[1] Sweet potato salad with dried cranberries: delicious warm, room temperature, or chilled (photos #1 and #2 © Taste Of Home | TMB Studio).

[2] The ingredients.

[3] A sweet potato salad with Mexican flair: with black beans, corn, cilantro, and red bell peppers, in a honey-Dijon dressing! Here’s the recipe from Averie Cooks.

[4] Grilled sweet potato salad with hot bacon dressing, blue cheese, and pecans. Here’s the recipe from North Carolina Sweet Potatoes.

> The history of sweet potatoes.

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.

> More special potato salad recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: POTATO SALAD WITH SWEET POTATOES

Served this recipe with a sandwich or burger, as picnic fare, and alongside grilled or sautéed beef, pork chops, or poultry. For greens, whip up a zippy arugula salad with a simple vinaigrette.

To make this recipe vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup or agave, and switch the mayo to vegan mayonnaise, vegan sour cream, or plain vegan yogurt.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

You can prepare steps 1-3 the day before.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan that’s been coated with cooking spray. Drizzle the olive oil on top of the sweet potatoes, and toss to coat. Bake the sweet potatoes till they’re tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Cool them to room temperature.

2. TOAST and chop the nuts. If you do them the day before, store them in an airtight container in the fridge.

3. MAKE the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, lime zest and salt. When ready to serve…

4. COMBINE the walnuts, cherries, parsley and sweet potatoes in a large bowl. When ready to serve…

5. POUR the dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Serve warm or cold.
 
 
 

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

The original Jack-o’-Lantern was not a pumpkin. Pumpkins are a New World crop.

On All Hallows’ Eve in the Old Country, people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips in their windows to keep spirits and ghosts away from their homes.

In the New World, Irish immigrants discovered that the native pumpkin made the biggest, scariest jack-o’-lantern.

This year you can be the first in your neighborhood to try something new:

Replace the pumpkin with a pineapple!

That’s the suggestion from the folks at Fresh Del Monte, who give four reasons why carving a pineapple Jack-o’-lantern might be the way to go this Halloween.
 
 
> The history of Halloween.

> The history of the Jack O’Lantern.

> The history of pineapple.
 
 
A JACK-O’-LANTERN PINEAPPLE

1. It’s different. Pineapples bring an unexpected twist to Halloween décor. Your home will make a statement in a sea of pumpkins.

2. It’s less mess. Carving a pineapple is surprisingly simple, with no need to wrestle with stringy pulp and gooey seeds.

3. It’s instantly edible. There’s no need to cook (or throw out) the flesh. It’s an instant, healthy, and tasty bonus.

4. It’s fun!

Here’s a video showing how to carve a pineapple Jack o’Lantern, plus a way to turn a pineapple into a sophisticated “fruit lamp.”
 
 

[1] Change it up for Halloween (photo © Fresh Del Monte).

[2] If your pine-o’-lantern is lonely, you can always add the classic squash (photo © Gabby K | Pexels).

If you like winter squash and peanuts, here’s a side dish that’s delicious and good for you. Called Calabeza Con Pipián Rojo in Spanish, it’s comforting roasted winter squash with beautiful seasoning, covered with a spicy peanut sauce.

Pipián rojo is a peanut sauce from the central Pacific region of Mexico, and is typically served over chicken or pork.

Here, the peanut sauce is served with roast calabeza, winter squash. You can use calabeza: acorn, butternut, delicata squash, kabocha squash all work wonderfully.

Thanks to Oldways for the recipe, created in partnership with The Peanut Institute.
 
 
> The different types of squash: a photo glossary.

> The history of squash.

> The history of delicata squash.
 
 
RECIPE: WINTER SQUASH WITH PEANUT SAUCE (Calabeza Con Pipián Rojo)

This recipe is nutritious, gluten free, and vegan.

Prep time is 20 minutes, and cook time is 1 hour 10 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation
 
1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. On a parchment- or foil-lined sheet pan or baking sheet, evenly spread out the peanuts, sesame seeds, ancho chiles, and chiles de arbol and toast for 5-8 minutes, until fragrant, but not burned. Once cool, brush the peanut and chile mixture into a medium pot and set aside. While the mixture toasts…

2. COMBINE the allspice, cloves, oregano, and cumin in a large mixing bowl. Raise the oven to 425°F.

3. ADD the onion slices and tomato quarters to the mixing bowl of spices along with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir to combine.

4. EVENLY SPREAD the coated onions and tomatoes onto the lined baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes, then gently flip and roast for another 12 minutes.

5. ADD the roasted tomatoes and onions to the pot with the peanut and chile mixture. Stir in the agave, salt and water and bring to a boil.

6. REDUCE the heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, let cool for 10 minutes or more, and then transfer to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until you have a smooth sauce. While the mixture is simmering…

7. DRIZZLE the remaining olive oil on a parchment-lined sheet pan and evenly distribute the squash slices in a single layer, tossing with your hands to make sure the pieces are evenly coated. Season with the pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

8. ROAST at 425°F for 12 minutes, then flip the slices and roast for another 8-15 minutes, until soft and golden.

9. SPOON the sauce onto a serving dish, then nestle the squash slices on top. Garnish with a handful of peanuts and additional sauce, if desired.
 
 
ABOUT NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed in the U/S/ rom September 15th to October 15th each year. It recognizes the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the nation’s culture and history.

September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration because it is the anniversary of the Cry of Dolores (early morning, 16 September 1810), which marked the start of the Mexican War of Independence and thus resulted (in 1821) in independence for the New Spain Colony (now Mexico and the Central American nations of Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua) which became the Federal Republic of Central America.

Here’s more about it.
 
 
ABOUT OLDWAYS

Established in 1990, Oldways’ mission to inspire people to live healthier and happier lives via the sustainable joys of the “old ways” of eating.

The organization recipes, educational materials and other resources, based on shared cultural food traditions from around the world.

They encompass the education and celebration of African, Asian, Latin American, and Mediterranean cultural eating traditions (Heritage Diets), and plant-based diets (Plant Forward Plates).

Their efforts include consumer advocacy (Oldways Whole Grain Council), heritage diet travel and discovery (Oldways Culinaria Tours), and guidance (Oldways Cheese Coalition).

Here’s more about this wonderful organization.
 
 
________________
 
The different chiles: Ancho: Dense, raisiny, with mild heat. Ideal for sauces. De Arbol: Very hot. Mostly for salsas. Guajillo: Light (not a lot of body), hot, and very fruity. Nice for sauces.
 
 
 

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

[1] You can use any winter squash—here, delicata—with peanut sauce (photo © Oldways).

[2] Delicata squash is easy to slice into the appropriate size disks (photos #2, #3, and #6 © Good Eggs).

[3] Butternut squash, one of the easiest-to-find winter squash varieties.

[4] Types of winter squash (chart © Melissa’s Produce).

[5] A bowl of ancho chiles* (photos #5, #6, and #7 © Rancho Gordo).

[6] De arbol chiles*.

[7] Guajillo chiles*.

[1] Cambio’s aluminum K-Cup: totally recyclable for the same price as plastic (photos #1, #2, and #4 © Cambio Roasters).

[2] Aluminum pods are airtight. Unlike with plastic pods, the flavor and aroma won’t evaporate six months after they’re packed..

[3] The result: a rich, aromatic cup of coffee (photo courtesy SXC).

[4] There are eight varieties of coffee, plus a mixed “variety pack.”

[5] The number of K-Cups in landfill could wrap around Earth 11 times (photo © The Story Of Stuff).

[5] Nespresso, the aluminum pioneer, introduced aluminum coffee pods in 1986, shortly after launching the company. In 1991 it began a recycling program and in 2020 began using 80% recycled aluminum for the pods. By the end of 2022, it was 95%. But until Cambio, there was no aluminum K-Cup-compatible pod (photo © Nespresso).

[6] The forthcoming Keurig Alta shown with a totally-compostible K-Round (photos #6 and #7 © Keurig).

[7] K-Rounds require no container. The ground coffee is wrapped in an algae sheet that is tossed or composted with the spent grounds.

National Coffee Day is September 29th, and Cambio Roasters’ 100% recyclable aluminum K-Cups (photo #1) are part of our celebration.

Cambio was founded by Kevin Hartley and Ann Hutson, executives from Green Mountain Coffee, the corporate owner of Keurig.

The Keurig brewer is a big success, owned by 42% of American households. In 2021, there were more than 25 million Keurig brewers in homes and offices across the U.S—plus other brands† that use Keurig-compatible K-cups—producing a fast, good cup of coffee along with a ton of plastic waste [source].

If you stacked the number of plastic pods Americans throw out every day end-to-end, they could cover nearly the distance from New York to Miami. It would only take about 20 days for that stack of pods to stretch the full circumference of the earth [source].

Cambio set out to create a recyclable alternative. Not only are the aluminum capsules and lids recyclable, but it’s easy to tear off the lid and compost the grounds.
below
 
 
WHY TURN AWAY FROM PLASTIC K-CUPS?

Since 2018, when China got out of the business of recycling offshore plastic, there has been no recyling of the polypropylene K-Cups in the U.S.

 
A bonus: Unlike the coffee in porous plastic K-Cups, which lose their potency after six or eight months, airtight aluminum pods are 100% impervious to oxygen, moisture, and light. Cambio pods will give you a vibrant, fresh-tasting cup, no matter how long you’ve had them.

A bigger bonus: All-organic Cambio pods cost the same as K-cups from Dunkin, Green Mountain, Peets, and Starbucks—and less than organic coffee from those brands. And they’re substantially less expensive than than Newman’s Own organic plastic K-Cups.

And maybe the biggest bonus: With a mission similar to Newman’s Own, 20% of profits go back to help the farming communities. The small coffee farming families are struggling and food-insecure, many living without electricity and running water.

Cambio Roasters donates to Food 4 Farmers, which helps needy communities.
 
 
WHAT PLASTIC WASTE DOES TO THE PLANET.

Approximately 42% of American households own a Keurig, and consumption in the U.S. alone is expected to surpass 32 billion K-Cups® annually. As of 2021, about 121 million Keurig K-cups were being used daily in the U.S.

By 2025, the global market for the K-Cup and other types of coffee pods/capsules is anticipated to be worth more than $29 billion.

While popular in North America and Europe, market research predicts that coffee pods will soon spread to markets in Asia, particularly to China and South Korea.

As the market for coffee capsules is growing, waste grows with it.

 
Take the next step. Even if you only use one pod a week, make it Cambio.

A cup of great coffee doesn’t have to come at the expense of the planet.
 
 
> The history of coffee.

> The different types of coffee: a photo glossary.

____________________

*Infinite means the aluminum can be recycled again and again, with no loss of properties.

†Amazon Basics, Bonsenkitchen, Cuisinart, Famiworths, Hamilton Beach, and Ninja brands, for example, use K-Cups.

This year, the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, begins October 2nd at sundown*. A traditional part of the festival’s dinner is kugel (KOO-gull), a casserole-like (or baked pudding-like) side that is served as part of the main course.

The name means, simply enough, “head (i.e. beginning) of the year.”

Kugel, in Yiddish, is a baked casserole, also called a “pudding,” most commonly made from egg noodles or potatoes. It is a traditional Ashkenazi‡‡ Jewish dish, a baked pudding often served as a side dish on the sabbath and Jewish holidays.

You don’t have to be Jewish or a celebrant of any holiday to enjoy a good kugel, warm from the oven or at room temperature. Kugel is comfort food for any time.

Our Nana’s kugel was a classic noodle kugel or noodle pudding (lokshen kugel in Yiddish), a combination of extra-wide egg noodles, cream cheese and/or cottage cheese, raisins, apples, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla—with optional sliced almonds.

> Here’s her kugel recipe. As a kid with a sweet tooth, we couldn’t get enough of it.

The most popular traditional savory kugel is potato kugel, made of shredded potatoes and onions.

But with an eye toward healthier eating, mixed vegetable kugels have become very popular in recent decades. There are more kugel recipes below.
 
> The history of kugel.

> More favorite Passover recipes are below.
 
 
TYPES OF KUGEL

As with many dishes, there are as many types of kugel as there are cooks who conceive them.

You may even have enjoyed kugel without knowing it: Baked rice pudding is a kugel (rice kugel). Carrot pudding (a side dish that evolved into dessert—carrot cake—in the 20th century) is a kugel.

Sweet kugels tend to include fresh or dried fruit, as well as sugar. Beyond the traditional apple and/or raisin kugel, they can be made with butternut squash, cherries or other berries, peaches, pineapple, rhubarb, and dried fruits.

If you have a guest list of adventurous foodies, consider fall fruits like goji, honeyberry, pawpaw, persimmon, rambutan, or starfruit (carambola).

While carrots, corn, and sweet potatoes are not fruits, they are made into sweet kugels as well as savory kugels.

Savory kugels were traditionally potato kugels with a touch of onion, but broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cheese (anything, from Emmental to Parmesan), spinach, yellow squash, and zucchini have become popular.

Like cauliflower and mushrooms? Put them in your kugel. Check out the savory kugel recipes on Pinterest, where we found this garlic farfel kugel from All Recipes!

Whether sweet or savory, go modern by adding your favorite herbs and spices.

 
Today’s featured recipe is a savory kugel created by Hannah Kaminsky of Bittersweet Blog, which focuses on vegan fare.

It’s not only savory, it’s vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb, made with spiralized zucchini noodles.

“Silky stands of spiralized zucchini ribbons elevate the conventional noodle kugel to all new heights,” says Hannah. “Vegan, gluten-free, and kosher, it’s a more savory take on the dish that everyone will crave.”
 
 
RECIPE: ZOODLE KUGEL INSTEAD OF NOODLE KUGEL: VEGAN & SAVORY

Hannah made this kugel a vegan recipe with vegan sour cream and nutritional yeast instead of cheese.

We used regular sour cream and Parmesan.

This recipe finds a place between tradition and innovation. You can add whatever you like: caramelized onions, garlicky mushrooms, thinly shaved fennel, fresh dill, and roasted red peppers or sun-dried tomatoes. The possibilities are endless.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 60 minutes, additional time is 15 minutes.
 
Ingredients

[1] Zoodle kugel: zucchini kugel with a dab of sour cream (photos #1, #2, and #3 © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] The side view of this velvety kugel.

[3] Before or after the main course, you can serve a separate “kugel course” with a green salad.

[4] A classic noodle kugel with raisins. Here’s the recipe (photo © Collecting Memories | Blogspot).

[5] Recipe in The Gefilteria Manifesto (photo © Flatiron Books).

2. SPIRALIZE the zucchini using the wide ribbon slicing blade, creating long noodle-like strands of zucchini (“zoodles”). Toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. DRAIN the excess water, gently pressing down on the zucchini to get out as much liquid as possible. Gently blot with a clean kitchen towel to further dry. Toss with the onion and garlic, and set aside.

3. PLACE the white beans, tahini, tapioca flour, Parmesan/nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, and vegetable stock in a blender or food processor. Purée until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate everything.
4. TRANSFER the vegetables to the prepared baking dish, spreading them out in an even layer. Pour the bean purée all over, using a spatula to smooth it out. Tap the whole pan on the counter several times so that the batter falls down in between the zucchini noodles.

5. BAKE for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

6. GARNISH with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, if desired.
 
 
MORE KUGEL RECIPES

 
 
MORE ROSH HASHANAH RECIPES

With Pre-Dinner Drinks

 
Soup, Mains, & Sides

 
Desserts

________________

*In the Hebrew calendar, it is held on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishri, and the first of the Jewish High Holy Days specified by Leviticus 23:23–25. It is marked by the blowing of the shofar, and begins the ten days of penitence culminating in Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is followed by Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot, completing the year. This year, the Hebrew year 5725 begins at sunset on October 1, 2024. Here’s how to convert dates in the Hebrew calendar to the Gregorian calendar.

†A shofar is an ancient musical instrument used for Jewish religious purposes. It is blown during synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. The instrument typically is made from a ram’s horn. Like the modern bugle, the shofar lacks a pitch-altering device. All pitch control done by the player’s varying the placement of his mouth (embouchure) to the mouthpiece.

‡A shofar is an ancient musical instrument used for Jewish religious purposes. It is blown during ‡Nutritional yeast is a plant-based substitute with a flavor that’s savory, cheesy, and nutty. It often substitutes for cheese in vegan dishes.

‡‡Ashkenazi is one of two major ancestral groups of Jewish people whose ancestors lived in France and Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, Poland, and Russia. The other group is called Sephardic, and includes those whose ancestors lived in Spain, Portugal, North Africa, and the Middle East. Understandably, their cuisines were different, based on local ingredients and traditions.