Cooking dinner every day during quarantine, we’ve found spring pasta and pizza recipes that are a delightful break between the standards.

We’ve been making “Spring Pizza”” once a week. It has spring peas and tendrils, sugar snap peas and watercress.

When we have them in the fridge, we add asparagus, too.

Now for a tandem recipe from Delallo: Fettuccine Alfredo “primavera.”

Although it isn’t part of the original Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, we add green peas and garnish with snipped chives or parsley to add a bit of color and flavor to the super-rich sauce.

(Fettuccine Alfredo was created by a restaurateur to give his pregnant-and-not-hungry wife a bland dish that she could eat. Here’s the story)

> The year’s 20+ pasta holidays.

> The history of Fettuccine Alfredo.

> The history of pasta.

> The different types of pasta: a photo glossary.
 
 
ABOUT GEMELLI

DeLallo chose gemelli, the Italian word for twins, for this twisted pasta short cut.

However, gemelli are not twin tubular strands twisted together. Look closely: You’ll see that they are a single S-shaped strand twisted into a spiral.

The shape allows sauces to better attach to the entwined pasta’s crannies—as opposed to sliding off flat fettuccine—increasing the flavor in each bite.

There are approximately 350 pasta shapes in Italy and more than four times the different names for them (source).

Each region had its own dialect; and while flat cuts like spaghetti and linguine were pretty universal, different regions developed some unique cuts as well.

In the days before mass communication, few people knew what other regions were making.

Gemelli are are related to fusilli as another complex helix. In this case, always with two blades, but the blades are curved until they almost enclose themselves to make tubes – somewhat like twisted casarecce.

Gemelli pairs nicely with light tomato sauces, dairy-based sauces, oil-based sauces, and in pasta salads (source).

Similar shapes are caserecce, rotini, strozzapreti and trofie.
 
 
RECIPE: PASTA ALFREDO WITH ANY TYPE OF PASTA

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain. Meanwhile…

2. HEAT the Alfredo sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3. PREPARE 2 bowls with ice baths. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 minutes; then transfer to an ice bath using a slotted spoon. Add the sugar snap peas to the water and cook for 2 minutes; then transfer to the other ice bath using a slotted spoon.

4 COMBINE the pasta, asparagus, sugar snap peas, artichokes and sauce in a large bowl. Toss well to combine and season with salt and pepper.

5. DIVIDE the mixture among the plates and top with the lemon zest and pine nuts.

[1] Pasta Primavera Alfredo, made with gemelli pasta twists, below (photo © DeLallo).

[2] Gemelli (“twins”) pasta: One strand twisted into an S-shape (photo © J. Irkaejc | iStock Photo).

[3] Alfredo sauce ((photo © DeLallo).

[4] Pine nuts are a popular ingredient in Italy. If you prefer, you can substitute walnuts (photo © Good Eggs).

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

[1] Fresh strawberries (photo © InHarvest).

[2] Strawberry lemonade (photo © La Cocina Color Lila).

[3] Strawberry milkshake (photo © Friendship Dairies).

[4] A flowering strawberry plant. The fruit grows from the flower (photo © John-Mark Smith | UnsplashUnsplash).

[5] Strawberry plant (photo © Chris Yang | UnsplashUnsplash).

May is National Strawberry Month. Is there anything more delightful than a sweet, low-calorie strawberry (4 calories per medium strawberry)?

California and Florida are the principal U.S. strawberry-growing regions: Florida for winter berries, California for spring, summer and fall fruit.

Florida strawberry growers began hand-harvesting the first fruit of the winter strawberry season in late November; and while there are imports, Florida is the major supplier of strawberries in the U.S. from November through early spring.

Today, the strawberry is the leading small fruit crop in the U.S.

But where did the strawberries come from?

They’re originally from Europe, but wild strawberries grow in many locations, including the United States.

The fruit dates back to the Roman Empire, and possibly to the Greeks before that. Fast forward a couple of millennia: The first American species of strawberry was cultivated about 1835.

The strawberry got its name from the common practice of growing the berries under straw to protect them from frost.
 
 
A RELATIVE OF THE ROSE

The strawberry is a member of the rose order and family*, which is why the strawberry plant sometimes gives off a rose-like aroma.

A greenish-white fruit (see photos #4 and #5) grows from the flower and eventually ripens into a deep red berry.

Before modern refrigeration, the fruits were picked and consumed in short order; as fresh fruit, in pies, tarts and shortcake.

The berries were preserved as jam, jelly, sauce, strawberry vinegar and strawberry tonic, a medicinal drink.

And to enjoy them year-round, the fruits were dried on flat rocks for several days, to be used throughout the fall and winter in breads, cakes and puddings.

Today, many different varieties of strawberries are cultivated. Each has a specific color, flavor and texture (firm flesh is needed to ship long distances, for example).

The particular climate and soil dictate which variety of strawberry will grow best; and different varieties were bred to thrive in different soils.

Some varieties grow early in the season, some later.

Strawberries must be picked at the peak of ripeness for optimum flavor, as they do not continue to ripen after they’re picked.
 
 
STRAWBERRY TRIVIA

The strawberry is the only fruit to carry its seeds on the outside. There are 200 seeds on the average strawberry.

Each of these seeds has the genetic potential to become a new variety of strawberry since no two seeds are the same. This is how plant breeders develop new varieties of strawberries.
 
 
HOW TO BUY STRAWBERRIES

 
 
USING STRAWBERRIES

 
 
STRAWBERRY NUTRITION

Strawberries are rich in antioxidants. Studies have found that the berries inhibited the development of oral, esophageal and colon cancers.

Strawberries are nutritious.

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*Order Rosales, Family Rosaceae, Genus Fragaria, Species F. × ananassa.
 
  

We prefer French toast to pancakes and waffles. The texture and the flavor of good bread, as opposed to the wheatiness of the latter.

For Mother’s Day, we’re making this recipe from DeLallo: Raspberry Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast with Balsamic Glaze.

That’s a mouthful, and so is the three-decker French toast napoleon or sundae.

The triple-decker stuffed French toast is layered with creamy mascarpone and fresh berries, drizzled with a rich balsamic glaze.
 
 
RECIPE: RASPBERRY MASCARPONE STUFFED FRENCH TOAST WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE

Ingredients For 5-6 Servings
 
 
For The Filling

 
For The Creamy Balsamic Glaze

 
For The French Toast

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the filling. Combine the mascarpone, crushed raspberries, honey and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. MAKE the finishing glaze: Mix mascarpone, half and half, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

3. MAKE the French Toast: Whisk together eggs, cream, vanilla and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Using a paring knife (we used a large serrated knife), cut a pocket into each thick slice of bread. Start on one side of bread and cut 3/4 of the way through. Evenly distribute the filling between slices, carefully filling bread pockets.

4. MELT a spoonful of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and coat the pan. Dip the filled slices of bread into the egg mixture and place them in the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, until brown and crisp. Repeat this process with remaining slices.

5. DUST with confectioner’s sugar, drizzled with the balsamic glaze, and serve immediately.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF FRENCH TOAST <

[1] A French toast napoleon or sundae, a new way to serve stuffed French toast (photo © DeLallo).

[2] Mascarpone and raspberries (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Confectioner’s sugar, also called 10x and powdered sugar (photo by Katherine Pollak, © The Nibble).

[1] A slice of Humboldt Fog goat cheese and seeded crisps broken into “croutons.” An idea from Lazy Dog Restaurants (photo © Lazy Dog Restaurants).

[2] Salad with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (photo © Upland Restaurant | NYC).

There are standalone salads, like Greek salad, that incorporate cheese.

French homes and restaurants have often served the cheese course, served after dinner with salad.

Or is that the after-dinner salad course with cheese?

A plate of green salad is graced on top or the side of the plate with cheese.

The salad plate is served with baguette slices, crisps, crackers crostini, or toasts on the side.

Today, that slice of cheese has evolved to include options on top of the salad, such as:

 
Popular cheeses for salads are:

 
Of course, you can use any cheese that goes with your salad.

Consider it an opportunity to have good cheeses more often.

May 6th is National Crêpes Suzette Day. If you know classic French cuisine, you’ve likely familiar with Crêpes Suzette.

Crêpes Suzette are sweet crêpes made with a sauce of butter, sugar, orange juice, orange zest and an orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier. You can serve then for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Crêpe is the French word for pancake, and in France the pancakes/crêpes are light and paper-thin. They can be made from plain or sweetened batter. Savory recipes are almost as popular as sweet ones.

In the U.S., in the fine French restaurants of yore*, the mâitre d’hotel or captain would make them at tableside. They were typically ignited and, thanks to the flame-inducing liqueur, made for a dramatic presentation.

Who was Suzette?

There are different stories, but the most popular concerns the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo. The story goes that in 1895, a 14-year-old Henri Charpentier, a young kitchen apprentice who later become chef to John D. Rockefeller, created a dessert for the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria).

The Prince loved the flambéed crêpe with its zesty orange sauce, and at once named the dish after one of his dining companions, a certain Suzette (sourcesource).

Based on their royal association, Crêpes Suzette quickly became a classic French dessert.

The following recipe is a simplified version from Betty CrockerBetty Crocker, that uses Original BisquickBisquick mix.
 
 
RECIPE: CRÊPES SUZETTE

Ingredients

[1] Crêpes Suzette (photo © Betty Crocker).

[2] Thanks to their advertising, Grand Marnier is the best known orange liqueur. Here are the other main brands (photo © Grand Marnier).

1. BEAT the Bisquick mix, milk and eggs in small bowl with a whisk, until blended. Lightly butter an 8-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until the butter is bubbly. For each crepe…

2. POUR 2 tablespoons of batter into the skillet; immediately rotate the skillet until the batter covers the bottom. Cook until golden brown. Run a wide spatula around the edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until golden brown. Stack the crêpes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered for warmth.

3. HEAT the butter, the orange peel, the orange juice and the sugar to boiling in 10-inch skillet, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. HEAT the liqueur in 1-quart saucepan, but do not boil.

5. FOLD the crepês into fourths (see photo #1). Place them in the skillet, in the hot orange sauce, and turn once. Arrange the crêpes around the edge of the skillet. Pour the warm liqueur into center of skillet and carefully ignite with a long match. After the flame dies, place 2 crêpes on each dessert plate; spoon the warm sauce onto the crêpes, and serve.

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*For example, Cointreau, Curaçao, Grand Marnier, Gran Gala, Triple Sec.