[2] A ginger beer shandy leaves out most of the alcohol (it’s less than .5% ABV) and adds the flavor of ginger. Here’s the recipe from Homemade Hooplah.

[3] This Island Shandy from Tommy Bahama uses passion fruit juice instead of lemonade.

[4] How about a Mexican shandy? This recipe from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen, with Corona beer, lemonade and mango juice.

Like beer? Mix it with a juice drink like lemonade or fruit soda to create a shandy.

You can buy shandy in a bottle (photo #1)—artisan beer companies make it—but you can make your own, varying the beers, mixers, proportions, and garnishes.

In fact, “make your own” is an idea for a summer weekend get-together. Tips for how to set up a shandy bar at your next gathering are below.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SHANDY

Shandy is short for shandygaff. It’s beer that’s diluted with a non-alcoholic beverage. It’s a traditional British pub drink that mixes lager with lemon soda, ginger ale, or ginger beer. Carbonated lemonade, cider, or other citrus-flavored soda can be used.

Whatever you use—you can even use ginger beer—you’ll find that shandy is a refreshing summertime drink. The shandy tradition dates back to the 17th century. Today, English publicans blend an English ale or beer with various lemon and lime beverages.

No one knows the origin of the word, but the first known print reference is from 1853. The tradition no doubt began earlier.

Shandy is a surname in the U.K.; and in Ireland, the name is a variant of Shaun (John). Gaff is an old term for a fishing hook or spear.

Perhaps the drink was first mixed up by a steward named Shandy, to hook in customers? Or in honor of the master of an estate, for whom the drink was first served?

Maybe, like the Cold Duck, it was an ad hoc thing: There wasn’t only half as much wine or champagne needed for guests, so some clever person thought to mix them together.

What about an Arnold Palmer? It arrived centuries later. Here’s the difference between an Arnold Palmer and shandy.
 
 
DIY SHANDY: CREATE A SHANDY BAR

If you’re looking for a Labor Day activity, how about a make-your-own shandy bar? Just assemble the ingredients, print out brief “instructions” and put them in a frame next to the beer.

Instructions can include: (1) Shandy is half beer, half non-alcoholic drink. (2) Create your own signature shandy with the soft drink and proportions of your choice. (3) Be neat and clean up your spills!

Supermarket shelves are awash with citrus soda: orange, Fresca, Seven-Up (lemon lime). Our favorites are:

 
So take stock of the options, then stock up.

Shandy Bar Ingredients

 
Shandy Garnishes

 
Glass Rimmers

 
Plus

If you don’t want a DIY shandy bar, gather whatever shandy brands you can find and have a tasting.

Samuel Adams makes Porch Rocker, if you can still find it (the distribution period is through July). Anheuser-Busch’s Shock Top Lemon Shandy is available through August. Also look for Harp Lemon Shandy, Labatt Shandy, and Saranac Shandy Lager and Lemonade.

Fentiman’s brews two soft drink shandy styles, non-alcoholic shandy and a low alcoholic version brewed to .5 ABV ABV (1 proof), which allows it to be sold as a soft drink.

An Arnold Palmer is not related to a shandy, except that they both use lemonade. Here are the differences.

We like to use shot glasses or juice glasses for this type of from-the-bottle beer tasting. It lets everyone try a small amount of each brand, and return to their favorite with a larger glass.
 
 
WHAT’S GINGER BEER?

Ginger beer is like ginger ale with a buzz. The big difference between ginger beer and ginger ale is that ginger beer is brewed (fermented). Most ginger ale is just carbonated water that’s been flavored with ginger, although some artisan brands brew their ginger ale.

Since ginger beers are naturally fermented, they have less carbonation and often develop a beer-like head when poured into a glass. Some ginger beers are sold unfiltered and appear cloudy, so gently invert the before drinking or pouring, to re-incorporate any separation.

Plus, the ginger flavor is more intense—much more intense.

Today’s brewed ginger beers are categorized as non-alcoholic drinks because their alcohol content is less than .5% (1 proof), which meets FDA requirements.
 
 
RECIPE: IPA SHANDY

Like IPA (India Pale Ale)? It’s the most trending style of beer in the U.S.

This shandy update from Whole Foods Market combines “a hoppy craft IPA and a throat-tickling ginger beer.”

Shandys are generally made with lagers and wheat beers. If you’re not a hops fan, use one of those instead.

You’ll also notice that the ingredients are beer and ginger beer. Play around with substituting lemon-lime carbonated drinks for the ginger beer, to see what you like best.
 
Ingredients Per Tall Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the ale, ginger beer, and bitters in a tall beer glass and stir lightly to blend (but not hard enough to break the bubbles).

2. GARNISH and serve.
________________

†The original Angostura bitters have a ginger undertone. They have recently released Angostura orange, in the $8.00 to $9.00 range. Connoisseurs may wish to spring for the fine artisan orange bitters from Bitter Truth in the $29.00 to $30.00 range.
 
 

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

The recipe for Lemon Meringue Pie is below, along with tips and variations to the recipe.

But first: What are the top 10 pies in America, based on consumption? No one has done that survey in a truly scientific way.

Mrs. Smith’s released a survey of their top 10 based on sales, but it only included frozen pies in the flavors made by Mrs. Smith.

One thing we do know: Look at every list of the top pies in the country and you’ll find these nine (in alphabetical order):
 
 
AMERICA’S FAVORITE PIES

1. Apple Pie
2. Banana Cream Pie
3. Blueberry Pie
4. Cherry Pie
5. Coconut Cream Pie
6. Key Lime Pie
7. Lemon Meringue Pie
8. Pecan Pie
9. Pumpkin Pie
 
What’s the 10th favorite? Depending on how the list was compiled, here are some from Top Ten Pies:

 
Some flavors are seasonal (including berry and stone fruit pies). Peppermint pies come out during the holiday season.

Some of our favorites, such as Black Bottom Pie, Grasshopper Pie and Tarte Tatin (a French upside-down pie with caramelized apples) aren’t even on the Top 20 list of sweet pies.
 
TRIVIA: Banana Cream Pie is a layer cake, and cheesecake is a custard pie. Check out the different types of pie.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Lemon-flavored custards, puddings, and pies date to Middle Ages, which concluded in the 15th Century. But meringue was not perfected until the 17th century.

The modern lemon meringue pie is a 19th-century recipe, attributed to Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker from Romandy, the French-speaking part(s) of Switzerland.

It combines a lemon custard single crust pie with meringue, the fluffy topping made from egg whites and sugar, baked on top. Here’s the classic lemon meringue pie recipe.

 
 
RECIPE: CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Prep time is 30 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
For The Filling

 
For The Meringue

 
Optional Garnishes

________________

*Take a look at this Egg & Lemon Juice Pie Crust from IncredibleEgg.org.

[2] Browning in the oven can create an even color, which professional bakers often prefer for its perfect, even look (photo © McCormick).

[3] You can brown the meringue as much or as little as you like (photo © My Most Favorite Food).

[4] This meringue, from Centerville Pie Company, goes for a shade of mocha.

[5] Mini-tip: Before you juice lemons for a recipe, zest them and save the zest in the freezer. Use it to perk up everyday foods like salad dressings, juices, soft drinks, hot and cold tea (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[6] Do organic eggs taste better? Frankly, yes; although freshness also enters the equation (photo courtesy BJs).

Preparation.

1. PLACE the oven rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare the filling: Mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large, heavy saucepan. Gradually stir in the water and lemon juice until smooth. Add the egg yolks; stir until blended, and add the butter.

2. COOK over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon peel.

3. IMMEDIATELY MAKE the meringue. Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water in a one-cup glass measure. Microwave on High for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until the mixture boils, 15 to 30 seconds more. Remove and cover.

4. BEAT the egg whites and cream of tartar in a mixer bowl with the whisk attachment on high speed, until foamy. Beating constantly, add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until the sugar is dissolved before adding the next.

5. CONTINUE beating until the whites are glossy and stand in soft peaks. Beating constantly, add the cornstarch paste, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

6. POUR the hot filling into the pie crust. Quickly spread the meringue evenly over the filling, starting at the edge of the crust. The meringue should overlap the rim of the crust. Swirl with the back of a spoon to provide waves.

7. BAKE in the upper third of a 325°F oven until the meringue is lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour; then refrigerate until serving. Garnish as desired.
 
 
TIPS

 
 
VARIATIONS TO LEMON MERINGUE PIE

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Got kids? Got kids who should learn to eat better—while having fun?

Take the family to the Kids Food Fest, Saturday and Sunday August 26th and 27th.

The Kids Food Fest is a celebration to educate families about making balanced food choices—choices everyone needs to create wholesome, lifelong eating habits. (Parents: You, too can learn a lot here.)

Festivities include hands-on cooking classes in collaboration with the James Beard Foundation, the Balanced Plate Scavenger Hunt, family-friendly entertainment and activities, and more!

There’s no charge for general admission, although hands-on classes require tickets that can be purchased at the event.

This Kids Food Fest is held in its most beautiful space yet: Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, known worldwide for its exciting architecture (we personally call it New York’s complement to the Bird’s Nest Stadium built for the Beijing Olympics).

If you haven’t yet been to the Oculus, you’ll love the soaring bird architecture (photo #1) and the internal beauty of the light-filled, climate-controlled halls (photo #2). [That it cost $3.74 billion dollars might make you want to become more politically active, and insist that proven business people manage government projects.]

The Oculus is easy to get to: Just take the A, C, J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Fulton Street (directions).

You’re also close to these downtown destinations, including The National September 11 Memorial & Museum and 15 other museums.

The Kids Food Fest will be inside the Oculus transportation hub in New York City | World Trade Center (photos courtesy Port Authority Of New York & New Jersey).

Aside from the fruit pies and trays of brownies, what we most looked forward to was her potato salad.

It was so much better than anybody else’s mother’s, which was more like deli potato salad: potatoes and mayo, maybe a few shreds of carrot. Period.

Not our mom. Gifted with a super-palate and member of a family of competitive (with each other) cooks, her potato salad consisted of:

We could care less about the steak, chicken, burger or whatever: We just wanted a big plate of potato salad, a big plate of fruit salad (berries, melon balls and stone fruits, presented in a carved out watermelon), glasses of her fruit punch and all those desserts.

(Alas, these remain our preferences. Keep the steak: Got sugar?)

Over the years we’ve tried to improve on Mom’s recipe:

 
And we look for inspiring recipes from other cooks, such as today’s two recipes.

The first is a rustic Italian potato salad side dish; the second is an elegant first course.
 
 
RECIPE #1: HEALTHIER POTATO SALAD

This recipe from Ciao Florentina uses a healthier olive oil dressing, veggies, and some additional ingredients that add not just flavor, but charm.

Fiorentina says this is an Italian-style potato salad recipe, “made with colorful red and purple heirloom potatoes, fresh herbs and spring green peas, then tossed in a lovely light and zesty vinaigrette.”

“To make a meal of things,” says Fiorentina, “feel free to add some toasted pine nuts or fresh radishes sliced paper thin, like I did. I also sprinkled the entire salad with a handful of green pea shoots in season; [at other times] I’ll go for pretty microgreens.”

[1] Healthy and beautiful potato salad from Ciao Fiorentina (photo © Ciao Fiorentina).

[2] Chopped pea shoots (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Mixed-color new potatoes (also called creamer potatoes; photo © Poplar Bluff Organics).

Download her free e-cookbooks and subscribe to her “recipe and inspiration” list here.
 
Ingredients For 4 Side Servings

 
________________

*If fresh peas aren’t in season, substitute frozen peas; substitute microgreens for the pea shoots.
________________

Preparation

1. RINSE and cut the potatoes into rustic (thick) slices or wedges. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Season with a good pinch of sea salt and simmer until tender but still al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to dry in their own steam for a few minutes. While the potatoes are cooking…

2. STEAM the green peas for 3 to 4 minutes until al dente. Meanwhile…

3. WHISK together the olive oil, lemon juice and most of the herbs in a large bowl. Season to taste with sea salt. Add the potatoes and peas to the bowl with the dressing, and gently toss to coat. Allow the potatoes to sit in the dressing for about 10 minutes to absorb all the flavors.

4. TASTE and adjust the seasonings to taste with more sea salt. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs, pea shoots and scallions. Optional to sprinkle with some grape tomatoes and radish slices.

[4] Potato salad as an elegant first course, from Idaho Potato Commission.

[5] Blue Peruvian potatoes. Depending on the strain and the soil where grown, they will be purple instead. Note, however, that blue potatoes often cook up the same purple color as purple potatoes (photo courtesy Burpee).

This recipe, developed by Chef Giuseppe Tentori of GT Prime and GT Fish & Oyster in Chicago, came to us via the Idaho Potato Commission, is called tabouli.

Here’s some history for those of us who think of tabouli (tabbouleh) as a salad of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil:

The tabouli cracked wheat salad originated in the Levant, a historical area in the Middle East that included parts of the modern countries of Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. The term was first used in the 15th century.

The Levantine Arabic word tabbule is derived from the Arabic word tabil, meaning “seasoning”; or more literally, “dip.” While the word came to define tabbouleh, the cracked wheat salad, Chef Tentori used it to define the small dice of ingredients that comprise his dish.

At a fine restaurant, it sounds better than “potato salad.” (And technically, potatoes are indigenous to Peru, discovered by Spanish explorers. There were no blue potatoes—or likely other potatoes—in the Levant.)
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

†We found that we wanted some seasoning in the cucumbers. We mixed them with fresh dill. You could also toss them with dill seed, garlic powder or the zest of the lemons.

‡This is a specialty item available from produce suppliers to chefs. If you can’t find them, use your spiralizer to create a mound of cucumber on top. Alternatively, thinly slice and marinate cucumbers in vinaigrette for an hour or more; then drain to use as a garnish.
 
Preparation

1. BRING salted water to a boil in a medium pan. Add the red-wine vinegar and then the diced potatoes. Cook until just al dente. Shock the potatoes in an ice bath. Drain well and pat dry.

2. COMBINE the potatoes, parsley, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in large bowl. Toss gently to combine.

3. PLACE a 4-inch ring mold in the center of each plate. Pack the potato mixture firmly into each ring mold; reserve the extra vinaigrette in bowl. Spread the chopped cucumber on top. Carefully remove the ring molds. Top the tabouli with a mini cucumber or two.

4. GARNISH the plate with the feta cheese and Asian greens. Drizzle the greens with the remaining vinaigrette.
 
 
POTATO LOVERS: Idaho Potato Commission has more potato recipes than the most avid potato lover could make in a year.

A gluten-free recommendation from Georgi Page-Smith, who reports on GF products for THE NIBBLE.

One of the perks of my gluten-free lifestyle is the license I give myself to eat limitless quantities of cheese.

Years ago I indulged my cheese cravings with perhaps the best cheese crackers ever to exist (including Cheez-Its): Gluten Free Cheddar Snackers, by The Grainless Baker.

These crackers were unabashedly rich and cheesy, with just the right melt-in-your-mouth crumb. I purchased them in bulk from a local store until they were discontinued by the store; then I stalked them online.

One day in 2011 the crackers disappeared completely. I searched, I Googled…and I found the Grainless Baker website. It said that the company had recently joined forces with The Gluten Free Food Group and would be replacing their old products with a new gluten-free product line under a new brand name, Three Bakers.

I joined their Facebook community and waited to hear about the rollout. I think I even wrote a sad note “beg-couraging” them to not change their Cheddar Snackers formula. And then I cold-stored the information in a mental box with other sad things and doubled-down on my brie consumption.

Recently, however, these crackers drifted into my mind again and I went to check their Facebook page for an update. The page was defunct and a cheerful selection of Snackers were now available from the Three Bakers website!

I swung into action and within days, four bags of Snackers—Cheddar, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chocolate Chip and Honey Graham flavors—arrived at my doorstep. That was Friday. As of this Sunday’s writing there is about one-quarter of one of the bags left. They were that good.

Four Flavors, Cheesy Or Sweet

The Cheddar Snackers, though not as intense and decadent an experience as the originals, are incredibly good. The flavor is authentic tangy-and-toasty cheese, and they are quite light, delivering more flavor than you would expect in such a small package. The only downside on these was the texture, which was slightly more brittle than the other Snackers.

Use them as dippers, as croutons on salad or chili (photo #1), in a crust for apple pie or pot pie, as a garnish on mac and cheese, or as a snack with apple wedges.

The Chocolate Chip Snackers, with only 4 grams of sugar and 90 calories per 1 ounce serving, were simply scrumptious, with a gently dissolving crumb that quickly delivers the flavor to every part of your mouth. Best of all they are not too sweet, with no cloying aftertaste!

[2] Time for dessert: chocolate chip snackers with ice cream (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate.

[3] Just plain snacking (photo courtesy Gluten Free Palate).

The Honey Graham Snackers deliver a very tasty, roasty flavor— again, with a gorgeous texture. These would also be fantastic on an ice cream sundae (photo #2), or crushed up to use in a crust. I was also impressed with the low sugar level, at 1 gram per 1 ounce serving, it made it that much easier to eat the whole bag.

All Three Bakers’ Snackers are Ccrtified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and are made with non-GMO ingredients. The whole grains provide a source of fiber and the low sugar and salt mean that you can feel good about serving them to kids.

Three Bakers also produces gluten-free breads, buns, pizzas and more. The products are available across the country; here’s a store locator.

For more information head to ThreeBakers.com.

—Georgi Page-Smith