We loved this idea from Smucker’s, which uses its creamy Jif peanut butter and seedless strawberry jam to make these charming sandwiches.

You don’t have to use PB&J: Any sweet or savory spread will do. You can make some very sophisticated combinations for adults.

Prep time is 15 minutes.

You can also make these into regular-size sandwiches with a jumbo star cookie cutter.
 
 
RECIPE: STAR-SHAPED SANDWICH SKEWERS

Ingredients For 1 Serving

 
Variations

Beyond PB&J, you can use more sophisticated spreads. For example:

1. CUT 10 shapes from bread using 2-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.

2. SPREAD peanut butter (or ingredient of choice) on half the stars and jam on remaining stars. Press together to make five small sandwiches.

3. THREAD the sandwiches, strawberry halves and grapes alternately onto skewer. Serve immediately.

Made from a very thin, pliable slice of cedar, cedar grilling papers infuse a subtle but clear flavor while keeping food moist and tender.

Wrap your favorite seafood, meats, vegetables, and fruits in Fire & Flavor’s All Natural Western Red Cedar Papers. One hundred percent all-natural western red cedar was chosen because it provides the best flavor and compliments the widest variety of foods.

You can use the grilling papers indoors, in the oven, stove-top skillet or pannini press; or outdoors on the grill without the need for wood chips.

A package of eight single-use grilling papers, 6″ x 7.25″, and 8 cotton strings for tying is $8.99 at FireAndFlavor.com.

Cedar papers are easy to use and can be prepared in four easy steps: soak, heat, smoke, eat.

1. Soak
Soak the grilling papers in a shallow dish for 10 minutes. Use a small bottle to weight down the papers to keep them fully submerged. Cedar grill papers only need to be soaked long enough to become pliable, but it’s fine to soak for several hours before use. You can also soak in tequila, wine and other liquids—details below.
 
2. Heat
Heat a grill, oven or skillet to 400°F or medium-high heat. Place the food face down in the center of a soaked cedar paper, parallel to the grain of the wood. Fold the paper’s edges toward each other until they overlap. Tie the paper together with cotton string (included with the papers) or butcher’s twine; or place them seam side down on the grill grate, skillet or pan.

 
3. Smoke
Smoke the wrapped food directly on the grill grates or in the grill pan. Cook fish for 3-4 minutes per side until food is done to your liking (close the lid if using a grill). During cooking, the cedar papers will blacken. This makes for great presentation.

 
4. Eat
Place the packets on plates or a platter, bring to the table and enjoy. Cedar wrapped foods will stay warm and moist for long periods of time.

PILING ON THE FLAVOR

You can soak the papers in any liquid you like. Experiment with these soaking ideas from the Fire & Flavor Test Kitchen, and dream up your own.

MORE COOKING TIPS

In the late 1970s, New Zealand kiwifruit growers began experimenting with the breeding of a golden kiwifruit (in the U.S., we call it “kiwi” for short). Seeds were imported from China, where a female plant was chosen for its yellow flesh and excellent flavor, and was crossed with a male plant proven to produce large, succulent fruit.

In 1992 one offspring plant from the breeding stock was selected and nurtured, resulting in the golden-fleshed berry* now known as Zespri® SunGold Kiwifruit. It is available at supermarkets nationwide from June through October.

Zespri spent 10 years developing the SunGold variety through natural crossbreeding methods. SunGold is sweeter than a green kiwi, and tastes like a cross between a mango and a strawberry, with just a hint of tanginess.

Like regular kiwi, it offers healthy ammounts of vitamins C and E, potassium. Its sunny yellow sweetness boosts the nutrition and color on your plate. Try it:

 
Many people prefer the flavor of kiwifruit chilled.
 
For more information about Zespri—the world leader in premium quality kiwifruit—and delicious kiwi recipes, visit the ZespriKiwi.com.
 
HOW TO RIPEN FRUIT

Golden kiwifruit is usually ready to eat when you buy it. It should feel slightly soft to the touch, like a ripe peach or avocado. Once ripe, should be stored in the refrigerator.

Green kiwifruit may be a bit firm when you buy it, and will usually ripen at in three to five days at room temperature. The firmer the fruit, the more tart it will taste.

To speed up the ripening process, place kiwis (or any fruit) in a closed paper bag on the counter with an apple or banana. Fruits like apples and bananas produce natural ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening.

By the same token, any ripe fruit should be stored away from ethylene-producing fruits—never in the same produce drawer.

If you want to store the fruit for longer than a few days, keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge.

ABOUT KIWIFRUIT

The kiwi, also known as the Chinese gooseberry, is the edible berry of a woody vine in the genus Actinidia.

Native to China, the fruit was first commercially grown in New Zealand in the early 20th century. The growers began calling it “kiwifruit” to give it more market appeal (and to to avoid the high duties charged on imported berries). Kiwi is a flightless bird native to New Zealand, and the fruit was small, brown and fuzzy like the bird.*

The most common cultivar is oval, about the size of a large hen’s egg. Cultivars range in color from light to very dark green, orange, yellow, and a green variety where the seeds are in a red-colored ring.

A medium kiwi has 42 calories, lots of vitamins A and C, fiber, folate, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorous and vitamins E and K. It has two times more vitamin C than an orange and as much potassium as a medium banana.
 
*Kiwi, the bird, is and its national symbol of New Zealand. The name is used internationally as a reference to New Zealanders.

THE TAXONOMY OF KIWIFRUIT

You may remember from high school biology that all living things have a biological classification, known as taxonomy: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.

This system of taxonomy was developed Carl Linnaeus, and first set forth in his Systema Naturae, published in 1735. Here’s how the system works. For kiwifruit specifically, visit Bioweb.Uwlax.edu.

Family: Actinidiaceae

Kiwifruit are categorized in this group because they are a woody vine. The Actinidiaceae family consists of woody vines, shrubs and trees that are native to Asia, Central America and South America. These plants also have a simple, spiral arrangement of leaves.

Genus: Actinidia

This genus name is given to plants that are tough and hardy. The word actinidia derives from a Greek word meaning difficult or hard. The vine and skin of the kiwifruit are tough, resistant, strong and hardy.

Species: A. deliciosa

The species name deliciosa derives from the Greek word meaning luxury or luxurious, referring to the luscious taste of the fleshy fruit.
  

Because we receive frozen gel ice packs with much of the food that’s delivered to THE NIBBLE, we put ice packs in our backpack to provide a bit of cool-down against our back. And when we go into the hot New York City subway, we clutch an ice pack in our hands, dabbing it on our forehead and neck to help with cooling. Yes—we are not built for summer survival.

Here’s something else that’s keeping us cool: Nestlé Pure Life Exotics Sparkling Water. It has zero calories, zero sweetener and zero added color. What it does deliver is bold, exotic, all-natural fruit flavor. It’s a staycation in a can.

 
Each flavor variety has a suggested retail price of $2.99 per 8-pack of 12-ounce cans. A case of 24 cans is $11.99.

Head to MyExoticEscape.com for a store locator and coupons. There are also links to order online at Office Depot and Office Max.

[1] Onion rings with horseradish-dill sauce instead of ketchup (photo © QVC).

[2] Onion rings with ranch dressing (photos #2, 3, #4, and #6 courtesy Freepik).

[3] French-fried onion rings and beer with mignonette sauce*.

[4] Panko-coated onion rings with beer.

[5] Vidalia onions are the sweetest because they grow in sulphur-free soil (photo © Vidalia Onions).

The standard condiment is ketchup, beer-battered onion rings are delicious with a horseradish dipping sauce. Here’s a recipe from QVC’s chef David Venable. It even bows to tradition by including some ketchup!

What should you drink with Beer Batter Onion Rings? Your favorite beer! Ours is a hopped up IPA.

The recipe follows, but first, for your perusal:

> The history of onions.

> The different types of onions: a photo glossary.

> The year’s 6 onion holidays.

> The year’s 40+ beer holidays.

> More uses for onions.
 
 
RECIPE: BEER BATTER ONION RINGS WITH HORSERADISH DILL DIPPING SAUCE

Ingredients

 
For The Onion Rings

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the dipping sauce: Whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, paprika and dill in a small bowl. Set aside while cooking the onion rings.

2. PREPARE the onion rings: Clip a deep-frying thermometer to the side of a heavy, deep pot. Add 2″ of canola oil to the pot and slowly heat the oil to 350°F. While the oil is heating…

3. WHISK together the flour, egg, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer, stirring until a thick batter forms.

4. DREDGE the onion slices in the batter. Using tongs, add four or five onion rings to the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Turn them halfway through cooking. (Cook the onion rings in batches or the oil won’t stay hot and the onion rings will be soggy rather than crisp.) Using the tongs, remove the fried onion rings to a wire rack or paper towels to drain.

5. COOK the remaining batter-dipped onion rings. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.
 
 
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*Mignonette sauce is a classic, uncooked sauce made from vinegar, minced shallots, and cracked black pepper, traditionally served with raw oysters and clams. Its sharp acidity and mild bite are intended to complement and enhance the oyster’s natural briny flavor without overpowering it. It also is a tangy dip for onion rings.

[6] Onion rings with chipotle mayonnaise.
 
 
 
 

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