February 2nd is National Tater Tot® Day.

Chefs nationwide have been putting their own twists on this American comfort food.

At The Eddy in New York City, the potato is blended with bacon prior to frying. The tots are served in a pool of mustard sauce, topped with pickled mustard seed and English pea purée (we substituted homemade basil mayonnaise).

The history of Tater Tots follows, along with:

> Check out 8 elevated tots recipes below.

> Also below, the year’s 30+ potato holidays.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.
 
 
TATER TOTS HISTORY

Tater Tots are an American side dish made from deep-fried, grated potatoes. They are miniature croquettes: crisp little cylinders of hash brown-style potatoes. Tater is an dialect form of potato (first found in print in 1759), and “tots” came from their small size.

Although the name may seem generic, Tater Tots® is a registered trademark of Ore-Ida. Tater Tots were created in 1953 when Ore-Ida’s founders, brothers F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg, were considering what to do with leftover slivers of cut-up potatoes from their French fries.

They chopped them up, mixed them with flour and seasonings, and pushed logs of the grated/mashed potato mixture through a form, slicing off and frying small pieces. The rest is history.

The Ore-Ida brand was acquired by H. J. Heinz Company in 1965.

Remember: If it isn’t Ore-Ida Tater Tots, it’s officially (and legally) called Potato Tots.
 
 
PICKLED MUSTARD SEEDS

What’s with pickled mustard seeds? Over the last year or so, they’ve become a trend with chefs, some of whom use them as a condiment with fatty foods (bacon, charcuterie, fried food, pastrami, etc.).

The Eddy paired them with their version of Tater Tots.

To make your own, follow this recipe from OurDailyBrine.com to make your own pickled mustard seeds.
 
 
10 MORE POTATO TOTS (TATER TOTS) RECIPES

 
 
A YEAR OF 30+ POTATO HOLIDAYS

[2] Pickled mustard seeds. Here’s the recipe (photo © OurDailyBrine.com).

[3] Fully Loaded Potato Tots. Here’s the recipe (photos #3 and #4 © Idaho Potato Commission).

 
Plus:

 

[5] Elevated Tots: Dungeness Crab And Bay Shrimp Potato Tots With Shaved Fennel Salad And Tiger Sauce. Here’s the recipe.
 
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*Pierogi are stuffed with mashed potatoes.
 

Celebrating Groundhog Day with coffee grounds. Photo courtesy Folgers.

The Italian artist Giulia Bernardelli doesn’t work in pastels or oils; she works in coffee. See her stunning work here.

For more images, go to Google Images and search for Giulia Bernardelli.

You may not be able to paint with spilled coffee, but you can try your skill with ground coffee.

Get an artist’s paintbrush, and fashion your picture as you may have once put magnetic hair on Wooly Willy.

What to do with your coffee groundhog? We have no idea; it’s just food fun.

The Chinese New Year starts on February 8th. It’s the Year of the Monkey.

It’s also known as the Lunar New Year, since it’s based on the lunar calendar; and other Asian countries besides China celebrate it. The celebration lasts for 15 days, and is celebrated by an estimated 1.4 billion people around the world.

Families gather to feast and to wish each other good luck in the year ahead. Children may be given red envelopes filled with coins, although the money inside is not as important as the color and symbol found on the envelopes, which signify happiness and good blessings.

 
FUN FACTS ABOUT CHINESE NEW YEAR

These tidbits come from Calbee North America, a company that specializes in crisp, natural snacks with popular brands like Harvest Snaps, Saya Snow Pea Crisps and Shrimp Chips.

Lucky citrus: Both oranges and pomelos are considered good luck for the Lunar New Year. Top photo courtesy FamilyFeedbag.com, bottom photo courtesy Good Eggs | San Francisco.

Stock up for Chinese New Year with:

1. Oranges & Tangerines

Displaying these fruits, and eating them, is said to bring wealth and luck. The tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck.
 
2. Long Noodles

Eating the longest possible noodles portends long life. Unless you can buy uncut fresh strands from a pasta shop, look for a box of spaghettoni.
 
3. Pomelo

This parent of the grapefruit is thought to bring prosperity and status, because its Cantonese name sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status. (The pomelo was crossed with a variety of orange to produce the grapefruit.)

Chinese broccoli and long beans are cooked without slicing, to wish for a long life. You can substitute regular broccoli, broccoli rabe or broccolini. As for the long beans: They’re so much fun, so see if you can find them at a Chinese grocer.
 
5. Whole Fish

The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance. The fish is served with the head and tail intact to ensure a good start and finish to the year.

[2] You can use icing and sparkling sugars to create your own special design.

Egad: It’s a perfect storm of food holidays! In 2016, the Super Bowl is February 7th, Lunar New Year begins February 8th, Mardi Gras follows on February 9th, and Valentine’s Day is February 14th.

We’re tackling them one by one.

Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are eaten in Louisiana during the Carnival season: at home, in offices, and at King Cake parties.

While people in other parts of the country may order a King Cake from a baking company in Louisiana, making your own with a King Arthur baking kit is likely to be tastier, not to mention less expensive and more fun.

This easy King Cake kit from King Arthur Flour lets you celebrate in style. It has everything you need to make an impressive King Cake. You can even host a King Cake party, as many do in Louisiana.

Editor’s Note 2023: The King Cake Kit is discontinued, but check out this recipe from King Arthur Flour.

> The history of king cake below.
 
 
THE KING CAKE KIT

What’s included:

 
The traditional plastic baby is not included, but you can get one at the nearest party store (in the Baby Shower section).

The kit is $19.95 at KingArthurFlour.com.

THE HISTORY OF KING CAKE

The King Cake is an adaptation of the French Epiphany Cake. While an Epiphany Cake is subdued—a round of crisp brown pastry—the celebration cakes in New Orleans are decorated in the three official colors of Mardi Gras: purple, green, and gold*.

The cake is named for the three Wise Men, also called Magi or Kings. In France, the Epiphany Cake is called galette des rois, king cake.

The King Cake tradition is believed to have arrived in New Orleans around 1870. In France, puff pastry (pâte à choux) is filled with almond cream (frangipane). But in New Orleans, the concept took another direction.

The first King Cakes for Mardi Gras were simple rings of yeast dough, some braided, with a small amount of decoration.

The flavor was mostly in the sweet toppings. The cakes became more festive over time, incorporating the Mardi Gras colors.

Beginning in the late 1980s, customers sought something a bit more special: rich, brioche-like dough, filled with cream cheese filling.

In more recent years, the fillings have followed modern tastes. You can find them in chocolate, numerous fruit flavors, and pralines. Royal icing with the three official colors of sparkling sugar decorates the tops.

Shapes have evolved, too: round, oval, square, and at fine restaurants, deconstructed. There are also cookies, cupcakes, and macarons in purple, green, and gold.

The ubiquitous cakes range from garish supermarket options to elegant pastries from the best bakers.
 
What About The Baby?

The cake traditionally includes a small plastic baby representing Baby Jesus. The person who gets the piece of cake with the baby is said to have good luck for the next year.

Note, however, that the lucky trinket has various privileges and obligations, which can include hosting next year’s party—or at least, bringing the cake.

After the rich Danish dough is braided and baked, the “baby” is inserted. The top of the ring or oval cake is then covered with delicious sugar toppings in the Mardi Gras colors.

Today, a tiny plastic baby is the common “prize.”

At a party, the King Cake is sliced and served. Everyone looks to see if their piece contains the “baby.” If so, then that person is named “King” for a day and bound by custom to host the next party—and provide the King Cake.
 
In earlier days, the baby might be made of porcelain or even gold in wealthy homes.

Other trinkets such as coins and charms could be baked into the cake. In humbler homes, a pecan, pea, or bean could be baked in.

Since no one should bake plastic inside a cake, a plastic baby or other trinket is typically inserted through the underside of the cake after it’s baked.

Trinket or not, we look forward to a big slice of our King Arthur King Cake.

[3] A nicely decorated King Cake from Hudson Valley Chocolates (photo © Hudson Valley Chocolates).

[4] A glamorous King Cake from New Orleans confectioner Sucré (photo © Sucré).

[5] Chef Ric Tramonto’s deconstructed King Cake at Restaurant R’evolution | New Orleans.

Jo-Ann’s, but any party store should have them (photo © Jo-Ann Stores).

*The colors were selected in 1872 to honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff, whose house colors were purple, green, and gold. Purple signifies justice, green represents faith and gold is for power.

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

[2] Bottom: A fresh herb garnish
—chives/green onion, cilantro or parsley—
makes a big difference. Photos courtesy
Good Eggs | San Francisco.

It’s the easiest dish you can make to celebrate the Chinese New Year—also called the Lunar New Year, since other countries in Asia celebrate the holiday. With no added fat or carbs, it’s also spot-on for new year’s diet resolutions—American or Chinese versions.

The recipe below, from Good Eggs in San Francisco, is more sophisticated than what you get at Chinese restaurants in the U.S. Star anise and miso give the soup so much flavor, it becomes a knock-your-socks-off alternative to the standard American version—typically a bland, gummy (from too much cornstarch) soup.

While you’re at it, make your own Chinese fortune cookies for dessert!
 

EGG DROP SOUP HISTORY

In China, the dish that we call egg drop soup is called egg flower soup. Food historians can’t pin a date on the emergence of the recipe, but the domestication of fowl for eggs was recorded as far back as 1400 B.C.E.

Similar recipes combining chicken broth and eggs appear in other cultures as well.

 
In China, versatility is the name of the game.

 
In the U.S.:

 
As with any recipe, you can (and should!) make it your own.

Prep time is 15 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes.

You can buy the broth or make it with this recipe.

Ingredients For 2-4 Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in a big soup pot. When the oil is hot, add the leek and cook for about 6 minutes, until it is soft and starting to turn golden brown. At this point, turn the heat down to medium and carefully add the broth. Then whisk in the star anise, soy sauce and vinegar.

2. ADD the miso: Pour a ladleful of the broth into a small bowl and add the miso. Whisk to incorporate, then pour the enhanced broth back into the pot. Simmer for about 15 minutes. While the broth cooks…

3. WHISK the eggs vigorously in a mixing bowl that has a pouring spout, until the whites and yolks are completely (and we mean completely) combined. When the broth has simmered and you’re ready to eat, turn the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. As soon as it’s boiling, turn the heat back down to low and wait until the broth is at a steady simmer.

[4] Customize your soup with ingredients like baby corn (photo © Alibaba).

Perhaps the prettiest spice, star anise (photo #3) comes from an evergreen tree native to Vietnam and China. Although it is not related to the herb anise, it closely resembles anise in flavor since both contain the organic compound anethole.

Star anise, the seed of the tree, is harvested from the star-shaped pericarp*.

It is widely used in China, where it is a component of Chinese five-spice powder; in India it is a major component of garam masala. It is also prominent in Indonesian and Malaysian cuisines. In Vietnam, you’ll find it in our favorite soup, pho. It is widely grown for commercial use in China, India, and most other countries in Asia.

The French use it in mulled wine (vin chaud).
 
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*Pericarp is a type of plant tissue, the outer layer of the flower’s ovary wall. It surrounds the seeds, in this case, the star anise.