The Tescoma Granola Bar Press turns your ingredients of choice—fruits, grains, nuts, seeds and “extras” like chocolate chips—into bars.

Bind your ingredients with agave, honey or peanut butter and fill the molds. You then simply press the raw ingredients together, or you can bake them.

You receive silicone molds that make six bars at a time and a recipe book. You can purchase sealable plastic bags for your finished product; or carry them in plastic wrap or snack bags.

The press is $28 and the optional bags are $5 for 25.

Get yours at TheGrommet.com.

Frittatas and stratas are dishes that work for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

They’re egg-based dishes similar to an omelette or a crustless quiche, incorporating meat or seafood, cheese, and/or vegetables.

The word frittata means “fried” in Italian, and frittatas are typically made in a skillet. But when we drilled down into this recipe, which was called a frittata, we found that it is baked, not fried.

This engendered an office discussion:

 
This week we purchased a pound of Kurobuta/Berkshire bacon from Snake River Farms, along with a bunch of spring asparagus. So we thought: for dinner, an asparagus-bacon strata and a mesclun salad with Dijon vinaigrette.
 
 
ABOUT KUROBUTA PORK

Kurobuta is the Japanese name for the Berkshire breed of heritage pig, considered the top-quality pork. While all Kurobuta is Berkshire pork, not all Berkshire pork is Kurobata grade.

We are big fans of Snake River Farms’ Kurobuta pork products. The hams are the best we’ve ever had; ditto for the pork roasts.

This was the first time we’ve purchased the Kurobuta bacon; and while it costs slightly more than premium brands like Applegate (currently $14.66/pound on the company website), it was worth it.

The thick-cut bacon is lightly cured and naturally smoked over hard wood, and there is mild sweetness to the meat in addition to bacon’s saltiness and smoke. Our only regret was that we didn’t buy more of it.
 
 
RECIPE: ASPARAGUS-BACON STRATA

This inspiration for thus recipe comes from Fresh Planet Flavor, which lauds it for being seasonal, quick/easy, low-carb and nutrient-dense.

They recommend pastured eggs, from hens that spend most of their lives foraging outdoors. Pastured eggs are significantly higher in vitamin E than conventional eggs, and have more than double the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (source).

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 40 minutes. Fresh Planet Flavor suggests that you can prepare the bacon the night before and store it in fridge.

We adapted the original recipe by adding extra ingredients to turn it into a true layered strata.

Ingredients

[1] and [2] Asparagus-bacon frittata made in a rectangular fluted tart pan. You can make it in a round pan or a skillet (photos courtesy Fresh Planet Flavor).

[3] Kurobuta bacon from Snake River Farms.

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Cook the bacon slices in a large dry skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, approximately 6 minutes per side.

2. REMOVE to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Use a teaspoon of the bacon fat from the skillet and a piece of paper towel to grease the inside of the tart pan.

3. TRIM the woody ends of the asparagus, and cut into 1″ pieces, reserving a handful of uncut stalks to decorate the frittata’s top. Arrange the asparagus pieces in the bottom of the tart pan. Crumble three of the bacon slices on top of the asparagus, followed by the optional shredded cheese

4. WHIP the eggs until foamy along with salt and pepper, then pour over the asparagus and bacon. Arrange the uncut asparagus stalks lengthwise on top of the frittata partly submerged in the egg, along with the optional cherry tomatoes. Crumble the remaining two pieces of bacon on top of the asparagus stalks.

5. BAKE the frittata for 40-60 minutes, until it is firm and browned on top. Allow to cool enough to touch, then remove from the pan by pushing the bottom of the tart pan up through the sides. If the frittata sticks, cut along the perimeter and then crossways into slices, and use a spatula to lift up the slices.

Frittata is equally delicious warm or at room temperature, and like leftover pizza, the leftovers are good straight from the fridge.
  

How about a PB&J smoothie? This recipe from Tru Roots, useds Santa Cruz Organic grape juice and peanut butter.

Suggestion: Serve it in small glasses for dessert.
 
 
RECIPE: PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY SMOOTHIE

Prep time is 10 minutes

Ingredients For 2 Servings

1. PLACE the juice, peanut butter and yogurt into the bowl of a blender. Process to the desired consistency.

2. DIVIDE between two glasses. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. We added a dollop of grape yogurt, created by blending grape jelly and plain yogurt with an Aerolatte.
 
 
The History Of The Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

The History Of The Smoothie

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).

[4] It’s not hard to shuck clams. Here’s a video. Shown, on order of size: littleneck, topneck, and cherrystone clams (photo © Atlantic Aqua Farms).

[5] A clam shucking knife is smaller than an oyster shucking knife (photo © Island Creek Oysters).

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.

> Wine, beer, and cocktail pairings for clams and oysters on the half shell.

> The year’s 56 fish and seafood holidays.
 
 
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).

With the evolution of humans, clams, along with oysters and other mollusks, became an important part of the diet of coastal and river people.

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 shucking knife, which is different from an oyster knife. You can buy one for around $10.00.

If you have an oyster knife, of course, try it before buying one just for clams.

Then, scrub the clam shells and get to shucking!

*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.
 
 

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