National Clam Chowder Day is February 25th.

There’s also National New England Clam Chowder Day on January 21st, a recipe with a cream base. But there’s no Manhattan Clam Chowder Day, a chowder with a tomato base, or Rhode Island Clam Chowder Day, made with a clear broth.

For today, here’s a fun fusion food: Gnocchi Clam Chowder, combining the creamy clam chowder of New England with gnocchi pasta from Northern Italy (photos #1 and #2).

It’s a clever twist: Instead of the diced potatoes that are typical in chowder, this recipe substitutes potato gnocchi (NYUH-kee, photo #3) and a second ingredient that originated in Northern Italy:

Pancetta (pan-CHET-tuh, photo #4), a style of Italian bacon (here’s more about it.

And here’s more about gnocchi: technically, a dumpling but usually included in the category of stuffed pasta or “pillow pasta”—agnolotti, ravioli, tortellini, etc.
 
 
RECIPE: GNOCCHI CLAM CHOWDER

This is a hearty, comforting, filling, chowder that can serve as a first course, or a main course with a green salad.

This easy recipe from DeLallo is made with their packaged potato gnocchi.

You can use packaged gnocchi or fresh gnocchi, which require less cooking time.

Instead of the oyster crackers traditionally served with clam chowder, consider this garlic bread recipe.
 
 
Ingredients For 8-10 Servings

 
Preparation

1. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to the package instructions. Remember, gnocchi will float to the surface when finished cooking. Drain and set aside.

2. MELT the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and pancetta begins to brown, about 8 minutes.

3. ADD the celery, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add clam juice, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile…

4. WHISK the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl to form a slurry paste. Stir into the chowder base and bring to a boil to thicken.

5. DISCARD the bay leaf. Stir in he clams, cream and gnocchi, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6. GARNISH with chives and serve. We had some fresh parsley, and snipped that in as well.
 
 
MORE CHOWDER RECIPES

 
 
GARLIC BREAD RECIPES

 
 
>>> THE HISTORY OF CLAM CHOWDER <<<
 
 
>>> BEYOND GNOCCHI:

CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASTA IN OUR PASTA GLOSSARY <<<

[1] Clam chowder with something different: potato gnocchi instead of diced potatoes (photos #1 and #2 © DeLallo).

[2] A hot pot of clam chowder. Here’s a recipe for the toasted garlic bread.

[3] Handmade gnocchi (photo © Neco Garnicia | Stock Exchange).

[4] Pancetta, a variety of Italian ham (photo © Di Bruno Bros.).

[5] Canned clams are a quick solution, but if you can use fresh clams, the superior flavor is your payback (photo © Pete’s Seafood Club).

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

[1] Plant-based JUST has become the #1 liquid egg in just a year (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Eat JUST Inc.)

[2] Coming soon: JUST Folded Egg, ready to serve on toast or muffin, or to top with omelet ingredients.

[3] A JUST Egg muffin can be on your table soon.

[4] Mung beans are identifiable by their white spot (photo © Albert Deccan | Wikipedia).

[5] The fully sprouted beans become familiar bean sprouts (photo © 5 Gallon Bucket Hydro | Amazon).

JUST is the brand that shot to prominence with JUST Egg, a liquid, plant-based egg replacement made from mung bean (photo #1).

It caught the attention of not just vegetarians and vegans: Half of the customers are conventional eaters who seek sustainability, zero cholesterol, and high protein.

The liquid product contains natural colors from carrots and turmeric. When cooked, it looks very much like scrambled eggs, and tastes very similar.

Last year, JUST Egg expanded nationwide and quickly became the number 1 liquid egg product.

You don’t have to look too far to see that plant-based foods have exploded in popularity, far beyond their historic audience of vegans and vegetarians.

In fact, the company found that the majority of purchasers are neither vegans nor vegetarians; and more than 20% are using the egg substitute as a main source of protein.
 
 
COMING SOON: FOLDED EGG

Soon, JUST Egg will debut Folded Egg, an omelet-like variation that is sold frozen, and can be heated in a microwave or toaster (photo #2).

It’s faster than scrambling the liquid egg, and can be eaten as a breakfast sandwich, on toast or a biscuit (photo #3), or on a plate topped with standard omelet fixings (we did a quick sauté of bell peppers, onions and mushrooms).

The folded product is also made from mung bean protein, but with a slightly different texture, enabling foldability.

We received an early taste of the new product, and give it thumbs up!
 
 
WHAT IS MUNG BEAN PROTEIN?

The mung bean (Vigna radiata, family Fabaceae), is native to India.

Cultivated since ancient times, it later spread to China and Southeast Asia, where the protein-rich legume became a nutritional staple.

It is used in curries, salads, savory pancakes, soups, and even desserts.

Also known as the green gram, maash and moong, the legume called “mung bean” is not well-known in the U.S.

Instead, we know it by its fully sprouted form, bean sprouts—the crunchy, slender white filaments used in Chinese and Thai cuisines (photo #5).

Mung bean protein is the key ingredient in the plant-based alternative in Just Egg’s egg substitute.

The English word mung, correctly pronounced moong, derives from the Hindi word moong, which itself derives from the Sanskrit word mudga.

To make mung bean protein:

To extract the protein, raw mung beans (photo #4) are de-hulled and milled into mung flour.

The flour is then mixed with water and other ingredients to create a slurry, which precipitates solubilized protein extract.

The protein extract solids are separated from the slurry, and take a curd-like form.

This is your mung bean protein, the basis of JUST Eggs’ delicious products.
 
 
>>> GLOSSARY OF BEAN TYPES <<<
 
 
>>> THE HISTORY OF BEANS <<<

Beans are one of the oldest-cultivated plants, an important source of protein. Cultivated bean fossils have been found dating to the early 7000s B.C.E.

Mardi Gras 2020 Falls On Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

The celebration, which means Fat Tuesday in French, is the last day of the Carnival season. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent—so it’s the last day for indulgent foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday.

Here’s more about the holiday.

If you can’t participate in person, there are traditional foods you can make at home, including:

 
You can also create a celebration with other famed New Orleans foods:

 
 
THE TRADITIONAL KING CAKE

The King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans, made only during this time of year. Just about every bakery sells the cake.

Fans all over the country purchase the cakes by mail order, and you can purchase a kit to make your own.

King Cake is typically a Danish yeast ring (some are elaborately braided), brioche or cinnamon bread. It is covered by a poured white icing and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugars—the Mardi Gras colors.

What makes a King Cake fun is the hidden charm—originally a baby, representing baby Jesus and now any charm you like.

Here’s the history of King Cake.
 
 
RECIPE: A SAVORY KING CAKE

This year, Joy The Baker has created a savory King Cake for famed New Orleans brand Zatarain’s.

Most King Cakes are sweet, cinnamon roll type pastry, sometimes with a cream cheese filling, and topped with a sweet glaze. Other King Cakes are largely puff pastry with a nut filling, not unlike the flavors of an almond croissant.

It has not been common to find a savory King Cake, but Zatarin’s reports that savory twists are the latest trend down South, including crawfish and cheese.

The recipe below features Zatarain’s Smoked Sausage, the trinity (onions, celery plus parsley and garlic), parmesan cheese and creole seasoning.

Created by Joy The Baker, it’s the smoky King Cake is “a welcome respite to the sweet.” Layers of savory southern flavors are swirled together into dinner roll dough.

Says Joy, “This cake is incredibly delicious. It’s somewhere between indulgent King Cake, hearty sandwich, and stuffed dinner roll. It’s a show-stopper (and that’s saying a lot during Mardi Gras), and a baking adventure.”

You can eat the King Cake at room temperature, but Joy recommends serving it warm.

“I think this cake is most delicious the day it is baked, but store any leftover cake in the refrigerator overnight and heat gently in foil before serving.”

Thanks to Joy and Zatarain’s for the recipe. Here are Joy’s step-by-step photos.
 
Ingredients

For The Dough

 
For The Filling

 
For The Topping

[1] You’ll be King Or Queen Of The Mardi Gras when you serve this smoked sausage King Cake (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Zatarain’s).

[2] To make the King Cake, sausage is removed from the casings and browned.

[3] A few months ago, Zatarain’s introduced Andouille and Cajun sausages that are 100% pork, no artificial colors or flavors, no by-products, no MSG, and are gluten-free. Just in time for the savory King Cake!

[4] A conventional King Cake, like a yeasted Danish ring (photos #4 and #5 © King Arthur Flour, which sells the ingredients in a kit).

[5] Sweet King Cakes can take any form the baker wishes: round, rectangular, cupcakes, cookies and beyond…like yellow-, green- and purple-colored puddings.

1. USING the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 3-1/2 cups of flour along with the rest of the ingredients and mix with a spatula into a shaggy dough. Mix on the dough hook for 7 to 8 minutes, until a relatively smooth ball forms. Add a bit more flour if the dough is feeling overly sticky.

2. REMOVE the dough from the mixer onto a lightly floured surface,. Knead by hand for 2 minutes until soft and shaped into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl and place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until the dough has doubled in size.

3. MAKE the filling while the dough rises:

4. PLACE coarsely chopped celery, onion, bell pepper, parsley, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse for about 1 minute until the mixture is evenly chopped, into an almost fine mixture. Says Joy: I got my chunks to be about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch in size. Not completely pulverized—a small dice.

5. HEAT a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and warm. Add the chopped vegetables to the skillet and allow to cook, releasing some of the water in the vegetables, for 5 minutes or so. Stir occasionally as the vegetables cook.

6. SLICE the smoked sausage into 1-inch rounds. Place the sausage in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse the sausage slices until they’re evenly fine—again, about 1/2-inch bits is about right. Add the sausage to the skillet to cook along with the vegetables. Stir to combine evenly. Allow the mixture to cook for about 4 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool while the dough finishes its rise. After the dough has doubled in size…

7. SCOOP it out of the mixing bowl on to a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an approximately 12 x 16-inch rectangle.

8. USE a pastry brush to spread melted butter across the dough. Spread the cooled meat and vegetable mixture across the dough into an even layer, leaving about 1/2-inch border around each side of the dough. Starting from the long end…

9. ROLL the dough, gently but firmly, into a log, seam side down. Swoop the two ends together, tucking one end of the cake into the other.

10. LINE a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. With confidence (you can do this!), lift and transfer the round cake to the center of the prepared baking sheet.

11. USE a serrated knife to slice into the dough round. Slice about 3/4 the way into the dough, around the circle about 2-inches apart. Carefully twist each attached roll onto its side, revealing the sausage swirl.

12. COVER loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise while the oven preheats.

13. PLACE a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the wreath for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. While the cake bakes…

14. DYE the cheese in three separate bowls. Divide the cheese between three bowls, and add a few drops of dye to each bowl. Use a spoon to distribute the dye around the cheese or use a pair of latex gloves to mix by hand.

15. REMOVE the cake from the oven. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before sprinkling with colored frosting and topping with a King Cake baby, if desired. (NEVER put any plastic favor or token into the oven.)

[1] Just-harvested red sorrel, ready for the evening’s menu at Union Square Cafe (photo © Union Square Cafe).

[2] Beet and Red Sorrel Salad with Pistachio. Here’s the recipe from Paul Liebrandt (photo © Anna Williams | Food & Wine).

[3] Even in a colorful dish, a leaf of red sorrel is eye-catching (photo of carrot spaghetti with scallop and kale © Augustine Fou | Unsplash).

[4] Planked salmon with sorrel sauce. Here’s the recipe from Crumbblog.

[5] A field of sorrel (photo © Mariquita Farms).

The next time you’re at a farmers market or specialty produce store, look for red sorrel.

It’s a beauty that can garnish anything from a green salad to lemon sorbet to sparkling water.

It’s aesthetically pleasing, expressive, festive, and may we add, a great garnish for Valentine’s Day food and beverages.

Because we’re focused on the beauty of red-veined sorrel as a garnish, we’re not going to cover green sorrel today. As a recipe ingredient (soup, chutney, whatever), it tastes like the red sorrel variety.
 
 
SORREL BACKGROUND

Sorrel is a perennial herb with juicy stems arrow-shaped leaves. The leaves can be cooked or served raw in salads and as garnishes (the raw leaves add tartness).

As with all plants, there are numerous varieties—not only within red sorrel and green sorrel, but also

Our favorite variety has red veins (photo #1), which give it the glamour to garnish.

The name sorrel derives from the Germanic word sur and the old French surele, both meaning sour.

It is an ancient herb used by Egyptians and then, Europeans to impart acidity to dishes.

Depending on the variety, it can be refreshing, sharply acidic, or astringent; it can have a spinachlike taste with bitter notes or a milder, lemony taste (the dried leaves lose their lemony taste).

The younger the leaves, the earlier in the season (early spring to late fall), the less acidic. If the leaves are too bitter for you, blanch them for 10 seconds.

Another rule of thumb: enjoy small leaves raw, large leaves cooked.

There are three major varieties of sorrel:

 
Another plant called sorrel is the unrelated Jamaican sorrel, from the Hibiscus or Mallow family, Malvaceae. It is used for beverages and preserves in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Tea made from Jamaican sorrel is a homeopathic remedy to lower elevated blood pressure, bad cholesterol and as a general detoxifier.
 
 
USES FOR SORREL

Our first sorrel recipe, perhaps at age 10, was to help our Nana prepare the famed cold Russian soup, schav: sorrel combined with sour cream, lemon juice, chicken broth and egg yolks, and garnished chopped egg, sour cream and scallions.

Schav (shtshav) is Yiddish for sorrel, and it was once a hugely popular summer soup—right up there with borscht.

In European cuisines, sorrel brings lemony intensity to whatever it graces.

 
MINI TIP: To prevent sorrel from blackening and developing a metallic taste, use only stainless steel or other non-reactive pots and cooking utensils.

MINI TIP: If you have too much fresh sorrel, saute them in butter until they wilt. Freeze in individual ice cube containers until you’re ready to defrost and add them to eggs, grains, vegetables, etc.

How about 100 sorrel recipes?

Native to Europe and western Asia, sorrel grew wild in grassland habitats. It is commonly cultivated in France, Egypt, and parts of Europe and the U.S.—the areas where it is most popular in cuisine.

The intense lemony tang is also embraced in cuisine from Nigeria to Scotland to Vietnam [source].

Sorrel, Rumex acetosa, is a member of the Polygonaceae family of flowering plants, known informally as the buckwheat family and, outside the U.S., the knotweed family or smartweed.

In addition to buckwheat, rhubarb is another well-known food in the family.

Earliest known examples of cultivation include Egypt, where its tartness was used to offset rich foods [source].

The Romans and Greeks followed suit, to aid digestion of rich foods. Homeopathically, it was used to treat liver ailments and for throat and mouth ulcers.

Even today, it is used around the world to treat scurvy and chronic skin conditions, and to lower fevers. Both the fresh leaves and the flowers are high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins A and C†,

Red sorrel is native to Europe and was likely brought to the United States with colonists, where it now grows throughout the country [source].

You just don’t want to grow it in your garden: It’s what’s known as a spreading rhizome, an aggressive-spreading, hard-to-control perennial weed.

________________

*If you steep the whole leaves in boiling water and add sugar or other sweetener, you get a lemon-less lemonade.

†In addition to good nutrition, sorrel also contains oxalic acid, a naturally occurring compound found in greens like including kale and spinach. Oxalic acid is lethal in very high enough doses, but you’d have to eat almost 10 pounds of greens daily to be affected [source].

Middle Eastern eggplant toast? We’ve done classic avocado toast, we’ve done fancy avocado toast, we’ve done mushroom toast. We’ve done sweet toasts:

All delicious.

But the palate wants the adventure to continue.

Thus, today’s toast journey is inspired by the Eggplant Toast at Kismet restaurant in Los Angeles.

Here’s a variation of their spiced eggplant recipe, with different garnishes: cherries, hazelnuts and tarragon.

But the photo shows a piece of artisan toast topped with:

, and lim

 
We’re not certain how the sesame seeds were affixed to the bread crust, but you can use tahini.

We admit to using a bit of honey, which added a sweet element to the spice-seasoned stack.

OK, it takes a bit more effort than mashed avocado; but it’s worth it for a change.

July is National Eggplant Month, and August 17th is National (and World) Eggplant Day.

 
THE HISTORY OF EGGPLANT

Eggplant (Solana melongena) is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family: There’s more information about this fascinating family in the footnote below.

Eggplant is believed to be native to India, where its ancestor, called thorn or bitter apple (Solana incanum) stills grow wild.

Originally a bitter, spiny, orange, pea-sized fruit, it has been cultivated in India and China for more than 1500 years, during which it was bred into its modern forms [source].

It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory, and an early mention appears in an ancient Chinese agricultural treatise from 544 [source].

As trade routes developed, eggplant was introduced to Europe by Arab ships and transported to Africa by the Persians. The Spaniards carried it with them to the New World and, by the early 1800s, both white and purple varieties could be found in American gardens.

Today, the plant is grown worldwide for its edible fruit: Yes, you can tell it’s a botanical fruit because the seeds are carried inside.

Although it is considered a vegetable, it is a berry by botanical definition.

There are many different words for eggplant:

 
The name eggplant is usual in North American English and Australian English.

[1] Imagine a warm and tranquil day, imagine the Mediterranean just beyond your Eggplant Toast.

[2] Assorted eggplant varieties (photo © Bleu Ribbon Kitchen).

[3] Americans used the term “eggplant” after white cultivars that looked like hen’s eggs (photo © Burpee Home Gardens).

At some point in eggplant-loving China’s past, as part of her “bride price,” a woman had to have at least 12 eggplant recipes prior to her wedding day.

Married or single, collect as many eggplant recipes as you like.

________________________
*Nightshades are members of the Solanaceae family of flowering plants, many of which are edible, while others are poisonous (some have both edible and toxic parts). The name of the family comes from the Latin Solanum, “the nightshade plant.”

Other edible members include capsicum (the chiles), Chinese lanterns, eggplants, garden huckleberry, ground cherry, naranjilla, pepinos, peppers, potatoes, and the tree tomato. One thing that sets these nightshades apart is their alkaloid content. Alkaloids are harmful nitrogen compounds that, in high quantities, are toxic, causing nausea, diarrhea with vomiting and headaches. In extreme cases, they lead to unconsciousness and convulsions to the point of respiratory paralysis.

That’s why the tomato was considered poisonous by Europeans and not eaten for 200 years following its discovery. Alkaloids exist in tiny, non-harmful quantities in the nightshade foods we eat. Tobacco and the petunia are also members of the family, as well as the Datura or Jimson weed, the mandrake and the deadly nightshade or belladonna.
 
 

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