[1] A unique opportunity to taste four heritage pork breeds side-by-side (photo © Heritage Foods).

[2] A Berkshire pig, a breed that originated in England (photo © Martin Pateman | Fotolia).

Do you know your heritage pig breeds?

A heritage breed has not been crossbred in hundreds of years.

Heritage pork has more marbling than supermarket breeds, resulting in meat that is more tender, juicy and flavorful.

Berkshire, Duroc, Gloucestershire Old Spot, Large Black, Red Wattle and Tamworth are venerable names in heritage pig breeding.

Each breed has a unique flavor.

Now you can give your favorite pork chop fan a really special gift.
 
 
THE PORK CHOP 4 BREED TASTING KIT FROM HERITAGE FOODS

This package is a rare opportunity to experience just how varied the taste of the same livestock can be, from one heritage breed to the next.

The package contains eight 14-ounce Porterhouse pork chops: two each from four of the breeds mentioned above.

The chops from each breed are clearly marked, with information helpful is to understanding the meat and the breed.

Cut thick and beautifully marbled, each chop includes both the tenderloin and loin section of the pig—hence, the “Porterhouse.”

They are easy to cook: just a few minutes on each side.

The pigs are:

 
 
GET YOURS NOW

Head to Heritage Foods.
 
 
> CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT CUTS OF PORK

It is likely the Yorkshire, a breed that was developed in Yorkshire, England, around 1761.

Pale pink in color, the Yorkshire is what most Americans think of as a “classic” pig.

In 1830, the first Yorkshires were imported to the U.S., where they became known as American Yorkshires. Because of their slow growth rate, they did not become popular until the late 1940s.

At that time, many large pigs were imported from Canada and England for their ruggedness and carcasses. The Yorkshire breed then improved rapidly through selection.

The modern American Yorkshire is muscular with a high proportion of lean meat. It can grow as big as 6.5 feet in length [source].

Today, the American Yorkshire pig is found in nearly every U.S. state.

Ever since we discovered bitters in college, we’ve regularly enjoyed bitters and soda—heavy on the bitters.

Using Angostura, the only brand most people knew at the time, it added a reddish color to the club soda, with a very spicy ginger flavor. We called it “unsweetened ginger beer.”

We often have bitters and soda with a big meal, because bitters are a digestif (more about that below).

Also, when we’re about to have a big meal, we prefer not to have a cocktail beforehand, electing to wait for the wines to come.

While entertaining is limited this year, going into holiday season we like to seek out new and special treats for our guests—and ourselves, of course.

One of our beverage picks is Hella Bitters & Soda.
 
 
THE SCOOP

Hella Cocktail Co. was one of the leaders in the creation of the craft bitters category. It has grown to sell premium, non-alcoholic mixers as well.

Hella Bitters & Soda, new in 2020, has quickly gained a following of people who enjoy it after work, or for all-day drinking instead of a soft drink or plain sparkling water.

Bitters are a flavor extract made by infusing bitter roots, bark, spices, fruits and botanicals. They have long been used to stimulate healthy digestion.

There’s more about them below.
 
 
THE HELLA BITTERS & SODA LINE

Hella Bitters & Soda is a specialty soft drink, for sure; but one with quite an allure for people who want something special and refreshing. They don’t want alcohol—or don’t want another glass of it.

The 12-fluid-ounce cans hold carbonated water that is blended with a heavy dash of bitters—and added flavors in three of the five varieties.

The result is a serious, unsweetened adult soda or a cocktail mixer with heavy aromatics and sophisticated bitterness.

Hella launched the Bitters & Soda line with two flavors:

 
The company has added three more options:

 
All five flavors use the same base of gentian tincture, made in the South of France (more about gentian below).

You can drink Hella Bitters & Soda from the can, as you work or watch television; drink it on the rocks (photo #2); or from a tall glass with citrus slices or other garnish (photo #3—we’ve used stalks of rosemary and thyme for a nice aromatic counterpoint.

If you’re looking for something new and different—and only 10 calories except for sweetened Spritz Aromatic—take a look at Hella Bitters & Soda.

And if you want to “mix your own,” you can buy great bitters from Hella (photo #4) to add to your own seltzer: Apple Blossom, Aromatic, Chili, Citrus, Eucalyptus, Ginger and Mexican Chocolate.

If you need gifts for people who drink a lot of club soda, consider them as a gift.
 
 
WHAT IS GENTIAN?

Gentian is a tincture made from the gentian root, a plant that is popular in many cocktails and the South of France, where it is considered the “King of Bitters.”

It is extracted from the root of a flowering plant, Gentiana lutea, a species of gentian native to the mountains of central and southern Europe (photos #5 and #6—there are some 400 species of the gentian plant).

The extract is extremely bitter and potent, and has a very long history in medicine.

The story is that King Gentius of Illyria (180-67 B.C.E.) is said to have given the herb, later named after him, to his army to cure them of a mysterious fever [source].

It has long been used as a bitter flavoring for alcoholic drinks. In Germany and Switzerland, gentian was used to add bitterness to beer before the introduction of hops.

It was also used in an aperitif at dinner parties to support digestion after the big meal.

Gentian is the chief flavor in vermouth, in the Angostura brand of bitters, and in the American soft drink Moxie.
 
 
WHAT ARE BITTERS?

Bitters are an extract of bitter roots, herbs, fruit and spices. There are as many recipes as people who want to make them.

Bitters contain many powerful plant extracts that impart anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-gas (in the case of digestion) health benefits.

Millennia before bartenders—and Dr. Siegart—discovered them, bitters were as a remedy for an unsettled stomach and other medicinal needs.

Formally known as digestive bitters, they support digestive function by stimulating digestive juices, like stomach acid, bile, and enzymes to break down food naturally. This also abets the absorption of foods’ nutrients.

Angostura bitters was originally used as a digestive tonic and recommended as an addition to just about every food.

It was first made in 1824 in Angostura, Argentina (now Ciudad Bolivar), under the auspices of a physician, Dr. J.G.B. Siegart, who was the Chief Surgeon at the U.S. Military Hospital.

[1] Hella Bitters & Soda on the rocks (photos #1 to #4 © Hella Cocktail Co.).

[2] Make it a tall glass with your favorite garnishes. There are five flavors for you to try.

[3] Drink it with slices of cucumber and lemon. Yes, please: Eat the garnishes.

[4] Hella makes bottles of bitters in seven flavors. We like to give them as gifts to our favorite mixologist friends, and people who drink a lot of club soda.

[5] The gentian flower. The dried root, below, is the portion that’s used for the tincture (photo © Heinz-Staudacher | Wikipedia).

[6] Gentian root (photo © Frontier Co-Op | Amazon).

[1] Party Perfect cheese selection (all photos © Mozzarella Company).

[2] The Thanksgiving Special.

[3] Holiday Spreadables.

[4] A close-up of the Mascarpone Torta. You can buy them individually, in four flavors.

For your favorite turophile (cheese lover), how about a selection of artisan cheeses from one of America’s great cheesemakers, Paula Lambert, founder of Mozzarella Company in Dallas.

She makes much more than mozzarella, as you’ll see from her website.

Paula chose these cheeses for the holidays, for holiday celebrations and gifting.
 
 
1. PARTY PERFECT

Perfect for a party, a selection of fresh and aged cheeses, sure to please everyone (photo #1).

 
Here’s more detail.
 
 
2. THANKSGIVING SPECIAL

A.K.A. Turophile’s Delight, this selection of three cheeses is a sophisticated nibble with cocktails or a delicious cheese course after the main meal. We love the festive colors of the Mascarpone Torta alone waves the colors of the season (photos #1, #2 and #4).

 
Here’s more detail.
 
 
3. HOLIDAY SPREADABLES

These homemade spreadable dips are perfect for parties, gatherings and impromptu guests (photo #3). They’re also great to keep for your own snacking, with your favorite crudites, crackers or breadsticks.

Each rich dip is a contrast in flavor:

 
Here’s more detail.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHEESES
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHEESE

The first week in November is National Fig Week.

We were sanguine about the opportunity to buy dried figs, for snacking and recipes.

But taking an informal survey among friends and family over the last couple of weeks, we found that none of them buys dried figs.

They’ll eat them when they find them on a restaurant menu or maybe buy a jar of fig jam for a particular recipe. But they don’t integrate figs into meals at home—whether dried or fresh.

To quote a famous line from “Death Of A Salesman,” attention must be paid! Figs deserve it.

Buyer habits change slowly, so we’re here to help.
 
 
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH DRIED FIGS

Fig lovers—or those who haven’t yet developed a taste for the ancient fruit—are lamenting the end of fresh fig season.

There are two harvests of domestic fresh figs: the first few weeks in June, and then from August through October.

There are hundreds of varieties of figs in the world. In the U.S., the most commonly-found varieties are Black Mission Figs (photo #3—actually they’re dark purple), Brown Turkey Figs and green Kadota figs (photo #2).

(Food Trivia: Since since 1891, Kadota figs have been used for the filling in Fig Newton cookies. January 16 is National Fig Newton Day.)

Once they’re harvested, fresh figs last only about a week. As a result, about 90% of the world’s fig harvest comes to us as dried figs.

You can find them year-round in the produce section or the snacking aisle with the other dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cherries, etc.).

Dried figs are available whole, diced, and made into fig jam, a sophisticated spread that we like with cheese, foie gras, and as a sandwich spread with meat, grilled vegetables, and yes, on a PB & J.

Highly nutritious, naturally sweet, snackable and versatile in recipes, dried figs have a long shelf life.

And they offer a dense nutritional package, starting with an impressive amount of dietary fiber: more than 9 grams of fiber in a serving of four figs.

Dried figs are also a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin E, potassium, and antioxidant phytochemicals.
 
 
USES FOR DRIED FIGS

Dried figs fit in wherever raisins, dates and other dried fruit do. That’s a lot of ways to use dried figs.

They add their own unique flavor, a delight on the palate.

Beyond considering a figgy pudding for Christmas, here are 30 ways to use dried figs.
 
 
DRIED FIGS FOR BREAKFAST

1. BREAKFAST CEREAL. Like adding raisins to make Raisin Bran, you can chop dried figs (or buy diced figs) to and make Fig Cheerios, Fix Chex, Fig Rice Krispies, fig granola…and of course, fig oatmeal.

2. PANCAKES. After making a disappointing batch of blueberry pancakes (the berries were way too tart), we made the next batch with diced dried figs. Delicious!

3. MUFFINS. Toss dried figs into your muffin batter. A no brainer!

4. COTTAGE CHEESE & YOGURT. Just mix in those diced figs. For more protein, add some sliced almonds or other nuts.
 
 
DRIED FIGS FOR LUNCH

5. CARROT & FIG SLAW. Substitute diced figs for the conventional raisins.

Here’s an easy recipe: 4 cups shredded carrots, 1-1/2 cups diced figs, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. Combine carrots and figs in a mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and enough milk to achieve a dressing consistency. Thoroughly coat carrot-fig mixture. Yields 8 servings.

6. SALADS. Figs are delicious in a mixed green salad, spinach salad or arugula and endive salad. Their natural sweetness plays well against the bitter greens.

Toss diced figs into coleslaw or a fresh fruit salad: Dried fruits add an interesting counterpoint to the fresh ones. Try them in curried chicken, tuna and egg salads.

7. WRAPS & SANDWICHES. Sprinkle a few figs into just about any wrap, from ham and cheese to turkey to grilled vegetables. Figs add sweetness in the way that chutney and cranberry sauce do.

Then there are peanut butter and fig sandwiches, cream cheese and figs, grilled cheese and figs and one of our favorites, goat cheese and figs on a toasted baguette, and wraps (photo #5).
 
 
DRIED FIGS FOR SNACKS

You can buy grab-and-go snack bags of figs (photo #8), or bag your own. And then, there are these fun snacks:

8. ANTS ON A LOG. This retro snack is as much fun today as it originally was in the 1950s. Celery stalks are filled with peanut butter, and raisins placed atop like a line of ants. Or substitute cream cheese for the peanut butter. Whatever your choice, switch out the raisins for diced figs.

9. ENERGY FIX, HUNGER FIX. Keep packages of figs in your desk drawer, glove compartment, gym bag or locker. They’re yummy alone, with a cup of tea, cinnamon-accented coffee or other drink.

10. FIG “S’MORES.” Instead of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows, grill thin slices of baguette with a piece of chocolate bar and some dried figs.

11. TRAIL MIX. Long before the term trail mix was coined (in the 1950s), middle class families would keep a candy dish of mixed nuts and diced dried figs on the coffee table. (If you had an especially good grandmother, she would toss M&Ms or chocolate chips into the mix when you were visiting.)
 
 
DINNER

12. BEANS & LENTILS. Stir figs into bean and lentil dishes. For baked beans, cut the sugar in half and add a half cup of golden raisins (a nicer color contrast with the beans).

13. CALVES LIVER, FISH, CHICKEN PAILLARD. Add figs to the pan sauce.

14. CHILI. Do you know the trick of adding chocolate to chili to bring out new dimensions of flavor? It works with figs, too.

15. CURRY. Figs accent any curry dish, or any dish seasoned with cinnamon, ginger or turmeric,

16. HAM OR PORK. You can substitute (or add) dried figs for prunes in pork/prune recipes. Or, top ham or pork roasts with a fig sauce: In small saucepan, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup diced figs; bring mixture to boil. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; add slowly to fig mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons rum; stir to blend and remove from heat.

17. MEAT DISHES. Pot roast, heavy casseroles and stews of meat and/or poultry get a lift from 1/4 cup of diced figs.

18. RICE & GRAINS. Go Middle Eastern and add figs to your hot rice dishes or rice salads. Do the same with whole grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur, farro, quinoa, etc.

19. STIR FRY. Along with your protein and garlic, add a sweet touch of dried figs.

[1] For breakfast, lunch, snack with cream cheese, or a dessert à la mode: A fig loaf cake (photo © Tina Dawson | Unsplash).

[2] Dried Green Kadota figs (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Dried Black Mission figs (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Fig & Blue Cheese Crostini. Here’s the recipe from The Daily Deelight (photo © The Daily Deelight).

[5] Wrap sandwich pinwheels with goat cheese, dried figs and walnuts. Here’s the recipe from Williams-Sonoma (photo © Williams-Sonoma).

[6] A charcuterie board with everything delicious, including dried Brown Turkey figs (center bottom—photo © Sally Pasley Vargas | Valley Fig).

[7] Chicken tagine with dried figs. Here’s the recipe from California Figs (photo © California Figs).

[8] Grab-and-go fig snacks like Figlets make it easy to snack on dried figs anytime (photo © Valley Fig).

21. STUFFING. A packaged bread stuffing comes alive with some dried figs and fresh herbs.

22. VEGETABLES. Add dried figs and nuts to bitter greens like chard and kale; definitely try them with Brussels sprouts and bacon.
 
DESSERT

23. CAKES & QUICK BREADS. Add diced figs to carrot cake and zucchini bread. They’re delicious in pound cake; even more so when they’re pre-soaked in rum. We put those rum-soaked figs into brownies and blondies, too.

24. COOKIES. Make classic oatmeal cookies, substituting diced figs for the raisins. Butter cookies and shortbread with figs are also delicious.

25. PIE. Add to apple or other fruit pie or pecan pie; make a sour cream fig pie, substituting figs for the raisins. Also try cranberry-fig, pumpkin-fig and rhubarb-fig.

26. PUDDING. Add diced figs to bread pudding, custard, rice pudding, tapioca or any flavored pudding (butterscotch, chocolate, pistachio, vanilla, etc.). They work nicely in applesauce, too.

27. RUM FIG ICE CREAM. Instead of raisins, marinate figs in rum and sugar for several hours or overnight. Remove the figs from the liquid and stir into softened vanilla ice cream; return to the freezer to harden. Or use them as a topping on scoops of ice cream, or interspersed in a parfait.

28. STEWED FRUIT. We love to make our grandmother’s stewed fruit compote: fresh fall fruits plus dried figs.

29. ICE CREAM. and using them as an ice cream garnish, soaked in rum or brandy.

30. STRAIGHT. Eating them straight from the bag.

These ideas will keep you immersed in dried figs until fresh fig season comes around in the spring!
 
 
> USES FOR FRESH FIGS

> THE HISTORY OF FIGS

[1] It’s a pineapple—and it’s pink! (all photos © Fresh Del Monte).

[2] Put Pinkglow on your list of Valentine’s Day gifts.

[3] We sliced our pineapple and ate it sparingly over a few days, to make the experience last. We were sad when it was gone.

[4] Drink pink!

[5] The shipped pineapple comes in a box stamped “Precious Cargo From Costa Rica.”

After 16 years of bioengineering*, Fresh Del Monte Produce has released Pinkglow™ pineapples, presenting it as an exclusive and luxurious fruit.

Before you turn away at the thought of bioengineered food, note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Pinkglow the thumbs up.

They explain that “there are no unresolved safety or regulatory questions about the pineapple.”

The “new pineapple has been genetically engineered to produce lower levels of the enzymes already in conventional pineapple that convert the pink pigment lycopene to the yellow pigment beta carotene.

“Lycopene is the pigment that makes tomatoes red and watermelons pink, so it is commonly and safely consumed [source].”
 
 
WHAT IS A PINKGLOW PINEAPPLE?

This is not your everyday-eating pineapple; it’s a splurge. Each fruit costs $29, plus expedited shipping (prices will vary by vendor).

The Pinkglow pineapple looks like a regular pineapple on the outside—a pineapple on the smaller size.

But cut it open and you’ll find that its interior is 100% rosy pink.

The bummer is that, in the name of sustainability, the crowns of the pineapples (the leafy tops) are cut off before shipping. So Pinkglow won’t make a dramatic centerpiece.

The crowns are replanted to grow new pineapples. It takes two years to grow a new one (who knew that the top of the pineapple regenerates into a new pineapple?).

Pinkglows are grown exclusively by Fresh Del Monte, in Costa Rica.
 
What does it taste like?

We were fortunate to try a Pinkglow, and novel experience:

 
 
WHAT IS LYCOPENE

Lycopene is a natural pigment that gives numerous fruits and vegetables their pinkish or reddish color.

It is a carotenoid, and is currently the most powerful antioxidant that has been measured in food.

While studies continue, it is believed to play a role in preventing cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration [source].

Fruits and vegetables that are high in lycopene include asparagus†, cooked tomatoes, guavas, mangos, papayas, pink grapefruits, persimmons, red cabbages, sweet red peppers and watermelons.
 
 
GET YOUR PINKGLOW PINEAPPLE

Pinkglows will be available nationwide at retail—but not just yet.

For now, you can only order them online at PinkglowPineapple.com.

While they’re pricey today, they should be much more affordable at retail.

For now, the precious pineapples are perishable‡, and require two-day shipping.

If you do receive a Pinkglow, check the FAQ on the website to see how to store it.
 
 

> THE HISTORY OF PINEAPPLE

*Bioengineered (BE) foods, also referred to as genetically engineered (GE) or genetically modified (GM) are foods for which the DNA of the source organism has been artificially modified in some way, ordinarily to alter traits of that organism [source].

†You may be surprised that green asparagus is on the list of high-level lycopene foods. But not all lycopene-rich foods are pinkish or reddish.

‡Pineapples are harvested when ripe. Given the time for shipping from the field to your grocer, they should be consumed fairly soon after you buy them.