We [heart] spicy Mayan brownies (photos courtesy The Grommet).

Salt Of The Earth Bakery is an artisanal baked goods company that re-imagines classic treats, by adding finishing salts and exotic spices.

These extras turn the cookies and brownies into decidedly adult fare.

We love brownies—great ones—and are always on the prowl for what’s different and delicious.

Salt Of The Earth Bakery makes five brownie flavors. The one that called out to us was the Mayan, “the brownie that bites you back.”

Seasoned as the original Mayan chocolate was, with cinnamon, and cayenne, it’s topped with Halen Môn (Anglesey), crunchy sea salt flakes.

In the Mayan and later Aztec cultures, chocolate* was only available to the nobility, wealthy merchants and honored warriors.

Unleash your inner warrior and try a few.

Other flavors include:

 
ABOUT SALT OF THE EARTH PRODUCTS

The line is all-natural and certified kosher by OK-D. The chocolate is 100% Fair Trade USA certified chocolate from Guittard.

Salt Of The Earth Bakery is commited to the environment, from sustainable packaging, to recycling to maximizing eco-friendly power sources such as solar and hydro energy.
 
GET YOUR BROWNIES

Three boxes of 2 brownies each (1.6 ounces per brownie) are $15.00 at SaltOfTheEarthBakery.com.

There are also gift packs of brownies and cookies.
 
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*For the first few thousand years of its existence, chocolate was a beverage. Solid chocolate was first created in the 19th century, in Europe. Check out the Chocolate Timeline.

Trouble is, the well known “black” cocktails, like the Black Russian, actually brown.

But there are options, including using the first three ingredients to color any clear spirit (clear liqueurs, gin, tequila, rum, etc.):

 
1. BLACK VODKA

In some parts of the world, people like black vodka, which is colored with black catechu, an extract made from the bark of a southeast Asian acacia tree.

Some are flavored, some aren’t.

The problem is, some brands like Blavod are actually dark brown, not black. Problem #2: You can find black vodkas in Europe and Asia, but not readily in the U.S., unless you’re lucky to track down Blavod, produced in the U.K., and add some black food color.

We’ve seen a photo of a glass of Eristoff vodka, from Russia, which looks pitch black. We haven’t been able to find a photo of Znaps Black Jack.

If you live in a state that is covered by BevMo.com, you can order the Eristoff.
 
2. BLACK SAMBUCA

The good news is, we’ve found ample supplies of black sambuca in the U.S.

Sambuca is an Italian anise-flavored liqueur. The flavor of anise is reminiscent of fennel and licorice.

Fans of these flavors have lots of opportunities to make cocktails black with black sambuca. Try a combination of black vodka and black sambuca!
 
3. BLACK FOOD COLOR.

The best bet is to color your own vodka black.

Before McCormick introduced black food color to consumers in 2007, black was approximated by combining 10 drops each of blue and red food coloring and 8 drops of green food (this is enough to color a 750 ml bottle of clear spirits).

The problem with mixing the three colors in a clear liquid, as opposed to anchoring the color in frosting, is that the colors will precipitate out of the spirit, requiring shaking the bottle before pouring a drink.

Best bet: McCormick black food color. It’s available in supermarkets nationwide, and online.

You can also find professional black gels and pastes at baking supply stores, or online from companies like Wilton.
 
4. SQUID INK

If you have access to a fish market that sells squid ink or sepia ink (the latter from cuttlefish, a different species), you can use it in a Martini or other savory cocktail. Used in moderation, it has a slight salty tasted.

Want to try it? Here’s how.
 
5. BLACK RICE INFUSION

According to an About.com reader, you can infuse black rice into a bottle of vodka and achieve a good black color, with no added taste. Infuse it in a cool dark place for three days or until it achieves the desired color, shaking the bottle once a day. Infuse in a large jar and strain the vodka into a clean bottle.
 
WHEN TO MAKE BLACK COCKTAILS

In addition to Black Friday, you can have fun with black drinks for for:

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*If you’re looking for another occasion to drink, October 19, 1987 saw the collapse of stock prices on Wall Street. The original Black Monday in America was October 28, 1929, when the stock markets began to crash, engendering the Depression. In 1987, the crash began in Hong Kong and spread west to Europe, then to the U.S. There are several other Black Mondays that mark disasters around the world.

[1] This cocktail was made with squid ink. Here’s how from Honestly Yum. [2] Black Jack, a “shooter vodka” made by Znaps in Sweden. [3] Eristoff black vodka from Russia (photo courtesy Bev Mo). [4] McCormick black food color (photo courtesy Love From The Oven). [5] You can also use black sugar or black Hawaiian sea salt to make a rim (photo courtesy Martini Drizly).

[6] Black sambuca is relatively easy to find (photo courtesy Fine Wine House). [7] Great garnish for a black sambuca cocktail: licorice wheels (photo courtesy Smart Candy Shopper). [8] For a creepy garnish, use black licorice shoestrings (photo courtesy Candy Warehouse) as in this cocktail from Freutcake.

RECIPE #1: BLACK MARTINI

Use black vodka in your favorite Martini recipe. Unflavored brands include Blavod, from the U.K., Fruko-Schulz from Czechoslovakia.

If you have a flavored vodka, like Znaps Black Jack, you get a licorice Martini.

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. SHAKE or stir the vodka and liqueur and pour into a rocks glass over ice. Top with whipped cream and other garnishes as desired.
 
RECIPE #3: HARVEST CINNAMON

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. STIR the vodka and liqueur and pour into a rocks glass over ice. Top with whipped cream and other garnishes as desired.
 
RECIPE #r: LICORICE MARTINI

Ingredients Per Drink

1. CREATE a sugar rim on a Martini glass.

2. COMBINE the alcohols in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into the glass.

RECIPE #5: CHERRY MARTINI

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the vodka and juice in a mixing glass with ice. Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

2. GARNISH and serve.
 
RECIPE #6: MIDNIGHT TUTTI FRUTTI

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the alcohol in a mixing glass with ice. Stir with ice and strain into the glass.

2. GARNISH and serve.

When you mix black vodka with orange juice, the drink turns green. Consider it for Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day or the first day of spring.
 
ARTY COCKTAILS

Clever mixologogists layer black vodka with colored mixers for groovy effects. Try it!

With best Thanksgiving wishes for a joyous holiday from all of us at THE NIBBLE.

A THANKSGIVING DINNER
by Maude M. Grant

Take a turkey, stuff it fat,
Some of this and some of that.
Get some turnips, peel them well.
Cook a big squash in its shell.
Now potatoes, big and white,
Mash till they are soft and light.
Cranberries, so tart and sweet,
With the turkey we must eat.
Pickles-yes-and then, oh my!
For a dessert a pumpkin pie,
Golden brown and spicy sweet.
What a fine Thanksgiving treat!
  
  
Maude M. Grant was born in Polk, Missouri in 1880 an spent her entire life there.

Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.

The first official Thanksgiving holiday was November 26, 1863.

[1] Baron Chocolate Bars are made in two sizes and 10 flavors. [2] Everyone’s favorite: chocolate truffles with plain or flavored chocolate centers. [3] Our favorite treat: chocolate-covered gummi bears and [4] worms (all photos courtesy Baron Chocolatier).

After selling chocolate in Europe for 30 years, The Millano Group decided to establish a North American subsidiary—the U.S. is the world’s single largest chocolate market.

Selling private label* chocolates in the U.S. beginning in 2009, it more recently launched its own brand, Baron .

The brand is probably the best quality chocolate we’ve had at such low price points. For consumers looking for the most affordable premium chocolates, take a look at Baron.

All chocolates are made with natural ingredients, GMO-free and certified kosher by Triangle K.

The company makes a larger variety of products than these, but for starters, here’s what most people would like to find under the tree (or on the table or anywhere else).
 
PREMIUM CHOCOLATE BARS

Plain or fancy, there are small bars (1.76 ounces, 50g) and large bars (3.5 ounces, 100g). In addition to plain milk and dark chocolate, there are 8 specialty flavors:

 
PREMIUM CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

The truffles are round balls filled with ganache, plain and flavored, in 5.25-ounce boxes (148 g).
The are made in six flavors:

 
There are also seasonal limited-edition flavors.

CHOCOLATE GUMMIES

As gummi enthusiasts, our personal greatest delight are the milk chocolate-covered gummi bears and gummi worms.

They’re so inexpensive, we bought stocking stuffers for everyone!

Warning: addictive!

Baron is sold at some 80,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and is also available online at Amazon and other e-tailers.

Examples of pricing from Amazon:

 
For chocolate gifting, these prices can’t be beat!

 
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*Private label goods are those made by a manufacturer for a client’s brand name. For example, the foods sold under the Williams-Sonoma brand are manufactured for them by other companies.
 
  

Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, Champagne is a tradition in holiday homes; that is, holiday homes with means.

Champagne, by far the most famous sparkling wine in the world, is in the highest demand. But can only be produced on limited acreage, the region of Champagne, in northeast France.

The worldwide demand for Champagne has been increasing since the 1990s, as affluent consumers in Asia, Russia and elsewhere joined the demands in Europe and North America. Last year, about 312 million bottles were sold.

While that may seem a lot, worldwide, 3.2 billion cases of wine were produced (2013 figures). That’s 38.4 billion bottles (54%, red wine, 37% white, 9% rosé). The number one country for volume of wine purchased is the U.S. See more wine statistics below.

The demand for Champagne and the limited ability to produce more of it has upped the prices. The most affordable bottles are non-vintage Champagnes (blends of juice from multiple grape harvests), which make up the bulk of the market. It isn’t less good than a vintage Champagne; in fact, it best shows off the house style, since vintage Champagne by law can only include grapes from that vintage.

Not all years produce great grapes (not sweet enough, too sweet, etc.), so instead of creating a vintage Champagne, vintners reserve those wines and blend them them to create the precise flavor they seek.

You can buy good nonvintage Champagnes for $35 to $45.00. Our favorites are Louis Roederer’s NV Brut Premier and Champagne Pol Roger Brut Reserve.

Only Champagne connoisseurs—those who drink a lot of it and have the expertise to analyze what they’re drinking—can tell you if a glass of Champagne served blind holds a vintage or a nonvintage.
 
 
HOW ABOUT BUBBLY THAT ISN’T CHAMPAGNE?

By law, only sparkling wines made in the Champagne region can be called Champagne. This AOC designation ensures consumers that the food has been made in its original region, with specified ingredients and traditional techniques. It delivers a taste consistently and true to its nature.

Every other wine that bubbles is called “sparkling wine.”

These other wines offer bubbles at lower prices; and every non-expert wine drinker will be thrilled that its bubbly, from wherever. (Experts also enjoy these other sparklers.)

Head to your nearest wine store and check the prices. Don’t hesitate to ask the clerks for their favorites. Consider:

 
Sweet Sparkling Wines

For dessert, go for a sweeter sparkling wine, such as:

[1] Sparkling wines are made all over the world (photo courtesy Grey Goose). [2] Check out the rosé and red wine bubblies (photo courtesy Ocean Spray). [3] freixenet-cordon-negro (photo courtesy Freixenet). [4] Cava, from Spain, is a popular, affordable sparkler (photo courtesy Food & Wines From Spain).

 
WHO DRINKS ALL THE WINE?

According to International Wine & Spirit Research, Europe and the U.S. consume the most volume, with 2013 statistics showing the big drinkers by volume to be:

 
Per capita wine consumption shows the really big drinkers. In order, they are Italy, France, Switzerrland, Portugal and Austria.

The biggest sparkling wine drinkers are the Germans, who drank 46 million cases of fizz in 2014. France came in second, at 30 million cases; and Russia, traditionally a large market for Champagne since the wine was created†, consumed 26 million cases. The U.S. was fourth, with 18 million cases, and the U.K. fifth, consuming 11 million cases—incredible given the difference in population of the two countries.
 
 
HISTORICAL NOTES ABOUT CHAMPAGNE

The region now called Champagne was settled by the Gauls around 500 B.C.E. When the Roman legions conquered the area in 56 B.C.E., they bestowed upon the land the name Campania (Champagne) because of the similarity between the rolling hills of that area with the Roman (now Italian) province of Campania (the word campania itself means “open country”).

In the Middle Ages Champagne was a duchy, then a country. In 1284, Champagne was brought under French rule when Jeanne, Queen of Navarre and Countess of Champagne, Brie and Bigorre married the future King Philippe IV (she was 11 years old). When Philippe’s father died the following year, Jeanne became Queen of France at age 12.

The wine grapes grown since Roman times were made into still wine†. In the 17th century, the process for making champagne was discovered and the vintners have been making bubbly since then.

The best grapes are grown where a Tertiary period chalk plain overlaps a vast Cretaceous chalk plain that lies underneath the soil layer (it’s the same huge basin that creates the White Cliffs of Dover in England). The chalk provides good drainage and reflects the heat from the sun. The unique terroir creates the unique creamy, toasty flavor of Champagne wines.
 
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†The original wines of Champagne, made since Roman times, were still wines. The first sparkling Champagne was created accidentally, when pressure in the bottles caused the corks to pop and sometimes, the bottles to explode. It was first called “the devil’s wine,” le vin du diable). The technique to master modern Champagne began in the 17th century, with Le Veuve Cliquot, the woman who did it. It was pricey, and became popular with royalty and nobility. The emerging middle class wanted their share, too.