But first:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF SGROPPINO

Sgroppino (sgro-PEA-no), which originated in Venice, is a refreshing, frothy sorbet cocktail: a slushy combination of lemon sorbet, vodka, and prosecco.

It’s served as a digestif (after-dinner drink) or liquid dessert. You don’t want very sweet drinks before a formal European-style dinner, but it works with hot and spicy cuisines. Sgroppino is no sweeter than a frozen Margarita.

Sgroppino was created by an anonymous kitchen servant in 16th-century Venice. At that time, only wealthy households had the means to keep an ice house* and the staff to make sorbet (sorbetto in Italian) by hand.

In the Venetian dialect, the drink is called sgropin from the verb sgropàre, which means to untie a small knot. The reference is to the knots in one’s stomach following the multi-course dinners of the wealthy. A sweet drink was believed to aid in digestion; hence the after-dinner liqueur.

Sgroppino was also served as a palate cleanser† to refresh the taste buds between the fish and meat courses as well. This “intermezzo,” used to cleanse the palate of fish before moving on to meat, is still served at some fine restaurants today.

The classic was made by whisking softened lemon sorbet with prosecco until frothy (it was described as “whipped snow,” although today we call it a slush).

The recipe evolved to include limoncello, sambuca, or vodka. Today it can be both liqueur and vodka.

More modern variations substitute grapefruit, orange, or strawberry sorbetto. If a larger percentage of sorbetto is added, you get a thicker drink.

In its simplest form, it’s a scoop of sorbet topped with Prosecco, or vice versa.

The drink separates if left to stand, so in Italy, the waiter will often prepare the drink at the tableside.
 
 
RECIPE: SGROPPINO, AN ALCOHOLIC LEMON SLUSH

[2] Chef Bikeski adds pomegranate arils for a bit of color.

Ingredients Per Drink

1. WHISK together the sorbet and a splash of prosecco until fully blended, using a cocktail shaker or a stainless steel bowl. Continue whisking while slowly pouring in the vodka and prosecco.

2. If using a liqueur, you can blend it with the vodka or drizzle it, Venice-style, into the center of the glass right before serving.

3. SERVE immediately. The drink will separate as it stands, so provide iced tea spoons or straws so people can re-blend as desired. If you take the modern approach of adding sorbet on top of the alcohol, you save the trouble of whisking!

Some mixologists don’t blend the drink in the first place. Instead, they place the scoop of sorbet on top of the alcohol (see photo #3). So separation is not a bad thing, but a choice.
 
Tips

 
 
ALSO SEE OUR ARTICLE ON ALCOHOLIC SLUSHIES.

*Before refrigeration, only the wealthy could afford to have ice cut from lakes and rivers in the winter and stored in ice houses for summer use. The oldest known ice house, built by a king in Persia, dates from about 1700 B.C.E. Most other people dug ice pits, lined with straw and sawdust as insulation. While commercial refrigeration was available by the late 1800s, the home refrigerator didn’t arrive until 1930. Prior to then, the wealthy as well as the middle class used an insulated metal “ice box,” which held a large block of ice delivered from the “ice man” to keep perishables cold. When the ice melted, it was replaced.

†The tartness and citrus acid of lemon sorbet clear the taste buds. Citric acid elicits salivation, which aids in cleansing the palate. Lemons and limes have the highest level of citric acid, which can constitute as much as .3 mol/L, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. By comparison, grapefruits and oranges have just .005 mol/L (source). Passionfruit also can work. It has 38.7 mg/100g compared to 30 mg/100g (source).

‡“Sherbet champagne” glasses were purportedly designed by Marie Antoinette, who had them molded after the shape of her breasts. Here’s a photo. They are rarely made anymore, as modern knowledge shows that a wide mouth-glass is not appropriate for sparkling wine: It lets the bubbles escape that much more quickly. But if you have these glasses, they’re just fine for serving sorbet, fruit cocktails, and other foods…or sgroppino.
 
 

You can find the following popular Niçoise dishes in restaurants around the U.S., and they’re easy to make at home (except for the truffle omelet, which is easy to make if you can afford the truffles):

 
And then, there’s Salade Niçoise (Niçoise Salad in English).

The classic Salade Niçoise recipe is a composed salad (i.e., not tossed, but placed) of tomatoes, tuna (cooked or canned), hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives and in season, young haricots verts (French green beans). It is served with a Dijon vinaigrette and can be served with or without a bed of salad greens. It is an entrée salad.

Each cook can customize the salad to his or her taste. We’ve included optional extra ingredients below.
 
 
RECIPE: SALADE NIÇOISE

This take on the classic Niçoise salad from McCormick uses two twists: a poached egg and a zesty seasoning blend (the recipe is in the footnote below).
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

For The Dijon Vinaigrette

 
For The Tuna

 
For The Tuna & Salad

[1] A classic Salade Niçoise from French chef François Payard (photo © Payard).
 

[2] McCormick’s version substitutes a poached egg for the traditional hard-boiled (photo © McCormick).

[3] Trending in America: Kale Niçoise (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[4] Deconstructed Niçoise at the Seafire Grill (photo © Seafire Grill).

 
Serve With…

 
________________

*Rouille (roo-EE, the word for rust in French) is a sauce made from olive oil with breadcrumbs, garlic, saffron, and red chiles, which give it the rusty orange color. It is served as a garnish with fish and fish soup and is essential with bouillabaisse, the signature fish stew dish of Marseille.

†McCormick’s spice blend recipe is 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 2 teaspoons grated lime peel, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder. Blend and store tightly capped in the fridge. Makes 2-1/2 tablespoons. Substitute another spice blend or some lemon zest.

[6] Anchovy lovers: layer them on (photo © Flavor Your Life).

1. MAKE the vinaigrette. Place the oil, vinegar, mustard, and sea salt in a blender container; cover. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a small bowl. Stir in the seasoning blend. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. SEASON the tuna with salt and pepper. Coat with the seasoning blend, pressing firmly so the mixture adheres to the tuna. Grill or sear: Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the tuna and sear 1-1/2 to 2 minutes on all sides. Remove the tuna to a plate; set aside to cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. COOK the potatoes. Add them to a large saucepan with simmering salted water to cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain on paper towels to remove the water. Meanwhile…

4. COOK the green beans in a large saucepan of simmering salted water to cover, 3 to 5 minutes or until tender-crisp (don’t overcook). Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well on paper towels. Place in a large bowl with green beans. Add 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.

5. CUT the potatoes in half or quarters, depending on size. Add to a bowl with the green beans.

6. POACH the eggs. Fill a large, deep saucepan with 2 inches of water and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Break 1 egg into a small dish and carefully slide it into the simmering water (bubbles should begin to break the surface of the water). Repeat with the remaining eggs. Poach the eggs for 3 to 5 minutes or until the whites are completely set and the yolks begin to thicken. Carefully remove eggs with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

7. SERVE: Slice the tuna into thin slices. Divide the potato mixture, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives among 6 plates (aim for an attractive presentation). Top each with tuna slices and a poached egg. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the tuna slices. Sprinkle the egg with some additional seasoning blend.

Make it your own with added ingredients or substitutes. Just keep the five basics: tuna, tomato, egg, green beans, and olives, plus the vinaigrette.

Ratatouille (rah-tah-TWEE) is a vegetable side dish that originated in the Provence region of France. The classic recipe consists of sautéed eggplant, onions, tomatoes, yellow squash, zucchini plus garlic and herbs.

It is traditionally summer dish, when tomatoes, zucchini and yellow squash are plentiful and at peak.

Ratatouille is delightfully colorful when you use red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers and tomatoes/cherry tomatoes. To make ratatouille as a side dish, check out this recipe.
 
RECIPE: RATATOUILLE PIZZA

Ingredients For 1 Large Pizza

You can save time by purchasing the dough or a prepared crust (we sure did—and saved half the steps in the preparation). But Lisa, of Flour De Lisa made hers from scratch, using a pizza dough recipe from Bobby Flay. She adapted the ratatouille from Smitten Kitchen; we further adapted it.

This can be a vegan recipe; but we adapted it by adding both ricotta and mozzarella. We put the mozzarella under the vegetables to showcase the colors. We also created a breakfast pizza version by adding eggs, which bake on top of the pizza.

Without the cheese, the recipe is dairy free and low fat. Use a whole wheat crust and skim-milk cheeses and you have a pizza that’s on the “better for you” list.
 
Ingredients For The Dough

 
For The Ratatouille

Slice the vegetables to a width of 1/8 to 1/16th inch.

 
Optional Garnishes

 
For The Optional Cheese Layer

[1] Ratatouille pizza (photo courtesy FlourDeLisa.Wordpress.com).

[2] Bake eggs on top of the pizza, or fry or poach them in a pan to turn a ratatouille side into a main (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers).

[3] Ratatouille (photo © http://www.TheFormerChef.com).

[4] A tian, also from Provence, is another way to enjoy ratatouille ingredients (All-Clad gratin pan photo courtesy Williams-Sonoma).

*You can scatter 10 medium basil leaves or 1/2 cup shredded basil atop the pizza when it comes out of the oven.

†A handful is one of those imprecise measures that says: Use how much you want. More or less of the ingredient is not critical to the recipe’s outcome.
________________
 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pizza dough: Combine 1-3/4 cup flour with the yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the oil and water, i.e. slightly warmer than your body temperature. Mix until the dough starts to form a ball. scraping down the bowl. If the dough is too wet, slowly add more flour. If the dough becomes too dry, slowly add more water.

2. TURN out the dough onto a lightly floured or oiled surface. Knead for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic. When you poke it, the dough should spring back readily; when you hold the ball of between your palms, it should hold its shape. Lightly oil a clean bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Set aside in a warm place to rise for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size. While waiting for the dough to rise…

3. MAKE the ratatouille. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the tomato paste, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, minced garlic, sliced onion and a dash of red pepper flakes on the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch diameter springform pan. Alternatively, you can cook the ratatouille on top of the rolled-out pizza dough, but the vegetables won’t be as tender or flavorful due to the significantly less cooking time.

Optional cooking method: We steamed the vegetables separately to al dente, and then were able to pick them up with fingers and layer them perfectly, as in the photo.

4. LAYER on top of the tomato paste mixture the zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant and bell pepper, alternating the colors. Start with the inside perimeter and move inward. If you have extra vegetables, save them for a salad, omelet, etc. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the assembled ratatouille. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and thyme or rosemary. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes, increasing the temperature of the oven to as high as possible (450°F or 500°F on most ovens) within the last 5-10 minutes. While the ratatouille is baking…

5. TURN back to the pizza dough. When the first rise is completed, turn out the dough onto a large sheet of lightly floured or oiled parchment paper. Punch out the air and form a disk. Roll out the dough into a circle about 10-12 inches in diameter. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

6. MIX the ricotta with the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

7. REMOVE the finished ratatouille from the oven, uncover the pizza dough and place it on a baking sheet. Par bake the pizza dough for a minute or two and remove it from the oven. If using ricotta, spread it over the crust, followed by the mozzarella. If you prefer, use the mozzarella to top the pizza.

8. RELEASE the springform pan carefully—it can be hot! Use one or two spatulas two to gently slide the ratatouille onto the center of the pizza. If you can do it evenly, great. If not, it will still taste delicious. Lightly brush the exposed pizza crust with olive oil.

9. BAKE the pizza for 8-12 minutes, until the pizza crust is a golden brown. Slice and serve.
 
CRISPER VS. CRISPIER

Many people use the adjective crispier when they mean crisp.

 
It’s a small difference, but a difference nevertheless.

Depending on where you reside, you may never have heard of a Cuban Sandwich, called a Cubano in Cuban restaurants. But August 23rd is National Cuban Sandwich Day, honoring a pressed hero-type sandwich that originated in Tampa and traveled to Miami and points beyond. In fact, there’s a rivalry between the two cities over small details (check out this article on NPR.org). Here’s a recipe. You can make it in a panini press, or with two skillets.

National Cuban Sandwich Day even has its own Facebook page.

The annual Cuban Sandwich Festival in Ybor City attracts competitors from around the United States. This year’s winner is from London!

In 2015, participating restaurants joined forces to make a 105-foot-long Cuban Sandwich, the world’s longest. Alas, we could find no photo.

> The history of the sandwich.

> The different types of sandwiches.
 
 
WHAT’S A CUBAN SANDWICH?

The original Cuban sandwich from the Ybor City district of Tampa, Florida is a type of hero sandwich made with glazed ham, shredded roast pork, Swiss cheese, Genoa salami, dill pickle chips and yellow mustard, on Cuban bread.

Cuban bread itself originated in Ybor City, most likely at La Joven Francesca bakery, established by a Sicilian-born baker in 1896 (it closed in 1973 and is now part of a museum). It’s a long, baguette-shaped loaf made with a bit of added fat (photo below).
 
The Beginning

 
Ingredients

 
 
TAMPA VERSUS MIAMI

Tampa and Miami have an ongoing rivalry over the correct ingredients for a Cuban sandwich.

Miami avows that salami should never be used. Plus, Miami-style Cuban sandwiches can be spread with butter!

But there’s no doubt about the original ingredients.

In 2012, the Tampa City Council passed a resolution designating the “Historic Tampa Cuban Sandwich” as the “signature sandwich of the city of Tampa.”

The Council proclaimed that a traditional Tampa Cuban is to include Cuban bread, ham, mojo-spiced pork, Genoa salami, mustard, Swiss cheese, and three pickle chips.
 
Worldwide Demand

 
In fact, London’s Jama Cubana restaurant won first place in The World’s Best Cuban Sandwich category at the 2016 Annual Cuban Sandwich Festival (held in Tampa on March 5th). It too is a newcomer, opened in 2015.
 
 
MEDIANOCHE, THE CUBAN SANDWICH SIBLING

Very similar to the Cuban Sandwich is the Medianoche (“midnight”), which originated in Cuba.

As the name suggests, this sandwich is popular late-night fare, served in Havana’s nightclubs. It contains the same ingredients as the Cuban Sandwich—ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and dill pickles.

However, it is smaller and uses a different bread: rolls made from an egg dough with a bit of sugar (similar to challah but a different shape).

Like the Cuban sandwich, the medianoche is typically warmed in a press.

So warm up the press: Wherever you live, today’s the day to enjoy a Cuban Sandwich.

[1] The Cuban Sandwich: composed but not yet pressed (photo © National Cuban Sandwich Day | Facebook).

[2] The sandwiches are pressed under hot irons. You can use your George Foreman grill or a panini press (photo © Florida Girl Linda C | Flickr.

[3] The crust is now crunchy and the sandwich is ready to enjoy with a cold beer (photo courtesy Columbia Restaurant | Ybor City).

[4] At home, it’s easy to use a panini press (photo © King Arthur Flour).

[5] Cuban bread is a long loaf like a baguette but is doughier and without the crustiness of a French or Italian loaf. Here’s the recipe to bake it at home, from The Stay At Home Chef (photo © The Stay At Home Chef).

[6] The best Cuban Sandwich in the world (2015 winner) is from London’s Jama Cubana restaurant.

[1] Spinach with kiwi, grapes, strawberries and pecans (photo courtesy Pampered Chef). [2] SunGold kiwis from Zespri are sweeter and juicier than green kiwis—and other yellow kiwis, too (photo courtesy Zespri).

We eat green salads, we eat fruit salads. But why don’t we mix them together more often?

We were inspired by this easy recipe from Pampered Chef, which does just that.

A spinach salad with strawberries (and feta) is not news, but it’s a good place to start. This one has some added twists, and there are other fruit and greens combinations below.

 
RECIPE: FRUIT & SPINACH SALAD

Ingredients For 8 One-Cup Servings

For The Salad

 
For The Dressing

1. TOAST the pecans (how to toast nuts). Pampered Chef simply heated them in the microwave without toasting, using a Small Micro-Cooker. Microwave the nuts, uncovered, on HIGH for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely.

2. PLACE the greens in a large serving bowl. Add the fruit and top with the pecans.

3. MAKE the dressing: Combine the ingredients and whisk until well blended. Drizzle ¼ cup (50 ml) over the salad and toss lightly just before serving.
 
SALAD VARIATIONS WITH FRUIT & GREENS

 
Dressing Variations

You can use a standard vinaigrette of oil and vinegar, but fruit and greens salads shine with: