Our colleague Hannah Kaminski of Bittersweet Blog is a vegan author and recipe developer, so we were surprised when she sent an email with salmon sushi.

Except it’s not, as she calls it, fish-free salmon sushi: It’s cantaloupe!

Yes, there are “real” vegan sushi substitutes. We recently reported on Ocean Hugger Foods, which has created the first-of-its-kind alternative to raw tuna (more).

But this one is strictly—and deliciously—April Fools!

Here’s her recipe:

RECIPE: FISH-FREE SALMON SUSHI

Ingredients

 
Variations

[1] Cantaloupe nigiri sushi. Photos © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog.

[2] Cantaloupe maki (rolls).

1. CUT the cantaloupe in half, scoop and out discard the seeds. Slice those halves into four wedges each, carefully “filleting” the fruit to remove the peel. Place all eight cleaned wedges into a large, shallow container.

2. PLACE the remaining ingredients into a food processor or blender and thoroughly purée, until completely smooth. Pour this marinade all over the melon, making sure that all pieces are fully submerged. You may need to move things around so that you have complete coverage.

3. SEAL the container and place on a flat surface in your freezer. Allow the whole thing to fully freeze; at least 12 hours, but ideally 24 hours or longer. If you want to save the “salmon” for a later date, just leave it at this stage until you’re ready to serve it.

4. ALLOW the tuna to fully thaw, either in the fridge or at room temperature. Drain away the excess marinade. You can save the marinade and reuse it if you like, since there’s no potential bacterial contamination as with raw fish or meat.

5. THINLY SLICE the edges as desired for sashimi or nigiri, or cube for maki or poke.
 
 
APRIL FOOL’S DAY HISTORY

The origin of April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is obscure. The most accepted explanation traces it to 16th century France.

Until 1564, the Julian calendar, which observed the beginning of the New Year in April, was in use. According to The Oxford Companion to the Year, King Charles IX then declared that France would begin using the Gregorian calendar, which shifted New Year’s Day to January 1st.

Some people continued to use the Julian Calendar, and were mocked as fools. They were invited to bogus parties, sent on a fool’s errand (looking for things that don’t exist) and other pranks.

The French call April 1st Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish. French children sometimes tape a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates (the French version of a “Kick Me” sign), crying “Poisson d’Avril” when the prank is discovered. (Source: Wikipedia)

What a fish has to do with April Fool’s Day is not clear. But in the name of a kinder, gentler world, we propose eliminating this holiday.
  

[1] Clams on the half shell with mignonette sauce, at Casino Clam Bar in New York City (photo © Casino Clam Bar).

[2] Clams on the half shell with cocktail sauce and a side of crudites, at The Clam in New York City (photo © The Clam).

[3] Littleneck clams (photo © Good Eggs).

National Clams on the Half Shell Day is March 31st. The half shell (photos #1 and #2) is the simplest way to serve clams, and it is a delightful, high protein, low calorie, and nutritious dish for lovers of raw seafood.

Where’s your nearest Happy Hour with a good deal for clams on the half shell?

> The different types of clams.
 
 
CLAMS ON THE HALF SHELL

Clams are bivalves, aquatic mollusks that have a compressed body with an upper and lower shell, hinged together.

Other bivalves include oysters, mussels, and scallops, but clams and oysters are most often served on the half shell. They are shucked*—the top half of the shell is removed—and are most often served on a bed of crushed ice with lemon wedges and mignonette sauce or cocktail sauce. Some modern presentations use a bed of rock salt.

This “on the half shell” presentation enables the diner to pluck the meat from the shell, optionally dip it in the sauce, and bite into the plump mollusk.

When bivalves are shucked properly, the meat will be surrounded by its natural juices, which are lost if you scoop them out and put them on a plate. Other kinds of shellfish, such as scallops and mussels, can also be served on the half shell.

While “on the half shell” means raw shellfish, there are cooked bivalves served on the half shell, such as Clams Casino, clams topped with breadcrumbs, bacon, and green bell peppers; Coquilles Saint Jacques and Oysters Rockefeller.

In these preparations, the bivalves are topped with bread crumbs and other ingredients, and baked.

Other preparations, such as steamed or grilled clams, should be called just that.
 

THE HISTORY OF CLAMS

Bivalves appear in the fossil record first appear in the early Cambrian period, more than 500 million years ago.

The total number of living species is about 9,200, representing both marine and freshwater bivalves. There are more than 150 different edible species of clams in the world. Only a handful of these are pursued as food crops.

 
The size of clams ranges from tiny and not worth trying to eat, up to 440 pounds like the giant clam, which is too big to eat. (Found in the South Pacific, giant clams have a diameter of 47 inches and can live for more than 100 years. Alas, they are an endangered species).

Clams spend their lives partially buried in the sand of the ocean floor. They are dug at low tide, leading to the expression, “happy as a clam at high tide.”
 
 
SHUCK YOUR OWN CLAMS

What kind of clams should you buy? Whatever is freshest.

Let the fishmonger know that you plan to serve them raw. The Quahog†, a.k.a. hardshell or top neck, is popular for serving on the half-shell. An Atlantic saltwater clam, it is about two inches in length, and meatier than some other varieties.

Here’s a video showing you how to shuck clams.

You do need a special clam knife, which is different from an oyster knife. You can buy one for around $10.00.

Then, scrub the clam shells and get to shucking!
 
 

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*A shuck is an outer covering such as the shell of a clam or oyster, or the outer covering of an ear of corn or a nut. Since the shuck is discarded, the word became used to describe something of little value—not worth shucks. We don’t know how it evolved to the now-archaic expression, “aw shucks,” used to express shyness, i.e., after a compliment; or to express disappointment, e.g., “Aw shucks, we’re out of coffee.”

†Quahog trivia: The Pilgrims were taught how to harvest clams and other shellfish. In the midst of the first winter of starvation, it helped keep many of the Pilgrims alive. Beads made from the quahog shell, known as wampum, were currency, used in trade throughout the region.
 
 

If you’ve ever seen individual meringue cups/shells in a bakery and wondered what they are: They’re the base of Pavlovas*. Light and airy, they are filled with fruit to make an impressive gluten-free and fat-free dessert (photo #2).

Pavlova is quick-assembly dessert that’s impressive and low-calorie. It consists of a meringue base topped with fresh fruits. Most people buy the meringue shells at bakeries, but ambitious bakers can make their own.

In addition to individual meringue shells (“mini pavlovas”), the meringue is often shaped into a layers (photo #1). If you see meringue shaped into cake-like layers with fillings in-between, that’s a Swedish Midsummer Meringue Layer Cake.

In France, the meringue layers can be filled with crème fraîche, custard, fruit, mousse, whipped cream or other filling, and is called a vacherin (vosh-er-RAN).
 
 
PAVLOVA YEAR-ROUND

Pavlova is gluten-free, fat-free, a beauty for the Easter table and Passover-friendly: The ingredients are egg whites, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

You can also add subtle flavor touches. This Pavlova, from chef Samir Nosrat, has touches of Indian flavors: rosewater, rose petals and cardamom.

While it seems a light and airy dessert for warmer weather, Pavlova is a year-round treat. It’s a good finale to a big dinner. And it can be tailored to every season:

 
 
PAVLOVA TOPPINGS

You can make individual meringue cups or one large meringue base.

Once you have the meringue shells:

 
Instead of coffee, consider serving herbal tea with a pavlova. Brew mint tea by steeping fresh mint leaves in boiling water. The combination is delightful.
 
 
PAVLOVA HISTORY

Pavlova is one of the most popular desserts in Australia, where it’s commonly known as Pav, for short. The dessert is named after the legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926 and 1929.

Both countries claim to have invented this dessert, and have made it their national dessert. New Zealand may have the edge: Published recipes of fruit-filled meringue shells existed there without the name Pavlova.

According to chef Herbert Sachse of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Australia, the Pavlova was born at the hotel 1935. According to hotel legend†, it was named at a meeting at which Sachse presented the cake.

[1] A traditional Pavlova, family style. Here’s the recipe from The New York Times (photo Craig Lee).

[2] An individual or mini Pavlova. Here’s the recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen.

[3] Here’s a modern approach from Vaucluse restaurant in New York City.

[4] A Pavlova taken to the next step, at Capella restaurant in Washington, D.C. (now closed).

Years later, Sachse stated in an interview that he sought to improve the Meringue Cake recipe that he found in the Women’s Mirror Magazine, which was contributed by a New Zealand resident.*
 
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*Pavlovas are filled with fruit, but the shells can be filled with other ingredients, for example, custard, mousse or whipped cream.

†Source: Linda Stradley, What’s Cooking America.

[1] A special waffle iron makes sheets of waffle batter with egg/bubble indentations. The “eggs” can be pulled off as bites, or the entire waffle can be turned into a sundae or cone (photo courtesy Kirbie Cravings).

[2] Several egg/bubble waffle irons are available. Go for an electric version with nonstick plates. This one is from CucinaPro.

[3] Go for it: Put your favorite sundae ingredients into a Hong Kong waffle (photo courtesy CucinaPro).

[4] Cones are also fun, but there’s nothing to stop the ice cream from dripping out, unless you provide some type of holder. Vendors use heavy paper holders, like this one at Eggloo in New York City.

If waffles and bubble wrap had a child, it would be bubble waffles, a.k.a. Hong Kong waffles or egg waffles (photo #1).

We celebrated International Waffle Day on March 26th, by purchasing a bubble waffle maker (photo #2).

It has nonstick plates and turns out large waffles in less than five minutes. We are happy.

This Hong Kong street food has other names, such as egg puffs and eggettes. You can see why: The mold creates raised egg or bubble shapes.

The mold makes the edges crispy, while the puffs are airy. While any waffle is a good waffle, this is a unique waffle experience.

The waffles are popular street food, and can be eaten plain. It’s fun to pull off an “egg,” one bite at a time.

But, it’s even more fun to turn the waffle into a sundae (photo #3) or a cone (photo #4).
 
 
WHERE CAN YOU FIND THEM?

Hong Kong waffles don’t have much traction in the U.S., yet.

 
 
MAKE YOUR OWN HONG KONG WAFFLES

Kirbie of KirbieCravings will tell you how to make them.

 
 
THE HISTORY OF HONG KONG WAFFLES

Western ingredients became available in Hong Kong in the 1950s, when trade resumed post-World War II.

Given how recent that is in food history, it is surprising that there is no hard information on the origin of Hong Kong waffles. But here are some of the prevailing tales:

The waffles were created by a grocer as a way use cracked and broken eggs.

He or she created a batter that included flour, evaporated milk and custard powder (a popular British ingredient), and created a snack waffle. It became street food, cooked over an open flame by vendors in pans with egg-shaped indentations.

At some point, the familiar egg-shaped mold was invented to give the snack a more enticing appearance, and the snack became known as gai daan zai, which means “little chicken eggs” in Cantonese [source].

No one knows who invented the egg-shaped pan/waffle iron, either. The theory is that it was Hong Kong’s take on the honeycomb design of western waffle irons.

Or, perhaps someone saw a Danish aebelskiver pan, which makes large, egg-shaped pancakes.

Recipes vary, but they generally include eggs, flour, milk, and sugar, and sometimes baking powder or coconut milk.

They may become your new favorite waffle; and certainly, people will clamor for invitations to brunch at your house.

We would never have heard of mahlepi or mahleb*, a Middle Eastern spice, were it not for Greek tsoureki (photo #1), one of our favorite Easter breads.

Tsoureki, a soft, sweet and buttery braided yeast loaf, is famous for its embedded Easter eggs.

We’ve never made it because it’s a two-day process, and we never have enough room in the fridge to let the loaf rise overnight. But if you’re game, here’s a recipe from King Arthur Flour.

The traditional flavoring for tsoureki is a spice called mahlepi/mahleb. Most American bakers substitute vanilla, but for a deliciously authentic flavor, buy the real deal online.

Mahleb adds a unique cherry-bitter almond, sweet-nutty flavor that will delight lovers of marzipan.

You may like it so much, you’ll start adding mahlepi to butter cookies, muffins, pound cakes, scones and other baked goods and yeast breads.
 
 
WHAT IS MAHLEPI, MAHLEB, OR HOWEVER YOU SPELL IT*?

Mahleb is an aromatic spice that has been used for centuries† in the Middle East. It is made from the seeds of a particular species of cherry tree called the Mahaleb or St. Lucie cherry (Prunus mahaleb).

The cherry stones are cracked to extract the seed kernel, which is ground to a powder.

In addition to baked goods and other sweet foods, mahleb is in tresse cheese (jibneh mshallaleh, a string cheese from Syria.

scones. In Egypt, powdered mahlab is made into a paste with honey, sesame seeds and nuts, eaten as a dessert or a snack with bread.

In Greek cooking, beyond Easter bread it is used to flavor Christmas cake and pastries and eggy yeast cakes and cookies for the New Year, such as vasilopita (which contains a hidden coin or trinket that gives good luck to the recipient, like the Western king cake).

In Egypt, mahlab is made into a paste with honey, sesame seeds and nuts, and eaten as a dessert or a snack with bread.

[2] Whole mahleb seeds are ground into a spice (photo courtesy Migdisian | Amazon).

Look for it in Greek or Middle Eastern markets, or online.
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*The spelling in English varies based on transliteration: mahlab, mahalab, mahlep, mahaleb, etc. In Greece, it is mahlepi.

†Recipes for a seed that may be mahleb have been found in records from ancient Sumer.