National Date Nut Bread Day

Do you like dates? I think they are one sexy fruit, especially the Medjools (once the pit is removed). Even the name sounds exotic and somehow, slightly naughty. There is something adventurous about eating these luscious gems that glow due to the natural sugar crystals hidden inside. On first bite, the teeth experience a slight sweet stick (think of the old fashioned circus peanuts candy or Turkish taffy). Dates have an intensely ‘honey’ taste to them that lays on your tongue the same way velvet caresses your skin: soft, smooth and supple. Then, you notice that there is a second wave of subtle flavors that linger and warm your palate.  There’s a rich nuttiness that is familiar but not identifiable (no – nothing like peanut butter), there’s the flavor of almost burnt caramel that reminds me of the flamed sugar on a crème brulee, finished off with the impression of some sweet, warm spices. Like a good lover, there is no one particular thing that overpowers all the other equally pleasing attributes in this succulent, sticky, sweet fruit; however, the culmination of all the nuances makes for a potent taste that once experienced, will never be forgotten.


If you think about it on a rational level, date nut bread is a perfect union. The syrupy sweetness of the dates intensifies the warm crunchiness of the nuts. When this happy twosome is discovered burrowed in a warm, moist dense loaf slathered in orange cream cheese, nirvana is obtained.


To whip up something special for your significant other, click here for a fantastic Food Network recipe from Ina Garten. Her Date Nut Spice Bread with the Orange Cream Cheese frosting is delectably decadent but be warned: try it at your own risk as it has been known to cause ‘loafing around’ after dinner.  Could be the dates, could be the Cointreau, who knows?  

Give it a try.  Buy a few extra dates to feed to each other.      Slowly.      Very slowly.      Taste that sugar? Ummm, mmmm.

Until Tomorrow….


“I have long believed that good food, good eating is all about risk. Whether we’re talking about unpasteurized Stilton, raw oysters or working for organized crime ‘associates,’ food, for me, has always been an adventure.” ~ Anthony Bourdain