[1] Reuben pizza, a new way to celebrate National Reuben Sandwich Day (photo © DeLallo).

[2] Classic Reuben sandwich (photo © J. Java | Fotolia).

[3] Reuben Irish Nachos. Here’s the recipe (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[4] Reuben muffins. Here’s the recipe (photo © King Arthur Flour).

[5] Hold the corned beef: a Reuben sandwich with duck, from creative chef Eric LeVine (photo © Eric LeVine).

[6] Hold the corned beef #2: a turkey Reuben (photo © National Turkey Federation).

March 14th is National Reuben Sandwich Day. But what about porting the Reuben concept to a different bread—a pizza crust instead of rye or pumpernickel?

Here’s a recipe for a Reuben Pizza with Corned Beef & Dijon Béchamel Sauce—corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and more. And there are additional Reuben-inspired recipes below.

> Take a look at the Reuben sandwich history.
 
 
RECIPE: REUBEN PIZZA

This recipe from DeLallo uses its pizza dough kit. You can make your own dough or buy it ready-made.

The “fusion” in this recipe is bechamel sauce, one of the French mother sauces.

It works better on a pizza than the Reuben Sandwich’s Russian dressing.

However, we admit to having a ramekin of Russian dressing on the side, as we ate our pizza.

Ingredients For The Pizza

 
Ingredients For The Dijon Béchamel Sauce

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pizza dough. Combine the flour mix and yeast packet in a large mixing bowl with 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Stir with a fork until the dough begins to form. Knead by hand for 3 minutes, or until the dough is soft and smooth. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. All

2. ALLOW the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. (After this step, you can refrigerate for use within 1-3 days.)

Meanwhile…

3. PREPARE the béchamel. In a large saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Add ½ of the milk and whisk until smooth. Whisk in remaining milk.

4. BRING to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in Dijon mustard until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. PREHEAT the oven to 500°F. Cut the prepared pizza dough in half. Roll out the dough into a circle on a floured surface. Spread the béchamel sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch edge all the way around.

6. ARRANGE the corned beef on top of the sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the Swiss and provolone. Brush the edge of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the caraway seeds.

7. BAKE for 12-15 minutes or until the crust becomes golden. Remove the pizza from oven and top with remaining caraway seeds and red pepper flakes.
 
 
MORE REUBEN RECIPES

 
 
REUBEN SANDWICH VARIATIONS

The Reuben has been adapted many times over, including a substitute of pastrami, turkey (photo #6) or tongue for the corned beef; and coleslaw for the sauerkraut.

Rye or marble rye (photo #2) can stand in for the pumpernickel.

Some variations aren’t grilled (so the cheese isn’t melted, alas). But if you can, melt that cheese!

Check out these Reuben Sandwich variations:

March 13th is National Ginger Ale Day.

We’ve been drinking ginger ale since early childhood—Mom gave it to us not as much as a soft drink, but as a palliative for stomach aches.

It still works!

In fact, ginger tea has been brewed for centuries, if not millennia, to aid with everything from indigestion to arthritis (it’s an anti-inflammatory).

Just steep slices of fresh ginger root in hot water. Here’s more from Web MD.

But back to ginger ale:

Fortunately for those of us who reserve our sugar calories for dessert, ginger ale manufacturers make no sugar added* versions in addition to the classic sugar-sweetened (or in the case of the three largest brands, high fructose corn syrup-sweetened†).
 
 
REED’S GINGER ALE AMPS UP THE SPICE

We like our ginger ale to sizzle with spicy ginger flavor.

The top national brands (Canada Dry, Schweppes, Seagrams) are too subtle in flavor for us. They use “flavoring” instead of fresh ginger, and there’s not enough spice.

That’s why we like Reed’s ginger ale: real ginger, more spice.

Before ginger ale there was ginger beer; and before the days of commercial sodas, Reed’s tells us, ginger beers were made at home with a large amount of ginger.

The company searched for a traditional homemade recipe, and found a Jamaican formula that uses all-natural ingredients that you might have in your own fridge: fresh ginger root, sparkling water, pineapple juice, lemon juice, lime juice, honey, cane sugar and spices.

If you want to test your palate, here’s how Reed’s describes the flavor:

 
Reed’s has no caffeine, gluten, GMOs or preservatives.

Reed’s Original Real Ginger Ale is sweetened with cane sugar.

Reed’s Real Ginger Ale Zero Sugar is sweetened with erythritol, reb A (stevia leaf extract), and monk fruit extract.
 
 
REED’S GINGER BEER

There’s no National Ginger Beer Day, but we would be remiss not to mention Reed’s Ginger Beer (it’s a non-alcoholic ginger beer).

Truth be told, we love ginger beer even more than ginger ale.

It has that much more power and punch: Yowza!

Reed’s brews it in three strengths, too: Original, Extra (two times the ginger of Original) and Strongest (three times the ginger).

Think of them as Spicy, Spicier and Spiciest.

The Strongest can take your breath away. We love it.

Reed’s Ginger Beer is what you want for your Moscow Mule.

Speaking of which, there are cocktail and mocktail recipes on Reed’s website.
 
 
> GINGER ALE HISTORY

> GINGER ROOT HISTORY

> HOMEMADE GINGER ALE RECIPE

[1] Add some sparkle with Reed’s ginger ales, regular and zero sugar (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Reed’s).

[2] Regular and Zero Sugar ginger ales are equally refreshing.

[3] Want something stronger? Reed’s ginger beer is made in three strengths of spiciness.

[4] Fresh ginger root (photo © Jan Schone | Stock Xchange).

 
________________

*No Sugar Added (also called Unsweetened) and Sugar Free are different terms. No Sugar Added means just that: the manufacturer has added no sugar or other caloric sweetener to the product. However, some ingredients contain naturally-occurring sugar—think of fruit and milk products, which have naturally-occurring sugars: fructose and lactose, respectively. These cannot be called Sugar Free.

Sugar Free (also called Zero Sugar and Sugarless) means that a product contains less than 0.5 g of sugar and less than five calories per serving.

†High fructose corn syrup, abbreviated HFCS, is a sweeter form of corn syrup made from corn starch. The process was developed in the 1970s and introduced widely into American processed foods in the 1980s. It’s 20% cheaper and easier to transport than sugar. HFCS is used by manufacturers as a substitute for ordinary sugar (sucrose) in soft drinks and other consumer goods—yogurt, frozen foods and foods where you don’t expect to find sweeteners, such as bread, pasta sauce and soup.

HFCS in beverages seems to have the effect of stimulating the appetite. This, coupled with the pure caloric content of beverages sweetened with HFCS, and the preference of children and adults for soft drinks over nutritious beverages (milk, juice), is thought to be a cause of increased levels of obesity in America.

Check out the different types of sugar.

Here are the different types of noncaloric sweeteners.

[1] Torching an avocado at Crown Shy restaurant in New York City (photo © Crown Shy).

[2] Charred avocado salad. Here’s the recipe from Food & Wine (photo © Victor Protasio | Food & Wine).

[3] Just peel and torch! (photo © Love One Today).

We have enjoyed many a grilled avocado.

But what if you don’t have a grill, or if your backyard grill won’t be out until later in the season?

Solution:

Have a kitchen torch?

Then you can easily make torched—also called bruléed and charred—avocados.

In its simplest form, you can:

 
 
CHARRED AVOCADO RECIPE IDEAS

Many of the recipes in which you use avocado can substitute a torched avocado for a bit of charred, smokey flavor.

This avocado burger recipe tastes even better when the avocado is charred.

More ideas for torched avocados:

 
You can even used charred avocados to make guacamole.
 
 
GET OUT YOUR TORCH!

Torching is easy.

But if you’d like a video showing the process, here it is.
 
 
> AVOCADO HISTORY

What could be better than ice cream and Bailey’s Irish Cream?

An adult milkshake that combines both.

We enjoy this shake for dessert. You can turn it into an ice cream sundae by pouring the Baileys over a dish of ice cream and then topping it with chocolate sauce.

Want something beyond dessert?

Here are 45 St. Patrick’s-themed recipes including breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, cocktails and snacks.
 
 
RECIPE: ST. PATRICK’S DAY MILKSHAKE

Ingredients Per Shake

 
Garnishes

 
Preparation

1. BLEND together the milk, Baileys and ice cream until you reach a consistency you like. Add more ice cream for a thicker shake.

2. SWIRL some chocolate sauce around the inside of a sundae dish or shake glass (or substitute what you have).

3. POUR the shake into the glass. Garnish with whipped cream, mixed nuts, mint, mini meringues, anything green and tasty you can find.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF MILKSHAKES

> THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM

[1] Sweet treat: a St. Patrick’s Day shake for grown-ups (photo © Baileys).

[2] The St. Patrick’s Day sprinklefetti mix from Sweets Indeed. Find it on Amazon (photo © Sweets Indeed).

*If you don’t like mint, you can substitute another flavor; but the shake won’t be green. If you substitute vanilla ice cream, you can soften it and mix with green food color; then refreeze to harden before scooping. Or, you can color the milk green for a lighter green color.

Different Types Of Onions

A Glossary Of Onion Types & Which Onion To Choose For Cooking

CAPSULE REPORT:

When should you use which type of onion? Onions come in all shapes and sizes and a variety of colors, and their textures and flavors can be quite different. Different types of onions can’t necessarily be substituted for one another. So how do you know which onions are best for which dishes? From French onion soup to succotash, the onion varietal you use does matter! To help get your onions in order, take a look at the most common ones: brown onions, green onions (scallions), leeks, pearl onions, red onions, shallots and yellow onions, among others. Like learning about food? See our many other food glossaries.

Introduction To Onions

Onions range in size from tiny—less than one-inch in diameter—to jumbo—more than 4.5-inches in diameter. Onions are also seasonal, divided into two categories, although imported onions make most types available year-long. Yellow, white and red onions are available in both categories.

• Spring/Summer Onions (March through August) With thin, lighter-colored skin, these onions are typically higher in water content, which reduces their shelf life. These are more delicate onions, range in flavor from sweet to mild. They are popularly used in salads, sandwiches, and lightly-cooked dishes.
•  Fall/Winter Onions (August through May) These onions have multiple layers of thick, darker colored skin, are typically lower in water content, and thus have a longer shelf-life. These are heartier onions, ranging in flavor from mild to pungent. They are popularly used for savory dishes that require longer cooking times and/or more flavor.

Onions belong to the Allium genus, that includes hundreds of species including all varieties of cultivated onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek and chives. Onions grow the world over; often, different countries have different names for the same subspecies. The following are varieties commonly found in the U.S.

Bermuda Onions

See red onions.

Cipollini Onions

These small white onions look as if they were somehow flattened. They will surprise you with their sweetness. These spring/summer onions have a higher water content and are slightly sweeter than conventional onions. You may also find red cipollinis at farmers markets and specialty stores.

Green Onions or Scallions

Also known as scallions, this long, thin varietal is commonly found in Asian cuisine. Green onions are mild and need little to no cooking time. You can cook with the entire stalk if you wish: the white lower portion as well as the green leaves. We prefer to slice the leaves thin, on the bias, for a garnish on whatever it is you’re cooking. Bear in mind that if a recipe calls for “minced green onions,” it does not necessarily require you to truly mince them to smithereens, as you would with garlic. Slicing very thin rings will almost always suffice in a recipe, and it preserves the integrity of the onion’s shape, adding a bit of visual appeal.  

Leeks

Though they look like jumbo scallions, leeks are actually quite different, and heartier. They are typically best sweated or sautéed, and leeks can add body to a soup, stew, or other recipe that their smaller relatives cannot. Clean them well though; leeks grow in sandy soils and have open stalks, so they collect a lot of sand between their layers. Here’s a great way to clean leeks:  

1. Chop off the root end, as well as the stalk where it begins to turn green and get tough.
2. Split the cylinder that remains down the middle, halving the leek lengthwise.
3. Slice as you would a green onion, yielding half-rings.
4. Soak the pieces in a large bowl of cold water for a few minutes, agitating the leeks, then remove in large handfuls, shaking out the excess water, and place in a colander to dry. You should see bit of sand at the bottom of the bowl.

Maui Onions

See sweet onions.

Pearl Onions

Also known as Button or Baby onions, these adorable little guys are relatively mild and have a unique and appealing look. This makes them ideal for a dish like succotash, or perhaps a stew: anywhere you will be able to show them off nestled among other vegetable pieces of a similar size. If you cook them whole, they have a pleasant texture when they burst sweetness in your mouth.  

Ramps

Ramps are wild leeks, available for a few fleeting weeks each year. They are also known as ramson, wild garlic and wood leeks. In French, they are called ail des bois, garlic of the woods, as they pop up in patches in wooded areas of the eastern U.S. Some can scatter and grow at the edges of fields and yards. The flavor is a combination of green onions (scallions) and garlic. Here are recipes for a ramp omelet and pickled ramps, plus more about ramps in general.  

Red Onions or Bermuda Onions

Typically the next most common onion at the market, red onions actually contain less sugar than their yellow and white brothers. Because of this, they are a no-no for caramelizing. This is not to say you can’t caramelize them, but the result will not be as sweet as with the yellow or white onions. Red onions, however, stand up surprisingly well when grilled, especially when sliced into thick rings. Simply brush them with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook them for 3-5 minutes on each side. They’re a great addition to summer salads!

Scallions

See green onions.  

Shallots

Shallots are a sweeter member of the onion family, and are ubiquitous in French cuisine (i.e., the onion of choice). Their ideal use, however, is in place of their larger, more common cousins if a sauce or dish is on the delicate side. Cooking halibut with a beurre blanc sauce, for example, would be the perfect place to use shallots. Making green bean casserole for the holidays? Try topping it with crispy shallots for a touch of refinement!  

Spanish Onions

Spanish onions are a variety kind of?yellow onion?and we find them to be slightly sweeter and more delicate in flavor.

Spring Onions

Spring onions look similar to scallions, the latter also called green onions. So it’s easy to confuse spring onions and green onions. Sometimes the easy way to tell them apart is from the bulbs: If the ends are very bulbous, it’s a spring onion. But some varieties, like the one in the photo, have smaller bulbs. Part of the confusion is that spring onions are planted as seedlings in the late fall and then harvested the next spring; hence the name. Another source of confusion: In the U.K. countries, including Canada, spring onions are called green onions! Spring onion varieties include all-white bulbs; all-purple (called red) bulbs, as in the bottom photo; and a cross of the two, as in the top photo. The flavors and textures of these onion siblings are similar, so you can substitute one for the other in cooking. But for raw garnishes and crudités, keep in mind that the bulb portion of spring onions is milder than green onions, but the green tops are more intense. Both are members of the same species and genus, Allium fistulosum, but are different subspecies.  

Sweet Onions

Maui, Vidalia and Walla Walla onions are sweet onion varieties named after the areas in which they’re grown. While previously available only during spring and summer, they are now more widely available.  

White Onions

Although they comprise only 5% of U.S. onion harvest, white onions are an all-purpose onion. They are commonly used in white sauces, pasta salad, potato salad, and in Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. But they’re an all-purpose onion, and they work in any recipe that calls for onions. They are a best bet when sweating onions or sautéing them for a sauce or stew. If a recipe does not specify what kind of onions to use, you’re always safe going with white. However, as a spring/summer onion, white onions do not have as long a shelf life as other varieties.  

Yellow Onions or Brown Onions

These popular, all-purpose onions comprise 87% of the U.S. onion crop. The best type of onion for caramelizing, cooking brings out this variety’s nutty, mellow, often sweet, quality. Also referred to as Brown Onions, these are probably equally as common as the white varietal. They function in almost exactly the same way, with one exception: Many cooks contend that yellow onions are best for caramelizing, and as such are called for in many classical French recipes. (However, this may very well be due to the fact that they were simply the most abundant when France was establishing itself as a culinary heavyweight.)