Use pretzels in a different way on April 26th, National Pretzel Day. Consider everything from mini pretzels and pretzel sticks to big, soft pretzels as:

 
If you come up with something nifty, let us know.
 
Here’s a recipe for Caramel Pretzel Doughnuts from Betty Crocker.

Alternatively, here’s an iced doughnut shaped like a pretzel.

And here’s a recipe to bake your own soft pretzels. Perhaps add a doughnut glaze (recipe below). Have fun with it!

 
PRETZEL HISTORY

Thanks to creative monks, man has enjoyed 15 centuries of pretzel snacks. Here’s the history of pretzels.
 
RECIPE: DOUGHNUT GLAZE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan; heat over low until warm. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the milk and whisk slowly until thoroughly combined.

2. REMOVE from the heat and set over a bowl of hot water to keep the glaze from hardening. Dip the doughnuts (or pretzels) into the glaze, one at a time, and set on a rack placed in a half sheet pan to drip. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
  

Last spring we published a tip on serving foods in mini flower pots—the size that can be used to pot small succulents.

You can use them anytime: to serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks.

You can find mini flower pots in terra cotta or terra cotta-colored plastic. Either can go into the dishwasher.

For Mother’s Day or other special occasion, why not start the day by using them to serve scrambled or boiled eggs?

Use wax paper, parchment or butterhead lettuce leaves (bibb, Boston, green leaf, red leaf) to plug the drainage hole on the bottom of the flower pot; then add the food.

Garnish scrambled eggs or peeled boiled eggs with:

 
Include a salt shaker (or flavored salt) and a peppermill.
 
DON’T WANT TO BUY FLOWERPOTS?

You can serve scrambled eggs in a Martini glass.

Don’t like eggs? Serve berries in the flower pots.

This variation tops scrambled eggs with bay scallops, and a chive stem for garnish. If the chives are flowering, great! Photo courtesy David Burke Fromagerie.

[2] Stir-fried spaghetti from Annie Chun..

[3] Stir-fried bowtie pasta, Asian-style. Here’s the recipe (photo © Kaluhi’s Kitchen).

You can use any un-sauced pasta or noodle with any other ingredients, and give it the spin you want—Italian versus Asian, for example. You can use pasta with tomato sauce if you select add-on ingredients that would taste good together in an omelet.

You can use any ingredients you have on hand. We’ve used sausage and fresh mango, and ham and pineapple, for example.
 
 
RECIPE #1: STIR-FRIED PASTA, FREESTYLE

Here are options for free-styling (combining whatever you want). Or follow the measured recipe below.
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. ADD the olive oil and vegetables to a large pan. If using dark sesame oil, add a small amount—it is very strong. Sauté over medium heat until the veggies are al dente.

3. ADD the pasta and meat/seafood and mix well. Add the fresh herbs, stir and serve.
 

RECIPE #2: CRISPY LEFTOVER PASTA WITH EGGS, ONIONS & PEPPERS

This recipe from PatsaFits.org uses ingredients most of us have around the house. You can also use leftover pasta with a tomato sauce in this recipe.

Ingredients For 4 Main Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil and sauté the onions and peppers until softened and starting to brown (about 3 minutes).

3. DIVIDE among 4 bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
 
 
MORE FRIED RICE RECIPES

Have leftover grains instead of pasta? Here are three ways to stir-fry them.

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

[1] First, take a head of cabbage (photo ©y Good Eggs).

[2] Next, slice it, grill it and garnish it (photo © McCormick).

[3] For better flavor, chop quality blue cheese instead of using packaged crumbles (photo © KitchenHealsSoul.com).

It can be a side, a vegetarian main, or part of a grain bowl. It’s just as delicious as cauliflower, and less expensive.

This recipe from McCormick adds more flavor to the thick cabbage “steaks” with a zesty marinade. Crumbled bacon, blue cheese and green onions (scallions) are popular toppers. But if you prefer a vegetarian dish, use any toppings you like, from vegetarian bacon and cheese to grilled tofu and cherry tomatoes.

An average head of cabbage can be cut into six steaks. Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes.
 
RECIPE: GRILLED CABBAGE STEAKS

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
For The Marinade

 
For The Garnish

 
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*Marinade mix comprises pre-selected seasonings, to which you add your own oil and vinegar. It’s easy to make a “freestyle” marinade from whatever you have on hand. Here’s a basic recipe: 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon each of three herbs of choice (basil, hot chile flakes, oregano, rosemary, thyme, or another favorite. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (hold the pepper if using chile flakes). Or substitute lemon zest for an herb and/or lemon juice for part of the vinegar.

1. COOK the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Crumble the bacon and set it aside.

2. MIX the marinade packet, oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and the reserved bacon drippings in a small bowl until well blended. Place the cabbage steaks in a large resealable plastic bag or a glass dish. Add the marinade and turn to coat well.

3. REFRIGERATE the cabbage in the marinade for 30 minutes; longer for extra flavor. Then remove the cabbage steaks from the marinade, reserving any leftover marinade (see the next section).

4. GRILL the cabbage steaks over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until tender-crisp, brushing with the leftover marinade. Garnish with the bacon, blue cheese, and green onions, and serve.
 
Next up: Brussels Sprouts Kabobs?
 
 
CAN YOU RE-USE MARINADE?

For a meat or fish marinade, the answer is no. Potentially harmful bacteria that are killed during cooking will remain in the marinade. If you really want to re-use it, you can boil it first to kill the bacteria: Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Vegetables do not harbor harmful bacteria, so can be re-used or frozen for later use. The marinade will lose flavor each time it is frozen and defrosted, so check it after two additional uses and spruce it up with seasonings as needed.

Here’s detailed information on marinade safety from FoodSafety.gov.
 
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†The plant genus of cruciferous vegetables, Brassica, contains nutritional powerhouses that are packed with potent, cancer-fighting phytonutrients (antioxidants). Brassica members include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish/wasabi, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, radish, rapeseed/canola, rapini, rutabaga and turnips, among others. Eat up!
 
 

And a.k.a. ravioli, too. The difference is largely local ingredients.
 
ASIAN DUMPLINGS & STUFFED PASTA: FRATERNAL TWINS

Noodles (spaghetti or other “long cut” pasta) had been introduced to the West centuries* before Marco Polo.

Arab traders brought the long noodles back home over the Silk Road, and then to Sicily during the Arab invasions of the 8th century.

In addition to being an everyday food, dried pasta was a boon for travelers, including soldiers. It was lightweight and required only boiling water to turn it into a hot meal. As in Asia, pasta was also added to soups.

In Italy, Chinese dumplings evolved into agnolotti, cannelloni, mezzalune (crescents), ravioli (plus the smaller raviolini and larger ravioloni), sacchette (beggar’s purses) and tortellini.

Instead Asian sauces made from soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, rice wine and/or hot sauce, among other ingredients, Italian pasta was accented with sauces made from local ingredients: cream, olive oil, Parmesan and tomatoes.
 
Pillow Pasta/Stuffed Pasta

Pillow pasta is stuffed pasta (pasta ripiena in Italian), but not all stuffed pasta is pillow pasta. In addition to the stuffed “pillows,” the other stuffed category includes large tubes and other shapes that are stuffed and baked, like cannelloni and jumbo shells. Other tube pasta, such as penne, rigatoni and ziti, are too small to be stuffed.

Pillow pasta can be stuffed with almost any kind of filling, either a single seasoned ingredient or combinations of different meats, cheeses, vegetables, seafood and herbs.

Here’s a brief history of pasta.

 
RECIPE: PORK & GINGER RAVIOLI…OR ARE THEY DUMPLINGS?

This recipe, from Chef Eric B LeVine could be ravioli. But because of the dough used (wonton wrappers) and the Asian ingredients—soy sauce, fresh ginger, lime, scallions—it could be a dumpling.

But wait: There’s also basil and Parmesan cheese, two Italian specialties.

This recipe, a fusion of Asian and Italian, illustrates how close Italian and Chinese (and other Asian) pastas can be; and not just in stuffed pasta, but in long cuts as well (mai fun = angel hair, chow fun = pappardelle, etc.).

Check out Chef Eric’s book, Small Bites, Big Flavor.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the dipping sauce: Combine the lime zest, juice, honey, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil and pepper flakes. Whisk or shake well to combine and set aside.

2. WHISK together the Parmesan, basil, ginger, garlic, scallions, nutmeg and egg in a large bowl. Add the pork and mix very gently with your finger tips until just blended. Place the pork mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.

3. MAKE the dumplings, one at a time. Brush the flour side of the wrapper with water. Place a heaping tablespoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Place another wrapper on top and press the edges together to seal. Use a pastry cutter† or ravioli stamp otherwise trim the edges with a zigzag pastry wheel. Repeat with the remaining filling and wraps.

4. COOK: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook the ravioli for 6 minutes.

Top: classic ravioli (photo courtesy Delfino Restaurant). Second: round ravioli (photo courtesy Ristorante Morini. Third: The recipe below: Pork-Ginger Ravioli…or are they dumplings? (photo courtesy Chef Eric LeVine. Fourth: Italian mezzalune pasta (half moons or crescents) plus tortellini. Photo courtesy Eataly Chicago). Bottom: Chinese potstickers (photo courtesy Mackenzie Ltd).

*The oldest written reference to noodles is in a Chinese dictionary from the third century C.E. However, these noodles were not made from what we know as noodle dough, but from bread dough. The dough was shaped into little bits and cooked in a wok of boiling water. Called mian pian, they are still eaten in China. [Source]

†If you need to buy a pastry cutter, consider the double-wheel type that cuts both straight and zigzag edges.