[1] Sopa de Fideo, a popular Mexican comfort food (photo © Budget Bytes).

[2] A bowl of plain fideo (photo © Cook Diary).

[3] Barilla makes fideo, as well as Hispanic specialists like Goya (photo © Barilla).

What is fideo (fee-DAY-yo)?

Fideo spaghetti tagliati means fideo-cut spaghetti. Fideo is a Spanish word for noodle, so essentially, the spaghetti is being cut like noodles (i.e., short strands).

The actual pasta used is short-cut vermicelli: thin strands of pasta available in one- or two-inch lengths, depending on manufacturer. Vermicelli is a round strand pasta slightly thinner than spaghetti but thicker than angel hair.

Fideo is popular in Mexican cuisine, where it is also called fidelini (and “Mexican spaghetti” by Americans).

You can also break up your own from spaghetti, vermicelli or other thin strand pasta, including including ribbon (flat) pasta like linguine. Some people prefer the eye appeal of the irregular, hand-broken shapes.

What makes it extra-special in savory recipes is quickly toasting the noodles in a bit of olive oil. It produces a nutty, toasty extra depth of flavor that’s another reason to enjoy fideo.
 
 
WAYS TO USE FIDEO

Fideo is a Mexican comfort food that can be served as a starter or a main dish ingredient. It is perhaps best known as a toasted soup pasta, popular in Sopa de Fideo, a classic bowl of comfort.

As a stand-in for rice, it versatile to be used in anything from fideo “risotto” (recipe below) to fideo “rice pudding.”
What could be more comforting than tomato soup with fideo? Here’s a recipe from. .

 
 
MIX AND MATCH

Put together your own fideo recipe with:

After you pick your ingredients, the recipe cooks quickly:

Preparation

1. HEAT cooking oil in a skillet; when the oil shimmers, add the pasta and stir to coat. Sauté, stirring frequently, until toasted and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

2. ADD the sauce or other base, vegetables, spices and herbs. When all vegetables are cooked to the desired tenderness, add in the cheese.

3. STIR in the cooked protein (cubed, diced, shredded) or use the cooked fideo as a base for the protein.
 
 
RECIPE: FIDEO RISOTTO

“What’s not to love about toasted noodles infused with a pinch of cumin and a hint of rich tomatoes?” asks Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, who developed this recipe.

“Typically served dry as a side dish or flooded with broth as a soup, my preference falls somewhere in between; a thick stew of vegetables and pasta that could be eaten either with a spoon or a fork, depending on how long the noodles are cooked.

“Taking that concept just one step further, you can make a risotto—just without the rice.”

Fideo takes on a uniquely nutty taste thanks to a quick sauté before cooking. Hannah mingles the flavors of roasted peppers, smoked paprika and cumin “to render a wholly warming, revitalizing bowl full of edible comfort” that she finds even more satisfying than a bowl of risotto.

Hannah developed this as a vegan recipe, using nutritional yeast instead of cheese. We added the option of grated parmesan cheese.

 
Preparation

1. PLACE half of the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add in the pasta and stir to coat.

2. SAUTÉ the noodles, stirring frequently, until toasted and golden brown all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the noodles from the pot and set aside.

3. RETURN the pot to the stove and add the remaining oil. Cook the onions and garlic together until softened and aromatic. Introduce the tomatoes and both roasted peppers next, stirring periodically. Continue to cook until the onions are lightly golden.

4. ADD the vegetable broth, tequila, lime juice, nutritional yeast, paprika, and cumin. Bring the liquid to a boil before returning the toasted noodles to the pot. Stir well to incorporate, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low.

5. SIMMER gently until the pasta is tender and the liquid mostly absorbed, 9 to 11 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and add the corn and cilantro.

6. TASTE and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in individual bowls with optional garnish.
 
 
WHAT IS NUTRITIONAL YEAST?

Nutritional yeast is—as the name implies—a form of yeast that can be used on foods and in recipes. It is a vegan product.

It’s an inactive form of the same yeast strain—Saccharomyces cerevisiae—use to leaven bread. It has also been pasteurized to dry out the yeast and concentrate its nutritional benefits.

 
These golden flakes add flavor as nutrition, and are used by people seeking dairy- and cholesterol-free options to conventional cheeses.

You can add savory, cheesy, nutty flavors by sprinkling nutritional yeast on pasta, salads, vegetables and other foods (popcorn, anyone?).

Or use it instead of cheese in cooking and baking.

[4] Fideo risotto from Bittersweet Blog (photo © Bittersweet Blog).

[5] Toasting the fideo is a snap (photo courtesy BudgetBytes.com).

[6] Fusion fideo: Fried shrimp cakes combine Spanish and Japanese concepts, using fideo instead of rice. Here’s the recipe from Chef Ilan Hall on FoodAndWine.com (photo © Food And Wine).

[7] Nutritional yeast. You can buy it locally or online. Bragg’s, is also OU kosher (photo © Bragg’s).

[1] To roast chestnuts, cut an X on the flat side. [2] Chestnut soup, a don’t-miss seasonal treat. [3] Brussels sprouts with roasted chestnuts from MyRecipes.com).

While canned chestnuts, and more recently, ready-to-eat vacuum-bagged chestnuts, can be found year-round, fresh chestnuts season lasts for only about two months.

Now is the time to enjoy their beguiling flavor and nutrients to the fullest extent.

They don’t have to be roasting on an open fire, per our favorite crooner, Nat King Cole. Roast chestnuts (lacking an open fire, we use the oven—here’s how) are a treat, but so are the luscious preparations that follow.

Long before they found their way onto holiday menus, chestnuts, which are tree nuts, were a dietary staple in the mountainous regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Because grains could not grow in those areas, chestnuts were a valuable source of nutrition.

In fact, chestnuts are nutritionally more like a grain than a nut. They are low in protein and fat, but high in starch and fiber. Naturally gluten free, they are the only nut that contains vitamin C.
 
SAVORY CHESTNUT USES

Add diced, halved or whole chestnuts to:

 
SWEET CHESTNUT USES

This recipe is from Mary R. Wendt, MD, author of Waist Away: How to Joyfully Lose Weight and Supercharge Your Life. She is an expert on making the transition to plant-based nutrition.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F. Use a paring knife to score an “X” onto the flat side of each chestnut.

2. ARRANGE the chestnuts in a single layer in a large baking pan, with the X facing up. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the “X” flaps on the shell begin to curl away from the nut. Do not overcook!

3. REMOVE from the heat and partially cool until it’s comfortable to peel away and discard the shells. Chestnuts are easiest to peel when they are warm.

4. WARM the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Brussels sprouts and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.

5. ADD the chestnuts to the skillet and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the Brussels sprouts are very brown. Stir in the salt and pepper and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.

6. GARNISH as desired and serve.
  

To celebrate its Apple Bourbon—available year-round but especially popular in fall recipes—Jim Beam has stepped beyond cocktails to caramel.

Yes, you can dip your caramel apples into an easy homemade caramel that incorporates a cup of Jim Beam Apple Bourbon.

No time to buy Jim Beam Apple Bourbon? Use what you’ve got on hand (including another whiskey or apple liqueur), and pick some up Apple Bourbon when you can. You’ll definitely want to make another batch of these!

The history of candy apples is below.
 
 
RECIPE: BOURBON CARAMEL APPLES

Ingredients For 10 Caramel Apples

 
Preparation

1. COOK the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a large pot over medium-high heat until a light boil begins. Whisk in the half and half and the bourbon and continue to whisk until the caramel sauce reaches 248°F. Remove from the heat.

2. DIP each of the apples into the caramel, coating on all sides. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. If desired, coat apples on all sides with chopped salted peanuts.

3. ALLOW the caramel to cool before serving.
 
 
MORE CANDY APPLE, CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL APPLE RECIPES

 
You can also host a candy apple party!
 
 
CANDY APPLE HISTORY

The practice of coating fruit in sugar syrup dates back to ancient times. In addition to tasting good, honey and sugar were used as preserving agents to keep fruit from rotting.

According to FoodTimeline.org, food historians generally agree that caramel apples (toffee apples) date to the late 19th century.

[1] Jim Beam Bourbon caramel apples (photos #1 and #2 © Beam Suntory).

[2] The caramel is made with Jim Beam Apple Bourbon. You can substitute apple liqueur.

[3] It’s easy to make caramel sauce, and far less expensive than buying it (photo © Julia Khlebnikova | Unsplash).

Red cinnamon-accented candy apples came later. And, while long associated with Halloween, they were originally Christmas fare, not a Halloween confection.

According to articles in the Newark Evening News in 1948 and 1964, the red candy apple was invented in 1908 by William W. Kolb, a local confectioner. Experimenting with red cinnamon candies for Christmas, he dipped apples into the mixture and the modern candy apple was born.

The tasty treat was soon being sold at the Jersey Shore, the circus and then in candy shops nationwide.

[2] Pumpkin mousse cheesecake with pumpkin seed-flour crust (photo © Kenwood World).

[3] Cheesecake with walnut-pumpkin seed crust and a caramel sauce ribbon (photo © King Arthur Flour).

[4] Caramel Apple Cheesecake with gingersnap-pumpkinseed crust (photo courtesy iGourmet).

Go seasonal with pie and cheesecake crusts: Add some pumpkin seeds and add a touch of fall, flavor, crunch, and nutrition.

You can add whole or chopped pumpkin seeds to your regular crusts, be they cookie (chocolate, gingersnap, graham cracker, shortbread), flour (wheat, nut, gluten-free), or another recipe.

Use raw, hulled pumpkin seeds, available in natural food stores and health food stores.

First up is a graham cracker crust with pumpkin seeds, from Executive Chef Matt Greco of The Restaurant at Wente Vineyards in Livermore, California.

Chef Greco initially made this delicious crust for a Black Out Pie, peanut butter, and chocolate. So don’t limit your vista!
 
 
RECIPE #1: GRAHAM CRACKER & PUMPKIN SEED PIE CRUST

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.

2. COMBINE all ingredients except the butter in a bowl. Slowly add enough butter so that the mixture holds its shape when squeezed in your hand.

3. PRESS 3/4 of a cup of the mixture into a pie pan and bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.
 
 
RECIPE #2: GINGER PUMPKIN PIE WITH PUMPKIN SEED CRUST

This recipe is adapted from one by Florence Fabricant in The New York Times. Prep and cook time is 2 hours.
 
Ingredients For 10 Servings

For The Crust

 
For The Filling

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 450°F. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 8 minutes, until you hear them start to pop. Remove from the oven.

2. PULSE 1/2 cup of the pumpkin seeds in a food processor. Mix with the graham cracker crumbs, ground ginger and granulated sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Pat the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch pie pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. BAKE the crust for 15 minutes and remove it from the oven. Reduce the oven heat to 350°F.

4. MIX the pumpkin purée, eggs, egg yolks, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Stir in the crystallized ginger and mix until smooth. Pour into the pre-baked crust and bake for about an hour, until the filling is set.

5. REMOVE the pie from the oven and the scatter remaining pumpkin seeds on top. Cool to room temperature before serving.
 
 
RECIPE #3: CANDIED PUMPKIN SEEDS

How about a garnish of candied pumpkin seeds?

You can sprinkle them on any dessert, or on whipped cream-topped drinks.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment, or spray it with cooking spray.

2. WHISK the egg white until frothy. Place the pumpkin seeds in a small bowl and add just enough egg white to coat the seeds. Add the salt, sugar and cinnamon and toss well to coat.

3. SPREAD the seeds on the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, until they begin to dry and turn golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish just before serving to keep the seeds crisp. If not using that day, store in an airtight jar.
 
 

In just 15 minutes, you can whip up the batter for Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake.

Then, stick it in the fridge, and when you’re preparing for breakfast or brunch this weekend, preheat the oven and take the cake out of the fridge. It will bake in 35 minutes, capping off your repast with warm, fragrant coffee cake.

This recipe, from Go Bold With Butter, is one of those recipes that takes little time to mix.

The quintessential coffee cake is a crumb cake: a yeast cake with a streusel (crumb) topping. This recipe is quicker to make: hold the yeast and the rising time, add the pumpkin and pecans.

 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN PECAN COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients For A 9-Inch Cake
 
For The Cake

 
For The Crumb Topping (Streusel)

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch spring form pan with butter and dust with flour.

2. COMBINE the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. In separate bowl whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin purée and vanilla extract.

3. BEAT the butter and brown sugar on high speed in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until light and creamy. Alternatively, use a hand mixer and a large bowl; beat about 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until just combined. Stir in the pecans.

[1] Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake with a crumb (streusel) topping (photo courtesy Go Bold With Butter). [2] Streusel can be light and airy, as on this crumb-top muffin (photo courtesy Folger’s). [3] By adding more butter, the streusel becomes denser. It’s a personal choice (photo courtesy Bella Baker).

5. BAKE until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the pan sides and cool completely. Store the cake at room temperature for up to 3 days; or freeze leftovers.
 
THE HISTORY OF CRUMB CAKE

Long popular as the topping on Streuselkuchen (streusel cake), Germany’s crumb-topped yeast cake, streusel (pronounced SHTROY-zul) is a topping made from butter, flour and sugar. It can also contain chopped nuts or rolled oats.

The word derives from the German “streuen” (SHTROY-en), meaning to sprinkle or scatter.

The crumb cake is believed to have originated in Silesia, once part of Germany but today in western Poland (if you’ve read James Michener’s historical novel, Poland, you know the borders changed regularly).

The original Streuselkuchen was very flat, with crumbs equal to the height of the cake (think one inch of cake topped with one inch of crumbs). To some streusel lovers, that’s perfection!

The original recipe engendered variations with layers or ribbons of tart fruits (apples, gooseberries, sour cherries, rhubarb) and poppy seeds. Some versions even included pastry cream.

Another popular coffee cake, also a yeast cake (but without crumbs), is glazed with sugar syrup, can be strewn with raisins and nuts and drizzled with royal icing. In our youth, when German emigré bakers plied their craft in New York City and elsewhere, it was as popular as crumb cake (and neater to eat, too).