Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
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Not to worry…I won’t be giving you any advice on how to<br />
behave on your first date with someone you hope is<br />
special. What I will advise you about, though, is if you<br />
are craving something sweet, you CAN find a special treat which is<br />
both good for you and satisfying to your sweet tooth, as well. A<br />
“date” is a fruit not to be resisted!<br />
Where do we find dates? Dates are the seeds of a<br />
palm tree. Many date palm trees do not bear fruit.<br />
Those trees are male. Only female flowers turn into fruit.<br />
Enough male trees must be kept on date plantations to<br />
supply the needed pollen for the female flowers. This<br />
type of tree is called dioecious. Before mechanization,<br />
the date palm was pollinated by hand. Today, pollen<br />
collected from the male flower is mixed with flour and<br />
dusted over the open female flowers.<br />
The date palm (Phoenix dactylifer) has been a friend<br />
of all tropical desert tribes in Africa and the Middle East<br />
(Mesopotamia) for over six thousand years. From the<br />
date palm come hats, lumber, baskets, ropes, furniture,<br />
and many other household items. Every part of the date<br />
palm tree was put into good use, especially in ancient<br />
times.<br />
No other palm tree in the world can grow in the<br />
hostile temperatures that the date palm can stand, such<br />
as arid heat soaring between 100 to 120 degrees. The<br />
climate is usually so dry that the palms must be well<br />
irrigated, though the water is cut off while the fruit is ripening. The<br />
full sweetness and flavor of a date can be developed only when the<br />
plant is thirsty!<br />
The fruit grows in a peculiar way under the leaves of the palm.<br />
It hangs in heavy clusters beneath a tree that can grow as tall as 82<br />
feet. The Arabs have a word for different stages of the fruit: Kimri<br />
means unripe; khalal is the word used for full sized but crunchy fruit;<br />
and when they are rutab, they are ripe and soft. When dates remain<br />
on the tree to dry by the sun, they are said to be in the final tamr<br />
stage of ripening. This is the stage most of us are familiar with,<br />
where they are easily available in our local grocery stores for<br />
purchase for snacking and baking. You will see them labeled as<br />
medjool dates.<br />
The Jews consider the date as one of the seven holy fruits, and<br />
in the Islamic religion, the Prophet Muhammed is quoted to have<br />
said that dates cure many disorders. He urged Muslims to eat the<br />
date and tend the date palm tree.<br />
Many regional Middle Eastern cuisines incorporate dates,<br />
where their intense concentration of natural sugars makes them a<br />
wonderful addition to any cuisine. Use dates for cooking or baking<br />
or as a superb portable snack. Be sure to pick dates that are dense<br />
and moist. Avoid those that form sugar crystals on the outside of<br />
the date, as their flesh will be dry.<br />
Dates are loaded with potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorous,<br />
and magnesium. Dates are very high in carbohydrates, supplying<br />
us with a quick energy boost. What is best of all is that dates taste<br />
delicious and sweet. Once you enjoy your first food experience<br />
with a date, you will certainly want a second “date” with this fruit.<br />
Recipe of the Month<br />
Date Nut Bars<br />
Ingredients & Directions<br />
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix<br />
3/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup butter, melted<br />
2 eggs<br />
2 cups chopped dates<br />
2 cups chopped walnuts<br />
½ teaspoon cinnamon<br />
½ teaspoon nutmeg<br />
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg,<br />
and brown sugar. Add butter and eggs; beat on low speed<br />
for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Combine<br />
dates and walnuts; stir into batter (batter will be stiff).<br />
Spread into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan.<br />
Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden<br />
brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife<br />
around sides of pan to loosen; cool completely before<br />
cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.