[1] High-calorie, high-fat cashews are de-fatted into less than one-third of the calories (photos © Murray’s).

[2] A jar of PB2 Cashew Powder (photos #2 and #3 © PB2 Foods).

[3] Just add water and the powder becomes a spread.

[4] Cut the calories by using nut powder instead of nut butter in sauces and other dishes (photo © Charles Deluvio | Unsplash).

[5] A cashew tree. The nuts grow out of the red and yellow “apples” (photo © Nakupenda Garden).

Way back in 2008, we wrote about the introduction of PB2, an aromatic and tasty peanut powder made from ground roasted peanuts that have been almost 85% defatted. People who love peanut butter but not the fat had a new friend in PB2. It could be reconstituted with water to a homemade PB-like consistency; but has equal uses as powdered garnish/flavoring and a cooking/baking ingredient.

Our favorite uses are mixing with vanilla or plain yogurt, tossing into chocolate and vanilla milkshakes, adding to pancake batter, and mixing into softened vanilla ice cream to make peanut butter ice cream.

Reconstituted with water as a peanut butter substitute, you won’t mistake PB2 for the real thing, any more than fat-free milk can be mistaken for whole milk.

But it’s a nice peanut butter paste. And as a reconstituted spread, it was far superior in taste than other peanut butter substitutes we’d tried.

At 54 calories per 2 tablespoons and just 2.8g total fat, it saved calories and fat for those who can’t have one or both.

And, it’s a replacement for protein powder in a smoothie, due to the similarity in the powder consistency.
 
 
INTRODUCING NEW PB2 CASHEW POWDER

Now there’s an equivalent nut powder for cashew lovers: PB2’s powdered cashew butter. Like PB2 peanut butter, it’s a single-ingredient product: 100% all-natural cashews. Roasted cashews are pressed to remove most of the oil, and then blended into a fine powder.

The first powdered cashew product of its kind, it’s 60 calories per two tablespoons, compared to 198 calories for regular cashew butter.

With fewer calories and some 80% less fat, it’s protein packed, with 4 grams of plant-based protein per 13-gram serving, and only 2.5 grams of fat.

For a nut butter spread, just blend 2 tablespoons of PB2 Cashew Powder with 1 tablespoon of water and stir until smooth.

Next, bake with it, or mix it into foods and drinks.

All PB2 products are:

 
Check out these recipes.

PB2 Cashew Powder is available on Amazon and other e-tailers, and at these retailers near you.

DISCOVER MORE AT PB2FOODS.COM.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CASHEW NUTS

Portuguese travelers came across cashew nuts in northeastern Brazil in 1558.

The nuts are the fruit of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale, photo #4) a tropical evergreen. But there was a catch.

The seed (the edible nut portion) is surrounded by a shell and skin that contain an allergenic oil that’s a potent skin irritant, similar to poison ivy.

Because of the irritation, the Portuguese thought the nuts were inedible.

But the indigenous Tupi people showed them that it was the shell and skin, and not the seeds, that were irritating. They shared how to roast the cashews to remove the irritants.

The word cashew comes from the Tupi word acaju, their generic word for nut.

The Tupi themselves learned to eat cashews from capuchin monkeys. The primates use primitive tools to break the shells and pick out the nuts [source].

That’s why cashews are are the only nut sold solely unshelled!

From Brazil, Portuguese merchants brought cashews to Goa on the southwestern coast of India, about 1560. It then spread through India.

In the second half of the 16th century, cashews spread to Southeast Asia and Africa. Much later it reached the U.S., around 1905.

Cashews reached the U.S. around 1905. The nuts didn’t become popular in the the western world until the mid-1920s, when the General Foods Corporation began shipping them in quantity to the U.S. and Europe.

In 2019, four million tonnes* of cashew nuts were produced globally, with Ivory Coast and India as the leading producers. Brazil, Vietnam and regions of West Africa are also major producers.

*Both ton and tonne are units of weight, but are not the same. A ton is a British and American measure, while a tonne is a metric measure.

There are a few cheeses that can turn a cheese plate into edible art.

One of these is Port Wine Derby, a smooth, creamy Derby cheese marbled with an infusion of Port wine to create an exquisite deep purple pattern.

The color and sweet blackcurrant undertones come from the Port wine, which is added to the vat to naturally blend with the maturing cheese (known as “vat made”).

It’s made by Belton Farm in Whitchurch, a market town in the north of Shropshire, England in the Midlands region of Central England and two miles east of the Welsh border.

The Beckett family has been making award-winning cheeses at Belton Farm since 1922. Port Wine Derby was a winner in the International Cheese Awards in 2019, the last pre-Pandemic year the show was held (the next one is in October 2021).

 
 
WHAT IS DERBY CHEESE?

Derby cheese is a mild, semi-firm cow’s milk cheese made in the rural county of Derbyshire, England since at least the 17th century.

A traditional English-style cheese, it has a smooth texture with a mellow, buttery flavor.

Derby is similar to its cousin cheeses Cheddar and Cheshire in taste and texture, but with a softer body and slightly higher moisture content.

Like most of the traditional British hard cheeses, it was produced exclusively on farms and was typically sold at a younger age than its more famous cousins Cheddar and Cheshire. (Port Wine Darby is aged for four months before release; merchants can continue to age it.)

When young, Derby is springy and mild. As it matures, subtle sweet flavors develop and the texture becomes firmer.

BUY IT AT IGOURMET.COM
 
 
MORE BEAUTIFUL CHEESES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESE

________________

*Zinfandel substitutes include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Shiraz/Syrah.

[1] Port Wine Derby, beautiful to look at, beautiful to eat (photos #1 and #4 © iGourmet).

[2] One of the most beautiful wedges in the cheese world (photos #2 and #3 © Belton Farm).

[3] Belton Farm also makes Sage Derby (photo © Belton Farm).

[ ] Pair cheese with beautiful crackers, like these toasts in four flavors (shown, Apricot & Pistachio). Get them at iGourmet (photo © iGourmet).

[1] Churn your own: luscious homemade peach ice cream (photo © Dovile Ramoskaite | Unsplash).

[2] Graeter’s makes a limited-edition peach ice cream each summer. Grab it while you can (photo © Graeter’s).

[3] Even McConnell’s has discontinued its peach flavor (photo © McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams).

[4] No ice cream maker? Here’s a recipe for no-churn peach ice cream (photo © Bourbon And Honey).

[5] The riper the peaches, the better. When peaches seem to be overripe, they may be just right to puree for ice cream (photo © Good Eggs).

[6] Häagen-Dazs discontinued its peach ice cream (above), but now makes peach sorbetto (photo © Häagen-Dazs).

July 17th is National Peach Ice Cream Day. Our favorite childhood flavor (along with pistachio), peach ice cream got nudged out of the lineup before the end of the last century. It was replaced by flavors such as Cookie Dough and Oreo.

Even Talenti, which makes 51 flavors, ditched its Peachin favor of flavors like Banana Caramel Crunch, Chocolate Pretzel and Key Lime Pie.

McConnell’s likewise: 24 flavors include Cherry Cheesecake & Graham Cracker Crumble, Cinnamon & Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Honey & Cornbread Cookies, but no more peach (take a last look at it in photo #3). Only Graeter’s, it seems, remains.

Why? Like anything else, trends. Younger customers have never had peach ice cream. And caramel, cookies, and crunch sound better to them than fruit.

Plus, fresh peaches are only available for four months at best (although frozen peaches work), so only smaller artisan producers tend to make it (look for Graeter’s—photo #2).

We made a batch with fresh peaches (the recipe is below); and it was so heavenly, we’ll be trying the frozen peaches when the summer is open.
 
 
WHAT ARE AMERICA’S FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVORS?

A recent Newsweek article reported on the most popular ice cream flavors in the U.S., based on a YouGov survey of approximately 20,000 adults. The results were released in July 2020.

The most popular flavors are, in order:

 
While we like any ice cream and have a particular fondness for five of those flavors, we’ll be making more peach ice cream next weekend. (Not so amazingly, yesterday’s quart is all gone.)
 
 
RECIPE: PEACHES & CREAM ICE CREAM

This rich and creamy recipe delivers a “peaches and cream” flavor rather than pure peach intensity.

It’s an extremely rich French custard recipe (or “French-style” ice cream), in the manner of Häagen-Daz, which includes eggs.

The recipe can be used with any type of fruit, as long as you have 5 cups of purée. The proportions work for a 4-quart ice cream maker. You can cut it in half.

When making ice cream, use very ripe fruit. Every time we see fresh peaches on sale because they’re so ripe that it’s their “last day,” we scoop them up and make ice cream.

Tips:

 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE the peaches in a food processor or blender, keeping the 3 cubed peaches aside. You need 5 cups of purée.

2. MIX together in a large bowl the eggs and sugar until smooth. Stir in the 5 cups of purée; blend well.

3. ADD the cream, milk, vanilla, and salt; blend well. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (do not overfill your machine). Add the cubed peaches (the “inclusions”) according to the instructions for inclusions.

4. PLACE the ice cream in the freezer to harden. But before you do, enjoy a dish as “soft serve.” The flavors are more delicious right out of the churn, rather than after the ice cream hardens.
 
 
MORE PEACH ICE CREAM RECIPES

 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FROZEN DESSERTS
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF PEACHES

July is National Hot Dog Month, 31 days to try something new.

We’ve seen hot dogs wrapped in biscuit dough (photo #2), but why not a regular wrap?

That’s what Atoria’s Bakery did with their whole grain lavash (lah-VASH), a flexble flatbread.

Atoria’s makes lavash in Traditional, Garlic & Herb, Whole Grain & Flax, and new Roasted Red Pepper.

We really liked the switch from the standard doughy white bread hot dog roll.
 
 
WHAT IS LAVASH?

Lavash is an Armenian flatbread made with wheat flour, water and salt.

It can be topped with toasted sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic and other seasonings.

When fresh, lavash is soft and thin like a tortilla (but with more flavor), and is used as a sandwich wrap for kebabs and other foods.

It hardens (or can be baked) into a crunchy cracker consistency.

Use fresh lavash for wraps, rollups, panini, flatbread pizza base.

Of course, use it as a substitute for other breads with soup, salads, stews, etc.

You can slice it in advance, or be casual and just tear off pieces.

We’re big fans of Atoria’s Bakery (here’s our review).

You can order their lavash, naan and pita online.
 
 
RECIPE: LAVASH DOGS

Ingredients For 2 Dogs

 
Preparation

1. CUT the sheet a lavash in half, horizontally.

2. GRILL the hot dogs according to package instructions.

If you want, you can also lightly grill the lavash—but not so that it’s too hot to handle.

3. WRAP the lavash around the dog; then add condiments as desired.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF FLATBREAD & LAVASH

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BREAD
 

30 MORE HOT DOG RECIPES

Beef dogs, chicken dogs, pork blend, turkey dogs, vegan dogs:

These recipes work with any type of dog (leaving off the bacon and cheese for the vegan dogs, of course).

 
 
HOT DOG ROLL RECIPES

[1] Try a hot dog in a lavash wrap instead of a doughy white bread roll (all photos except #2 © Atoria’s Family Bakery).

[2] Hot dog in a crescent roll wrap (photo © Bison Council).

[3] Sheets of traditional lavash.

[4] Look for the Atoria’s package.

[5] Dips with all three of Atoria’s breads: lavash (at left), pita (at right) and naan (at top).

[6] At dinner, lavash in the bread basket.

[1] Braziian Sangria, made with cachaça substituting for vodka or other spirit (photos #1, #2, #3 © Novo Fogo).

[2] Silver (prata) cachaça is not aged; it “rests” in stainless steel vats before bottling. It is also called branca (white), clássica (classic) or tradicional (traditional).

[3] Novo Fogo’s Chameleon cachaça is categorized as an amarela or yellow cachaça. It’s aged in wood, which causes the color to change from clear to yellow. Amarela cachaça can also be called ouro (gold) or envelhecida (aged) cachaça.

[4] It’s easy to turn honey into honey syrup, a simple syrup. The recipe is at right (photo © National Honey Board).

Mention cachaça and most savvy imbibers would respond: Caipirinha!

Cachaça (cah-SHA-sah) is Brazil’s national spirit, and the Caipirinha (kai-puh-REEN-ya, photo #2) is one of the easiest cocktails to make. We’ve included the recipe below.

There are numerous fine cachaca brands available in the U.S. One we’ve been enjoying is Novo Fogo (“new fire”), especially their versatile Chameleon Cachaça (photo #3).

It’s aged for one year in repurposed American oak barrels, just long enough to gather nuances of flavor and aroma: a hazelnut nose and sweet-and-spicy herbs in the palate, finishing with some lively citrus.

Novo Fogo also has an award-winning Two-Woods Series (aged in American oak plus Brazilian woods) and single barrel cachacas aged 2, 3 and 5 years. All are affordable gifts for the cachaça lover.

Discover them and more at NovoFogo.com.

We thank them for these two cachaça recipes.
 
 
RECIPE #1: BRAZILIAN RED SANGRIA

This recipe uses honey syrup. The recipe is below.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients with ice. Garnish as desired.

 
RECIPE #2: AGED CAIPIRINHA

You can make a Caipirinha more special by using barrel-aged cachaça (analogous to a reposado tequila—photo #3).

Over the years, numerous variations have appeared. For example, a Caipiroska substitutes vodka for the cachaça, a Caipirissima replaces the cachaça with rum.

Then came the Lemon Caipirinha, the Strawberry Caipirinha, the Whisky Cipirinha, and so on.

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture did not want the national cocktail to be sullied with other ingredients, so in order to be called a Caipirinha, they published a decree in 2009. Legally, to be called a Caipirinha, the drink can only be made with cachaça, lime and sugar.

They can only enforce the law in Brazil in commercial establishments; so if you feel the need to play with the recipe, go ahead.

This recipe uses aged cachaça, for more layers of flavor.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MUDDLE the lime in a shaker until the juice is all squeezed out. Add the sugar and muddle to combine.

2. ADD the cachaça and ice, shake, and strain into a glass with ice cubes. Enjoy!

 
RECIPE #3: HONEY SYRUP

Honey syrup is simple syrup that is made with honey instead of table sugar. It’s the same 1:1 recipe as simple syrup.
 
Ingredients For 1 Cup

*Don’t have superfine sugar? Just pulse table sugar in a food processor or spice mill to superfine consistency.*

†There is a difference between stored and aged cachaça. Stored cachaça is kept in wooden barrels for a non-specified period of time. Aged cachaça must contain more than 50% of cachaça that is at least one year old, and rested in barrels of up to 700 liters. The highest categories of aged cachaça are Premium, aged for a period not shorter than one year, and Extra Premium, aged for a period of than three years or longer. Both of these must contain 100% of cachaça aged in wood barrels.