THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Keep Your Water Bottle Cold

Record high temperatures and humidity nationwide today mean that no one should leave home without a water bottle or other hydration.

But what happens if you don’t have a bottle chilling in the fridge…or even if you do?

You wouldn’t think that a tip would be needed on how to chill a water bottle. But if your technique is simply to put the bottle in the fridge to chill down the water, you find that it warms up pretty quickly on a hot summer day.

Here are some tips to keep that bottle of water colder, longer.

Definitely start by keep your water bottle in the fridge; but “layer” that cold water with one of these techniques:

3+ WAYS TO CHILL A WATER BOTTLE

The Right Ice

  • Get a water bottle ice cube tray and add an ice stick to the bottle. Don’t buy the small round ice cubes or smaller sticks: The smaller the piece of ice, the faster it melts.
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    vacu-vin-water-bottle-chiller-230

    A water bottle chilling jacket makes room temperature water cold, or keeps chilled water cooler, longer. Photo courtesy Vacu Vin.

     

    water-bottle-ice-cube-tray-progressiveIntl-230
    Ice cube trays designed for water bottles.
    Photo courtesy Photo courtesy Progressive
    International.

     

    Insulated Jackets

  • Use Rapid Ice, a pre-frozen jacket that goes over a wine bottle to chill it. It fits large bottles of water perfectly, and also helps keep 16-ounce bottles cool. It will extend the coldness of your water, which hopefully is pre-chilled with an added stick of ice. Place the sleeve back in the freezer when you return, and you can also use it to chill wine until you need it again for water.
  • Rapid Ice also makes a can chiller, to fit over beer and soda, which can help keep your water cool.
  • Rapid Ice competitor Vacu Vin makes a water bottle chiller jacket for a 16-ounce water bottle. It will also chill a room temperature bottle of water in five minutes.
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    Other Techniques

  • Freeze the bottle, making sure it isn’t full to the top so the water can expand. Remove the bottle when you get up in the morning so the ice will start to melt
  • Use a good old-fashioned thermos bottle.
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    More Ideas?

    If you’ve got them, share them!
      

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    RECIPE: Vietnamese Summer Rolls

    Headed to the New York theatre district? Haru, a popular modern Japanese restaurant with several locations in Manhattan (and one in Boston), has opened a new restaurant there.

    Haru recently moved its theatre district location, Haru Broadway, to Haru Times Square. It’s located in the Times Square Building, the former headquarters of the New York Times (229 West 43rd Street).

    In addition to lunch and dinner, there’s a happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (scoot from the matinee to enjoy drinks and light bites), and a private room that holds up to 15.

    One of our favorite items on the menu is the Trio Of Fish Tacos, a fusion dish that uses taco shells made from wonton dough. Three full-size tacos are filled with three different sashimi blends: tuna with cherry tomato salsa, salmon with avocado and striped bass with apple yuzu ceviche sauce.

    Here’s the recipe if you want to try it at home.

    Another recipe that can be made by any home cook is summer rolls. Summer rolls, a Vietnamese specialty, are never fried but served in an uncooked rice noodle wrap. Here’s the recipe, with an explanation below about the differences among summer rolls, spring rolls and egg rolls.

       
    japanese-tacos-haru-230

    Our favorite dish: Three Fish Tacos. Photo courtesy Haru.

     

     

    summer-rolls-haru-230r

    An overhead view of summer rolls you can
    make at home with this recipe. Photo courtesy Haru.

      SPRING ROLLS VS. SUMMER ROLLS VS. EGG ROLLS

  • Summer rolls are never fried, but made of cooked and raw ingredients wrapped in rice paper. Summer rolls are typically filled with pork and/or shrimp, rice vermicelli (noodles) and fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro or mint. Summer rolls are served with a dipping sauce made of hoisin sauce and peanut butter, flavored with garlic; or a sweet and hot red chili sauce (served by Haru); or a ginger shallot sauce.
  • Spring rolls, on the other hand, are always fried. Spring rolls are also made of rice flour dough and filled with pork and/or shrimp, plus bean thread vermicelli and shredded cabbage. They are often much narrower than summer rolls. In the U.S., you’ll also find vegetarian summer rolls, filled with mango and cucumber or other choices. The dipping sauce for spring rolls is typically a blend of rice wine vinegar and soy sauce (or tamari) with minced scallions and a splash of toasted sesame oil.
  • Egg rolls are fried, like spring rolls, but the dough is different. It’s a wheat dough that contains eggs, hence the name. The filling varies by the chef: chopped shrimp, ground beef, ground chicken or turkey, matchstick-sliced pork or Chinese sausage. Minced cabbage, carrots, garlic, ginger and mushrooms round out popular recipes.
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    Strawberry Sundae Recipes For National Strawberry Sundae Day

    Strawberry sundaes have gone out of style. In fact, strawberry ice cream, one one of the “top 3” with chocolate and vanilla, has fallen to #8.

    As each new generation comes up with favorite ice cream flavors (Birthday Cake, Cookie Dough, Peanut Butter Cup, Red Velvet Cake), strawberry, an “original” ice cream flavor, has receded into the shadows. When was the last time you saw on a menu, much less ordered, a strawberry sundae?

    On July 7th, National Strawberry Sundae Day, it’s time to give this classic its due.

    Below:

    > Hack: how to make a quick strawberry sundae.

    > Recipe: classic strawberry sundae.

    > The Top 20 ice cream flavors.

    Elsewhere on The Nibble:

    > The history of strawberries.

    > The history of the ice cream sundae.

    > The history of ice cream.

    > The different types of ice cream and other frozen desserts: a photo glossary.

    > Strawberry ice cream soda (float) recipe (photo #4).

    > The year’s 6 ice cream sundae holidays.

    > The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

    > The year’s 9+ ice cream drink holidays.

    > The year’s 12 strawberry holidays.

    > How to create an ice cream party bar.
     
     
    HACKS: HOW TO MAKE A QUICK STRAWBERRY (OR OTHER) SUNDAE

    You can make it with strawberry, vanilla or chocolate ice cream—or a combination.

  • You can use frozen yogurt instead of ice cream.
  • You can combine a scoop of strawberry ice cream with a scoop of strawberry sorbet.
  • You can even go Creamsicle-style by combining strawberry sorbet with vanilla ice cream.
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    For The Syrup

    Since lush summer strawberries beckon, there’s no need to buy a cloying, HFCS-laden strawberry syrup. Here’s all you need to do.

  • An easy way to have a strawberry topping is to purée fresh or frozen strawberries.
  • Before you sweeten the purée to taste, consider adding some Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur.
  • Alternatively, use good strawberry jam or fruit spread as a base for strawberry sauce.
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    RECIPE: STRAWBERRY SUNDAE

    Ingredients

  • Strawberry ice cream or sorbet and/or vanilla ice cream
  • Strawberry jam or preserves
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • Orange liqueur (e.g. Grand Marnier) or spirit of choice (e.g. scotch or vodka)
  • Fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
  • Optional: whipped cream
  • Optional: cookie crumbs for the bottom or layers of the sundae
  •  
    Preparation

    1. CHOOSE a dish. You don’t need sundae or parfait dishes: A bowl, glass or wine glass will do. (The photo above uses a rocks glass.)

    2. PREPARE the strawberry sauce. Dilute the strawberry jam with orange liqueur to taste. Add lemon juice to taste. Add a tablespoon or more of warm water to achieve the desired consistency.

    3. SCOOP the ice cream/sorbet into a dish. Top with the strawberry sauce, sliced strawberries and optional whipped cream. Dig in.

     

     

    Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae
    [1] You don’t need a special sundae dish, just delicious ingredients (photo © Baileys).

    A Strawberry Parfait built in a milkshake glass and topped with cookies.
    [2] If you prefer vanilla ice cream, layer plenty of strawberry filling in the style of a parfait (photo © Fortnum & Mason).

    Strawberry Sundae
    [3] How about a strawberry sundae with a crumbled pie crust or cookie garnish? You can also call it a deconstructed pie à la mode (photo: The Nibble).

    Strawberry Milkshake
    [4] Drink your strawberry sundae: Make a shake (photo © Sebastian Coman Photography | Unsplash).

     

    The Top 20 Ice Cream Flavors Updated July 2026
    1. Vanilla
    2. Chocolate
    3. Cookies & Cream
    4. Mint Chocolate Chip
    5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
    6. Butter Pecan
    7. Cookie Dough (various styles)
    8. Strawberry
    9. Moose Tracks
    10. Rocky Road
    11. Coffee
    12. Neapolitan
    13. Chocolate Chip
    14. French Vanilla
    15. Peanut Butter Cup
    16. Pistachio
    17. Caramel / Salted Caramel
    18. Cherry Vanilla
    19. Black Raspberry
    20. Rainbow Sherbet*

    Some notable regional favorites that can appear in top-20 lists:

    Birthday Cake
    Superman (Midwest)†
    Cotton Candy
    Mango
    Butter Brickle
    Cherry Garcia
    Dulce de Leche

    ________________
     
    *It’s a sherbet rather than traditional ice cream, but rainbow sherbet is often included in frozen dessert. These rankings are from You.Gov. Because there is no single official U.S. ranking, the exact order from about #6 onward changes depends on whether the list is based on consumer surveys, grocery sales, scoop shop sales, or premium ice cream brands.

    Superman ice cream is a Midwestern staple consisting of three distinct ice cream flavors swirled together in the primary colors of the superhero’s costume: blue, red, and yellow. While recipes vary, it traditionally combines blue moon, cherry, and vanilla flavors. It has a flavor often compared to fruit punch, cake batter, or Fruity Pebbles. The colorful flavor combination is actually believed to be older than the comic book character himself. Legend holds that it was invented in the 1920s or 1930s by the Detroit-based Stroh Brewery Company. During Prohibition, the brewery shifted its operations to produce non-alcoholic goods, including ice cream.
     
     

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

     
      

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    RECIPE: BLT Pasta Salad

    blt-pasta-salad-davidvenableQVC-230
    Like BLTs? Here’s a BLT Pasta Salad. Photo
    courtesy QVC.

      “Everyone needs a good pasta salad recipe for the summer,” says QVC chef David Venable. Here’s a fun pasta salad: a BLT Pasta Salad with Arugula, Bacon & Feta Cheese.

    It deconstructs a BLT sandwich, using baby arugula for the lettuce and adding cheese and chicken so it has the protein to serve as a luncheon or dinner salad.

    But, you can leave out the cheese and chicken and serve it as a side salad.

    David advises, “If you want to serve it as a side salad, this recipe is a flavor-packed side dish that would pair perfectly with anything from ribs to grilled salmon.”

    Add optional croutons for a fully deconstructed BLT sandwich.

     
    RECIPE: BLT PASTA SALAD

    Ingredients For 6 Servings

  • 16-ounce box farfalle (bow tie) pasta
  • 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2-3/4 pound baby arugula
  • 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (substitute goat or blue cheese)
  • 1 cup cooked or grilled chicken pieces (optional)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional: homemade garlic croutons
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    Preparation

    1. COOK the pasta according to the package directions. Drain well.

    2. TRANSFER the pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the bacon, green onions, cherry tomatoes, and arugula to the warm pasta. Add feta cheese and optional chicken and toss.

    3. WHISK together the balsamic vinegar, lemon rind and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended. Whisk in the salt and pepper, to taste.

    4. POUR the vinaigrette into the pasta salad and toss until well coated. Serve warm.

     
    Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
     
      

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    TIP OF THE DAY: Gourmet Ice Cream Sandwiches

    Is there anything more wonderful than a favorite comfort food in the hands of a great chef?

    We worshipped Parisian pâtissier Pierre Hermé, a fourth generation pastry chef from Alsace, even before we saw these ice cream sandwiches. As his Star Chefs bio says, “Pierre Hermé didn’t just carry on the family tradition; he rocketed it into the stratosphere.”

    Hermé began his career at age 14 as an apprentice to Gaston Lenôtre, was a full-fledged pastry chef by 20 at Fauchon, and established Pierre Hermé Paris since 1996.

    Unable to get to Paris, we set to work recreating the ice cream sandwiches.

    Hermé, the master of macarons, makes rectangular meringue cookies to sandwich his ice cream sandwiches. By all means, try it if you’re up to the challenge. Unschooled in the technique, we couldn’t get ours out of the pan and evenly sliced without a lot of breakage; but the pieces tasted fine.

    Otherwise, you can use any base, from cookies to cake slices. We really liked pound cake, pre-toasted and cooled before the ice cream was added.

       
    ice-cream-sandwiches-beauty-pierrehermeFB-230

    The prettiest ice cream sandwiches, on meringues. Photo courtesy Pierre Hermé.

     

    PIERRE HERMÉ ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

    Ingredients

  • 2 complementary flavors of ice cream and/or sorbet
  • Optional inclusions: berries, chips, nuts, etc.
  • Sandwich base of choice (cookies, cake)
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    While all combinations we tried were delicious, we especially loved vanilla ice cream with raspberry sorbet or passionfruit sorbet.

     

    swirled-beauty-pierrehermeFB-230
    He also makes dual flavor soft serve. Photo
    courtesy Pierre Hermé.
     

    Preparation

    1. LINE a loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing a border of wrap to hang over the sides so you can pull out the frozen loaf of ice cream.

    2. LAYER the two flavors of ice cream/sorbet, one on top of the other. Sprinkle any inclusions over the first layer.

    3. LET the ice cream soften until you can take a firm spatula or the handle of a wooden spoon and swirl it through the layers. This will create the marbled design. Freeze until hard.

    4. ASSEMBLE by removing the loaf of ice cream, slicing it and adding the sandwich component.
     
    If you want to drool over desserts that are an ocean away, head to PierreHerme.com.

    And if you’re inspired to fly to Paris to enjoy them firsthand, remember: There’s always a line at the shop at 72 rue Bonaparte, in the Saint Germain des Prés district.

     
      

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