Like sushi? Like cheese? In honor of National Cheese Day, June 4th, combine them both.

We don’t mean the Philadelphia roll, the only mainstream sushi with cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese and smoked salmon, to be precise.

But last year, Rachel Freier, a cheese monger at Murray’s Cheese Bar in Greenwich Village, created a whimsical yet sophisticated 10-course cheese dinner—an omakase, as it were.

Inspired by an omakase she had recently enjoyed at a sushi restaurant, her 10-course tasting dinner did not seek to emulate sushi, although one course is an homage.

Here’s the cheese omakase menu, which is simple enough to copy at home:

[1] Some of the courses in the omakase dinner (photo courtesy Murray’s Cheese). [2] A close up on the “sushi” course: Saint Maure cheese from France, the second item in the top photo (photo courtesy Chopsticks and Marrow).

Cheese Glossary: The Different Types Of Cheese

Sushi Glossary: The Different Types Of Cheese
  

[2] Homemade burger buns from King Arthur Baking, which sells the topping (photos #2 and #3 © King Arthur Baking).

[3] You can purchase ready-made Everything Bagel topping, but it’s easy to make with the recipe below.

[4] What should you top first (photo © Take Two Tapas)?

[5] Deviled eggs garnished with Everything Bagel topping. Here’s the recipe (photo © Casa De Crews).

First there was the “everything” bagel (history and recipe below), for people who wanted it all: onion, garlic, poppy seed, salt and sesame seed.

Then it ported to everything crackers, lavash, hamburger buns, bagel chips, dips, pretzels, popcorn…and now, to protein.

You can purchase it ready-blended (see photo #3 and check Trader Joe’s and other stores) or customize your own topping, e.g., leave out the salt and add red pepper flakes. If you mix up a lot, you can give it as gifts.

Then, here’s what you can do with it. Notes:

 
> A recipe for Everything Bagel seasoning is below.

> So is the history of the Everything Bagel.

> The history of the original bagel.

> More bagel recipes.

> Bagel holidays.
 
 
EVERYTHING BREAKFAST

 
 
EVERYTHING LUNCH

 
 
EVERYTHING DINNER

 
 
EVERYTHING SIDES & SNACKS

 
 
RECIPE: EVERYTHING BAGEL TOPPING

Ingredients For About 1/3 Cup

 
Preparation

1. TOAST the sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned, stirring occasionally (3 to 5 minutes). Transfer to the storage container and let cool.

2. ADD the poppy seeds, onion, garlic and salt to the bowl and stir or shake to combine.

3. STORE in an airtight container. As with all spices and dried herbs, store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.

When a high school student, David Gussin had a part-time job in a bagel shop in Howard Beach, Queens. He says he invented the “everything” bagel sometime around 1980.

One of his jobs was to sweep out the the seeds that had fallen off bagels. Instead of throwing them out, he swept them into a bin and snacked on them, enjoying the toasty mixed flavors.

One day, in a stroke of inspiration, Gussin envisioned a new bagel topping: poppy and sesame seeds mixed with other toppings. He proposed the “everything” bagel to the owner, and it was an instant hit with customers.

Following a 2008 New Yorker article with his story, the digital marketing pioneer Seth Godin wrote on his blog, “Unfortunately, I worked in a bagel factory in 1977…baking bagels…including the “everything” bagel.

Gussin’s response: “The last thing I want is a brouhaha over the ’everything’ bagel. It brings smiles to people’s faces. It doesn’t deserve controversy. It’s a nice thing’.”

_______________

*In this dish, the chef has crusted the salmon with “everything,” and sauté it until the topping is toasted. The salmon is finished in the oven and served with crisp fried capers, lightly wilted arugula with red onion, polenta and buttermilk sauce.

†We use much less salt than most recipes. We find “everything” bagels to have too much salt.
 
 

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One of the easiest yet most impressive desserts you can make is an ice cream pie.

In its quickest form, you buy a cookie crumb pie crust, a quart of ice cream, and a jar of dessert sauce. Press the softened ice cream into the crust, freeze, garnish, and serve.

Have a few extra minutes? Make your own cookie crumb crust and sauce, and create two different layers of ice cream, with a nifty filling in-between.

It’s a make-ahead dessert that you can keep in the freezer, waiting for an impromptu occasion.

(Truth to tell, that pie wouldn’t last a day in our freezer unless someone put a lock on the door. It’s iffy survival here for any ice cream, cake, or cookies.)

National Ice Cream Pie Day is August 18th. National Ice Cream Day is the third Sunday in July. National pie day is January 23rd.
 
> The history of ice cream.

> The history of pie.

> The recipe for Sweet & Salty Ice Cream Pie is below.
 
 
CREATE YOUR FANTASY ICE CREAM PIE RECIPE

What’s your fantasy ice cream pie? Use the following template to create your signature pie:

 
You can spend the summer working on recipes (one per weekend, perhaps?) and show off the “winners” over Labor Day Weekend.
 
________________

*Butterscotch and caramel are similar, with a key difference: Butterscotch is made with brown sugar, and caramel is made with white granulated sugar. To create a sauce, the sugar is melted over high heat and blended with butter and cream.

†You can add liqueur to the sauce; or if there’s no sauce, sprinkle it over the top of the pie. We add it to the softened ice cream as well.
 
 
RECIPE: SWEET & SALTY ICE CREAM PIE

This pie uses store-bought ice cream, but you make the crust and topping from scratch. Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes.

Ingredients For 1 Pie

 
For The Caramel Sauce

 
Preparation

[1] Peanut butter ice cream on a brownie base. Here’s the recipe from Go Bold With Butter.

[2] Homemade blueberry ice cream pie. You can also blend puréed blueberries into store-bought vanilla ice cream (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers).

[3] Grasshopper pie: the mint ice cream tastes even better with a few tablespoons of creme de menthe liqueur. Here’s the recipe from Taste Of Home.

[4] Sweet and salty ice cream pie from Go Bold With Butter. The recipe is at left.

2. REMOVE the ice cream from the freezer and let it soften for 5 minutes. Place the ice cream in the bowl of an electric mixer and mix until smooth. Add the crushed toffee bars and peanuts, mixing to combine.

3. POUR the mixture into the cooled crust. Cover and freeze until completely firm.

4. MAKE the caramel sauce: Combine the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Let cool.

5. SERVE the pie with the caramel sauce. Garnish with extra toffee pieces and peanuts.
 
 

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[1] Warm, fragrant and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes, This recipe is from Girl Versus Dough. [2] Here’s the recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. [3] Turn your Greek salad into a sandwich (photo courtesy Girl Versus Dough).

Long before there were ovens, bread—the first was flatbread—was baked on flat stones in a fire. When the skillet finally evolved, in ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, people still cooked everything over a fire (here’s the history of the frying pan).

Flatbreads are the simplest breads, requiring no leavening—although in modern times, some are leavened to produce a lighter, airier, more easily chewed bread.

Flatbread can be extremely thin, like a tortilla, one millimeter or so in thickness, to a few centimeters thick, like focaccia.

Each region of the world developed a flatbread; for example:

 
Some other breads called flatbreads are not completely flat, but use yeast and are partially risen, such as Italy’s focaccia.
 
Here’s the history of bread and the different types of bread.
 
 
MAKE YOUR OWN FLATBREAD

Using five pantry staples, you can have fresh, hot bread on the table in less than 30 minutes with no need to turn on the oven. Instead, use a skillet or stove-top griddle.

The dough comes together very quickly, and you’ll have something special for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

RECIPE: SKILLET FLATBREAD

Consider this recipe from King Arthur Flour as your first foray into homemade flatbread. Here’s a step-by-step in photos.

Ingredients For 10 to 12 Flatbreads

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl; stir to combine. Add the oil and ice water and mix to make a soft, cohesive dough. Adjust with more flour or water as needed. The dough should be moist but not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. PREHEAT a heavy-bottomed skillet on the stove top. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer in the pan.

3. DIVIDE the dough into 10 to 12 equal pieces. Each piece should weigh about 1- 1/2 to 2 ounces, about the size of a large egg. Dredge each piece in flour, and roll to a rough circle or oval about 1/4″ thick. If you prefer, hand shape the pieces by flattening between your palms.

4. FRY the flatbreads in the hot oil in batches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and fry on the second side for another 2 minutes. Add more oil as needed for frying successive batches.

5. TRANSFER from the pan to a rack to cool slightly before serving.
 
  

What do you do to make a bottle of an already-popular Pinot Grigio leap on the shelf (figuratively speaking)?

You hire a top fashion designer to create an alluring, limited-edition bottle design.

One of our favorite designers, Christian Siriano, has created Ecco Domani’s third annual designer label for summer, inspired by the glamour of 1960s Palm Springs.

Covered in fanciful palm leaves in chartreuse and fuchsia, it’s a summer celebration in a bottle.

The Christian Siriano Ecco Domani bottle is now available nationwide, with a suggested retail price of $10.99.

When we went to the debut of the bottle design, we were treated to a wine cocktail—a winetail—so delicious that we had two!

We already had the cocktail ingredients at home; but don’t hesitate to buy the Cappelletti and orange bitters to make it.

We almost guarantee that you’ll race through the ingredients in short order. It’s our signature summer cocktail for sure—even though the signature is Ecco Domani.
 
 
RECIPE: ECCO DOMANI’S PALM SPRINGS SPRITZ

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE both wines and the bitters in a standard red wine glass; stir to combine.

2. TOP off with sparkling water. Garnish as desired and serve.

[2] Cappelletti Aperitivo, a noteworthy aperitif wine. Here’s the cocktail recipe for the Ginger Specialino from Nugget Markets.

It’s the name of a shape of pasta that resembles little sailor hats; but it’s also the name of an apéritif wine: Cappelletti Aperitivo Americano Rosso.

Produced in the Alto-Adige region of Italy by the fourth generation of the Cappelletti family, Aperitivo Cappelletti is a deep red apéritif wine.

It can be sipped on its own over ice, mixed with club soda for a spritzer, or mixed into cocktails. Use it for a less-sweet Negroni.

Made from mostly trebbiano grapes, the nose is round and very full, captivating with just a hint of bitterness and herbs. The texture on the palate is generous, providing a slight bitterness from notes of citrus peel.

It has a hint of bitterness (from citrus peel), gentle herbality and a slight sweetness—which is why we like it more than the better-known, sweeter Campari.

Unlike Campari, Cappelletti is a wine-based apéritif, instead of grain-based (distilled alcohol). This gives makes it more complex, with a richer, fuller flavor profile.

 
WHAT’S AN APÉRITIF WINE?

An apéritif is an alcoholic drink taken before a meal.

Long before the cocktail was invented (in the mid-19th century), people of means enjoyed an apéritif before dinner.

Spirits were not desired, because high alcohol dulls our taste buds. An apéritif wine, on the other hand, was designed to stimulate the appetite in anticipation of dinner.

An aperitif should be very dry (low in sugar), since sugar also dulls the appetite for the dinner to come.

Apéritif (French) or aperitivo (Italian) derives from the medieval Latin aperitivus, from the Latin verb aperire to open.