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.

[1] One of three flavors of new Muesli Cups—two are gluten free—from Bob’s Red Mill (photo courtesy Bob’s Red Mill).

[2] Cali’flour cauliflower pizza crusts, including new Jalapeno (photo courtesy Cali’Flour Foods).

[3] Snikiddy’s baked cheese puffs, organic and gluten-free (photo courtesy Snikiddy).

[4] Trader Joe’s Birthday Bar: white chocolate, cookie crumbs and sprinkles (photo courtesy Trader Joe’s).

Today’s list of favorite new products, in alphabetical order:
 
1. BOB’S RED MILL MUESLI CUPS

If you like granola or oatmeal, you’re a potential fan of muesli (MEW-slee).

Created by a Swiss physician in the late 19th century, muesli is a blend of whole grains, toasted seeds and dried fruits. It’s a comfort food that’s good for you (more about museli).

Bob’s Red Mill has created a gluten-free muesli that is just as delicious and nourishing. You can eat it hot like oatmeal, like any cold cereal topped with milk or yogurt, or the traditional Swiss way: topped with apple and soaked in milk overnight.

Take the 2.12-ounce cups with you or enjoy them at home. The three flavors are also available in 14-ounce bags.

 
The muesli is currently exclusive at Whole Foods Markets, or online at BobsRedMill.com.
 
 
2. CALI’FLOUR FOODS GLUTEN-FREE CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUSTS

If you miss conventional pizza because of a diet plan, check out Cali’Flour, gluten-free pizza crusts made from…fresh cauliflower! (The business is based in California; hence, Cali’Flour.)

Add cheese and your favorite toppings, pop the pizza into the oven, and you’ll soon snack or dine on a crisp, totally satisfying low-carb, low-glycemic pizza. You can also use the crusts more creatively, for example, to make gluten-free grilled cheese sandwiches and panini.

The all-natural, grain-free crusts have 60 calories and 1 net carb per serving, and are hand-crafted from simple, fresh ingredients: vegetables, mozzarella, eggs, basil. There is no added sugar.

The brand has added a new flavor to its line-up, which now includes:

 
More news: The line, which was originally frozen, is now shelf stable (no refrigeration required) for up to two weeks.

There are also gift cards. Order yours at CaliflourFoods.com (also on Amazon).
 
 
3. SNIKIDDY

If you like cheese puffs, we’d like to introduce you to the more elegant puffs from Snikiddy.

Organic Baked Cheese Puffs are USDA-certified organic, Certified Gluten Free, and available in two flavors:

Discover more at Snikiddy.com.
 
 
4. TRADER JOE’S BIRTHDAY CAKE CHOCOLATE BAR

Warning: Trader Joe’s Birthday Cake Bar is addictive. We no sooner had our first bite than we were ready to head to the store to buy out the remaining stock.

The finest white chocolate (trust us—we’ve tried every white chocolate we’ve ever seen) is topped with vanilla cookie crumbs and multi-colored pastel sprinkles, the latter naturally colored with beet juice, beta carotene and turmeric, rather than chemically-produced colors.

The two-inch chocolate bars are just $1.49—the lowest price imaginable for chocolate this good.

Don’t head to Trader Joe’s just yet: We’ve got to get there first!

Few people would call a bagel beautiful, but Baldor Specialty Foods has overturned that notion.

On top of an everything bagel with cream cheese, they have arranged:

 
You can substitute goat cheese for the cream cheese.

If your Mother’s Day breakfast includes bagels, invite everyone to create their own bagel art.

Our entry into the Most Beautiful Bagel competition (photo courtesy Baldor Specialty Foods).

[2] Chicken empanadas (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] Galician and Portuguese empanadas are made as a whole pie and served in slices (photo © Maria Lunarillos)

Most Americans know empanadas as fried Latin American fare. They are savory turnovers: pastry dough that is filled, folded, baked or fried. For National Empanada Day, April 8th, here’s the empanadas history.

The concept came to Latin America with Spanish immigrants. The pies originated in Galicia, the northwest corner of Spain, and across the border in Portugal.

 
 
EMPANADA HISTORY

Empanadas first appear in Medieval Iberia during the time of the Moorish invasions, which began in 711 C.E. A cookbook published in Catalonia in 1520 has recipes for empanadas filled with seafood.

According to Majuraps, it is believed that empanadas and calzones evolved from the Arabic meat-filled pies, known as samosas sambusas, or samboksas.

Yes, the crunchy fried food originated in Arabia before migrating to India. Indian cooks made it their own with fillings such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, cheese and minced lamb.

The Spanish name empanada comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread.

The dish traveled to Latin America and the Philippines with Spanish colonists, becoming widespread fare.
 
 
What’s for lunch? Empanadas!

Here’s an idea for Mother’s Day for moms who don’t want cake or other sugary dessert: Brie.

Brie and its cheese brothers are known as bloomy-rind, soft-ripened or surface-ripened (i.e., ripened from the outside) cheeses. These terms refer to their their downy, edible white rind.

The cheesemaker creates the rind by adding a powdered form of mold (Penicillium candidum, Penicillium camemberti), yeast, and/or a yeast-like fungus, Geotrichum candidum.

These microorganisms bloom on the exterior of the ripening cheeses, ultimately forming the rind. They break down the fats and proteins of a cheese, creating the creamy texture. The result: lush, creamy, unctuous cheese delight.

The longer the cheese ages, the runnier it gets. Cheese Trivia: An older cheese will develop an extra creamy, custardy layer just under the rind, which is called the creamline. It’s an extra layer of texture and flavor.

Can you eat the bloomy rind? Any serious cheese lover will: It’s delicious!
 
BRIE, CAMEMBERT & THEIR RELATIVES

It’s easy to confuse Brie and Camembert. They are similar recipes, made in different parts of France with different terroirs. They are different sizes. Here’s the difference.

Some other bloomy rind cheeses found in the U.S., both domestic and French, include:

 
However, the French cheeses are made in larger wheels and sold in wedges rather than in smaller rounds. Go for the American varieties; and if you need advice, don’t hesitate to ask your cheesemonger.

To bake or not to bake? In the warm weather, there’s no reason to bake a Brie—especially when it’s going to be sliced for individual portions.
 
CHEESE GARNISHES

You can use all of these as a top garnish (photo #2), or serve some on the side (photo #1).

 
For a savory touch, add some olives. Red cerignola olives are especially nice for the occasion.
 
BREADS & CRACKERS

Instead of baguette slices and water biscuits, go for flavorful choices such as:

[1] You can top the cheese with one fruit and let guests select from other accompaniments (photo courtesy The Almond Eater).

[2] Bring the cheese to the table cut into slices, for easy serving (photo courtesy Baldor Specialty Foods).

[3] For fall, consider chopped nuts and dried fruits. Orange zest is a nice added touch. You can also top the cheese with chunky cranberry sauce or chutney (photo courtesy Damn Delicious).

[4] You can top the cheese with homemade compote. Here’s a ginger-pear compote recipe from Eat Wisconsin Cheese, and our guidelines for making fruit compote.

Some people enjoy a cheese course instead of a sweet dessert; and some like it with a bit of salad.

Mesclun (mixed baby greens) with a light toss of vinaigrette is the way to go here. To avoid an acid clash with the sweet complements to the cheese, we make a balsamic vinaigrette.
 
 
WINE PAIRINGS WITH BLOOMY RIND CHEESES

White wines and rosés pair better with bloomy rinds than red wines. Fruity whites are better than dry whites. We like a good Pinto Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.

Champagne or other dry sparkling wines (Cava, Crémant, Prosecco, etc.) add a festive flair, as do sweet sparklers such as Asti Spumanti, Brachetto d’Acqui (a rosé), or a dry Prosecco (in wine terminology, “dry” means sweeter).

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*Sweet herbs include chamomile, lavender, lemon verbena, licorice, mint, rose geranium and tarragon.