What’s for dinner? October 26th is National Chicken-Fried Steak, celebrating a beloved Southern and Southwestern comfort food comprising a beef cutlet that’s pan-fried in the manner of chicken.

You take a tenderized piece of beef (usually a cheap, tough cut like cube steak or ), coat it in seasoned flour, dip it in egg or buttermilk, coat it in flour again, and then pan-fry it until it’s crispy and golden.

The coating uses flour instead of bread crumbs to form a crispy crust that adheres beautifully to the meat, and the whole thing is topped off with a creamy country gravy. Best of all, this is a 30-minute meal, start to finish.

The result is crispy on the outside, tender inside, and topped with a creamy, white, peppery gravy—country gravy (the different types of gravy).

The recipe follows, but first:

> The history of chicken-fried steak is below.

> The year’s 47 Southern food holidays are also below.

> The different cuts of beef: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 25+ beef holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK WITH COUNTRY GRAVY

This is a classic eastern Texas recipe, covered with cream country gravy made from the pan drippings. Its precise origin is unknown. The history section below has more information.

The meat is not a tender cut: cube steak or tenderized round steak, which is a manually or machine-tenderized piece of the round primal cut from the hind leg and rump of the cow.

Serve it for dish breakfast with fried eggs, for lunch with a mixed green salad, or for dinner with your favorite potatoes and vegetables.

Prep time is 15 minutes and cook time is 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE 1 cup of flour in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 1/2 cup milk until blended.

2. SPRINKLE the steaks with 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Dip in the flour to coat both sides; shake off the excess. Dip in the egg mixture, then again in flour.

3. FILL a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet with 1/4 inch oil and heat over medium heat. Add the steaks; cook until golden brown and a thermometer reads 160°, 4-6 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan; drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

4. REMOVE all but 2 tablespoons of oil from pan. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; cook and stir over medium heat until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in water and remaining 1 cup milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve with steaks.

If your steak is a little pink inside, that’s OK, as long as the internal temperature of the steak is at least 160°. But since the steak should be only 1/4-inch thick, it should cook so quickly that the interior should have no pink by the time the coating has crisped up and turned golden.
 
Storing Leftovers

Leftover cooked steak can be frozen but not the gravy: The texture when thawed.

 
Variations

 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHICKEN-FRIED STEAK

The origins are a bit debated, but most food historians trace chicken-fried steak to German and Austrian immigrants who settled in Texas in the mid-1800s.

They brought the tradition of Wiener schnitzel (pounded, breaded, and fried veal cutlet) and adapted it to use the beef that was plentiful in Texas. The technique merged with Southern fried chicken methods that were already popular in the region.

Different theories claim that while it’s a version of Wiener Schnitzel (which it visually resembles, photo #5), it was a mistake created by a restaurant cook in Colorado or Kansas that worked its way down to Texas.

The dish really took root in Texas, Oklahoma, and surrounding states, becoming a regional comfort food staple of truck stops, diners, and home cooking. It remains most popular in the South and Southwest.

It’s sometimes called country-fried steak, which is the same preparation as chicken-fried steak, served with beef gravy instead of country gravy (photo #6).
 
 
THE YEAR’S 47 SOUTHERN FOOD HOLIDAYS

[1] Crisp on the outside, tender on the inside: chicken-fried steak is a Southern specialty (photos #1, #3, #4 © Julia Hartbeck | Taste Of Home).

[2] Cube steaks are also called minute steaks because the 1/4″ thickness cooks so quickly (photo © Dillingham Family Farm).

[3] Frying the steaks.

[4] Making country gravy.

[5] Wiener Schnizel. Until you cut in, you don’t know that it’s steak instead of veal (Gemini photo).

[6] Country-fried steak is the same preparation but with beef (brown) gravy. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Spruce Eats | Leah Moroney).

 
________________
 
*Crab Soup Day actually celebrates the Nicaraguan soup, but we use it to make she-crab soup, a Charleston specialty.

†Meat, chicken or other protein should not be rinsed before cooking. This just spatter the rinse water around the sink, possibly spreading bacteria. Even if the steak or mallet is wrapped in plastic, you still need to wash the mallet with dish soap and water afterward, because the plastic wrap can sometimes tear without your realizing it.
 
 

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

[1] The best Halloween chocolate for the connoisseur (all photos © The Cordial Cherry).

[2] Invite these Pilgrims for Thanksgiving.

[3] Plenty of pumpkins.

[5] Flowers are always in order. This is the fall bouquet.

[6] For chocolate-loving football fans.

[7] Gingerbread men, one of the many holiday designs.

It was a happy day when we learned about The Cordial Cherry, an artisan chocolatier based in Omaha, Nebraska. For lovers of food-as-art, these are handcrafted, bite-size chocolate sculptures that happen to be filled with your choice of cordial cherries or chocolate truffles (i.e., ganache).

They are our Top Pick Of The Week, and we’ll extend that week into Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

If the words exquisite and delicious could be rolled into a portmanteau, it would be exquisilicious!

While one’s first reaction might be, “these are too lovely to eat,” one will soon give give way to temptation and eat one’s first bite. And then another, and another.

(Which is why a great gift would be the monthly subscription, but even if you begin with just a box of four pieces, it’s a memorable treat.)

We sent them for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and now for the biggest candy day of the year, Halloween.

And as an aside, the men in our family don’t care if it’s a flower or a pumpkin; they just want great chocolate. In fact, our brother distracted us so he could scoop up the butterflies and teacups.
 
 
OUTSTANDING EDIBLE ART

This unique and delightful fusion of visual artistry and gourmet flavors makes The Cordial Cherry a must-try in the world of specialty chocolates.​

Each cherry or ganache center is enveloped in a rich chocolate shell—available in dark, milk, or white chocolate—and filled with a luscious center.

What sets these chocolates apart is their intricate, hand-crafted without the use of molds, and then hand-decorated​. Each piece is a miniature work of art.

There are dozens of choices and always new designs forthcoming, from seasonal and holiday motifs to year-round baby rattles, birthday “cupcakes,” and the entire wedding party!

For further gifting cred, the chocolates are packaged in a toile* (pronounced twal) gift box (a keeper!) and tied with natural twine and fresh greenery.

Note that the stems are removed from the cherries to prevent syrup from leaking out during shipping. The sculptures hardly need a stem in the way; and even if you choose the traditional round chocolate-covered cherries, you won’t miss it.
 
 
THE FALL MENU

For Fall, the chocolate artists have created premier cordial cherries and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache truffles in the shapes of:

 
The 13 Christmas chocolates are now on the website as well, ready to amaze the chocolate lovers on your holiday list.
 
 
ORDER YOURS TODAY

Head to The Cordial Cherry now, and let your eyes feast upon the offerings.

You are very likely become a repeat customer—almost immediately.

The Cordial Cherry stands out in the world of artisanal confections that the eye and palate will long remember.

> The history of chocolate.

> The different types of chocolate: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 69 chocolate holidays.

> The history of cordial cherries/cherry cordials/chocolate-covered cherries.

> The history of cherries.

> The year’s 15+ cherry holidays.

> A recipe to make your own chocolate-covered cherries.

[8] With the scarecrows in the pumpkin patch.

[10] The Nativity in deliciously-filled chocolates.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY

Editor’s Note: We had originally hoped to publish this review for Mother’s Day. We’re doing so now anyway, but hasten to share with you:

 
The first significant mention of a “mother’s day” occurred in 1870. Julia Ward Howe, the American author, poet, abolitionist, suffragist, and lyricist of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” wrote a “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” calling for mothers to unite for peace following the Civil War.

She proposed a “Mother’s Day for Peace” but her idea didn’t gain traction.

After the death of her own mother in 1905, Anna Jarvis led the movement to found a Mother’s Day honoring mothers. Her mother had frequently expressed a desire to establish such a holiday.

After her mother’s death in 1905, Jarvis campaigned for a national day, and the first official Mother’s Day service was held in May 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, at a church where her mother had taught.

Jarvis chose the white carnation as the symbol of the day, representing purity and endurance of motherly love.

In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, for families to honor and express love to mothers.

Anna Jarvis later became disillusioned with how commercialized the holiday became and spent much of her later life and inheritance fighting what she saw as misuse of the holiday by greeting card companies, florists, and other merchants who capitalized on the sentiment.

She was particularly upset about pre-printed greeting cards, which she felt represented a lack of genuine sentiment.

Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated in various forms across more than 50 countries, though not always on the same date.

While Christmas is the most commercialized holiday, in the U.S. Valentine’s Day and Halloween typically compete with Mother’s Day for the second spot.

Father’s Day did not enter the mainstream as quickly. The first official Father’s Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, but it remained a local event. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge recommended Father’s Day as a national holiday, but it took until 1966 for President Lyndon B. Johnson to issue the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon finally signed a law making Father’s Day a permanent national holiday, although Father’s Day was widely observed for decades (thanks to the commercial interests) before it became official.
 
________________
 
*A toile pattern, short for toile de Jouy (pronounced twal duh zhwee, meaning cloth of Jouy), is a type of decorative, one-color design printed on a light background, typically depicting complex pastoral scenes, floral motifs, or narrative themes. It originated in the French town of Jouy-en-Josas in the 1760s, when Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf established a factory there. The design was first made into fine cotton fabrics and later, wallpaper. Although the printing technique had roots Ireland, Oberkampf’s chic and sophisticated designs made the fabric famous and in-demand in elegant homes throughout Europe and North America. Style-setters Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette were fans. Here’s more about it.
 
 

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

We’re honoring National Chocolate Chip Day, May 15th, by baking this fun and fabulous Pizookie® recipe.

Pizookie is a dessert that consists of a freshly-baked cookie usually baked and served in an iron skillet, typically topped with ice cream.

> The history of the Pizookie is below.

> The history of the chocolate chip cookie.

> 20+ foods made with chocolate chips are below

> The year’s 6+ chocolate chip holidays are also below.

> The year’s 44 cookie holidays.

> A Pizookie cousin: Red Velvet Pizookie Cookie recipe with white chocolate chips.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE CHIP PIZOOKIE

Prep is 15 minutes and bake time is 35 minutes. Thanks to James Schend of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin who submitted the recipe to Taste Of Home Test Kitchen, which shared it with us.

“Whether you’re looking to whip up something new for a party or just want to impress your family with a larger-than-life, ultra-shareable cookie, this pizookie recipe is for you,” they say.

Be sure the eggs are at room temperature before adding them. They mix into the batter more easily, and also make the dough rise more.

If you forgot to take the eggs from the fridge, put them in a bowl of warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter in the oven as it preheats.

2. COMBINE the sugars in a large bowl. When the butter is almost melted, remove the skillet from the oven, swirl it until the butter is completely melted, and stir the melted butter into the sugar mixture. Set the skillet aside.

Bakking note: The butter and sugar are not creamed like they would be for a regular cookie, because melted butter creates a chewier, denser texture for the Pizookie and a better surface for the toppings.

3. BEAT the eggs and vanilla into the sugar mixture. In another bowl…

4. WHISK the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture.

5. STIR in the chocolate chips and nuts. If using fresh raspberries, gently fold them in. Spread the mixture into the buttered skillet.

6. BAKE until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Be careful not to overbake or you’ll have one tough cookkie!

It’s better to underbake than overbake, as the heat from the skillet will continue to bake the cookie when it’s removed from the oven. Plus, says Mr. Schend, you can’t go wrong with a molten, gooey center.

7. SERVE warm, top with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, hot fudge or extra chocolate chips. If you’re cutting back on the calories, substitute fresh raspberries or strawberries (we’re joking about the calories, but fresh berries are a great garnish especially for those who don’t want the extra sweetness of a dessert sauce).
 
For A Smaller Pizookie

You can make individual Pizookies cookie in six-inch cast-iron skillets (the size typically used at BJ’s, and two people can split it).

Just brush four skillets with melted butter before adding the dough. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Bake one small Pizookie a day. Just don’t be tempted to eat it unbaked!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE PIZOOKIE

Pizookie, a portmanteau of “pizza” and “cookie,” was created by the restaurant chain BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in the early 1990s, though similar desserts existed before then.

The original concept was simple: Take cookie dough, bake it in a pizza pan until it’s slightly underdone (crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside), and serve it hot from the oven with ice cream on top.

The contrast between the warm, soft cookie and the cold, melting ice cream created an instant hit. BJ’s trademarked the term Pizookie® and it became their signature dessert.
 
 
The Flavors Of Pizookie

Recognizing that you can’t have too much of a good thing, BJ’s expanded to other flavors. You can currently order:

 
If you can’t decide where to start, there’s the Pizookie Trio.

And, there are occasional “specials.”
 
Pizookie Specials

 
What more could you ask for?

Well, you can suggest new Pizookie flavors. Reach out to BJ’s Restaurants through their social media channels or their feedback forms and customer service channels on their website.

Additionally, you can join BJ’s Premier Rewards PLUS program, suggest flavors there, and get a free Pizookie upon joining, on your birthday, and points toward free food and drink. Head to the website and scroll down. It’s free.
 
 
Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

Today, many restaurants offer their own versions of the Pizookie (using other names due to BJ’s trademark).

Home cooks have created their own versions, often using cast iron skillets to get the crispy edges.

[12] The original: BJ’s Chocolate Chunk Pizookie (photos #8, #9, #10., #11, and #12 © BJ’s Restaurants).

 
 
THE TOP 30+ FOODS MADE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

In alphabetical order:

 
And we must give props to the chocolate chip’s siblings: butterscotch chips, caramel chips, cinnamon chips, mint chips, peanut butter chips, and white chocolate chips.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 6+ CHOCOLATE CHIP HOLIDAYS

 
Holidays That Can Use Flavored Chips

[1] A classic Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © What’s Gaby Cooking).

[2] Chocolate Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Art Of Palate).

[3] Red Velvet Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Dessert Now Dinner Later).

[4] Skillet Monster Pizookie with M&Ms. Here’s the recipe (photo © Chelsea’s Messy Apron).

[5] Cookies & Cream Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Ellen And Pear).

[6] Air Fryer Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Tasty Air Fryer Recipes).

[7] Gluten Free Pizookie. Here’s the recipe (photo © Gluten Free On A Shoestring).

[8] BJ’s Dill Pickle Pizookie (photo © BJ’s Restaurants).

[9] BJ’s Salted Caramel Pizookie.

[10] BJ’s Broccoli Cheddar Pizookie a la mode with mashed potatoes.

[11] BJ’s Snickers Pizookie.

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