[1] Split the roll, add the hot dog, and bite! Here’s the recipe for pretzel buns (photo © Domestic Gothess).

[2] You can use pretzel hot dog and burger buns for sandwiches, too. You can make the buns or buy them at Eastern Standard Provisions (photo © Eastern Standard Provisions).

Want to be the hostess with the hostess or the host with the most?

Want to give friends and family a memorable hot dog experience?

Want to bring the best gift to a cookout?

Follow the path of the Domestic Gothess, who turned soft pretzel dough into hot dog buns. “They are surprisingly easy to make.” says the Gothess.

Yes, you can buy pretzel rolls at some stores, but these have much more pretzel flavor. They can also be used as sandwich rolls.

Don’t want beer in your bread? Just substitute water for the beer, like conventional soft pretzels.

Here’s the recipe. Ready, set, bake!
 
 
REASONS TO CELEBRATE

> April is National Soft Pretzel Month.

> April 26th is National Pretzel Day.

> July is National Hot Dog Month.

> July is National Pretzel Month per some sources.*

> October is National Pretzel Month per some sources.*

> The history of pretzels.
 
 
________________
 
*National Day Calendar cites April as National Pretzel Month. National Today cites October as National Pretzel Month. It is not uncommon for the same holiday to appear on two or more dates. The reason can be that the U.S. Congress, different states, and different municipalities all can pass a declaration for a holiday. In these lawless Internet times, any person or company can declare a holiday on social media, without any formal body passing a resolution.

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

According to Chalkboard Magazine, a food trend this summer is Coconut Bowls: coconut halves filled with grains, fruits and/or vegetables. The concept was developed by Amazing Bowls, a Los Angeles food truck.
 
WHAT TO SERVE IN COCONUT BOWLS
We’ve been playing with the concept, and have used the bowls for a memorable presentation of conventional foods:

 
CREATE A DIY COCONUT BOWL BAR

For a gathering, set out the coconut halves with the fillings. Aim for a rainbow of colors, from:

[1] Too pretty to eat…almost (photo courtesy Chalkboard Magazine). [2] Crack open the coconuts with a heavy kitchen knife (photo courtesy HomeGrownCollective.com).

All coconuts come from the same tree, the coconut palm tree (Cocos nucifera). It’s a member of the Arecaceae family, the Palm Family.

The coconut is not a nut, but a fruit—a drupe, along with stone fruits.

RECIPE: COCONUT BOWLS

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
TO MAKE A COCONUT BOWL

1. PUNCTURE a small hole into one or two of the coconut eyes with an ice pick. Drain the coconut water into a container and refrigerate for another use.

2. HOLD the coconut in your palm and rotate as you use the blunt side of a heavy kitchen knife to tap firmly along the midsection (the “waist”).

3. CONTINUE to rotate and tap until a crack appears. After a few more rotations and taps, the coconut should break into two equal halves.

4. WRAP and freeze the coconut bowls if you won’t be using them immediately, so the meat doesn’t dry out. You can serve cold foods in frozen bowls; they’ll defrost slowly while keeping the drink, ice cream, etc. cold.
 
PHOTOS: [1] Rice noodles topped with shrimp, pineapple chunks and Chow Mein noodles. [2] A dessert bowl with strawberry yogurt and Oreo pieces (photos courtesy Alex Jollie | Britco.

Check out how our colleague, Hannah Kaminsky, turned hers into beautiful bowls.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

These red, white and blue cupcakes are an eye- and palate-pleaser for any patriotic occasion.

And they’re easy to make, with just the added step of dividing cake mix into three bowls and coloring two of them. We chose a frosting of stabilized whipped cream, stiffened with gelatin (it won’t collapse) and topped the cupcakes with red, white and blue decorations.

RECIPE: PATRIOTIC CUPCAKES

Ingredients For The Cupcakes

 
Ingredients For 4 Cups Stabilized Whipped Cream

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE a cupcake pan with paper liners. Place the cream in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to whipping (it will whip better).

2. PREPARE the cake batter and divide it into three bowls. Use blue and red gel food coloring in two of the bowls (see notes about gel-paste below.)

3. ADD one tablespoon blue batter to the each cupcake liner and spread evenly (we used a plastic teaspoon). Follow with a tablespoon of white batter, and a red layer on top of that, taking care not to mix the colors as you spread them.

4. BAKE per cake recipe instructions and cool. While the cupcakes cool…

5. MAKE the stabilized whipped cream frosting. Place the cold water in a small pan and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let it thicken; then place the pan over low heat, stirring constantly, just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool, but do not allow it to set.

6. WHIP the cream with the powdered sugar, until slightly thick. While slowly beating, add the gelatin to whipping cream. Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes.

7. DECORATE and serve.

[1] Red, white and blue layered cupcake (photo Elegant Affairs Caterers | Facebook). [2] Even easier options: red fruit atop white frosting (photo GoBoldWithButter.com) and [3] cupcake “flag” (photo Sprinkles Cupcakes).

 
WHY USE SOFT GEL INSTEAD OF LIQUID FOOD COLOR

The typical food colors available in supermarkets are water-based liquids that work well for most purposes. In many recipes, you use so little of it that the teaspoon or so of water isn’t going to impact the outcome of the recipe.

But if you are looking for intense color—such as in red velvet cake—you need to use a lot of liquid to get the vibrant color. Too much liquid will alter the consistency of cake, candies, donuts and deep-colored frostings.

 
You can often find gel food colors in craft stores, as well as in baking supplies stores and online, where you can buy red only or the four basic food colors. Wilton sells a set of eight gel colors, as well as neon and pastel sets. Don’t substitute one for another, unless you have time to test the results.
 
TIPS FOR COLORING ICING

[1] Homemade ketchup [2] with burgers (photos courtesy GoodEggs) and [3] on franks (photo courtesy Applegate).

If you’re considering making something for a cookout, how about homemade ketchup?

You can make your own ketchup in just ten minutes of prep time, plus 45 minutes of cooking. You can choose a better sweetener, avoiding high fructose corn syrup by substituting agave*, cane sugar, honey, maple syrup or non-caloric sweetener.

And you can add specialty seasonings such as chipotle, curry, garlic, horseradish, jalapeño and sriracha.

The following recipe is from Good Eggs of San Francisco. Here’s an alternative ketchup recipe made with honey (instead of brown sugar and molasses), cloves (instead of cumin) and coconut oil (instead of olive oil).

RECIPE: HOMEMADE TOMATO KETCHUP

Ingredients For 1 Pint

 
Flavor Variations

Instead of the allspice, cloves and cumin, you can flavor the ketchup with other seasonings.

Divide the base ketchup into half-cup test batches and test different flavors. Flavoring a half cup at a time enables you to adjust the seasonings to your particular taste.

1. ADD 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and place over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, until translucent; then add the garlic.

2. AFTER another 4 minutes, add the tomatoes (including the liquid), vinegar, salt, allspice, cayenne and black pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat, until the tomatoes have broken down. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for a few minutes.

3. POUR the mixture into a blender and pulse until it’s a smooth purée. Be careful: Blending a hot liquid requires extra attention. Using a dish towel, hold down the lid tightly. An immersion blender is a superior alternative for puréeing hot liquids.

4. POUR the purée back into the pot and add the the brown sugar and molasses. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes uncovered, until the mixture has thickened. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.
 
THE HISTORY OF KETCHUP

The concept was brought to England from Southeast Asia in the late 1600s, and had no tomatoes. The first printed recipe for kachop was an early version of what we know as Worcestershire Sauce.

Check out the history of ketchup.
 
  

This easy flag cake from McCormick is made from reddened brownie layers with vanilla ice cream and a blue-tinted whipped topping. You can cut 12 servings from the loaf.
 
RECIPE: AMERICAN FLAG ICE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Empty the brownie mix into a large bowl. Add the sour cream, eggs and red food color; mix well.

2. SPOON the batter into a greased, foil-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

3. MAKE the frosting: Stir the whipped topping, lemon extract, 1 teaspoon Neon Blue and 5 drops Neon Purple food colors with a spatula until evenly tinted. Stir in 3/4 cup of the marshmallows. Set aside.

4. LINE a loaf pan with foil, with the ends of the foil extending over the sides of pan. Cut the brownie loaf horizontally into 2 layers. Place the bottom layer in the loaf pan and gently spread with the ice cream and the optional strawberries.

5. PLACE the top brownie layer over the ice cream and spread the whipped topping mixture over the top. Press the remaining 1/4 cup of marshmallows into the whipped topping. Cover carefully with foil.

6. FREEZE at least 2 hours or until firm. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan. Place on cutting board; let stand 10 minutes to soften. Cut into slices to serve.