[1] As much fun as the country fair, but tastier: your own grilled potatoes on a stick (photo © Stix Mediterranean Grill | New York City [permanently closed]).

[2] Yukon Gold potatoes (photo © Bonnie Plants).

Grilled potatoes on a stick: What fun!

We expanded on this idea from Stix Mediterranean Grill in New York City and created this recipe, which was a hit on Memorial Day.

Stix flavored the skewers Greek-stye, with crumbled feta cheese and oregano (shown in the photo).

We made them more colorful, alternating the potato slices with copacetic ingredients: grape tomatoes, gherkins, and olives. You can add whatever you like, from colorful bell pepper strips to pearl onions. For kids of all ages, how about frankfurter chunks?

We left the skins on the potatoes: better nutrition and no peeling time!
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED POTATO SKEWERS

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BOIL potatoes to an al dente consistency.

2. DRAIN and set aside. When cool to touch, halve the potatoes and thread onto skewers, alternate potatoes with cherry tomatoes, gherkins, olives, etc.

3. GRILL and serve hot, with or without a dipping sauce.

There are variations on the name, but the rules are neither hard nor fast: “Mandarin” refers to the mandarin segments in the recipe. Chinese Chicken Salad uses mandarin or pineapple plus fried chow mein noodles. Thai chicken salad substitutes rice noodles (shown in the photo) for the chow mein noodles. Asian chicken salad, the most generic term, indicates a sesame-soy-ginger vinaigrette or peanut dressing.

We recently had this “Mandarin” chicken salad at Cafe SFA, the restaurant in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City. It’s easy to whip up. Using fresh mandarin segments instead of canned makes a huge difference, as does fresh ginger instead of powdered ginger in the dressing.

If you don’t like ginger or peanut dressing, use plain vinaigrette of rice vinegar and vegetable oil, with a touch of sesame oil (taste it—some varieties are very strong, others are on the light side).

RECIPE: MANDARIN CHICKEN SALAD

Ingredients

They call it Mandarin; we call it Thai because of the rice noodles and peanut dressing. Photo courtesy Café SFA.

 
RECIPE #1: SESAME-GINGER DRESSING

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE all ingredients in a blender and blend on high.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE all ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
 
How To Toast Sesame Seeds

Stovetop toasting: In a large frying pan, heat the sesame seeds over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally. They are ready when they darken and become fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oven toasting: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake until the seeds darken and become fragrant, about 15 minutes.

Allow the toasted seeds to cool; then store in a covered jar at room temperature.

Raw salads are not traditional fare in Asia; Chinese salads are typically made of parboiled or stir-fried vegetables. There are different types of cold chicken salads, mostly from Szechwan, such as pong pong (or bong bong) chicken: shredded chicken and bean sprouts dressed with a peanut butter, red pepper and garlic sauce.

We checked our favorite source, FoodTimeline.org, for the scoop on the emergence of the Asian/Chinese/Mandarin/Thai chicken salads we know and love today.

According to American food historian Sylvia Lovegren, Chinese ingredient-inspired salads and dressings originated by the 1930s. But these early “Oriental” salads were nowhere close to what’s on menus today. One recipe circa 1923 consisted of diced prunes, dates, figs, chopped nuts, diced pineapple topped with “one cup salad dressing,” a vinaigrette or spiced mayonnaise.

The “modern” recipe seems to have been introduced in California, and was made popular at Johnny Kan’s restaurant in San Francisco, a Cantonese restaurant that opened in 1953 (and is still operating). It combined shredded iceberg lettuce, strips of cold roast chicken and crispy chow mein noodles, fried noodles made from a combination of wheat and rice flours. The salad was tossed with a slightly sweet sesame oil-tinged dressing with flecks of hot red peppers or pepper flakes.

The Asian-inspired salads that we know today evolved in the mid-1960s, adding more ingredients (mandarin segments, pineapple, vegetables) and more complex dressings, including the popular ginger-soy-sesame and peanut recipes.

Asian-style salad dressings—soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil—were promoted in the 1980s as healthier alternatives to mayonnaise-based dressings for green salads. Thai flavors were introduced in the 1990s, with the growing popularity of Thai cuisine.

Recent additions include edamame, borrowed from Japanese cuisine. Play around with it and create your own signature Asian salad. It will generate a huge demand!

The premium ice cream brand, Magnum, was launched in Sweden in January 1989. (January? Sweden? Ice cream? Brr!)

Now part of Unilever, the original Magnum, targeted to adults, offered a thick bar of vanilla ice cream on a stick, with real chocolate coating.

At the time, there was no real chocolate that could withstand the commercial ice cream freezer temperature of -40° Celsius (even today, premium brands like Häagen-Dazs use confectionary coating, not real chocolate, and good palates can taste the difference).

So a special (and especially excellent) chocolate was developed by the great Belgian chocolate producer, Callebaut.

In 2011, Magnum ice cream was launched in the U.S. and Canada with six varieties: Double Caramel, Double Chocolate, Classic, Almond, White and Dark. For us, it was love at first bite.

Today, Magnum is one of the world’s leading ice cream brands, selling one billion bars annually, worldwide. It is the biggest brand of Unilever ice creams (which include Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Fudgsicle, Klondike and Popsicle, among others).

Since our first Magnum review, the quality has continued to deliver all that one could desire. We’ve been remiss, and it’s time to promote this brand to a Top Pick Of The Week.

The best chocolate fix in the supermarket: a Magnum Chocolate Infinity Bar. Photo courtesy Unilever.

2014 NEW FLAVORS

Also new:

The line is certified kosher by KOF-K.
 
Magnum Chocolate Infinity and Chocolate Infinity & Raspberry bars are available in 3-count multipacks at grocery stores nationwide, for a suggested retail price of $3.99. The Magnum Mini Variety Pack is available for a suggested retail price of $4.99 for a 6-count box. The bars are also available singly at some retailers.
 
THE HISTORY OF ICE CREAM

When did ice cream bars appear on the ice cream time line? Check out the history of ice cream.
 
*Almond-coated bars have 10 additional calories.

Tortellini en brodo (often misspelled in the U.S. as tortellini in brodo) is a classic Italian dish. Some Americans call it tortellini soup.

It is served as a first course—chicken broth with a few tortellini—or as a main dish packed with tortellini. It’s a cousin of dumpling and chicken soups from Jewish chicken soup with kreplach to Chinese wonton soup, not to mention American chicken-noodle soup.

While most Americans eat tortellini with a red or white sauce and grated Parmesan, en brodo is a lighter way to enjoy the little loops of pasta.

The dish, which originated in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna (more about that below), is warming in cold weather, but light enough to be summer fare. You can make it from scratch or purchase the components. Both the tortellini and the broth can be made ahead and reheated.

While a flavorful bowl of chicken broth and tasty tortellini are comfort food in any season, if you don’t add veggies and herb garnishes, you’re leaving a lot off the table.

 
 
CUSTOMIZE YOUR RECIPE

 
 
THE HISTORY OF TORTELLINI

Tortellini are made by filling long strips of pasta, rolling them into tubes and cutting individual pieces, which are pinched together with the thumb and forefinger.

The famous “loop” shape is said to be based on the belly button of the Venus, the Roman goddess of love.

One of the most famous versions of the legend, written in the 14th century, tells us that that Bacchus, Mars and Venus came down to earth to intervene in a 12th century war between Bologna and Modena (in Emilia-Romagna). They spent the night at an inn in Castelfranco, a small town located between the two cities.

In the morning, Bacchus and Mars arose early to visit the battle site. When Venus awoke and could not find her companions, she called for the innkeeper, who arrived to find the goddess of love naked.

Inspired by her navel, he created a new shape of pasta. (Seriously, Mr. Innkeeper—her navel inspired you?)

[1] Tortellini en brodo in family style, with fresh herbs and basic veggies—carrots, peas, celery (photo © Aas2009 | Dreamstime).

[2] Tortellini En Brodo goes upscale with an elegant broth, elegant vegetables and a fancy bowl (photo © Onda Restaurant | Santa Monica).

[3] Surf & Turf: meat tortellini with lobster (photo © Stake Chophouse | San Diego).

Tortellini are made in a size that fits easily onto a soup spoon. There is a recipe for tortelli, larger tortellini, that dates back to the 12th century. The first recipe for tortellini alla Bolognese, tomato and meat sauce, appeared in Bologna in 1550 and became a signature dish in that city. (Note that Tuscans also claim tortellini as their regional pasta.)

Tortellini en brodo was the traditional Christmas soup, made with capon broth, which was favored by the ruling classes. The broth was made rich by cooking all the meat in it. The meat was then turned into a stuffing with Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto crudo and/or mortadella.

Today you can find tortellini filled with everything from cheese blends to meat and cheese to pumpkin.

February 13th is National Tortellini Day.
 
 
THE CULINARY LEGACY OF EMILIA-ROMAGNA

If you love great Italian food, consider a trip to Emilia-Romagna. In addition to tortellini, it’s the birthplace of, among other culinary pearls:

This popcorn fudge recipe was a hit at our Memorial Day festivities.

A fun recipe from Betty Crocker, it incorporates a dulce de leche fudge layer, salted caramel and caramel popcorn. Be sure to use caramel popcorn that is really well coated to prevent your popcorn from getting soggy.

Prep time is 15 minutes, total time is 1 hour 40 minutes.
 
 
RECIPE: TRIPLE CARAMEL POPCORN FUDGE

Ingredients For 64 Pieces

Fudge Layer

 
Caramel Layer

Preparation

1. LINE bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with foil, leaving edges of foil hanging over 2 sides of pan for easy removal later; spray foil with cooking spray.

2. HEAT dulce de leche and chocolate chips in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth (mixture will be very thick); remove from heat. Quickly stir in vanilla. Stir in 2 cups caramel popcorn. Spread in pan.

3. MICROWAVE caramels and cream uncovered in a medium microwavable bowl, on High for 2 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Very slowly pour caramel mixture over fudge layer, and gently spread to cover. Sprinkle with salt and 1 1/2 cups caramel popcorn; press gently so it sticks.

4. REFRIGERATE until firm, about 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch squares (8 rows by 8 rows). Store covered in refrigerator.