Posts for June 23rd 2011

Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: Fun Cakes Perfect For a First Birthday Bash!

First birthday cake ideas and inspiration Easy ways to cover up your roots PopSugar City LA: refreshingly fruity Summer drinks to sip now Enjoy apricots in an easy, no-bake tart A history of mermaids in pop culture Nicky Hilton shares her Summer style must-haves with Fab Take a closer look at inspiring outdoor spaces Emma Stone to enter a new kind of Zombieland Simple tips for organizing your job search Strength-training moves you can do in the bathroom Call of the wild: Bengal cats Cell phone tips for traveling abroad Find out what beauty bloggers think of shimmering facial whip Pippa Middleton faces another round of Harry romance rumors Katie Holmes goes sexy and see-through in South Beach

community

Coming Soon: Kelsey Nixon's Culinary Essentials

Ever since we met the perky blonde on the fourth season of The Next Food Network Star, we've been huge fans of Kelsey Nixon.

Ever since we met the perky blonde on the fourth season of The Next Food Network Star, we've been huge fans of Kelsey Nixon. Thus, we're incredibly excited to announce that the up-and-coming Food Network personality will be guest blogging here on YumSugar!

For the next couple of weeks, Kelsey will be sharing her tips and cooking essentials. She'll give us a behind-the-scenes look at what inspires her and even take us on her Italian vacation. We're thrilled about the partnership and can't wait to read what Kelsey has to say. Be sure to come back tomorrow for her first article.

summer

Enjoy Apricots in an Easy, No-Bake Tart

This Summer, I'm all about apricots.

This Summer, I'm all about apricots. Normally I eat more plums than apricots, but after tasting the best apricot of my life, I can't stop eating them! The soft, sweet fruit is ideal for enjoying out of hand, but it's also wonderful in dessert preparations like this easy tart. It's a no-bake tart with a pistachio-shortbread crust and honey custard. Although this tart is simple to make, the custard needs time to set, so get started on it a couple of hours before you make it. Ready for the recipe? Here it is.

summer

Apricot Tart

From Everyday Food and Martha StewartApricot Tart Ingredients1/3 cup cornstarch 5 large egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1/3 cup honey 5 ounces shortbread cookies, broken 3 ounces shelled unsalted pistachios (2/3 cup) 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted 5 apricots (about 3/4 pound), pitted and sliced 2 tablespoons apricot jam Directions Make the filling: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.

From Everyday Food and Martha Stewart

Apricot Tart

Apricot Tart Recipe 2011-06-23 14:29:06

Ingredients

1/3 cup cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup honey
5 ounces shortbread cookies, broken
3 ounces shelled unsalted pistachios (2/3 cup)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
5 apricots (about 3/4 pound), pitted and sliced
2 tablespoons apricot jam

Directions

  1. Make the filling: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
  2. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together cornstarch and egg yolks. Whisk in milk and honey until cornstarch is dissolved.
  3. Whisking constantly, cook over medium until the first large bubble sputters. Reduce heat to low; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Press plastic wrap on surface of pudding; refrigerate 3 hours (or up to 3 days).
  4. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Pulse cookies in a food processor until crumbs form. (You should have 1 cup.) Process with pistachios, sugar, and salt, until fine crumbs form. Add butter, and process until mixture holds together.
  6. Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom.
  7. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.
  8. Whisk chilled pudding until smooth; spread in cooled tart shell, and top with apricots.
  9. In a small saucepan, heat jam over medium-low until liquefied; gently brush apricots with jam. Refrigerate tart in pan 1 hour (or up to 3 hours); unmold just before serving.

Serves 8.

Food News

Previewing the Melt!

Grilled cheese sandwiches are incredibly hot right now, so it's no surprise that one entrepreneur is launching a fast-casual restaurant based around the nostalgic sandwich.

Grilled cheese sandwiches are incredibly hot right now, so it's no surprise that one entrepreneur is launching a fast-casual restaurant based around the nostalgic sandwich. Jonathan Kaplan, the creator of the Flip camera, will debut his new eatery, The Melt, later this Summer. The Melt will offer diners grilled cheese sandwiches and soup pairings, made with farm-fresh and all-natural ingredients. Yesterday at Sugar's five-year anniversary party, we got a preview of the new restaurant's offerings. Learn more about their sandwiches and see what we thought of them.

wines

Wine and Street Food: A Match Made in Heaven

Our recent interview with Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle gave us plenty of insight into where to buy value wines, but undoubtedly the most fun part of the chat was the special lightning round we subjected him to at the end.

Our recent interview with Food & Wine executive wine editor Ray Isle gave us plenty of insight into where to buy value wines, but undoubtedly the most fun part of the chat was the special lightning round we subjected him to at the end.

We named five of our food-truck favorites and asked him to blurt out the first wine pairings that came to mind. Ray's best street-food drink matches:

  • Carne asada tacos: "To go with the steak, a Zinfandel, or a Malbec from Argentina."
  • Grilled cheese: "Oh, a white like an Alsatian Pinot Gris. Or a rosé; I like the ones from Provence. Either way, something with body that's rich, nutty, and has enough acid to cut the cheese."
  • Pork belly buns: "A wine with tannins to counter the fat. Maybe an American Syrah; it'd pair nicely with the hoisin or plum sauce."
  • Fish tacos: "Definitely a wine that's nonoaked. A bright white like Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, or an Albariño from Spain."
  • Fried chicken: "Sparkling rosé! Bubbles will clear your palate. Like Krug's rosé — only someone else has to fork over the $300!"

Got any food-truck and wine pairing faves? Share them with us below.

Source: Flickr User Bob B. Brown

slideshow

Unforgettable Snapshots From Aspen

At this year's Aspen Food & Wine Classic, there was much to be loved (the chefs), learned (popcorn and wine pairings), and lost (luggage).
2011 Aspen Food & Wine Classic Pictures

At this year's Aspen Food & Wine Classic, there was much to be loved (the chefs), learned (popcorn and wine pairings), and lost (luggage). As festivalgoers, we tried some food and drink we'll remember for a lifetime, from José Andrés's pan con tomate to 1971 Riesling. We also took a zillion pictures — the only solid proof that everything we described really did happen. To take a look at some of our favorite moments at this year's Classic, keep clicking.