skins, the stem and seeds. Slice the remaining flesh.

2. COMBINE in a large bowl the mashed potatoes, buttermilk and eggs. Add the flour and salt and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the cheese, ham and dark green scallion. Save the white parts of the scallion for the sauce.

3. HEAT a large Belgian waffle maker on medium heat. When the iron is hot, spray it with cooking spray. Place 1 cup of the mashed potato mixture on the waffle iron and spread evenly. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown. Repeat for the remaining mixture.

4. MAKE the roasted red pepper sauce. Heat a small skillet over medium heat; add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl. Add the red onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they soften. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

5. STIR in the sliced red peppers and the remaining scallions, and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the agave, oregano and cumin, and turn off the heat.

6. BLEND the sauce until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve the sauce with the waffles.
 
 
MORE SAVORY WAFFLE RECIPES

While we’re not constrained to a gluten-free diet, we have tried our share of GF cookies, looking for the best for THE NIBBLE. That our Top Pick of The Week is FOMO Baking Company, an artisan GF cookie line, shows how the best artisans can create cookies that everyone can enjoy—and that few would suspect were gluten free.

The line of “cookie bites” is allergen-free (all of the top eight) and preservative-free; satisfyingly soft and chewy, come in six favorite flavors and are shipped directly

FOMO*, Fear Of Missing Out, is what owner/baker Brittany Baker (yes, a baker named Baker†) experienced when diagnosed with celiac disease. She found many gluten-free cookies to have an off-putting cardboard taste and/or a disappointing texture.

She saw that, while common food allergies were being addressed by numerous producers, most were addressing only one or two allergens. Plus, more than a few small producers were baking in shared kitchens, running the risk of cross contamination.

Thus was born FOMO Baking Co., fresh-baked cookies to be treasured by the allergen-challenged as well as their friends and family. Formerly a high profile attorney, after experimenting she decided to devote herself full time to developing and perfecting FOMO’s recipes.
 
 
FOMO FLAVORS

FOMO’s cookies are free of gluten, eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and shellfish (the latter of which you wouldn’t expect to find in a cookie, but it is one of the top eight allergens). Here’s more about the ingredients.

The flavors include all the favorites:

 
The cookies are 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
 
 
GET YOUR FOMO COOKIE BITES

The cookies are available in:

 
You can also sign up for a monthly subscription.

Either individual package or subscription, FOMO cookies are a great gift for anyone with food allergies.

Head to FomoBaking.com.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF COOKIES
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COOKIES: A GLOSSARY
 
________________

*While FOMO didn’t enter the OED until 2013, the phenomenon describing the anxiety was first identified in 1996 by a marketing strategist, Dr. Dan Herman. He published the first academic paper on the topic in 2000 in The Journal of Brand Management.

Author Patrick J. McGinnis coined the term FOMO and popularized it in a 2004 op-ed in The Harbus, the magazine of Harvard Business School. Here’s more about it.

†English names that represent professions—baker, carter, chandler (candle maker), cheeseman, clarke (clerk), cook, cooper, dyer, fisher, gardener, mason, miller, potter, shepherd, skinner, slater, smith, spinner, thatcher, tyler, weaver, webster (a female weaver), etc.—derive from olden times before people in the villages, which were small in population, needed surnames. As populations grew, they were called by their Christian names plus their profession’s name.

[1] FOMO Baking makes six types of allergen-free cookies (all photos © FOMO Baking Company).

[2] Brownie cookie bites.

[3] A plate of chocolate chip cookies.

[4] The yumminess shines through the package.

Is it potato salad or is it pasta salad? It’s both: a pasta salad made from potato gnocchi. The next time someone asks you to bring the potato salad to a gathering, surprise them with this recipe. The recipe is below.
 
 
WHAT ARE GNOCCHI

If you’re not familiar with gnocchi, it’s an Italian dumpling, small and oblong.

Gnocchi can be poached (boiled in salted water), baked or fried.

The dough ingredients include semolina, ordinary wheat flour, cheese (parmesan, ricotta), potato, and sometimes egg, vegetables (beets, herbs, pesto, pumpkin, spinach), breadcrumbs, cornmeal, chestnut flour, squid ink or other ingredients (see photo # 2).

Sometimes they have groove marks, made with a fork or other implement; sometimes they’re smooth with blunt-cut ends.

The purpose of the grooves is catch and hold onto the sauce.

Gnocchi are also called “pillow pasta,” a group that, according to Wikipedia, includes variations such as:

 
Check out all the different types of pasta.
 
 
GNOCCHI HISTORY

Gnocchi has been made since Roman times. It traveled north with the Roman legions as they expanded their empire across Europe.

The name may be derived from the Italian nocchio, meaning a knot in wood; or from nocca, knuckle. Here’s a detailed history of gnocchi.

 
RECIPE: GNOCCHI POTATO SALAD

We happened to have a bulb of fennel in the fridge, in addition to the celery required in the recipe. Since we love the light anise flavor of fennel (and it goes with all the other ingredients), we substitute fennel for half of the celery.
 
Ingredients For The Salad

 
Ingredients For The Dressing

 
Preparation

1. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, about 4 minutes (2 minutes for fresh gnocchi, which will also float to the top). Drain, rinse and set aside to cool. Meanwhile…

2. COMBINE the dressing ingredients from the mustard to the balsamic in a large serving bowl. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the oil until well combined.

3. ADD the celery and gnocchi to the dressing and toss to coat. Gently stir in the eggs. Garnish with the chives and serve warm or room temperature.
 
 
MORE GNOCCHI RECIPES

 
 
GNOCCHI TRIVIA

The most unusual name for gnocchi is strangolapreti, strangulaprievete pr strangoloprevete.

The name means “priest stranglers,” and was bestowed centuries ago when it was common practice in Italy to let priests eat for free in restaurants and homes.

According to the story, some restaurateurs wished that the “freeloaders” would choke on the pasta course before they could get to the more expensive meat and fish courses.

The apocryphal tale is that they rolled a shape that might get lodged in the priest’s throat. Whether the priests knew that the dish was called strangulaprievete, we do not know.

Potatoes Come To Italy

Potato gnocchi is the most popular type in Italy. While the ancient Romans ate gnocchi, potatoes didn’t come from Peru to the Old World until the 16th century.

One ancient Roman recipe consists of a semolina porridge-like dough mixed with egg, squash and breadcrumbs [source].

In 15th-century Lombardy, some gnocchi were made of bread, milk, and ground almonds. Another use for stale bread?

[1] Gnocchi potato salad: no potatoes, just potato gnocchi (all photos © DeLallo Foods).

[2] You can purchase gnocchi dried or fresh. Check out this dried potato gnocchi.

[3] A conventional dish of gnocchi with pesto cream sauce. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Baked gnocchi. Here’s the recipe.

[5] Cavatelli, a relative of gnocchi; here topped with caviar (photo © C Restaurant | Chicago [now closed].

[6] Malfatti, made with spinach and ricotta cheese. Here’s a recipe (photo © Spiced Blog).

[7] Strangulapriviete, “priest stranglers.” Here’s more about it; and see the trivia section below (photo © Comm’e Amaro Stu Ppane).