Monthlong food holidays:

National Candy Month
National Dairy Month
National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month
National Iced Tea Month
National Seafood Month
National Steakhouse Month
National Turkey Lover’s Month

Daily food holidays:

June 1: National Doughnut Day
June 2: National Rocky Road Ice Cream Day
June 3: National Egg Day
June 4: National Cheese Day and National Frozen Yogurt Day
June 5: National Gingerbread Day
June 6: National Applesauce Cake Day
June 7: National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
June 8: Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day
June 9: National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day
June 10: Herbs & Spices Day and National Iced Tea Day
June 11: National German Chocolate Cake Day
June 12: International Cachaça Day and National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
June 13: Kitchen Klutzes of America Day (woo hoo!)
June 14: National Strawberry Shortcake Day
June 15: National Lobster Day
June 16: National Fudge Day
June 17: Eat All Your Veggies Day
June 18: International Picnic Day
June 19: National Dry Martini Day
June 20: National Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 21: National Peaches and Cream Day
June 22: National Chocolate Éclair Day and National Onion Rings Day
June 23: National Pecan Sandy Day
June 24: National Pralines Day
June 25: National Strawberry Parfait Day
June 26: National Chocolate Pudding Day
June 27: National Orange Blossom Day
June 28: National Ceviche Day
June 29: National Almond Buttercrunch Day
June 30: National Ice Cream Soda Day

Crust
10 Tbsp (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 Cup sugar
1 tsp Coarse Kosher Salt
1-1/3 Cups all purpose flour

Cocoa nib praline
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup light corn syrup
1 Tbsp (packed) golden brown sugar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp Coarse Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs
1/4 Cup pecans, chopped

Chocolate filling
2-1/4 Cups whole milk, divided
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tsp cornstarch
4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1-1/2 Cups chilled whipping cream
3 Tbsp powdered sugar

STEPS
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-in diameter glass pie dish. Mix melted butter, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl, then add flour and mix until well blended. Press dough onto bottom and up the sides of prepared pie dish; crimp edges. Bake crust until it is golden brown and thoroughly cooked, about 18 min. Remove pan from oven and cool crust completely on cooling rack. [Keep the oven at 350F.]

For cocoa nib praline:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the first 5 ingredients (all but the nibs and pecans) in a medium bowl to blend. Stir in the cocoa nibs and chopped pecans. Drop this mixture, one tablespoonful at a time, onto the lined baking sheet, spaced about 1 in apart. Bake at 350F until mixture spreads and is deep golden brown, about 18 min (don’t worry: the batter will melt together into 1 piece on the cookie sheet). Remove pan from oven; cool pralines completely on the lined baking sheet. After it is completely cooled, break praline into irregular pieces or shards. (This step can be prepared up to one day in advance. Store in an airtight container, in single layer, at room temperature.)

For chocolate filling:
Using a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 2 Cups milk to simmer. Remove pan from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla, and remaining 1/4 Cup milk to blend; whisk in the cocoa powder and cornstarch, and continue to whisk until smooth. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg/sugar/cocoa mixture.

Return mixture to saucepan. Whisk constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils. Remove immediately from heat. Add bittersweet chocolate and butter; continue to whisk until ingredients are melted and batter is smooth.

Pour chocolate filling into the cooled pie crust. Refrigerate pie until filling is cold and set, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover the finished pie and keep it chilled.)

Using an electric mixer, beat the chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Cut pie into wedges. Serve with whipped cream and praline pieces.

AllSpice regulars will recognize Denise — she’s the one with the British accent, and the inexhaustible list of cooking ideas.

Background: I was worn in Aberdeen, Scotland, and grew up in the Isle of Man, which I still visit and consider my “other home.” I went to school and college in England. I am a qualified Princess Christian Nursery Nurse (aka nanny), and am now (mostly) retired. I spent many decades looking after other folks’ newborns and small children in various parts of the world.

How did you come to be part of the AllSpice crew? I had been in a foodie book group with Alex (AllSpice’s founder) for a few years. He had been talking about starting a spice store “for people like us,” for ages. When he told us that AllSpice was really going to happen, I half jokingly told him that I would be delighted to help out for “a few hours” a week. The rest, as they say, is history. I am officially the longest-serving member of the Spicettes other than (AllSpice co-founder) Jen.

What’s your official (or unofficial) title? Alex dubbed me the “mixologist.” I love to experiment with all the possible combinations of olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

Here’s a blog post with my rules-of-thumb for making a perfect vinaigrette.

Favorite ingredient in the store (or your “top five” if you can’t narrow it down to one)? Hmmm. Oils and Balsamic Vinegars, Rubs and Blends, aaaaand everything in between. That’s 5, right??

What’s your favorite thing to cook — or what is your specialty? My favorite is whatever moves me at the moment. I like a challenge and love to feed people, so when you visit, come hungry and come often!

Dessert tends to make my creative side happy, baking keeps me under control, new recipes keep me interested and odd/unusual ingredients make me think. All good stuff!

When someone else is doing the cooking, what’s your favorite dish? I’m very easy to feed, and very appreciative, too. Just no porridge, rice pudding, or others of that ilk, please! Boarding school did me in on those British nursery staples.

Do you have a food that’s a guilty pleasure? Chocolate. Am I meant to feel guilty, though?

What do you do for fun, when you’re not having fun at AllSpice? My pals are major, as are my westies, Dougal, Rory, and Flora.

I love everything about food: talking/reading about it, cooking it and eating it. Nothing like curling up with a new cookbook and planning a dinner party! I play tennis and walk the dogs, and am to be found regularly joining Weight Watchers — again — and forever losing the same 20 lbs!

What about you would people find surprising? I’m shy by nature. I’ve battled it all my life.

But we also often get asked about where to find a rack that is just the right size for displaying and storing those jars. (And before you make a similar joke about the size of our rack — just don’t. What are you, a seventh grader? Gee whiz.)

We’ve been mulling over special AllSpice racks, and the woodworker who makes our custom salt cellars has come up with this:

What do you think? Would you be interested in this kind of spice rack? We’d like your input and ideas: please leave us your suggestions here in the comments, or drop us a note at info@AllSpiceOnline.com.

*(Thank you, super-designer Connie Wilson!)

1/4 Cup honey
4 tsp soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp Five Spice Powder
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Four 6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb slender green beans, trimmed
2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
1 Tbsp Roasted Sesame Oil
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
2 Tbsp toasted Sesame Seeds
1 tsp lemon juice

STEPS

Combine honey, soy sauce, five spice powder, and minced garlic in a small bowl. Whisk to blend.

Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large plate, and lightly coat with the soy-honey mixture. Turn the fillets skin-side-up. Allow fish to marinate for 15 – 20 min at room temperature.

Set your oven to broil, and position top oven rack about 6 inches from broiler element. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.

Meanwhile, put green beans in a large bowl, and toss gently with the grapeseed and roasted sesame oil. Spread green beans in a single layer on one half of the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Carefully arrange the salmon, skin side down, on the other half of the baking sheet. Baste the salmon with any remaining honey-soy marinade from the plate.

Broil the salmon and green beans for a scant 3 min. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, toss the green beans with tongs, and reposition the salmon pieces, if needed, to allow them to cook evenly. Continue to broil until the salmon is just cooked through and the beans are tender but still crisp, 2 to 3 min more.

Remove the broiled green beans to a serving dish, and toss them lightly with the toasted sesame seeds and lemon juice. Arrange salmon filets on a serving platter and serve both dishes immediately.