June is National Turkey Month; the third Sunday is National Turkey Day—this year, June 20th.

This year it coincides with Father’s Day; and tonight, with the official beginning of summer (the exact time of the summer solstice this year is 11:32 p.m. Eastern Time).

We’ve been saving this Turkey Nachos recipe from Chef Ingrid Hoffmann for today: nachos made with ground turkey. (By the way, National Nachos Day is November 6th—another reason to make it.)

We’re showing Chef Ingrid’s complete from-scratch recipe, which increases the “better” factor with ground lean turkey, whole wheat nachos and low fat versions of the cheese and sour cream. (Truth to tell, we used the conventional versions.)

 
But if you’re making pico de gallo from scratch, make a double or triple batch. It will keep for more than a week and it’s delicious on everything.

Speaking of pico de gallo, here are:
 
 
USES FOR PICO DE GALLO BEYOND TEX/MEX

 
 
RECIPE: TURKEY NACHOS

Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Pico De Gallo

 
For The Filling

 
For The Tortilla Chips

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pico de gallo. Combine the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, cilantro, lime juice and oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

2. MAKE the filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and the chili power, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano and salt. Cook, stirring often, breaking up the turkey with the side of a spoon, until the turkey begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

[1] Replacing beef and pork with ground turkey (photo © Chef Ingrid Hoffmann);

[2] Pico de gallo, meaning “rooster’s beak.” The fresh (uncooked) salsa got its name because it once was eaten between the thumb and finger, in a way that resembled a pecking rooster (photo © Taste Of Home).

[3] Cilantro and fresh lime juice, great seasonings for many things, are used here in the pico de gallo (photo © Lindsay Moe | Unsplash).

[4] Ground turkey, popularly used for meatballs and burgers (photo © D’Artagnan).

[5] The tortilla chips are made from whole wheat tortillas (photo © Web Restaurant Store).

4. SPREAD the tortilla wedges on the baking sheets and spray with the nonstick spray. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. SPRAY a large, shallow baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread half of the tortilla wedges in the baking dish, and top with half of the cheese, half of the turkey mixture, half of the beans, and half of the olives. Top with remaining tortilla wedges, and repeat with the remaining cheese, turkey mixture, beans and olives. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

6. REMOVE from oven and sprinkle with half of the pico de gallo and the avocado. Spoon a large dollop of the sour cream on top of the nachos. Sprinkle with the scallions. Serve immediately, with the remaining pico de gallo on the side.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF NACHOS

> THE HISTORY OF SALSA

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALSA

[1] Pouring Huo Shan Huang Ya, a rare yellow tea (photos #1, #2, #3, #4 © In Pursuit Of Tea).

[2] While the leaves of Huo Shan Huang Ya are green in color, they have a yellow hue. And, they brew a yellow liquor**.

[3] This chocolate brown, straight-sided chawan (tea bowl) features a wide white stripe. The slightly asymmetrical lip is a nod to the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi, or beauty in imperfection. It’s available at In Pursuit Of Tea.

[4] This limited edition chawan has a luminous black and rusty-red glaze and a deep, flat base that makes whisking matcha a breeze. It’s available at In Pursuit Of Tea.

[5] This chawan has a beautiful gilded interior. It’s available from Tea Dealers (photo © Tea Dealers).

[7] Some chawans are works of art, like this stone piece with a free-form rim and cutaway foot. It’s an exclusive from Tea Dealers (photo © Tea Dealers).

Yellow tea is a rare and wonderful thing, say the experts at In Pursuit Of Tea, an artisan tea seller. It’s been a tradition in China’s Anhui Province for more than 1,000 years.

And it’s so rare that we—big tea lover—had never even heard of it.

Today, we share our new-found knowledge with you.
 
 
WHAT IS YELLOW TEA?

Yellow tea gets its name from the yellow hue of its [green] leaves, after the fermentation and oxidation processes. And, it’s the color of the liquor** brewed from them.

Similar to green tea, the buds of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, are handpicked in early spring. Only the tips of the finest tea leaves are used for yellow tea.

Different tea masters vary the process, but here is the technique used to create Huo Shan Huang Ya, the tea in the photos that you can actually buy right now:

The plucked leaves are dry heated (panned) to almost halt the oxidation*—but not completely.

They are then carefully wrapped in cloth or thick paper, and finished over smoldering charcoal for a few days, curing in the sauna-like heat.

This unique, multi-day process transforms the tea into something special: a tea reminiscent of a Chinese green tea, but with more complexity and smoothness than their green tea cousins.

A rounded finish lingers, with a sweet hint of charcoal.

Because of the multiple-day wrapping and steaming process, making yellow tea is much more time-consuming and delicate. It takes expertise to achieve just the right level of fermentation and oxidation.

But there are very few tea masters in China who have this mastery, another factor that makes yellow tea the rarest and most expensive. A lot of expertise has been lost over time. Here’s more about it.

In most cases, yellow tea is consumed by locals or used as a tribute tea‡‡‡.

Thee rare yellow tea, with its craftsmanship and fine flavor, quickly became a favorite tribute tea. [source].

All of this makes yellow tea the rarest and most expensive variety.
 

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW TEA

Yellow tea is the “youngest” of the teas types. It first appeared in the 14th or 15th century, during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).

While all tea is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, the terroir‡‡ that grows the best plants to make yellow tea are the mountains of the Hunan, Sichuan and Zhejiang provinces of China.

What makes yellow tea so rare and pricey?

First, a limited growing area. Second, the unique harvesting and drying processes, described above, which contribute to the tea’s yellow color.

Due to the wrapping of the leaves and a multiple-day steaming process, making yellow tea is more time-consuming and delicate.

In most cases, yellow tea is made for the appreciation of locals or used as a tribute tea, given to dignitaries. They have never had a broad market presence.

In fact, for centuries, it was actually illegal to sell yellow tea abroad; so it never gained much awareness [source].
 
 
AVAILABLE FOR A BRIEF TIME

Because this tea is so rare, grab it while you can. The lot available at In Pursuit Of Tea is Huo Shan Huang Ya. “Huo Mountain Yellow Sprout.”

It’s a remarkable lot, says In Pursuit. “Harvested in late April, it boasts aromas of grilled artichoke and roast peanuts with a verdant undertone of fresh green beans.

“As for the taste, think of ripe honeydew sprinkled with white pepper, all packed into beautifully fluffy buds, festooned with a fine coat of fuzzy trichomes—a true sign of leaf quality.”

“We’re calling it the tea of the summer: bright and unusual to match the reopening of 2021, and alluring enough to encourage new experiences.

“Steep a generous pinch loose in a chawan or wide bowl, and sip on a porch while watching the birds.

“Try an ambient brew with room temperature water for an hour to appreciate a different side of this multifaceted tea.

“Or drink it iced all summer long, to quench your thirst for something refreshing and beautiful.”

We say: Make hay while the sun shines, and get some Huo Shan Hyuang Ya that’s the color of sunshine.

Head to In Pursuit of Tea.

You can afford the two-ounce package, $46.25. It’s a lot, but it’s a very special experience.

You can usually get about 10–15 cups of tea (a 6 fluid ounces tea cup—not a 12-ounce mug) from an ounce of loose leaf tea, depending on how strong you like your tea. Thus, two ounces of loose leaf should provide up to 30 cups of tea [source].

When you take a sip, remember that you’re drinking a tea enjoyed only by the emperor of China, for most of its existence.
 
 
> AN OVERVIEW OF TEA

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEA

> THE HISTORY OF TEA

*Black tea is fully oxidized, green tea is partially oxidized, white tea is not oxidized.

†Unlike traditional hot brews (a few minutes at temperatures above 149°F) or cold brews (many hours at temperatures between 33°C and 41°F),ambient brewing uses still or sparkling water for less than an hour, at cool ambient temperatures between 50°F and 59°C, and served within those temperatures [source].

‡A chawan is a matcha bowls, designed for whisking matcha powder in the traditional style of Japanese tea preparation. They are used for for everyday consumption; although like fine dinnerware, some are special-occasion bowls. The wide shape enables proper foaming. Chawans are considered “practical works of art,” used and collected by tea aficionados around the world. If you own one, you can enjoy any kind of tea from it.

**Liquor is the industry term for brewed tea. Check out more tea terms in our Tea Glossary.

‡‡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 give a fruit, vegetable, cheese, olive oil, tea, coffee, etc., its unique character.

‡‡‡A tribute tea, or gong cha, was the finest of the crop that was given to the emperor “in tribute.” The custom lasted until the 1700s. The emperor enjoyed the tea for his own consumption or to host dinners or other special events for visiting dignitaries.
 
 

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

This breakfast pancake treat comes from the creative mind of our colleage Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog. She’s an author of several vegan cookbooks, and as you’ll see from this recipe, you don’t have to be vegan to love them.

This recipe comes from her latest cookbook, Super Vegan Scoops! Plant-Based Ice Cream for Everyone (photo #3).

If you’re not such an early riser, says Hannah, the pancakes can be cooked in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

The Blueberry-Banana Smoothie “Ice Cream” can also be made in advance.

Hannah calls this recipe “Breakfast In Bed Sundae,” but we’ve tweaked the title because we think Corn Flakes trumps eating pancakes in bed.
 
 
RECIPE: CORN FLAKES PANCAKE SUNDAE
 
Ingredients

For The Short Stack Corn Flake Pancakes

 
For The Blueberry Banana Smoothie Ice Cream

 
For The Garnishes

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pancakes. Crush the cereal either by pulsing it in the food processor or pounding it with a rolling pin. The crushed pieces should measure about 1/2 cup in volume.

2. TRANSFER to a large bowl and add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well to combine.

3. WHISK together in a separate bowl the milk, oil/butter and vinegar before adding the liquid mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients.

4. STIR lightly, just to bring the batter together. Don’t try to get it completely smooth, as it will be lumpy from the cereal. You’ll only risk over-mixing (which creates tough pancakes).

5. MAKE the ice cream. Place the blueberries and bananas in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or place the ice cream in an airtight container and freeze for 1 to 3 hours for a scoopable texture.

6. ASSEMBLE: Stack as many pancakes as you’d like on a plate and top with half of the Corn Flakes, the fresh fruit, and the smoothie ice cream. Serve immediately.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CORN FLAKES

> THE HISTORY OF PANCAKES

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PANCAKES

[1] A fetching breakfast of Corn Flakes pancakes with blueberry-banana smoothie “ice cream” and fresh fruit. The recipe is from the new book, Super Vegan Scoops, photo # (photos #1 and #3 © Hannah Kaminsky | Skyhorse Publishing).

[2] Two of our other favorite uses for Corn Flakes (aside from breakfast cereal) are as a topping on ice cream and a coating for fried chicken (photo © Kellog’s Company).

[3] Get a copy for yourself, and anyone who’d appreciate these delicious, creative vegan recipes.

[4] The riper the bananas, the more banana flavor in the smoothie ice cream (photo © Baking Library).

[1] A Martini flavored with vanilla bean (photo © Beyond Good).

[2] Beyond Good vanilla beans from Madagascar (photo © Zulilly).

[3] You can make vanilla vodka by adding two vanilla beans to a bottle of vodka. Let it infuse for a month or more in a cool, dark place (photo © Vermont Creamery).

[3] Or, you can buy vanilla-infused vodka. The vanilla beans in the bottle turn the vodka a tan color (photo © Triple Eight Distillery).

[4] Straining a Martini (photo © Cottonbro | Pexels).

[4] An espresso Martini. Here’s the recipe (photo © Ekrulila | Pexels).

[5] A chocolate Martini made with chocolate vodka (photo © 5). Versions made with chocolate syrup or cocoa have the color of chocolate milk (photo © Hershey’s).

For National Martini Day, June 19th, this recipe comes to us from Beyond Good, which supports the labors of small cacao and vanilla farmers in Madagascar and Uganda.

Take a look at their product line and see what you’d like for yourself or for gifting.

You may look at the suggested vanilla bean garnish and say: Wow, those beans are expensive. I can’t use them for garnish.

Yes. Because a vanilla bean has a great deal of flavor, it can usually be reused several times before its aroma and taste are depleted. Just rinse the bean and let it dry thoroughly before returning it to the jar.

If you have a bean that has dried out, revive it in hot water. And don’t throw the hot water away: Use it to make a cup of tea, or to make coffee in a coffee press.

And before you start mixing: Consider a trio of mini-Martinis: vanilla (photo #1), coffee (photo #4) and chocolate (photo #5).
 
 
> Don’t want vanilla? There are links to 50+ Martini recipes below.

> The history of the Martini.

> The history of the cocktail.

> The history of vanilla and the different types of vanilla.
 
 
RECIPE: VANILLA MARTINI

This cocktail used a Beyond Good Madagascar vanilla bean; but of course, use up what you have on hand.
 
Ingredients Per Cocktail

 
Preparation

1. SPLIT the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla bean seeds into a mixing glass.

2. ADD the gin and dry vermouth plus 4 ice cubes. Stir 20 times, until cold. Or, shake for 15-30 seconds.

3. STRAIN into a Martini glass and garnish with Beyond Good Madagascar Vanilla Bean.
 
 
HOW TO STORE VANILLA BEANS

Vanilla beans are expensive. If you buy them in a jar, store them away from light and heat.

If you buy them loose, first wrap the beans in wax paper or plastic wrap, and store them in an airtight glass container (or a plastic storage container).

Squeeze out as much air as possible from the container to prevent the vanilla beans from drying out.

Never refrigerate or freeze the beans.
 
 
50+ MORE MARTINI RECIPES

 
And for fun, but not a drink:

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

What’s for lunch? Why ask, when it’s International Sushi Day (June 18th).

Statistics from Bold Data show that the number of sushi restaurants in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the last 10 years—prior to the pandemic.

During the pandemic to date, in 2021, along with the country’s mass closing of restaurants, there’s been a decrease of 311 sushi establishments.

Hopefully, 311 new ones—and more—will replace them as life heads back to pre-pandemic activity.

There are currently 18,944 sushi restaurants in the U.S. We’ve probably been to 100 of them!
 
 
THE FIRST SUSHI SHOP IN THE U.S.

In 1966, the Kawafuku Restaurant opened in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles (it closed in 2006).

Started by an importer named Noritoshi Kanai, chef Shigeo Saito made the sushi and his wife served it.

Although sushi had been available in Los Anteles long before then, Kawafuku was the first restaurant in the U.S. dedicated to sushi.

According to the Kinja restaurant and sushi bar in Spokane, sushi was being served in the U.S. by the early 1900s, following an influx of Japanese.

The first sushi shop in the U.S. reportedly opened in Los Angeles in 1906, in the Little Tokyo neighborhood.

A wave of Japanophilia in American high society resulted in the serving of sushi at social functions, even reaching midwestern cities such as Minneapolis, Minnesota, St. Louis, Missouri and Bismarck, North Dakota.

The earliest published mention of sushi eaten by an American, in America, is in an August 18, 1904 article in the Los Angeles Herald, noting a luncheon served in Santa Monica by the socialite Fern Dell Higgins.

Alas, a wave of anti-Japanese sentiments and restrictions on Japanese immigration began with the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907, which restricted Japanese immigration. It put an end to Japanophilia.

Alas again, the bombing of Pearl Harbor engendered powerful anti-Japanese sentiment and the closing of Japanese businesses (and much worse: see this article on Japanese internment camps).

After World War II, Japanese businesses would not re-emerge until the late 1940s.

But back to Kawafuku: It started a movement, with L.A. as the genesis of America’s love of sushi.

By the late 1960s, new sushi restaurants were opening up all across L.A.: 50 sushi shops by 1970 and today, 833 of them.

By contrast, according to Bold Data, New York has 467 sushi restaurants.
 
 
THE WORLD’S SUSHI CAPITAL

It’s not a surprise that Japan is home to the largest number of sushi restaurants: 42,897.

The U.S. comes in second with 18,944 sushi shops. And Canada completes the top 3 with 2,529 sushi restaurants.

Wherever you hang your hat, find the nearest sushi spot and have a good lunch!
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUSHI
 
> THE HISTORY OF SUSHI: A TIMELINE

[1] A reverse roll (inside-out roll) is called uramaki in Japanese. Rice is on the inside and here, salmon and cucumber are on the outside (photo © Derek Duran | Unsplash).

[2] Fancy schmancy: a new approach to hand rolls has been spotted. This one isn’t even at a sushi bar, but at LT Bar & Grill in Hackensack, New Jersey, owned by the great French chef Laurent Tourondel (photo © LT Bar & Grill).

[3] Who needs fish? Sushi means “vinegared rice.” Here, a gunkan maki (i.e., boat-shaped roll) with wagyu beef tartare and black truffle in a daikon wrap and some crispy fingerling potato chips, at Zuma in New York City (photo © Zuma Restaurant).