[1] Beer hot toddy (photo © L’Adresse | NYC).

[2] Samuel Adams Cold Snap Ale (photo © Samuel Adams).

What’s with the weather around here? Every few days it switches from spring to winter and back.

Today it’s snowing: a cold snap. Time to drink the last of the Cold Snap beer we received from Samuel Adams.

An unfiltered white ale with crisp wheat and citrus notes, Cold Snap complements lighter fish dishes like sushi and smoked salmon. The maltiness also tempers the heat in cuisines like Indian and Thai.

And Cold Snap’s spiciness (sweet orange peel and plum, peppery coriander) works with desserts like spice cake and fruit tarts.

For the winter chill, there’s even a…
 
 
RECIPE: SAMUEL ADAMS COLD SNAP HOT TODDY

Beer simple syrup? How can you resist?

Ingredients Per Drink

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the beer sugar syrup. Combine the sugar and beer in a large pitcher or pot. Whisk lightly to dissolve the sugar.

2. POUR the mixture into another pitcher or pot of the same size. Repeat this process every 5 minutes until the head of the beer is completely gone. Store the syrup in a glass jar in the fridge until ready to use. Then…

3. COMBINE the Cold Snap syrup and bourbon in a glass and top with the hot tea. Let the drink sit for a few minutes to cool and allow the ingredients to marry. Garnish with a lemon wheel and/or cinnamon stick and serve.
 
> Here’s more about Cold Snap Ale.

> The history of beer and the different types of beer.

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

While classic whipped cream is a festive topping on everything from shortcakes to ice cream sundaes, flavored whipped cream tends to be memorable. While Reddi-Wip makes chocolate whipped cream, usually the only way to experience flavored whipped cream is to make your own.

It’s not a new idea! By the end of the 19th century, the industrial revolution had enabled centrifuge-separated, high-fat cream. Cooks could buy the cream and whip it directly, without tedious hours spent skimming it from the top of milk.

Pastry chefs went to town making a myriad of whipped cream desserts, shaped in molds, flavored with chocolate, coffee, fruits and liqueurs. Here’s the history of whipped cream.

Today, it’s not surprising that you can buy Baileys Irish Cream Whipped Cream in Ireland. But you can make your own as quickly as making a trip to the store.
 
 
RECIPE: WHIPPED CREAM WITH IRISH CREAM LIQUEUR

How about some whipped cream for St. Patrick’s Day that’s flavored with Irish Cream liqueur? Use it on brownies, pound cake, in your coffee or hot chocolate, and anywhere you can: It’s delicious!

If you’d like a mint-flavored whipped cream (delicious with anything chocolate), substitute green Creme de Menthe liqueur. A deep green color, it will tint the whipped cream green.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CHILL the heavy cream thoroughly so it will whip better. Put the cream and the liqueur in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to whipping.

2. ADD the ingredients to a stand mixer or a large bowl (if using a hand mixer). Beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. It’s ready to serve!
 
Tips

 
 
MORE FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM RECIPES

 
What do you do with savory whipped cream?

First, you ditch the sugar and vanilla extract in favor of savory flavors. Then, you garnish a bowl of soup, top a baked potato, garnish a plate of asparagus.

Add lemon zest to whipped cream for fish and seafood (including smoked salmon); bourbon for grilled meats; grated Parmesan cheese for soup, meats and fish; horseradish for beef; herbs or spices with vegetables.

You’ll love how flavored whipped cream adds new life to recipes.

[1] A brownie with a side of Irish Cream whipped cream (photo © Piyato | Dreamstime).

[2] Whipping the cream (photo © Kuhn-Rikon).

[3] For St. Patrick’s Day, make your flavor Irish Cream Liqueur (photo © Diageo).

[4] Whipped cream tinted green in this cookie parfait recipe (photo © Yummly).

[1] Trending now, is the “gourmet” fried chicken sandwich. This Hot Chick’n is from Shake Shack, a chicken breast dusted with a guajillo and cayenne pepper blend, topped with slaw (photo © Shake Shack).

[2] How about a chicken and waffles sandwich? Start with these Chicken & Waffle Sliders (photo © Top Golf | Dallas).

Honey Butter Fried Chicken | Chicago.

According to Flavor & The Menu, a trends magazine for chefs, a new wave of fried chicken is popping up from coast to coast.

Much of it is in the form of a gourmet fried chicken sandwich: brined, deftly seasoned, often with antibiotic-free chickens sourced from family farms. It’s a far cry from Chick-Fil-A.

“Gourmet” (our word) doesn’t refer to an elegant ambiance or fancy plating. Rather, it’s an approach to fried chicken that uses top ingredients, including interesting buns and condiments.
 
 
THE NEW TAKE ON FRIED CHICKEN

 
Read the entire story at GetFlavor.com.

Then, give some thought to your own perfect fried chicken sandwich or other “re-imagining.”
 
 
> The history of chicken.

> The different cuts of chicken.

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

Called by different names around the world, farinata is a thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made of chickpea flour. Originating in Genoa, it become a popular food on the Ligurian coast, from Nice to Pisa.

It’s not like a conventional, airy European pancake. Without leavening, it’s dense, and enjoyed not for breakfast but as a snack food, served hot.

It is baked in bakeries and pizzerias on tinned copper pans the size of a large pizza pan. Triangular slices are sold and enjoyed as handheld snack, like a slice of pizza. They typically have a light seasoning or pepper and herbs. That’s tasty (think of plain foccaccia); but you Americanize yours with different toppings.
 
 
TRADITIONAL COOKING METHOD

Farinata is made by stirring chickpea flour into a mixture of water and olive oil to form a loose batter. At bakeries and pizzerias, the batter is baked in a wood-burning oven in a tin-plated baking pan. In its simplest form, farinata is seasoned with fresh rosemary, salt and pepper.

You can make farinata in your kitchen oven with skillets, as noted in the recipe below. We didn’t try it with a pizza pan, but we may do that next.
 
 
REGIONAL VARIATIONS

Variations of chickpea pancakes are found the world over. Some examples sourced from Wikipedia:

Top: with plenty of pepper, plus pine nuts and red onion at Vegan Lifestyle Associates. Bottom: Topped with zucchini and cut into wedges at AskGeorge.com. In the U.S., chickpea flour (garbanzo flour) is sold in many supermarkets and natural food stores, as well as in Indian and Middle Eastern markets.

Top: Farinata fresh from the pizza oven, from OnMilwaukee.com. Bottom: Turned into a puttanesca “crepe” at Blossom Restaurant | NYC. We found it easier to eat with the filling on top!

Here’s a recipe from Food and Wine for a lightly seasoned farinata. To turn the snack into lunch, top it like a mini pizza. We quickly steamed mushrooms, red onions and zucchini in the microwave with diced San Marzano tomatoes and baked it on top of the pancake, like pizza.

Prep time is 30 minutes, passive time is 2 hours, baking time is 30 minutes.

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. POUR the water into a bowl. Whisk in the chickpea flour slowly, until you have a smooth batter. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

2. PREHEAT the oven to 500°F. Skim any foam off the top of the batter. Stir in the salt, rosemary and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. (Note that using a different oil, such as canola, gives the pancake a notably different taste.)

4. BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes, until crisp around the edges. Slide the farinata onto a board; cut into wedges. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
 
 
MORE CHICKPEA RECIPES

Putting our money where our mouth is, our follow-up to Make Cabbage The New Kale is this recipe for an alterntive to cole slaw.

Instead of mayonnaise, it uses a vinaigrette flavored with lime juice and cumin.

RECIPE: CABBAGE SLAW WITH CUMIN-LIME VINAIGRETTE

Who needs mayonnaise? This cabbage slaw recipe, from Quinciple.com, is a fresh take on the conventional cole slaw recipe.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. PLACE the cabbage in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients and pour the dressing over the cabbage.

2. TOSS well to coat. If you have the time, let the slaw sit in the fridge for a half hour to allow the flavors to meld.