You may not have great sushi chops—it takes years of training—but you can make a sashimi roll, as long as you have a sharp knife.

What’s a sashimi roll? It’s sashimi ingredients wrapped in another piece of fish, a cucumber wrap, even nori (toasted seaweed). As long as there’s no vinegared (seasoned) rice, it’s not sushi.

Some sushi and sashimi basics:

 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SUSHI & SASHIMI IN OUR PHOTO-PACKED GLOSSARY.
 
WAYS TO SERVE SASHIMI

The slices of raw fish can be:

 
RECIPE: SASHIMI ROLL

We adapted the bottom photo idea from Herringbone restaurant in Santa Monica. That roll mounds albacore tuna sashimi over an avocado half, with a garnish of ginger, tobiko, sambal* and sprouts.

You can use whatever fish looks best in the market, and customize your dish with as many garnishes as you like. They don’t all have to be on top of the sashimi; you cam artistically scatter them around the serving plate.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the salad base. If using an avocado, don’t slice or peel it until you’re ready to plate.

2. DRESS the base with vinaigrette or olive oil and lemon/lime. If using an avocado, place it plate side down and drizzle the dressing over it.

3. MOUND the base onto each plate into an oval. Cover with the sashimi strips. Garnish as desired and serve.
__________________

*Sambal is a hot relish commonly used in Indian and Southeast Asian cooking. There are many varieties, using different fruits or vegetables, different spices, and different levels of heat.

† Basil-, chili-, chive-, citrus- and rosemary-infused oils are all good here.

[1] Sashimi at Haru in New York City, with a naruto roll at the lower right (photo © ).

[2] Naruto roll, with ingredients wrapped in a thin roll of cucumber—at Tamari in Pittsburg (photo © Tamari Restaurant ).

[3] Salmon sashimi roll: crab salad wrapped in a slice of salmon and topped with spicy salmon (photo © Sushi | Portugal).

[4] This Rainbow Roll from Blue Ribbon Sushi in New York City is a sushi roll covered with sashimi, but it’s still sushi, with vinegared rice (photo © Blue Ribbon Sushi).

[5] Fish over a bed of guacamole at Herringbone in La Jolla, California Herringbone Restaurant.

[1] A grilled banana split: no need for a special banana split dish (photo courtesy Pampered Chef). [2] Another presentation from Women’s Day. Here’s their recipe. [3] Fusion food: a grilled banana hot fudge sundae (photo courtesy Weber). [4] The world’s most popular fruit (photo Nathan Ward | SXC)!

Who doesn’t love a banana? It’s the world’s most popular fruit. Some 25 pounds of bananas are consumed per capita each year.

In the U.S., more bananas are consumed than oranges and apples combined! And August 27th is National Banana Lovers Day.

Bananas were introduced to the U.S. in 1880. By 1910, bananas were so popular that cities—which then lacked sanitation systems—had a problem disposing of the banana peels.

People were literally slipping on banana peels that were discarded on sidewalks and streets (a reality appropriated by comedians), leading to injuries. The Boy Scout Handbook recommended picking up banana peels from the street as a Scout’s good deed of the day (source).
 
MORE BANANA TRIVIA

 
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BANANA RECIPE?

Banana Bread? Banana Cream Pie? Banana Daiquiri? Banana French Toast? Banana Ice Cream? Banana Pudding? Peanut Butter and Bananas?

We say YES! to all, but today are focusing on two: the kid favorite Banana Split and the over-21 Bananas Foster.
 
BANANA SPLIT HISTORY

Two towns in the U.S. lay claim as the home of the banana split.

 
Fortunately for the rest of us, the concept spread nationwide, affording all of us the joy of a Banana Split.

RECIPE: GRILLED BANANA SUNDAE

Banana splits are easy to make: Split a ripe banana vertically, place it in a long dish, top with three scoops of ice cream (traditionally vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) and toppings of choice. (You can get Anchor Hocking banana split dishes for about $2 each.)

Here’s a twist: a grilled banana sundae, a cross between the classic and Bananas Foster. In the latter, bananas are caramelized in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon, then topped with dark rum and flambéed, with the bananas and the flaming sauce served over vanilla ice cream.

We’ve included a Bananas Foster recipe below. The recipes are very similar, except that for Bananas Foster, the bananas are sautéed in butter instead of grilled; and alcohol is added to the caramel sauce. The banana is typically sliced in half lengthwise and crosswise.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

1. PREHEAT a grill pan over medium heat for 5 minutes.

2. CUT the bananas in half lengthwise and crosswise for a total of 4 pieces each. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in shallow dish. Gently coat the bananas with the sugar mixture.

3. SPRAY the grill pan lightly with vegetable oil and add the banana pieces, cut sides down. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side or until grill marks appear.

4. SERVE warm with ice cream, ice cream topping and almonds.
 

The original Bananas Foster recipe was created in 1951 by Paul Blangé (1900 to 1977), the Executive Chef at Brennan’s in New Orleans. The dish of sautéed bananas, flambéed and topped with ice cream, was named in honor of Richard Foster, a regular customer and friend of restaurant owner Owen Brennan Sr.

Note that while both the recipes above and the original Bananas Foster cut the bananas into oblong pieces (see photo above), we prefer the round slices of banana, about 3/4-inch thick.

While igniting the dish tableside is dramatic both at a restaurant and at home, it isn’t necessary.

Ingredients For 4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. CUT the bananas in half lengthwise and crosswise for a total of 4 pieces each (alternative: cut 3/4″ rounds; you’ll have more than 4 pieces).

2. MELT the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves (about 2 minutes—this creates a caramel sauce). Add the bananas and cook on both sides until they begin to soften and brown (about 3 minutes).

3. ADD the banana liqueur and stir to blend into the caramel sauce. If you want to flambé, follow the instructions below. However, the drama of the flambé works only if the dish is prepared tableside. Otherwise, the drama is lost in the kitchen (the flame extinguishes quickly).

4. LIFT the bananas carefully from the pan and top the four dishes of ice cream; then spoon the sauce over the ice cream and bananas and serve immediately.
 
TIPS ON HOW TO FLAMBÉ

 
MORE

[1] Bananas Foster at the Bonefish Grill, looking like a more complex Banana Split. [2] It’s harder to sauté a lengthwise half of banana without breaking it. Hence, the suggestion of slicing lengthwise and crosswise (photo Fotolia). [3] This recipe from Taste Of Home slices the bananas into coin shapes (a.k.a. chunks), easier to salute.

Relax with a Banana Colada.

[1] This artisan adult ice pop is made with brandy-soaked cherries. Here’s the recipe (photo © Amarena Fabbri).

[2] Frozen cherry juice ice pops in Tovolo molds.

[3] No ice pop molds? Use 3-ounce paper “bathroom” cups plus wood ice pop sticks or reusable plastic spoons (photo © Jolly Party Store).” target=”_blank”>Jolly Party Store | Amazon).

August 26th is National Cherry Popsicle Day. There are three easy recipes below. But first, a bit of law:

Popsicle® is a registered trademark of Unilever, which owns the brand. Any other frozen juice on a stick is a generic “ice pop.” It’s the same with Fudgsicle® and Creamsicle®.

> Three yummy recipes for making your own cherry ice pops are below.

> The year’s 15+ cherry holidays are below

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> Thirty more delicious cherry recipes.

> The history of cherries.
 
Before we get to the recipes, let’s start with:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE POPSICLE

In 1905, 11-year-old Frank Epperson mixed together a fruit drink (believed to be orange-flavored) from powder and water and inadvertently left it on the porch.

It was an unseasonably cold night in the San Francisco suburbs, and when Frank found his drink the next morning, it was frozen.

He eased the frozen liquid out of the glass and, holding it by the stirrer, ate it. While Frank may have enjoyed his frozen fruit drink over the years, the public story doesn’t continue until 1923.

A 29-year-old husband and father working in the real estate industry, Frank made what he called Epsicles for a fireman’s ball, combining his surname and “icicle.”

They were a sensation, and Frank obtained a patent for “a handled, frozen confection or ice lollipop.” His kids called the treat a Popsicle, after their Pop.

So Frank created the Popsicle Corporation and collaborated with the Loew’s chain of motion picture theaters for the nationwide marketing and sales of the product in movie theaters.

By 1928, Epperson had earned royalties on more than 60 million Popsicles.
 
Popsicles Go Broke

The happy days ended with the Great Depression. In 1929, flat broke, Frank had to liquidate his assets and sold the patent to, and his rights in, the Popsicle Corporation.

Following three more corporate sales over the years, Popsicle® and the other “sicles” are now part of Unilever’s Good Humor Division.

While the record isn’t clear, Frank may also have invented the twin Popsicle, with two sticks. The concept was that it could be broken in half and shared by two children.

Over the years, the Popsicle Corporation continued to create frozen treats on a stick, including:

 
 
READY TO MAKE ICE POPS?

We’ve got three different ways for you to make cherry ice pops. Pick a recipe and get out the ice pop molds.

The first recipe couldn’t be easier: Just freeze cherry juice!
 
 
RECIPE #1: THE EASIEST CHERRY ICE POPS: FROM CHERRY JUICE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. POUR the cherry juice into ice pop molds and freeze for 6 hours. If using inclusions, add them when the juice turns to slush, stirring each mold with a chopstick or other tool to distribute the ingredients.

NOTE: Ice pop molds vary in size, often from 2.5 to 4 ounces, and from 6 to 8 pops. A 32-ounce bottle of juice, or concentrate reconstituted to that amount, should cover all bases.
 
 
RECIPE #2: CHERRY POPS FROM FROZEN CHERRIES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PURÉE the frozen cherries in a blender. Taste and add sugar as desired.

2. ADD the optional mint, process, and pour into ice pop molds.
 
 
RECIPE #3: GREEK YOGURT & CHERRY ICE POPS

This recipe was published with permission from Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sports and Adventure, by Matt Kadey, RD, via ChooseCherries.com.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. STIR together yogurt, honey, and lime zest. In a separate bowl, stir together the cherry juice, lime juice, and mint.

2. SPOON two alternate layers of the yogurt and cherry mixtures into each popsicle mold. Insert the sticks into the molds and freeze until solid, about 6 hours. They will keep in the freezer for 2 months.

3. UNMOLD: Run the mold under warm water for a few seconds, being careful not to thaw the pops.
 
 
THE YEAR’S 15+ CHERRY HOLIDAYS

 
Plus

*The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. is a four-week celebration that has a varying date range each year. The date is tied to the blooming cycle of the cherry trees. The “peak bloom,” when 70% of the trees are flowering, typically occurs in late March to early April. The event commemorates the 1912 gift of cherry trees from Japan.
 
 

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

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.
 
 

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

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.

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