While fresh is fashionable, we can’t ignore the importance of frozen foods today, National Frozen Food Day. While March 6th is one day to celebrate, the entire month of March is National Frozen Food Month.

Frozen food revolutionized the way Americans consume food. First came the joy of off-season fruits and vegetables (which are tastier and a fraction of the price when purchased frozen at their peak than shipped fresh from South America or elsewhere). Then the ability to buy larger quantities when on sale. Then the convenience for busy moms.

In 1984, President Ronald Regan declared March 6th to be National Frozen Food Day, stating: “…I call upon the American people to observe such day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”

Our ceremony consists of frozen foods for breakfast and dinner, at least. We already had a delicious Cedarlane omelet, and cooking SeaPak frozen butterfly shrimp for lunch (thanks, SeaPak, for the samples).

Most supermarkets today have 2-3 aisles of frozen foods, and many Americans rely upon the convenience of frozen food for their weekly dinners and other meals.

March is National Frozen Food Month and March 6th is National Frozen Food Day.

Below:

> The history of frozen foods: the surprise invention.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The best foods to buy frozen instead of fresh.
 
 
WHO INVENTED FROZEN FOOD: THE HISTORY OF FROZEN FOOD

Since ancient times, foods were frozen in climates that were cold enough to freeze them (here’s more about early freezing and refrigeration). But the invention of the home refrigerator-freezer after World War II brought modern-age frozen food into every home.

Many people think that Clarence Birdseye invented frozen food; but in fact, others preceded him.

However, Birdseye invented good-tasting frozen food. Before Birdseye, foods were frozen at a fairly slow rate. This caused large ice crystals to form, which ruptured the cell membranes of the food. When the food was defrosted, the ice crystals melted and water would leak from the food, taking with it flavor and texture.

What Birdseye did invent, in 1924 was the quick freezing method, which produces the type of quality frozen foods that we know today.

 
While working as a fur trader in Labrador, Newfoundland, Birdseye discovered that the fish that he caught froze almost immediately after being pulled from the water—and that the fish was just as delicious when thawed out months later. He developed quick-freezing methods that retained the taste and texture of foods.

Another revolution in frozen food came in 1948 when Sea Island Packing Company (SeaPak) in Georgia developed the Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) to flash freeze shrimp. This process locks in flavor at its original state of freshness. The new process forever changed the way the shrimp industry (and others) would freeze products. [Source]
 
 
The First Home Freezer

The first home refrigerator with a small freezing compartment that held two ice cube trays was launched in 1923 (it was a Frigidaire—Source.)

Large “deep freezers” for retail use only became common during the 1940s. That’s why people in period novels and films went to the neighborhood drugstore to get ice cream! Big freezers did not go into mass production for home use until after World War II. Along with new refrigerator-freezer units, they enabled American homes to stock ice cream and other frozen foods.

Prior to World War II, Americans primarily ate locally and regionally grown foods. The technology didn’t exist to pack and transport fresh foods over greater distances. Consequently, only those who lived near coastal waterways had access to shrimp, clams, oysters, and other seafood.

Since shrimp is America’s #1 consumed seafood—a lot of that, for both home and foodservice use, is frozen—and SeaPak Shrimp & Seafood Company is the #1-selling retail brand of frozen shrimp entrees, we make them our choice for lunch. Check out all the varieties at SeaPak.com.

[1] Frozen rice tastes as good as fresh-cooked, and is ready in 3 minutes instead of 45. Frozen berries are more affordable for sauces, purees, and other recipes; and off season, they may taste better than a lot of fresh berries (Abacus Photo)

[2] If you serve a lot of burgers, pre-shaped frozen beef is both a time saver and a cost saver (photo © Webstaurant Store).

Today, it’s jumbo butterfly shrimp for lunch at THE NIBBLE. You can bake or fry the frozen shrimp (photos #3 and #4 © SeaPak).

Butterfly shrimp “scallopini” with lemon, butter, garlic, parsley, and white wine. Here’s the recipe. Photo courtesy SeaPak.
 

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“I am so sick of kale,” our friend Bonnie exclaimed, as we sat down to a restaurant lunch. We have nothing against a kale salad, but we were trended-out by the kale Caesar salad as a menu item. We wanted the original Caesar salad: We wanted romaine!

The one thing we agreed upon was kale chips as an alternative to potato chips or fries. Unlike baked kale chips, they can be ready in five minutes, in time to join a cold beer or soft drink.

And, they’re the most nutritious chip you can eat. See why below.

We made this recipe in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, to test how much we’d need for a party.

You can make chips (of any kind) in minutes with the Microwave Chip Maker, a handy device from Mastrad. Two trays are $20. We bought a second set, since they can be stacked to turn out a greater volume of chips.

You can use a microwave-safe plate also; or cook the kale directly on the glass turntable.

Using herb-infused oil adds another layer of flavor to the chips.

> The history of kale.

> The different types of kale.

> Kale popcorn recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: MICROWAVE KALE CHIPS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. REMOVE the stems from the dry kale. Tear the leaves into 2″ pieces. Toss with the oil to coat and place the pieces in one layer on the tray. Don’t overlap the pieces; doing so can cause arcing* in the microwave. Season with salt and pepper.

2a. WITH MICROWAVE CHIP MAKER TRAY: Microwave on HIGH for 1½ minutes. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals until the desired crispness is reached. Allow to cool before removing to a bowl.

2b. WITH A REGULAR MICROWAVE-SAFE PLATE: Microwave for 3 minutes, continuing in 30-second intervals until the desired crispness is reached. Transfer to serving bowl and toss with optional seasonings.

3. REPEAT with additional batches. For the best flavor and texture, serve immediately; but you can store the chips in an airtight container for up to a week.
 
 
WHICH KALE SHOULD YOU USE?

There are more than 50 varieties of kale, of which four are most often found in the U.S. Curly kale is the variety typically found in grocery stores.

You may have to hit farmers markets or specialty produce stores for the others: lacinato kale (also called black kale, dinosaur kale, and Tuscan kale, among other names), redbor kale (ornamental kale, which is equally edible) and red Russian kale.

For kale chips, we personally preferred using lacinto kale or red Russian kale. The leaves are longer, flatter and better to tear into chip-size pieces. But you may prefer curly kale, which was used in the photo above.

Here’s more about kale.
 
 
WHY IS KALE SO NUTRITIOUS?

Kale is a nutrition powerhouse, a food superstar packed with antioxidants.

It’s a member of the Brassicas, the cruciferous vegetable family, along with arugula, bok choy, broccoli/broccolini/rapini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, horseradish, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard, radish, rutabaga, turnips, watercress, and wasabi, among others.

These vegetables offer a large amount of health benefits, including supporting the immune system, regulating blood pressure and potentially reducing the risk of various types of cancer.

Kale, and most of the others, are full of vitamins A, B6, C, K, folate, fiber, carotenoids and manganese.

[1] Kale chips made with conventional curly kale. Here are the microwave trays we use (photo © Mastrad).

[2] Enjoy snacking or use kale chips as a garnish (photo © Ronit Shaket | Unsplash).

[3] You can break chips up into smaller pieces to top salads, mashed potatoes, rice and grains, pretty much anything (photo © Alleksana | Pexels).

[4] Lacinato kale, also called black kale or dinosaur kale and Tuscan kale, is the best kale to use for kale chips (photo © Good Eggs.

Kale chips can be seasoned in a variety of ways to match different flavor profiles. For example:

 
______________________

*Arcing, or sparking, is rare and the USDA can’t explain what causes it. Theories include the mineral or moisture content of certain vegetables; and foods with sharp rather than round edges arranged too closely in the microwave.
 
 

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

[1] Poppy pockets are a spin on traditional hamentaschen (photo and recipe © Go Bold With Butter.

[2] Most people think of poppy seeds as black, but they are also available in white at Silk Road Spices. Black poppy seeds are nutty and sweet, and have a stronger flavor than white poppy seeds (photo © Silk Road Spices).

[3] Cream cheese adds richness (photo © Philadelphia Cream Cheese).

[4] Lemon zest adds a nuance of tartness (photo © Sunkist).

[5] You can buy poppy seed filling in the can, in supermarkets or online (photo © Solo Foods).

Last night at sunset, the Jewish holiday of Purim began. As recounted in the Old Testament’s Book Of Esther, it commemorates the saving of the Jewish people in 5th century B.C.E. Persia from a plot by Hamen, advisor to the king, to annihilate them in a single day. (Here’s the whole story.)

Traditional foods are part of the celebration, the most famous of which is hamentaschen.

The name means “Hamen’s pockets” (the singular is hamentasch).

A three-cornered filled cookie, named after the tricorner hat worn by Haman. It is created by folding in the sides of a circular piece of dough, with filling placed in the center.

Traditional fillings are poppy seed, prune, date, apricot, and fruit preserves. Of course, modern bakers have increased the appeal by using chocolate, dulce de leche and sweetened cheese.

You don’t have to celebrate Purim to bake a batch. You can make a traditional hamentashen recipe, or try the modern version below, including homemade poppy seed filling.

Also below are more things to do with poppy seed filling.

 
 
RECIPE #1: POPPY SEED POCKETS

These cookies are round instead of triangular, and cream cheese is added to the traditional poppy seed filling.

Ingredients For 3 Dozen Cookies

_______________

*You can find it online if your local supermarket doesn’t have it.
 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer; mix until well combined. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and vanilla; mix to combine.

2. SLOWLY ADD the flour and mix just until thoroughly incorporated. Remove the dough and divide it into four equal parts. Flatten each into a round disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour.

3. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. On a well-floured surface, roll out one packet of dough at a time, to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch, round cookie cutter, cut circles from the dough and transfer half of the circles to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Reserve the remaining circles to use as tops for each cookie. Re-roll and cut any remaining dough scraps.

4. PLACE 1 teaspoon of poppy seed filling in the center of each dough circle. Dip the tip of your finger or a small pastry brush in water and lightly brush water around the edge of each filled circle. Quickly cover each with a reserved dough circle top and use the tines of a fork to gently crimp the edges of the two circles together. Cut an “X” into the top of each cookie with tip of a sharp knife.

5. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just start to turn golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and dust generously with confectioners’ sugar. Let the cookies cool on baking sheets for 3 to 4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
 

RECIPE #2: HUNGARIAN POPPY SEED FILLING

Reader Cheryl Olenczak writes that it’s easy to make homemade poppy seed filling and avoid the additives in commercial brands.

She uses a recipe submitted by Hepzibah to AllRecipes.com, substituting butter for the margarine.

Prep time is 10 minutes, cook time is 20 minutes, cool before using.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. GRIND the poppy seeds in a mill or coffee grinder.

2. COMBINE the milk, butter/margarine and sugar in a saucepan. Cook on low heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Gradually pour about half of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly.

3. RETURN the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a metal spoon. (Run your finger down the coated spoon: it should draw a clear line.) Add the poppy seeds and stir well to blend.

4. REMOVE from the heat; cool before using. Store unused filling in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Solo Foods, producers of the most prominent brand in the U.S., has recipes for:

 
Check them out at SoloFoods.com. Our personal favorite: poppy seed yeast cake (coffee cake).

Here are recommendations from Chef Charlie Baggs, of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations in Chicago, to which we’ve added some of our own suggestions.

The original article was written for Flavor & The Menu, a magazine and website for chefs that made these suggestions for their menu during the six weeks of Lent when seafood sales soar.

Chef Baggs offers different techniques for cooking seafood in both traditional and more modern preparations. You can try a different one every day!

Make a hearty bouillabaisse. Photo courtesy MackenzieLtd.com.

 
We’re sure we’ve left out other favorites. Don’t hesitate to let us know.
 
Read the full article about Lenten dishes on Flavor & The Menu.

Perhaps eight years ago, we saw an article in a trade magazine about a pilot pizza chain in California. All the pizza varieties were served in cones made of pizza dough. The founder’s concept was to make it easy to walk down the street eating from a cone instead of a drippy slice.

We loved the idea, but to our knowledge, the business never went anywhere.*

Recently, we discovered a pizza cone kit from Pizzacraft that enables you to turn out pizza cones at home. The kit is less than $19, is easy to use and includes everything you need to make two pizza cones at a time (you supply the food items).

You can eat most any food in a cone, and as an alternative to pizza dough, can make waffle cones on a round waffle maker or a pizzelle maker. (Leave the sugar out of the recipe unless you’re using them for dessert.)

Then, fill with any of your favorite fixings, including:

Pizza in a cone. Photo courtesy Pizzacraft.

 
Can’t wait? Neither can we!
 
*UPDATE

Right after we published this, we read today’s newsletter from Nation’s Restaurant News and learned, by pure coincidence, about Kono Pizza. The franchise chain has breakfast, lunch/dinner and dessert cones. The concept was created in Italy and is “popular around the world,” with 140 locations. The first franchise just opened in Edison, NJ, with Orlando and Iowa scheduled next.