Food Holiday

Today’s food holiday celebrates the Peanut Cluster, a type of candy that combines peanuts and chocolate. Delicious!

Five Fun Facts:

1. It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
2. Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
3. Peanut butter was the secret behind “Mr. Ed,” TV’s talking horse.
4. Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
5. Peanut butter is the leading use of peanuts in the USA.

Five Peanut Recipes:

Click for more peanut recipes.

Nutritional information for one serving (3 pieces) of peanut cluster:

Calories: 210  
Fat: 13 g
Carbohydrates:  0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 65 mg
Protein: 4  g
Sugars: 0 g

A breakfast cereal is a food made from processed grains that is often, but not always, eaten with the first meal of the day. It is often eaten cold, usually mixed with milk or yogurt, and sometimes fruit, but may be eaten dry. Some companies promote their products for the health benefits from eating oat-based and high-fiber cereals. Cereals may be fortified with vitamins. Some cereals are made with high sugar content, with themes like Spider-Man, Disney Princesses, Barbie dolls, and SpongeBob, giving away free gifts like pull-back cars, Top Trumps cards and plastic bracelets, to popularise them with children. A healthy alternative to cereal would be Porridge, made by boiling oats with water or milk.

Five Fun Facts:

1. Cereal was invented when colonial housewives started serving up popcorn with sugar and cream for breakfast.
2. Of the more than 294 million people in the U.S, 49% start their day with a bowl of cereal.
3. The word cereal comes from Cerealia, the name of ancient Roman ceremonies that honored Ceres, the goddess of grain.
4. The average American eats 160 bowls of cereal each year.
5. One bushel of wheat will make 53 boxes of cereal.

Five Recipes:

Click for more breakfast recipes.

Nutritional information per one cup of cheerios:

Calories:   103
Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates:  21 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 160 mg
Protein: 3  g
Sugars:  1 g

A Greek writer named Athenaeus recorded the oldest surviving cheesecake recipe. The ancient dessert called for just three ingredients—cheese, honey, and flour. Despite its simplicity, the Greeks believed that cheesecake had special powers. Brides and grooms ate it as wedding cake, and athletes enjoyed it before the first Olympic games in 776 BCE!

The cheesecake we know and love today relies heavily on cream cheese, which wasn’t invented until the 1870s. By the early 1900s, cheesecake appeared on almost every restaurant menu in New York City and soon became a nationwide sensation. People love to experiment with interesting cheesecake flavors like piña colada, turtle, pumpkin, pecan, crème brûlée, red velvet, and of course, white chocolate.

Five Fun Facts:

1. There is disagreement on whether a true New York cheesecake should or should not have a crust. If it has a crust, it is to be only a thin dusting of graham cracker crumbs.
2. Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a slightly tangy type of cheese with larger curds and less water content, called pot or farmer’s cheese.
3. Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet richer in flavour than New York style cheesecake.
   
4. Country-style cheesecake uses buttermilk to produce a firm texture while decreasing the pH (increasing acidity) to extend shelf life.
   
5. Dutch/Belgian-style cheesecakes are typically flavored with melted bittersweet chocolate. Belgian cheesecake also includes a speculaas crust (speculaas is a traditional Dutch-Belgian biscuit).
   

Five Cheesecake Recipes:

1. Low-Fat Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake - Lose the fat but not the flavor with this light and lovely chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
2. Chocolate Chip Cheesecake - A classic kosher cheesecake made all the more delectable by adding chocolate chips. Perfect for Shavuot or anytime you want a dairy dessert.
3. Basic Cheesecake- Thanks to our colleague, Chef Peter Babcock, for providing this recipe, perfect for Shavuot.
4. Candied Orange Cheesecake- Jamie says: I love candied orange peels. (I know it seems like I love everything. Guess I just love good food; but I share only the best of the best with you!)
5. Marmalade-Glazed Orange Cheesecake - Our Test Kitchen created this showpiece cheesecake to celebrate one of winter’s brightest gifts: the orange. It is exceptionally rich and creamy-tasting, but lower in saturated fat than a traditional cheesecake. The secret is to replace most of the cream cheese with pureed cottage cheese. Be sure to let the food processor do its job and process the cottage cheese until it has a silky texture.

Click for more cheesecake recipes.

Nutritional information per one 125g slice of cheescake:

Calories:   401
Fat: 28 g
Carbohydrates:  32 g
Cholesterol: 69 mg
Sodium: 259 mg
Protein: 7  g
Sugars: 27 g

Cold cuts are precooked sausages or meat loaves that are usually served cold in sandwiches or on party trays.  You can buy them already sliced in vacuum packs, or have them sliced to order at a deli counter.  Most cold cuts are high in fat and sodium.

Five Fun Facts:

1. Cold cuts also may be known as lunch meats, luncheon meats, sandwich meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats and deli meats.
2. The Spanish word for cold cut, fiambre, is used in Latin American street slang to refer to a dead body.
3. In Guatemala, a cold cut is a traditional dish eaten in November. It is eaten the first and second day of the month to celebrate “El día de Todos los Santos” and “El día de Todos los Difuntos”. There are two types: red and white.
4. Turkey pastrami and turkey salami are more healthful choices than beef varieties — and they have similar flavor.
5. Most deli-style meats fall into the cold-cut category, including bologna, turkey, salami, pastrami, corned beef and roast beef. Some of these are traditionally high in fat. But as with other high-fat foods, manufacturers have found ways to offer lower-fat versions.

Five Cold Cut Recipes:

1. Deli Roll - Jamie says: I never heard of deli rolls until I hit the kosher Shabbos scene. It was apparent that everyone I visited knew how to make them. So I figured I’d better learn if I wanted to be really kosher. I found out later that the dish has no real connection to Judaism, no mystical powers or deep significance. It just seems to have become a Shabbos standard in many homes. For a hint of sweetness, brush the deli roll with duck sauce instead of egg.
2. Deli Roll Pinwheels with Chopped Salad- Lighten up the traditional deli roll by making these healthy pinwheels. Loaded with flavor and whole grain they are a filling lunch or dinner served with an Italian inspired chopped salad.
3. Turkey Sandwich with Pickled Red Onions- perfect for a school lunch or a summer picnic!
4. Roast Beef Sandwiches with White Bean Salad- A hearty sandwich, sure to please.
5. Chicken Pastrami Rolls – The perfect combo of chicken and deli, with a crunchy bite.

Nutritional information for 26 g slice of beef salami:

Calories:   68
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrates: .5  g
Cholesterol: 18 mg
Sodium: 296 mg
Protein: 3  g

Pound cake refers to a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. The traditional recipe makes a cake much larger than most families can consume, and so the quantity is often changed to suit the size of the cake that is desired. As long as the ratio is preserved, the resulting cake will be identical to that using the traditional recipe. Hence, any cake made with a 1:1:1:1 ratio of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar is also called a pound cake.

There are numerous variations on the traditional pound cake, with certain countries and regions having distinctive styles. These can include the addition of flavoring agents (such as vanilla extract or almond extract) or dried fruit (such as currants or dried cranberries), as well as alterations to the original recipe to change the characteristics of the resulting pound cake.

For instance, baking soda or baking powder may be incorporated to induce leavening during baking, resulting in a less dense pound cake. A cooking oil (typically a vegetable oil) is sometimes substituted for some or all of the butter, which is intended to produce a more moist cake. “Sour cream pound cake” is a popular variation in the United States, which involves the substitution of sour cream for some of the butter, which also is intended to produce a more moist cake with a pleasantly tangy flavor. Some of these variations may drastically change the texture and flavor of the pound cake, but the name pound cake is often still used. (Wikipedia)

Five fun facts:

1. The original recipe came from long ago, when a pound of sugar, a pound of flour, a pound of fat (butter) and a pound of eggs were used for making the cake – hence the name Pound Cake.
2. ‘Pound cake’ is more commonly known in Britain as ‘Sponge cake’ or ‘Madeira cake’.
3. In France pound cake (named “quatre-quarts”, which means four-quarters) is a traditional and popular cake of the French region of Brittany, and as its name implies, uses the same quantity of the four ingredients, but with no added fruit of any kind. Some variants, however, are made by adding chocolate or lemon juice for flavor.
4. In Mexico, the pound cake is called panqué. The basic recipe of Mexican panqué is much like the traditional U.S. recipe. Most common variants are panqué con nueces (pound cake with walnuts)and panqué con pasas (pound cake with raisins).
5. The German Eischwerkuchen is a recipe very similar to the pound cake.

Five Pound Cake Recipes:

Click for more pound cake recipes.

Nutritional information per one 30 g serving of pound cake:

Calories:  116
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrates:  15 g
Cholesterol: 66 mg
Sodium: 119 mg
Protein:  2 g

A cream pie is a type of pie filled with a rich custard or pudding that is made from milk, cream, flour, and eggs. It comes in many forms, including vanilla, lemon, lime, peanut butter, banana, coconut, and chocolate. A constant feature of all cream pies is the whipped cream topping. The custard filling is related to the French crème patissière which is a key component of various French cakes and tart. It is a one-crust pie.

Five Fun Facts:

1. In a 1951 survey conducted by the United States Armed Services, banana cream pie was ranked the soldier’s favorite dessert!
2. If your banana cream pie has a “black bottom”, that means that it has chocolate on the bottom!
3. An English variation is called Banoffee Pie – a merger of banana and toffee.
4. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.
5. High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Five Recipes:

Click for more banana recipes.

Nutritional information per serving of Banana Cream Pie (1/8 of a pie):

Calories:  387
Fat: 20 g
Carbohydrates:  47 g
Cholesterol: 73 mg
Sodium:  346 mg
Protein:  6 g
Sugars: 17 g

Compote (French for “mixture”) is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. The compote is then served either warm or chilled arranged in a large fruit bowl or single-serve bowl for individual presentation. The dessert may be topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. Other preparations consist of using dried fruits which have been soaked in water in which alcohol can be added, for example kirsch, or rum. Dried fruit compote is a common Passover food.

Five fun facts:

1. Western European compote is not directly related to the 300 years older Eastern European punch-like fruit drink kompot, even if they seem similar in name and ingredients. The Eastern European drink originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire, it may be even the predecessor of the Western European dessert of the same name.
2. The base of fruit compote is, of course, the fruit. Some variants used dried fruit, while other cooks may make a berry compote.
3. Some fruit compotes follow a theme, such as tropical fruit compote, while others use preserved fruits in syrup from the summer, or an assortment of whatever looks good.
4. Depending on the type of fruit used, the spicing and level of sweetness is usually adjusted to make the fruit compote’s flavor optimal.
5. The length of cooking varies, depending on individual taste, with some cooks preferring to just briefly warm the fruit, while others stew it to a soft, even texture.

Five Compote Recipes:

1. Dried Fruit Compote- Open your mouth and close your eyes and you will believe you are in Istanbul. The dried fruit plumped up by a two day soaking and flavored with honey and rosewater is delicious, refreshing and the perfect end to any meal. Eat it with whole milk thick yogurt or spoon it over ice cream with a dairy meal.
2. Vanilla-Kirsch Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote- You’ll be sure to impress your guests with these cherry flavored cream desserts that go deliciously with a side scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt. These panna cottas (Italian for cooked cream) are smooth, light and mild molded desserts set off by a bright, intensely flavored cherry compote. The recipe calls for a vanilla bean, which yields the best flavor, but you can use extra vanilla extract instead; just be sure it’s top quality. The compote is also delicious spooned over slices of angel food cake or scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt.
3. Compote- Compote, a sweet stew or cooked salad of fresh and dried fruit, is one of those dishes that pops up in just about every cuisine. Use whatever fruit you can get your hands on. Compote is more a technique than a recipe.
4. Cranberry & Ruby Grapefruit Compote- This flavorful compote can be served with vanilla yogurt or ice cream and will add a little variety when served at brunch or as an after dinner treat.
5. Coeur a la Creme with Rhubarb Compote - This is a fancy name for a fancy cheesecake.

Click for more compote recipes.

Nutritional information for one serving (a half cup) of compote:

Calories:  73
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates:  18 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 1  mg
Protein:  1 g

Traditionally surf and turf is the serving of seafood and steak on the same plate – something forbidden by Jewish Dietary law. For our Kosher Surf and Turf we bring you a first course of mock crab cakes and mock crab salad and main course of steak recipes. See below.

Five fun facts:

1. Imitation crab meat is made from pollock and whiting fishes.
2. The term appears to have originated along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. The “surf” in the title clearly refers to seafood. “Turf” is any type of grass-fed land animal, but usually refers specifically to beef in the form of steak. In the late 1960s, restaurants along both coasts were using the term, often in advertisements designed to highlight the range of offerings at the restaurant.
3. In Australia, the dish is better known as “beef and reef.”
4. In some places the dish is called Pier and Steer.
5. The first use of the term in print advertising appears to be an ad that ran in The Lowell Sun (Lowell, MA) for the Continental Restaurant, in 1966.

Five recipes:

1. Salmon Mock Crab Cakes- These kosher crab cakes are amazing baked or fried you will love them. Serve with a wasabi sauce if desired.
2. Creamy Mock Crab Salad- This is also delicious on challah rolls, kaiser rolls, or your favorite sandwich bread.
3. Rib Eye Steak -Yes, I admit it — nothing is sexier than well defined grill lines on a beautiful piece of meat. But for the best steak you’ve ever had, hands down, forgo the grill and break out the cast iron pan.
4. Chili-Rubbed Steaks & Pan Salsa- Any cut of steak will work for this recipe, but we especially like the flavor and texture of rib-eye with these seasonings; look for steak that has been thinly cut. A cold ale, sweet potato fries and vinegary coleslaw can round out the meal.
5. Grilled Ribeye with Crispy Parsnips - Ribeye is one of the most popular, juiciest, expensive steaks on the market. This cut is more marbled than others, which makes the steak especially tender and flavorful. Crispy parsnips are the perfect, slightly sweet alternative to French fries.

Nutritional information for one 291g ribeye steak:

Calories:  602
Fat: 31 g
Carbohydrates:  0 g
Cholesterol: 230 mg
Sodium:  172 mg
Protein:  81 g

Today, in honor of National Chocolate Souffle Day we are learning all about souffles. What is a souffle? A soufflé is a baked dish made basically of milk and eggs, to which separately beaten egg whites give it an airy lightness. The French it literally means “puffed-up”. Souffles can be any type of dish, from morning egg breakfasts, to desserts, entrees or whatever your culinary imagination can whip up. Many cooks believe that a souffle has to be handed very carefully and not wrestled out of the oven only to fall flat. It is the puffiness that really makes a souffle. So when your dish is done, gently set it on a rack and let it cool slightly.

Five Fun Facts:

1. It is traditional to make souffles in individual ramekins.
2. There are a number of variations on the soufflé theme. One is an ice cream soufflé, which combines a soufflé with ice cream and either a fruit or a hot sauce.
3. The word soufflé first appeared in English in Louis Ude’s The French Cook, 1813, and by 1845 was so commonly accepted that in Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery(1845) a recipe for soufflé was included as just another recipe.
4. Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking Through the Ages says”Patrons of La Grande Taverne de Londres, which opened in Paris in the 1780s, were perhaps the first to enjoy this dessert souffle. It comes from the repertoire of Beauvilliers, who, wrote, Brillat-Savarin, “was for more than fifteen years the most famous restauranteur in Paris”.
5. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a soufflé as ‘a light dish, either sweet or savoury, made by mixing materials with white of egg beaten up to a froth, and heating the mixture in an oven until it puffs up.’

Five Souffle Recipes:

1. Chocolate Fallen Soufflé Cake - This is the perfect Shabbat dessert because unlike regular souffle which has to be eaten right away, this is designed to eat later, once it has fallen and it is delicious.
2. Chocolate Souffle - Easy to make; nothing compares to the exquisite taste and velvety texture of a souffle warm from the oven.
3. Blintz Souffle-Blintzes are classic in the Jewish cooking world and every chef has his or her own version of this souffle. You really can’t go wrong with all that butter, cream, sugar and eggs.
4. Broccoli & Goat Cheese Souffle- Surprisingly easy to make, this broccoli and goat cheese souffle will wow your family and friends.
5. Tuna Souffle – Prepare this souffle after Shabbos and bake it the next morning for brunch. All you need is a fruit salad as an accompaniment. Yum!

Click for more souffle recipes.

Nutritional Information per one serving of chocolate souffle:

Calories:  331
Fat: 15 g
Carbohydrates:  43 g
Cholesterol: 113 mg
Sodium: 235 mg
Protein: 10  g

The garden strawberry is a hybrid species that is cultivated worldwide for its fruit, the strawberry. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in prepared foods such as preserves, fruit juice, pies, ice creams, and milkshakes. Artificial strawberry aroma is also widely used in many industrialized food products. The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s.

Five Fun Facts:

1. The strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow “seeds” on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit).
2. On the average, there are 200 tiny seeds in every strawberry. If all the strawberries produced in California this year were laid berry to berry, they’d wrap around the world 15 times. That’s enough strawberries to provide every U.S. household with 12 pint baskets.
3. The strawberry belongs to the genus Fragraria in the rose family, along with apples and plums. The name of the scientific classification was derived from the Old Latin word for fragrant.  The modern Italian word for strawberry is still “Fragola”.
4. Strawberries are low in calories: one cup of unsweetened strawberries has only 55 calories.
5. Fresh juice from sieved strawberry pulp has a cooling effect on feverish patients.

Five Strawberry Recipes:

1. Strawberry Shortcake - Besides succulent fresh, ripe strawberries, the key to a great strawberry shortcake lies in the quality of the biscuit. And this one is top-notch. These tender, sweet buttermilk biscuits are made with a blend of cake flour and whole-wheat flour and lightened by substituting reduced-fat cream cheese for some of the butter. As a delicately tangy alternative to whipped cream, we use a blend of cream and reduced-fat sour cream.
2. Strawberry Ice Cream-Home-made ice cream made with fresh fruit is always more delicious, and far healthier, than store-bought. This recipe is so easy, and so rewarding that I make it over and over again each spring.
3. Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp - I love homey fruit desserts. Nothing says comfort like the smell of a fruit crisp baking in the oven. This dessert can be made for Shabbat and can be served cold or warmed for Shabbat lunch.
4. Strawberry-Orange Muffins- Streusel-topped strawberry-orange muffins are perfect for brunch or a light snack. We love the combination of strawberry and orange in this sweet breakfast muffin with a streusel topping. For a less conventional (but equally delicious) twist, try the basil variation. The hint of basil complements the fruity berries wonderfully.
5. Homemade Strawberry Jam - Easy to do and nothing tastes better than homemade!

Click for more Strawberry Recipes.

Nutritional Information for a half cup of strawberry ice cream:

Calories: 127  
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrates: 18  g
Cholesterol: 19 mg
Sodium:  40 mg
Protein: 2  g

Chili is a stew-like soup made entirely with meat, chilies, or chili powder (or both) and according to what region of the United States that you live in, it can also include beans. “Con carne” means “with meat.”

The only thing certain about the origins of chili is that it did not originate in Mexico. Charles Ramsdell, a writer from San Antonio in an article called San Antonio: An Historical and Pictorial Guide, wrote: “Chili, as we know it in the U.S., cannot be found in Mexico today except in a few spots which cater to tourists. If chili had come from Mexico, it would still be there. For Mexicans, especially those of Indian ancestry, do not change their culinary customs from one generation, or even from one century, to another.”

There are many legends and stories about where chili originated and it is generally thought, by most historians, that the earliest versions of chili were made by the very poorest people. J. C. Clopper, the first American known to have remarked about San Antonio’s chili carne, wrote in 1926: “When they have to pay for their meat in the market, a very little is made to suffice for a family; this is generally into a kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat – this is all stewed together.”

Five Fun Facts:

1. A green chili pod has as much Vitamin C as 6 oranges.
2. Some cultures put chile powder in their shoes to keep their feet warm.
3. The first chili cook-off took place in 1967 in Terlinga, Texas, a border town about 400 miles west of chili’s alleged birthplace, San Antonio. It ended in a tie between a native Texan and (surprisingly) a New Yorker, but chili cook-offs are still held there today.
4. Hot chile peppers burn calories by triggering a thermodynamic burn in the body, which speeds up the metabolism.
5. Chili pepper color is a function of ripeness .  Green peppers are usually not fully ripe and the same pepper could be green, yellow, orange, or red depending on its level of ripeness.

Read about the hottest chili in the world.

Five Chili Recipes:

1. Jamie Geller’s Chili- Jamie says: When my recipe tester, Joy, tried this at home, her son saw the chili and said, “Let’s make chili dogs!” We thought it was a great idea. My husband would climb a spiked wall for a good chili dog. Now that I know how to prepare this, I can give him a delicious one at home. Boil or grill the hot dogs, place them in buns and ladle a few spoonfuls of chili over top.
2. White Chili- White chili made with turkey or chicken is a tasty alternative to the red-sauce beef variety.
3. Slow Cooker Chili - This recipe will feed my family of 6 for two meals and uses my 8 Quart slow cooker. It’s also great for Shabbat lunch.
4. Chili Con Carne  -The chocolate in this recipe adds not only a faint sweetness but also an earthy and robust flavor. I love the way the chocolate makes the texture of the chili velvety. My kids like to garnish their chili with additional chopped chocolate and cacao nibs which are the cracked shell of the cacao bean. They add a crunch as well as cocoa butter fragrance. Cacao nibs are found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores and online.
5. Heart Healthy Vegetarian Chili - Pressure Cooker  - This healthy delicious chili is made so quickly using the pressure cooker.

Click for more Chili Recipes.

Nutritional Information for one cup of chili:

Calories:   287
Fat: 14 g
Carbohydrates:  30 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Sodium: 1336  mg
Protein:  15 g
Sugars:  3 g

The triangle shaped tortilla chip was popularized by Rebecca Webb Carranza as a way to make use of misshapen tortillas rejected from the automated tortilla manufacturing machine that she and her husband used at their Mexican delicatessen and tortilla factory in southwest Los Angeles. Carranza found that the discarded tortillas, cut into triangles and fried, were a popular snack, and she sold them for a dime a bag at the El Zarape Tortilla Factory. In 1994, Carranza received the Golden Tortilla award for her contribution to the Mexican food industry.

Five Fun Facts:

1. The word tortilla comes from the Spanish ”torta,” meaning “round cake.”
2. Nachos are tortilla chips with cheese, and other toppings.
3. Tortilla is unleavened flatbread made from white, yellow, blue or red corn or wheat.
4. According to legend, a Mayan peasant invented tortilla for his hungry king.
5. Tortilla chips and salsa were so popular in Texas, they were designated the official state snack in 2003.

Five Tortilla Recipes:

Click for more Tortilla Recipes.

Nutritional information for one 13 oz bag of tortilla chips:

Calories:   1042
Fat: 50 g
Carbohydrates: 140  g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium:  897 mg
Protein: 17  g
Sugars:  2 g

Banana bread first became a standard feature of American cookbooks with the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930s, appeared in Pillsbury’s 1933 Balanced Recipes cookbook, and later gained more acceptance with the release of the original Chiquita Banana’s Recipe Book in 1950.The origin of the first banana bread recipe is unknown, though some speculate it was originated in the 18th century by housewives experimenting with pearlash. The home baking revival of the 1960s and the simplicity of its recipe led to an explosion in banana bread’s popularity.

Five fun facts:

1. Most banana breads are quick breads and contain no yeast but do contain baking powder.
2. More bananas are sold than any other fruit in the United States. Believe it or not, 96% of American households purchase bananas at least once a month!
3. When ten or more bananas grow on a single stem they are known as a hand. Individual bananas, it follows, are called fingers. Bananas are generally sold in clusters of four to six in the store.
4. Green tipped bananas are considered to be the best for cooking side dishes with. When they are yellow with brown flecks or riper they are great for using in breads, cookies, and shakes, but are generally too soft and sweet for cooking.
5. Alexander the Great conquered parts of India in 327 BCE and “discovered” bananas. Archaeological record clearly indicates that the banana had been cultivated well before that, but his is thought to be the first written record of this delightful fruit.

Five banana bread recipes:

1. Banana-Nut-Chocolate Chip Quick Bread - Filled with heart-healthy chocolate and walnuts, this quick bread recipe can be baked in loaves, as a cake or as muffins.
2. Banana Bread- a classic recipe.
3. Wholegrain Chocolate Banana Bread- This is a healthy recipe that can be used for breakfast, dessert or snack and is so good for all ages. It can be made in any shape too, loaf pan, cake pan or even muffins.
4. Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Bread- tastes just like regular banana bread, but without the gluten.
5. Banana Bread French Toast – French toast is extra special when made with banana bread.

Click for more banana bread recipes.

Nutritional information per 60 g slice of banana bread:

Calories:  196
Fat: 6 g
Carbohydrates:  33 g
Cholesterol: 26 mg
Sodium:  181 mg
Protein:  3 g

Cherry pie is a pie baked with a cherry filling. Traditionally, cherry pie is made with tart rather than sweet cherries as it is easier to control how sweet the pie eventually becomes and also eventually translates to a sharper taste. Morello cherries are one of the most common kinds of cherry used, but others, like the native black cherry, are also occasionally utilized. Although generally eaten in North America, cherry pie is also known in other parts of the world. It is a very popular treat in North America and prior to the advent of refrigeration it was most commonly eaten in midsummer (harvest of cherries in North America coincides with Canada Day on July 1 and America’s Independence Day on July 4.) Cherry pie is also often eaten with whipped cream or ice cream. A common preparation tradition in the United States is to decorate the crust with fancy pastry patterns. (Wikipedia)

Five fun facts:

1. Cherry pie is the fifth popular pie in the US – beaten only by Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan and Banana Cream.
2. In the 19th Century, fruit pies were a common breakfast food eaten before the start of a long day.
3. In the UK Oliver Cromwell banned the eating of pie in 1644, declaring it a pagan form of pleasure. For 16 years, pie eating and making went underground until the Restoration leaders lifted the ban on pie in 1660.
4. At one time it was against the law to serve ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.
5. The wealthy English were known for their “Surprise Pies” in which live creatures would pop out when the pie was cut open.

Five Pie Recipes:

1. Pie Pops - Pie pops are individual portions of pie, perfect for any day and any taste. Not to mention, nearly everything is tastier if it’s eaten off a stick. The sky’s the limit for flavorful fillings, but consider the following recipes for inspiration for more adventurous ideas.
2. Strawberry Pie With Meringue Crust- simple replace the strawberries with cherries and you have a perfect cherry pie.
3. Deep-Dish Apple Pie- A terrific apple pie with a transitional whole wheat crust. With all that delicious fruit an apple pie should be healthy, but the truth is a slice can have as much as 750 calories and 30 grams of fat. For the most part, the culprit is the crust. We use whole-wheat pastry flour to add fiber and lower the saturated fat by replacing some of the butter with canola oil. The brown sugar-sweetened filling in this pie is made with two kinds of apples for the perfect balance. A slice has half the calories of a typical version and only 10 grams of fat—sweet!
4. Red Anjou Pie -A flavorful pie combining Red Anjou pears and the subtle tartness of dried apricots. Pecans add a conserve-like element.
5. Peach-Raspberry Pie - A lightened pie crust plus the tart-sweet combination of peaches and raspberries is truly a winning recipe. Make this when peaches are at their most flavorful in midsummer.

Click for more pie recipes.

Nutritional information per one slice (1/8) of cherry pie:

Calories:  325 
Fat: 14 g
Carbohydrates:  47 g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium:  308 mg
Protein: 3  g
Sugars:  18 g

Sticky buns are a dessert or breakfast pastry that generally consist of rolled pieces of leavened dough — sometimes containing brown sugar or cinnamon — which are then compressed together to form a kind of flat loaf corresponding to the size of the baking pan. Before the dough is placed in the pan, the latter is lined with the “sticky” ingredients like maple syrup, honey (or both), as well as nuts and perhaps more sugar and sometimes butter. After the buns are baked, they are inverted so that the pan lining then becomes a topping. Commercially produced sticky buns, however, are usually just baked in an aluminum loaf tin, which allows the topping to suffuse the buns, making them sticky throughout. The way the buns were baked allows them to more or less be pulled off as individual servings, although it is often a futile effort. (Wikipedia)

Five fun facts:

1. Sticky buns were originally known as  ”Schnecken” – a German word.
2. It’s believed German settlers in Pennsylvania first created these tasty buns.
3. Monkey bread is a type of sticky bun.
4. Sticky Buns should always be made from a yeast dough.
5. In the UK they make sticky buns with raisins and call them Chelsea Buns.

Five recipes:

1. Sticky Fig Rolls with Dates & Currants- A lovely addition to your menu, this super simple recipe is built on a buttery, biscuit-like base and showcases a medley of Fall fruit favorites and a touch of brown sugar and spice, all “rolled” up in a delicious sticky-sweet package. A distant cousin of the cinnamon roll, the Sticky Fig Roll offers a beautiful fragrant sweetness, as opposed to sugary sweetness.
2. Sticky Bun Noodle Kugel - Got this recipe years ago, and can’t remember from where. It is made in a Bundt pan as it makes a beautiful presentation. I am sure it can be made in a regular round or square pan, although I have never tried it. I serve it on holidays and rarely have any left. If you want something sweet and delicious, this is it!
3. California Walnut Sticky Buns- This recipe uses pizza dough, so enables you to make these yummy sticky buns in a snap.
4. PB&J Babka Buns- The perfect blend of peanut butter and jam, in an ooey gooey bun. Delish.
5. Challah Dough Cinnamon Buns – The ultimate sticky bun.

Nutritional Information for one frosted cinnamon bun:

Calories:  283
Fat: 16 g
Carbohydrates:  32 g
Cholesterol:  2 mg
Sodium:  198 mg
Protein: 3 g
Sugars: 17 g