Posts for February 3rd 2011

Sugar Shout Out Feb 03, 2011

Sugar Shout Out: See the Puppy Bowl VII Starting Lineup!

Puppy Bowl VII starting lineup!

by POPSUGAR Celebrity

Guess Who Feb 03, 2011

Name That Dish!

Aside from dumplings and fish, noodles are also a good luck charm for the Chinese New Year, as they symbolize longevity in life.

by Susannah Chen Aside from dumplings and fish, noodles are also a good luck charm for the Chinese New Year, as they symbolize longevity in life. This noodle dish, comprised of a spicy sauce, preserved vegetables, chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, and minced pork, is a hallmark of Sichuan cuisine, but today it can be found all over the United States and even at chains like P.F. Chang's. Do you know what it's called?

Sichuan's Most Famous Chinese Noodles

Appetizers Feb 03, 2011

Carbonara Potato Skins

From Susannah Chen Carbonara Potato SkinsIngredients6 large russet potatoes 2 tablespoons butter, melted Salt 1/4 pound pancetta, diced into small cubes 1 cup mascarpone cheese 1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese 2 large egg yolks, beaten 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped Freshly ground black pepper Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

by Susannah Chen

From Susannah Chen

Carbonara Potato Skins

Ingredients

6 large russet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt
1/4 pound pancetta, diced into small cubes
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese
2 large egg yolks, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake potatoes directly on the oven rack until fork-tender, about 1 hour. Remove potatoes; let cool to the touch. Turn up oven to 450 degrees F.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the centers, leaving 1/4-inch-thick skins. (Reserve potato centers for mashed potatoes or another use.) Cut shells crosswise in half if desired (you can leave them as halves, too). Place shells, skin-side up, on a baking sheet. Brush them with the melted butter and season them with salt.
Bake shells 20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook the pancetta stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the mascarpone, pecorino, egg yolks, and garlic with the pancetta; stir to combine.
Once potato skins are ready to take out of the oven, top them as evenly as possible first with the mascarpone mixture, then with shredded mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
Finish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer.

Appetizers Feb 03, 2011

Photo Gallery: Carbonara Potato Skins

by Susannah Chen

View 13 Photos

beer Feb 03, 2011

Come Party With Me: Super Bowl — Drinks

Hosting a Super Bowl bash this weekend?

by Katie Sweeney

Hosting a Super Bowl bash this weekend? Stock up on your favorite beer. It's the beverage of choice for watching a football game, and you can use it to make this recipe for the ultimate margarita! Yes, you heard me: this pitcher margarita has two secret ingredients, and one of them is beer. The second one is frozen limeade concentrate. Using the concentrate means that you won't have to juice a million limes. It's an easy recipe that serves a crowd and can be enjoyed blended or on the rocks. Check out the technique now.

Eco Feb 03, 2011

Scientists Declare Oysters "Functionally Extinct"

If you care about the future of sea life, maybe you shouldn't be eating oysters.

by Susannah Chen

If you care about the future of sea life, maybe you shouldn't be eating oysters. A recent study shows over 85 percent of wild oyster reefs have disappeared, thanks to overharvesting and disease. The study, conducted by The Nature Conservancy and the University of California and published in BioScience, examined reefs across 44 ecoregions and 144 bays, excluding Japan, China, South Africa, and the Koreas.

The verdict? Oysters, overall, are in "poor" condition. "They are functionally extinct in that they lack any significant ecosystem role and remain at less than 1 percent of prior abundances in many bays and ecoregions, particularly in North America, Australia, and Europe," the study stated.

Roughly 75 percent of the remaining wild oysters in the world can be found within five North American locations, so that's good news, but maybe that means steering clear of anything that's not a farmed oyster, lest the bivalves vanish completely. Yet another reason to pay attention to sustainable seafood guidelines.

Sustainable Seafood Guidelines Often Allow For Middle Ground

Trends Feb 03, 2011

Do You Pay Attention to Sustainable Seafood Guidelines?

Despite the fact that we're becoming a society that's increasingly concerned about the sustainability of our seafood, there's still a lot of confusion (and lack of knowledge) on the part of both the chef and the consumer.

by Susannah Chen

Despite the fact that we're becoming a society that's increasingly concerned about the sustainability of our seafood, there's still a lot of confusion (and lack of knowledge) on the part of both the chef and the consumer. After all, sustainability rankings don't just have to do with the species of fish; they also take into consideration its country of origin and harvesting and catching methods. Just reading the seafood guidelines is convoluted in itself; still, I try to look up seafood when I remember to. Do you do the same?

Stefan Richter Discusses Top Chef All-Stars 2011-02-03 11:25:50

community Feb 03, 2011

Stefan Richter on Top Chef All-Stars Episode 8

For the all-star season of Top Chef, we have a special person recapping the show: previous Top Chef participant Stefan Richter!

by Guest Writer

For the all-star season of Top Chef, we have a special person recapping the show: previous Top Chef participant Stefan Richter! Here are his thoughts on last night's episode.

BLOGGING TOP CHEF ALL-STARS AGAIN, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT????

OK here we go again: First off, Jamie, my girl, is gone, that kind of sucks because since she is back on All-Stars my scallop sales went through the roof! Damn. Actually, it is not that bad, because she kind of screwed up in the last few episodes and she is, after all, my competition next door. I don't even remember who was the second person who got kicked off with her? I think I'm having a moment of dementia.

I have a question for all the readers: What bugs you the most about the judges? I tell you what bugs me the most — and it has for seven seasons and my personal past for more then 12 years in America. Judges, please eat with fork and knife! Geeze, God gave you two hands, use them. (I'm not a bible pusher.) There is nothing more anti-sexy than shoving your food in your mouth with only a fork. Then even using the fork on the wrong hand or use your fingers to get it on the fork. UGH. It is like watching Top Chef without sound, making Goulash without bay leaf and red wine, or going surfing in Finland without a wetsuit.

For more of Stefan's take on Top Chef, keep on reading.

Lasagna Cupcakes Expected to Hit Mainstream in 2011

Food News Feb 03, 2011

Lasagna Cupcakes: The Next Big Thing?

According to The Wall Street Journal and Food and Wine, savory cupcakes, specifically lasagna cupcakes, are expected to hit the mainstream in 2011.

by Katie Sweeney

According to The Wall Street Journal and Food and Wine, savory cupcakes, specifically lasagna cupcakes, are expected to hit the mainstream in 2011. Both publications have recently highlighted Los Angeles catering company Heirloom-LA, who's spearheaded the trend with the creation of its lasagna cupcakes, which are wildly popular among celebrities.

Perhaps I'm experiencing cupcake fatigue, but I can't help but wonder: how are these cupcakes different from lasagna rolls? I've been making Giada De Laurentiis's version for years, and while the recipe doesn't have you bake them in muffin tins, one could certainly do so. And if one does, does that make it a lasagna cupcake?

Should any dish that's individually sized and made in a muffin tin be considered a cupcake? What's your take on it?