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Sue Spitulnik

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dessert

National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Toasted Marshmallows go hand in hand with campfires, fires on the beach or around the back yard fire pit, and sometimes over the gas flame on the stove in the kitchen.  They are an age defying treat some like golden brown and others like charred black with a gooey white center.  But be careful, I have heard of a rule that if your burning delight falls in the fire, you don’t get another one!

Ghost or scary stories come to mind when I think back about marshmallows.  There was always that one camp counselor that could tell an animated tale that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  We called that fun, but now I’m not quite sure why.  Most of us knew there really wasn’t a boogeyman in the woods, but because of our age, there was always that niggling concern there might be.  Laughing as a group and walking back to our tents with marshmallow strings stuck to our chins made the hairs lay back down.

I would guess the statistics are pretty high that people who rent cottages for a time during the summer have marshmallows on their list of food items to take with them, or they make a quick trip to the nearest grocery store to get them before the bonfire is lit.  I’ve only been in a few RV camp registration offices that have essentials for sale, but  those essentials include marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars.  S’mores are not an optional item when camping; whatever your definition of camping might be.

If you don’t like your marshmallows toasted they are great in Ambrosia Salad, melting on the surface of a cup of hot chocolate, or as a swirl in chocolate ice cream.  The fluff form is used in making fudge, and mixed with yogurt it makes a great fruit dipping sauce.

There’s a way to make any form of marshmallows even better.  Enjoy them with friends or multiple generations.

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National Cherry Turnover Day

The only thing I can say for sure about cherry turnovers is there is never enough cherries and always too much crust.  I’d rather have a piece of cherry pie with the woven top crust, that way you can see up front, just how many cherries you are getting.  And then of course it’s always better with vanilla ice cream.

When I was a kid there was a great bakery in the town I went to school in.  I’ve mentioned in past posts that we did most of our own baking at home, but things like maple bars, apple fritters, fried cakes, salt rising bread and turnovers were left to the Fitzpatrick family.  I lived in a neighboring town and rode the bus to school so it was a real treat for me to be able to walk home with a classmate and stop at the bakery.  My favorite then, and now, is still the pudding filled, chocolate frosted doughnuts.

Let’s get back to cherries; these are some interesting facts: 

  • Related to plums, peaches and nectarines, cherries are drupes or stone fruits.
  • Cherries were brought to North America in the 1600s by the English colonists.
  • There are more than 1,000 varieties of cherries in the United States.
  • There are an average of 44 cherries in one pound.

Do you know anyone with a cherry tree in their yard?  I’ve known a few people and the complaint is always the same; the birds get the cherries before the human can get out  to pick them.  So that leads me to question how an orchard keeps the birds away long enough to make it worth while to raise them.  I’m sure they have a trick or two, but I don’t know what they are.

In western Ney York state, especially along Lake Ontario, there are orchards that grow cherries, apples, peaches, pears and plums.  The state’s Finger Lakes region is well known for it’s grape vineyards and wineries. Strawberries and red and black raspberries are also plentiful.  To facilitate buying the fresh fruit easily there are public markets in a lot of the local cites, towns and suburbs.  It can be even be a fun family event if you are inclined to go pick your own.  When the fruit is in season, there are bargains and you eat your fill knowing fresh is best.  We wish the seasons lasted a little longer, but then the juicy unadulterated flavors wouldn’t be such a treat.

If you have a favorite cherry turnover memory I would love to hear about it.  And, just in case you are one of my regular readers, yes, I mixed up the chop suey date and cherry turnover date.  Sorry, not as precise as I used to be.  Today is really the 29th.

 

 

 

 

 

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National Banana Split Day

Two different people claim they invented the banana split, one in 1904 and the other in 1907.  Originally it was vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream settled between a  banana that had been cut in half lengthwise, with chocolate, pineapple and strawberry syrups ladled over the ice creams, then topped with whip cream, nuts and a cherry, served in a “boat” shaped dish.

These days, in my area anyway, you can pick your own ice cream flavors and toppings, it’s only the banana that is consistent.  At Bruster’s, on Thursdays, if you bring your own banana, you get your treat for half price.

In 1955 Tom Wahl’s opened in Avon, NY.  It was, and still is, a hamburger joint, serving fresh-made burgers, root beer made in-house and ice cream.  They ran a promotion that if you could eat two complete banana splits, they were free.  My uncle would have been about thirty at the time.  He got so many free banana splits they asked him nicely not to take advantage of the special any more.  He was building his landscaping business at the time, so after a day working outside, I imagine two banana splits would have made him a fine dessert.   Think of all that sugar!

Late update from my sister……the promotion was   Eat Three—Get them Free!!  They changed the sign to read “except Herb M.”

 

 

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National Waffle Day

The first United States patent for a waffle iron was issued to Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York on August 24, 1869.

1911 – First electric waffle iron introduced by General Electric

1953 – Frank Dorsa’s Eggo Frozen Waffles are sold in Supermarkets for the first time

1964 – Belgian Waffles debut at New York’s World’s Fair.

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So now you know, the waffle you usually get when you order one in a restaurant is a Belgian Waffle.  In North America, they are a variety of waffle with a lighter batter, larger squares, and deeper pockets than ordinary American waffles. They were originally leavened with yeast, but baking powder is now often used.

I don’t ever remember eating a waffle at home while I was growing up.  I rarely ate breakfast food for breakfast.  I ate left overs from the night before, like cold spaghetti or pizza.  Sometimes it was fresh venison fried in butter then put on a piece of toast.

I spent many years working in the restaurant business.  One of my favorite treats was to get a waffle, slather it with butter, then fill all the squares with maple syrup and leave it under the heat lamps for at least fifteen minutes.  Of course it lost all its crispness, but that was the idea.  The buttery maple flavor was heavenly as I purposely chewed it in a deliciously slow manner.   I still like the occasional Belgian Waffle when I eat out, but now I order it with bananas, nuts and cinnamon sauce.  My tastes have matured some.

My grandson in a waffle lover.  His favorite is Eggos, heated in the toaster, any time of day or night.  He’s a skinny kid, he could eat waffles all day for a month with no adverse effects; unlike me.  I offer him an egg , bacon, or sausage to go along so he has some protein, but he usually declines.

And now we have waffle cones to eat our ice cream out of.  I like them much better than the round ones with the flat bottom that cut the roof of my mouth.  Shoot, now I want one!  Either will do, a gooey Belgian waffle or chocolate raspberry truffle ice cream on a waffle cone.

 

 

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