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Shake Your Sriracha Sauce, A Dried Sriracha Spice From Pereg

August 19th is National Hot & Spicy Food Day (National Hot Sauce Day is January 22nd). You could slice up some jalapeños, or add hot sauce to your dishes. Or, you could shake on this new dried Sriracha spice.

> The alternative spellings of sriracha.
 
 
SOME LIKE IT HOT

Spice manufacturer Pereg has re-formatted Sriracha sauce in a dried form.

You can now shake Sriracha on every dish you serve, infusing it with a captivating, aromatic heat (it even works with fruit salad and sorbet).

The dry spice blend is a fusion of fiery flavors or the famous “rooster sauce” that adds a twist to your culinary creations.

It’s a “secret ingredient” that can transform your cooking with zero effort.

Sriracha sauce is a hot chile-garlic blend, and Pereg’s version follows the recipe: a blend of crushed red chili peppers, paprika, garlic, and citric acid.

The spice blend encapsulates the bold heat of Sriracha sauce in a convenient, dry powder.

Just a bit will add depth and complexity to your food, enhancing the flavors with a fiery kick and hints of garlic. The citric acid creates a tantalizing tang.

Shake it on:

  • Chips
  • Chicken
  • Fries
  • Grilled cheese
  • Guacamole and hummus
  • Popcorn
  • Pizza
  • Rice and other grains
  • Pizza
  • Roasted chickpeas and nuts
  • Sandwiches
  • Roasted cauliflower
  • Wings
  •  
    Mix it into:

  • Creamy dressings
  • Dips
  • Mayonnaise
  • Marinades
  • Rubs
  • Vinaigrette
  • Yogurt
  •  
     
    GET YOUR SRIRACHA SPICE

    Are you ready to add a fiery twist to your culinary creations?

    Pereg Sriracha Spice Blend is available on the company website

    Stock up for party favors and stocking stuffers.
     
     
    > The history of Sriracha sauce.

    > The history of jalapeño chiles (the variety used in sriracha).

    > The difference between Sriracha & Tabasco sauces.

    > What is gochujang sauce?

    > The different types of chiles.

    > The Scoville Scale, which ranks the heat levels of different chiles.
     
     
    MORE SRIRACHA RECIPES

  • Best Chicken Wings & Sriracha Sauce
  • Crispy Sweet Potato Roast
  • Homemade Ketchup With Sriracha
  • Red Curry Shrimp With Sweet & Sour Dipping Sauce
  • Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
  • Sriracha Kettle Corn
  • Sriracha Bacon Candy Bites
  • Sriracha Palmiers
  •  

    Dish Of Pereg Dried Sriracha Blend
    [1] Add a pinch of heat to Pereg’s dried Sriracha Spice Blend (photos #1 and #2 © Pereg Gourmet).

    Jar Of Pereg Dried Sriracha Blend
    [2] The 3.2-ounce bottles are great party favors and stocking stuffers.

    Bottle Of Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce
    [3] The original: Huy Fong Sriracha sauce, made in California (photo © Steven Depolo | Wikipedia).

    Bowl Of Sriracha Kettle Corn
    [4] Dried Sriracha lets you add spice to foods like popcorn without getting it soggy (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

    A Bottle Of Sriracha  Sauce With Roast With Chicken
    [5] A benefit of dried Sriracha: no drippy sauce (photo © Rick Barrett | Unsplash).

     

     
     

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    Ice Cream Pie Recipes For National Ice Cream Pie Day

    Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Pie
    [1] You don’t need to wait for the holidays to enjoy a peppermint ice cream pie. Just smash striped peppermint candies for the topping. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hostess With The Mostest).

    Almond Caramel Ice Cream Pie
    [2] This almond caramel ice cream pie has a biscotti crust. The recipe is at the right (photo © DeLallo).

    Slice Of S'mores Ice Cream Pie Recipe With Marshmallows On Top
    [3] This s’mores ice cream pie is topped with s’mores ingredients: chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Here’s the recipe (photos #3 and #4 © Go Bold With Butter).

    A Slice Of Sweet & Salty Ice Cream Pie With Caramel Sauce
    [4] How about a Sweet & Salty Ice Cream Pie? Here’s the recipe.

    Mud Pie: Coffee Ice Cream & Hot Fudge
    [5] Mud pie: chocolate crust, coffee ice cream, fudge topping. Here’s the recipe (photo © Foods Guy).

    Slice Of Strawberry Ice Cream Pie
    [6] The famed strawberry ice cream pie circa 1960 at The Savannah Room in Athens, Georgia (photo © Cassie Wright Photography | The Savannah Room | Georgia Center).

    Duke's Original Hula Pie, macadamia ice cream with cold and hot fudge
    [7] Macadamia nut ice cream and fudge make Kimo’s Original Hula Pie, which debuted in 1977 in Maui, a fan favorite (photo © Duke’s Beach House | Facebook).

     

    August 18th is National Ice Cream Pie Day. There are recipes as easy as buying a quart of ice cream and a ready-made pie crust, and from-scratch recipes that let you create the ice cream pie of your dreams.

    National Ice Cream Pie Day is August 18th. National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday in July. National pie day is January 23rd.
     
    While the history of ice cream pie seems to be lost to history, we do have:

    > The history of ice cream.

    > The history of pie.

    > The history of pie à la mode.

    > The history of ice cream pie is below.
     
     
    RECIPE: ALMOND CARAMEL ICE CREAM PIE

    This recipe uses biscotti crumbs for the crust—a delightful surprise at first bite. Thanks to DeLallo for the recipe.
     
    Ingredients

  • 1 (7-ounce) package almond biscotti
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  •  
    For The Topping

  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 biscotti cookies, crushed
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PREHEAT the oven to 350˚F.

    2. MAKE the crust. Process the biscotti in a food processor until finely crumbed. Whisk together the biscotti crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

    3. ADD the butter. Blend with a fork until the mixture comes together.

    4. PRESS the mixture evenly into an 8-inch pie dish. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then freeze the crust for 1 hour.

    5. SOFTEN the vanilla ice cream at room temperature for 5 minutes. Spoon the ice cream into the frozen crust. Spread with a spatula for an even surface. Cover with parchment paper and freeze for 5 hours.

    6. MAKE the topping. Combine the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter has melted completely.

    7. REDUCE the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Pour the sauce into a glass bowl to cool to room temperature.

    8. TO SERVE: Drizzle the ice cream pie with caramel sauce and top with the extra crushed biscotti. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting with a sharp knife.
     
     
    MORE ICE CREAM PIE RECIPES

  • Deconstructed Ice Cream Pie
  • Easy Ice Cream Or Frozen Yogurt Pie
  • Fantasy Ice Cream Pie
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie & Peppermint Ice Cream Pie
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream Or Frozen Yogurt Pie
  • S’mores Ice Cream Pie
  • Sweet & Salty Ice Cream Pie
  •  
     
    THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM PIE

    While there is source material on the creation of ice cream pies, cones, sundaes, etc., there’s very little to be found about the history of the ice cream pie. Even Food Timeline, an exhaustive archive of food history, is mute on the subject.

    Here’s what we do know:

  • 1800s: Molded Ice Cream. Ice cream served at fancy parties was often molded into festive shapes. By the Victorian era (1837-1901), ice cream bombes were popular, many of which included layers of biscuits (cookies) and cakes. At this point, ice cream was laboriously churned by hand, by the cooks of the elite.
  • 1870s: Ice Cream Cake. Ice cream cake recipes begin to be published [source]. But no ice cream pie recipes!
  • 1880s-1890s: Pie À La Mode. While ice cream and pie could have been served together since [speculatively] the Renaissance, the first “named” presentation of ice cream and pie, Pie à la Mode, has two claimants from the late 19th century. The first is John Gieriet, proprietor of the Hotel la Perl in Duluth, Minnesota, around 1885. The second is Charles Watson Townsend, a patron of the Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge, Washington County, New York, in the 1890s. Here’s more on the claims.
  • 1940: Home Freezers. While commercial freezers were available in the second half of the 19th century, the modern home refrigerator-freezer, with a compartment larger than necessary just for two small ice cube trays, was introduced in 1940. Frozen foods, previously a luxury item, became a convenience for middle-income Americans. So we can infer that recipes for ice cream pie made it possible for home cooks to make them and keep them in the freezer* [source].
  • 1960s: Frozen Pies. The Edwards Baking Company was founded in 1950 as a small retail bakeshop in Atlanta, Georgia. During the 1960s, the company introduced frozen pre-baked pies that were sold to retail stores. These were not ice cream pies, but conventional fruit and custard pies that were then “freshly baked” in home ovens. The company is now owned by Schwan’s [source].
  • 1950s: Frozen Pie Crusts. The earliest reference we find for frozen pie crust, as a stand-alone consumer retail product, appears in the mid-1950s [source].
  • 1950s to 1960s: Ice Cream Pies. Sometime in this decade, we infer, that ice cream pies became a “thing.”
  • 1957: Mud Pie. This ice cream pie with frozen fudge sauce and a chocolate crumb crust was created by Joanna Chiyo Nakamura Droeger, a San Francisco restaurateur (photo #5). The recipe featured an Oreo cookie crust, coffee ice cream, and fudge topping [source]. Note: This is different from Mississipi Mud Pie, which is not an ice cream pie.
  • Early 1960s: We do know that a very popular strawberry ice cream pie was being made at the Savannah Room Restaurant in Athens, Georgia (photo #6). People drove from North Carolina to Georgia, and from Atlanta to Athens, just for the strawberry ice cream pie. It’s still on the menu. The original recipe, with a coconut almond crust, strawberry swirl ice cream, a meringue topping, and strawberry sauce, is in the source link [source].
  • 1977: Hula Pie. Ice cream pie had proved a drawing card, such that Kimo’s restaurant on Maui opened in 1977 with its to-become-famous Kimo’s Original Hula Pie (photo #7). Macadamia nut ice cream with a layer of chocolate fudge sits atop a chocolate cookie crust. Whipped cream is piped around the base and hot chocolate fudge is poured over the top, with a sprinkle of toasted macadamia nuts.
  • Modern Recipes. Say farewell to plain chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla ice cream pies. Today’s fans covet frozen Margarita, grasshopper, peanut butter, s’mores, and even banana split ice cream pie, which has a layer of fresh bananas in a chocolate cookie crust, topped by layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.
  • And Beyond. Recipes for ice cream pie abound. We’ll keep looking for “first” recipes for ice cream pies. Meanwhile, join the historical journey and make one!
  •  
    ________________

    *Even at this time, many homes did not make ice cream at home or keep store-bought ice cream in the freezer. Instead, many families purchased their ice cream dessert at the neighborhood pharmacy, which typically had a soda fountain with commercial freezer units.
     
     

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    Slogans Pouring Chute Attachment For Metal Mixing Bowls

    The New Metro Design Slogans Pouring Chute Attachment For Metal Mixing Bowls is a kitchen gadget that we rushed to buy.

    We are not the neatest cook: Ingredients always end up on the floor, in spills, and everywhere but their properly designated place.

    Yes, we are a kitchen klutz, the queen of the messy counter. Our sugar and flour fly all over, as do the oats for our oatmeal cookies.

    So when we saw this mixing bowl pouring chute, we were delighted. It’s as if it was designed just for us! It:

  • Works with dry and liquid ingredients.
  • Gets ingredients into your mixing bowl, not on the counter.
  • Keeps fingers away from spinning blades.
  • Directs ingredients into the center of the bowl—exactly where you want them.
  • Is made for rigorous use.
  •  
    The dishwasher-safe metal bowl chute, made from high-grade surgical steel, fits almost all metal mixing bowls*, including fluted bowls. It attaches easily to the rim and does not interfere with the mixing process. *
     
     
    PICK YOUR SLOGAN

    The style is called “Slogans” because it comes with a choice of eight slogans:

  • Baking Is A Work Of “Heart”
  • Baking Is My Superpower
  • Baking Is My Therapy
  • EAT BAKE LOVE
  • Eat Dessert First
  • Grandma’s Kitchen
  • Life Is Short…Lick The Spoon
  • Whip It…Whip It Good!
  •  
     
    GET YOUR POURING CHUTE

    Head To BeaterBlade.com.
     
    > The history of cake.

    > The history of cookies.

    > The history of pie.

     

    Beater Blade Mixing Bowl Chute
    [1] Beater Blade Mixing Bowl Chute (all photos © New Metro Design).

    Beater Blades Mixing Bowl Chute
    [2] Everything goes right into the mixing bowl.

    Baking Chute In Package
    [3] Get one for your favorite baker.

     
    ________________

    *It fits Cuisinart, Kenwood, KitchenAid, SMEG, and other metal bowls. It does NOT fit the KitchenAid Professional 6000 Tulip Bowl or other 6000 Series KitchenAid Stand Mixers, or with glass mixing bowls.
     
     

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    Yo-Ho-Ho & A Bottle Of Kraken Spiced Rum

    Bottle Of Kraken Spiced Rum
    [1] The Kraken gold spiced rum (all photos © Proximo Spirits).

    Spiced Rum & Coke Cocktail
    [2] Recipe #1: Kraken & Cola.

    Kraken Spiced Rum Cocktail With Orange Soda
    [3] Recipe #2: Kraken Crush.

    Kraken Spiced Rum Daiquiri
    [4] Recipe #3: Kraken Daiquiri.

    Kraken's Keep Spiced Rum Cocktail
    [5] Recipe #4: Kraken’s Keep.

     

    August 16th is National Rum Day, and we’ve been having delicious fun with these cocktails from The Kraken Spiced Rum. We reviewed this yummy, fun-concept rum earlier this summer.

    Now, we’re back with four entertaining cocktails that will take you from summer through Halloween (with their spooky garnishes) and beyond.
     
     
    > The history of rum.

    > The different types of rum.

    > The history of spiced rum is below.

    > Head to The Kraken website for more information.
     
     
    COCKTAIL #1: KRAKEN & COLA

    Instead of a plain Rum & Coke, spice things up with a Spiced Rum & Coke.
     
    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 1 part The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
  • 3 parts cola
  • Crushed ice
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the rum and cola in a tall glass (ideally a vintage cola glass) with ice.

    2. GARNISH with a black cherry encapsulated in a lime wheel—a.k.a. The Kraken’s Eye. Serve.
     
     
    COCKTAIL #2: KRAKEN CRUSH

    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 1 part The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
  • 3 parts orange soda
  • Crushed ice
  • Garnish: candied orange strips (recipe #5 below))
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the ingredients in a rocks glass with crushed ice.

    2. GARNISH with candied orange strips and serve.
     
     
    COCKTAIL #3: KRAKEN DAIQUIRI

    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 3 parts The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
  • 1.5 parts lime juice
  • .5 part simple syrup (sugar syrup—the recipe)
  • 1 12-ounce bag frozen passionfruit
  • 1 part triple sec or other orange liqueur (e.g. Cointreau, Grand Marnier)
  • Garnish: a slice of whole passionfruit, skin on, and a lime wedge
  •  
    Preparation

    1. BLEND the ingredients together. Pour into a Martini glass.

    2. GARNISH and serve.
     
     
    COCKTAIL #4: KRAKEN’S KEEP

    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 1.5 part The Kraken Gold Spiced Rum
  • 1⁄2 part orange juice
  • 2 parts pineapple juice
  • 1 pinch gold luster dust
  • Garnishes: 2 long orange peels, 1 pineapple spear, 1 torched cinnamon stick
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the ingredients in a rocks glass with crushed ice.

    2. GARNISH h with two long orange peels, a pineapple spear, & torched cinnamon stick.

     
    RECIPE #5: CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

    You can make this with any citrus peel: grapefruit, lemon, lime, or pomelo.

  • 3 lemons or limes, 1 grapefruit or 2 oranges
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white sugar
  •  
    Preparation

    1. WASH the citrus, pat dry, and remove the fruit pulp and as much of the white pith as you can. Cut peel into slices 1/4 inch wide.

    2. BOIL water in a small pan; add peel strips. Boil for 5 minutes, until tender.

    3. REMOVE peels from water and whisk in sugar until dissolved. Return water to a boil; add peels and boil until syrup absorbs into the peel.

    4. DRAIN cooked peel on paper towels. After they dry, you can store them in an airtight jar for a week.
     
     
    THE HISTORY OF SPICED RUM

    Spiced rum has its roots in the 17th century, at the dawn of rum production (here’s the history of rum).

    Sailors, pirates, and other denizens of the Caribbean added spices and other ingredients to their rum to mask the harsh taste of the low-quality alcohol.

    This practice gave birth to the first spiced rums, which were used both as a beverage and a form of currency among sailors.

    Over time, spiced rum became an integral part of Caribbean culture and even found its way into medicinal use, treating various ailments.

    The popularity of spiced rum spread to other parts of the world, including Europe, where it gained favor among the working class.

    In the 19th and 20th centuries, spiced rum gained even more popularity, with many distilleries experimenting with new spices and flavors. Today, spiced rum is one of the most popular forms of rum enjoyed by people worldwide.

    Each distiller of spiced rum has a proprietary blend of spices that create its distinct flavor. While classic spices like cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg may be common to most, other spices from allspice (a.k.a. Jamaican pepper) and cardamom to ginger and star anise and are used.

    Here’s more about spiced rum [source].

     
     

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    Make Vanilla Soft Serve In Your Blender With 3 Ingredients

    Bowl Of Homemade Vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream
    [1] Make this in your blender with just three ingredients (photos #1, #3, #4, and #5 © Beyond Good).

    Pint Carton Of Organic Valley Heavy Cream
    [2] Your blender will turn heavy whipping cream into ice cream (photo © Organic Valley).

    Container Of Confectioners Sugar
    [3] Check out this great ProKeeper+ Powdered Sugar Storage Container. Get yours from King Arthur Baking (photo © King Arthur Baking).

    Jar Of Beyond Good Vanilla Powder
    [4] Vanilla powder has a more intense vanilla flavor than vanilla extract.

    3 Types Of Beyond Good Vanilla
    [5] Three types of vanilla: powder, extract, and beans.

     

    Get ready for National Soft Serve Day, August 19th. You can whip up a dessert or snack of vanilla soft serve with just three ingredients.

    The third ingredient is ground vanilla, a form of vanilla that many kitchens may not have (photo #4). But it’s well worth getting a jar of it, as you’ll see below.

    You can also make your own vanilla powder.

    > The different types of vanilla.

    > The history of soft serve (frozen custard).

    > The history of vanilla.

    > See more uses for vanilla bean powder below.
     
     
    RECIPE: BLENDER SOFT SERVE
     

    Thanks to Beyond Good for the recipe. Beyond Good is a company with a mission not only to source the best quality vanilla and cocoa in the world but to buy it directly from the farmers who grow it. In this way, the farmers make a good living, without giving a large share of their income to middlemen.

    The company hopes that its business model has the power to change the food industry, forever.

    Ingredients

  • 2 cups (500ml) whipping cream
  • ½ cup + 3 tbsp (100g) powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp Beyond vanilla powder (ground vanilla)
  •  
    Preparation

    1. COMBINE the cream, sugar, and vanilla powder in a Ziplock bag. Seal the bag well and shake to combine.

    2. PRESS out all the air and lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm.

    3. BREAK the ice cream into chunks and place it in a blender or food processor. Process until the ice cream reaches a soft-serve consistency.

    4. SERVE immediately or transfer the ice cream to a freezer-proof container and freeze until firm.

    Variations

    Mix in berries, chocolate chips, toffee bits, etc.
     
     
    WHAT IS VANILLA BEAN POWDER?

    Vanilla bean powder, also called vanilla powder and ground vanilla, is simply dried whole vanilla beans ground into a fine powder*. It has the consistency of powdered sugar (photo #4).

    It’s an easy way to add vanilla flavor to your recipes. You can use it instead of vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or whole vanilla beans.

    Vanilla powder flavor provides a much more concentrated vanilla flavor than either vanilla extract or vanilla paste, so you can use a bit less than these ratios—or enjoy a more intense vanilla flavor with the full ratio:

  • For extract and paste, use a 1:1 replacement ratio.
  • For a whole vanilla bean, use 2 teaspoons of powder per average-sized bean.
  •  
     
    WAYS TO USE VANILLA BEAN POWDER

    Once you have a jar of vanilla powder, you’ll find a lot to do with it in both sweet and savory preparations.

    Cooks love to use it instead of vanilla extract when they don’t want to add additional liquid to a recipe, or when they don’t use alcohol†.

    Try it in:

  • Coffee: Add it to the ground beans before brewing.
  • Cold beverages: cocktails, ice cream drinks, and other drinks.
  • Cream sauce: Add it to sauces for chicken, pasta, pork, and seafood.
  • Hot chocolate and tea: Amp up the flavor (with tea, especially Earl Grey).
  • Ice cream: For a better vanilla flavor than vanilla extract.
  • Icing/frosting/glaze: The differences.
  • Meat rubs.
  • Meringue: Mix it with the egg whites for either the topping or the cookies.
  • Pancakes/waffles/French toast: Mix a bit into the batter.
  • Rubs and BBQ sauce:
  • Risotto: Use it as the “secret ingredient.”
  • Vanilla sugar: Mix vanilla powder with granulated sugar.
  •  
     
    HOW TO MAKE VANILLA BEAN POWDER FROM SCRATCH

    1. DRY vanilla beans. You can either (a) leave the beans (pods) on a counter for a few weeks or (b) place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or pan in a 125°F oven (50°C) for 1.5 hours.

    2. GRIND the dried beans to a fine powder in a spice grinder.

    3. STORE in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

     
    ________________

    *Some brands may add sugar or dextrose. Check the label to see that you are buying unsweetened vanilla powder. Some add cornstarch, dextrose, or maltodextrin, which helps keep the powder from clumping.

    †The FDA stipulates that vanilla extract must contain 35% alcohol, although much of it cooks out. However, since vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, some of the vanilla flavor will bake out along with the alcohol. Vanilla powder retains the bean’s flavor compounds, while some of them in the vanilla extract will evaporate.
     
     

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