It’s not too early in the season to think about venison, one of our favorite fall and winter meats. And for families who don’t like turkey, it’s an excellent alternative for Thanksgiving.

Our friend Rowann grew up in a house with no poultry. Her father hated it. On Thanksgiving, beef replaced the traditional turkey.

But Rowann’s mom could have considered a historically accurate protein for the Thanksgiving menu: venison. Yes, deer abounded in the Pilgrims’ new land. Here’s how Edward Winslow, a senior leader on the Mayflower and one of the original Plymouth Colonists, described the first Thanksgiving feast in a letter to a friend:
 
 
COLONIAL TESTIMONY

“Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruits of our labor. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which we brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.”

Five deer, in addition to the fowl! Yes, venison belongs in a Thanksgiving repast. Not to mention, it’s delicious meat year-round—and better for you than beef.
 
 
VENISON NUTRITION

 
You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy venison. We have a terrific recipe below. But first:
 
 
WHY IS DEER MEAT CALLED VENISON?

Why is deer meat called venison instead of deer? Chicken is chicken and fish is fish, after all†.

The reason we call deer meat venison has to do with the Norman Invasion of England in 1066. “Deer” in French is cerf…which doesn’t sound like venison.

Rather, “venison” derives from the Latin word venor, meaning to hunt or pursue.

Following the Norman Invasion and the establishment of the royal forests by the Norman kings, the meat of any hunted animal (game) was called venison. Because more deer were hunted than any other animal, the venison became the word for deer meat.
 
 
RECIPE: NEW ZEALAND RACK OF VENISON WITH SAVORY MUSHROOM & APPLE STRUDEL

Thanks to New Zealand Venison for this recipe. In addition to rack of venison, the meat is available in boneless loin, chops, shoulder and other cuts, from stew meat to ground meat.
 
FOR THE VENISON

Prep time is 10 minutes. Cook time, for a rack of 2.5 pounds, is about 45 minutes.

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. RUB the venison rack with the spices and a bit of sunflower oil, and sear over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough that the meat doesn’t touch the sides. Lightly sear all surfaces, using tongs to turn the rack and to hold it in place while searing.

2. PLACE the skillet in a 350°F oven. To achieve a medium-rare roast, cook at 350°F for 15 minutes per pound (45 minutes for a 2.5-pound rack).
A meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the roast should read 125°F.

3. REMOVE from the oven and rest under aluminum foil in a warm place for at least 8 minutes.
 
 
FOR THE MUSHROOM APPLE STRUDEL FILLING

Prep time 15 minutes, cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SAUTÉ the onions, bacon, and apples in 1 ounce of butter. Add the herbs and garlic. Add chopped mushrooms. Cook for approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool completely.
 
 
FOR THE STRUDEL PASTRY

Making strudel dough can be tricky, so unless you’re skilled with it or want the experience, it may be best to purchase an alternative like puff pastry. They’re not the same‡‡, but the substitution works.

Pastry prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 25-30 minutes.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX the egg, salt, water and oil with a whisk. Place the flour in a mixing bowl with a dough hook. On low-speed, pour in the egg mixture and beat or knead for 5 minutes. The mixture should be soft and not too wet.

2. REST for 1/2 hour, and preheat the oven to 425°F.

3. MAKE the egg wash. Crack an egg into a bowl and beat it thoroughly with a fork or whisk. Add 2 tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine.

4. ROLL the dough out thin. Place the dough on a linen cloth and stretch until almost transparent. It should meeasure 40 cm by 30 cm.

5. SPREAD the filling onto the pastry and roll up. Glaze with egg wash. Sprinkle with dried oregano.

6. BAKE in a 425°F oven until it has a golden crust, 25-30 minutes.

[1] Roast rack of venison with a mushroom-apple strudel. The recipe is below (photo © New Zealand Venison).

[2] A raw rack of venison (photo © D’Artagnan).

[3] Don’t like to deal with bones? Consider a beautiful loin of venison (photo © H G Walter).

[4] Raw bacon goes into the strudel filling, along with the following ingredients (photo © Butcher Box).

[5] Shiitake mushrooms can be eaten raw, but they taste meaty, buttery and rich when cooked (photo © Mushroom King Farm).

[6] Garlic, an excellent addition to almost any savory food (photo © Tijana Drndaski | Unsplash).

[7] Chervil looks like cilantro and parsley, but tastes like a delicate cross between parsley and tarragon (photo © Johnny’S Selected Seeds).

[8] Thyme (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels).

*Wild deer taste more gamey and their flesh is less tender.

†As to why pig is called pork and cow is called beef, here’s an explanation.

‡The Norman Conquest was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of troops from French provinces: Normans, Bretons, Flemish, and others. They were led by the Duke of Normandy, later called William the Conqueror. Here’s more about it.

‡‡In puff pastry the butter is folded in. In strudel, the butter is added from the beginning.

[1] Vietnamese iced coffee. A swirl of sweetened condensed milk makes it as sweet as you like (photo © Demi Deherrera | Unsplash).

[2] You can drink Vietnmese coffee hot, of course (remaining photos © Fat Miilk).

[3] Three of the four blends of Fat Miilk beans.

[4] A phin is the Vietnamese equivalent of the pour-over cone for American drip coffee.

[5] These charming phins are available in four colors, to match the colors of the bean packages.

[6] You can use any brand of sweetened condensed milk, but we like the Longevity brand from Vietnam. It’s made with whole milk for extra creaminess, and as a result, lightens coffee much better than most other brands. It also has a fuller flavor, more distinctly “condensed milk” than American brands (photo © Sun Hing Foods).

October 1st is International Coffee Day, and we’ve got an international brand for you: Fat Miilk, from Vietnam. Unlike the arabica coffee beans used in most of the coffee consumed in the U.S., Fat Milk is made from the robusta varietal, a bean with twice the caffeine and twice the antioxidants. The result is “coffee more robust than your everyday joe,*” says the brand. The beans are sourced ethically and directly from Vietnamese farmers.

Vietnam is the world’s number-one producer of robusta beans, and it’s the coffee drunk throughout Vietnam.

If you’ve never had robusta, you’re in for a special taste experience: nutty, chocolatey, bold, and full of character.

The strong and robust flavor is best achieved by dripping the coffee, through a device called the phin drip (photo #4).

The company’s goal is to introduce Vietnamese coffee culture, tradition, and flavor to the U.S., and to show that robusta beans, which are often portrayed as inferior to robusta beans, deserve a place in our own coffee culture.

One of the founders knows Vietnamese coffee as well as anybody: Her family has a coffee farm in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
 
 
THE FAT MIILK LINE

There are currently four roasts:

 
Buy them online at FatMiilk.com.

The line is also available at stores in Chicago, Missouri and New York.

Here’s a store locator.
 
 
HOW TO BREW A CUP OF FAT MIILK

You can purchase whole or ground beans and brew them as you currently brew coffee. But the best Vietnamese coffee brewing employs a combination of drip (pour-over) and French press methods.

And before we get into the details, let us say that these are a terrific gift for coffee lovers.

Traditional Vietnamese brewing uses a device called a phin, which sits on top of the cup.

 
Every element is carefully crafted to honor a treasured member of the family.

Ah, if only we Americans waxed poetic about our own beloved family members.
 
 

> The History Of Coffee
 
> The Different Types Of Coffee
 
> The Different Types Of Espresso

________________

*Cup of Joe, or Joe for short, was named after Admiral Josephus “Joe” Daniels (May 18, 1862 – January 15, 1948), Chief of Naval Operations, who outlawed alcohol on board ships and ordered coffee as the beverage of service. The term, “Cup of Joe” followed; and because sailors wanted their cup of joe hot, Hot Joe was shortened to Hojo. But according to Snopes, this is a myth. Read the Snopes article for three other theories.

Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I. He was also a close friend and supporter of President Franklin Roosevelt and served as his Ambassador to Mexico from 1933 to 1941. Daniels banned alcohol from United States Navy ships in June 1914. This led to the folk etymology that a “cup of joe,” referring to a cup of coffee derives from Daniels’ name. However, this appeared to be a myth, rather than the truth.
 
 
  

Sixty-two percent of Americans drink coffee every day [source]. So de facto, millions of Americans will be celebrating National Coffee Day, September 29th. (International Coffee Day is October 1st).

There are more fun coffee stats below. But first, in honor of fall, let’s give some time to the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

The drink is available in 50 countries worldwide, and an estimated 424 million have been sold. That’s an estimated $1.4 billion in sales since its launch in 2003!

> The history of the Pumpkin Spice Latte follows.

> Also, Pink House Alchemy, a higher-quality PSL syrup.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The pumpkin spice latte recipe.

> The year’s 25 coffee holidays. National Latte Day is February 11th, and National Pumpkin Spice Day is October 1st.

> The different types of espresso drinks.

> The different types of coffee and coffee drinks.

> The history of coffee,

> The history of espresso.
 

[6] PSL in a fancy cup (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

The PSL was conceived on a spring day in 2003 by a Starbucks product development team. The team had developed the recipes for seasonal favorites such as Eggnog Latte and Peppermint Mocha, and were looking for a new beverage to add to the fall lineup.

They brought in kitschy fall decorations and pumpkin pies, and began to explore ideas for a pumpkin-inspired espresso beverage. They would sample a forkful of pumpkin pie, followed by a sip of hot espresso. Slowly they teased out which flavors from the pie best complemented the coffee.

Over the next three months, the team tasted and re-tasted different versions of the beverage. They settled on a recipe that used pumpkin spice sauce with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, made with espresso and steamed milk. The drink was topped off with whipped cream and a dash of pumpkin pie topping.

In the fall of 2003, the beverage was introduced at 100 Starbucks stores in Vancouver and Washington, D.C. It was an immediate hit. A new fall tradition was begun.

One of the original name ideas was Fall Harvest Latte. Then we’d have had an FHL instead of the PSL. By the way, PSL was the original beverage code for Pumpkin Spice Latte, written by baristas on the cups. It soon became the drink’s nickname [source].

In the fall of 2004, Pumpkin Spice Latte rolled out across the company’s U.S. stores. It is now available in nearly 50 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It’s Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage.

It has become more than a fall tradition. This year, Starbucks introduced the PSL in August!

Did you know there is no pumpkin in Pumpkin Spice Latte?

The flavor is created from pumpkin pie spices, a blend of all or some of the following: allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

In fact, most pumpkin spice syrups do the same thing.
 
 
PINK HOUSE ALCHEMY, ALL-NATURAL SYRUPS

Pink House Alchemy is an artisan maker of syrups, bitters and shrubs.

Their Pumpkin & Butternut† Spice Syrup has the familiar autumn aromas and flavors.

[1] For National Coffee Day, we’re celebrating with something more festive than black coffee.

[2] There is no pumpkin in a Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s flavored with pumpkin pie spices (photo © Starbucks).

[3] Pumpkin Butternut Spice Syrup from Alchemy House actually is made with real pumpkin purée (photo © Pink House Alchemy).

[4] Pumpkin Spice Latte popcordn. Here’s the recipe (photo © National Popcorn Board).

[5] Pumpkin Spice Latte Pops. Here’s the recipe (photo © Zoku).

It’s a great gift for anyone who has ever said, “I need a pumpkin spice latte!”

Just to give a shout-out to the other flavors: Blackberry Sage, Cardamom, Dark Cherry Grenadine, Ginger, Hazelnut, Herbalicious (lavender, mint, rosemary, thyme), Hibiscus Rose, Lavender, Mexican Chile, PH Delight (cinnamon, honey, vanilla), Sarsaparilla, Simple Syrup, Strawberry, Toasted Caramel, Tonic Syrup (to pair with gin cocktails), Vanilla Bean and Winter Mint.

Use any of them in cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks hot and cold, to make sodas and flavored seltzers, as a dessert syrup, even to toss with popcorn.

> Check them out at PinkHouseAlchemy.com.
 

[7] Pumpkin Spice Latte (Gemini Photo).
 
________________

*Squash (of which pumpkin is one) are fruits, not vegetables. Here’s the difference between fruits and vegetables.

†In case you’re wondering why a syrup made of purée is clear, not cloudy, it undergoes a proprietary filtration process.

‡Why butternut squash? Much of the canned pumpkin in stores is not pumpkin at all. It’s a blend of other winter squash types, including Boston Marrow, butternut, Golden Delicious, and Hubbard. These squash varieties are less stringy than pumpkin, with more natural sweetness and deeper color than pumpkin.
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Yes, it’s ice cream with caviar—or to be precise, unsweetened Greek yogurt gelato (photo © Pointy Snout).

[2] Use 5% Greek yogurt to make ice cream: It’s whole milk yogurt (photo © FAGE USA).

[3] Artisan ice cream cones from The Konery (photo © The Konery).

[4] Smoked salmon and caviar “tacos,” with diced tuna, sushi rice, and nori [dried seaweed sheets]* (photo © L T Bar & Grill | Hackensack, NJ).

July 18th is National Caviar Ice Cream Cone Day, but we didn’t want to wait that long to share this photo of a caviar-topped ice cream cone. It was developed at the behest of Pointy Snout Caviar, and it sounds delicious.

The “ice cream” is gelato made from plain (unsweetened) Greek yogurt by Chef David Standridge of Cafe Clover in New York City (alas, closed due to the pandemic).

The artisanal cone was made by Jeff Thompson, Executive Chef at the Wheatleigh Hotel in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

And to top it off, sustainable caviar from Pointy Snout.

Is our mouth-watering? You bet!

We’re getting ready to put some Greek yogurt into our ice cream machine and order some groovy artisanal cones from The Konery.

We’ll enjoy them with vodka, or maybe Champagne.

If your budget doesn’t allow sturgeon caviar for your food fun, here are 16 types of more affordable caviar, along with the history of caviar.

And while we’re at it, here’s:

 
 
FUN CAVIAR RECIPES

 
 
________________

*The other “taco” is diced salmon topped with sliced avocado and cilantro.

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

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.