[1] From top clockwise: French Lavender, Washington Cherry and Philippine Coconut. [2] Close-up on coconut. Note the haiku under the top foil. [3] Lemon and strawberry; note the triangular containers (all photos courtesy Liberté).

We have long been enamored with Liberté yogurt, from the moment some 10 years ago that we plucked a few flavors off the shelf of our Whole Foods.

Since then we’ve come to know other artisan brands, from FAGE and Siggi’s to small local brands like Culture and White Moustache.

But in terms of accessibility, year after year we eat more Liberté than anything else.

Liberté USA plans to transition all products to USDA organic-certified. A line of new whole milk yogurt flavors is debuting now at retailers nationwide, for a suggested retail price of $1.89. The eight delicious flavors, sundae-style (fruit on the bottom) include:

 
The elgant triangular containers are new to us, and we enjoyed the haiku under each lid.

The line is rBST/rBGH-free and certified kosher by OK.

 
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE? HAVE A TASTING!

Have a yogurt tasting. Compare four or more brands to see which one(s) you truly like best.

One 6-ounce container allows four people to have a heaping spoonful, plus enough left over to re-taste and compare.

The ideal way to do this is in a blind taste test, trying the same flavor of each brand. Strawberry is a best bet, but survey the options for flavors-in-common.

With wine, you simply put a brown bag around the bottle. Yogurt requires a bit more work. You can cut and cover the containers with brown paper, or mark the names on the bottom of bowls and scoop the appropriate brand into each bowl.

We did the latter, spring for two containers of each of five brands and making it part of a small brunch party.

Did Liberté come out on top?

We’ll only say this: Different tasters prefer different tastes. Do your own test!

Check out these and other good-to-know yogurt terms in our Yogurt Glossary.

 
________________
*We to wonder why Lemon is left without a modifier.

†The Sweet Cream flavor is not flavored with vanilla, but has a slight sweetness that reminds us of some quarks and fromage blancs. We liked it very much, although it is quite different from the fruit flavors.
  

Why do so many American households make macaroni and cheese?

It’s easy, cheap, fast (9 minutes!) comfort food—at least in modern packaged form. But in the many centuries before boxed mac & cheese, it was as laborious as most other cooking.

THE HISTORY OF MACARONI & CHEESE

The first written known record of pasta and cheese casseroles dates to medieval cookbooks of the 14th century.

The first modern recipe for the dish was published in Britain, in Elizabeth Raffald’s 1769 book, The Experienced English Housekeeper.

Raffald’s recipe calls for a mornay sauce—a secondary mother sauce that’s a béchamel sauce with cheese—in this case, cheddar cheese. The sauce is mixed with cooked macaroni, sprinkled with parmesan, and baked until golden.

The recipe from scratch requires cooked macaroni (now referred to by its Italian name, pasta); plus milk, butter and flour and cheese to make the cheddar or parmesan sauce.

Almost a century later, in 1861, the popular Victorian cookbook Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management offered two recipes for the dish, one topped with the bread crumbs still used today. Both books are available in reprints: Just click the links.

Thomas Jefferson encountered pasta in Paris while Minister to France (1885 to 1889), and in his travels to Italy. Back in the U.S., he imported both macaroni and parmesan cheese in order to enjoy cheesy macaroni.
 
Mac & Cheese Gets Its Name

The first recipe called “macaroni and cheese” was published in the U.S. in 1824, in Mary Randolph’s influential cookbook, The Virginia Housewife. More American “macaroni and cheese” recipes followed, in the 1852 Hand-book of Useful Arts, and the 1861 Godey’s Lady’s Book.

By the mid-1880s, midwestern cookbooks included recipes for macaroni and cheese casseroles. Labor-intensive, the dish was enjoyed by the more affluent [source].
 
Mac & Cheese Gets A Box

Once it became available in dry packaged form in the first half of the 20th century, mac and cheese became affordable to the masses—and thus less interesting to the affluent. Launched in 1937 in the midst of the Great Depression, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese advertised that a family of four could eat for 19¢, the price of a box. Consumers bought eight million boxes in the first year [source].

A whopping 50 million boxes were sold during World War II, when meat and dairy were in short supply, and one food ration stamp could be exchanged for two boxes of macaroni and cheese.

Today, the original packaged form is joined by frozen heat-and-eat versions and cheddar cheese sauce is sold in jars. The dish can be cooked on the stovetop, in the oven or in a microwave.

In the United States, July 14th is National Macaroni and Cheese Day. Now that we’re up to date…
 
 
WELCOME, CRACKER BARREL MACARONI & CHEESE

Up-front disclosure: We’re really picky about our food, and have never enjoyed powdered cheese sauce. Our mom made mac and cheese from scratch, grating cheddar, gruyère or parmesan into her béchamel.

She used bricks Cracker Barrel cheddar, her brand of choice. Back then, specialty cheese stores were few and far between; and even today, it’s not easy for many people to find the finest farmhouse (artisan) cheddars (and if you found them, the best use would not be grated into a cheese sauce).

So we were more than interested to see what Cracker Barrel would present as a packaged mac and cheese.

It’s the cheese that makes the biggest difference in preparations, and Cracker Barrel does not disappoint. Its cheese sauce is not mixed from powder, but is ready to eat, squeezed from a package onto the cooked elbow macaroni.

Smooth, creamy and full of flavor, it has a distinctively superior taste, creating what you’d expect from a casual restaurant instead of a boxed product.

[1] A bread crumb topping was suggested in Mrs. Beeton’s 1861 cookbook. [2] Sneaking in broccoli and riced cauliflower. [3] Go upscale with added shellfish; here, lobster (photo courtesy Blake’s). [4] BLT mac & cheese (photo courtesy WMMB). [5] The best boxed mac and cheese, new from Cracker Barrel.

People with sophisticated palates will notice the quality. Yet, the price is not much more than other boxed meals.

There are four varieties of Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese, featuring different cheese options:

 
You can dress up the dish with anything you like. We enjoy it plain with fresh-cracked pepper and some grated parmesan, but also loved:

 
DOES MAC & CHEESE REQUIRE ELBOW MACARONI?

No: You can use any pasta. Elbow macaroni most likely became the standard because it was easy for children to eat with a spoon.

We heard one of our favorite chefs—Gordon Ramsay—chew out a chef on TV for making mac and cheese with penne, insisting that it must be made with elbows.

Not so, chef!

[1] Today’s pick: Ancho Reyes chile liqueur (photo © Ancho Reyes).

[2] Casa Noble reposado and blanco tequilas. Mix reposado with the liqueur in the cocktail below (photos #3 and #4 © Casa Noble Tequila).

[3] Combine them to make this delicious cocktail.

Because it’s Mexican Independence Day.

In the U.S., the holiday Americans celebrate is Cinco de Mayo. But Cinco de Mayo is a minor holiday in Mexico. More Americans celebrate it than Mexicans!

Here’s the scoop on Mexican Independence Day, commemorating the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence from Spanish colonial rule in 1810—the biggest holiday celebration in Mexico.

Why do Americans celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

The date commemorates the Mexican Army’s victory over superior French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is celebrated locally in the city and state of Puebla, in south-central Mexico.

A relatively minor holiday in Mexico, in the U.S. Cinco de Mayo has taken on a life of its own. It has evolved into a celebration of Mexican culture, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations, and many non-Mexican fans of the cuisine. Here’s more on the holiday.

So what’s today’s tip?

Celebrate with some chile-infused liqueur.

There’s a second recipe below to make your own chile-infused tequila.

 
 
ANCHO REYES LIQUEUR

In 1927, the Reyes family of Puebla, Mexico made a homemade liqueur from the area’s ample ancho chile crop. Fortunately, they decided to make it commercially.

We love its smoky heat, for mixing, sipping neat, in marinades, or for drizzling over lemon or lime sorbet.

It’s not simple, sweet heat: Beyond the smoky chile are notes of cinnamon, cocoa, herbs, and tamarind (maybe more depending on the sensitivity of your palate).

Here’s a detailed story in pictures of how the chiles are grown and infused to become Ancho Reyes.

We’ve seen it on Wine-Tracker from $29.99 to a high of $48.99.
 
 
RECIPE: IN NOBLE FASHION (TEQUILA & ANCHO CHILE LIQUEUR)

We really enjoyed this cocktail from Casa Noble Tequila (here are more recipes).

The recipe specifies reposado tequila, slightly aged (a minimum of two months by law): Casa Noble reposed is matured in French white oak barrels for 364 days!

We had only silver/blanco, but it was delicious just the same. (Here are the different types of tequila.)
 
Ingredients

Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients—except the garnish and ice—in a mixing glass. Stir and strain the drink into a glass over ice.

2. SQUEEZE the orange peel into the glass; then rub the inside of the peel around rim and drop into the glass.
 
FIND MORE COCKTAILS FOR ANCHO CHILE LIQUEUR AT ANCHOREYES.COM.

Here’s an Ancho Reyes cocktail we published, featuring grilled pineapple.

While not an exhaustive list, we found these products at retailers:

 
 
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CHILE-INFUSED TEQUILA

You can infuse tequila or vodka (or any other spirit) with fresh chiles. The spirit adds more heat to Margaritas and Bloody Marys (and the tequila-based Bloody Maria and Chipotle Maria.

You can also cook with infused spirits. Just search online for “cooking with tequila” (or vodka) and you’ll find everything from salad dressing and marinades to pasta sauce and tequila-lime sorbet.

You can use any type of chile; habaneros will give more heat than jalapeños (check the Scoville Heat Units. For a smoky flavor, chose ancho or chipotle.

Try three chiles your first time out. If you want more heat when you taste it after 3-4 weeks, you can add more chiles and infuse for another 3-4 weeks (or just use more chiles next time).

Here’s our glossary of the different types of chiles.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WASH the chiles, pat dry, slit lengthwise and insert into the bottle of tequila.

2. CAP the bottle tightly and place it in a cool (away from a heat source), dark place for 3 weeks. Taste and if you want more chile flavor, infuse for another 1-2 weeks.

3. KEEP or strain the chiles from the bottle, depending on how you like the look.

[4] An ancho chile, used to infuse the alcohol base of Ancho Reyes chile liqueur (photo © CulinaryArts.About.com).

[5] It’s easy to infuse your own favorite chiles into tequila or vodka. This photo shows how Foodie Misadventures did it (photo © Foodie Misadventures).

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[2] Plated with a butter lettuce salad (recipes below).

[3] With kale and baby potatoes (photos #1, #2 and #3 © Good Eggs).

We adore complicated recipes in the right hands. When we dine out, it is usually to have food from gifted chefs whose technique to make it surpasses anything we could hope to achieve.

But at home, we tend to keep things simple. The best ingredients, simply prepared to show them off, create the best meals.

While many people say they can’t cook fish well, baking it is pretty fool-proof (as it is tossing a marinated fish on the grill, if you have one).

This easy recipe from Good Eggs, bakes the salmon in a slow oven (see the chart below), to “gently coax out the salmon’s delicate flavor.”

Add a simple green salad and a steamed fresh vegetable and you’ve got a delicious dinner. Everything will be ready in 35 minutes.

Where would we be without our ovens? The history of the oven is below.
 
WINE PAIRINGS FOR BAKED OR POACHED SALMON

The best wine pairings are chosen by preparation, not by ingredient. A classic wine pairing for salmon baked in butter sauce is Chardonnay/White Burgundy. You can also serve rosé or a sparkling wine.

We served a luscious Pinot Gris* from our favorite Alsatian producer, Zindt-Humbrecht, and a Grüner Veltliner (a superb Austrian white) from Pichler. Sauvignon Blanc is another favorite.

Red wine is typically paired with a meatier preparation, such as grilled or blackened salmon. But if you only drink red, a light Pinot Noir/Red Burgundy, Gamay/Beaujolais, or Valpolicella Classico will work.

National Salmon Day is October 8th and National Bagel And Lox Day is February 9th.

> Check out more salmon holidays below.

The recipe follows. Elsewhere on The Nibble, check out:

> The year’s 56 fish and seafood holidays.

> The different types of fish and seafood: a photo glossary.
 
 
RECIPE: BAKED SALMON IN HERB BUTTER

Ingredients For 2-3 Servings

 
For The Salad

*Pinot Gris is a white wine grape now planted around the world, but originally known by the wines from Alsace, France. Pinot Grigio is Italian for the same grape. Pinot Blanc is very similar: Both grapes (Pinot Gris/Grigio and Pinot Blanc) are mutations of Pinot Noir. Alsatian Pinot Gris tends to be a more finely crafted wine. While there are fine Pinot Grigios, much of what is sold in the U.S. is a lighter, mass-market wine.

†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.
________________

1. PREHEAT the oven to 225°F. While it heats, make a simple herb butter by combining the basil leaves with the butter. If you have other herbs in the kitchen—parsley, tarragon, etc.— feel free to add them also.

2. PLACE the salmon fillet(s) on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Season it lightly with salt and pepper, and scoop a few dollops of herb butter over it. Then bake it for about 30 minutes, until it is just barely firm to the touch. While fish bakes…

3. MAKE the salad dressing. Place the onion in a bowl, cover it with the vinegar, and let sit for about 15 minutes. Then whisk in the olive oil with, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. When fish is done…

4. REMOVE the fish from the oven and let it rest for a minute as you make the salad. Toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette, sliced avocado and a few torn basil leaves; serve with a big piece of salmon and a glass of nicely chilled wine.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF OVENS, FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE MICROWAVE & BEYOND

When early man mastered the creation of fire, food was cooked in pits dug into the ground, over flame-heated stones, and then—with the invention of cooking vessels—suspended over fires. Cooking was at best imprecise, but so was all of life back then.

When nomadic man settled into agricultural communities, an outdoor or indoor fireplace could be constructed; an indoor fireplace also provided heat in colder climates. All cooking was still approximate in terms of how large a fire was needed, and how long to cook the food. In those days, food was sustenance rather than cuisine. Fire was used to make tough foods more chewable.

In earlier times before ovens had sophisticated temperature controls, it was a challenge for cooks to make temperature-sensitive recipes. Even in recipes from the early 20th century, you’ll find directions like “cook in a slow oven for 2 hours or until meat is tender.”

Today, ovens have precise temperature controls and those general times have been converted to degrees. For example, a “moderate oven” is 350°F to 375°F.

This history of ovens is adapted from an article in Smithsonian Magazine by Lisa Bramen.

Before ovens, there was cooking over an outdoor fire (think campfire) or an indoor fireplace and chimney with pots suspended over a wood fire.

[4] Slow oven? Fast oven? Here’s what it means (chart courtesy Wikipedia).

[5] After fire was invented, man could have a campfire with a simple spit to hold the food, until flameproof cooking vessels (clay pots) were invented. The oldest pot found is from China and dates to 20,000 B.C.E., at the height of the Ice Age, long before the beginnings of agriculture (photo with a contemporary pot © Tips-For-Camping.com).

[6] An oven in Pompei (photo © TrueBrickOvens.Blogspot.com).

[7] A Victorian cast-iron oven: still wood-fueled, no temperature dials (photo © Telegraph.co.uk).

 
 
THE YEAR’S 10 SALMON & SALMON-RELATED HOLIDAYS

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Pane bianco, a delicious treat at any meal. [2] The award-winning recipe uses unbelted bread flour (photos courtesy King Arthur Flour).

It’s a treat for breakfast, with a light lunch like salad or soup, or with beer, wine and cocktails.

If you serve a bread basket at dinner (or at special dinners), these slices will disappear quickly!

The original recipe, by Dianna Wara of Washington, Illinois, took first place in the first-ever National Festival of Breads.

P.J. Hamel of King Arthur Flour simplified the recipe a bit so that any home baker can make it. She notes, “The unique shape is simple to achieve, and makes an impressive presentation.” Thanks to both ladies for this delicious treat!

The recipe takes 2 hours 40 minutes, because the dough must rise and then bake; but actual prep time is just 30 minutes and the steps are easy.

RECIPE: PANE BIANCO WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES & BASIL

Ingredients For 1 Loaf (About 20 Slices)
 
For The Dough

 
For The Filling

1. MAKE the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients in a bowl (or the bucket of a bread machine). Mix and knead by hand or with a mixer; or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle. You should have a smooth, very soft dough that should stick a bit to the bottom of the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. PLACE the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 45 to 60 minutes, or until it’s doubled in size. Meanwhile…

3. DRAIN the tomatoes thoroughly, patting them dry. Use kitchen shears to cut them into smaller bits.

4. DEFLATE gently deflate the dough. Flatten and pat it into a 22″ x 8 1/2″ rectangle. Spread with the cheese, tomatoes, garlic, and basil.

5. STARTING with one long edge, roll the dough into a log the long way. Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam-side down on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. USING kitchen shears, start 1/2″ from one end and cut the log lengthwise down the center about 1″ deep, to within 1/2″ of the other end.

7. KEEPING the cut side up, form an “S” shape. Tuck both ends under the center of the “S” to form a “figure 8;” pinch the ends together to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, 45 to 60 minutes. While the loaf is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

8. UNCOVER the bread and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it with foil after 20 to 25 minutes to prevent over-browning.

9. REMOVE the bread from the oven, and transfer it to a rack to cool. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store, well-wrapped, at room temperature for a couple of days; freeze for longer storage.

 
BAKING TIPS

[1] Use sundries tomatoes in oil. You can buy plain sundries and marinate them in your own oil (photo courtesy Bella Sun Luci).[2] Use your favorite Italian cheese blend (photo courtesy Sargento).