[2] No time to hand-whip cream? Try Reddi-Wip in Original or Chocolate (photo © Reddi Wip).

[3] Red raspberries are in season in summer, but available all year from greenhouses (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Seedless raspberry jam adds to the flavor (photo © Smucker’s).

[5] Slivered almonds (photo © Pear’s Snacks).

[6] Almond extract (photo © McCormick).

[7] Beautiful croissants from a French bakery (photo © La Rose Noire).

August 7th is National Raspberries and Cream Day, and you can start the day with raspberries and cream…or end it with raspberry ice cream, made by mixing fres or frozen raspberries into vanilla ice cream.

While a bowl of fresh raspberries and cream is always a delight, we typically make these Raspberries and Cream Croissants (recipe below) for breakfast.

 
The first time we made this recipe, we used hand-whipped cream; the texture is just perfect for spreading.

This morning, hungry for breakfast, we defaulted to a hack: Reddi-Wip.

In fact, we had a can of Original Reddi-Wip and a can of Chocolate Reddi-Wip. We had two croissants; both were delish. And we admit to adding some chocolate chips with both.

The winner, however, was rich, sumptuous mascarpone with raspberries—kind of like raspberry cheesecake.

Look ahead: regular National Croissant Day is January 30th.

> The year’s 7 raspberry holidays are below.

> The year’s 80 fruit holidays.

> The history of raspberries.
 
> The history of croissants.

> The history of raspberries is below.

> Also below, 25 more raspberry recipes—sweet, savory, and beverages.
 
 
RECIPE: RASPBERRIES & CREAM CROISSANTS (OR BAGELS)

If you prefer, substitute bagels and switch the whipped cream for whipped cream cheese.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX the whipped cream and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Gently fold in the raspberry jam until slightly marbled.

2. SLICE the croissants horizontally and generously spread with the cream. Top with the fresh raspberries and a scattering of slivered almonds and optional chips.

TIP: If the raspberries are too plump such that you can’t easily eat the croissant, first cut them in half.

We adapted this recipe from TruWhip, a dairy-free whipped topping.
 
 
NO FRESH RASPBERRIES? NO WHIPPED CREAM?

Try these variations:

 
 
NO RASPBERRY JAM?

Fold the puréed raspberries into the whipped cream, skip the jam, or use another fruit jam.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF RASPBERRIES

It is believed that red raspberries originated in Turkey and spread throughout Mediterranean Europe.

Records of raspberry domestication are found in the 4th-century writings of Palladius, a Roman agriculturist, and seeds have been discovered at Roman forts in Britain (Romans planted Mediterranean fruits throughout their Empire).

In Medieval Europe, wild berries were considered both medicinal and utilitarian. Their juices were used in paintings and illuminated manuscripts.

At first, raspberries were a food of the rich. King Edward I (1272 – 1307) called for the broader cultivation of berries. By the 17th century, British gardens “were rich with berries and berry bushes” [source]. By the 18th century, berry cultivation practices had spread throughout Europe.

Over time, superior strains were bred into the plants that we know today.

Explorers and settlers in North America found Native Americans eating a wild black raspberry: firmer, but not as sweet as the red raspberry of Europe, and with more seeds. They planted the red raspberry seeds they brought from Europe.

 
Today, 90% of U.S. raspberries are grown in California, Oregon, and Washington. Washington accounts for over 70% of the U.S. production of frozen red raspberries.

Raspberry’s name may derive from the Middle English raspise, a sweet rose-colored wine, or from raspoie, meaning “thicket,” of Germanic origin. Or, it may come from the old English rasp (a coarse file), referring to the berry’s rough surface [source].
 
 
THE YEAR’S 7 RASPBERRY HOLIDAYS

 
 
25 MORE RASPBERRY RECIPES

Sweet Raspberry Recipes

 
 
Savory Raspberry Recipes

 
 
Raspberry Beverage Recipes

 
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*You can use plain or sweetened yogurt, cottage cheese, or whipped cream cheese, for example.

†This includes cheesecake!
 

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For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, make a frittata (free-TA-ta).

A frittata is an Italian-style omelet, set in the frying pan in the oven*—no folding required. We’ve been making them for years, because our omelets never looked neat enough and we had no patience to work on our technique.

 
WHAT TO PUT IN A FRITTATA

Sometimes we add so many vegetables that we end up with “veggies bound with some egg.” You can add anything else you have, from beans to leftover grains and potatoes.

There are countless frittata recipes online, with oven, stovetop or stovetop/broiler cooking techniques. We prefer the oven—it’s the easiest for us—but try them all to see which works best for you.

Consider:

 
National Farmers Market Week begins tomorrow, so head for yours and make a selection.

 
 
RECIPE: KITCHEN SINK FRITTATA

This “kitchen sink” frittata shows that you can take whatever you have in the fridge or pantry and toss it together for delicious results. We once had a “Surprise BYO” brunch with friends; everyone brought a favorite ingredient (we had extra ingredients in the fridge in case everyone brought the same thing).

If you don’t have or like any of the ingredients, substitute what you do have.

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Plus

[1] Use boiled potatoes and sausage for this family favorite. Here’s the recipe from Applegate.

[2] You can top a frittata with fresh veggies, including avocado (photo © Avocados From Mexico).

[3] You can put anything into a frittata. This “kitchen sink” recipe is below (photo © Good Eggs).

*You can also use the stove top and broiler, but in the oven no flipping is required.

†Try any blend: avocado, asparagus, bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, chard, eggplant, kale, mushrooms, onion/leek/green onion, potatoes (boiled/roasted), spinach, zucchini and so on.
_______________________
 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Beat together the eggs and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Add the feta and whisk together.

2. HEAT the olive oil in a 6” cast iron pan. When hot, add the garlic and onions and cook until they start to color, about 3 minutes. Add the corn, tomatoes, and basil. Lower the heat to medium and cook together for about 5 minutes until the onions are how you like them. Then scrape the contents into a bowl and let cool.

3. REGREASE the bottom and sides of the pan. Mix the egg mixture with the corn and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake until the center of the frittata is just set and no longer jiggling, about 15 to 20 minutes.
 
 

[1] One of the top rum the top rum drinks, the Daiquiri, invented by an American engineer in Cuba (photo © TemperedSpirits.com).

[2] The Dark & Stormy, made with dark rum (photo © Hyatt Regency| LA).

[3] Our favorite rum cocktail is the Banana Daiquiri. Here’s a recipe from CookingWithCurls.com*.

[4] The Sidecar. Does anyone today know what a sidecar is? It’s a one-wheeled attachment to a motorcycle that enables a second person to ride. The story is that the drink was named after the sidecar in which a customer customarily was driven to and from the little bistro where the drink was born (source) (photo © Adam Jaime | Unsplash).

August 16th is National Rum Day. This year it’s on a Tuesday, but that’s not stopping us from enjoying some of the top rum cocktails.

We’re having a rum cocktail party the weekend before and the weekend after, to try and compare as many rum drinks as we can.

If you like this idea, here are the top rum cocktails (although there are scores and scores of them).

Since rum is distilled from sugar cane (actually, the molasses left over from refining the cane juice into sugar crystals), it’s not surprising that these are sweet drinks.

All have added sugar and many have variations (e.g. Banana Daiquiri, Pomegranate Mojito).

All have their traditional garnishes, from lime wedges and mint sprigs to a pineapple wedge and gardenia†.

For your consideration, here are recipes for the top rum cocktails (don’t get mad if some links make you sign into the website, to verify that you are 21 or older).

> The history of rum.
 
 
THE MOST POPULAR RUM COCKTAILS

 
…not to mention the Bahama Mama, Beach Bum, Brass Monkey, Bushwacker, Flaming Volcano.
 
You could have a cocktail party that just includes rum drinks with evocative names!

FINAL TIP: Drink responsibly, unless you’re hosting a sleepover party. And even then.
 
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*BANANA DAIQUIRI RECIPE: Here’s our own recipe per drink, from a bartender we met in the Caribbean way back during Spring Break: Toss in the blender 1 very ripe banana, 3 tablespoons ounces white rum, 2 tablespoons banana liqueur (it delivers a richer banana flavor), 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice.

Some people toss cracked ice into the blender to make it a frozen drink. Either way, it’s delicious.

†THE SCORPION: As far as anyone can tell, the Scorpion was first served 1930s at a Honolulu bar called The Hut. “Trader Vic” Bergeron (“Trader Vic”) picked up the recipe a decade or so later at his bar in Oakland, California.

He tweaked it a bunch and multiplied it by about four, and thus birthed the Scorpion Bowl, a large-format cocktail now served in Tiki bars and seedy Chinese joints around the world. The Scorpion, when served in a bowl large enough to float the flower.

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August is National Sandwich Month, time to move beyond your standard choices and try something different.

Since August is also National Panini Month, we dragged the panini press out of the closet (no room on the counter!) and invited a group of friends to a “Panini Brunch.” They asked what they could bring, and we told them: whatever you want to drink with your panini.
 
FOR A PANINI BRUNCH

Starting with ciabatta bread, everyone picks his/her sandwich ingredients from a selection of:

 
We added a mixed green salad with a Dijon vinaigrette. For dessert: biscotti and Italian dessert wine (look for Moscato d’Asti or Vin Santo).

 
PANINI HISTORY

A panini press is an electric sandwich grill consisting of two metal plates hinged together. The hot plates are clamped down on a prepared sandwich, pressing it into a dense sandwich while toasting the outsides of the bread with the signature grill marks and warming the filling (in the case of cheese, melting it).

Before sandwich grills, toasters or griddles were used to make toasted sandwiches. Thomas Edison invented an early sandwich grill in the 1920s, but it didn’t take off commercially.

Fast forward: Sandwiches toasted in a panini press became popular in Italian bars and cafés in the 1970s and 1980s. The trend spread internationally, and in another decade, panini presses could be found in appliance departments across the U.S.

The sandwich grill—the panini press is the Italian version— made it possible to brown two slices of bread at the same time.

Panino means “little bread” in Italian, and literally refers to a roll (a “little loaf”). Panino imbottito. “stuffed panino,” refers to the sandwich, but the word panino is also often used alone in context to refer to the sandwich.

In Italian, panino is singular, panini is plural. English speakers adapted the words: panini for singular, panini for plural.
 
PANINI TIPS

 
MORE SANDWICH IDEAS

Don’t want panini? How about:

 
And don’t overlook:

[1] A panino of turkey, cheddar and sliced apple (photo courtesy USApple.org).[2] One of our favorites: turkey, gruyère, caramelized onions and tomato (photo courtesy Rick’s Picks). [3] Grilled veggies (photo courtesy PotsAndPans.com). [4] A panini press (photo courtesy Breville).

What’s your weekend cocktail?

For the next three weeks, when watching the Olympics, it could be the Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. It’s made with the national’s official spirit, cachaça.

In the U.S., cachaça is considered “Brazilian rum,” but don’t call it that in front of a Brazilian!

[1] The national cocktail of Brazil: the Caipirinha (photo courtesy JamieOliver.com). [2] A leading brand of cachaça, Leblon is named after the most affluent neighborhood in Rio.

1. MUDDLE the lime and sugar into glass; then add ice to the top of the glass.

2. ADD the cachaça, stir, garnish and serve.
 
MORE CACHACA RECIPES

 
THE OLD-FASHIONED GLASS

The Old Fashioned glass, also called lowball glass, or rocks glass, is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage with ice cubes (“on the rocks”). It gets its name from the Old Fashioned cocktail, invented in the 1860s in New York City.

Old Fashioned glasses are made with a wide brim and a thick base for muddling (source).

Bottoms up!