May 13th is National Fruit Cocktail Day.

We’re all familiar with cans of fruit cocktail from Del Monte, Dole and Libby’s. But who first created it, and why is it called “cocktail?”

First: There is no alcohol in a conventional fruit cocktail. So why is it called fruit cocktail, instead of simply fruit salad?

There’s a second definition of “cocktail,” as in shrimp cocktail: “An appetizer made by combining pieces of food, such as fruit or seafood.”

However, the smart money says that when you’re selling canned fruit, “fruit cocktail” sounds more exciting than “mixed fruits.”

While fruit cocktail is sold canned, it can be made fresh and served in a coupe glass or other stemmed glass, where it puns on an alcoholic cocktail. Serve fresh fruit salad in a stemmed glass, tossed with some Grand Marnier—one of our mother’s favorite preparations, garnished with a fresh mint leaf—and it’s even more so.

The USDA actually stipulates the ingredients in canned fruit cocktail. It must contain grapes, peaches, and pineapples; optional maraschino cherries and other fruits are permitted. The percentages are dictated [source]:

 
The original fruit cocktail sat in a sugar syrup. More recently, with consumer demands for less sugar, lower-sugar varieties are available in natural fruit juices (“no sugar added,” although fruit juice has natural sugar).

The difference between fruit cocktail and fruit salad is that the latter contains larger pieces of fruit, while fruit cocktail is diced into like-size pieces.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF FRUIT COCKTAIL

Who first named this childhood delight?

Well: According to ancient Greek philosopher Plato, necessity is the mother of invention.

The canning industry generally agrees that fruit cocktail was developed as a way make use of the fruit scraps left when bruised or otherwise damaged fruits could not be used in canning.

Fruit cocktail has been a staple of the canned fruit industry since at least the 1940s, and was one of the most popular products Del Monte produced at the plant, from 1941 until the plant’s closure in 1999.

What company first came up with the mix of fruits, and named the result “fruit cocktail”, is not absolutely certain.

Here are the contenders:

[2] Fruit cocktail as a cupcake topper. Here’s the recipe from Yummy.

[3] Ambrosia, a retro fruit salad popular at ladies’ lunches. It adds mini marshmallows, sliced bananas, shredded coconut and sour cream (the modern take is vanilla yogurt or, eek, Cool Whip) to fruit cocktail. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home.

[4] The advent of Marshmallow Fluff engendered this version of ambrosia. Here’s the recipe from The Kitchen Is My Playground.

Whomever the father of fruit cocktail may be, consumers were introduced to the product as a stylish dessert suitable for formal dinner parties and entertaining (source).

In the 1930s, canned foods were appreciated for their convenience and did not have the “not as good as fresh” association that evolved in the 1970s, thanks to the proselytizing of Alice Waters and the evolution of “California cuisine.”

Take your pick!
 
 
USES FOR CANNED FRUIT COCKTAIL

We’re big on fresh fruits and vegetables, but we keep some cans of each in the pantry to use “in a pinch.”

We admit to keeping canned pineapple chunks in case we run out of fresh melon for our morning cottage cheese or plain yogurt. And there’s always a can of no-sugar-added fruit cocktail for when we’re having a fruit attack, but have no fresh fruit.

We took a quick survey and found that others we know use canned fruit cocktail:

 
And of course…

 

[5] Golden Morn Fruit Cocktail label, ca. 1920 (photo courtesy San Jose Museum).
 

[3] Pickle radishes and layer sour with spicy (here’s the recipe from Simple Delicious Food).

[2] Pickle any fruit or vegetable you like (photo courtesy Typhoon).

Basic pickling is easy (here’s how). But if you want ideas on how to layer herbs and spices, get a book like this.

But sour has grown even more in favor over the past few decades with kefir, kimchi, kombucha, plain yogurt, tamarind and tart cherry juice becoming everyday foods.

This week, Flavor And The Menu, a magazine and website for creative chefs, highlights how chefs nationwide are using the humble pickle.

And by pickle, we mean pickled anything. In the U.S. “pickles” evokes pickled cucumbers; but elsewhere in the world, any pickled vegetable is a “pickle.”

And, happy news: You can pickle anything in an hour. These are called quick pickles, but you can leave them in the brine as long as you like (days, weeks…).

Our favorite things for quick pickling: apples, asparagus, beets, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, onions and pears. And for burgers and sandwiches, garlic cloves.
 
 
NEW WAYS TO USE PICKLES

1. PAIRED WITH CHICKEN

With the continued popularity of fried chicken, chefs have paired pickles as a flavor strategy. The subtle sour contrast complements anything fried or fatty (that’s why cornichons are paired with pâté).

Beyond pickled vegetables with chicken, Fellow restaurant in Los Angeles serves buttermilk and pickle juice-brined chicken sandwiches paired with aged cheddar, oven-roasted tomato, dill pickles and iceberg lettuce on sourdough bread.

2. PICKLED FRUITS

Our taste buds love the counterbalance of sweet and sour. Creative kitchens are now brining any and all fruits, from berries to apples and pears to mangos and melons.

Taiwanese-American restaurant Win Son in Brooklyn tops its butter-grilled shrimp cake with pickled pineapple, layered on a mian tuan bun.

3. SPREADS & DIPS

Adding a tangy element to a creamy dip or spread adds an extra hit of flavor on burgers, fish sandwiches or anything fried.

At Wilshire restaurant in Santa Monica, California, pickled aïoli is slathered on the brioche burger bun, adding special flavor to the cheeseburger layered with aged cheddar, caramelized onions and house-made pickles.

4. VEGETARIAN

Consumer demands for more plant-based dishes has led to innovation on the menu. Pickling offers a major flavor boost to vegetarian menu items.

At Bar Annicka in Brooklyn, the entrée of charred cauliflower is accompanied by a pickled beet pâté, blackened cabbage and garlic confit.

5. SURPRISING HITS OF FLAVOR

Adding a pickled ingredient where one might not expect it is one of the charms of accenting with pickles.

Freebird Kitchen & Bar in White Plains, New York serves a side dish of roasted Brussels sprouts with pickled shallots, for a surprising spike of flavor.

6. THE CRUDITÉ PLATE

Crudité platters have been advanced with everything from baby vegetables to unusual varieties: They are now joined by pickled vegetables.

In fact, Canon restaurant in Sacramento serves an entire pickled crudité plate: a variety of house-pickled seasonal veggies served over crushed ice.

7. THE CHEESE PLATE

The sourness of pickles complements the fattiness of cheese. Take the tip from the previous tip and serve pickled vegetables with your cheese plate.

Pickle juice adds a modern tang to cocktails. The White Heat, served at Jordan Hotel’s Sliders in Sunday River, Maine, combines cucumber-infused vodka, pickle juice, peppadews and olives.

9. ICE CUBES

We’ve long advocated pickle slices in ice cubes for Bloody Marys, and saving pickle brine to freeze into ice cubes.

Pickles are becoming more of a player on restaurant drink menus. The flavors of pickle brine provides a slow melt of sour, as at Milk Money Bar & Kitchen in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

You don’t need to make the ice cubes of 100% pickle juice. In fact, try that to see if it’s too strong for you.

Instead, make the cubes one-third or one-half pickle juice.
And if you find yourself wanting to do more and more pickling, get a book!

We don’t have the time or space to “put up” pickles in jars, but we do make quick pickles every week.
  

If you’re considering what to bake for Mother’s Day, how about these pretty mini pies for Mother’s Day, or for National Apple Pie Day (May 14th)?

We received the recipe from My Baking Addiction, a site with such tempting recipes that you’ll want to make them all.

Currently featured on the home page are Banana Oatmeal Cookies, Marshmallow Treat Cupcakes, Rosé Cheesecake and Rumchata Cheesecake Pudding Shots.
 
 
RECIPE: INDIVIDUAL APPLE ROSE PIES

Ingredients

 
Plus

 
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*Make your own apple pie spice with 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and an optional dash of cardamom. These ingredients are very similar to pumpkin pie spice, which often contains some ginger. You can use them interchangeably.
 
 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the pie dough as instructed (here’s a pie crust recipe if you need one). Once ready, roll out on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, punch out rounds of dough. Gently press the rounds into muffin tin wells.

2. GENTLY TOSS the sliced apples in the lemon juice.

3. PLACE the brown sugar, spice and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir and cook until the butter is melted, the sugar dissolved and the apples cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Pour the mixture over the apples slices.

Homemade apple pie is always a treat, but this recipe raises the bar (photos courtesy My Baking Addiction).

5. FORM the roses: Arrange 6-8 apple slices in a straight row, with each slice overlapping the next to create a 12-inch line. Starting with one end, gently roll the apples (see a video on how to roll roses) (here’s another one). Transfer each rolled apple onto an individual pie crust.

6. REPEAT until all the pie crusts are filled. Place the tin in the oven and bake until the crust is golden and apples have cooked, about 30 minutes.
 
 
©2018 MY BAKING ADDICTION.

New England-style sourdough hot dog buns from King Arthur Flour.

Sourdough hot dog buns.

You can bake them easily with King Arthur Flour’s kit, which includes:

 
Get the kit for yourself or as a gift.

You also need a hot dog bun pan, available from King Arthur Flour and elsewhere. (Note that these are New England-style hot dog rolls with straight edges, as opposed to classic rounded edges. The technique for the latter is at the end of the article.)

The result is hot dog buns that are just as soft and moist as the packaged ones, with so much more flavor.

If you already have a pan and just want the recipe, here it is.

Prep time is 20 minutes, total rising time is 1.75 to 2.5 hours, bake time is 20 minutes to 23 minutes.

But first: the difference between buns and rolls.
________________

*This special dry milk has extra-fine granules that provide For more flavor, tenderness, nutrition and freshness.
 
 
RECIPE: SOURDOUGH HOT DOG BUNS

Ingredients For 10 Buna

 
Preparation

1. WEIGH out the flour; you’ll find its weight by toggling to “ounces” at the top of the ingredient section above. Or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.

2. COMBINE all the ingredients, and mix and knead by hand, mixer, or bread machine set to the dough cycle, adding more flour or water if necessary to make a soft, smooth dough.

3. PLACE the dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise at warm room temperature until it’s nearly doubled in bulk, 60 to 90 minutes. While the dough is rising, lightly grease a hot dog bun pan.

4. TRANSFER the dough to a lightly greased work surface, gently deflate it, and stretch it until it’s about 15″ long and 6″ wide. Place the dough into the pan, stretching it to the edges.

5. LET the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until it comes to within 1/2″ of the top of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

6. GREASE a baking sheet, and place it on top of the risen buns. Put the covered buns into the oven, weighing the baking sheet down with something heavy and oven-safe (a cast iron skillet works well).

7. BAKE the buns for 18 minutes, remove the weighted baking sheet, and bake for 2 to 5 minutes longer, if necessary to brown the buns. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the buns in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn them out onto a rack, rounded side up, to cool completely.

8. SLICE each bun down the middle vertically, without cutting through the bottom; then cut between the buns to separate them.
You can store the buns wrapped in plastic for several days; freeze for longer storage.
 
 
BAKING TIPS

Enjoy this sunny cocktail from one of our favorite restaurants, Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian churrascaria with locations worldwide (and many in the U.S.—send someone a gift card!).

It’s called Guava do Sul, guava sunshine. You can stop in for a cocktail or have it as the beginning of an entire wonderful dinner.

We liked it so much, we had two!
 
 
RECIPE: GUAVA DO SOL GUAVA COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drink

Guava purée, vodka and honey topped off with prosecco. What could be sunnier? (Photo courtesy Fogo de Chão.)

 
Preparation

1. RIM the coupe glass with sugar. (Moisten the rim of the glass 1/4″ in water, and twist in a plate of sugar.)

2. COMBINE the vodka, lemon juice, honey, gum syrup, guava fruit purée, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain the drink into the glass. Top with prosecco.

3. GARNISH and serve.

You might think from the ingredients that the drink is very sweet, but it’s simply…sweet.
 
 
WHAT IS GUM (GOMME) SYRUP

Gum syrup, spelled gomme in the U.K., is a sweeter simple syrup. Instead of the 1:1 proportion of sugar to water, it is 2:1, and is combined with gum arabic, an all-natural resin (gum) harvested from the acacia tree.

The gum, which is comprised primarily of fiber and protein, adds weight and silky mouthfeel. It acts as an emulsifier in the syrup and subsequently in the cocktail.

Bartenders like it because it means that all of the drink components are uniformly blended.

Gum syrup is also used in sweet non-alcoholic drinks such as sweet iced tea and the Arnold Palmer; and is also used in baking.

Commercially, it is made by Lieber & Co and other brands.
 
 
© 2018 Fogo de Chão, Inc. All rights reserved.