Glass rimmers, available in every color in the rainbow.

Here’s a holiday gift idea for a baker: edible fancy sprinkles from Fancy Sprinkles, a well-named company.

Yes, it’s a bit of a niche product, but the right person will be tickled pink [sprinkles], or any colors you bestow.

We’ve never seen such assortments of creative sprinkles, including eight designs just for Christmas:

 
Each is a beautiful mix of colors and shapes: not your mother’s sprinkles!

The company has done a great job of putting together colors and shapes. Everything is mixed to order.

Use the sprinkles on:

 
The sprinkles are conversation-starter—so if conversation wanes at Thanksgiving, sprinkle the gold, orange and white Pumpkin Spice collection over the pumpkin pie or the rim of your pumpkintini.

Individual jars are $5 and up, depending on the complexity of the mix.

There are gift-boxed assortments from $15 to $32, and a “sprinkles club” with a different assortment each month, seasonally-themed.

>>TAKE A LOOK!<<

November 6th is National Nachos Day. The dish was invented by accent, when customers arrived at a restaurant after the kitchen had closed. The manager, named Nacho (the diminutive of Ignacio), threw together some ingredients in the fridge to feed the folks.

The rest is history (here’s a bit more on history of nachos): a favorite snack was born. They moved from Mexican restaurants to the mainstream.

Basic nachos are so easy to make; no wonder they’re a party favorite. At their most minimal, you need tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and salsa. The next step: avocado, beans and/or refried beans, chile, cilantro, corn kernels, jalapeños, scallions, sour cream.

From there, anything goes, as we’ll demonstrate in today’s tip.
 
 
BEYOND MEXICAN INGREDIENTS

Nachos are easily adaptable to regional American flavors like barbecue, corned beef, grilled shrimp and gumbo, local cheeses, horseradish, pot roast, southern-fried chicken, Wisconsin blue cheese.

It’s easy to go global, too, as more recent menu additions include nachos with Hawaiian, Indian, Italian, Japanese and other culinary influences.

While nacho traditionalists may roll their eyes, fearless foodies might delight to a plate of nachos with prosciutto and melted gorgonzola, tiny meat balls with Bolognese and parmesan atop crunchy tortilla chips, or fresh crab and béarnaise.

“It’s all in the build,” says Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website where chefs check out national trends.

“Although nachos often look like a thrown-together pile of chips and toppings, the ones that move this trend forward are more thoughtful in [putting the ingredients together]. Not only does the balance need to be considered—between chips and cheese, savory and sweet, crunchy and soft—but the intention in the flavor play is also critical.”
 
 
THE GLOBAL NATIONAL NACHO SCENE

Flavor & The Menu took a look at how chefs around the country are interpreting nachos. You can create any of the ideas at home.

 
Make it today!

[1] Greek-style nachos with feta, olives and yogurt sauce at Meraki Greek Bistro in Miami (photo © Mission Foodservice).

[2] Indian lamb nachos with tamarind chutney at Chauhan Ale & Masala House in Nashville (photo © Plateline).

[3] Fried chicken nachos with pimento cheese sauce at Honey Butter in Chicago (photo © Tim Musho).

[4] Spicy chicken with the fixings on bacon-fried tortilla chips, at Party Fowl in Nashville (photo © Party Fowl).

[5] Poke nachos, fusing Hawaiian poke with seaweed, wasabi crema and wonton chips, at The Westin Princeville Kauai (photo © Westin Princeville).

[6] Portabella nachos with blue cheese and jalapeños atop blue corn tortilla chips (photo © Flavor & The Menu).

 
So let’s forget the black beans, cheddar and salsa for the moment.

What’s your favorite fusion nacho?
 

[7] Charcuterie nachos (Gemini Photo).
 
 

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

[1] Coffee stout float. The recipe is below (Gemini Photo).

[2] Xocoveza, a coffee stout from Stone Brewing, has been described as “a liquid Christmas cookie” (photo © Gear Patrol).

[3] Amaro Obsidian Coffee Stout from Deschutes Brewery.

[4] Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing is a milk stout with coffee, although adding it to a bowl of cereal is a personal choice.

[5] The simplest nibble with a glass of stout: salted nuts (photo courtesy McCormick).

[6] Stout pairs beautifully with oysters on the half shell (photo © Whole Foods Market).

[7] Treat yourself to a coffee stout float. The recipe, from Eat Wisconsin Cheese, is below.

November 5th is World Stout Day. Stout is the darkest and heartiest of beers (porter is in second place).

And if you like coffee too, we have a recipe for dessert: a coffee stout float. The recipe is below.

We begin with the different types of stout, but first, for your perusal:

> The year’s 40+ beer holidays.

> The year’s 14 American-specific beer holidays.

> See the many different types of beer in our beer photo glossary.

> The history of beer.

> The history of craft beer.

> The history of stout is below.
 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STOUT

There are several categories of stout, a beer that has natural coffee and chocolate flavors from the types of malt used.

 
Other variations can be developed by a particular brewer. Caraway stout, for example, includes caraway seeds in the mash.

It’s hard to pick one style from the list, so allow us to suggest a coffee stout. With the ascendancy of coffee as a craft drink in the U.S., combining it with stout is a natural.

Beyond stout, coffee can be added to every style of beer. Here’s a list of the 18 “best” coffee beers from Gear Patrol, and 27 coffee beer recommendations from Thrillist.
 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF STOUT

Stout is top fermented, which makes it an ale. Both stout and porter, its historic predecessor, are differentiated from conventional ale by their brown-black color, fuller body and stronger flavors.

Stout originated in Ireland, where traditional stouts are very rich, yet sharp and slightly bitter. It followed the creation of porter, a strong, dark ale, higher in alcohol, that originated in London in the early 1720s.

Large amounts of porter were subsequently exported to Ireland. By 1776, Arthur Guinness was brewing it at his St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin. Guinness Stout appeared by 1820.

In the 19th century, porter evolved, creating the new category of stout, meaning strong. It was first called stout porter (stronger porter); later, the porter reference was dropped.

Stout had a black color through the use of black patent malt and more roasted malts. It had a stronger in flavor than port. The alcohol level edged up, too.

This is achieved by brewing with barley that has been dark-roasted to the point of charring (think of espresso beans, compared to a medium-roast coffee). It is thus both darker and maltier than porter, has a more pronounced hop aroma, and may reach an alcoholic content of 6% to 7%.

While stout declined in popularity in the latter half of the 20th century, it has been resurrected by artisan brewers. A craft beer retailer should have a good selection.
 
 
STOUT FOOD PAIRINGS

Stout pairs well with strong, spicy and salty flavors:

 
 
RECIPE: COFFEE STOUT FLOAT

For an easy dessert, whip up a coffee stout float with just two ingredients: stout and ice cream.

If you can’t get coffee stout, use any cream/milk stout plus coffee ice cream.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE two scoops of ice cream in a pint glass or other large glass.

2. Slowly pour the stout over the ice cream, to fill the glass.

3. SERVE with a straw and a spoon.
 
 
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*Although shellfish is not strong, spicy or salty, the pairing works—especially with Irish dry stout. Serve the shellfish simply.

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November 4th is National Candy Day, and we’d like to introduce you to a type that’s relatively new in the U.S.: brigadeiros.

They’re a Brazilian cousin to the original chocolate truffles: smooth, creamy and intensely chocolate, with no hard shell, but rolled in sprinkles or nuts (photo #1).

The chocolates have an interesting history.

In 1945, shortly after the end of World War II, Brazil was in the process of electing a new president.

One candidate was Brigadier Eduardo Gomes, good-looking and single. He attracted many female fans (hopefully for other reasons as well).

Women organized parties to raise funds for him, and created a confection called brigadeiros (brigadier’s) to promote their candidate.

In post-war times there was still a shortage of fresh milk and sugar, which led the ladies to use condensed milk, mixing it with butter and chocolate and covering it with chocolate sprinkles.

Gomes didn’t win the election, but the brigadeiros named for him became a permanent part of the national confectionary, said to be the country’s favorite sweet.

In addition to retail purchases, families make them at home (here’s a recipe), often eating the warm chocolate mixture right from the pot (called brigadeiro de colher, spoon brigadeiro, it’s an inadvertent mash-up of eating chocolate fondue from the pot and cookie dough from the bowl). It’s a standard treat at birthday parties.
 
 
TINY B BRIGADEIROS

San Francisco chocolatier, Renata Stoica, a São Paolo native, uses an old family recipe to bring the brigadeiros tradition to the U.S.

At her shop, tinyB, she sells gift boxes of classic brigadeiros rolled in sprinkles or chopped nuts.

[2] A perfect bite with after-dinner coffee.

There are 4-piece boxes up to 30 pieces, along with two-piece customizable favor boxes for weddings and other occasions.

Get ready for the holidays. Give chocolate lovers what they haven’t had before.

GET YOURS AT TINYBCHOCOLATE.COM.

[1] Miso snapper with steamed Asian vegetable mix. The recipe is below (photo courtesy

[2] The original inspiration, Nobu’s black cod with miso (photo courtesy Nobu Restaurants).

[3] Miso paste can be used in many dishes (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[4] Steamed Asian vegetables. This recipe from Julia’s Album serves them with peanut dressing.

[4] Chopped Asian salad. Here’s the recipe from Eating Bird Food.

[5] Miso soup. You can make it (recipe) as a first course to the fish recipe (photo courtesy Sushi Lounge | NJ).

Black cod with miso is became a signature dish, and as chef Nobu Matsuhisa opened restaurants around the world, the dish went global.

We liked it so much, we bought miso and made our own version. Cod has gotten pricey, so we often substitute halibut or snapper.

It’s become a favorite.

Here’s a version of the recipe from IMUSA. We’ve also included a miso salad dressing

Here are more ways to use miso and the different types of miso.

If you like the miso soup at Japanese restaurants, it’s a cinch to make at home. Here’s the recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: MISO SNAPPER OR COD WITH ASIAN VEGETABLES

*Koji is cooked rice that has been inoculated with a fermentation culture, Aspergillus oryzae. Here’s more about it.

†You can use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle.