[1] This corn-and-bean-salsa-topped baked potato is festive for Cinco de Mayo, or anytime you’d like a baked potato with pizzazz (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] We like a sour cream garnish on this stuffed potato (photo © Wisconsin Cheese).

[3] Make extra salsa and enjoy it for the next few days with chips, on burgers and hot dogs, with eggs, mixed into plain yogurt as a dip and sauce, and much more. Here’s the recipe (photo Shirley Glaab | Taste Of Home).

How can you turn a baked potato into a Cinco de Mayo dish? Fill it with corn and bean salsa! Add a sour cream topping and you’re set to enjoy the flavors of the day.

This recipe was developed by Sylvia Fountaine, a Pacific Northwest chef, caterer and Feasting At Home blogger; and sent to us by the Idaho Potato Commission.
 
 
RECIPE: BAKED POTATO WITH ROASTED CORN & BLACK BEAN SALSA

Ingredients For 2 Baked Potatoes

 
For The Corn and Black Bean Salsa

 
Preparation

1. PLACE all the corn and black bean salsa ingredients into a medium bowl and combine thoroughly. Adjust the salt and lime juice, adding more if you like.

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

3. TOP with the sour cream and/or drizzle them with hot sauce. Serve immediately.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF POTATOES
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF SALSA
 
 
> MORE USES FOR SALSA

For a Mother’s Day homemade treat that doesn’t involve turning on the stove or the oven, how about some strawberry and rosé ice pops? This recipe, from Teresa Barajas, was sent to us by the California Strawberry Commission.

Fun and refreshing, the ice pops are infused with rosé wine (photo #1). There is no added sugar. Nutrition per pop is 59 calories, 4g carbohydrate, 3g sugar and 4mg sodium.

A friend of ours “double dips” by dipping the ice pop into her glass of rosé. This recipe does something similar (photo #2).

Here are some rosé wine ideas for Mother’s Day.
 
 
RECIPE: STRAWBERRY ROSÉ ICE POPS

We recommend a lighter, sweeter style of rosé. Ask for direction at your wine store.

You can also serve a rosé sangria with the ice pops.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE 9 strawberries and the water into a blender; blend until puréed.

2. SLICE the remaining 3 strawberries and distribute among ice pop molds.

3. POUR the strawberry purée into the molds and freeze for 30 minutes. Place a wooden stick in each ice pop and return to freezer until solid.

4. SERVE: Place each ice pop in a large wine glass and pour rosé over it. Serve immediately.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ICE POPS
 
> THE HISTORY OF STRAWBERRIES
 
 
ABOUT CALIFORNIA STRAWBERRIES

Along the central and southern coasts of California, a rare combination of special climate and special soils make California home to nearly 90% of America’s strawberry crop.

With cool morning mists from the Pacific Ocean and warm afternoon sun, strawberries grow sweet and juicy.

All hundreds of California strawberry farmers are cultivating the majority of all the U.S.-grown strawberries on less than one percent of the Golden State’s farmland.

[1] Strawberry-rose ice pops, served with a glass of rosé (photos #1 and #2 © California Strawberries).

[2] Dip the pop into the rosé.

[3] Fresh-picked strawberries (photo © Lucinda Hershberger | Wesual | Unsplash).

Strawberries are America’s third most popular fruits (see the chart below).

Discover more about California strawberries at CaliforniaStrawberries.com.
 
 
AMERICA’S MOST POPULAR FRUITS

America’s most popular fruits are based on a 2020 survey by Statista, asking consumers which fruits they had purchased in the past 12 months (chart © Statista).

[1] The Woodford Spire bourbon cocktail, served in a julep glass (both photos © Woodford Reserve).

[2] Woodford Reserve, smooth and tasty, is an excellent Bourbon to drink straight or in cocktails.

[3] Lemonade from frozen concentrate is second-best to fresh-squeezed (photo © Minute Maid).

Tomorrow you’ll be able to watch “the most exciting two minutes in sports” on T.V. Yes, there will be some spectators at Churchill Downs, socially distanced. And in addition to Mint Juleps, they may be drinking a Woodford Spire, created by Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Woodford Reserve is the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby.

If you’re new to Woodford Reserve, it’s a great value at its price point*. Its smooth taste makes it a fine Bourbon to drink straight; or of course, to mix in any Bourbon cocktail.

So ladies: put on your most festive hat. Gentlemen: look dapper with a bow tie.

And both of you: Get out tall glasses or your julep cups, and start mixing!

And if you don’t get our fill during Derby time, June 14th is National Bourbon Day/
 
 
RECIPE: WOODFORD SPIRE

While you can buy bottled lemonade, it doesn’t taste as good as fresh-squeezed.

But in second place is frozen lemonade. Buy a can of concentrate and dilute it with water. Check the label to see that it’a made from real lemon juice—not reconstituted juice. It will be tastier (and less expensive) than ready-to-drink lemonade.

Serve the Woodford Spire in a mint julep cup. If you don’t have one, substitute a copper Moscow Mule cup, or any other glass, including a wine glass.

Ingredients Per Cocktail

 
Preparation

1. MIX the Woodford Reserve, lemonade, and cranberry juice in a shaker or pint glass, with a bar spoon.

2. POUR into a mint julep cup, and add crushed ice to the top of the glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
 
 
> BEYOND BOURBON: THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WHISKEY
 
 
________________

*You can find the Woodford Reserve 750ml for less than $40. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is more.

Zuzu is a sparkling cocktail made with 100% agave* spirit and fresh citrus juice. And it’s just 90 calories per 250ml (8.4 ounces), 5g sugar, and 5% A.B.V.† (10 proof). That’s about half the A.B.V. of a glass of white wine. So in addition to being delicious, Zuzu is refreshing and elegant.

The sparkling drinks, in Passion Fruit and Calamansi Lime, have:

 
Zuzu is part of the trend towards lower alcohol refreshments. The drinks are all natural ingredients, with no preservatives.

It’s great at the end of the day, to open a bottle, put on some music and relax.

We’re big fans and highly recommend Zuzu—as an upcoming Mother’s Day treat or gift, or for any day when you’d like some sophisticated, sparkling refreshment.
 
 
HOW ZUZU IS MADE

While some ingredients are imported, Zuzu is 100% U.S.-made. First, 100% pure agave spirit is distilled using the agave juice (or aguamiel) extracted from the organic agave plants of a family farm outside of Jalisco, Mexico.

The product is produced in Missouri. Calamansi juice, passion fruit purée, sparkling water and a dash of organic agave syrup are mixed with the agave juice, and bottled.

The bottles are then “tunnel pasteurized,” a hot water bath that protects the nuances of flavor and effervescence, but renders the drink shelf stable for more than a year.

Discover more at DrinkZuzu.com.
 
 
GET YOUR ZUZU

Here’s a store locator in the New York area, for in-store purchase or delivery.

Here’s how to order it online.
 
 
WHAT IS A CALAMANSI LIME

Citrus x Citrofortunella mitis, known as the calamansi or calamondin lime in the U.S., is also known as the Chinese, or China, orange; the Panama orange; golden lime; and the scarlet lime.

 
The rind color can be green or orange (photo #1), even variegated (photo #5); but the flesh inside is always orange in color.

The orange versions, with orange rind and flesh, are sometimes mistakenly called calamondin oranges.

The juice is very acidic juice, leading to wide culinary use.

 
In the U.S., the domestic calamonsi crop is grown in Central Florida, yielding abundant fruit throughout the year. They can also grow in Arizona, California, Louisiana and South Texas.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF LIMES
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIMES
 
________________

*Different varieties of agave are used to make mezcal and tequila.

†According to the National Institute Of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the typical pour of wine (an average of both red and white) is 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol [source].

[1] Zuzu refreshing sparkling cocktails are available in two flavors, Calamansi Lime and Passion Fuit (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Zuzu).

[2] The bottles are ready-to-drink cocktails for guests…and certainly, for yourself!

[3] A passion fruit, also spelled passionfruit.

[4] Calamondin / calamonsi limes. The rind can be green or orange—or variegated, as in the next photo. But the fruit inside is always orange (photo Fotolia).

[5] A variegated variety of calamansi / calamondin limes (photo © Specialty Produce).

Our Top Pick Of The Week is Holm Made Toffee, a 30-year-old family enterprise that began as many artisan food companies do: by making toffee gifts for friends and family. As with most of these small businesses, the thundering enthusiasm from the recipients led them, ultimately, to a small commercial enterprise. As more people tasted Holm Made Toffee, demand grew and now, Randi Holm has created a family business positioned to be a legacy for her children and grandchildren.

The toffees focus on hazelnuts, a local crop in Oregon, where Holm is based. A whopping 99% of the U.S. hazelnut crop is produced in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. (There’s more about hazelnuts below.)

The delicious flavors include:

 
Plus, there are seasonal flavors, and a dozen gift box assortments.

If this is too much choice for you, just order the six-pack of most popular flavors.

We tasted six different flavors, and have just this to say: Each flavor is so special, that we’d skip the Original in favor of tasting as many flavors as we can.

Cardamom? Espresso? Lavender? Spicy? Anything else? You can’t go wrong.

In addition to pieces of toffee and gift boxes of toffee, there are Toffee Bits: little pieces you can use to garnish ice cream; rim cocktails, coffee, hot chocolate, even milk; roll to coat ice cream sandwiches, and so much more.
 
 
GET YOUR HOLM MADE TOFFEE

For gifts, or to treat yourself, head to HolmMadeToffee.com.

Your taste buds will thank you.
 
 
TRIVIA: HAZELNUTS ARE FILBERTS

When we were growing up, nut assortments and chocolate-covered nuts were called filberts. Why?

It is believed that the name was based in Catholicism. The feast day for France’s St. Philbert is August 20th, the same time that France’s hazelnut crop is ready to be harvested. Hence, a celebration of both.

On the other hand, some historians believe that “filbert” derives from the German vollbart which means “full beard.” The husked shell of the hazelnut resembles a beard.

Hazelnuts are also called cobnuts. Here’s more about it.

Americans’ greatest consumption of hazelnuts is probably in the chocolate hazelnut spread, Nutella, and its imitators.
 

HAZELNUT HISTORY

The hazelnut originated in Asia Minor (Anatolia), a peninsula that comprises the major part of modern Turkey.

Chinese manuscripts dating back 5,000 years discuss the nut. The Greeks and the Romans spread it all over Europe, where it has been grown from ancient times to the present. Many of today’s cultivated varieties were developed in the 19th century, following a great interest for hybrids [source].

Turkey remains the main producing country for hazelnuts worldwide, followed by Italy, Spain and the U.S.

More hazelnut trivia: Botanically, most nuts are the seeds of a fruit, while true nuts—such as chestnuts, acorns and hazelnuts——are fruits in and of themselves [source].
 

TOFFEE HISTORY

Most food historians believe that the toffee we know today, made with caramelized sugar and butter, emerged by the early 19th century.

It may have happened in England, one of the northern European dairying countries that plentiful supplies of butter.

[1] A treat for friends and family. Quite frankly, we didn’t put our toffee in a bowl: We ate it straight from the box (all photos © Holm Made Toffee)!

[2] In addition to pieces of toffee, you can buy “toffee bits” for garnishing (photo #3).

[3] Toffee bits are available in four flavors.

[4] Sweet and salty combine in Himalayan Pink Salt Toffee.

[5] Make it a happy birthday with Birthday Cake Toffee.

English toffee and American toffee diverged with the preferred use of sugar type. English toffee is made with brown sugar, while American-style toffee, known as buttercrunch is made with white table sugar (granulated sugar).

Buttercrunch is typically dusted with crushed almonds or other nuts. Some are enrobed in chocolate—dark, milk or white.

And sometimes, as with Holm Made Toffee, the toffee is flavored with espresso, lavender, spices, etc.

It’s important to note that the use of the terms toffee and buttercrunch in the U.S. are not consistent. Many producers who use granulated sugar and nuts call their products “English toffee” or simple, “toffee.”

Why? Perhaps they aren’t aware of the difference; perhaps because “English toffee” may have more consumer appeal than “buttercrunch.”

But now, you’re an educated consumer: You know the difference.

But does it make a difference whether it’s called toffee or buttercrunch?

Only if you’re a nit-picking food historian. (We are.)