[1] Melba toast and olive tapenade. Here’s the recipe from Sprinkles & Sprouts (photo © Sprinkles & Sprouts).

[2] Chicken liver paté and Melba toast, with a dab of marmalade. recipeHere’s the recipe from Drizzle And Drip (photo © Drizzle And Dip).

[3] Salmon tartare and melba toast. Here’s the recipe from Olive Magazine. Crackers or crisps like these are thin and crunchy, but were baked that way. They are not toasted from bread, so are not toasts (photo © Olive Magazine).

[4] These are Raincoast Crisps, a NIBBLE favorite (photo Elvira Kalviste | © THE NIBBLE)).

[5] This is a copycat recipe for Raincoast Crisps from The Wandering Fig (photo © The Wandering Fig).

March 23rd is National Melba Toast Day, celebrating dry, crisp, and thinly sliced toasts.

First, and with all due respect, today’s packaged Melba toast has as much to do with homemade Melba toast as the Keebler Elves have with the best homemade cookies.

Melba toast, which became a diet staple in the U.S. thanks to manufacturers such as Devonsheer and Old London, dates to the end of the 19th century.

But as previously noted, packaged toasts are so dry and unappealing! A recipe to make your own yummy melba toast is below.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF MELBA TOAST

Melba toast was born in 1897 at the Savoy Hotel in London, where the legendary French Chef Auguste Escoffier ruled the kitchen, and César Ritz ran the hotel. Dame Nellie Melba, the great Australian soprano, was a guest.

There is an unsubstantiated tale that Melba toast was a mistake in the hotel kitchen; that the dieting diva asked for some dry toast which arrived as over-toasted, thin, and crunchy slices. However, as with the story of the history of potato chips, the guest enjoyed the result.

The more likely explanation is that Melba toast was created by Escoffier either as a lower-calorie food for the singer, or as simple fare during a bout of illness in 1897 when she was unable to tolerate richer foodstuffs.

See more foods he named for Nellie Melba at the end of this article.

It is said that César Ritz bestowed the name Melba toast, and put it on the menu.

Since then, manufacturers have marketed Melba toast as a reduced-calorie bread option.

But for those who want to enjoy a piece of Melba toast, modern crostini are a much closer match.
 
 
MELBA TOAST & CROSTINI VS. CRACKERS & CRISPS:
THE DIFFERENCE

Those thin toast points served with caviar, pâté and steak tartare…those crunchy toasts served with cheese…are they Melba toast?

And what do they have to do with biscotti and bruschetta?
 
Melba Toast Vs. Crostini

These two are very similar. Both are cut from a loaf of bread and toasted. However:

 
Melba Toast Vs. Crackers/Crisps/Toasts

In the U.S., makers of artisan crackers sometimes call them crisps, to sound more elegant. That works in the U.S., but in the U.K., crisps are potato chips.

 
Bruschetta Vs. Crostini

 
Melba Toast Vs. Biscotti/Rusks

What about savory biscotti?

 
 
WAYS TO SERVE MELBA TOAST

Whatever you call them, serve them:

 
Are you ready to toast your own?
 

RECIPE: MELBA TOAST

Melba toast is made by lightly toasting thin slices of bread in an oven or under a grill (no grill marks!), on both sides.

The thin slices are then returned to the heat with the untoasted sides towards the heat source.

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 250°F. Remove the crust from the loaf. You can save them and turn them into parmesan crisps, or let them dry out overnight and pulse (or use other technique) to make bread crumbs.

2. DECIDE on your toasting technique. (a) Cut the loaf into sections 3 inches thick. Cut each chunk into triangles, then cut each triangle into three or more thin slices. (b) Lightly toast thick slices of bread. While still hot, slice horizontally into two; then create triangles or rectangles as you prefer.

3. PLACE on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Toast bread in the oven, flipping slices halfway through, until dry, about 2 hours. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning.

4. COOL thoroughly. Then store in an airtight container.
 

MORE FOODS NAMED FOR NELLIE MELBA

Escoffier created four foods in total, in Melba’s honor. In addition to Melba toast, there are:

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Pipérade (French) or piperrada (Spanish) is a French Basque dish made from green bell pepper, garlic, onion and tomato, sautéd together and seasoned with red espelette pepper.

The word derives from piper, the Basque word for pepper. The colors—red, white and green—are those of the Basque flag (said to be a coincidence).

Basque Country straddles the border between France and Spain on the Atlantic coast, Pyrénées-Atlantiques north and south of the Pyrenees Mountains.

The area has a rich culinary heritage, including some 40 Michelin-starred restaurants and a sheep cheese, Ossau-Iraty, named best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Championships in 2011.

Pipérade is a dish from the Northern Basque Country (French Basque Country), which lies entirely within France and known as Pays Basque Français in French.

Pipérade is related to the Provençal ratatouille, which adds zucchini and eggplant to the mix. Both are colorful and versatile dishes that can be enjoyed any time of the day (and are a delicious way to add to your daily vegetable servings).

WAYS TO SERVE PIPERADE

While many of these applications may not be traditional Basque, they show the flexibility of piperade.
 
Pipérade At Breakfast

 
Pipérade At Lunch

 
Pipérade At Dinner

 
________________
*In French Basque cuisine, piment d’espelette with ham is often served over braised chicken.
________________

 
RECIPE: PIPERADE

When bell peppers are on sale, we load up and make a batch of pipérade (it can be frozen). We’re flexible on the color of the bell peppers (in fact, we prefer a mix of colors ).

While waiting for summer tomatoes (and after they’re gone), we use whole canned San Marzano† tomatoes instead of the bland plum tomatoes in the market. Drain them, but save the juice and drink it, plain or with a splash of gin.

We adapted this recipe from one by Chef Aida Mollenkamp. She peels the tomatoes. We’re lazy and often skip this step (and usually use use the peeled, canned San Marzano tomatoes, anyway).

[1] Pipérade crostini (here’s the recipe from The New York Times, and another recipe for piperade with Arctic char). [2] Eggs poached in pipérade, shakshouka-style (here’s the recipe from Au Petit Gout). [3] Chicken with pipérade, a basque classic (here’s the recipe Williams-Sonoma). [4] Sirloin with pipérade and arugula pesto (photo from Sun Basket meal delivery service).

[5] Fresh espelette peppers in the marketplace (photo courtesy Lurrak). [6] Ground espelette pepper, used in recipes (photo courtesy La Maison du Piment).

Ingredients

________________

†The San Marzano is an heirloom variety of plum tomato, originally planted in the town of the same name at the base of Mount Vesuvius, near Naples. The volcanic soil and sunny climate grow tomatoes that are among the most sought-after on earth, with remarkable, sweet, intense tomato flavor. The canned variety are also delicious.

‡Bayonne ham is a cured ham from the French Basque country. If you can’t find it, substitute prosciutto or other ham.
________________

Preparation

1. PEEL the fresh tomatoes. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl halfway with ice and water. Using the tip of a knife, remove the stem and cut a shallow X-shape into the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch until the skin just starts to pucker and loosen, about 10 seconds. Drain and immediately immerse the tomatoes in the ice water bath. Using a small knife, peel the loosened skin and cut each tomato in half. With a small spoon, scrape out any seeds, then core and coarsely chop the remaining flesh. Set aside.

3. RETURN the pan to the heat, add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, and, once heated, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring a few times, until soft and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Stir in the herbs and bell pepper slices and season well with salt. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until the peppers are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.

4. STIR in the diced tomatoes, browned ham, and piment d’Espelette, and season with salt to taste. Cook uncovered until the mixture melds and the juices have slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
 
THE ESPELETTE PEPPER
The espelette pepper, called piment d’espelette in French and ezpeletako biperra in Basque, is a variety of species Capsicum annuum that is cultivated in the French commune of Espelette in the Northern Basque Country (Pays Basque Français).

Chiles, which are native to Central and South America, were brought to France in the 16th century. It is believed that the chiles were introduced into the Basque Nive Valley in 1523 by Gonzalo Percaztegi, a navigator who voyaged with Christopher Columbus (who brought chiles to Spain in 1494). It became popular as a condiment and is now a staple of Basque cuisine, where it has gradually replaced black pepper.
This pepper has only a maximum of 4,000 SHUs on the Scoville Scale and is therefore considered only mildly hot—at the level of cayenne and Louisiana hot sauce.

Espelette pepper can be purchased as fresh or dried whole peppers (photo #5), as ground pepper (photo #6), as purée in jars or pickled in jars. For fresh espelette, look for non-AOC espelette peppers grown in California.

Growing in French soil, its unique qualities have earned it AOC and APO classifications. An annual pepper festival organized by Confrérie du Piment d’Espelette, held the last weekend in October since 1968, attracts some 20,000 tourists [source].

If you can’t find it, substitute hot paprika or cayenne.

See the different types of chiles in our Chile Glossary.

Fresh-harvested domestic asparagus is as flavorful and affordable as it gets.

Bonus: asparagus has just three calories per medium spear, and contains no fat or cholesterol.

It’s also nutritious:

 
The season runs through June, so dig in. May is National Asparagus Month.

> Check out the delicious asparagus recipes below.

> Also below, tips on purchasing and preparing asparagus.
 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ASPARAGUS

Asparagus officinalis was first cultivated more than 5,000 years ago in the eastern Mediterranean region. The oldest reference shows the spring vegetable on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 B.C.E.

 
Asparagus is a perennial plant, raised in furrowed fields. It takes about three years before the plants produce spears that can be harvested. The spears are cut by hand when they reach about 9 inches in length.

The delicate asparagus plant needs a temperate climate and requires much hand labor in all phases of cultivation; hence, their higher cost.

White Asparagus, Purple Asparagus

White asparagus is a special treatment of conventional asparagus, grown for its color.

The spears must be grown under a layer of topsoil or in the dark without exposure to sunlight. Light would engender photosynthesis and the development of green chlorophyll. The growing technique was developed in France in the mid-1600s.

If you come across fresh white asparagus and want to see if the extra cost is worth it, steam them with a bit of salt and taste their nuances before adding butter or another ingredient. You may or may not find a difference worth the money. Never buy bland, canned white asparagus.

Here’s more about white asparagus as well as purple asparagus, a breed that is larger, sweeter and tastier than the conventional green types of asparagus.

Purple asparagus was originally developed in Italy by farmers in the Albenga region of the Italian Riviera. It was first commercialized under the variety name Violetto d’Albenga.

Purple asparagus retains its color if cooked briefly (blanching, quick sauteing), but reverts ti green with prolonged cooking.
 
 
ASPARAGUS PURCHASE & PREPARATION

Buying Asparagus

Look for firm stalks of uniform width and a minimum amount of woodiness at the end. It doesn’t matter if they’re thick or slender: both are equally tender. But you need uniformity of size to cook them evenly.

The tips should be tightly closed. Once they begin to separate, it means that the asparagus is older and won’t have the best fresh flavor. If your tips have begun to wilt, soak the spears in an ice bath before cooking.

Vegetables wilt when they dry out. You can restore the moisture with an ice bath: Fill a bowl with water with ice cubes. Add the vegetables (cut as you plan to use them) and let them sit for 15 minutes or longer. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on a cloth or paper towel and they’ll be crisp.

Preparing Asparagus

Asparagus can be boiled, grilled, roasted, steamed, tossed into soups and stews, and eaten raw as crudités.

Most cooking instructions tell you to hold a spear of asparagus in both hands and bend it until it snaps at its natural break point (which is 1-2 inches above the base). That produces rough, uneven bottoms.

We simply trim them with a knife as far as the green portion goes.

Other instructions tell you to peel the surface of the bottom quarter if they are woody. We don’t have this problem, even with the thickest asparagus. But if you’ve trimmed the white bottoms and still are concerned about woodiness, here are two options:

[2] Asparagus-Bacon Bundles (this also works with green beans—here’s the recipe from Food NetworkFood Network).

[3] Burrata Salad With Asparagus & Prosciutto at Barbuto | NYC.

[4] Ham & Asparagus Rolls With Blue Cheese (here’s the recipe from Castello USACastello USA).

[5] Asparagus Crostini from Nestle USA | WordPress. Use hummus or bean dip as the base.

Boiled Asparagus: Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then gently tip in your prepped asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes or until the asparagus are bright green and al dente. Take them out and lay it in a single layer to cool. Top with chopped hard boiled eggs and herbs for a light lunch, or puree with a little green garlic for a simple pasta sauce.

Grilled Asparagus: Asparagus will slip through the grill if you don’t use a vegetable basket or skewers. We actually like the skewer technique, which creates a rack of asparagus. Simply skewer four or five medium or thick asparagus together, brush with olive oil, season to taste, and cook on a hot, preheated grill Preheat grill for high heat for 2-3 minutes per side (depending on thickness), or to desired tenderness.

Before you add the oil, however, use the ice bath technique described above. When the asparagus come off the grill, they’ll be moist and crisp.

Raw Asparagus: After trimming, use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin below the spear. We like to slice it thinly on an angle to create ovals, to add to salads and grain bowls, but you can also peel it into delicious ribbons. Reserve the tips of the asparagus and mix them in with the rest!

Roasted Asparagus: Heat the oven to 400°. Toss prepped asparagus on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a glug of olive oil and a large pinch of salt and roast for 5 minutes or so—until crisped at the tips and slightly browned.

Steamed Asparagus: Simply steamed fresh asparagus at peak flavor is so delicious, that we find it needs no embellishment—no salt, balsamic drizzle, butter, lemon juice or another seasoning beyond a pinch of salt. It requires just a quick visit to the vegetable steamer (or microwave) to be ready to eat. (Note: While some people love it, we think that a vertical asparagus steamer is a waste of space.)

But if you do have a bottle of balsamic glaze or balsamic cream, bring it out!
 

[6] Grilled Rack Of Asparagus (here’s the recipe from the California Asparagus Commission).

[7] Linguine With Asparagus and Parma Ham (here’s the recipe from Il Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma).

Enjoy asparagus every meal of the day!
 
Breakfast & Brunch

 
Lunch

 
Dinner

 
First Courses & Sides

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Homemakers were fans, too.

 
The lettuce’s crunch was very popular if bland-tasting (solution: lots of dressing!). The heads kept longer in the fridge, so there was no wilted waste.

Even James Beard was a fan, recommending the crisp texture mixed with other greens.

Then came the California cuisine movement, introducing us to better varieties to eat. Iceberg was mocked for lacking flavor.

Instead, foodies filled their shopping carts with romaine plus arugula and radicchio.

Yet, hardy, crunchy iceberg still accounts for 70% of the lettuces raised in California (down from 80% in the mid-1970s, however). It’s still popular in food service (commercial, institutional), at salad bars, and at casual restaurants.

And thanks to the retro food movement of the past decade, iceberg lettuce has returned to restaurant menus beyond the steakhouse, in the hearts of lettuce salad now known by a trendier name: wedge salad.

Let the wedge salad add fun and crunch to your meals. If you have a daily dinner salad, feature the wedge once a week. Turn it into a DIY salad buffet for family and guests. An ingredients list is below.

Below:

> The history of iceberg lettuce and the wedge salad.

> How to create a wedge salad bar.

> The different types of lettuce.

> The year’s 14 lettuce holidays.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 40+ salad holidays.
 
 
ICEBERG LETTUCE & WEDGE SALAD HISTORY

The crisphead (iceberg) lettuce variety is relatively new in the history of lettuce cultivation (see the different categories of lettuce, below).

Crisphead lettuce was a mutation: A grower discovered a different-looking, sweeter-tasting head of lettuce in his field.

Liking its flavor and superior crispness, he teamed with other growers to breed it to be even better. Thus was born what we today call iceberg lettuce.

The new variety became a top seller and remains so. It was called crisphead, its given varietal name, until the 1920s. It subsequently acquired the name iceberg because of its ability to be transported for long distances when packed on ice.

Before the iceberg named settled in, it was also called cabbage lettuce, for its resemblance to cabbage. In 1894, a Burpee seed catalog exclaimed, “There is no handsomer or more solid Cabbage Lettuce in cultivation.”

Numerous varieties of crisphead were developed, including varieties with reddish leaves tinged with green and varieties with scalloped edges. While they did not enter the mass market, you can still buy the seeds from specialty sellers.

Now about the wedge salad:

[2] BLT and avocado wedge salad with. Here’s the recipe (photo © Applegate Natural & Organic Meats).

[3] While some people use ranch dressing on a wedge salad, the original dressing is blue cheese. Here’s the recipe from Foodie Crush (photo © Foodie Crush).

[5] Boston lettuce, a variety of butterhead lettuce.

[6] Red leaf lettuce, a variety of leaf lettuce.

[7] Romaine lettuce. While second in popularity to iceberg in the U.S., romaine is the winner in almost every nutrient category and has higher levels of vitamin A, K, and folate.

[8] Stem lettuce, also called celtuce (photo © Vaacnee | Amazon).

[9] Summercrisp lettuce varieties (photo © Johnny’s Selected Seeds).

Period cookbooks, newspapers, and culinary reference books date the popularity of iceberg lettuce salads to the 1920s.

But the general consensus is that the wedge salad with creamy dressing became a ubiquitous menu entry in the 1950s. [source]

Who served the first “hearts of lettuce salad,” as it was then called?

Likely it was a steak house, given the popularity of that type of restaurant in the 1950s and the [still] ubiquitous presence on those menus. But as with so many things, we can only give credit to “an unknown cook.”
 
 
DIY WEDGE SALAD BAR

At THE NIBBLE, we’ve added a lot to the simple wedge salad. Call it a DIY, customized, or signature wedge salad, it’s a fun munch.

The Must Haves

 
Nice Additions

 
For A Main Dish

 
Garnishes

 
 
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LETTUCE

There are four basic types of lettuce: butterhead (photo #5), iceberg (photo #5), leaf (photo #6), and romaine (photo #7), along with hundreds of hybrids bred from them.

Iceberg Lettuce: Also known as crisphead lettuce, iceberg is the most popular type of lettuce in the U.S. It’s the crispest and hardiest of lettuce varieties, lasting twice as long in the fridge as long as most other varieties. The downside: It’s not as flavorful or nutritious as other lettuces.

Butterhead Lettuce: Comprising Boston and Bibb Lettuces, these are small, loosely formed heads of soft, supple leaves. Boston is a larger and fluffier head than Bibb; Bibb is the size of a fist, and sweeter than Boston. Both are excellent for lettuce cups. The leaves are sweet and tender. The downside: They’re highly perishable and bruise easily, and are pricier than iceberg and romaine.

Leaf Lettuce: Also known as looseleaf, cutting or bunching lettuce, this category does not form a head. Instead, the leaves branch up from a single stalk. The leaves are very tender and are often seen in baby lettuce blends. The burgundy tint of red leaf lettuce and the spicier, nuttier oak leaf lettuce add charming color to a mixed green salad. The downside: Leaf lettuces are more perishable than head lettuces and wilt easily. They are used mainly for salads.

Romaine Lettuce: Second in crunchiness to iceberg lettuce, romaine, also called cos, is a stalk lettuce that grows in upright stalks. The crunchy center ribs make the leaves sturdy, and they have a pleasant bitterness. Romaine is used mainly for salads and sandwiches, and is the lettuce used in Caesar Salad. When the outer leaves are trimmed, the smaller ones (sold as hearts of romaine) can be used as “boats” to hold protein salads (egg, chicken, tuna, etc.).

Summercrisp Lettuce: Also called Batavian or French crisp lettuce, this variety falls midway between iceberg and leaf lettuces. They are very crisp like romaine, but sweet and juicy, without bitterness (photo #9, below). The shape of the summercrisp plant is initially open, much like a loose-leaf lettuce. It then matures into a heavy, compact bunch or head.

Stem lettuce: Also called celtuce, celery lettuce, asparagus lettuce, or Chinese lettuce (among other names), stem lettuce is grown primarily for its thick stem rather than for its leaves (photo #8). The stalk is used in Asian cooking (primarily Chinese), as well as stewed and creamed dishes. It can also be shaved into ribbons for a salad. In a salad, the leaves are indistinguishable from other lettuce. The stems are traditionally stir-fried in Sichuan cooking. Prized for its woody stem, which looks like a thick asparagus stalk or wasabi root, celtuce has a nutty, cucumber-ish flavor. The stem can grow to 10-12 inches in length.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 14 LETTUCE & RELATED HOLIDAYS

 
Plus:

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Every week new products arrive at THE NIBBLE. Most are good if not noteworthy. Some are so good that they become part of our personal shopping list.

In alphabetical order, here are five favorites of the last few weeks:

1. CAVA GRILL MEDITERRAEAN DIPS & SPREADS

Cava Grill, a casual Mediterranean restaurant chain with locations on the East Coast an California, is now selling a dozen of its popular dips and spreads. You can find them at Whole Foods Markets and other specialty markets (here’s a store locator).

Choose from:

 
One of our favorite light dinners is to serve as many varieties as we want with fresh pita, accompanied by a lettuce salad with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, vinaigrette and chopped fresh herbs; capers and olives optional.

Or, uncork some wine and invite friends and neighbors for a wine break.

See the whole line at Cava.com.
 
 
2. LACTAID MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Ice cream is one of our favorite foods, and every day we bless Lactaid for an excellent (and well-priced) line. Every flavor is a winner.

We recently had our first quart of Lactaid Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, and it’s the best supermarket mint chocolate chip ice cream we can recommend: truly refreshing, with lively mint flavor and toothsome chunks of chocolate.

You don’t have to have lactose sensitivity to enjoy Lactaid dairy products. The cottage cheese, ice cream and milk taste just like any other quality products. (Lactaid dudes: We need cream cheese and sour cream, too.)

The only difference is that a minute amount of lactase, the natural enzyme that helps people digest milk products—is added. You can taste it; no one would know the difference.

Check out the other Lactaid ice cream flavors. Salted Caramel Chip is another must-try.

 
 
3. NESTLÉ DAMAK CHOCOLATE BARS WITH PISTACHIOS

The Damak brand of chocolate was established in Turkey in 1933. Turkey is the world’s third largest producer of pistachio nuts (after Iran and the U.S.), and the bars, in milk or dark chocolate, are packed with the nutritious little nuggets.

The 2.82-ounce square-ish bars are something not readily available in the U.S.: pistachio chocolate bars at the suggested retail price of $2.49. The name, pronounced DUH-mok, is Turkish for “taste.”

Nestlé, which now owns the brand, has committed a million dollars to teach Turkish pistachio farmers more effective agricultural techniques to improve and increase harvests.

See more at NestleDamak.com.
 
 
4. NOOSA YOGHURT

Noosa has been one of our favorite yogurt lines since it first popped up in the U.S. via Australia, where yogurt is spelled with an “h” (see our review).

Each new flavor the brand introduces is better than the last (although the Mexican Chocolate Yoghurt has yet to be topped on our personal list).

New flavors this season:

[1] Cava Grill Mediterranean Dips (photo Cava). [2] Nestle Damak pistachio chocolate bars (photo Nestle). [3] Lactaid Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (photo Lactaid). [4] Nonni’s Limoncello Pistachio Biscotti (photo Nonni’s Foods). [5] Orange-Ginger, one of three new Noosa Yoghurt flavors (photo Noosa).

Nonni’s, the nation’s leading biscotti baker, salutes spring with two new limited-batch flavors.

 
The biscotti are a softer style that are easy on the teeth, and are individually wrapped for grab-and-go.

Check out the entire line at Nonnis.com.