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RECIPE: Potato Latkes Filled with Salmon & Cream Cheese

What’s for brunch during Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival Of Lights?

Latkes!

Latke is the Yiddish word for a pancake made from grated potatoes. Some call it a potato pancake; but “latke” is original word*.

The name comes from the East Slavic oladka, “small fried pancake.” That in turn derives from Hellenistic Greek for olive oil.

And that comes around to why latkes are served at Hanukkah: to celebrate the miracle of the oil.
 
> Potato Latke History
 
 
LATKE VARIATIONS

As far back as the 1960s, the biggest latke variation was the the condiment: applesauce or sour cream,

In the last few decades, creative chefs have riffed on the recipe.

The first—and easy—addition was smoked salmon. Even fancier, smoked salmon and crème fraîche. And fancier still, a garnish of caviar (photo #3).

Then came sweet potato latkes.

Next, other root vegetables were substituted for the potatoes: beet, carrot, celery root.

Cauliflower and butternut squash also make an appearance.

How about fusion latkes: global flavors like garam masala latkes, harissa and kimchi latkes.

See more latke recipes below.

What’s next?

Shapes! The latke “pie” variation (recipe below—photo #1) and latke stacks (photo #2) are small variations.

But how about latke fries (photo #4)?
 
 
POTATO LATKE PIE (POTATO PANCAKE PIE)

Latkes and smoked salmon have long been a loving pair.

But this recipe from Wegmans adds an easy spin we haven’t seen before: sandwiching the latkes with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and slicing them like a pie (or maybe, a sandwich?).

Prep time is 20 mins, cook time is 40 minutes.

If you want to get frisky, use scallion or olive cream cheese.

Note: We used double the smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner (especially a brisket dinner).

Ingredients For 4 Servings

  • 2 russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 3/4 pound)
  • 1/2 onion, peeled, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
  • 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
  • 2 ounces smoked salmon
  •  
    Preparation

    1. RINSE the potatoes in large bowl of cold water, changing the water 3-4 times until it runs clear. Drain.

    2. COMBINE the potatoes with the onion, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

    3. HEAT the oil in a 12-inch nonstick pan on medium, until the oil faintly smokes. Divide the potato mixture into 2 portions to fry in batches.

    4. SCOOP the mixture in oil, flattening each with the spatula into a 6-inch circle. You will be making four latkes per batch.

    Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, pressing down on the pancakes with the spatula as they cook, to maintain their shape. Cook until the latkes are crisp and golden brown.

    5. DRAIN the latkes on paper towels. Then spread one side of each with cream cheese and top with smoked salmon. Top with a second latke. Cut into wedges for serving.
     

    MORE LATKE RECIPES

  • Butternut Squash Latkes With Harissa & Tahini Crème Fraîche
  • Classic Latkes
  • Different Latke Toppings
  • Potato, Onion & Cauliflower Latkes
  • Tikka Masala Latkes
  • Vegetable Latkes: carrots, leeks, parsnips, potatoes, white onion
  •  
     
    > THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF POTATOES
     
     
    ________________

    *The word latke is not of Hebrew origin, but from the Yiddish language of Eastern European Jews. In Modern Hebrew, the word is levivah, a word used in the Book of Samuel to describe a dumpling made from kneaded dough—not exactly a potato latke! [source].

     


    [1] Latke “pie” filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese. The recipe is below. (photo © Wegmans).


    [2] You can make a latke stack with smoked salmon and cream cheese, or any other filling. This stack is filled with Lobster Thermidor (photo © Flavor And The Menu)!


    [3] Feeling rich? Add salmon caviar. Feeling very rich? Add sturgeon caviar. Here’s the recipe from Earthly Delights Blog (photo © Earthly Delights Blog).


    [4] Latke fries at The Tuck Room (photo © The Tuck Room | NYC).

    Beet Latkes
    [5] Beet latkes. Here’s the recipe from Williams Sonoma (photo © Williams Sonoma).

    Carrot Scallion Latkes
    [6] Carrot scallion latkes. Here’s the recipe from Elana’s Pantry (photo © Elana’s Pantry).

     

      

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    GIFT: Personalized Bottle Of Coca-Cola


    [1] You can personalize a glass bottle of Coke here (both photos © Coca-Cola).


    [2] In stores, you’ll find bottles with the titles of your Coke Heroes—some 40 different monikers.

     

    The iconic “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” commercial debuted in 1971. If you don’t remember that charming commercial—it was a huge hit, with everyone singing the song for a long time after the campaign ended—here it is.

    Rather than the holiday polar bears, this year Coke is encouraging consumers to honor their everyday heroes—by giving them a special bottle of Coca-Cola (photo #2).

    The 2020 holiday campaign celebrates those who have gone the extra mile to support their communities, families and friends:

    Healthcare workers, EMS responders, teachers and people who are often overlooked heroes, like store clerks, delivery folks, restaurant workers, volunteers and others who have strived to bring normalcy to our lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The seasonal Coca-Cola Original Taste and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar packaging features more than 40 monikers dedicated to everyday heroes;

    They’re available for a limited time in stores across the U.S.
     
     
    A TREAT FOR EVERYONE

    You also can visit CokeStore.com to send a custom-personalized 8-ounce “Share A Coke” glass bottle to your personal heroes.

    Custom bottles, which are available year-round, make any occasion special.

    Personalize bottles of Coke, Diet Coke or Coke Zero Sugar with a name or phrase, or choose custom designs like team logos.

    One option features the Polar Bears, of course.

    For a future Coca-Cola celebration, mark your calendar: May 8th is National Have A Coke Day.
     
     
    > THE HISTORY OF COCA-COLA

     
    ________________

    *TRIVIA: Who got to sing in the commercial? Professional studio singers. The commercial looks like an outdoor songfest of a wide assortment of “just folks.” But 500 extras from Rome were hired to stand on the hilltop in Manziana, 25 miles northwest of Rome, to lip-sync the lyrics.

     
      

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    RECIPE: Potato Latkes With Garam Masala Spice

    It’s been an unusual year, so how about an unusual spin on potato latkes, a traditional food for Chanukah / Hannukah (the difference in spellings)?

    Lovers of fried potatoes and Indian food will enjoy these Tikka Masala Latkes—latkes flavored with tikka masala spices.

    Mint Yogurt Sauce replaces the traditional applesauce an/or sour cream.

    Infusing classic latkes with aromatic Indian spices will create conversation and palate memories.

    The recipe was developed by Susan Palmer of Girl In The Little Red Kitchen, for the Idaho Potato Commission.
     
     
    ABOUT GARAM MASALA

    A staple of North Indian cooking, garam masala (guh-ROM muh-SAHL-lah) is an aromatic blend made with more than 15 spices.

    Like other spice blends, the ingredients and proportions will vary by the cook, manufacturer and region. Most Indian cooks will carefully guard their family recipes.

    It is a mainstay seasoning in chicken tikka masala, curries, dals and vegetables.

    The word masala means spices in the Hindi language, and garam means warm or hot. However, garam masala does not generally have a lot of heat. The “warm” in the name refers to the warming effect the spices have on the body, according to the principles of the Ayurvedic diet.

    It is used alone or with additional seasonings.

    In Northern Indian cuisine, garam masala is typically used in powder form, while in Southern India, it is often made into a paste with coconut milk, vinegar or water.

    In fine cooking, the spices are toasted and ground before use, to maintain the intensity of the flavor. But you can buy pre-ground blends, like McCormick’s garam masala.

    Whole spices are toasted and then ground; among them bay leaf; black, brown and green cardamom pods; black cumin; black peppercorns; cinnamon; clove; coriander; cumin; fennel seeds; fenugreek; garlic; ginger; malabar leaf; nutmeg and/or mace*; mustard seed; saffron; star anise, tamarind and turmeric.

    The spice blend, which originated in India, spread to the cuisines of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistani and Sri Lanka.

    That’s the case with this “tikka masala” recipe, as you’ll see with the spice blend in the recipe.

    To clarify:

  • Garam masala is a blend of spices that can be used alone or as in combination with other spices and flavors.
  • Tikka masala, on the other hand, refers to a specific dish that will often use garam masala spices in combination with other spices and flavors.
  •  
    Check out these other classic Indian spice blends.
     
     
    RECIPE #1: TIKKA MASALA LATKES (INDIAN-SPICED POTATO LATKES)

    These crispy delights with an Indian twist are a new way to think of latkes.

    If you want to blend your own garam masala, there’s a recipe below.

    If kids want to help, they can shape the grated potato mixture into flat discs for you to fry.

    Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

    For The Latkes

  • 2 pounds Russet Burbank Idaho® potatoes
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1½ teaspoons tikka masala spice mix (see below)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  •  
    For the Yogurt Mint Sauce

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  •  
    For The Tikka Masala Spice Mix

  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  •  
    Preparation

    You can make the sauce, Step 8, 2-3 days in advance and stored in a tight-lidded container in the fridge.

    Latkes can also be made 2-3 days in advance, and either frozen in a single layer or stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Heat in the oven to crisp up before serving.

     


    [1] Something different in a potato latkes recipe: Indian spices (photos #1 and #2 © Susan Palmer | Idaho Potato Commission).


    [2] A second Indian touch is the minted yogurt condiment, instead of sour cream or applesauce.

    Potato Latkes
    [3] Conventional potato latkes are served with applesauce and/or sour cream—plus a French touch here, Dijon mustard (photo © Maille).


    [4] Garam masala spices before grinding (photos #4 and #5 © Silk Road Spice Merchant).


    [5] The whole spices are ground up for cooking.

     
    1. PREHEAT the oven to 250°. In a small bowl combine the spices for the tikka masala mix, and set aside.

    2. PEEL the potatoes and onion, grate either by hand on a box grater, or use the shredding blade on a food processor.

    3. PLACE the grated potato and onion in a large bowl lined with a tea towel and squeeze all excess liquid. This creates a crispier latke.

    4. REMOVE the liquid from the bowl, trying to leave the potato starch at the bottom if possible and. Add the potatoes. Mix in the flour, salt, spice mix and baking powder. Toss to coat everything. When ready to fry the latkes…

    5. HEAT a cast iron skillet over medium heat with enough oil to cover the bottom. Check to see if the oil is hot enough by placing a small amount of potato in the skillet. If it sizzles immediately you are good to go.

    6. SCOOP about ¼ to ⅓ cup potato mix from the bowl, squeeze to drain any excess moisture that may have accumulated and flatten into a round disc. Gently place in the oil and fry about 3-4 minutes per side or until crispy. Depending on the size of your skillet, fry about 3-4 latkes at a time. You do not want to crowd the skillet while cooking. Once finished…

    7. TRANSFER the latkes to a paper towel-lined tray and sprinkle with kosher salt. Keep warm in the heated oven. Repeat with the remaining potatoes.
    After the latkes are cooked…

    8. PREPARE the sauce by mixing the yogurt, chopped mint and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.

    9. SERVE the latkes with the sauce on the side.
     

    RECIPE #2: GARAM MASALA BLEND

    If you want to blend your own garam masala, here’s a very simple recipe—many fewer spices than a traditional blend. Start with these proportions and then adjust to your particular preferences:

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander (cilantro seed)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ________________

    *Nutmeg is the seed of the nutmeg tree, while the more mild mace is the dried reddish covering of the seed.
      

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    RECIPE: Merlot Hot Chocolate & The History Of Merlot


    [1] Splash some Merlot into your hot chocolate for a cold weather warm-up (photos #1 and #4 © California Wine Institute).


    [2] Merlot pairs with many foods, including burgers and pizza (photo © Sutter Home).

    Wine, Salami, Olives
    [3] For an after-work or pre-dinner glass of wine, pair Merlot with your favorite nibbles (photo © Rebelle Restaurant | NYC [now closed]).

    [4] If you’d like a red wine with your salmon, choose Merlot or a Pinot Noir.


    [5] Merlot is great with braises, like this lamb shank (photo © Grgich Hills Estate | Instagram).

     

    International Merlot Day is November 7th, but that was a warm day in our neck of the woods—not an incentive to make hot chocolate.

    Today is different: the first snowfall of the year, with a white veil outside and the need to turn up the heat inside.

    It’s the perfect opportunity to pop the cork of a bottle of Merlot: first to add to the hot chocolate mid-afternoon snack, and the rest of the bottle later at dinner.

    Merlot is one of the great grapes of Bordeaux, but in the U.S. it has often been passed over in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon.

    The 2004 film “Sideways,” about two pals visiting the Santa Barbara County wine country, didn’t help. One of them expressed his distaste for Merlot, not once but on several occasions.

    Today, California Merlot gets the respect it deserves, and ranks third in California red varietal sales, after Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends (by law, a wine with less than 70% of the varietal grape is called a blend)‡‡.
     
     
    MERLOT FOOD PAIRINGS

    As compared with the more tannic Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot is soft and approachable when young, with a luscious red-fruit character.

    It pairs especially well with:

  • Beef, particularly grilled or roasted
  • Braised meat dishes
  • Cheese, especially Cheddar and Gorgonzola (or other blues), and aged Parmigiano=Reggiano
  • Chicken and turkey, particularly rotisseried or roasted
  • Desserts with chocolate, berries and other fruits, especially berry purées
  • Duck, roasted or sautéed breasts
  • Lamb, grilled or roasted
  • Mushroom dishes
  • Pork, especially roast pork and pork loin
  • Tomatoes dishes and tomato sauces, including pasta sauce
  • Veal, particularly veal chops
  •  
    And you can turn it into wine cocktails, like the following recipe (yes, anything with alcohol in it can be called a cocktail, or a beertail or winetail).

    Download this e-book for more holiday cocktail recipes from Discover California Wines.

    More information about Merlot, its flavors, history and California Merlot, is below.
     
     
    RECIPE: RED WINE HOT CHOCOLATE

    This wine cocktail doubles as dessert. The toasted marshmallows are optional, but highly encouraged (substitute whipped cream).

    If you don’t have time to toast them, use untoasted marshmallows. Here’s how to toast marshmallows without a fireplace.
     
    Ingredients For 6-8 Servings

  • 2 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 5 cups whole milk
  • 1 750 ml bottle Merlot
  • Garnish: plain or toasted marshmallows and/or whipped cream
  •  
    Preparation

    a. Stovetop Method

    1. WHISK the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt together in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add the milk and bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat, whisking often. Once the hot chocolate is blended and smooth, about 8-10 minutes…

    2. REDUCE to low heat and add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes more. Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

    b. Slow Cooker Method

    1. WHISK the chocolate chips, brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and milk together in a slow cooker set on high. Cover and allow to come to temperature (10-15 minutes), then whisk again and add the wine.

    2. COOK on high for one hour, stopping to whisk every 20 minutes. Ladle the hot chocolate into mugs and top with whipped cream or marshmallows.
     

    THE HISTORY OF MERLOT

    The most famous region for growing the Merlot grape is the Médoc commune of the Bordeaux region of France, where it began.

    The Médoc devotes 40% of its planting space to Merlot grapes*, and Merlot is the third most-planted grape in France. It is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines.

    Historically, vintners have used Merlot as a blending grape to soften a wine, usually with Cabernet Sauvignon It’s part of a classic Bordeaux blend.

     
    The earliest mention of Merlot is written in the notes of an official in Bordeaux, France in 1784.

    In his document, Merlot was spelled Merlau, and the official noted that the wine was among the best in the area.

    In the 1800s, the spelling Merlot appears. In 1824, an article on the region’s wine mentions that the Merlot grape was named after the local blackbird. Why?

  • Perhaps because local blackbirds loved to eat the ripe Merlot grapes.
  • Perhaps because the grape and its wine was were of similar to the blackbirds.
  • The word for blackbird in the local variant of Occitan language is merlau [source].
  •  
    By the 19th century, Merlot was being regularly planted in the Médoc, on the Left Bank of the Gironde River†, which flows through Bordeaux.

    Today, beyond France, Merlot is planted in Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, California, Chile, China, Hungary, Italy, Long Island (New York), New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and Switzerland.

    In the late 1990s, researchers at University of California-Davis found that Merlot is an offspring of Cabernet Franc, and is a half-sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère and Malbec. But what grape was the “mother?”

    In the late 2000s, an obscure and unnamed grape variety, discovered growing in an abandoned vineyard in Saint-Suliac in Brittany, was shown by DNA analysis to be the mother of Merlot. It has since been formally registered under the name Magdeleine Noire des Charentes [source].
     
     
    THE FLAVORS OF MERLOT

    Merlot tannins are softer than those of Cabernet Sauvignon, so Merlot wine tends to mature earlier. In other words, you don’t have to let the bottle age as long.

    Merlot is known for its fruit flavors, with notes that can include blackberries, blackcurrants, dried cherries, plums and raspberries. Sometimes, there are also leafy/vegetal notes.

    Depending on the region in which the grapes are grown, there are spicy notes that can include bay leaf, black pepper, cloves and mint.

    Depending on whether the Merlot has been lightly or heavily oaked, it can have flavors of coconut and vanilla (in lightly oaked Merlots); or smoke, oak and tar (in heavily oaked Merlots).

    As the wine ages in the bottle, it can develop deeper flavors, such as coffee, earth, leather and tobacco.
     
     
    THE STYLES OF MERLOT

    While Merlot is made across the globe, there tend to be two main styles.

  • International Style. The “International style,“favored by many New World wine regions, tends to emphasize late harvesting to gain more ripeness. This produces inky, purple-colored wines that are full in body, with intense, plum and blackberry fruit, high alcohol and lush, velvety tannins.
  • Bordeaux Style. While numerous Bordeaux wine producers use the International style, the traditional “Bordeaux style” of Merlot involves harvesting Merlot earlier to maintain acidity. This produces more medium-bodied wines with moderate alcohol levels that have red berry flavors (raspberries, strawberries) and potentially, leafy, vegetal notes [source].
     
    While some small-production, highly-rated wines can sell for up to $200 a bottle—or even thousands, as in the case of Château Petrus—there are numerous affordable bottles in the $20 range.

    Ask your wine clerk for a recommendation.
     
     
    ABOUT CALIFORNIA MERLOT

    The Merlot grape was brought to California in the mid-19th century.

    In the U.S., Merlot has become popular as a varietal wine (one that is largely composed of a single grape variety).

    Most of the Merlot vines in California are planted in Lodi/San Joaquin County, followed by Napa Valley, Monterey, and Sonoma counties.

    These are the locations locations where the terroir‡ is most conducive to producing the best Merlot grapes.

    Merlot wine reached its peak popularity in the U.S. during the 1990s. Then came the Merlot-bashing film “Sideways,” leading to a drop in the wine’s popularity [source].

    But forget that little piece of “history”: If you haven’t been drinking California Merlot, get to know this friendly and delicious varietal.

    ________________

    *The most planted grape used for Bordeaux wine from the Médoc is Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere [source].

    †Technically the Gironde is an estuary: a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers flowing into it, and then to the open sea (in this case, the Atlantic Ocean).

    ‡Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affect a crop’s qualities. It includes climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics gives a fruit or vegetable its unique character.

    ‡‡As of 2016, Chardonnay is the most planted wine variety at 29%, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon at 22%, Pinot Noir at 18%, Merlot at 14%, Zinfandel at 9% and Sauvignon Blanc at 4%. Note that 53% of the grapes harvested in California are for table grapes and raisins.

     
      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: How To Tell If A Pear Is Ripe…& Ways To Serve Pears

    World Pear Day is December 8th. The history of pears is below.

    Pears are one of the few fruits that don’t ripen successfully on the tree. They’re picked when they have reached full size, but before the onset of ripening.

    It sounds simple: To test if a pear is ripe, apply gentle pressure to the neck area (photo #1). If it gives slightly, it’s most likely ready to be eaten.

    The operant words are most likely. Every so often, you’ll get a pear that simply does not obey the taste test.

    We love a juicy pear; so back in August, we purchased three Anjou pears and left them on the countertop to ripen. Three weeks later they were still as hard as rocks.

    At that point you’d think that we’d have tried the brown paper bag technique, enclosing the pears in the bag to let its ethylene speed up the ripening.

    But no, we were as stubborn as the pears.

    In the fourth week, we detected some softness around the neck. Yay!

    We washed one of the pears and bit into it. Booo!

    It was mostly hard, with the lack of sweetness found in unripe fruit.
     
     
    HOW TO SALVAGE A NOT-YET-RIPE PEAR

    We peeled and sliced the pear, placed it in a bowl, sprinkled it with some Splenda (sparing the sugar calories), and microwaved it for 90 seconds. Close enough.

    The second and third pears we cored, peeled, and baked (the recipe is below). The baked pears can be:

  • Eaten plain, like baked apples (sprinkle the core well with cinnamon sugar). Optional: caramel sauce!
  • Served with a scoop of sorbet or ice cream.
  • Puréed into a sauce for grilled chicken or pork, or for pound cake.
  • Chopped or puréed and added to plain or vanilla yogurt.
  • Used to make a Pear Martini or other cocktail, or to stir into club soda.
  •  
    Peeling is a must! Unlike apple skins, pear skins can toughen up under heat. So peel them before you cook them.

    Prevent browning! As with apples, you can prevent browning by dipping cut pears in acidulated water (water mixed with a little lemon juice or vinegar). This works with European and American pear varieties, but not with crisp-fleshed Asian pears.
     
     
    MORE WAYS TO ENJOY PEARS

    Pears and apples are close cousins, so you can substitute them in any recipe that calls for apples.

    The seasonings are the same, too: cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg.

    How about:

  • Poached pears, using fruit juice, syrup, wine, or water
  • Desserts: cakes, pies, tarts
  • Condiments: chutneys, jams, preserves
  •  
     
    RECIPE: EASY BAKED PEARS

    Ingredients

  • Pears
  • Sugar or other sweetener
  • Cinnamon
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Peel the pears, slice them in half and scoop out the core with a melon baller. Place face up on a baking sheet.

    2. SPRINKLE the core well with (as you prefer), sugar, cinnamon, honey, and chopped nuts. We sprinkle the well with cinnamon sugar, then drizzle the top with honey and sprinkle with the nuts. For a diet version, a simple Splenda/cinnamon seasoning is also delicious.

    3. BAKE for 30 minutes; then set aside until cool enough to eat, or let cool completely.
     

    THE HISTORY OF PEARS

    The pear tree is a medium-sized tree that grows in mildly temperate regions worldwide (photo #4).

    It’s a member of the Rosaceae family, also known as the rose family. Roses are members, of course, but so are popular edibles such as almonds, apples, berries, loquats, pears, quince, and stone fruits.

    According to USA Pears, some 3,000 varieties of pears are cultivated worldwide.

    Consumers enjoy them as hand fruit, cooked, canned, or juice; they can be pickled or dried; they can be made into perry (the pear version of hard cider), liqueur, or other spirits.

    How Long Has Mankind Been Eating Pears

    The genus Pyrus, representing all pears, is thought to have originated in present-day Western China.

    From there it spread north, south, east, and west, evolving into what became a diverse group of some 30 species.

    In Europe, there is evidence of pear consumption since prehistoric times. Many traces of pears have been found in a prehistoric excavation around Lake Zurich.

    Those were wild pears, small and round. The pears we know today are the result of millennia of selective breeding.

  • Pears were cultivated in China as early as 2000 B.C.E.
  • Pears were also cultivated by the Romans, who ate the fruits raw and cooked, just like apples.
  • Pliny The Elder’s “Natural History,” published in 77 C.E., noted three dozen varieties. He recommended stewing pears with honey.
  • The Roman cookbook “De re coquinaria” (the first extant cookbook, written in the 4th or 5th century C.E.) features a recipe for a spiced, stewed pear dish.
  •  


    [1] A pear can be rosy, but not yet ripe (photo © Melissa’s Produce | Facebook).


    [2] Sliced pears are a finger-food snack. Add them to green salads for a sweet note (photos #2 and #3 © USA Pears).


    [3] Have a pear tasting: Gather different varieties and compare.


    [4] Pear blossoms: Green buds become white as the weather warms, sometimes a month into spring (photo © Guy Levert | Unsplash).


    [5] An Anjou pear grows on a tree (photo © Christian Holzinger | Unsplash).


    [6] A Forelle pear waiting to be picked (photo © Bram Neus | Unsplash).

     
    The Name “Pear”

    The word pear likely derives from the Germanic pera, from the Vulgar Latin pira. Go back further, before ancient Greek to the Semitic languages, and you’ll find the word pirâ, meaning fruit.

    Pera led to poire in French, peer in Dutch, pera in Spanish and Italian, paere in Danish, paron in Swedish.

    In Spanish, “Esto es la pera,” translated to “This is the pear,” refers to a particularly wonderful or enjoyable situation or experience.

    The adjective pyriform or piriform means pear-shaped.
     
     
    Pears In Europe

    The European pear is believed to have originated in the general region of the southern Caucasus and northeastern Anatoli, as did the apple.

    It has grown there since prehistoric times. Dried slices of pear have been unearthed in Swiss cave dwellings from the Ice Age.

    The first Western mention of the pear is found in Homer’s “The Odyssey,” written in the 9th century B.C.E.

    Around 300 B.C.E. the Greek writer Theophrastus wrote about the cultivation of pears. Two centuries later, in Rome, Pliny the Elder described 41 varieties.

    The Romans ate pears, like apples, both raw and cooked: poached in wine, conserved in grape syrup, and dried for winter consumption.

    The less attractive fruits were made into perry (pear cider), or into pear vinegar or pear liquamen, a vegetarian alternative to garum, the popular fish sauce condiment.

    The Byzantines served pears in jelly, pear preserves, and pears cooked in wine or in oxymel, a syrup of honey and vinegar.

    The Romans spread pear cultivation throughout Europe.

    Pears were prized for dessert, both cooked and raw. They were a favorite fruit of Louis XIV (1643-1715). In the 17th century pear growing in France was at its height and many new varieties were developed.

    Henry III of England ((1207-1272) received gifts of pears from La Rochelle-Normande in northwest France. They were presented to the king by the sheriffs of the City of London [source].

    There are no native American pears. Pears were introduced to America in 1629 when the Massachusetts Company ordered pear seeds from England.

    Because of its unique growing conditions, American pears became even more diverse than their European ancestors. Many good, purely American strains were developed, including Bartlett and Seckel cultivars.

    In New England during the 19th century, an extraordinary degree of enthusiasm for pears developed—so remarkable that it earned the name ‘“Pearmania*” [source: Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press: Oxford] 1999 (p. 590)].
     
     
    Pears In Asia

    Asian pears are different from European pears: uniform in color (yellowish-tan) and shaped more like apples. They have a completely different texture and taste: crisp, grainy, crunchy flesh and do not get succulently juicy and sweet like Western varieties.

    They are not generally baked or made into jams because they have high water content; but are commonly served raw and peeled.

    In Asia, the cultivation of pears goes back some 2,500–3,000 years and has been chronicled in Chinese writings from at least 1,200 years ago.

    Along with the peach and apricot, the pear was long considered a delicacy, enjoyed by the wealthy.

    In Japan, the earliest evidence of pears is much later, around 200–300 C.E. But in 1860, near the end of the Edo period, more than 150 cultivars had been recorded and pear was widely planted [source: Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press: Oxford] 1999 (p. 590)].

    East or West, the original wild pear varieties have been developed into what are now nearly 3,000 varieties worldwide.
     
     
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    *Throughout history, pears have been food for the wealthier classes. They were cultivated in great estates and relished by nobles throughout Europe. New England’s “Pearmania” (circa 1820-1870) was a pastime of the upper class. Gentlemen farmers vied to produce the most luscious specimens of fine pears. Their prized pears were not for sale; they were for family and honored guests.

    Men savored the pears in the library as an occasion for male bonding and connoisseurship—much as in later periods they played golf and smoked cigars.

    It is interesting to note that New England cookbooks published during this period contain very few pear recipes. Stewed pears and pear tarts are the norms. One might infer that pears were not plentiful among the middle class.

    Once California started shipping tons of fruit by rail car to the east in the late 19th century, pears were more plentiful and interest in the pear as a status symbol diminished [source: Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor in chief [Oxford University Press: New York] 2004, Volume 1 (p. 530)].
     
     

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