This Mother's Day, gift mom one of these family cookbooks, written by celebrities, chefs, and food bloggers who are also moms. Whether she's devoted to health-conscious eating, fanatic about ethnic cuisine, or considers herself a comfort food queen, she'll love one of these famous titles and hopefully reward you with some home-cooked meals that you'll both appreciate.
Naomi Watts wore a Victoria Beckham Collection dress to attend last night's Take Home a Nude art auction with Liev Schreiber at Sotheby's in NYC. They held hands and posed for pictures at the annual event, which benefits the New York Academy of Art. Brooke Shields and Padma Lakshmi also stepped out for the bash. Naomi, a former spokesperson for David Yurman, also smiled for photos with David himself.
It's been a busy week for Naomi of balancing work and family time. Naomi went to Target's 50th anniversary event Tuesday, when she told us all about her upcoming project Diana and the pressures of playing Princess Diana. On Wednesday, Naomi and Liev showed their sporty sides kicking a soccer ball around an NYC park with their youngest son Kai.
It's no secret that we're big fans of pumpkin and chai tea lattes during chillier months, so when we interviewed Padma Lakshmi, we were excited to try her recipe for a warming, spicy beverage with her signature Indian twist.
Padma, who's teamed up with Nespresso, recommends making this cup to your liking, from using the milk of your choice to adding as much spice as necessary. "The cardamom has a fantastic aroma, and it really makes you feel cozy," Padma said. "Something about the aroma of nutmeg and cardamom really smacks of Fall. It makes you want to stay in, build a fire, and just get together and entertain at home. I think it's the perfect coffee drink, either for morning or after dinner."
The dark roasted coffee; warming cardamom and nutmeg; foamy layer of milk; and crunchy, nutty bits of almonds all chime Autumn. It's rare to find a flavorful, spiced coffee that isn't syrupy sweet, yet this particular beverage doesn't rely on sugar for its flavor. I tried the beverage using almond milk and raw sugar and was surprised by how well cardamom complements coffee. Adding just a smidgeon of sugar rounds out the bitterness from the coffee, and the almond garnish gives it a nice crunch that reminds me of a peanut garnish I recently used in another coffee drink.
While Padma uses an Indriya from India Nespresso pod to make this beverage, non-Nespresso U machine ($199) owners can still get a similar feel from their own brew of a dark-roasted cup of coffee with spicy flavor notes. I'm a huge fan of the Nespresso Aeroccino ($99) and use mine all the time, but if you don't have a milk frother, then simply heat the milk before adding it to the coffee. You could also top the beverage with whipped cream to achieve a makeshift frothy top.
Keep reading to learn how to brew your own cardamom cappuccino.
With only a month left before season 10 of Top Chef begins, host Padma Lakshmi is gearing up for the Nov. 7 premiere. She sat down with us to talk about the surprises of the season, her fascination with Seattle cuisine, and what she's eating and drinking this Fall.
YumSugar: Top Chef Seattle follows two blowout seasons (All-Stars and Texas), but does this season have the potential to surpass them both?
Padma Lakshmi: I hope it does. I can tell you it was a lot of fun and very exciting. I didn’t know what to expect, because I had never really spent any time in Seattle. I had a blast, so I hope that the audience will too.
YS: How would you describe season 10?
PL: Unexpected, in one word.
YS: What was the most challenging part of hosting this season?
PL: I think not gaining too much weight. Honestly, I think I ate more on this season of Top Chef than any time before and I’m not sure why that is. I think I didn’t expect for there to be such wonderful, abundant food in Seattle. It is a very serious food town, from the goat cheese to the crab to all of the salmon. I ate constantly. I think I must have gained 13 pounds.
It doesn't take much for Padma Lakshmi to make an entrance, so when the beautiful Top Chef host opted for a high-wattage, fits-like-a-glove Monique Lhuillier strapless on tonight's red carpet, the results were stunning. Padma highlighted her glowing tan with a bold orange hue and complemented her enviable figure with a curve-flaunting fishtail silhouette. She also knew when to dial it down, letting the gown speak for itself and opting for just a pair of diamond earrings to complete her look. Do you love it as much as we do?
Vote on all of our Emmys polls here!
There are so many parts of your body you can show off during Summer, but we happen to think that the shoulders are one of the sexiest. And it seems Hollywood's leading ladies agree. Shoulders are always classy, never risqué, and always manage to lend an effortless resort feel to any look. Check out Padma Lakshmi showing off her shoulders in a white maxi dress at the 2012 Polo Classic, Chloe Moretz doing the same in a black Max Mara dress, and Julianne Hough revealing her shoulders in a cutout Kelly Wearstler top in NYC. Check out way more celebrities showing off their shoulders, then get in on the Summer trend by shopping similar pieces.
The CFDA Awards went down in NYC last night, and we were on the red carpet chatting with fashion's biggest names as they filed into Avery Fisher Hall. Major honors went to designers like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, as well as Joseph Altuzarra — check out the full list of 2012 CFDA winners. Johnny Depp wasn't able to pick up his fashion icon prize in person, but many spoke about Johnny's iconic style on the press line. We caught up with Busy Philipps, Rachel Zoe, Doutzen Kroes, and more. Click through to see the top quotes from the CFDAs.
— Additional reporting from Christina Perez
The Fifth Annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic took place in Jersey City over the weekend, bringing out a bevy of stylish starlets. Rachel Zoe wore a printed maxi dress with her signature floppy hat, Zoe Saldana opted for an edgy all-black ensemble, and Hilary Rhoda wore a chic Fendi dress with Stuart Weitzman espadrilles. Draw Summer-style inspiration from them and more best dressed stars from the 2012 Polo Classic.
We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today, Padma shows us what the spice cardamom is useful for, and why it's so much better to grind cardamom yourself.
Cardamom comes in two main forms: pale, sage-green pods that contain eight to 10 tiny, highly perfumed seeds (which are crushed to make the spice powder), and the larger black cardamom that is used to give savory roasts and curries their heat. For baking, make sure you ask for the green kind, as it is significantly more delicate in aroma and taste; the black variety tastes of menthol and eucalyptus. Most supermarkets sell cardamom in its powder form, but it’s very easy to make your own freshly ground cardamom powder for baking and mixing into spiced teas, like masala chai. Turkish and Arabic coffee also get their aroma from cardamom; it’s a lovely spice to have on hand to dress up many a simple sweet concoction.
Related: Global Pantry: Juniper Berries Are Multitaskers
Just take a dozen or so green cardamom pods (they are only a 1/4-inch long) and slowly peel away the pale, dry, green shell of each to reveal the tiny black pellet seeds inside. One side of the pod will be more pointed; with your thumb and index finger, peel back a side by breaking the little pointed nub. You can even smash or crush a few at a time with the back of a large metal spoon or ladle. Make sure you have a small mortar and pestle on hand; peel the pods directly over the mortar’s basin so as to catch all the seeds. Once you’ve collected enough seeds, discard the green outer shells and pound the seeds into a fine powder with the pestle. Save in a small glass jar in your pantry; the powder will keep its fragrance for months if you seal it well.
What’s your favorite spice for baking and cooking?
Photo Source: 2bp
More stories from PadmaLakshmi.com:
Global Pantry: A Dash of Asafetida Is All You Need
Warm Up With Drinking Chocolate
We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly. Today, Padma sings the virtues of a lesser-known condiment: homemade chili honey butter.
Chili . . . honey . . . butter. Need I say more? It's actually dangerous to keep this condiment around because you will find yourself buttering your toast with it, frying up eggs with a bit of it melted in the pan, not to mention making home fries, too. And that's just breakfast. It can be used to sauté green beans and carrots, to brush on grilled fish, even to baste a whole chicken for roasting.
Related: Global Pantry: Garam Masala
Get her recipe after the break.
