[1] Schmacon and eggs (all photos © Schmacon).

[2] A Schmacon Cheeseburger (photo © Miguel Andrade | Unsplash).

[3] Use Schmacon wherever you’d use bacon. Here, Schmacon with a peanut butter dip. Now that’s snacking!

[4] Gotta love the Schmacon logo.

[5] Schmacon at Costco.

The creator of Schmacon Certified Angus Beef® Bacon, smoked and uncured, calls it “beef’s answer to bacon.”

For the many people would gladly exchange their pork bacon for flavorful beef bacon: Here it is, the best-tasting beef bacon out there.

Schmacon (that’s SHMAY-con, rhyming with bacon) looks like bacon and smells bacon; it cooks like bacon–preferably in the oven for maximum crispness (photo #1), although it can be cooked in a frying pan.

The resulting crisp strips of Schmacon tastes of beef instead of pork, but with the smoky, spicy spirit of bacon.
 
 
SCHMACON BENEFITS

For a similar meat experience:

 
More benefits:

 
 
WHY SCHMACON IS SO GREAT

Meatier, lower in sodium, calories and fat, Schmacon is a much healthier bacon alternative. You get more meat and less fat.

And it’s not just more meat: It’s delicious meat.

Schmacon is not the first beef bacon on the market, but but it’s head and shoulders above the rest.

It was three years in development!

Most other beef bacon is manufactured with the same technique as pork bacon, but that made no sense to Schmacon CEO Howard Bender.

He started from scratch, testing different cuts of beef, spice blends and cooking processes until, three years later, he was satisfied.

We think the result is terrific, and so does the industry: The National Restaurant Association gave Schmacon its Food and Beverage Innovations Award.
 
 
WAYS TO USE SCHMACON

We don’t have to tell you how to use bacon, but…use it anywhere you’d use pork or turkey bacon.

Beyond Schmacon and eggs, and as a side to pancakes and waffles, we use it to make:

 
 
FINALLY, AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS NATIONWIDE

When we first wrote about Schmacon five years ago, it was new on the market and was focusing its efforts on selling bulk packages to restaurants and foodservice.

Not just in the U.S., either: Schmacon is way popular in the pork-free Middle East.

Now, it’s in America in certain regions of Costco, Walmart and other large chains. Here’s a store locator.

You can buy Schmacon online here.

But this killer beef bacon needs your help, so help spread the word that it exists.

Run out and buy some and tell your friends, so that the big retailers will keep it in stock.

Spread the word and you’ll enjoy Schmacon for a long, long time.

Discover more at Schmacon.com.

Diana Hardeman, founder of Milk Made, is one of the great artisan ice cream makers of New York and beyond.

Known for her creative ice cream flavors, it’s no surprise that she made Candy Corn Ice Cream.

She has allowed us to share the recipe with you today, October 30th, National Candy Corn Day.

For more ice cream delights, sign up for her newsletter.

“Even if you hate candy corn (as I do),” says Diana, you may like this flavor.

“Yes it tastes like candy corn, but with all the saccharine, honey-like aspects of the candy and none of the chalky, wax-like texture*.”

What to listen to as you eat the ice cream?

> Diana’s Halloween Playlist!
 
 
RECIPE: CANDY CORN ICE CREAM

Ingredients For About 1 Quart

 
Preparation

1. SET up an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice and water, then place a medium sized bowl on top. Set aside.

2. HEAT the milk, cream, and sugar in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Once the sugar has melted, add the candy corn and stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the saucepan, until it is melted. Do not let candy corn stick to bottom; it will burn. In a separate bowl…

3. STIR together the egg yolks. When the candy corn is melted (you may still have some small pieces and that is okay; you’ll strain them out later), gradually pour about ¼ cup of the mixture into the egg yolks, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour. Then scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.

4. COOK over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula, or it reaches 160°F.

5. STRAIN the custard into the bowl over the ice bath. Stir until cool. Refrigerate to chill thoroughly (8 hours or preferably overnight).

6. FREEZE in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

7. SCOOP the ice cream into a freezer-safe container. You can garnish the pint with whole or chopped pieces of candy corn. Place in freezer to set (about 4 hours).
 
 
Notes From Diana

[1] Halloween yummy: candy corn ice cream (recipe and photo © Diana Hardeman).

[2] This recipe uses four egg yolks. Here’s what to do with the egg whites.

[3] Who invented candy corn? Here’s the scoop. Plus, here’s how candy corn is made (photo © Liz West | Wikipedia).

 
Thanks, Diana. We love softer, gooier ice cream.
 
 
MORE CANDY CORN RECIPES

 
 
________________

*Candy corn is coated with carnauba wax, also called Brazil wax and palm wax. It is made from the leaves of the carnauba palm (Copernicia prunifera), a plant native to and grown only in northeastern Brazil. Here’s more about it.
 
 

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

[1] Start with plain guacamole, chunky or smooth; then mix in your favorites from a long list of choices (photo © McCormick).

[2] DIY guacamole provides a variety of mix-ins; here at Cocina 214 in Winter Park, Florida (photo © Cocina 214).

[3] You can go fusion-style, too. Here, Argentinian-style guacamole, with grilled beef (photos #3 and #4 © Avocados From Mexico).

[4] Head to Asia with this guacamole blended with Korean spices.

[5] This glass Lazy Susan, at 40 inches wide, is ready to party (photo © Kohl’s).

[6] Ready, set, go avocado (photo © Aldi).

Guacamole is one of those foods that gets lots of attention around the Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo, and September 16th, which is National Guacamole Day.

But we love it all year around.

We keep an eye out for sales on avocados—when a large lot of them are already ripe at the grocer and will be too ripe to sell in another day or two.

Since there are so many ways to embellish guacamole, our favorite is a DIY garnish buffet.

We serve using a turntable—our Nana’s large Lazy Susan, a revolving tabletop server that enables each person to spin it to get to a favorite item without needing to ask someone to pass it.

The Lazy Susan has gone out of fashion, except for the plastic versions made for easy access to cabinet storage (we keep our spices on two double-stack turntables).

Today, a large Lazy Susan like Nana’s seems to be found mostly at restaurant supply stores; although we did find this glass version at Kohl’s (photo #5).

For a party, you can instead spread the garnishes out on a buffet or table.

For a family dinner, simply say, “Please pass the pineapple.” (We serve guacamole and chips as an appetizer.)

Check out the international guacamole recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: DIY GUACAMOLE OR AVOCADO BAR

To serve DIY guacamole, all you have to do is mash the avocado. Then supply bowls large enough so that each person can add the avocado and mix-ins and blend them together.

For an avocado bar, use avocado slices instead of mashed avocado.
 
 
RECIPE: DIY GUACAMOLE
 
Mix-Ins

 
Fusion

See 16 fusion recipes below.

 
Condiments

 
Garnishes

 
For A Main Course

 
Optional Base

 
Plus

The 29th of every month is National Gnocchi Day—in Argentina, where it’s spelled ñoqui, but pronounced the same as the Italian word, NYOH-kee).

People all over the country get together on the same day every month, at home or at restaurants—to eat gnocchi.

A nice idea: We just may start it in our own home.

Gnocchi is a pillow pasta, rolled into little pillowy dumplings.

The original Italian dish was made with flour and a potato filling, although the concept expanded to include pumpkin, ricotta, spinach, pumpkin and sweet potato.

Fusion cooks around Buenos Aires even make gnocchi filled with ham and cheese [source].

We’ll take a goat cheese and bacon gnocchi, please. What would you like in yours?

Today’s recipe is all about pumpkin gnocchi.

The planets are in alignment: October is National Pasta Month and National Pumpkin Month.

Add to that the 29th of the month, and eating pumpkin gnocchi must provide the eater with some kind of good fortune (or at least, the calories should disappear).

You can also celebrate with gnocchi soup (photo #2—here’s the recipe).

Before we get to the recipe, here’s how this quirky holiday began.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GNOCCHI DAY

The story credits the occasion to the Italian immigration to Argentina (their descendants now make up about 50% of Argentina’s population.

This Argentine custom has been a tradition since the first wave of Italian immigrants migrated to the country in 1814 [source].

Since the 29th is almost the end of the month, many families were tight on cash as they waited for their next paycheck, which came on the first of the month.

Potatoes and flour are inexpensive ingredients that enabled the housewife to make a filling (and tasty!) meal.

Some say that the 29th commemorates a patron saint of Venice, San Pantaleon, who was canonized on the 29th, so on each month the 29th is celebrated as his feast day [source].

What About Good Luck?

As people from the “old country” brought their superstitions along with their recipes, a superstition accompanies the gnocchi.

It assures the eater that good luck may be on the horizon.

 
The tradition spread to neighboring Paraguay and Uruguay, and hey: Will someone please bring it up north to the U.S.A.?
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF GNOCCHI
 
 
HOW TO ENJOY PUMPKIN GNOCCHI

 
We chose the latter, but if you like the idea of making gnocchi from scratch:

 
Either way, you need fresh sage. We have ways to use the extra sage (photo #3), below.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN GNOCCHI WITH BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dough. Add the the package contents to a small mixing bowl and combine with the water, pumpkin, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest.

2. STIR with a fork until dough begins to form. Knead by hand until the dough no longer sticks.

3. TRANSFER to a lightly floured surface and form into a loaf shape. To prevent sticking, keep the surface and the dough lightly floured at all times.

4. USE a knife to cut dough into 1″ strips. Roll out each strip by hand into long ropes. Cut each rope into 1″ pieces. Optional: To create gnocchi’s signature ridges, press the back of a fork into each piece.

5. COOK the gnocchi. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook for 3-5 minutes. The gnocchi are finished once they float to the top.

Meanwhile…

6. MELT the butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once melted, add the sage leaves and stir.

7. TOSS the finished, drained gnocchi with the butter sage sauce. On medium heat, cook them together for approximately 2 minutes.

Then, for the best taste and texture…

8. ALLOW the gnocchi to sit in the sauce once cooked for about 5 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and serve.
 

USES FOR EXTRA SAGE

Beyond making the sage butter in this recipe, you can:

[1] Fall comfort food: pumpkin gnocchi. In this photo, the gnocchi have been made with angled edges, instead of the traditional oval shape (photos #1, #2 and #4 © DeLallo).

[2] Add gnocchi to pumpkin soup. Here’s the recipe. Ut uses regular gnocchi in a soup made from pumpkin purée and chicken broth. But you can substitute pumpkin gnocchi for a “double pumpkin gnocchi soup.”

[3] Fresh sage has an herbal flavor that is slightly peppery, with hints of eucalyptus, lemon and mint. It is one of those herbs, like basil and rosemary, that provides “aromatherapy” just by inhaling the bunch (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] DeLallo’s Potato Gnocchi Kit. Get it here.

[5] Homemade gnocchi with marks made with the back of a fork (photo © Neco Garnicia | Stock Xchange).

[6] Be sure to buy plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie mix, which has sugar and spices (photo © Jessica Gavin Photography).

[1] How can you resist this fall-flavor pizza: butternut squash, pancetta and crispy sage atop provolone and mascarpone cheeses (photo #1, #2 and #3 © DeLallo)?

[2] Pancetta, a form of unsmoked, spiced bacon.

[3] The whole pie: yes, please!

[4] Provolone cheese flavors vary by age. Provolone piccante (sharp, piquant) is, aged for a minimum of four months. Provolone dolce has a very mild taste. (photo © DiBruno Bros).

[5] Mascarpone cheese: rich and creamy (photo © The Nibble).

[6] Fresh sage: so fragrant, so tasty (photo © Good Eggs).

If you’ll be spending a quiet Halloween at home this year, here’s a seasonal pizza recipe from DeLallo to add some festivity to the evening (photos #1 and #3).

Popular ingredients—butternut squash, pancetta and two Italian cheeses—top a pizza that’s garnished with crispy fried sage leaves.

If you’ve never had them, you’ll be wanting fried sage leaves as a garnish on everything. And the good news is they complement just about everything!

The recipe is below.

If you can’t find pancetta, substitute bacon, Canadian bacon, prosciutto, smoked ham or smoked sausage.
 
 
WHAT IS PANCETTA?

If you don’t know pancetta (photo #2), it’s a good time to try it.

Pancetta is unsmoked bacon: pork belly that has been salt cured, spiced and air-dried for three months or longer.

Pancetta:

 
Pancetta is used in many classic Italian dishes, including as Pasta alla Carbonara, where it is used to flavor the sauce.

Each region of Italy has its own pancetta recipe, using their preferred spices.

While there appears to be no recorded history of the origins of pancetta, there are shipping records from as early as the 15th century.

The reference is to the purchase of cured meats for long voyages—and it is likely that cured meats were developed for just such a purpose [source].

Two well known types of pancetta are:

 
Although very good pancetta is made in other regions of Italy, only the Calabria and Piacentina varieties have been bestowed with D.O.P. status: Denominazione di Origine Protetta, translated to Protected Designation of Origin Status.

This label, observed by the European Union, guarantees that the food or agricultural item, is produced in a specific geographical zone, according to traditional production techniques.

Each step, from growing to packaging, is regulated.

The regulations made to protect local products from competition from unauthentic products made by non-authorized producers.
 
 
RECIPE #1: BUTTERNUT SQUASH PIZZA WITH PANCETTA & SAGE

If you’re making the dough from scratch, you can do it up to three days in advance.

For a milder flavor, buy provolone dolce (DOLE-chay) instead of the sharper provolone piccante (pee-CON-tay).

Ingredients For 2 Small Pies

 
Preparation

1. IF MAKING PIZZA DOUGH FROM SCRATCH, 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. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

After this step, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days.

2. PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Form the pizzas by hand on a lightly oiled baking pan or pizza stone.

3. DIVIDE the olive oil and toppings for each crust. First, brush the pizzas with olive oil. Next, top them with provolone cheese and small dollops of mascarpone. Sprinkle with the butternut squash and browned pancetta.

4. BAKE for 10-15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the toppings are browned. While the pizza cooks…

5. FRY the sage leaves (instructions below).

6. TOP the pizzas with fried sage and serve.
 

RECIPE #2: FRIED SAGE LEAVES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

For the pizza, select the smaller leaves from the bunch.

1. WASH and dry the sage leaves and remove stems. Be sure that the leaves are thoroughly dry before frying (when we don’t have time to air dry, we use a hair dryer!).

2. HEAT the oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Fry the sage leaves until crisp, 2–3 seconds. Do not crowd them in the pan; fry in batches if necessary.

3. TRANSFER to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. Reserve until ready to serve.