Whether it is your first date or your 100th, dates are sweet and full of fibre! It's the fibre that makes their sweetness good for you!

Turns out the date palm is a very, very, very old plant, with its ancestors dating back 50 million years ago!

Relatively recently, 4000 B.C., humans in Mesopotamia domesticated the trees.

Several thousand years later a modern date palm can reach the height of 50 to 60 feet, with the tallest in Colombia's Andes Mountains, rising 200 feet into the sky!

Date Palm trees can live past 100 years, and have been known to live twice as long. The oldest date palm tree is Methuselah, which was grown from a 2,000-year-old date seed, which was thought to be impossible.

A mature tree can produce 100 to more than 300 pounds of fruit a year.

The biblical phrase "land of milk and honey" refers to honey from dates and not from bees. What we call date syrup is the honey that is made from boiling and straining dates.

Dates have amazing properties for not only our taste buds, but our inner being health! Sweet and full of fibre! A combination that will put a smile on your face!

Beans, if you remember, have 16g of fiber per 100 grams.

Deglet Noor dates have 8g, Medjool 6.7g. Though beans might be your jam, for many they are not and this is where a good date can be fill the bill!

For comparison, Rainier Cherries are 17-23, Bing Cherries 18-25, Honeycrisp Apples 12-15, Bartlett Pears 12-15, Bananas 18-22 and Red Cabbage 6-8.

Why are dates so sweet? Sweeter than table sugar? Because they are.

The Relative Sweetness Scale: The relative sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) is set at 1.0.

Fructose (found in dates) is sweeter than sucrose, with a relative sweetness of 1.2-1.8. Glucose (also found in dates) has a relative sweetness of 0.7-0.8.

With the mix of sugars found in dates, primarily fructose and glucose, their overall sweetness depends on the variety and ripeness, and to the mouth they can seem even sweeter!

On the brix scale Medjool dates are 18.

For comparison, Rainier Cherries are 17-23, Bing Cherries 18-25, Honeycrisp Apples 12-15°, Bartlett Pears 12-15, Bananas 18-22 and Red Cabbage 6-8.

Dates are also a good source of fibre, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants. It is the fibre that makes the sugar acceptable by slowing down the rate at which the sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream. This makes dates a low glycemic index (GI) food, which means they have a less dramatic effect on your blood sugar.

Dates are high in dietary fibres, which helps to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol (the evil cholesterol).

Dietary fibers tend to bind with cholesterol and prevent their absorption into the bloodstream. Thus, the fatty action in the arteries is prevented, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Dates are rich in antioxidants, which can lower your risk of several diseases. Antioxidants protect your cells from free radicals and unstable molecules that may cause harmful reactions in your body and lead to disease.

Due to high soluble and insoluble fiber content, dates are ideal for healthy digestion. Dates may prevent constipation, diarrhea, and inflammation of the digestive tract!

Dates are rich in essential compounds, such as amino acids, nicotine, and dietary fiber. This help in clearing bad bacteria lodged in the intestines promoting the growth of good bacteria.

In the end, dates are good for you!

How to make every date fun: Dates straight up are a nice sweet bomb! Or, you can split them with a knife, pull the pit, and then stuff with something good. They say eating 2 to 4 dates is all you need in a day, and not more!

How to stuff your date with good stuff: I like to pull the pit out from the end with a pair of fishing pliers (they have a little hook on the tip), and push some nuts in, squeeze in some goat cheese and top with honey.

It is surprisingly fabulously delicious!

Try red walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cheeses, pomegranate molasses, pistachio crumbs, coconut flakes, hot pepper flakes, tahini, citrus, etc. So many options!

And don't forget peanut butter, it's the best! Shazam!!

Time to get stuffing your date!

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Using the date's sweetness and the banana bread base along with the wonderful red walnuts makes this bread not too sweet and a nice refreshing treat.

See the Banana & Date Bread Recipe here!

These bacon-wrapped dates with almonds are always a big hit in the Spanish Tapas Cooking Class. We made them with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Marcona Almonds and Fra'Mani Salametto. So easy and so perfect. Classic!

See the Deviled Dates Recipe here!

These are good! Like hazelnuts from Piedmont and Sicilian pistachios, Marcona almonds from Spain are prized the world over. Some even say Marcona almonds are the finest in the world.

Almost round and very flat, Marcona almonds look different from California garden-variety almonds, and they have a richer, more intensely nutty flavor.

Our Spanish Marcona almonds are toasted in sunflower oil and lightly salted, and the result is a crisp, tender, and super-flavorful almond. If you haven't had them, try them at least once...and you might be hooked for life!

You might think that almonds in olive oil would be better, and they might be when freshly oiled and eaten soon after. But, we discovered that by the time they arrive from Spain, they taste - well, oily - and we find we prefer the almonds in heart-healthy sunflower oil.

Shop now for Marcona Almonds!

Though peppers are a key ingredient to the flavor of this wonderful salami, they are there for flavor, not heat. It is not about being spicy; this salami with Calabrian pepper is about being full of flavor with tasting notes of a spicy bell pepper. It is not mouth hot, more a warm heat.

Naturally dried salami made with pork (raised with no antibiotics, no added hormones, and 100% vegan feed), wild fennel and Calabrian pepper. Inspired by the region of Calabria in southern Italy, where the locals like their sweet and spicy Calabrian peppers.

Fra' Mani Salame Calabrese is a small, spicy, dry salame. This version combines Italian wild fennel seed, sweet and hot Calabrian pepperoncini and chili flakes. About 11 ounces.

This Calabrian Salami is a 2014 and 2021 Good Food Award Winner.

The salame has been hand-tied and mold-ripened in a natural hog casing. The beneficial mold may be visible on the surface of the salame upon opening. But not to worry! Just slice, remove natural casing and it is ready to slice and eat!

Shop now for FraMani Salame Calabrese!

I love these nuts! And though I eat them out of hand every day, I am really enjoying them the most in baked goods!

Just lightly roasted in the oven and they make the perfect bite, crunch, and the flavor is just that much more than out of hand.

Probably the most beautiful walnuts you've ever seen—with a buttery taste to match. All the health benefits of walnuts (Omega 3 fatty acids) with the addition of red polyphenols. The California organic red walnuts are a perfect upgrade to our recipes.

I am constantly looking for recipes to put these nuts in!

Shop for California Red Walnuts!

"Tamari" comes from the Japanese word for the liquid that forms during the fermentation process of soy sauce.

The word itself is derived from the Japanese verb "tamaru", which means "to accumulate" or "to collect." In the context of tamari, it refers to the liquid that collects during fermentation and creates a more complex umami flavor than other soy sauces.

Tamari literally refers to the "collected" or "accumulated" soy sauce liquid that results from the fermentation of, in this case, the wheat, without any soy.

This is both, delicate and with a full aromatic profile in its blend of saltiness, sweetness and umami punch. And not thick or heavy on the palate like a soy sauce can be.

Because Ninagawa-san of Nitto Jyozo made this sauce with 100% wheat, the Japanese government told him he can not call it "shoyu". Thus it is "white tamari".

Nitto Jozo uses locally grown wheat, Japanese sea salt, mountain spring water and koji to make their shiro tamari.

It is delightfully light and is used for adding its wonderful umami'ness to dishes.

Shop now for Nitto Jyozo White Shiro Tamari!

An easy way to make green beans dance!

See the Green Beans with Walnuts & Walnut Oil Recipe here!

This oil is very quiet. Reserved, subtle, and delicious, it's an oil that will knock your socks off in a very quiet way.

Inhale, and you get a wonderful aroma unlike any other. Wow! The whiff alone is spectacular!

On the tongue, this huile de noix is only "oily" for a moment before it disappears into a light vapor, imparting an intense, pure, eye-popping, walnut-filled clean flavor.

This pure virgin walnut oil is tops in class, winning Gold multiple times! Filled with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the form of omega-3s, like most nut oils, this is good for memory and cardiovascular health.

It's an oil for flavoring and for finishing a dish, but not for cooking. Use it in dressings for salads, from lentils or beans to any and all greens. Swirl it into soups and blend it into dips for a nutty edge. Or, simply drizzle some over a rare tuna steak or a bowl of fresh pasta with goat cheese and asparagus. Or, simply top a fresh plate of pasta!

How ever you try it, this oil is a wonder and a joy!

Shop now for Maneyrol Virgin French Walnut Oil!

This is a great daily sugar for Chai and hot liquids!

Jaggery (which you may know as Guda or Indian Gur sugar) is a whole, unrefined sugar that is as pure as any sugar from sugar cane can be. Compared to most sugars, especially refined white sugar, Jaggery has great properties.

Jaggery is made by boiling down raw sugar cane juice until it solidifies and is formed into a block. From there it takes on different forms for consumption.

According to Ayurveda, pure Jaggery powder has Ushna (hot) properties and eating some daily after meals improves your digestion and can prevent constipation.

Though Jaggery does not meet your daily iron needs, it is an excellent source of plant-based iron and can be a good daily step to ward off anemia.

The Jaggery with its antioxidant and mineral properties can work to clear the mucus in lungs and help the digestive system to function better by giving cytoprotection to your cells.

All these properties help with your immune system, a good thing to have in the winter when you are out playing in the snow, or in the summer at the beach, warding off the flu or whatever might be out there.

And for some it might even curb your desire to eat more cookies.

Jaggery has a rich aroma of molasses and sugarcane. Jaggery powder is like a wonderful perfume of sweetness.

At ChefShop we have a crushed form, that has little round globe-like pieces as well as finer granules. Eat the little globes with your fingertips to get a shot of adrenaline and a hit of flavor, even regularity.

If you like sweet like I do, you should consider adding some Jaggery to your life! Use as you would white sugar and eat it with abandon, just like you would like life to be. All out!

Sweet and happy, this is a sugar I have to have in my personal essential pantry!

Shop now for Jaipur Avenue Unrefined Jaggery Powder!

This elevated-quality Ponzu doesn't have just one or two citrus fruits; it has four different citruses, making it rounder, more fragrant, surprising, and simply more! The blend brings a combination of flavor notes that are complex yet gentle.

To the nose, it has a wonderfully sweet combo-citrus whiff. Yuzu is the upfront aroma, Daidai gives it sweetness, and if you inhale long enough and let it sit in your nostrils for a moment, you get a touch of acidity, present but not bold, from the Sudachi. It must be the Yukou that adds gentleness and floral notes.

When poured into a spoon, the aroma fills the air with a less pronounced citrus and more of a woody, not quite smoky note. The taste is an unmistakable base of shoyu with complexity and a lightness of being that doesn't overpower your taste sensors like shoyu can. The color is like medium shoyu.

This combination of flavors is clearly well-considered, brought together just as you might bring three olives together to make olive oil, tasted until it is perfectly correct, and then tasted again and again just to be sure.

Because it is so palatable on the spoon, you can imagine how you might use this to dip sushi, sashimi, vegetables, or drizzle over some soba noodles. It has just the right amount of umami flavor, emphasized by the Ma Konbu dashi that Suehiro has added.

This is the kind of flavorful ingredient you will add today to what you didn't think of yesterday. A touch of this Ponzu can make your day better.

Shop now for Suehiro Ponzu Sauce!

International Chocolate Awards 2019: European Bronze Award.
Academy of Chocolate Awards 2019 : Silver Award.

It's hard to find a good dark bar with raspberries, this one from Karuna succeeds. The bright red raspberries are embedded within the 70% Belizian dark chocolate. The chocolate gives a nice earthy backdrop to the lively raspberries; the natural citrus notes meld nicely with the intense freeze-dried raspberry flavor and the raspberry seeds add a little crunch to the creamy texture of the chocolate.

Shop now for Karuna Chocolate Organic Belize Dark 70-Percent Bar with Raspberries!

Along with a lot of beans this new year, I have been eating a lot of tuna. And this one is a true joy. No added oil, just its own juices. Smooth and gentle texture makes this can of tuna feel like it is sitting in oil, without the oil! The perfect snack anytime!

Ventresca is from the Italian word for belly, "ventre". Ventresca tuna is considered to be the best canned tuna you can find, and this can does not disappoint!

This tuna is soft, supple, delicious, crazy good, gentle, flavorful, and amazing! Did I say crazy good?

You can sink a plastic fork into it with ease, break off a little piece for a quick taste, and the flavor is delicious.

Tuna like this is meant to be eaten straight up—no need for condiments, a slice of bread, or a cracker even. A simple utensil like a fork or spoon is all you need, really.

With just a touch of salt in its own natural juices, this tuna is true pleasure.

Shop now for Lummi Island Wild Ventresca Tuna!

Linguini, which means "little tongues" in Italian, is a type of pasta that originates from the Liguria region in northern Italy, particularly associated with the coastal city of Genoa.

The shape itself is a variation of traditional pasta shapes, resembling flattened spaghetti, but wider and often thicker. The word "linguini" comes from the Latin lingua, meaning "tongue," likely referring to the shape's long, narrow, and flat appearance.

Some other pastas and their meanings include spaghetti ("little strings"), fettuccine ("little ribbons"), penne ("little quills"), orzo ("barley"), farfalle ("butterflies"), vermicelli ("little worms"), capellini ("little hairs"), fusilli ("little spindles"), and radiatori ("little radiators").

Pasta is believed to have been introduced to Italy through trade routes from the Arab world in the Middle Ages.

The early forms of pasta were made from durum wheat, which grew well in the southern Mediterranean, including Sicily, and were initially dried for preservation. Over time, Italians began to shape pasta into various forms to better hold onto sauces and to accommodate regional culinary dishes.

Linguini became popular in the Liguria region, where the sea's bounty and olive oil play an important role in the local cuisine.

It is often paired with lighter seafood sauces, like the famous "linguini alle vongole" (linguini with clams), or pesto, another dish famous in Genoa. The thin but flat shape allows it to hold delicate sauces well, making it ideal for these regional dishes.

It's similar to fettuccine and trenette, but has an elliptical cross-section.

Shop now for Linguini #14 Pasta here!

The ever-versatile Piquillo Pepper is perfect for stuffing with your favorite amazing tuna. Just right for your next cocktail party!

See the Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Tuna and Capers Recipe here!