Food Holiday

Tater-Tots are a registered trademark of Ore-Ida. They were invented by the Grigg brothers who founded Ore-Ida. They came up with the idea of chopping and shredding the leftover bits of potato, adding flour and seasonings to them, and then pushing them through holes to form long cylinders that could be cut into small lengths and then fried. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Delicious!

Five Tater Tot Facts:

1. Tater tots were created in 1953.
2. More than 3.6 billion Tater Tots are sold annually.
3. The original Tater Tots were made from the potato scraps left over from processing frozen French fries.
4. The word “tater”, slang for potato, originated in the mid 1700s.
5. The leftover potato pieces that were used to create the tater tot were previously fed to cattle.

Five Fried Potato Recipes:

1. Crispy Fish with Seasoned Tater Tots - A delicious supper that will please even the smallest of kids.
2. Homemade Tater Tots- So good they taste like store bought.
3. Crispy French Fries- Frying French fries. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But creating fries that are both crispy and tender is an art, and requires technique. Try these and you’ll understand.
4. Vegetable Fries- These fries are a huge hit at our table, with adults and children alike. Kids love “colorful French fries.” Serve as a side dish, or as a tasty snack. They will disappear in no time!
5. Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Fries - A delicious recipe that any fry lover will adore!

Click for more potato recipes.

Nutritional information per serving size of 9 tater tots:

Calories:  160 
Fat: 8  g
Carbohydrates: 22  g
Cholesterol: 0  mg
Sodium:  410 mg
Protein: 2  g

Baked Alaska is an elegant dessert that comprises sponge cake, ice cream and meringue. A baking dish is lined with the cake, filled with ice cream, and the meringue covers them both. It is baked just long enough for the meringue to firm up but not long enough to melt the ice cream.

Five fun facts:

1. The name Baked Alaska originated at Delmonico’s Restaurant in New York City in 1876, and was created in honor of the newly acquired territory of Alaska.
2. This dessert is also called omelette á la norvégienne, Norwegian omelette, omelette surprise, and glace au four (ice cream in oven).
3. Early versions of this dessert used pie crusts instead of meringue.
4. in the 18th – 19th century similar desserts were called Bombes.
5. Instead of baking it in the oven, a blowtorch can be used on the meringue.

Five related recipes:

Nutritional Information per serving of Baked Alaksa:

Calories:   254
Fat: 10  g
Carbohydrates:  37 g
Cholesterol: 59  mg
Sodium: 139  mg
Protein: 5  g
Sugars: 29 g

Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa, is a beverage made of melted chocolate, hot milk and sugar. Chocolate was an integral part of Aztec culture, and it is said that they were the first to drink a chocolate beverage. However, they drank it cold. Interestingly enough, in the olden days hot chocolate was also used to treat certain kinds of stomach ailments.

Five Fun Facts:

1. The word Chocolate comes from the Aztec word xocolatl, meaning bitter water.
2. Chocolate is rich in magnesium and iron.
3. Chocolate syrup was used in the famous shower scene to represent blood, in Hitchcock’s thrilled Psycho.
4. Cocoa beans were used as currency by the Mayans and Aztecs – perhaps giving rise to the question, does money grow on trees?
5. Napolean carried chocolate with him during his military campaigns for a high energy snack.

Five Hot Chocolate Recipes:

1. Spicy Hot Cocoa with Kahlua - It’s the perfect warm drink for a cold night. It’s worth adding to your bag of tricks. You get the goodness of calcium with the comfort of chocolate, plus the added zing of spices: hot, spicy, sweet and comforting — all in one sip!
2. Coffee Chococcino - just as good as getting it from your local coffee place without paying the fancy prices.
3. Triple Hot Chocolate- this triple threat chocolate treat is so smooth and such a treat on a cold night.
4. Orange Hot Chocolate- The orange adds a delicious tang to this hot chocolate.
5. Spiced Hot Chocolate – the spices give this hot beverage a little extra kick!

Click for more Hot Chocolate Recipes.

Nutritional Information for one cup of homemade hot chocolate:

Calories:   192
Fat: 6  g
Carbohydrates:  27 g
Cholesterol: 20  mg
Sodium:  110 mg
Protein:  9 g
Sugars: 24 g
Calcium:  285 mg

A croissant is a delicious French pastry, known by its crescent shape. (Croissant means crescent in French). Puff pastry is used to make this delicacy - the dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded a few times, then rolled into its shape. It is then glazed with butter and baked. It is perfect served warm with some strawberry jam on the side.

Five fun facts:

1. The original croissant was called Kipfel and originated in Austria in 1683. It was created in honor of the Austrian victory over the Turks and modeled after the crescent on the Turkish flag. (Some historians say the croissant originated in Hungary)
2. August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer, is credited with bringing the croissant to France when he opened his own Viennese bakery in Paris. (Some say it was Marie Antoinette who brought the croissant to France…)
3. The Croissant became the French national product in 1920.
4. The Croissant started as a luxury product, but by the end of the nineteenth century, it was middle-class (the rich preferred a good brioche).
5. Before the modern croissant, puff pastry was used as a garnish or shell, not to eat on its own.

Five pastry recipes:

1. Puff Pastry Apple Purses - This dessert is like a present. You discover a treat all wrapped up in puff pastry: a soft, sweet apple. This is a lighter dessert and pretty low in calories if you skip the non-dairy ice cream. After all, it’s your apple for the day. Or you could serve it as a complement to a richer dessert if you want to give people two options.
2. Baked Brie in Pastry- Remarkably easy to prepare, baked brie makes an elegant party appetizer and it is perfect for brunch, too.
3. Mini Spanakopita- Spinach and feta wrapped in buttered phyllo dough—need I say more?
4. Mushroom & Leek Galette- Perfect as an appetizer, or as a vegetarian main dish; This savory Mushroom & Leek Galette is a delicious addition to any party!
5. Pastry Dough - Whether you’re making your own puff pastry dough to avoid trans-fats, or because of soy allergies or the high cost of store-bought pastry, here is a phenomenal recipe to try.

Click for more pastry recipes.

Nutritional Information for one 57 g croissant:

Calories:  231
Fat: 12  g
Carbohydrates: 26  g
Cholesterol: 38  mg
Sodium:  198 mg
Protein: 5  g
Sugars: 6 g

The crunchy snack we call corn chips or Fritos actually had an “interesting” start to its mass production. According to their Web history, Fritos creator C.E. Doolin was frustrated with the short shelf life of tortillas. In his quest to find tortilla chips that would remain fresher longer, he ran into a Texan selling a fried variety. Doolin shelled out $100 for the recipe and perfected the crunchy chip in 1932.

Five Fun Facts:

1. A corn chip is a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop.
2. Corn chips are thick, rigid and very crunchy. Corn chips have the strong aroma and flavor of roasted corn, and are often heavily dusted with salt.
3. Corn chips are most often eaten alone or with a chip dip. They are a common ingredient in homemade and commercial party mix.
4. In the Southwestern US, a popular dish, Frito pie, is made with corn chips and chili.
5. In some areas, it is popular to pour the chili into a bag of corn chips and eat the mixture directly from the bag.

Five Dip Recipes:

1. Zesty Bean Dip & Chips- With a few tweaks, canned refried beans make a perfect dip for easy snacks or pre-game apps. Stirring salsa into versatile canned refried beans makes a quick and healthy bean dip. It also works well as a sandwich spread with your favorite vegetables and a sprinkle of cheese.
2. Guacamole and Chips- If not serving immediately, try this trick for slowing the natural browning process: bury 1 or 2 avocado pits in the guacamole and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. Another great tip is to omit the lemon from the recipe and instead cover your finished guac with a lemon juice soaked paper towel, tightly making sure there are no air pockets, refrigerate and just before serving, remove the paper towel and give it a good stir.
3. Low-Fat Blue Cheese Dip- Dipping makes veggies (and chips) fun—try this tasty dip for dinner, a snack, or a party!
4. Edamame-Ginger Dip- This is the dip for your next party. Just say it—edamame.
5. Chile Con Queso - Cheese lovers rejoice, this version of the classic Mexican sauce has 60% less fat than traditional Chile con Queso.

Click for more Dip Recipes.

Nutritional Information per 1 oz serving of corn chips:

Calories:  147
Fat:  8 g
Carbohydrates:  18 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 155  mg
Protein:  2 g
Sugars: 0.3 g

In 1764 Dr James Baker discovered how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans. It was soon after that chocolate was incorporated in to cakes and baked goods. In the 1930s The Duff Company, from Pittsburgh, introduced the first chocolate cake mixes, and after the war Duncan Hines and General Mills followed suit. There are many different kinds of chocolate cake – Devil’s Food, Black Forest, and even Red Velvet!

Five Fun Facts:

1. Devil’s Food Cake is so called because it’s decadent and “sinful”, the opposite to the light and fluffy “Angel Food” cake.
2. Black Forest Cake is called “Schwarzwälderkirschtorte” in German
3. .

Five Chocolate Cake Recipes:

1. Warm Sticky Chocolate Mousse Cake- This is absolutely divine, absolutely simple, and absolutely Geshmak!
2. Orange-Chocolate Cake- This moist cake is lower in fat because orange juice replaces part of the oil.
3. Essential EatingWell Chocolate Bundt Cake- This is a great way to fulfill your daily need for flaxseeds. Oh yeah and it’s a cake.
4. Chocolate Pound Cake- Parve chocolate pound cake—it’s like a dream come true. Don’t go another meal without a slice of rich, delicious kosher chocolate cake.
5. Molten Chocolate Lava Cake - No need to hard sell these perfectly gooey Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes; they’re irresistible!

Click for more Chocolate Cake Recipes.

Nutritional Information per one slice of non-frosted chocolate cake:

Calories:  352
Fat: 14  g
Carbohydrates: 51  g
Cholesterol: 55 mg
Sodium:  299 mg
Protein: 5  g

Pistachios made their way to the United States in the 1880s, but have been cultivated in the Middle East since Biblical times. These 20-foot tall trees thrive in stony, poor soil under high heat, and need little or no rain, but cannot tolerate humidity or excessive moisture. These trees can live for centuries with no care necessary. In fact, Iran claims it has a 700-year-old tree still living. Pistachios start to crack on their own when they are ripe. They are harvested simply – a machine shakes the tree and the fruits just fall off. They are gathered up and soaked to removed the fleshy covering, then the actual nut is dried in the sun.

Five Fun Facts:

1. Pistachios are not really nuts – they are actually the seeds of red or yellow plum-like fruits. The flesh is discarded during processing.
2. The Queen of Sheba made an official declaration, so the story goes, that pistachios were an exclusive royal food.
3. Pistachios are called “the smiling nut” in Iran, and “the happy nut” in China.
4. A pistachio tree takes between 7 and 10 year to mature and bear fruit.
5. Pistachios are an excellent source of vitamin B6, copper and manganese and a good source of protein, fiber, thiamin, and phosphorus.

Five Pistachio Recipes:

1. Pistachio-Crusted Tuna Steaks -Mustard and dill contribute a wallop of flavor to this tuna dish; pistachios provide the crunch.
2. Wild Rice with Dried Apricots & Pistachios- Colorful apricots, scallions and pistachios make this vibrant dish worthy of any holiday table. Since wild rice (really a grass) does not absorb liquid to the extent that true rice and other grains do, cook it in boiling water and saute the vegetables separately so they stay tender-crisp.
3. Lamb Chops with Pistachio Crust- Dynamite combo. Crushed pistachios add flavor and a delightfully crunchy crust to lamb chops. Baby lamb chops are tender and delicious, but to make enough for 4 people would take more than 15 minutes. However, if you have the time, roll up your sleeves and use the baby chops. You will need about 3-4 per person.
4. Roasted Pistachio-Crusted Salmon -This dish takes just minutes to prepare. In the summer you can make this on the grill using indirect heat and a closed cover.
5. Tropical Fruits with Pistachios & Coconut - Luscious tropical fruit topped with creamy coconut milk and crunchy pistachios is a simple yet delicious dessert.

Click for more Pistachio Recipes.

Nutritional Information per 1/2 cup of raw pistachios:

Calories:  346
Fat: 28  g
Carbohydrates: 17  g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium:  1 mg
Protein:  12 g
Sugars:  5 g

Irish coffee is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and brown sugar, stirred, and topped with cream. The current version of this drink was invented in the 40s when a group of American passengers deplaned from their aircraft at Shannon airport, in Ireland, on a chilly winter evening. Whiskey was added to their coffees to add some warmth. It was first served in the US in San Francisco in 1952.

Five fun facts:

1. Irish coffee can also be classified as hot toddy.
2. According to Joe from the Foynes Flying Boat Museum the ingredients for Irish Coffee are as follows: Cream – Rich as an Irish Brogue, Coffee- Strong as a Friendly Hand, Sugar – Sweet as the tongue of a Rogue,  and Irish Whiskey – smooth as the Wit of the Land.
3. Alex Levin once said: Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
4. A similar hot Irish drink is called the Hot Irish Monk – cocoa, Frangelica (available kosher in select places) and whiskey.
5. Unpasteurized cream – get fresh from a local farmer – will float better in Irish coffee.

1. Coffee Chococcino – just as good as getting it from your local coffee place without paying the fancy prices.
2. Wholewheat Irish Soda Bread - Soda breads are hearty Irish staples – wholemeal flour with large flakes of bran and wheat germ, or white flour or a mixture leavened with baking soda and moistened with buttermilk. The acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda, which is an alkali, creating bubbles of carbon dioxide which rise the bread. Soda breads have the heft of a yeast bread but are made in minutes and the dough can be shaped into scones or a round loaf, depending on the occasion. Originally it would have been baked in a bastible (pot oven) over the open fire.
3. Irish-Inspired Beef Pot Roast and Vegetables - A delicious slow cooked meal, perfect for those busy weekdays.
4. Irish Stew - A hearty stew, best served with a thick slice of Irish Soda Bread (use soy milk instead of buttermilk).
5. Spicy Hot Cocoa with Kahlua -  It’s the perfect warm drink for a cold night. It’s worth adding to your bag of tricks. You get the goodness of calcium with the comfort of chocolate, plus the added zing of spices: hot, spicy, sweet and comforting — all in one sip!

Click for more coffee related recipes.

Nutritional information for one 8 oz Irish Coffee:

Calories: 205
Fat:  10 g
Carbohydrates: 5  g
Cholesterol: 38 mg
Sodium: 15  mg
Protein:  1 g
Sugars: 4 g

Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread and commonly combined with jelly / jam in a sandwich. It is also used in desserts and cookies – sometimes instead of oil.  The Aztecs were making a form of peanut butter long before peanut butter was available to the masses in the civilized world. Their peanut butter was purer than the peanut butter available today – no additives or preservatives, and was probably more of a paste than the peanut butter sold in stores.

Five fun facts:

1. It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
2. Peanut butter was patented by Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec in 1884.
3. Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter were both peanut farmers.
4. The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup was introduced in 1928.
5. The fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth is called Arachibutyrophobia.

Five Peanut Butter Recipes:

Click for more Peanut Butter Recipes.

Nutritional Information for 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter (with salt):

Calories: 188
Fat:  16 g
Carbohydrates:  7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sugars: 2.7 g
Sodium:  156 mg
Protein: 8 g

Pie. It’s the first thing I think of when I think of comfort food. A nice warm slice of apple pie, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over it. Deliciousness! Today’s National Pie Day was created by the American Pie Council in celebration of pie. Fruit pies, meat pies, chocolate pies, vegetables pies, sweet or savory – the list is endless. Other names for pie include: streusel, tart, turnover, crumble, and pastie. Did you know that the term “upper crust” originated with pie? In early America when the economy was difficult and supplies were hard to come by only wealthy households could afford ingredients for both the upper and lower crusts of a pie; thus, the term “upper crust” was born. Apple pie is the most favored pie in America, followed by pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue and cherry.

Five fun pie facts:

1. The Romans used to make goat cheese and honey pies, but used reeds as a “crust”.
2. Queen Elizabeth the First is said to have made the first ever fruit pie in the 1500s.
3. The wealthy English were known for their “Surprise Pies” in which live creatures would pop out when the pie was cut open.
4. The colonists brought their pies to America, but originally the crusts were called “coffins” and were not eaten!
5. In the 19th century fruit pies were eaten as breakfast, not as a dessert.

Five Pie Recipes:

1. 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!
2. Chocolate Liqueur Pie- The original version of this recipe calls for bourbon. IWe changed it to chocolate liqueur and reduced the amount. If you love bourbon or are feeling especially daring, try 1 tablespoon bourbon instead of the liqueur. It provides a seriously strong dessert experience.
3. Pumpkin Pie with Caramel Whipped Cream- To save time use a store bought prepared graham cracker pie shell instead of making your own.
4. Lemon Yogurt Pie- How can something be so creamy and yet so light at the same time?
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.

Nutrition information for one slice of apple pie:

Calories: 411
Fat: 19  g
Carbohydrates: 58  g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium:  327 mg
Protein:  4 g

So what is a Blonde Brownie? We all know that brownies are those delectable chocolate delights that some like chewy and some like to be more cake-like. Blonde brownies are brownies made with light brown sugar instead of dark brown cocoa. They are baked in the same way as regular brownies. So get into your kitchen today, and bake up a batch of each and decide which you like better.

Five fun blondie facts:

1. Blondies are a good dessert treat for those people who have to avoid chocolate for health reasons.
2. According to old cookbooks the blondie came into being long before the brownie – which only became prevalent once cocoa / chocolate became widely available.
3. According to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, “By the 1950s, butterscotch or vanilla brownies were described as “blonde brownies,” underscoring the primacy of chocolate.”
4. The first time that the brownies were mentioned in a publication was in the 1897 edition of the Sears Roebuck catalog.
5. The first brownie recipe published in a cookbook was in the 1906 edition of Cooking School cookbook in Boston.

Five Blondie / Brownie recipes:

1. Blondies: Whip up a batch of these and enjoy – instead of chocolate chips you can use butterscotch or white choc chips!
2. Quick Dark Chocolate Brownies These better-for-you brownies are rich in chocolate, but balanced in sweetness by almonds, which also add a little crunch.
3. Rich Chocolate Brownies with Raisin-Chocolate Sauce - this is the elegant version of a brownie – decadent, yet still simple to make.
4. Chocolate Coconut Cookie Brownies – a variation on the theme – the coconut giving it a little twist
5. Fabulous Cookie Brownies - these cookies include marshmallows, chocolate chip and thin mint cookies – a delight in every bite!

Click for more brownie recipes.

Nutrition Information for one blondie:

Calories:  143
Fat:  7 g
Carbohydrates: 18  g
Cholesterol:  19  mg
Sodium:  90 mg
Sugars: 11 g
Protein: 2  g

Basically, cheese is the curdled milk of sheep, goats, cows, or other mammals. Cheese can be very soft – like farmer’s cheese, and very hard – like Parmesan. Rennet, an enzyme present in the stomach of all mammals, is added to milk to make cheese. When this is added to the milk, it causes the milk to separate into curds, and the liquid left behind is called whey. This process is complete when producing soft cheese like farmers cheese or cottage cheese. For harder cheeses, the curds need to be heated which further pulls more whey out from the curd. The cheese is then put into a mold where water and whey are removed, and the cheese adopts its final shape. The cheese then needs to age or ripen. Fresh cheese has a very undeveloped taste and can have a rubbery texture. The amount of aging necessary depends on which type of cheese is being produced. As the cheese develops the bacteria and enzymes within change the taste and appearance of the cheese.

Five Fun Facts:

1. There are over 670 types of cheeses in the world.
2. The root of the English word cheese comes from the Latin caseus, which also gives us the word casein, the milk protein that is the basis of cheese.
3. The Pilgrims included cheese in their supplies onboard the Mayflower in 1620.
4. June is National Dairy Month, and the last week in June is National Cheese Week.
5. The stinky Limberger cheese is fermented with Brevibacterium linens – the same bacteria responsible for body odor!

Five Cheesey Recipes:

1. Cauliflower with Gruyere Sauce -Plain old steamed cauliflower puts on airs with this velvety cheese sauce.
2. Baked Mac & Cheese - Update your homemade Mac & Cheese with this lower fat version that uses spinach and whole wheat noodles to up the flavor and nutritional benefit.
3. 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.
4. Pear & Blue Cheese Flatbread - You’ll obsess over the healthy, crunchy taste of this gourmet Pear & Blue Cheese Flatbread! The classic combination of pears, walnuts and blue cheese isn’t just for salad. Toss the same ingredients onto purchased whole-wheat pizza dough and make your own gourmet flatbread at home. Any type of ripe, firm pear will work—red pears look great.
5. Tuna Melt - A lighter update of the deli standard, this tuna melt uses sharp Cheddar and tomatoes to up the flavor quotient.

Click for more Cheese recipes.
Click here for our Kosher Cheese Guide. 

Nutritional Information for one cup of shredded mozzarella:

Calories: 336
Fat:  25 g
Carbohydrates:  2 g
Cholesterol:  88 mg
Sodium: 702  mg
Protein:  25 g
Calcium:  566 g

Popcorn is a type of maize and a member of the grass family. Popcorn is a whole grain and is made up of three parts: the germ, endosperm, and pericarp (the hull).  Of the four most common types of corn—sweet,  field, Indian corn, and popcorn—only popcorn pops!  Popcorn differs from other types of corn in that its hull has just the right thickness to allow it to burst open. Each kernel of popcorn contains a small amount of water kept inside a circle of soft starch, which is surrounded by the hard surface of the kernel. Popcorn needs moisture in order to pop.  As the kernel heats up, the water begins to expand. At around 212 degrees the water turns into steam and changes the starch inside each kernel into a superhot gelatinous mass.  The kernel continues to heat to about 347 degrees.  The pressure inside the grain will increase before finally bursting the hull open. As it explodes, the steam inside the kernel is released.  The soft starch inside the popcorn inflates and bursts out, cooling immediately and forming an odd shape.  A kernel can swell 40-50 times its original size!

Five fun facts.

1. Popcorn contains no artificial preservatives or additives, and is sugar free.
2. 1 ounce of unpopped popcorn will give you a quart of popped popcorn.
3. Popcorn is a whole grain.
4. Popcorn can pop up to 3 feet in the air!
5. The first puffed breakfast cereal was enjoyed by the colonists – a bowl of popcorn served with milk or cream.

Five popcorn recipes.

1. Cheesy Popcorn - Dress up your popcorn and turn it in to an elegant spicy treat with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
2. Honey Peanut Butter And Chocolate Popcorn - such a delicious treat, perfect to give as a gift, but don’t forget to keep some for yourself!
3. Light Yummy Yogurt Popcorn – This popcorn recipe will fill your sweet craving without piling on the weight.
4. Lemon Pepper and Parmesan Popcorn – Popcorn does not have to be boring – the lemon pepper and parmesan give the popcorn a light zing!
5. Popcorn S’mores – Didn’t know that s’mores could be made with popcorn? Follow this recipe and surprise yourself with how perfectly they go with the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate.

Click here for more popcorn recipes.
Read The A-Maize-ing World of Popcorn! 

Nutritional Information for one cup of air popped popcorn.

Calories: 31
Fat:  0.3 g
Carbohydrates:  6 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 0  mg
Protein:  1 g

What is Peking Duck exactly? It is a Chinese dish from Beijing (called Peking in the past) that has been around since the Imperial era and is now considered one of China’s national dishes. It is made from a species of duck called the Pekin Duck which is a large white duck. The duck is prepared and cooked in such a way that the skin becomes extremely crispy. The cooked duck is generally sliced in front of the diners and is traditionally served with pancakes, spring onions, vegetable side dishes and a bean sauce. The slices of the duck, together with the onions and some vegetables, are piled in the middle of the pancake. The pancake is rolled up and dipped into the sauce. Alternatively, the sauce is spread on the pancakes before the meat and vegetables are placed on it.

Five fun facts:

1. The TV character Donald Duck was based on a Pekin Duck.
2. The Pekin Duck has white feathers and an orange bill and feet.
3. Before cooking the duck air is pumped through the skin to separate it from the fat.
4. The skin is coated with sugar before roasting, which is what gives it that crispy skin.
5. In China Peking Duck used to be a dish that only nobles could afford.

Five great duck recipes:

1. Duck & Strawberry Salad with Rhubarb Dressing - Strawberries provide a sweet counterpoint to rich duck breasts. Here, they meet in a quick salad for two, dressed with a rhubarb vinaigrette. Showcase the fruity, tangy dressing and the smoky grilled duck with the smoky, raspberry character of a Syrah wine.
2. Crispy Pan Roasted Duck with Strawberry-Rhubarb Chutney - Strawberries and rhubarb team up again to create one of our favorite combos. This is a spring time favorite. The assertive duck is complimented by the sweet and sour Chutney. The dish is mouthwatering delicious and pretty.
3. Duck Prosciutto - This “prosciutto” is so much like the real thing, but with a special character all its own, you’ll be amazed. Pair this with grilled figs, a traditional prosciutto accompaniment, but that’s just the beginning. Try it draped over melon, wrapped around asparagus spears or, diced and sautéed, as a salad garnish.
4. Orange-Roasted Duck - Orange marmalade and soy sauce glaze give this Orange-Roasted Duck an extra irresistible, rich, gamy taste.
5. Honey Tarragon Roast Duck – With five ingredients, you can see that roasting duck does not have to be complicated.

Click for more Duck Recipes.

Nutritional information for one 3 oz serving of Roast Duck:

Calories: 172
Fat:  9 g
Carbohydrates: 0 g
Cholesterol:  116 mg
Sodium:  71 mg
Protein: 21 g

Hot buttered rum is the perfect drink to warm you up on a cold winter’s night. It’s a popular spiced rum drink that was popular in the colonial days. After molasses began to be imported to Colonial America from Jamaica, and distilleries opened in New England in the 1650′s, the colonists began adding distilled rum to hot drinks such as toddies and nogs, creating beverages such as hot buttered rum and eggnog.  These days in the United States, the term “hot toddy” and “hot buttered rum” can be used interchangeably, although variations of each will occur regionally.

Five fun facts:

1. Adding whiskey and the kosher equivalent of Bailey’s Irish cream to coffee makes Irish coffee. Delicious!
2. Add rum and Kahlua to coffee and you get Jamaican Coffee.
3. There is a hot drink called a Broken Leg. It consists of hot apple cider and rum, and is garnished with a cinnamon stick.
4. A Dutch Treat consists of brandy and hot chocolate, and is topped with whipped cream.
5. Add amaretto to hot chocolate, top with whipped cream and you have made yourself an Almond Kiss Cocktail.

*please enjoy responsibly.

Five great winter drink recipes:

1. Spicy Hot Chocolate with Kahlua -  It’s the perfect warm drink for a cold night. It’s worth adding to your bag of tricks. You get the goodness of calcium with the comfort of chocolate, plus the added zing of spices: hot, spicy, sweet and comforting — all in one sip!
2. Non Dairy Eggnog -   I’m sure you’re thinking eggnog made with soy milk could never taste as good as the dairy variety, but this recipe will change your mind! In fact, I think this homemade version, with its thick creamy texture and spicy nutmeg flavor, tastes better than any eggnog I’ve tried in the past.
3. Hot Spiced Apple Cider – this is a more sophisticated way than plain cocoa to say “you mean something to me”.
4. Hot Chocolate - Try this frothy, rich hot chocolate without the overly sweet taste of packaged mixes. You won’t regret your choice.
5. Orange-Spice Tea - Trying to cut down on caffeine? Enjoy this hot drink as a morning energizer or as an afternoon pick-me-up.

Nutritional information for one serving of hot buttered rum:

Calories: 75
Fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Cholesterol: 12 mg
Sodium: 32 mg
Protein 0.2 g