Cheese Bits of Riverbank, California, has captured our attention with its innovative line of Cheese Bits “bite size premium snacking cheeses.”

We love innovation, and Cheese Bits has it covered with three product lines, all under the umbrella of Mozzamini Cheese Bits.

The artisanal, all-natural, premium snacking cheeses are made with milk from local Northern California dairies.

Cheese Bits come in three versions: Pearls, Sticks, and Tots.

It’s not that there haven’t been mozzarella pearls (perlini), sticks, and tots (cielegeine, boconcini) out there.

But Mozzamini has expanded the flavor palette. In addition to the traditional Original (plain), there are:

 
And, a point of difference: They are made of scamorza, not mozzarella.

Both are made from from curds that are stretched (a.k.a. pasta filata). With scamorza, however, the curds are smaller so as to retain less moisture. Here’s more about it.

The product line is made from Northern California milk, and are gluten-free.

Imagine what fun you can have sprinkling them over foods to delight family and friends.

While all four flavors are available in Pearls, Sticks, and Tots, oday we focus on the Pearls because they are elegant and tasty fun.

They’re not exactly bite-size. Those would be the Sticks and Tots.

Rather, a few of these little pearls might count as a “bite.” So let us explain:
 
 
THE SIZES OF MOZZARELLA BALLS

We’re presenting this size comparison to explain the relative size of Mozzamini Pearls.

Growing up, we only knew of one size of mozzarella: the one-pound ball carried by our supermarket. But over time, U.S. cheesemakers and importers diversified the line.

The specific timeline for when different sizes of mozzarella balls were introduced is not be well-documented. Variations in size are often driven by culinary trends, consumer demands, regional preferences, and the creativity of artisanal cheese makers.

Over time, the range of sizes expanded. Today you can find a variety in upscale markets, Italian markets, and cheese specialty stores, including:

 
 
HOW TO USE MOZZAMINI PEARLS

Note that while these pearls, made of mozzarella, can be melted, the allure is as a garnish, offering added visual, flavor, and textural appeal.

For Breakfast

 
For Lunch & Dinner

You can marinate the plain pearls in EVOO, balsamic, and herbs to use as a garnish. Or use them, along with the flavored pearls, “as is.”

 
For Dessert

 
 
WASABI PEARLS: A NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

One of the four pearl flavors, Wasabi, was honored with a prestigious Silver Medal at the most recent American Cheese Society Judging and Competition (2023), arguably the most prestigious cheese events in the U.S.

There, panels of expert judges evaluated more than cheeses 1,400 entries in various categories, scoring them taste, texture, aesthetics, and overall excellence.

Wasabi Pearls was entered in the category of International-Style With Flavor Added – All Milks.

First prize in the category (Gold Medal) went to the cumin-flavored Gouda from Oakdale Cheese.

Second prize (the Silver Medal) was shared with Buholzer Brothers Dill Havarti from Klondike Cheese Co. and Cervelle de Canut, an American version of the French-inspired fresh goat cheese spread with shallots, chives, pepper and vinegar, made by Zingerman’s Creamery.
 
 
GET YOUR CHEESE BITS

> Check the store locator for retailers near you.
 
 
MORE TO DISCOVER
 
> The history of scamorza cheese.

> The history of mozzarella cheese.

> The history of cheese.

> The different types of cheese: a photo glossary.

[1] Start at breakfast with Strawberry or Original Pearls on your cereal, or any flavor on your eggs (all photos © Cheese Bits).

[2] Garnish breakfast eggs with Original, Wasabi, or Wood-Smoked Pearls.

[3] Pizza toast can be fun with browned Pearls of your flavor of choice.

[4] Ready for cocktails? How about crab canapés and Wood Smoked pearls.

[5] Sprinkle Pearls atop your favorite pasta.

[6] Pearls are packaged in plastic trays.

[7] Original Pearls.

[1] Sesame Mille Crêpes Cake (both photos © Lady M).

[2] Close-up on a slice.

Looking for gourmet inspiration to celebrate the Lunar New Year? Check out this deluxe Sesame Ti Kuan Yin Tea Mille Crêpes from Lady M.

Layers of delicate and nutty black sesame cream, paper-thin French crêpes, and floral Ti Kuan Yin oolong tea-infused whipped cream come together in this limited-edition Mille Crêpes cake.

Each cake is elegantly finished with a black sesame glaze and topped with roasted sesame seeds: a beautifuence of flavors to celebrate the New Year.

Tieguanyin or ti kuan yin is a variety of Chinese oolong tea that originated in the 19th century in Anxi, in Fujian province.

While this bit of information may not sync with a luscious, creamy cake, Tieguanyin tea is rich in antioxidants and has been shown to have numerous health benefits.

Studies have shown that tieguanyin tea can help improve heart health, lower cholesterol levels, and reduce cancer risk. The tea has also been shown to boost cognitive function and memory [source].

So, while you’re enjoying the cake, have a second piece. It may not boost your cognitive function, but it is irresistible.

The 2024 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon, begins on February 10th and is observed through February 15th.

> Here’s more about the Lunar New Year.
 
 
> Get your cake here.

> The history of Mille Crêpes cake.

> The history of cake.

> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon invites Bourbon lovers to partake of a special Valentine treat: a bottle of the acclaimed Kentucky Bourton along with a limited-edition four-piece chocolate collection of chocolates by prominent artisan chocolatier Compartes (photo #1).

Compartés chocolatier Jonathan Grahm teamed up with Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall to create unique chocolate designed to pair seamlessly with Double Oaked.

Handcrafted by a small team of chocolatiers in Los Angeles, each of the four ganache flavors complements the Double Oaked sweet aromatic flavor profile, starting with beautiful gold surface design.

Compartés x Woodford Reserve chocolates are handcrafted and include four unique flavors that accentuate specific characteristics of Double Oaked:

 
It’s a sophisticated—and might we say fun—way to pair chocolates with Bourbon.
 
 
GET YOUR COMPARTÉS x WOODFORD RESERVE SET 

The limited edition Compartés x Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bundle includes a 750ml of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and four-piece chocolate box.

Online, it is available for $87.94 exclusively on Reserve Bar. It’s also available at large and small retailers nationwide, and at Woodford Reserve Distillery.

> Get your Compartés x Woodford Valentine’s Day gift here.
 
 
Is It Bourbon with a B or a b? 

The Nibble capitalizes the word Bourbon because it’s a proper name.

Bourbon is the name of the county in Kentucky where it was first made, which in turn was named for the ruling dynasty of France.

Bourbon vanilla is named for them, too. After the French took possession of the island in the 17th century—where the vanilla pods grew—they named it Bourbon.

> National Bourbon Day is June 14th.

> National Chocolate Day is October 28th.
 
 
> What is Bourbon?

> The four top Bourbon cocktails.

> The history of Bourbon.

> The different types of whiskey.

[1] Woodford x Compartes, a memorable Bourbon-and-chocolate Valentine gift (photos #1 and #2 © Brown-Forman).

[2] A bottle of Woodford Reserve.

[3] Old Fashioned, one of the top Bourbon cocktails (photo © Adam Jaime | Unsplash).

[1] Brigadoon breakfast tea, available on February 29, 2024 (photos #1 and #2 © Adagio Teas).

[2] The charming Brigadoon tea tin is a keeper.

[3] A poster of the 1954 film (image via Wikipedia).

The elusive Brigadoon Breakfast tea appears only on Leap Day, February 29th—a day that only appears on the calendar every four years (see the origin of Leap year below).

Named after the mystical Scottish village that comes to life only once every 100 years, on Leap Day, this rare blend of loose teas and cornflower petal, Brigadoon Breakfast, created by Adagio Teas is a lovely gift for a tea connoisseur, and a calorie-free gift.

Like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas, Brigadoon Breakfast is blended to be enjoyed in the morning (but only avid tea connoisseurs would restrict it to then).

It brews up with a pleasant malty flavor with a hint of floral notes from the cornflower petals.

The tea tin is a keeper that can be repurposed for many years to come. There are illustrations of the mythical town of Brigadoon both on top and underneath the lid.

Alas, like the village of Brigadoon, the tea can be purchased on one day only: February 29th, 2024. Mark your calendar, and:

> Head here to get your Brigadoon tea.

To better understand tea, head to:

> The different types of tea: a photo glossary.

> The history of tea. (It’s one of the most popular of our 100 food glossaries.)

> How to brew tea.
 
 
BRIGADOON: THE STORY 

Brigadoon is a wonderful musical and film.

Written by the lengendary Broadway team of Lerner and Lowe, Brigadoon tells the story of a Scottish village that comes to life only once every 100 years (it’s fiction, of course).

That’s because in way back 1746, 200 years before the present-day setting of the play [the 1950s], Brigadoon’s minister prayed that his village would disappear into the mist to protect it from a plague of witches.

> Here’s more about the plot. You can currently stream the film on Paramount+. It stars Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, and Cyd Charisse.

> Here’s an excerpt from YouTube.
 
 
THE ORIGIN OF LEAP YEAR 

In 45 B.C.E., Julius Caesar decreed that every four years, an extra day be added to the calendar.

This reform created the Julian calendar. Why was the change necessary? The previous Roman calendar, which was based on lunar cycles, had become out of sync with the seasons.

The observation engendered the change to the Julian calendar.

All would have been perfect if a solar year were exactly 365¼ days, but it’s actually 365.242 days, not 365.25.

Over time, those teeny bits added up.

So Pope Gregory XIII (or rather, the lay people doing all the work) created the Gregorian calendar and coined the term “leap year.”

This proclamation established February 29th as the official date to add to a leap year. Why February? We couldn’t find a reference, but we’re guessing that it was because February is already the shortest month.

Now, a leap year occurs in every year that is divisible by four—but only in century years that are evenly divided by 400.

Therefore, 800, 1200 and 2000 were leap years but 1700 and 1900 were not, because even though they are divisible by four, they are not divisible by 400.

Fortuitously, 2024 passes both requirments and is also a leap year.

Now: Modern astronomical techniques and measurements have since provided even more precise calculations of the solar year’s duration. But there’s no need to switch to a new calendar!

Back to the beginning:

[1] Frito Pie. It’s a casserole; but then, Boston Cream Pie is a cake (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Fritos (photo by Mx. Granger | Wikipedia).

[3] Chopped beef (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] Shredded Cheddar (photo © Darryl Brooks | Dreamstime).

[5] Red enchilada sauce gives better color than green enchilada sauce (photo © Whole Foods Market).

[6] One of our favorite garnishes, chopped scallions (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels).

January 29th is National Frito Pie Day. How better to celebrate than making this easy recipe for dinner.

Frito pie is actually a casserole, very popular in the Southwest. It’s spicy and cheesy.

We slightly adapted the original version submitted to Taste Of Home by Jan Moon, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

> Here’s a super-easy version that uses only three ingredients: canned chili with beef, cheese, and Fritos. (But we prefer the recipe below.)

> The history of Fritos and the difference between Fritos and corn chips.

> The history of the Frito Pie is below.

> National Tortilla Chip Day is February 24th.
 
 
RECIPE: FRITO PIE 

Frito pie is a flexible casserole that you can customize with other stir-ins such as minced green chilies, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, chopped onion or frozen corn kernels.

Prep time 30 minutes.

> See a video.
 
Ingredients For

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Blend the packet of seasoning into the beef. In a large skillet, cook the beef and the onion over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until the beef is no longer pink and the onion is tender. Drain. Stir in the beans and heat through.

2. RESERVE 1 cup of the corn chips for topping. Place the remaining corn chips in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Layer with the beef mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese; top with the reserved chips.

3. BAKE uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onions.

There are several sides that go with a Frito Pie main course, from a crisp salad to Spanish rice.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF FRITO PIE 

First came Fritos, invented in the early 1930s in San Antonio, Texas by Charles Elmer Doolin (the history of Fritos).

Later came the Frito Pie (a.k.a. the Frito Chile Pie), a simple, quick-to-prepare Tex-Mex-style dish that typically consists of Fritos corn chips topped with chili, cheese, and a whole contingent of optional toppings, from corn kernels to guacamole to olives to salsa.

The exact origins of the Frito pie are a bit unclear, and there are competing claims about who first created it.

The first version of the Frito pie was likely the creation to Daisy Doolin, the mother of Charles Elmer Doolin, the founder of the Frito Company.

After she and Charles invented the Fritos corn chips we know today, Daisy came up with the idea of serving Fritos with chili as a way to promote the newly developed snack. More recipe development followed.

Another claimant is Teresa Hernandez, who ran the first Frito Pie stand at the State Fair of Texas in the 1960s.

However, regarding the “real” inventor:

The phenomenon of two or more people inventing or discovering the same thing in two different locations without any contact, is called multiple discovery.

Even in the Internet era, where it’s easy to search, it happens.

Regardless of its origins—we can pretty much assure Texas—the Frito Pie quickly gained popularity and became a staple at fairs, festivals, sporting events, and casual eateries across the southwest.

Individual portions can be created in a bowl, and family size-portions in a casserole dish or (of course), a pie plate.

As for style, the basic recipe—layering a base of Fritos corn chips with chili, shredded cheese, and other toppings is often served in the original Fritos bag from whence the Fritos came.

This is known as a Walking Taco or taco-in-a-bag (and can be made with Doritos or any kinds of chips) that are garnished with a variety of taco or nacho toppings.

The Frito Company and H.W. Lay & Company, maker of potato chips, merged in 1961 to form Frito-Lay, Inc.
 
 
 
 

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