[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.
 
 
 
 

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

January 23rd is National Sticky Toffee Pudding Day, celebrating a classic British dessert that is too seldom found in the U.S. But let’s put an end to that:

There’s a delicious recipe below.

Sticky Toffee Pudding is not a pudding as Americans know it, but a steamed sponge cake with toffee sauce.

Sticky toffee pudding (known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand) is a moist sponge cake optionally made with finely chopped dates which add sweetness and moisture to the cake.

 
 
The history of sticky toffee pudding is below.

> The difference between butterscotch, caramel, and toffee.
 
 
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING VARIATIONS

Thanks to Audra, The Baker Chick, who creates absolutely delicious recipes, for this sticky toffee pudding recipe.

Her rich cake is made with dates, rum, flour, eggs, butter, and sugar, and served with a warm toffee sauce.

Sign up for her emails. You’ll want to make everything!

Ingredients For An 8-Inch Cake

 
Ingredients For The Toffee Sauce

 
Preparation

1.  PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan combine the dates and rum and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 3 minutes, until the dates are blistery and soft.

2. USE an immersion blender or food processor to blend the dates and rum into a creamy paste. Set aside. Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl…

3. STIR together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir together and set aside. In a large bowl…

4. CREAM cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer to until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well-combined.

5. ADD the flour mixture in batches, alternating with the date paste, starting and ending with the flour. Don’t over-beat the batter; mix just until smooth and well-combined.

6. GREASE or spray an 8-inch round or square pan and pour the batter in, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325°F and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is baking, make the sauce (step #8).

7. COOL the cake on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a cake stand or plate.

8. MAKE the sauce. Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and rum in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until well-combined and smooth. Cook until bubbly, then remove from heat and stir in the sea salt.

9. POKE holes all along the top and sides of the cake with a fork, trying to get the holes at least half way through. Slowly pour about half of the sauce over the top and sides of the cake, making sure it soaks in before adding more.

10. SERVE warm with additional sauce and whipped cream or ice cream.
 
 
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING RECIPE VARIATIONS

The dessert has inspired numerous variations, including:

 
Where else will your palate lead you? Go for it!
 
 
STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING FORMATS

You can make anything from a cake to cupcakes with this recipe.

 
 
THE HISTORY OF STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a beloved dessert in the U.K., but its origin is a bit unclear. It may have first appeared in Scotland, but we have yet to find the smoking gun (or the first recipe in print).

Owners of several pubs, including the Gait Inn in Millington, East Riding, Yorkshire (a 16th century pub, claimed to have invented it in 1907) and the Udny Arms Hotel in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire (claim to have invented it in the 1960s) lay claim to the creation.

What we do know is that the pudding was popularized in the 1970s by Francis Coulson and Robert Lee, who developed and served it at the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in Cumbria, in the Lake District of England. It is at that time that the dessert first appeared in a recipe book [source].

The food critic Simon Hopkinson said Coulson told him he received the recipe from a Patricia Martin of Claughton in Lancashire, and that Martin herself had received it from Canadian Air Force officers who lodged at her hotel during the Second World War.

From 1907 England to Canada back to England in the 1970s: The true history remains to be found.

At any rate, it was an immediate hit at the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel, and the recipe spread out to become a staple in British cuisine.

A take home version to heat, either in oven or microwave, was developed in 1989 by the owners of the Cartmel Village Shop, “The Home Of Sticky Toffee,” in Cartmel, Cumbria.

Their product became popular, and by the late 1990s was being sold in supermarkets across the U.K. The dish is now widely available from multiple manufacturers to bake at home [source].

While it may not have crossed the pond in a big way like fish and chips or scones, we remain hopeful.

Specialty food purveyors sell sticky toffee pudding online. Check out:

 
You can also find boxed mixes if you don’t want to make the from-scratch recipe above.

Want to know more? The most thorough investigation we’ve found is from the BBC.

[1] The delicious sticky toffee pudding recipe (photos #1 and #2 © The Baker Chick).

[2] If you like lots of sauce, double the toffee portion of the recipe.

[3] Ginger-accented individual sticky toffee pudding garnished with crystallized ginger, candied orange peel, and candied orange slices (photos #3, #4, and #7 © Sticky Toffee Pudding Company).

[4] Sticky toffee pudding topped with whipped cream and pecans.

[5] Mackenzie Ltd. will sell you frozen sticky toffee pudding that you can defrost when guests drop by (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.).

[6] Sticky toffee pudding made in a Bundt pan (photo © Anson Mills).

[7] Sticky toffee pudding made in a loaf pan.

[8] Fancy: Sticky toffee pudding in a ramekin, warm from the oven, with a side dish of vanilla ice cream (photo © Bluebird Bar & Restaurant | Facebook).

[9] Adding some crunch and visual appeal with a plantain chip (photo © Sushi Samba | Facebook).

*The dark sugars can be brown sugar, jaggery, molasses sugar, muscovado, or panela, depending on the recipe. Check out the different types of sugars in our Sugar Glossary.

[1] A different homemade sriracha recipe, from Good Housekeeping, is milder, using Fresno chiles, jarred roasted red peppers, and dark brown sugar (photo © Good Housekeeping).

[2] Red sriracha sauce requires red jalapeños. Want to grow your own? Head here (photo © Ball Horticultural Company).

[3] Red serrano chiles. Green chiles are less ripe, and therefore less sweet, than red chiles. If you want seeds to grow your own, head here (photo © Urban Farmer).

[4] America’s favorite sriracha sauce, Red Rooster from Huy Fong (photo © Steven Depolo | Wikipedia).

National Hot Sauce Day, on January 22nd, is an occasion to…make your own hot sauce with the recipe below!

However, fear not! While many Sriracha lovers are feeling fiery about the news, the team at Food Fire Friends have revealed how you can make your own Sriracha sauce at home.

It takes only 15 minutes to prepare, then 3-5 days to ferment.

> When did Sriracha become the “it” hot sauce?

> The history of chiles.

> The different types of chiles: a photo glossary.

> The Scoville Heat Units Scale.
 
 
RECIPE: SRIRACHA SAUCE

Prep time is 5 minutes. Cook time is 10 minutes. Fermentation time is 3-5 days.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the jalapeño and serrano chile peppers in a blender or food processor with water, garlic, cayenne pepper, coconut sugar, and lemon juice, and blend until smooth.

2. TRANSFER the mixture into a large glass jar and let cool in a dark place for 3 to 5 days, brushing down the sides with a spoon once a day. The mixture will begin to bubble and ferment. Make sure to re-wrap the mixture after each scraping.

Once the mixture is bubbly and has set up to 3 to 5 days…

3. STRAIN and pour it back into the blender and blend it with vinegar until smooth. Discard the remaining pulp, seeds, and skin left in the strainer.

4. TRANSFER the mixture into a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and stir often for 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will begin to thicken. When it reaches your desired thickness, remove it from the stpve.

5. LET the sauce cool to room temperature; it will continue to thicken. Transfer the sauce to jars and store in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Keep the unused sauce in the fridge.
 
 
 
 

[5] Americans likr sriracha sauce on everything. How about Sriracha Deviled Eggs? Here’s the recipe, which is garnished with candied bacon (photo © McCormick).

If your salads have the winter blahs, you can revive them with bright red vegetables, fruits (apples, pears, dried cranberries, pomegranate arils), other colorful produce, and nuts.

Another idea: Make this snappy salad with green beans instead of lettuce. You can make it with cooked green beans, but we like the beans to be raw and crunchy.

You can also add, or substitute, baby potatoes for the pearl onions. You can also add slices of sweet onion (or if you prefer, pungent red onion).

A sharp Dijon vinaigrette and a generous scattering of crisp bacon complete the recipe.

> The history of green beans is below.
 
 
RECIPE: GREEN BEAN SALAD

Thanks to Applegate for this recipe, which uses Applegate Naturals® Sunday Bacon® Brand in the recipe.

This naturally cured bacon, imbued with a delightful hickory smoked flavor is minimally processed with no artificial ingredients, no preservatives, and is gluten-free.

Prep and cook time is less than 30 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. WASH and trim the green beans. If serving them raw, set aside. If not, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the beans and boil until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes.

2. USE tongs to scoop out the beans and place in a colander to drain. Set aside. Add the pearl onions to the boiling water and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, trim and peel the onions.

3. COOK the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it is very crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Measure into a cup how much bacon fat is in the pan; there should be about 2 tablespoons.

4. RETURN the bacon fat to the skillet over medium-low heat and add enough olive oil to equal 4 tablespoons total fat. Add the mustard and cider vinegar and stir to combine well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. TOSS the green beans and the onions with the hot dressing; taste and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the vegetables to a serving dish and top with the crisp bacon.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF GREEN BEANS

Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), also known as string beans or snap beans and originally called string beans, have existed for thousands of years.

They have a long history of cultivation. Archaeological evidence from Mexico suggests that green beans were cultivated there more than 7,000 years ago.

They are native to Central and South America and likely originated in what is now Peru.

Spanish explorers are credited with bringing green beans to Europe. By the 16th century, green beans were being cultivated in European gardens.

Over time, different varieties of green beans were developed. French green beans (haricots verts), known for their slender shape and tender texture, gained popularity in Europe.

Green beans made their way to North America through European colonization. They became a staple in colonial gardens and were widely consumed by early American settlers. Their ease of cultivation and nutritional value contributed to their popularity as a garden vegetable.

In the 19th century, selective breeding began to eliminate the tough, fibrous strings that were naturally present in string beans and had to be removed before cooking.

Around 1894, a plant breeder named Calvin N. Keeney released the first stringless green bean called the “Stringless Green Pod,” which became popular for its tender and easy-to-eat pods.

The invention of stringless green beans contributed to further popularity in home gardens and commercial agriculture.

With advancements in food preservation techniques, green beans became one of the vegetables commonly canned for convenience and long-term storage.

[1] A year-round salad especially welcome in the winter (photo © Applegate).

[2] Fresh green beans (photo © Neha Deshmukh Wesual | Unsplash).

[3] Pearl onions (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

[4] Applegate Uncured Sunday Bacon (photo © Zabar’s).

[5] Different colors: dragon’s tongue (purple spotted), green, purple, and yellow beans (photo © The Pines | Brooklyn [alas, permanently closed]).

Green beans and yellow wax beans are the same species and genus, but they have been selectively bred to express different traits such as pod color. There are also beautiful purple beans that turn green when cooked.

The genus and species belongs to the family Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family.

Green beans are enjoyed in cuisines worldwide, both fresh and cooked.