[1] Three flavors of Wildgood—Chocolate, Coffee, and Vanilla Bean—turn into a hot fudge sundae (all photos © Wildgood).

[2] Intensely nutty pistachio Wildgood, a European-style pistachio rather than the lighter American style.

[3] Cranberry pie à la mode, with Vanilla Bean.

[4] Chocolate Hazelnut lovers: Consider blending Nutella into chocolate sauce.

[5] Caramelized Fig will be new to many Americans.

Wildgood is plant-based ice cream, but not the type of which one might first think. It’s not made with plant milk (almond, cashew, coconut, oat, soy, etc.) but rather with extra virgin olive oil.

It just so happens that EVOO makes a spectacularly creamy dairy-free ice cream.

Plus, unlike ice cream made with some plant milks, with a mild EVOO there’s no giveaway flavor notes as there often are from plant milks.

We personally like those flavor notes in vanilla plant-baced ice cream—almond, cashew, and coconut, e.g.—but less so in other flavors.

And one important thing that plant milks don’t provide: the creaminess created by the olive oil. Wildgood is ice cream you wouldn’t know was dairy-free.
 
 
ICE CREAM & OLIVE OIL HAVE A HISTORY TOGETHER

You can find many olive oil ice cream recipes online, but they’re all EVOO plus milk and/or cream.

Italians have long been adding olive oil to milk-based gelato for the extra creaminess it provides.

It’s also added to vegan ice creams for extra creaminess, in addition to a plant milk (check out this recipe made with coconut milk and EVOO).

And, gelato is also served sundae-style with a drizzle of top-quality EVOO topped with crunchy flakes of coarse sea salt.

What Wildgood has achieved is an EVOO-based ice cream with no other milk or cream, whether animal- or plant-based.

Before founding Wildgood, artisan ice cream maker Sotiris Tsichlopoulos built a popular artisan ice cream brand in Greece called To Pagotó (Greek for “The Ice Cream,” a business he later franchised).

But as people lined up around the block for it, he imagined what ice cream could look like in a future where sustainable, plant-based foods were the norm.

He began a quest to create an ice cream product that delivered all the deliciousness of premium ice cream without milk and cream.

His family happened to make olive oil from their ancient olive grove.

Olives are a very sustainable crop. The trees need very little water and can live for hundreds of years.

And, as just noted, Italians have long made ice cream with olive oil.

So, the Sotiris family’s extra virgin olive oil was the starting point for his experimentation with dairy-free, EVOO-based ice cream.

The result is our Top Pick Of The Week, Wildgood Ice Cream (which is made in Vermont).
 
 
WILDGOOD ICE CREAM FLAVORS

Wildgood pints come in nine fab flavors. Eight are already popular in the U.S. The ninth, Caramelized Fig, is a lovely, elegant flavor that’s a tribute to the Greek origins of the brand (photo #5).

 
 
GET YOUR WILDGOOD

Here’s a store locator.

You can also shop online at Wildgood.com. The ice cream is shipped in 100% recyclable, eco-friendly coolers.
 
 
> The history of ice cream.
 
 
> The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts.
 
 
> The history of olive oil.
 
 
> The different types of olive oil.

[1] A comforting cup of chai, which is traditionally brewed with milk in India (photo © Charles Chocolates).

[2] A chai blend of blacck tea andd spices (photo © Spice Station Silverlake).

[3] Iced chai (photo © Republic Of Tea).

Diwali, or Dipawali, is India’s most important holiday. The five-day festival begins today, so we’re celebrating with a cup of chai (the word for tea in Hindi) and additional chai recipes.

Diwali, a festival of lights, gets its name from the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that Indian families light outside their homes.

Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil, and the human ability to overcome. The lights symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness.

The festival is as important to Hindus as the Christmas holiday is to Christians.

Diwali’s date is determined by the India calendar and changes every year, ranging from October to November. It’s observed on the 15th day of the 8th month (the month of Kartik).
 
 
THE 5 DAYS OF DIWALI

 
It’s a lovely holiday. Here’s more about it from Diwali Festival.
 
 
HOW CAN YOU CELEBRATE?

 
> The history of chai.

> Chai vs. tea: the difference.
 
 
CHAI RECIPES

While we already have a Pumpkin Spice Popcorn recipe, this one is even more on-trend: Pumpkin Spice Latte Popcorn (photo #1).

The “latte” comes from the addition of espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla sugar (photos #2, #3, and #4).

So take a gander, PSL fans. And while you’re checking out this PSL recipe, check below for more fall popcorn recipes.

> 13 more pumpkin spice recipes, from cake to nuts to waffles and some popcorn trivia.

> The history of popcorn.

October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE POPCORN

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can make it from spices you probably do have.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WHISK together in a small bowl the vanilla sugar, espresso powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until blended.

2. PLACE the popcorn in a large bowl. Drizzle the coconut oil over the popcorn; toss until evenly coated. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar mixture until dusted evenly.
 
 
MORE FALL POPCORN RECIPES

 
 
POPCORN TRIVIA

[1] Pumpkin Spice Latte Popcorn (photo © National Popcorn Board).

[2] Espresso powder has many uses. Add a teaspoon or two to any chocolate cake or cookie recipe (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[3] If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can blend your own. See the footnote* (photo © The Spice House).

[4] You can also make your own vanilla sugar. See the footnote*, and this recipe for spiced vanilla sugar (photo © Nielsen-Massey).

*Recipe To Make Vanilla Sugar: You need 1 vanilla bean per 2 cups of granulated (table) sugar. Add the sugar to a food processor. Cut the bean in half lengthwise and use a knife to scrape out the seeds. Place the seeds on top of the sugar and save the empty pods (here’s how you can use them). Also, use a spoon or knife to scrape the seeds off the first knife. Pulse until all the seeds are broken up and blended—they’ll look like little dots. Store in a tightly sealed jar.

Recipe To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice:

[1] A simple scrumptious cake for National Apple Month (photo © King Arthur Baking).

[2] Some bakers recommend using a mix of apple varieties in cakes and pies (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[3] Brown sugar has a deep, caramel or toffee-like flavor due to the added molasses, which adds more richness to fruit and chocolate cakes and cookies.

[4] Regular sugar has a larger crystal size than powdered sugar (a.k.a. confectioners’ or 10x sugar. It thus dissolves more readily (photo Katherine Pollak | © The Nibble).

[5] Boiled cider is a thick syrup made by boiling down apple cider. It is used instead of molasses or honey to deliver more apple flavor to a recipe (photo © Cheese & Wine Traders).

[6] Apple pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. There’s a recipe to mix your own below (photo © Jamie of My Baking Addiction, who also uses cardamom).

Nothing says Fall like the apple varieties piled up at farmers markets. October is National Apple Month, October 21st is National Apple Day, and here’s what we baked: an old-fashioned apple cake with brown sugar frosting.

The frosting is like a thin layer of brown sugar fudge or penuche. The moist cake can be as fine or chunky as you like, depending on how you slice the apples.

Thanks to King Arthur Baking for this wonderful treat, a new family favorite at our home.

Prep time is 20 minutes, and bake time is 42 to 47 minutes.
 
 
WHAT APPLES SHOULD YOU USE FOR APPLE CAKE?

According to Stemilt, the key to a great apple cake is to use a diverse variety of apples.

Why a variety? It gives you a mix of textures and flavors: sweet, tart, crisp, and soft. Stemilt suggests:

 
Of course, you can use just one apple variety.

For the best apples for any particular recipe, head to AppleForThat.Stemilt.com.
 
 
> The history of apples.

> The difference between frosting, icing, and glaze.
 
 
RECIPE: OLD-FASHIONED APPLE CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

This recipe makes one e 9″ x 13″ cake. The same recipe will make 24 cupcakes.

For a cake with more texture, leave the peels on the apples, and chop them coarsely rather than finely.
 
Ingredients For The Cake

 
For The Frosting

For a lower-sugar frosting, which we personally prefer, use between 1-1/2 cups (171g) to 1-3/4 cups (200g) confectioners’ sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk.

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan or two 8″ round pans.

2. MAKE the batter. Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl. As soon as the mixture comes together and becomes pretty uniformly crumbly, stop mixing (or it will turn into a cohesive mass).

3. ADD the apples, boiled cider, and nuts, and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick, creamy batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency. Don’t worry if the mixture doesn’t immediately loosen up; this will take about 3 minutes at low speed in a stand mixer.

4. SPREAD the batter in the prepared pan(s), smoothing it with your wet fingers. Bake the cake for 45 minutes for a 9″ x 13″ pan or for 38 minutes in two 8″ round pans. A toothpick or paring knife inserted into the center should come out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it. The temperature at the center of the cake will be about 205°F.

5. REMOVE the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool a bit while you make the frosting.

6. MAKE the frosting: Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a bowl or onto a piece of parchment or wax paper; set it aside. (Sifting guarantees a lump-free frosting.)

7. MELT the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar starts to melt and the mixture becomes fairly smooth. While you may still notice a bit of grittiness from the sugar, you shouldn’t see any melted butter pooled atop the sugar. Add the milk and boiled cider, and bring to a boil.

8. REMOVE the syrup from the heat and pour it into a medium-sized mixing bowl (large enough to accommodate the confectioners’ sugar). Let the syrup cool in the bowl for 10 minutes.

9. POUR the confectioners’ sugar into the warm syrup in the bowl, then add the vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. You need to work fast here; the frosting stiffens up quickly as it cools.

10. POUR the warm frosting onto the cake(s), spreading it over the entire surface.

11. CUT the cake—either warm or at room temperature—into slices to serve. Store the cake, covered, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
 
 
________________

*To toast the nuts, place them in a single layer in a cake pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 6 to 9 minutes, until they’re golden brown and smell “toasty.” Or, you can dry-fry them (no oil) in a skillet set over medium heat. Done this way they can go from perfectly browned to burned quickly, so keep your eye on them.

If you’re not committed to handing out (and eating) Halloween candy and would prefer a sophisticated adult Halloween experience, check out these different types of Halloween cheese.

We don’t mean cheeses that look like pumpkins. Rather, these are year-round fine cheeses that happen to have bright Halloween colors or shapes.

Take a look, and pair the cheeses with your favorite wines. We promise you an experience that is all treat, no trick!
 
 
Halloween Cheeses For Lovers Of Fine Cheese: Part 1

These are very specific variations of the particular cheeses that make them perfect for Halloween.

 
Here’s the complete article.
 
 
Halloween Cheeses For Lovers Of Fine Cheese: Part 2

 
Here’s the complete article.
 
Plus:

 
You Can Still Have Chocolate!

Since Halloween wouldn’t be the same without chocolate, bring some dark chocolate bars to the table. They pair well with cheese.

The bars can be plain or with:

 
 
> The history of cheese.
 
> Cheese glossary: the different types of cheese.

[1] Brains and blood: cocktails with bites of brain-looking goat cheese with blood sausage on crostini. There’s a close-up of the cheese in the next photo (photos #1 and #2 © Vermont Creamery).

[2] Coupole goat cheese from Vermont Creamery is one big brain. Here’s how the ridges are formed.

[ ] Mimolette is a cheese produced around the city of Lille, France, that has the bright orange color of a pumpkin (photo © Murray’s Cheese).