Until now, we were not the target customer for an energy drink. While many of our generation gulped the newly-arrived-from-Austria Red Bull, the flavor was unbearable to our sophisticated palate. That was around 1990. Many energy drinks have come and gone since. Red Bull remains the best-selling energy drink in the world, with 7.9 billion cans sold in a year as of 2020 [source].

Energy drinks are packed with sugar, so the category is now introducing zero calorie (no added sugar) versions.

 
They tasted a lot better than other no-sugar energy drinks, but still had those “energy drink” undertone flavors that stopped us from gulping the can. We only sipped as much as we thought we might need to keep us awake for a late dinner date.

Last week a box of True North Energy Seltzer appeared on our doorstep. It was a double surprise: Finally, we found our energy drink!

And True North Energy Seltzer is our Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
1. TRUE NORTH PURE ENERGY SELTZER

Ah, another 12 ounce (375 ml) slim can, but this time, tasting great!

The True North Company has two lines. The original line is True North Pure Energy Seltzer. It’s made in six flavors: Black Cherry (photo #1), Cucumber Lime (photo #2), Grapefruit Lemonade, Mandarin Yuzu, Peach Pear and Watermelon.

This is our kind of energy drink because it tastes just like flavored seltzer, untouched by sweeteners of any kind. The flavors are all-natural.

These seltzers also have what the brand calls “the added benefit of an immunity blend,” antioxidants and immune boosters.

The seltzers are fortified with vitamin C, vitamins A and C; a B-complex of B3, B5, B6, and B 12; and Zinc. Zero calories!

We order it by the case from Amazon. Alas, there’s no mixed case; but maybe the brand will read this and offer one.

Here’s more about the line.
 
 
2. TRU: FUNCTIONAL SELTZERS

For people who want a functional drink, and a little sweetness in their seltzer, there’s the new Tru line.

Functional foods and beverages are everyday foods enhanced (fortified) with supplemental nutrition. The goal is to provide a health benefit beyond normal satiation and nutrition. Here’s more about them.

Five of the Tru flavors are enhanced with different formulations of natural caffeine, vitamins and antioxidants. They all do the same thing: give you energy.

The sixth does the opposite: It helps you have a better night’s sleep. Call it the anti-energy seltzer.

The line is:

 
Select the formula you need*:

 
Then, there’s a variety to help you go to sleep:

Here’s more about the line.
 
 
GET YOUR TRUE NORTH ENERGY SELTZER

Head to DrinkTru.com.

It’s also available on Amazon.

Whether Original or Tru, try True North. You’ll have energy that also counts as hydration.

And you don’t have to make coffee!

[1] True North Pure Energy Seltzer provides a bigger boost than coffee, in our experience (all photos © True North Energy Seltzer).

[2] It comes in 6 flavors: Black Cherry, Cucumber Lime, Grapefruit Lemonade, Mandarin Yuzu, Peach Pear and Watermelon.

[3] True North’s functional line, Tru Energy Wake Up Blend provides the boost to start your day (all photos © True North Energy Seltzer).

[4] Defend (for immunity), Focus (for concentration) and Rescue (to detox after over-consumption of alcohol) energy seltzers.

[5] Power (workout blend) and Dream, the one seltzer that gives you sleep, not energy.

[6] The family of Tru flavors.

*The Nibble does not offer health advice and does not claim expertise in knowing the efficacy of functional foods. We rely on the information provided by the brand.

[1] Today’s featured recipe: corned beef hash with a fried egg. There are 12 more recipes below (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Idaho Potato Commission).

[2] You don’t need an egg on top. You can serve the hash with grits or mashed potatoes; or use it to stuff a baked potato. Or serve it with steamed cabbage, glazed carrots, or other favorite veggies.

[3] Want something less free form? Make corned beef hash patties. Here’s the recipe.

[4] Brisket turned into corned beef (photo © Omaha Steaks).

[5] Substitute chorizo for the corned beef and sweet potatoes for white potatoes, and you’ve got sweet potato chorizo hash. Here’s the recipe (photo © Betsy’s Life).

[6] If you have leftover beef, how about a beef and bacon hash? Here’s the recipe (photo © Lodge Cast Iron).

September 27th is National Corned Beef Hash Day, a dish that our family has served for at least three generations—mostly for weekend breakfasts, topped with a fried or poached egg.

We’ve got several corned beef hash recipes below, and some non-corned beef hash recipes as well. But first: What is corned beef?

Corning refers to curing or pickling the meat in a seasoned brine. Typically, brisket is used to make corned beef.

The word refers to the “corns” or grains of kosher (or other coarse) salt that is mixed with water to make the brine. The dish has many regional variations and seasonings.

Irish immigrants adapted corned beef from their Jewish neighbors on New York’s Lower East Side as a cheaper alternative to Irish bacon, precipitating the now-traditional Irish-American dish, corned beef and cabbage.

Smoking a corned beef, and adding extra spices, produces pastrami.

> Here’s the history of corned beef hash.
 
 
RECIPE #1: ONE-POT CORNED BEEF HASH

This recipe for corned beef hash is made in one pot and uses raw Idaho potatoes rather than cooked potatoes. However, you can make it with already-cooked potatoes as well.

Just melt both tablespoons of butter in the skillet, and add the onions, potatoes and corned beef at once, continuing with instructions as directed from step 4.

Either way, it’s a delicious way to use up any leftover corned beef you have, and makes a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner when served with sunny-side-up or fried eggs.

Poached eggs work, too; and while scrambled eggs won’t provide a runny yolk to drip into the corned beef, they’re just as tasty.

Don’t forget the toast.

Ways to serve corned beef hash without eggs:

 
This recipe was developed by Elizabeth Lindemann of Bowl of Delicious for the Idaho Potato Commission.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MELT 1 tablespoon of butter in a large lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it’s softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. ADD the potatoes and water or cooking liquid from the corned beef. Season with salt and pepper (if using the cooking liquid, you will need very little, if any, salt). Stir, bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

3. UNCOVER and simmer for 5 more minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. STIR the corned beef into the skillet, along with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Turn the heat up to medium high. Cook for about 3 minutes without stirring, until the bottom of the hash begins to brown.

5. STIR to flip the hash around and cook for another 3 minutes or so without stirring, until most of the hash has a good amount of browned, crispy bits (about 10 minutes total). If it starts to cook too quickly or burn, add a bit more butter and/or turn down the heat.

6. TURN off the heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

7. SERVE with sunny-side-up or fried eggs, with extra parsley for garnish, if desired.

 
12 MORE CORNED BEEF HASH & OTHER HASH RECIPES

September 26th is National Dumpling Day. Since National Apple Dumpling Day on September 17th, it begged the question: What are dumplings? Depending on the part of the world, the answer is different. In this article you’ll learn:

 
And for an explanation of why it’s so difficult to classify dumplings in our food system, see the ‡footnote.
 
WHAT ARE DUMPLINGS?

What is universal is that a dumpling made from some type of dough, cooked and usually served warm or hot.

It can be filled or not filled; i.e., simply a ball of dough—like suet dumplings*, gnocchi, knödel and a variety of sweet dumplings.

One unique type is the Chinese soup dumpling, a flour dough filled with broth and then steamed.

Other “soup dumplings,” like Chinese wontons, Eastern European kreplach (photo #6) and matzo balls, Italian tortellini and Polish pierogi (photo #2), are filled with meat or vegetables and served, boiled, in broth (they can also be prepared in other ways beyond soup).

So: We’ll agree that a dumpling is a small mass of soft dough that is cooked using different methods.

Sometimes the dough is rolled out to encase a filling; other times it’s formed into a ball or similar shape and cooked as is.

Plus:

 
The lines determining what a dumpling is, or isn’t, can cross over. For example, we may think of ravioli as a pasta, but it’s also a type of dumpling.

Is a tamale a dumpling? It’s fits the criteria above: an outer layer made with dough (here corn-based), filled, completely enclosed and then steamed.

Then there filled bread buns, such as Chinese steamed pork buns. Are they dumplings as well as buns? Well…yes.

How about a knish? Isn’t it a savory pastry? Yes, and it’s also a baked dumpling.

Here’s a discussion of the topic.
 
 
DUMPLINGS OF THE WORLD

If you’re a dumpling lover, chances are that you can’t get enough of them. How about having a dumpling party? Invite your favorite cooks to prepare different recipes, whether from cookbooks or from their ancestral homelands. Those who can’t cook can get Chinese or Japanese take-out.

We wish we could illustrate the following with photos, but space does not allow. Instead, we’ll focus on expanding this article for next year’s National Dumpling Day, with descriptions and links to recipes.

Before we list the dumplings, here’s a bit of trivia:

In China, the birthplace of the dumpling, there are so many different types of dumplings that there isn’t just one word to describe them all—i.e., no word in Cantonese, Mandarin for “dumpling.”

Try to look it up, and you’ll find jiǎozi, a style folded to look like a gold or silver Chinese ingot (here’s more about them). But there are different shapes and folds of Chinese dumplings, each with a different name.

Here are just some of the world’s delicious dumplings.

Savory Dumplings

 
Sweet Dumplings

 
 
READY TO PARTY?

So get ready for that dumpling party. Dumplings can be your appetizer, main course and dessert.

They’re great with beer, black tea (no milk or sugar) and wine.

It should be quite a party!

 
DUMPLING HISTORY

Dumplings were invented in China, the world’s oldest extant civilization and one that created so many things that are an essential part of our lives.

There are so many it would have taken too long to count them. But just a few: bronze (1700 B.C.E.), the compass (1100 C.E.), gunpowder (1000 C.E.), iron smelting (1050 B.C.E.), the kite (invented for military purposes, 1000 B.C.E.), the mechanical clock (725 C.E.), moveable type printing (960 C.E.), paper (105 C.E.), paper money (9th century C.E.), porcelain (1600 B.C.E.), row crop farming (6th century B.C.E.), the toothbrush (1498 C.E.) the umbrella (1500 B.C.E.) and—no surprise—acupuncture (300 B.C.E.), silk (4000 B.C.E.) and tea production (2737 B.C.E.) [http://china.usc.edu].

So the dumpling may seem a bit of an anticlimax.

The Dumpling Is Born

Its invention is attributed to Zhang Zhongjing, who lived in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the second imperial dynasty of China (206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.) [source].

He was a pharmacologist, physician, inventor, and writer—one of the most eminent Chinese physicians during the later years of the Han dynasty.

He established medication principles and is considered the seminal founder of traditional Chinese medicine. Here’s more about him.

The story says that, returning to his home town after a long absence, during a difficult winter (and long before central heating), he noticed many people suffering from frostbite, especially around the ears. To he

To administer aid, Zhongjing took mutton, herbs and chiles, wrapped them in scraps of dough and folded them to look like ears (crescents) and voilà: jiaozi (potstickers).

He then steamed them to create something warm, nutritious, and may we add, delicious and comforting.

The herbs helped to improve blood circulation and prevent frostbite and the villagers loved the taste so much that they kept making the dumplings long after spring began [source].

The Dumpling Goes Global

The concept spread across the globe—not just as a tasty dish for keeping warm, but as a way to extend a limited amount of meat by mixing it with chopped vegetables or stale bread before boiling.

The first known dumpling recipe is found in “De Re Coquinaria” (“The Art of Cooking,” also “De Re Culinaria,” “On The Subject Of Cooking). It’s the the oldest surviving cookbook, thought to be be compiled in the 1st century C.E.

While its author is given as Apicius, likely it was compiled by different writers and named in honor of a well-known Roman gourmet, Marcus Gavius Apicius, who lived in the 1st century.

You can take a look at it here. It’s also available on Amazon in the original Latin, as well as in German and Italian translations.

The Word “Dumpling” First Appears

It wasn’t until the early 17th century that dumplings got their English name.

One authority dates the word to 1600, in the Norfolk dialect of Great Britain.

 
Bring on the dumplings!
 
________________

*The American version of British suet dumplings are the biscuit dumplings in the dish Chicken and Dumplings. The dumplings are made of biscuit dough, which is a mixture of flour, shortening, and liquid. They are then dropped into chicken broth and boiled. Chicken and dumplings is a soup that consists of a chicken cooked in water, with the resulting chicken broth being used to cook the dumplings by boiling.

Other American dumplings are rolled and cut into strips or squares before being added to soup or are hand-shaped (cornmeal dumplings, potato dumplings). There are even bread dumplings, made from stale bread mixed with eggs and seasonings.

[1] Xiao long bao: Chinese soup dumplings (photo © Shardar Tarikul Islam | Unsplash).

[2] Pierogies from Poland. Add some sour cream! (photo © Karolina Kolodziejczak | Unsplash).

[3] Empanadas, original from the Galicia region of Spain and from Portugal, which is immediately south of it (photo © Mary Locuaz | Pexels).

[4] Chinese guo tie, called potstickers in the U.S. These are steamed but they can also be fried (photo © Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes)

[5] Samosas from India (photo © The Fry Family Food Co. | Unsplash).

[6] Kreplach is a dumpling most often made to serve in the chicken soup of Jewish cuisine. Here’s the recipe (photo © Tori Avey).

[7] Modak, from India (photo © Prachi Palwe | Unsplash).

[8] Coxinhas, Brazilian dumplings, are deep-fried and can also be considered croquettes. The starch used is mashed potato Here’s a recipe (photo © Kroger).

[9] Manti, from Central Asia and the Middle East, here made with ground lamb and served with yogurt and mint. Here’s the recipe (photo © Delicious Magazine).

[10] Russian pelmeni are often served in soup or with sour cream. Here, a fusion approach: tomato sauce (photo © JaBB | CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0 License).

[11] Apple dumplings. Baked in pastry, they can be served as dessert with a sauce, or as a side with stews and other savory dishes (photo © Kevin K. | Unsplash).

Dumplings can be appetizers, sides, or desserts. They can be served at any meal of the day. Since they’re fundamentally dough-based foods made from flour or other starchy ingredients, culinarians typically classify them as starches or grain/cereal products in most food classification systems. Their very versatility makes them somewhat unique. In culinary terms, dumplings might be better described as a preparation method or cooking technique rather than a single food group, since the same basic concept—dough wrapped around or formed with various fillings can be adapted to serve different roles in a meal.

Some food scientists and culinary experts also categorize them under “convenience foods” or “composite foods” as they contain multiple ingredients like meat, vegetables, and starches all in one. In traditional Chinese cuisine, for example, they’re often grouped with other wheat-based foods like noodles under the broader category of mian shi.

The most accurate single classification remains “starches/grains.”
 
 

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[1] Key Lime Pie (photo © Morton’s The Steakhouse).

[2] Key Lime Cake. The recipe is below (photo © Taste Of Home).

[3] Key Lime Bars—better than lemon bars! (photo © My Baking Addiction).

[4] A Key lime layer cake. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Baker Chick).

[5] Key Lime Pie With A Chocolate-Almond Crust. Here’s the recipe. The difference between pies and tarts (photo © The Lemon Apron).

[6] Key Lime Yogurt Parfait. Just buy Key lime yogurt and assemble (photo © The Pampered Chef)

[7] Key Lime Pudding. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Pampered Chef).

September 26th is National Key Lime Pie Day. They are smaller, rounder, less acidic more fragrant than their more traditional relative, the Persian/Tahitian lime (the supermarket lime). Key lime skin is thinner and smooth. It grows in the tropics and subtropics*, and is used in many tropical cuisines throughout the world.

The Key lime is also known as the Mexican or West Indian lime—although it originated in the Indo-Malayan region of southern Asia.

The word Key is capitalized because the limes come from the Florida Keys, a string of tropical islands stretching some 120 miles off the southern tip of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

The original stock was brought there by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the early part of the 16th century.

> What are Key limes?

Key lime juice can be used in place of regular lime juice in anything, from cocktails to salad dressings (including fruit salad, where just a squeeze will suffice), on chicken and fish/seafood, in marinades, sauces and soups.

In addition to pie, we’ve got some of our favorite Key lime dessert recipes below: below bars, donuts, cake and a refreshing glass of Key limeade. In fact, we’re starting with a Key lime pound cake (recipe below!

> The history of Key limes.

> The history of Key Lime Pie.

> The different types of limes: a photo glossary.

> How to store lemons, limes and other citrus fruits.

> The year’s 40+ citrus holidays.

> The year’s 31 pie holidays.

> The year’s dessert holidays: part 1 (more than 100).

> The year’s dessert holidays: part 2 (more than 80).

> More Key lime recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: KEY LIME POUND CAKE

Thanks to Taste Of Home for this recipe, which was created by Pat Stewart, Canton, Georgia. Pat says, “It’s now the only cake requested at every gathering. The unfrosted cake freezes well.”

Prep time is 15 minutes, bake time is 1 hour 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients For The Cake (16 Servings)

 
Ingredients For The Frosting

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan (bundt pan). To remove cakes more easily, use solid shortening to grease the pan.

2. CREAM the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. BEAT in the lime zest, vanilla and lime juice. Add the flour alternating with the milk, beating well after each addition. Transfer to the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.

4. COOL in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. MAKE the frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, lime zest and lime juice until smooth. Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar.

6. SPREAD the frosting over the cake. If desired, garnish with lime slices and additional zest.

 
MORE KEY LIME RECIPES

Since it’s Key Lime Pie Day, we’ve only included sweet recipes here. But we also have savory Key lime recipes.

Key lime season is June through August. Perhaps the people who campaigned for National Key Lime Pie Day in September sell bottled juice.

If it’s out of season and the recipe requires Key lime zest, substitute regular lime zest.

The bottled juice isn’t anywhere near as good as the fresh juice. But as you peruse these delicious recipes, mark your calendar for June!

 
________________

*The Tropics. The region of the world in which the sun is directly overhead for at least one day of the year is found within a band on either side of the equator, from the latitudes of about 23.5°N (Northern Hemisphere) to 23.5°S (Southern Hemisphere). These bands are known as the Tropic of Cancer (Northern Hemisphere) and the Tropic of Capricorn (Southern Hemisphere). This portion of the world, between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, is known as the Tropics. The sunlight is stronger and climate is warmer than elsewhere on Earth.

The length of the days and nights is almost the same throughout the year. Tropical regions are found on and around the Equator. The equator receives equal amounts of daylight and nighttime throughout the year because it does not tilt in relation to the sun’s location.

The Subtropics. The subtropical zones lie immediately north and south of the Tropics, usually between about 23.5° and 40° (N and S). Most of what is known as the “Mediterranean Climate” is found in the subtropics. Winter is relatively warm, although the nights are longer relative to the tropics.

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How are you celebrating National Quesadilla Day, September 25th? We started with this fried egg quesadilla and for lunch the Peanut Butter & Jelly Quesadilla. For dinner, we’re heading to our local Mexican restaurant, where we’ve been eying the crab meat quesadilla. Will we be all quesadilla’d-out tomorrow? We don’t think so.

A quesadilla, from Mexico, is a type of soft taco. Traditionally a corn tortilla is used, but it can also be made with a flour tortilla (we prefer corn tortillas: much more flavor).

First and foremost, the tortilla is filled with cheese (queso Oaxaca), but not all regions focus on cheese (regional variations vary widely).

The quesadilla can also be filled with:

 
The tortilla is warmed on a griddle or stove so that it can be folded in half, and then filled. More heat melts the cheese.

Contemporary quesadillas: More and more cooks like to make quesadillas with “modern” ingredients: caramelized onions, goat cheese, pizza fillings. See the “nouvelle” recipes below.

Halloween quesadillas: Get ready for Halloween with Spokadillas, quesadillas designed to look like a mummy’s face (photo #3).

Breakfast quesadillas with eggs, cheese, and bacon are very popular in the U.S. And don’t forget dessert quesadillas: ice cream with chocolate, butterscotch or caramel sauce, fruits, and whipped cream!
 
There are more quesadilla recipes below, but we’re starting off with this fun fusion recipe. It merges two favorite American foods: Buffalo wings and quesadillas.

> The history of the quesadilla.
 
 
RECIPES: MINI BUFFALO CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

This recipe (photo #4) makes mini quesadillas for snacks, cocktail bites, and appetizers. You can make them regular size, of course.

The recipe, from Kingsford Charcoal, is Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 30 minutes.

We really like blue cheese, so added blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Another option would be hot salsa for dipping, to continue the hot sauce flavor of Buffalo wings. If you go this way, buy jarred smooth salsa, easier for dipping.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the grill for medium-high heat cooking, approximately 400°F. Once the grill has come to temperature, add 1–2 chunks of your favorite smoking wood (alternatively you can wrap a handful of smoking wood chips in foil and poke several holes in the foil) to the charcoal briquets.

2. SEASON the chicken thighs liberally on both sides with the dry rub. Place the thighs on the grill and cook for approximately 5 minutes per side until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the grill and allow the thighs to rest for 5 minutes before finely chopping. As the chicken rests…

3. COMBINE the blue cheese and mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl and blend well. Combine melted butter and hot sauce in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the chopped chicken to the hot sauce mixture.

4. SPRAY one side of 8 flour tortillas with canola oil and place them oiled side down on a large platter or sheet pan. Top each tortilla with 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Add approximately ¼ cup buffalo chicken, 4–6 slices of bell pepper and another tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining flour tortillas and spray with canola oil.

5. GRILL. Working in batches, grill the quesadillas for 3–4 minutes per side until they are lightly browned and the cheese has completely melted. Remove from the grill, cut into quarters and serve with the optional blue cheese dressing.
 
 
MORE QUESADILLA RECIPES

 
MODERN QUESADILLA FILLINGS

You’ll get the idea from these recipes that you can put pretty much anything you like into a quesadilla.

One trend is “pizzadillas,” quesadillas with pizza fillings. We’re down with an “everything” pizza quesadilla—including anchovies.

[1] Surf and turf? Here, lobster quesadillas. In the next photo, steak quesadillas (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[2] Flank steak quesadillas (photo © Kingsford Charcoal).

[3] Mummy “spookadillas.” Here’s the recipe (photo © Pace | Campbell’s).

[4] Fusion: mini Buffalo chicken quesadillas (photo © Kingsford Charcoal).

[5] Fusion: Texas BBQ pulled pork quesadillas with vinegar slaw. Here’s the recipe (photo © Snixy Kitchen).

[6] Different but delicious: peach, burrata and bacon quesadilla. Here’s the recipe (photo © Running To The Kitchen).

[7] White bean and kale quesadilla. Here’s the recipe (photo © Running To The Kitchen).

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