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).

[1] Grilled romaine turns into a grilled Caesar Salad (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[2] Another look at grilled Caesar Salad (photo © Stagione Restaurant | Charlotte).

[3] A classic Caesar Salad (photo © Safe Eggs).

[4] A different way to serve Caesar Salad: without tearing the romaine (photo © Yondu | Facebook).

[5] Shave the parmesan for the garnish (here it’s served with an arugula and fig salad). Here’s how to shave Parmesan (photo © Ethan Stowell Restaurants | Seattle).

The original Caesar Salad was simply romaine dressed with lemon juice and parmesan cheese, and topped with croutons. As you’ll see in the history of Caesar Salad, it was an ad hoc salad: an “incidental” recipe like Cobb Salad, Toll House cookies and nachos, making use of ingredients on hand.

The anchovies, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and Worcestershire Sauce came later.

Before we head to the recipe, here’s a bit of Food 101:
 
 
PARMESAN VS. PARMIGIANO REGGIANO: THE DIFFERENCE

Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the world’s great cheeses; it has been described by connoisseurs as the King of Cheeses. Production is limited to areas, ingredients and techniques set in law in Italy.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a D.O.P. protected trade name. Exclusive control is exercised by the Parmigiano-Reggiano Consorzio, the consortium of producers that presides over its production and sales.

Each wheel of cheese must meet strict criteria early in the aging process. The rinds of approved cheeses are heat branded on the rind with the Consorzio’s logo.

Wheels which fail to meet these criteria have their rinds stripped of all markings and cannot be sold as Parimigiano-Reggiano.

Parmigiano-style cheeses that are made outside of the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Italy, and outside the jurisdiction of the Consorzio, anywhere in the world, are called Parmesan.

They are not subject to the standards of the Consorzio. The D.O.P. ensures that you get authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano, and all of the quality it ensures.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is much more expensive than parmesan: $37 per pound for a five-year-aged cheese, compared to #13 per pound for a domestic parmesan like BelGioioso.

If you’ve got the bucks, go for the best. Otherwise, pick up the parmesan.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED CAESAR SALAD

Thanks to Wisconsin Cheese for this recipe. They made the recipe with Cello brand parmesan, made in Wisconsin,
 
For The Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette

 
For The Salad

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the vinaigrette. Whisk the lemon juice, zest, Dijon mustard and sugar in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Whisk in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. SHAVE the parmesan cheese for the garnish. Here’s how.

3. GRILL the romaine. Grease the grill grate and heat the grill to medium. Cut the romaine hearts in half lengthwise, brush the cut side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

4. GRILL them, cut sides down, until grill marks appear (about two minutes). Alternatively, you can grill the romaine, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally.

5. TRANSFER the romaine to a serving platter. You can serve half the head of romaine, or cut it into quarters by slicing the half once more. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with shaved parmesan and croutons.

Variation: After grilling, you can cut the grilled romaine crosswise into two-inch-wide strips to resemble a more traditional Caesar. Or, you can serve the leaves separated (photo #4) by cutting off the core and fanning the leaves.
 
 
MORE CAESAR SALAD RECIPES

[1] The Arnold Palmer, a mix of lemonade and iced tea, turned into a vodka cocktail (photos #1 and #2 © Seagrams Vodka).

[2] It’s easy to make an Arnold Palmer at home: half iced tea, half lemonade. Turn it into a cocktail with vodka.

[3] We don’t have a photo of the Salted Watermelon Lemonade, but this Spicy Watermelon Margarita shows the Tajín rim. Here’s the recipe (photo © STK LA Steakhouse).

[4] Tajín seasoning: salt, cayenne and lime (photo © Industrias Tajín).

[5] Lemonade with a rim of lime zest. You can mix the zest with some sugar if you like (photo © Saint Marc Pub Cafe | Huntington Beach, California [now closed]).

August 20th is National Lemonade Day. You can whip up fresh-squeezed lemonade or make a fancier lemonade recipe. Or how about some lemonade cocktails—vodka, gin, and tequila all blend well with the sassy citrus.

Here are two lemonade cocktails created by Seagram for today or weekend sipping. Seagram uses their flavored vodkas; but if you can’t find them, there are hacks. It’s easy to transition to a lemonade-flavored vodka like Absolut Citron.

There are 25 more creative lemonade recipes below, both cocktails and non-alcoholic versions.
 
 
> The history of lemonade.

> The different types of lemons: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE #1: SWEET TEA ARNOLD PALMER

An Arnold Palmer is a mix of lemonade and iced tea (here’s more about it).

Seagram’s turned it into a cocktail with their Sweet Tea Vodka (photo #1). We happened to have Absolut Citron on hand instead and also hacked the recipe by using an actual Arnold Palmer (50:50 iced tea and lemonade) instead of straight lemonade.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the vodka and lemonade or Arnold Palmer over ice in a highball glass.

2. STIR, then garnish with mint and lemon.
 
 
RECIPE #2: SALTED WATERMELON LEMONADE

Seagram’s makes watermelon vodka, but again, we substituted Absolut Citron and pressed watermelon juice.

The “salted” component is a rim of Tajín Seasoning, a popular flavored salt that includes cayenne and lime. It’s a great addition to your spice shelf: It can be used on just about anything, savory or sweet.
 
Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparationd

1. RIM the glass with Tajín (moisten the rim and twist in a saucer or small plate of seasoning).

2. PRESS cubes of watermelon to create juice.

3. ADD the juice, lemonade, and vodka to a highball glass. Stir and top with club soda.

4. GARNISH with a watermelon wedge.

 
MORE LEMONADE RECIPES: COCKTAILS

 
 
NO ALCOHOL LEMONADE RECIPES

 
Plus:

August 18th is National Potato Day. We could celebrate happily with a fully loaded baked potato or some fabulous fries. But when we received this recipe from Gourmet Attitude, we knew we had to make it. (There’s no National Potato Salad Day…yet.)

Gourmet Attitude specializes in everything truffle: fresh truffles, frozen truffles, truffle butter, truffle cream, truffle honey, truffle oil…we’re too hungry to go on.

The recipe was created by Denise Woodward of Chez Us, a recipe blog with many fans.

So thanks Denise, thanks Gourmet Attitude, thanks to America’s potato growers, and thanks to the truffle hunters who scour forests in France and Italy, looking for the best truffles.
 
 
TRUFFLE SUBSTITUTES

Fresh black winter truffles ($95/ounce) and fresh black summer truffles ($79 two ounces) may be too much of a luxury for most of us. So here are some substitutes:

While the aroma and flavor of truffles are unique, dry porcini mushrooms can be substituted in most recipes.

 
With or without truffles or porcini, you can substitute one or two tablespoons of truffle oil for the olive oil in the recipe.
 
And it’s a perfectly good potato salad recipe without any truffles or porcini.

 
> The History Of Potatoes

> The Different Types Of Potatoes

> The Different Types Of Truffles

> The Difference Between Fungus Truffles, Chocolate Truffles & Candy Truffles

> 25 More Potato Salad Recipes
 
 
RECIPE: BLACK TRUFFLE POTATO SALAD

Serve this potato salad with grilled meats and seafood; baked ham; fried, grilled, or barbecued, chicken; brats; and with a classy burger.

It can be served warm, room temperature, or chilled from the fridge.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING water to a boil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Season with kosher salt. Add the potatoes and cook only until fork tender, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking…

2. MAKE the dressing. In a jar, combine the olive oil, vinegar, thyme and minced truffles*. Shake to combine.

3. PLACE the cooled potatoes, celery and shallots in a large mixing bowl. Pour on the dressing and lightly fold to mix.

4. SERVE in a bowl or on a serving platter. Garnish with some truffle slices*.

 
USES FOR TRUFFLE OIL

If you buy it for this recipe, there are other dishes that would enjoy a brushing, spray or toss of truffle oil.

[1] A very luxurious potato salad with black truffles (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Gourmet Attitude).

[2] Problem: Who gets the garnish of truffle slices?

[3] Black winter truffles. See our Truffle Glossary for the different types of truffles.

[4] Dried porcini mushrooms don’t taste like mushrooms, just like an orange doesn’t taste like a grapefruit. But it adds its own special flavor to the potato salad (photo © Caviar Russe).

[5] Truffle oil is delicious as a dip with fries, Here’s more about truffle oil (photo © La Tourangelle).

*Substitute ground porcini mushrooms for the minced truffles, and sliced porcini mushrooms for the truffle slices. The different types of mushrooms.