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, with many more photos and videos.

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 Cuban sandwich follows, along with the amusing tale of how it came to be.

> The history of the sandwich.

> The different types of sandwiches.

> The year’s 27 sandwich holidays.

> The year’s 20 bread holidays.
 
 
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.
 

[8] Tampanians add Genoa salami to their Cubanos (A.I.-generated chart).
 
 
The Holiday Is Invented

National Cuban Sandwich Day was started by Christopher Spata, a Tampa Bay Times staff writer, as a hoax. On August 23, 2016 he declared “National Cuban Sandwich Day” as a tongue-in-cheek experiment to show how easily “national food days” can be fabricated.

He wrote a piece for the paper explaining that he picked August 23rd because it was already National Sponge Cake Day, drafted a press release, launched social pages and a hashtag, and submitted the “holiday” to calendar sites.

He proving that with “$12 and three hours” anyone could establish a holiday. (Editor’s Note: The holiday sites now charge significantly more.)

[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.

[7] The medianoche (“midnight”) sandwich is a smaller variation of the Cubano, popular late-night club fare. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hostess At Heart).

 
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: slightly sweet 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.

And while you’re at it, there’s pan con lechón: Cuban roast pork with mojo*, pickles, and mustard, no ham or cheese.

Outside of Cuba, its closest relative is the Italian muffuletta sandwich, pressed Italian cold cuts and cheese on a sesame loaf. Different flavors, similar stacked/pressed sandwich preparation.

Both the Cubano and the muffuletta fall into that great category, the hero sandwich (also grinder, hoagie, submarine, etc.).

________________
 
*Cuban mojo (mojo criollo) is a garlicky citrus-based marinade/sauce, great for marinating pork (lechón asado) and chicken. It’s also used as a hot garlic-oil pour-over for vegetables or yuca con mojo (boiled cassava, often with sautéed onions)l. You’ll also see yuca frita (boiled then fried cassava sticks) and yuca con mojo served alongside lechón asado.

The marinade is made with sour orange juice (naranja agria), garlic, oregano, ground cumin, salt and pepper, and oil. Onion and bay leaf are options. Some cooks add a splash of vinegar.

Mojo recipe: If you want to make it but can’t access sour orange juice, add 1 part lime juice (e.g. 1/4 cup) to 2 parts orange juice (e.g. 1/2 cup). Then, warm 1/4 cup oil with 6 cloves minced garlic until just fragrant. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 sour orange juice or equivalent plus 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Marinate pork, chicken for 2–4 hours, fish for 20–30 minutes. As a dressing, just heat and pour over hot vegetables or yuca with sautéed onions.
 
 

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

[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:

Then, we remembered that our purpose is to expand your food horizons (and impress your guests), so here goes.

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> Savory ice cream recipes.

> The history of ice cream.
 
 
SAVORY ICE CREAM & HOW TO SERVE IT

Savory ice cream flavored with cheese and/or herbs—no sugar or just a small amount—is not a new concept.

We published a large collection of cheese ice cream recipes 11 years ago, but the savory recipes date to way before that.

You can find recipes for formaggio gelato (cheese ice cream) and formaggio di parmigiano gelato (Parmesan ice cream) in older Italian cookbooks.

It replaced the cheese course at the end of summer lunches, or was cut into slices and served as a first course with ham and hard-boiled eggs.

We have several recipes, below; but the basic Italian recipe is simple:

1. GRATE one pound of Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano (or crumble Gorgonzola; combine with one quart of heavy cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. STIR over a moderate flame until the mixture becomes creamy. This infuses the cream with Parmesan flavor.

3. REMOVE from the heat, cool, strain and process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can freeze the mixture in a container and stir at regular intervals (for a less creamy texture).
 
 
HOW TO SERVE SAVORY ICE CREAM

Use your imagination! For starters:

 
Optional Garnishes

 
 
RECIPE #1: QUICK PARMESAN ICE CREAM BALLS

This recipe is much simpler to make. Use it with cold vegetable soups and the other serving suggestions above.

[2] Cheddar ice cream on an apple crumble. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[3] Avocado ice cream sandwiched by 34 Degrees crisps. (photo © Here’s the recipe photo © Food Flirt).

[4] Dill ice cream cone with smoked salmon topping. Here’s the recipe (photo © Cup Of Sugar Pinch Of Salt).

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the cream in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.

2. STIR in the Parmesan cheese and continue stir until the cheese is melted. Stir in a dash of fresh ground pepper and remove to a small bowl to cool. When cool…

3. PLACE the mixture in a small freezer-proof bowl or plastic container. Cover the container and place it in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

4. SCOOP little balls of the frozen Parmesan ice cream, using a melon baller or a teaspoon. Place a ball of into each bowl of soup just before serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh herb.

[6] Goat cheese ice cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © Charlie Trotter).

[7] Rosemary olive oil ice cream. Here’s the recipe (photo © Local Food Rocks).

 
You can turn any of these recipes into herb ice cream, by substituting fresh herbs for the cheese. Our favorites are basil and rosemary; there’s a recipe right below.
 
Bonus

 
 
RECIPE #2: ROSEMARY ICE CREAM

This recipe is sweetened, but you can reduce the honey to 1/8 or 1/4 of a cup for a more savory ice cream, or add just a tablespoon. You can also substitute basil. If you’d like the herb flavor to be stronger, use more next time.

You can make this recipe up to four days in advance.
 
Ingredients For 1.25 Quarts

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the cream, milk, honey and rosemary in large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until small bubbles form around edges of pan. Remove from the heat; cover and let steep 30 minutes.

2. DISCARD the rosemary and put the pan back on the stove. Bring the contents to a simmer, then remove from the heat.

3. WHISK the egg yolks and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually add the hot cream mixture, whisking until thoroughly combined. (The eggs and cream make this a custard, the style known as French ice cream. See the different types of ice cream.)

4. RETURN the custard to the saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until the custard thickens slightly and coats back of spoon. This should take 4 to 5 minutes and the mixture should register 165°F to 170°F on a thermometer. Do not boil!

5. STRAIN the mixture into a medium bowl. Set the bowl into a larger bowl containing a slurry of ice and water. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. REMOVE the custard bowl from the slurry. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours.

7. TRANSFER the custard to an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the churned ice cream to a container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.

Fruit ices are thousands of years old, dating back to ancient China. But gelato, the first type of ice cream, is comparatively recent.

The original concept, a sherbet-like concoction, came from Northern China in the more than 4,000 years ago, before the 2nd century B.C.E. Snow and saltpeter in a container served as an ancient ice cream maker to freeze ingredients, the snow mixed with fruit juices, honey and aromatic spices.

A modern form of it still exists, called snow cream. You can make it with a fresh batch of snow: Here’s the recipe.
 
Fruit Snow Travels West

Through trade routes, the frozen dessert recipe was introduced to Persia—about 2,500 years ago. The Persians called the frozen concoction sharbat, “fruit ice” in Arabic. We know it as sherbet, sorbet or sorbetto.

Alexander the Great, who battled the Persians for 10 years before finally toppling the Persian Empire in 330 B.C.E., “discovered” the fruit ices and returned to Greece with the knowledge. Within three centuries, Emperor Nero was serving fruit juices mixed with honey and snow at his banquets, dispatching the fastest runners to the mountaintops to bring back the snow.
 
On To Europe

Fruit ice arrived in Europe with the Arab invasions of Sicily in the fifth century. Italian granita was born, flavored with a wide range of fruits including citrus. Coffee ice was also made.

It took until the late 1500’s in Florence, for fruit ice to be adapted to gelato. The original ice cream, gelato was (and is) made with cream and eggs. This combination enables a more intense showcasing of the fruits, nuts and other flavors. (The key differences between gelato and ice cream are less cream/more milk and less air [overrun].)

The invention is credited to Bernardo Buontalenti, a multi-talented genius born Bernardo Delle Girandole (c. 1531 to 1608). Buontalenti, his professional name, means great talent. He was an architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist.

It is believed that he created gelato for a Medici banquet.

Buontalenti, who spent his life in the employ of the Medici family, was, among other things, the impresario of the fabulous Medici banquets. While no historical record exists that names Buontalenti as the creator, he is a likely candidate.

Gelato spread from Italy to the rest of Europe. This is attributed to another Italian, Catarina de’ Medici, who married the future King Henri II of France. (She was only 14 when she married; no wonder she liked ice cream).

Here’s the full history of ice cream, to modern times.
 
 

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

A reader writes: What’s the difference between vanilla and French vanilla? Simply this:

 
Beyond ice cream, French vanilla refers to a vanilla flavor is caramelized, eggy, custard-like.
 
WHAT IS NOT FRENCH VANILLA

As with so many other terms, people misuse “French vanilla,” either through ignorance or for marketing. French vanilla, after all, sounds more exciting than vanilla.

Worse, “plain vanilla” has become an expression for bland and boring, the simplest version of something. It may be “plain vanilla,” but it’s still the most popular ice cream flavor in the U.S.

Products that have co-opted the French vanilla name include coffee creamers, flavored coffees and teas, vanilla-flavored drinks (shakes, lattes) and syrups.

It even extends to aromas, such as French vanilla candles and potpourri.

French vanilla means added eggs, and none of these products contains them.
 
MORE VANILLA FACTS

 
ALSO CHECK OUT:

HISTORY & TYPES OF VANILLA

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ICE CREAM

CHOCTÀL SINGLE ORIGIN ICE CREAM, made in four different vanilla flavors using different vanilla beans, as well as chocolate ice creams made with cacao beans from four different origins

Plus:

[1] Vanilla beans, from a particular orchid, are most often converted into vanilla extract by soaking the seeds in an alcohol base (photo courtesy Natures Flavours). [2] To make French vanilla, egg yolks are required. They blend with the cream to create a custard, which makes the ice cream richer (photo courtesy ANH-USA.org). [3] Flavors called French Vanilla should have egg yolks, as this one does (photo courtesy Dreyers.com). [4] One of many examples where marketing trumps fact (photo courtesy Bigelow).