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TODAY IN FOOD: It’s National Croissant Day

Croissants For National Croissant Day
A truly fine, fresh croissant is buttery enough (photo © La Rose Noir).

 

Is there a person reading this who does not enjoy a buttery croissant? (Alas, not all are made with butter…so avoid buying croissants at inexpensive delis, and eagerly seek out new bakeries to see what they have to offer.)

Our only complaint is that the flaky puff pastry that is so delightful in the mouth invariably ends up all over our place setting and our clothing. We admire people who can eat one neatly.

A good croissant already contains so much butter that it needs no more embellishment. If you get one from a top baker who uses the best butter, enjoying each bite without the interference of additional butter or jam is, in our opinion, the way to go. But if you love your jam or honey, we wouldn’t deny you.

Making croissants by hand is very labor-intensive. Much of what is available today is factory-made, pre-formed and frozen, delivered to the bakery, food store, or restaurant, and “baked on our premises.”

In the 1970s, the croissant evolved into trendy fast food, filled with everything from broccoli to ham and cheese (and in many cases, lowering the quality of the puff pastry itself with margarine or other butter substitute).

> The history of croissants and croissant recipes.

 

 
 

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TIP OF THE DAY: Cocoa Garnishes

Hot Chocolate
For another variation, add chocolate confetti curls to your hot chocolate.
  Place cute character cookies (the gourmet version of animal crackers) on the whipped cream topping of a cup of hot chocolate. Look for small, lightweight cookies with interesting shapes in your specialty food store. But don’t stop there.


– See 25 ways to spruce up your hot chocolate. You’ll also learn the difference between cocoa and hot chocolate—they aren’t synonymous.

– You can also read the difference between natural and dutched chocolate.

– See reviews of more than 70 brands in the Cocoas & Hot Chocolates Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine.

 

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TODAY IN FOOD: It’s National Corn Chip Day


Fritos, America’s first corn chip (photo © Mx. Granger | Wikipedia).

 

January 29th is National Tortilla Chip Day.

What’s the difference between a corn chip and a tortilla chip?

Both are made from corn or masa,* vegetable oil, salt and water.

But tortilla chips are made from cut-up wedges of actual tortillas. That’s why they’re triangular.

Corn chips, on the other hand, are processed into a particular shape—curls or scoops, like Fritos.

Fritos, the first commercial corn chip, were invented in 1941, in San Antonio.

Tortilla chips were created some 10 years later, in Los Angeles.
 
 
>The History Of Corn Chips

>The History Of Tortilla Chips

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**You’ll often see masa listed in the ingredients, instead of corn. Masa is corn that has been dried, treated with a lime water solution (i.e., nixtamalized), then ground.

 

 
  

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TIP OF THE DAY: Souper Gifts

Broccoli Soup
Make a double batch of your delicious soup and share the wealth. We didn’t even start from scratch here, but used our favorite dried soup mix from Frontier Soups (each package makes so much soup, there’s enough to share).
  When you’re cooking your homemade soups, stews and sauces, make a double batch and give the other half as a gift. Delicious home-cooked food makes a welcome gift for birthdays, get well pick-me-ups, tired new parents, housewarmings, and is a nice touch to bring to a party for the host to enjoy the next day. If you want to make the gift even more elaborate, buy a special serving dish, ladle or set of soup bowls; or deliver the food in a handsome thermal container. See some of our favorite soups and soup recipes in the Soups & Stocks Section of THE NIBBLE online magazine.
 

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TODAY IN FOOD: It’s Blueberry Pancake Day

While we never turn down a plate of pancakes, this is another one of those holidays where we must question the wisdom: Why have Blueberry Pancake Day when blueberries are out of season? Who wants to make pancakes with highly expensive, not very sweet, fresh blueberries, or with tart frozen ones? The best solution, we think, is to sprinkle tasty dried blueberries onto your pancakes. We also recommend the following diversions:   Blueberries
Why schedule Blueberry Pancake Day when blueberries are out of season?
– THE NIBBLE’s Pancake Glossary, with dozens of different types of pancakes you’ve probably never heard of.

– An understanding of the grades of maple syrup.
– A review of Cherrybrook Kitchen’s allergen-free pancake mix.
Robert Lambert’s Gourmet Syrups for pancakes (and many other uses)—no maple here, but you might enjoy Bergamot or Kaffir Lime.

– The amazing Blender Bottle, perfect for mixing pancake batter without a whisk, egg beater or electric mixer (campers take note).

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