Looking for an easy, fun kids project for the Thanksgiving holiday? Make a basic popcorn ball recipe and shape into drumsticks rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon, or add raisins to make festive flint corn.

Plus, since it’s National Peanut Butter Month, a PB Popcorn Balls recipe, below. They’re flavored with both PB and peanut M&Ms. Resistance is futile!

Add a variety of colors and textures to appeal to your crowd including a seasoned bowl of Super Spicy Popcorn.

> The history of popcorn.

> The history of popcorn balls is below.

> The history of Thanksgiving.

> See more Fall and Thanksgiving popcorn recipes below.

> Year-round popcorn recipes.

> Peanut butter popcorn balls for National Peanut Butter Month, below.

> How to turn any popcorn recipe into popcorn balls, below.

> Popcorn trivia.
 
 
SEASONALIZE YOUR POPCORN FOR AUTUMN & THANKSGIVING

Go for warm spices and rich fall flavors: Cinnamon Spice Berry Popcorn, Cranberry & Chocolate Spiced Popcorn, Cranberry Orange Caramel Corn, Cranberry Relish Popcorn Balls, Maple Pumpkin Spice Popcorn, Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.

Add mix-ins:

 
 
RECIPE: PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN BALLS

In honor of National Peanut Butter Month, present peanut butter popcorn balls, flavored with both PB and peanut M&Ms. You can also leave them a loose bowl of PB popcorn as shown in photo #7.
 
Ingredients

 
1. LINE a baking sheet or work surface with waxed paper; set aside.

2. STIR in sugar, corn syrup, butter and peanut butter together in a large saucepan. Bring to a full boil over medium heat. Stir in the popcorn until well coated. Remove pan from heat and stir candy pieces gently into mixture.

3. ALLOW the mixture to cool just enough to permit handling. Using an ice cream scoop or buttered hands, shape the mixture into 2-inch balls and place on waxed paper to cool.

4. WRAP each ball in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. For gifts, tie a paper ribbon around the neck of the wrap.

For parties, if you want to present a platter of popcorn balls, you can put them on a stick or tie unwrapped balls with a red licorice string.
 
 
FALL & THANKSGIVING POPCORN RECIPES

> Candy Corn Popcorn Balls.

> Chocolate Drizzle Popcorn With Cranberries & Toffee.

> Cinnamon Chocolate Popcorn.

> Cranberry & Chocolate Spiced Popcorn With Wine Pairings.

> Cranberry Orange Popcorn Balls.

> Fresh sage popcorn.

> Maple Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.

> Pumpkin Spice Popcorn.
 
 
RECIPE: HOW TO TURN ANY POPPED CORN INTO POPCORN BALLS

1. REMOVE all unpopped kernels from 8-10 cups of freshly popped corn. Keep the popcorn as warm as possible in a mixing bowl. Add any mix-ins (nuts, candies, herbs, etc.).

2. MAKE the binding syrup. Combine in a saucepan 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup light corn syrup, 1/3 cup water, 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and an optional 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or other flavoring.

3. COOK the syrup on the stove top to the soft-ball stage on a candy thermometer, 235°-240°F. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

4. REMOVE from the heat and allow the syrup to cool enough until you can touch it (hot syrup can burn you—use caution). Don’t let the syrup cool to room temperature: The balls won’t hold together if the syrup isn’t hot enough. the syrup wasn’t hot enough

5. POUR the syrup slowly over popcorn while stirring. Butter your hands (important!). Work quickly to form the warm popcorn mixture into baseball-sized balls while the popcorn is warm. Place the balls on wax paper to cool.

6. WRAP them individually in plastic wrap and store in airtight container. They are best eaten within 1-2 days but can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF POPCORN BALLS

Native Americans first learned how to popcorn and use them as flour to make other foods. Popcorn remnants found in Bat Cave, New Mexico date to around 3600 B.C.E. and ancient popping vessels have been discovered at various archaeological sites. Kernels at the Bat Cave could still be popped!

The Aztecs, had multiple uses for popcorn, which they called momochitl:

 
While different varieties of corn (which originated in Mexico) had traveled to the northeast of what is now the U.S., there is no indication that popcorn had made its way East at the time of the earliest Pilgrims.

But the first published recipe for popcorn balls appeared in the 1861 edition of Godey’s Lady’s Book. History tells us that recipes can be made for decades before the appearing in print.

Popcorn balls became very popular t gained massive popularity in the late Victorian era (roughly 1880 to 1901). During this time, popcorn balls were:

 
The basic recipe involved shaping the ingredients into balls while still warm:

 
During the Great Depression, popcorn balls became an inexpensive treat. Many families would make them for holidays when other candies were too costly.

While their popularity has declined since their heyday, popcorn balls remain a nostalgic treat, especially around Halloween and Christmas.

The practice of giving out homemade popcorn balls for Halloween was the norm for decades, until the practice of giving out homemade foods declined in the 1970s over safety concerns, kids were allowed to eat only factory-wrapped candy.

Today, if you can make savory popcorn balls with grated cheese, herbs, and spices (hot sauce or chili flakes for nacho and pizza flavors, culture-specific seasonings for Asian, Italian, or Mexican flavors). Or, add a sweetener for sweet flavors. Either way, popcorn is a satisfying whole grain snack.

But by colonial times, it had crossed the continent and was popped as a breakfast cereal as well as a snack.

Today, Americans consume around 13-14 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually. If you believe the numbers, this equals approximately 40 quarts per person per year.

About 70% of popcorn is eaten at home, abetted by the invention of microwave popcorn.
 
 
Microwave Popcorn

Microwaves as a cooking technique was an accidental discovery in 1945. While working with a magnetron (a radar component), Percy Spencer of Raytheon Corporation noticed that a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

He then experimented with popcorn, successfully popping kernels and realizing that the technology could cook food.

But this was wartime, and the first commercial development of the microwave oven didn’t happen until 1967, when the Radarange countertop microwave oven was introduced by the Raytheon subsidiary Amana (it’s now owned by Whirlpool Corporation). It cost $495, about $4,000 in today’s money.

The prices kept dropping through the 1970s, and by the mid-1980s basic models were available for under $100,
 
The Microwave Popcorn Bag

Although consumers learned to pop corn kernels in brown paper bags, General Mills developed the first patent for a microwave popcorn bag in 1981. But it needed work.

Succcess came via James Watkins, a food scientist, who that same year patented the first successful mass-market microwave popcorn bag.

He created a metalized film that could heat to proper popping temperature (around 450°F), expand and distribute the heat evenly, and neither caught fire nor released harmful chemicals

That year, Act I, manufactured by Golden Valley Microwave Foods, became the first successful microwave popcorn brand.

Orville Redenbacher, which became a market leader, launched in 1983 and is now the market leader with a 25% share. Act II, an improved version of Act I, replaced the original in 1984 and is in second place with 20% of sales. Pop Secret is the third largest brand, with 15%.

U.S. microwave popcorn sales are approximately $850-$900 million annually, abetted by the growth of streaming movies at home and interest in more healthful snacks.

Source: Claude.ai
 

[1] Instead of round popcorn balls, create turkey drumsticks, ears of Indian corn (photo © The Popcorn Board)…

[2]…and pumpkins. Here’s the recipe (photo © Somewhat Simple).

[3] Popcorn balls with candied bacon. Here’s the recipe (photo © Applegate).

[4] Here’s the recipe for candy corn popcorn balls (photo © Pots & Pans).

[5] Cranberry & chocolate pumpkin spice popcorn. Here’s the recipe.

[6] Colonials ate popcorn as breakfast cereal, and you can too—it’s whole grain.

[7] Any freshly popped corn can be turned into popcorn balls.

[8] Popcorn is made from a specific variety of corn called flint corn, Zea mays everta (photos # 8, #9, #10 © CZ Grain Store).

[9] Popcorn ears are grown in different colors—black, blue, purple, red, and multicolor, for example. Alas, the colored kernels pop into regular white puffs.

[10] Exotic blue popcorn kernels.

[11] Let people choose their own mix-ins. Check out the options (photo © Family Fresh Meals) .

[12] The microwave popcorn bag was launched in 1981, allowing millions to easily pop corn at home (photo © Alexander Trubitsyn | Pexels).

[1] Sotol can be drunk with salt and lime, similar to tequila (photo © Cristian Rojas | Pexels).

[2] Hacienda de Chihuahua is the leading producer of fine sotol. Sotol plata (a.k.a. blanco, joven, or silver) is not aged. It goes straight from distillation to the bottle (photos #2, #3, #4, #5, and #16 © Hacienda de Chihuahua).

[3] Sotol reposado is aged for several months to a year years.

[4] Sotol rustico is aged for two years.

[5] Sotol añejo is aged for at least one year.

[6] Sotol extra añejo, called Sotol H5, is aged for five years.

[7] Sotol Por Siempre is a spirit from Chihuahua, Mexico, made from the wild-harvested sotol plant. It is produced by Compania Elaboradora de Sotol, a sixth-generation distillery (photos #6, #7, #10, #11, #13, #14, #15 © Sotol Por Siempre | Back Bar Project).

[8] Desert Door Sotol is an American brand, made in Texas. Different expressions won gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 2024 London Spirits Competition 2024x (photo © Desert Door).

[9] A sotol plant in the Mexican desert. You can buy a starter plant here (photo © Pan’s Garden).

[10] The plant grows wild, as does agave. Read more about it (photos # © Back Bar Project).

[11] Sotol roasting in a pit.

[12] Sotol is made in northern Mexico while tequila and mezcal are made in the south (map © MapPorn | Reddit).

[13] A glass of sotol (photos #13, #14, and #15 © Sotol Por Siempre).

[14] While some cocktails are crafted to showcase sotol, you can substitute sotol for any spirit in classic drinks. Here, a Margarita made with sotol instead of tequila.

[15] A Bloody Mary (or Bloody Maria) made with sotol instead of vodka. The Mexican version made with tequila is a Bloody Maria (photo ©.

[16] Crema de Sotol cream liqueur is made in two flavors, Nuez (pecan, shown) and Chocolate.

[17] A bottle of pechuga, infused with raw fruits, spices, and chicken or turkey breast (photo © Convite Pechuga).

[18] Sotol de vibora, shown with the pina (heart) and in the jar, a rattlesnake infusing in the sotol (photo © Casa Ruelas Sotol).

While we have no Mexican or indigenous ancestry, we enjoy celebrating El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), which takes place every year on November 1st and 2nd.

We like to take a day to remember our deceased ancestors, and we’ve developed a ritual in our small, New York City apartment. It usually involves of tasting of Tequila and Mexcal.

This year we added sotol.

What is sotol, we wondered, after receiving the offer of a bottle from the leading producer, Hacienda de Chihuahua, a family distiller in Delicias, Chihuahua, Mexico.

> There’s more about the brand below.

Sotol, one of six spirits distilled in Mexico, has long been under the radar. In fact, only two of the six—tequila and mezcal—have much recognition outside of the regions where they are created.

We’d written a lot about tequila, mezcal, and about other indigenous Mexican foods and beverages such as pulque.

But sotol, along with (three more traditional Mexican spirits below), was nowhere in our consciousness.

That changed with when we had our first sip of sotol. It was an añejo (aged), and beautiful: flowers, grass, and vanilla on the nose, a complex palate barely sweet with a good herbal and peppery finish. Warm and comforting!

We’re excited about this emerging category, which is our Top Pick Of The Week.

If you’re a fan of tequila and mezcal, buy yourself a bottle. Your tequila- and mezcal-loving friends would like one as a gift.

If your local liquor store or Uber Eats can’t get you a bottle, there are plenty of online sellers (the unaged Plata is about $35, the Anejo about $50).

And, you can have a party to introduce your whole circle to a sotol tasting, by itself or along with tequila and mexcal.

> The history of sotol is below.

But let’s start with some comparisons of sotol and its two better-known cousins.
 
 
WHAT’S SOTOL MADE FROM?
 
Sotol is a spirit distilled from the piña (also called the crown, head or heart) of the Dasylirion plant (photos #8, #9, #10), which is native to the deserts of Mexico and the American Southwest. The plant is bush-like with spiny leaves that resemble a sea urchin.

It is made in very small quantities by a few families in northern Mexico.

The word sotol comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word tzotolin, which means palm tree or “palm with long and thin leaves.”

Sotol is distilled from the Desert Spoon plant (Dasylirion wheeleri), which is commonly called sotol or sereque. It is a succulent, but is not an agave**.

 
While tequila is by law made only from Blue Weber agave, Agave tequilana, mezcal (can be made from 30+ varieties of agave; and although there are some 22 species in the genus Dasylirion plants, as noted above, sotol is made from Dasylirion wheeleri.

 
> See more about the sotol plant below.
 
Production Regions

 
With sotol, each plant takes about 15 years to mature, and one plant typically produces only one 750ml bottle of spirits. The agaves of tequila and mexcal take eight to 15 years to mature, and one plant yields five to seven bottles.
 
Production Process

The production processes of all three are similar:

 
 
Flavor Profile

 
 
Denominación de Origen (Denomination of Origin) or D.O.

The catgegory of sotol received protected status under a Denomination of Origin in 2004. It is recognized by 27 countries, but not yet by the U.S. This means that American companies currently can produce a product called sotol. One such brand is Desert Door Texas Sotol, crafted in Texas.

The Mexican D.O. requirements for sotol include:

 
 
Sotol Curado & Sotol Liqueur

Sotol curado is a traditional way of flavoring sotol plata/bianco by infusing it with various ingredients, similar to mezcal curado.

The sotol is infused with fruits (apples, peaches, raisins, and others), herbs, nuts, and spices. They are generally sipped like an apéritif before dinner (but feel free to enjoy it as a digestif, after dinner).

A selection of these ingredients are left to infuse in the sotol for several days or weeks, so the flavors can blend.

Sotol de víbora (rattlesnake sotol) is a meat-infused sotol which is infused with—yup—rattlesnake meat (photo #18). Take that, you puny mezcal worm!

Tequila de víbora is also made, along with tequila con alacrán, which is infused with scorpions. These are novelties produced in tiny amounts.
 
 
Pechuga Mezcal

Pechuga is a traditional style of mezcal that is infused with chicken or turkey breast (pechuga means breast). Far from a novelty item, it considered one of the most premium expressions of mezcal, a complex, traditional, and highly regarded (photo #17).

Like sotol curado, it infuses some of the same foods used in the offerings to the dead.

Pechuga is traditionally distilled three times. The first distillation removes impurities, the second distillation infuses ingredients similar to those used in sotol curado: almonds, apples, cinnamon, herbs, pears, pineapple, plantains, plums, tejocotes, and wild rice, among other possibilities.

The third distillation suspends a raw chicken or turkey breast in the still (pechuga means “breast” in Spanish). This is a traditional method of mezcal production that originated in Oaxaca.

We will shortly review Convite brand pechuga, which uses turkey breast (and is perfect for Thanksgiving, no?).
 
 
Sotol Liqueur

Hacienda de Chihuahua blends sotol with heavy cream, natural flavors, and sugar to make two expressions of cream liqueur: Nuez (pecan) and Chocolate.

It is extraordinarily smooth and can be served as an after-dinner drink as well as a topping for ice cream and dense loaf cakes (carrot, pound, zucchini) or fruitcakes, instead of hard sauce.
 
 
TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: HACIENDA DE CHIHUAHUA SOTOL

Founded in 1881, Hacienda Tabalaopa*** was the first New World effort of the family that founded Hacienda de Chihuahua more than a century later.

Hacienda Tabalaopa is a 90,000 acre farm founded to distill brandy by the great-great grandfather of Hacienda de Chihuahua’s founders, the Elias Madero family, who realized the time was right to introduce the world to sotol. It was awarded a bronze medal at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Both Hacienda de Chihuahua (founded in 1996) and Hacienda Tabalaopa remain family-owned [source].

Hacienda de Chihuahua is now the world’s leading producer of sotol. The brand was the first to export sotol globally and is a market leader in the category.

The Hacienda de Chihuahua product line includes:

 
All varieties except the Plata are aged in new French white oak barrels.
 
The standard aging length are roughly the same for sotol, tequila, and mexcal.

The Hacienda de Chihuahua brand is also:

 
 
GET YOUR HACIENDA DE CHIHUAHUA SOTOL
 
 
THE SOTOL PLANT, A.K.A. DESERT SPOON

The Desert Spoon or sotol plant, Dasylirion wheeleri, is a large yucca-like plant that grows in (and is harvested in) the wild-harvested†.

It grows to a ball-like shape with hundreds of three-foot-long narrow “ribbon” leaves with serrated edges (photos #9 and #10). The plant can live up to 100 years because its roots are left intact during harvesting.

It is native to, and grows wild in, three northern states of Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango) as well as in southwest Texas, and southern Arizona and New Mexico.

The plant that belongs to the Asparagaceae family. Dasylirion/Desert Spoon is a relatively small genus of semi-succulents native to the Chihuahuan Desert. It flourishes in dry weather and rocky conditions, from flat to hilly or mountainous areas.

The mature plant produces a 10-15 foot-high stalk densely covered with with cream-yellow flowers (photo #9).

In addition to making sotol, the plant has long been used by indigenous people as a source of food‡‡. The tough leaves can be used to weave baskets and rope. Because the flower stalks are the perfect density for starting a friction fire (like sticks from a tree), they are harvested annually [source].

It is often used as a center piece in cactus gardens, and You can buy a starter plant here.
 
 
OTHER SPIRITS FROM MEXICO

Thanks to Back Bar Project for this information. Go to the website to find more information about them.

In addition to mezcal, tequila, and sotol, Mexico produces:

 
Plus, there’s pulque, the non-distilled alcohol that existed long before the Spanish brought the technique to make distilled spirits. It is believed to have originated with the ancient Otomi civilization around 2,000 B.C.E.

Pulque is also made from agave, but is different in these key ways:

 
 
THE HISTORY OF SOTOL

For possibly 1,000 years, sotol has been distilled by the Anazasis and Tarahumara tribes of northern Mexico.

A non-distilled alcohol fermented like beer, may have been made as far back as 7000 B.C.E. [source].

The indigenous Rarámuri of Chihuahua fermented juice from the Desert Spoon piña into a beer-like alcoholic beverage as early as 800 years ago.

Then in the 1500s, Spanish colonists introduced European distillation techniques that enabled production of a true sotol.

Because of the effort to distill spirits rather than ferment pulque, sotol has been historically consumed by the wealthy and distinguished.

That’s why there are only a few commercial examples in the market today. (In addition to Hacienda de Chihuahua, we counted Clande Sotol, Desert Door, La Higuera, Los Magos, and Sotol Por Siempre.

Production isn’t more extensive because until very recently, sotol was largely unknown outside of its northern regions. The ongoing interest in artisanal foods, and the leadership of Hacienda de Chihuahua, will deliver this niche spirit the fan base it deserves.

But as bartenders seek to enticing customers with something new, and more liquor distributors pick up brands, Americans will have more opportunity to “try it before you buy it.”

(After tasting Hacienda de Chihuahua’s luscious Añejo, we’ve asked Santa for a bottle of Extra Añejo—called H5 at this hacienda—if he’s feeling flush.)

The category also appeals to drinkers who care about organic products. Since the Desert Spoon plant is wild harvested (not yet cultivated), sotols are completely organic, grown without fertilizers or pesticides.

> The history of tequila.

> The history of mezcal.

*From colonial times, Spain heavily taxed agave spirits in order to protect producers of Spanish wine and brandy. As with moonshine in the southern U.S., raicilleros built secret tabernas deep in the jungle. If they were discovered by revenuers, they were destroyed. After centuries of illegal production, the government recently granted raicilla a D.O., opening the door for commercial production. But an environmental concern is if it becomes popular, the harvesting of more types of wild agave plants would cause environmental impact [source and Claude.ai].

**Succulents have thicker, fleshier leaves or stems plus roots that are known for their ability to store water in their cells. Semi-succulents can store less water, but it’s enough to help them tolerate drier conditions.

***Tavalopa was the name the original Hispanic settlers gave to the area east of what is now the eastern bridge in Hillsboro—later called Happy Flats by Anglos. Some early history.

†Wild harvesting is far more sustainable than farming or cultivating.

‡Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is the French word for soil, land or terrain. It can be loosely translated as “sense of place,” the sum of the effects that the environment has on the creation of what is grown there. It includes the special characteristics of soil, geology, aspect and altitude that give a cheese, grape, bean, or other agricultural product that result in its individuality.

‡‡The piña/crown is pit-roasted, peeled, crushed, mixed with water, and distilled to make sotol. Or, the baked crowns can be pounded into a pulp, and dried to make a cake-like food. The stalks can be boiled, dried, and stored as a vegetable. The flower stalks can be roasted in ashes and eaten as greens..
 
 

The Cobb salad was invented late one evening in 1937 when Bob Cobb, owner of The Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood, was scrounging in the kitchen’s refrigerator for a snack. He grabbed a head of iceberg lettuce, an avocado, some romaine, watercress, tomatoes, a cold breast of chicken, a hard-cooked egg, chives, blue cheese and some old-fashioned French dressing.

He took some crisp bacon from one of the chefs and started chopping. He laid each ingredient in a row, in a bowl.

Cobb shared the salad with his friend Sid Grauman, proprietor of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, who came back the next day and asked for a “Cobb Salad.”

It was put on the menu and became an overnight sensation. Customers like movie mogul Jack Warner regularly dispatched his chauffeur to pick one up.

> The history of the Cobb salad.

> The history of salad.

> Salmagundi, the ancestor of Cobb salad and others.

> The recipe for vegan Cobb salad follows, below.

> The history of French and Catalina salad dressings, below.

> A year of salad holidays and more Cobb salad recipes also follow, below.

> November is World Vegan Month.

> November 1st is National Vegan Day.
 
 
RECIPE: VEGAN COBB SALAD

Our colleague Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, adapted the Cobb salad for vegan diets, replacing the traditional proteins with plant-based alternatives that not only complement the dish but enhance it.

 
Even though all greens are vegan, Hannah elected shredded collard greens instead of the usual lettuce. This hearty green not only provides a more robust texture but also aligns perfectly with the season’s bounty.

Bob Cobb’s salad dressing was a basic vinaigrette with the added complexity of of mustard and lemon juice (no, it wasn’t blue cheese or ranch, which was then called buttermilk dressing).

But rather than going traditional, Hannah goes autumnal with a maple-balsamic vinaigrette, adding sweetness to the acidity.
 
 
RECIPE: VEGAN COBB SALAD FOR FALL (Serves 1)
 
For The Quick Pickled Onions

 
For The Bacon’d Pecans

It’s not easy to find smoked pecans, but it’s relatively easy to make them.

 
For The Boiled Potato

 
For The Maple Vinaigrette

 
For The Salad Base & Garnish

 
For The Vegan Blue Cheese

Check out these reviews:

 
 
Preparation

The first three steps can be made a day or more in advance.

1. PICKLE the onions. Combine the red onion with red wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat and stir until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to cool. Ideally, prep this in advance and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or longer. Drain before adding to the salad.

2. ROAST the pecans. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In small a bowl, mix together the pecan halves, soy sauce, olive oil, liquid smoke, and smoked paprika until well coated. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring halfway, until fragrant and slightly crispy. Allow to cool.

3. BOIL the potato. Place the diced potato in a small saucepan, adding water to cover. Add salt and boil until fork tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and let cool. Toss the cooled dice with olive oil, kala namak, and turmeric.

4. MAKE the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, crushed rosemary, black pepper, and salt until emulsified.

5. ASSEMBLE the salad. Place the shredded collard greens in a large bowl, evenly filling the bottom. Arrange the pickled onions, bacon’d pecans, potato, chickpeas, avocado, pomegranate arils, and vegan blue cheese in straight rows on top. Serve the vinaigrette on the side, or drizzle liberally all over.
 
 
MORE COBB SALAD RECIPES

 
 
A YEAR OF SALAD HOLIDAYS WITH GREENS & OTHER SALAD VEGETABLES

 
 
THE HISTORY OF AMERICA’S “FRENCH DRESSING”

The “French dressing” Americans know is a sweet, orange-red creamy dressing—and likely never graced the shores of France. It was invented in the U.S.

The French use cruets of oil and vinegar, or an emulsified vinaigrette, on their salads: simply oil, vinegar, and seasonings.

America’s “French dressing” was invented in the early 1900s in the U.S., although the exact inventor is lost to time.

What we do know is that Kraft Foods began mass-producing a version in 1925, and another version, Milani’s 1890 French Dressing, was another early commercial version.

The recipe combined oil and vinegar with sugar (or corn syrup), paprika, and other spices.

The orange-red color and additional sweetness came from adding tomato ketchup or tomato puree.

Our mother made it with a cruet and spice packet from Good Seasons, adding oil and vinegar and shaking the cruet until the dressing emulsified.

The brand is now owned by the Kraft Heinz Company, and while they’ve discontinued French, they still have Italian, Mild Italian, Zesty Italian, Garlic & Herb, Greek, and the newer Balsamic.
 
 
Catalina Dressing, A Close Relative

Catalina dressing is a variation of “French” that’s thinner and brighter red in color from a larger proportion of ketchup, which also delivers more pronounced tomato and spice flavors.

It’s a blend of ketchup, vinegar, oil, and sugar plus spicy-sweet flavors from Worcestershire sauce, ground mustard, and a dash cayenne pepper.

It also has a less creamy texture, and often includes onion and garlic flavors.

Kraft Foods is credited with popularizing Catalina dressing in the 1950s, introduced as a variation of the very popular French dressing,

Both French and Catalina are different from “Russian dressing,” a combination of ketchup, mayonnaise, and seasonings. Add pickle relish and you’ve got Thousand Island dressing.

[1] A vegan Cobb salad with fall season touches (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog). For contrast, see the conventional Cobb salad in photo #12, below.

[2] Pickled onions. The recipe is below (photo © Nigel Cohen | Unsplash).

[3] Pecan halves, ready to be vegan-baconized (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[4] A russet potato. Cook first, then dice (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[5] Maple syrup is blended with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and seasonings to create maple vinaigrette (photo © Maple From Canada).

[6] Hannah chose collard greens for her base, but you can use any greens you like (photo © Good Eggs).

[7] A bowl of seasoned chickpeas (photo © Clark Douglas | Unsplash).

[8] Avocado (photo © Love One Today | Hass Avocado Board).

[9] You can find pomegranate arils ready-to-eat a whole lot faster than taking apart a pomegranate (photo © Good Eggs).

[10] There are several brands of vegan blue cheese. This is from Climax Foods (photo © Climax Foods).

[11] Kala namak, also called Himalayan black salt (and not to be confused with black lava salt). See the footnote* below (photo © https://www.amazon.com/Rani-Unrefined-Natural-Ingredients-Indian/dp/B00309U6OS/).

[12] A classic Cobb salad with animal proteins: bacon, blue cheese (or substitute), chicken, ham, and hard-boiled egg.

[13] Kraft Creamy French Dressing packets (photo © The Kraft Heinz Company).

________________
 
*Kala namak is a kiln-fired rock salt with a sulphurous, pungent smell, popular in the Indian subcontinent, manufactured from the salts mined in the regions surrounding the Himalayas. It is also called Himalayan black salt (in addition to a dozen other names in different languages and dialects). When ground into a powder, its color ranges from purple to pink.

[1] Hot off the griddle: popcorn pancakes (photos #1, #2, #3, #6, #7, #8, #9 © Long Table Pancakes).

[2] An ear of popcorn looks like regular corn, but extra moisture in the kernels allows it to pop (photo © C Z Grains).

[3] The three varieties of Long Table heirloom pancake and flour blends.

[4] Blue Corn Pancake & Waffle Mix.

[5] Ears of blue corn (photo © Asimojet | Panther Media).

[6] Finely-ground blue cornmeal (photo © Anson Mills).

[7] A forkful of popcorn pancakes.

[8] Gluten-free whole grain pancake mix.

[9] A great gift for anyone on a gluten-free diet.

[9] Red corn is used in the gluten-free mix (photo © Burpee).

The line was launched as a nutrient-dense*, whole grain pancake and waffle brand (we’ve even made blue cornbread from the flour).

The three varieties—Blue Corn, Popcorn, and Gluten-Free—are blends of different grains and meals. It the genius of blending that gives each variety such depth of flavor.

This specialty line is our Top Pick Of The Week.
 
 
BLUE CORN PANCAKE & WAFFLE FLOUR

While the ears of corn are blue (photo #5), the flour is much lighter (photo #6), but we focus on the flavor, not the color. Once, we added a drop of blue food coloring to the batter. While cute, it’s not essential.

Where does the blue color come from?

Anthocyanin, an antioxidant, is the pigment that. Depending on the pH level of the soil, it makes the fruit or grain blue, red, purple, or black. (For example, red raspberries and black raspberries also get their color from anthocyanin.)

The blue corn blend consists of:

 
The flour has 11g protein per serving†—not from protein powder† but from their natural, unprocessed, whole-food state. There are also 5g fiber per serving from the whole grains.
 
 
What Is Blue Corn?
 
Blue corn, also known as Hopi maize or Rio Grande Blue, is a variety of flint corn (Zea mays) that has been cultivated for centuries by Native American peoples, particularly in the American Southwest.

 
 
What Is Popcorn Flour Like?

 
 
GLUTEN-FREE PANCAKE & WAFFLE FLOUR

The gluten-free blend (photos #8 and #9) is certified gluten-free by Beyond Celiac and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. It’s whole grain and high protein, a blend of:

 
All three varieties are whole-grain and great year-round gifts for pancake and waffle lovers. Trust us, the flavors are so much more exciting than even many top artisan brands.

> The history of corn.

> The history of popcorn.

> How about a popcorn salad?

> What are whole grains?

> What are heirloom grains (below).

> A year of corn holidays (below).
 
 
GET YOUR LONG TABLE PANCAKE & WAFFLE FLOUR

> Head to LongTablePancakes.com.

We not only eat them at home, we buy them as party favors, stocking stuffers, and teacher gifts.

Don’t compare the prices to supermarket brands. Long Table is in a different league.
 
 
WHAT ARE HEIRLOOM GRAINS

Heirloom grains are the opposite of heavily industrialized grains (what you mostly see at supermarkets and other grocers). They’re whole grains that are not genetically modified and are prized for their superior flavor and nutrition.

They are typically varieties that were developed before World War II and have had limited breeding selection since. (Selective breeding is a process where humans deliberately choose organisms with desired traits to produce offspring with those same characteristics. They are not artificially modified like GMOs because it uses natural reproduction over multiple generations instead of genetic modification.

Heirloom and ancient grains don’t have formal recognized definitions by science or government regulator bodies (e.g. the USDA), so we’ve set forth the differences below.

 
Plant and animal DNA can be altered for a number of reasons‡. Heirloom grains have not been genetically modified or altered in any way**.
 
 
Heirloom Grains Vs. Ancient Grains

We tend to think of ancient grains as originating thousands of years ago, raised by indigenous cultures around the world.

Heirloom grains can be ancient grains, when they come from plants that have been grown from the exact same seed line for hundreds if not thousands of years. They have not been genetically modified or altered in any way and are considered valuable for reasons ranging from superior flavor and nutrition to hardiness and adaptability.

Heirloom grains more typically describe varieties that were brought by immigrants to the New World. Examples include turkey red wheat from the Ukraine, blue emmer wheat from Ethiopia, and Khorasan wheat from Egypt.

The farmers who grow heirloom grains are interested in agricultural diversity and ensuring that these seed varieties are not lost (i.e., cease being planted) because of cost and other issues.

As consumers are becoming more aware of sustainability, farmers and other agricultural stakeholders are working together to increase the accessibility of heirloom grains [source Claude.ai].
 
 
A YEAR OF CORN HOLIDAYS

†Protein powder is made from powdered protein, which can come from a variety of plant and animal sources. They can be made into shakes with water or milk, or added to smoothies. They may may also include other ingredients, such as added sweetener, flavoring, thickeners, vitamins, and minerals.
> Whey and casein: These are proteins derived from milk. Whey is a byproduct of cheese making and is considered a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids. Casein is a slow-release protein that can help prevent muscle breakdown overnight.
> Eggs.
> Plants: E.g. the proteins in soybeans, peas, rice, potatoes, and hemp. For example, hemp is a good source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

††The Business Of Corn holiday commemorates the invention of the first large-scale commercial oil popcorn popper by Charles Cretors in 1885.

‡The process of developing a new genetically modified crop can take up to 12 years. Plant genes are genetically modified for improvement such as:
> Increased yield.
> Better nutrition.
> Resistance to pests and disease.
> Tolerance to environmental conditions like drought.
> Reduced use of pesticides.
> Longer shelf life [source: Chat GPT].

**The benefits of non-GMO foods include:
> Environmental considerations: reduced pesticide use in some non-GMO farming systems, protection of non-target organisms like beneficial insects, support for traditional seed-saving and crop diversity.
> Market benefits: consumer preferences for traditionally bred/non-GMO foods, potential price premiums for farmers, easier access to export markets that forbid GMOs.
> Social and economic aspects: support for traditional farming practices, less dependence on patented seed technologies, greater farmer control over seed selection.

It’s important to note that the scientific consensus is that approved GMO foods are as safe as non-GMO foods. The choice between GMO and non-GMO foods often comes down to personal preferences regarding farming practices, environmental impact, and economic factors rather than safety concerns [source: Claude.ai].
 
‡‡The key differences between heirloom grains and ancient grains:
> Heirloom grains are “younger,” from seeds passed down through generations of farmers for decades or hundreds of years, typically ending pre-1950s. They may have been cross-bred for superior performance, but not genetically modified.
> Heirloom grains are open-pollinated varieties that breed true-to-type. Examples include: Bloody Butcher Corn, Jimmy Red Corn, Red Fife Wheat, Turkey Red Wheat.
> Ancient grains are species that have remained largely unchanged over thousands of years. They were staple foods of the world’s ancient civilizations.
> Examples include: amaranth (Aztec civilization), buckwheat (southwestern China), einkorn (earliest cultivated wheat from northern Mesopotamia in the Fertile Crescent, specifically in the Karacadağ Mountains region of southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border), Kamut/khorasan wheat (Egypt), millet (East Asia), Quinoa (Andes/Incas), Spelt (also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, from Bronze Age Europe), Teff (Ethiopia and Eritrea, naturally gluten-free.

It was hard to put down the bag of Apple Cinnamon Chicharrones (a.k.a. fried pork rinds, i.e., fried pork skin with the fat removed*) from Southern Recipes Small Batch. We had to call someone into our office to remove the bag before we polished it off.

Chicharrones (chee-cha-ROAN-ace—roll the double “r”) are a popular snack in many parts of the world. They’re often served alone like potato chips, but can also be eaten with sandwiches, salads, salsa, dips, and other foods.

High in protein and fat and low in carbs, they are popular on today’s keto and paleo diets.

Sweet, spicy, very crunchy and gluten-free, the snack food is a staple in:

 
> See the different ways to use chicharrones, below.

Chicharrón is the singular form of the word; the plural, chicharrones, does not have an accent mark.

Chicharrones can be plain, seasoned with salt and pepper or spices. Plain chicharrones can be dipped in chocolate or dessert sauce (photo #5).

The second fall flavor from Southern Recipe, Cranberry Jalapeño, had a bit too much heat for us. Anyone who likes a kick of pepper at the back of the throat will enjoy them.
 
 
> The history of pork rinds is below.

> Here’s a recipe to make your own pork rinds.

> The different cuts of pork: a photo glossary.

> See the beer and pork rind flavor pairing chart below.
 
 
SOUTHERN RECIPE FLAVORS

Southern Recipe has an ample number of year-round pork rind flavors:

 
 
GET YOUR CHICHARRONES

Get Southern Recipe Small Batch Chicharrones from the company or at retailers nationwide.

> Here’s a store locator.

> Or, head to PorkRinds.com.
 
 
WAYS TO USE CHICHARRONES / PORK RINDS

In Costa Rica, chicharrones are a key ingredient in many traditional dishes, such as chifrijo and vigorones. Here are more ways to use them.

 
 
THE HISTORY OF CHICHARRONES (PORK RINDS)

Chicharrón, fried pork rind (skin) or pork belly, was created as one way to utilize every part of the pig—nothing was wasted (an uncle from Sicily told us that they even ate the squeal, although in fact the kids fought over the crispy fried tail.

The dish originated in the area of Andalusia, Spain in pre-Hispanic times, which began in 38 B.C.E. It spread to Latin America in colonial times. From there it was a short hop to the U.S.

It was introduced to the Philippines during the Spanish colonization period, which began in 1565.

The word means “crackling,” from the Spanish verb “chicharrar,” meaning to fry until crispy.

The dish spread to Latin America during the colonial era, when pigs arrived in the New World with explorers and soldiers.

In Spain and Latin America chicharrones were made during matanzas (pig slaughters), typically in winter. The skin was cleaned, dried, and fried.

The process involves cooking pork skin until it puffs up and becomes crispy. The word “chicharrón” comes from Spanish, but the concept of fried pork skin appears in many cultures:

In Spain and Latin America: Traditional chicharrones were made during matanzas (pig slaughters), typically in winter. The skin was cleaned, dried, and fried.

In the American South, land of the barbecue, pork rinds gained popularity as a snack food during the early 20th century. Commercial production starting in the 1940s [source: Claude A.I.).
 
How Pork Rinds Became An American Snack

The evolution of chicharrones into modern snack foods is a story of industrialization and changing food habits.

In the early 1900s, chicharrones were still primarily made at home or by local butchers as part of traditional pork processing.

The transformation into a commercial snack food began in the 1940s-1950s, driven by several factors:

[1] A perfect snack with beer (all photos © Southern Recipe).

[2] Fall flavor #1: Apple Cinnamon chicharrones, sweet heat.

[3] Fall flavor #2: Cranberry Jalapeño, medium-hot.

[4] Crumble to garnish a hot dog, burger, salad, grains, rice, just about anything.

[5] Spicy chocolate-dipped pork rinds take just 10 minutes to make. Here’s the recipe. Another sweet treat: peanut butter chocolate pork rind bars.

[6] Serve pork rinds in fusion cuisine, like these spicy Asian noodles, or with a sandwich instead of potato chips or tortilla chips.

[7] In stuffed poblano chile peppers (here’s the recipe).

[8] As breading for mozzarella sticks (here’s the recipe).

 
Pork Rinds Today

 
 

[9] Different flavors of pork rinds can be paired with different styles of beer. How’s that for a tasting party idea!
 
________________
 
*When fried with some of the fat attached to the skin, they are called cracklings.

†Pork rind pellets (also called pork skin pellets or chicharrones pellets) are a partially processed form of pork skin that hasn’t been fully cooked yet. They are used by commercial producers, restaurants and food service, and home cooks. They’re dehydrated pieces of pork skin that have been rendered and pressed, and can be stored at room temperature.

Raw pork skin is cleaned and stripped of excess fat, and cooked at a low temperature to remove moisture. It’s then cut and pressed into small, dense pieces which are dried until very hard. Most are meant to be deep-fried but some can be microwaved. Either way, the heat puffs them up to become light, crispy, and several times the size of the pellet (think popcorn kernels turning into popped corn).