The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, begins today and is celebrated for two days. It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days specified by Leviticus 23:23–32, that occur each year. Symbolic foods include:

 
Here’s the scoop about these symbolic foods.
 
 
THE APPLE CAKE

The classic honey cake, spiced with allspice, cinnamon and cloves, got edged out in our home. Mom preferred to make an apple cake (apple = “new fruit”)—honey cakes can be bland.

The recipe below is from our colleague Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog; but we’ve included Mom’s favorite garnish.

“You don’t have to celebrate Rosh Hashanah to enjoy a moist apple cake with tender fruit,” Says Hannah.

“Dense with tender fruit and a moist crumb,” Hannah continues, “it’s a homey, humble dessert that is as soothing to make as it is to eat.

“Such an easy-going treat would be welcome for any celebration, but is also just as well suited for an everyday simple indulgence.”

That’s right: This cake is delicious anytime, for snacking or dessert. We made it yesterday for Sunday brunch.

It’s great anytime with a cup of coffee or tea, or for dessert with a scoop of ice cream and/or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

The garnish favored by our Mom: sautéed apples with raisins and pecans or walnuts. Dried cranberries can be substituted for the walnuts.

We want it all: sautéed apples, caramel sauce and a dab of mascarpone.
 
 
RECIPE: EASY APPLE CAKE

Hannah, who is vegan, made the recipe with oil; but you can substitute an equal amount of butter (which we did).

Use Honeycrisp and/or Granny Smith apples if you prefer your cake more tart; or Gala and/or Fuji for a sweeter experience.

Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 90 minutes.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup tube pan or bundt cake pan.

2. TOSS the apples in a bowl with the lemon juice and water. This will help prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown. Add the applesauce, butter/oil, and both types of sugar, mixing thoroughly to combine. In a separate bowl…

3. WHISK together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, folding the two together with a large spatula. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over-mix (overmixing makes the crumb tough].

4. TRANSFER the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with the spatula. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to release any air bubbles. Cover the pan with aluminum foil so it doesn’t get too brown too quickly.

5. BAKE for 1 hour and 15-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

[1] An easy-to-make, delightful-to-eat apple cake (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Use Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples for a slightly more tart flavor (photo © The Fruit Company).

[3] Granny Smith apples are another tart option. Some bakers like to mix two different apple types (photos #3, #4 and #5 © Good Eggs).

[4] Gala apples are a sweeter variety.
[5] Fuji apples, another a sweeter apple, can be mixed with Fuji apples.

[6] You can make the cake with butter or oil (photo © Sorin Gheorghita | Unsplash).

[1] Just peel and eat. The packaging lets you consume the whole stick without needing a napkin (all photos © 4505 Meats).

[2] A trio of flavors: Cheddar, Red Hot and Original. Each two-ounce stick delivers 24g protein.

[3] Which would you rather have?

[4] Treat yourself to a box; above, Cheddar & Uncured Bacon.

[5] Prefer something hotter? Here it is!

Earlier this year, we were delighted to try the limited edition “Cheesse-Charones,” cheese flavored chicharrones from 4505 meats in San Francisco. They elevated conventional chicharrones so much, that we should have made them a Top Pick Of The Week. We’re remedying that error with this week’s Top Pick: 4505 Butcher’s Snack Sticks.

In 2009, chef and butcher Ryan Farr began to make chicharrones from leftover pork fat, selling them to local bars for extra cash.

They sold so well that Farr started 4505 Meats: an artisan, whole-animal butchery company devoted to sustainable practices and a desire to bring people simple-ingredient, low-or-no-carbohydrate, high protein foods.

The pork comes from humanely-raised, vegetarian-fed pigs, which are raised without antibiotics, on family farms, in stress-free environments.

We’re don’t usually eat meat snacks. Most of them are too tough or fatty for us and many are made with lesser-quality meat that requires too much spice.

But we’re pretty thrilled with 4505 Butcher’s Snack Sticks. They’re tender, meaty and beautifully seasoned.

Beyond snacks, we’ve served them:

 
The flavor and texture are delightful.
 
 
4505 BUTCHER’S SNACK STICKS: PROTEIN-PACKED

The new Paleo-friendly Snack Sticks are so delicious that we, don’t like to think of them as sausage links, a name that connotes a cheap snack for us.

No, these are artisan meat sticks, crafted by artisan butchers from premium meat and nicely seasoned with the finest spices.

The sticks are 98% pork and 2% seasonings, stuffed into a beef collagen casing.

They’re an irresistible snack, packed with protein: 24g per stick, more protein than any meat stick currently in the market. They deliver great, meaty flavor; and nicely filling.

Each stick is two ounces, is Keto-certified, Paleo-friendly and gluten-free. They’re made in three delicious flavors:

 
These are not just another sausage or meat stick.

You’ll immediately taste the higher-quality meat, from pigs raised with no antibiotics or added hormones. No nitrites or nitrates are used in the sticks.
 
 
GET YOUR SNACK STICKS
 
 
4505 BUTCHER’S SNACK STICKS: PROTEIN-PACKED

The products are available in grocery stores nationwide, and in the company’s Amazon store.

While you’re at it, pick up some pork rinds (chicharonnes) and cracklings (the difference).

Thinking ahead: a single stick makes a party favor or stocking stuffer. A box of 12 is a yummy gift for any meat lover (or beer lover!).

For more information on visit 4505meats.com.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT CUTS OF PORK

September 2nd is World Coconut Day, a holiday observed big-time in the Asian and Pacific countries, which are home to most of the world’s coconut producing countries. National Coconut Day in the U.S. is June 26th.

World Coconut Day was established to increase public awareness of the health and commercial benefits of coconut, a fruit that has been on earth for millions of years, much to the benefit of humanity (we’ll talk further about that in a bit).

While some Americans might think that our coconuts come from Hawaii, the top three coconut producers, representing 75% of the world output, are Indonesia (17+ metric tons), Philippines and India (both around 15 metric tons).

Smaller quantities from 2.5 to .5 metric tons are produced in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Vietnam, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Malaysia [source].
 
 
DO COCONUTS GROW ON PALM TREES?

Yes, but only on the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera), a member of the palm family (Arecaceae). The family includes a variety of plants: climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants. All are commonly known as palms.

Yet with all the Arecaceae members, the coconut palm is the only extant species of the genus Cocos, i.e., the only tree that bears coconuts.

Coconut palm trees grow up to 100 feet tall. Each tree can yield up to 75 fruits per year, though fewer than 30 is more typical.

The trees are intolerant of cold weather and prefer copious precipitation, as well as full sunlight; i.e., the tropics.

The term “coconut” (the archaic spelling was cocoanut) can refer to the whole coconut palm tree, the seed or the fruit.

Yes, the coconut is botanically a fruit, not a nut. The “nut” portion of its name was given because of its similarity to hard-shell nuts.

The part of the coconut that we eat is the inner flesh (called coconut meat) of the mature seed of the coconut palm. Here’s another bit of botany: Coconuts are drupes.

Drupes (here’s more about them) include stone fruits (apricot, cherry, nectarine, peach, plum, etc.; and tropical fruits like coconut and mango. Nuts—almonds, hickory nuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts—are also drupes; as are peppercorns.

And there’s yet another group of drupes typically not eaten raw, which includes coffee and olives†.

The coconuts is different from these drupes, A coconut is a fibrous one-seeded drupe, also known as a dry drupe.

 
The name coconut comes from the old Portuguese word coco, meaning head or skull. Why?

There are three indentations on the coconut shell that were thought to resemble facial features.
 
 
THE “TREE OF LIFE”

The coconut palm is one of the most useful trees in the world. It provides food (flesh, coconut milk and coconut water*, cooking oil), fuel and building materials, and is used in cosmetics and homeopathic medicine, among many other uses (hence, the tree of life).

 
The tree of life, indeed!

COCONUT HISTORY

No one knows exactly when the first coconut palm tree appeared, but the oldest coconut fossils found date to some 55 million years ago [source].

Coconuts were domesticated in prehistoric times by the Austronesian peoples, indigenous to Taiwan.

Coconuts likely were first cultivated on islands in Southeast Asia: the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and perhaps on the continent as well. In the Indian Ocean, the likely center of cultivation was the southern periphery of India, including Sri Lanka, the Maldives and the Laccadives [source].

They subsequently expanded to Madagascar, Maritime Southeast Asia and Oceania. Coconuts were spread during the Neolithic era (from 10,000 B.C.E. to 4,500 B.C.E.) via seaborne migrations of people…and the fruit, which can float, may well have made its way across oceans.

Coconuts played a crucial role in the long sea voyages of early people. They provided a portable source of food and water, as well as building materials for outrigger boats.

Coconuts were later spread along the coasts of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans by Arab, European and South Asian sailors. Arab sailors carried coconuts from India to East Africa as long as 2,000 years ago [source].

Arab traders also introduced coconuts to Europeans, first along the trans-Asian Silk Roads. Among the traders was the Venetian adventurer Marco Polo, who encountered the tree in Egypt in the 13th century, calling its fruit “the Pharaoh’s nut” [ibid].

Here’s more about how coconuts reached Europe.

Coconuts Reach The Americas

Coconuts were introduced by Europeans to the Americas during the colonial era of the Columbian Exchange, following the voyage to the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492.

However, to dig into the ancient past, there is evidence of a possible pre-Columbian introduction of coconuts to Panama by Austronesian sailors [source].

For the present, think of what coconut recipes you’d like to try, to celebrate World Coconut Day.
 
 
OUR 10 FAVORITE COCONUT FOODS

[1] Looking up to the top of a coconut palm tree (photo © Gerson Repreza | Unsplash).

[2] Clusters of coconuts growing on a tree. When the coconuts are green, they contain more water than meat. These are cut down before they develop their hard, brown shell (photo © Tome 213 | RGB Stock).

[3] The mature coconut, with a hard brown shell, yields white coconut meat. The shells are turned into charcoal or dissolved into printer’s ink and pesticides (photo © Tijana Drndarski | Unsplash).

[4] Piña Colada, one of our favorite drinks. Here’s the original recipe (photo © Tommy Bahama).

[5] Coconut fried shrimp, also called coconut battered shrimp. Here’s a recipe (photo © Dons Bogam | NYC).

[6] German chocolate cake uses coconut in the filling and frosting. Here’s a recipe (photo © Betty Crocker).

[7] Coconut macaroons. Here’s a recipe (photo © Djwtwo | CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0-License).

*Coconut water occurs naturally within the fruit; coconut milk is a processed beverage.

†Olives cannot be eaten from the tree. They contain oleuropein and phenolic compounds, which, while not poisonous, must be removed or at least, reduced, to make the olive palatable.

[1] Take advantage of fresh figs to serve with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert (photo © Heather Barnes Wesual | Unsplash).

[2] Deep Ellum Blue Cheese (photos #2 and #3 © Mozzarella Company).

[3] The blue in Deep Ellum Blue is on the top (rind) of the cheese, not in the paste. Yes, do eat the rind!

[4] Prosciutto di Parma. You can substitute its Spanish cousin, serrano ham (photo © DiBruno Bros.).

[5] Frisée salad topped with figs (photo © SXC).

[6] Add them to crostini or bruschetta. Here’s the recipe with blue cheese (photo © The Daily Deelight).

Ah, fresh figs: a seasonal delight. Dried figs are available year-round, but there’s a certain joy of biting into the pliant flesh of a fresh fig.

Figs may be one of the first foods cultivated by man. Fig cultivation precedes the domestication of barley, legumes and wheat, and may thus be the first known instance of agriculture.

In the millennia before Europe and the Middle East had access to cane sugar or beet sugar, figs were used, in addition to honey, as sweet snacks and to sweeten cakes, puddings and other desserts.

Here’s more on the history of figs.
 
 
WAYS TO ENJOY FIGS

In addition to the eating figs out of hand, with the cheese course, and in the featured appetizer recipe below—serve figs:

 
RECIPE: FIGS IN A BLANKET

This recipe is from the Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide by American cheese-making royalty Paula Lambert of The Mozzarella Company.Recipe copyright © 2000 by Paula Lambert.

The figs are wrapped in prosciutto along with Paula’s Deep Ellum Blue cheese.

Since the “blanket” is prosciutto, not pastry, it’s also a low carb, gluten-free appetizer.

About Deep Ellum Blue Cheese

Unlike other blue cheeses, Deep Ellum Blue has no blue veins. The “blue” is the diamond-scored, blue-mold-mottled, edible rind (photos #2 and #3).

Deep Ellum Blue is soft, creamy and spreadable. Its flavor is robust and earthy, but not too strong or salty. Serve it on a cheese plate, as a slice atop a green salad, or atop chicken, beef and veal dishes.

It’s is especially good with Port and dessert wines. You can order Blue Ellum here.

Deep Ellum Blue is named for the location in Dallas where The Mozzarella Company’s cheese factory is located. The name also recalls the neighborhood’s legendary blues singers of years past.

If you can’t get your hands on it, look for another creamy blue: Cambozola Blue (Germany) or Double Crème Blue from Castello Cheese (Denmark), for example.

How To Serve Figs In A Blanket

Figs In A Blanket recipe are delicious as an appetizer, with a glass of wine, and as:

 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Brush a non-stick baking sheet with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Separate the slices of prosciutto and cut each in half so that there are 16 pieces of sliced prosciutto. Set aside.

2. DIVIDE the Deep Ellum Blue into 16 pieces and roll them into small balls. Cut the figs in half. Press your thumb into the cut side of each fig to make an indentation.

3. PLACE a ball of cheese into the indentation of each fig. Wrap each fig tightly with a piece of prosciutto, taking care to completely enclose the Deep Ellum Blue so that it won’t run out while baking. Gently squeeze the prosciutto-wrapped figs to seal the packets and place the figs on the prepared baking sheet with the prosciutto seam down.

4. POUR the balsamic vinegar, the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil, and honey into a small dish and stir to combine. Transfer the figs to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese begins to melt and the prosciutto begins to brown.

5. REMOVE from the oven and, using a spoon or a silicone basting brush, drizzle the balsamic vinegar dressing over the figs.

6. SERVE. Place the Figs In A Blanket, while still warm, on a platter and sprinkle with the mint; or use in any of the other recipes mentioned above.

 
MORE FIG RECIPES

September 1st is National Cherry Popover Day. Popovers have been a family delight, although our mother and grandmother, both excellent bakers, didn’t make them. Instead, the family went for frequent brunches at a restaurant know for its popovers. Alas, the restaurant is gone and our option is to bake our own. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy.

You can always make regular popovers and serve them with cherry preserves; and that will be absolutely delicious. But the cherries bursting out of these popovers is much more special. (The cherry mixture is made separately and spooned over the baked popovers.)

Check out the difference between popovers and Yorkshire Pudding and other uses for a popover pan.
 
 
RECIPE: CHERRY POPOVERS

This recipe for Cherry Popovers is adapted from Elephantine Blog, which, alas, is now closed to outside readers. Thanks to Rachel Ball for the recipe. And additional thanks for the introduction to dark chocolate balsamic vinegar. We’d never come across it before.

If you don’t have a popover pan, use a muffin pan with cups approximately 2 1/2″ wide x 1-1/2″ deep. If you’re hesitant to buy a popover pan, here are more uses for it.

In a regular muffin pan, the batter should fill close to 10 muffin cups. You’ll end up with a flatter popover, more muffin-like in appearance although still as flavorful.

And here are popover baking tips from King Arthur Baking.

Regarding the garnish: We’re not keen on powdered sugar. It always gets on our clothing. We used a dab of mascarpone instead. You can pass a dish of it.

You can also turn these popovers into a dessert with lemon curd or ice cream.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CRACK the eggs into a mixing bowl; add the milk and whisk together. Slowly add the flour and salt, and continue whisking until the ingredients are well combined.

2. ADD the melted butter, mixing until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. Oil 6 popover cups with 1/2 teaspoon of cooking oil. Use a pastry brush to fully coat the sides of each cup. Put the greased popover pan into the oven as it heats.

4. PIT the cherries and cut them in half. Place them in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with sugar, gently tossing until the cherries are well sugared. Pour the balsamic vinegar over the fruit mixture and stir. While the popovers are baking, keep stirring the fruit mixture occasionally. By the time the popovers are ready, the sugar will be dissolved in the balsamic and the cherries will be coated in syrup. (For extra credit, mash the coated cherries, just a little bit, to make a juicier fruit mixture).

After the batter has rested for 30 minutes…

5. REMOVE the hot popover pan from the oven. Quickly pour the batter into each popover cup, distributing the batter evenly. Fill each cup about 3/4 full.

6. PLACE the pan back into the oven. Bake the popovers for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the popovers are golden brown on top. Word to the wise: don’t open the oven door until you’re getting close to the end of the baking process. A quick temperature change with under-cooked popovers can make them collapse.

7. GENTLY OPEN a warm popover. Spoon the sugared balsamic cherries inside, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

[1] Hot popovers are split open and topped with the cherry mixture

[2] Fresh bing cherries. You can substitute frozen cherries (photo © Gaelle Marcel | Weusual | Unsplash).

[3] Confectioners sugar is the suggested garnish…(photo © Katharine Pollak | The Nibble).

[4] …But we preferred passing a bowl of mascarpone (photo © Vermont Creamery).

 
 
> POPOVER HISTORY
 
 
> CHERRY HISTORY