Posts for April 27th 2010

community

Cooking For a New Beau: What to Make?

Reader Subie needs our help!

Reader Subie needs our help! She's got a new man in her life and has plans to make him dinner for the first time. She used our new ask feature in the YumSugar Community and proposed the following question:

Cooking dinner for a new beau this week and I need to plan the menu! Any good date meals to suggest? He is not a picky eater. I'll have about an hour for prep time.

Now I'm asking you: what's a good quick meal for a first date? Roast chicken? Pasta carbonara? What was the first meal you made for your loved one?

edible gifts

Cure Your Own Olives

I've always wanted to cure my own olives, but it's not every day that I spot fresh olives at the store.

I've always wanted to cure my own olives, but it's not every day that I spot fresh olives at the store. So I was thrilled to discover one sunny Saturday that the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was selling bags of small, black Coratinas for $5, along with a recipe for curing olives. To make bitter and astringent fresh olives edible, there are two ways of preparing them: dry-curing them in salt, or wet-curing them in brine. I went with the dry-curing method, and I wasn't let down. Although I'd opt for an olive with a greater meat-to-pit ratio next time, the recipe produced an intricate flavor that was sweet, salty, and buttery at the same time. Now that I know how easy it is to make my own, I'm hesitant to ever buy a can of olives from the supermarket again! See for yourself when you keep reading.

fast and easy

Persian Zucchini Frittata

From SaveurPersian Zucchini FrittataIngredients3 tbsp.

From Saveur

Persian Zucchini Frittata

Fast and Easy Recipe For Persian Zucchini Frittata or Kuku Kadoo 2010-04-27 14:03:07

Ingredients

3 tbsp. canola oil
1⁄4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 large onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground turmeric
5 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1⁄4"-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tbsp. flour
1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
7 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
Sumac, for garnish

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400°. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger, onions, and garlic; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add turmeric and zucchini; season with salt and pepper; cook until tender, 12–15 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp. flour and baking soda; let cool.
  2. Stir eggs into zucchini mixture. Grease a 9" x 13" casserole with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining flour; pour in mixture. Bake until set, 25–30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and sumac.

Serves 6-8.

events

Noteworthy Nibbles — April 27-May 4, 2010

Whether you're near the rolling hills of Paso Robles, CA, or the sticky swamplands of Florida's Gator Country, there's something for you to do (and eat) this week.

Whether you're near the rolling hills of Paso Robles, CA, or the sticky swamplands of Florida's Gator Country, there's something for you to do (and eat) this week. Make the most of syrup season at the Vermont Maple Festival or rub elbows with Bobby, Mario, and Paula during their demos at the Metropolitan Cooking Show. On Thursday, we'll be eating and drinking our fill, guilt-free, at San Francisco's very own Taste of the Nation, where all ticket sales go to benefit Share Our Strength.

Where will you find yourself partying it up this week? Let us know in the comments!


In the know about a fabulous event? Spread the word in our Noteworthy Nibbles group in the YumSugar Community!

Source

cookbooks

Must Read: Amor Y Tacos

Cinco de Mayo is a little more than a week away, and I've got Mexican cuisine on the brain.

Cinco de Mayo is a little more than a week away, and I've got Mexican cuisine on the brain. So imagine my surprise and delight when I received a copy of a new title, Amor Y Tacos: Modern Mexican Tacos, Margaritas, and Antojitos, by Deborah Schneider. With cocktails and simple food suggestions, the small, portable cookbook focuses on the sort of party food that's perfect for Cinco de Mayo, or any other warm weather celebration. To find out if it lived up to my high party girl standards, read more

fast and easy

Fast & Easy Dinner: Scallop and Snap Pea Stir-Fry

This weekend, the weather in San Francisco was glorious, and I couldn't help but realize that Summer is just around the corner!

This weekend, the weather in San Francisco was glorious, and I couldn't help but realize that Summer is just around the corner! The arrival of bikini season will be here before we know it, and there's no time like the present to start eating healthful and light meals in smaller portions. This scallop and snap pea stir-fry is an ideal figure-friendly dinner. Thanks to fresh lime juice, grated ginger, garlic-chili sauce, and tons of cilantro, it's super flavorful and therefore, totally filling. For a complete meal, serve this seasonal dish with a side of sautéed mushrooms. If scallops aren't your thing, consider using shrimp, tofu, or chunks of chicken instead. Get the uncomplicated recipe when you read more

community

GirlA's Product Review: Tofutti Cuties Cookies 'N Cream

Summer is approaching, so ice cream is a must.

Summer is approaching, so ice cream is a must. This product review was submitted by YumSugar member girlA in the Dairy Free Diva Recipe Exchange group.
Delicious. That’s about it. Ok, so here’s the low-down: one cutie is 130 calories with 6 grams of fat. So not the healthiest, but c’mon, it’s fake ice cream! And when you’re a vegan, tasty fake ice cream is like striking gold.

Completely dairy-free, these ice cream sandwiches come in several flavors: Cookies ‘N Cream, Vanilla, Mint Chocolate Chip, Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Key Lime, Wild Berry, Coffee Break, Strawberry Wave, and Very Vanilla (I guess the other vanilla is just sort of vanilla).

To see if girlA thought they were as good as the ice cream sandwiches she ate as a kid, keep reading.