Posts for June 27th 2011

Sugar Shout Out: 10 Summer Salads
Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: 10 Salads to Enjoy This Summer

Ten salads to enjoy this Summer Five books to read before they hit the small screen Video: Katie Holmes talks Pippa Middleton at her premiere The latest news on the iPhone 5 Floppy sun hats to beat the heat Three ways to wear bronzer A working girl's guide to celebrating Summer Play TrèsSugar's Battle of the Books and win big Tips for introducing finger foods to your children Nine bold deck chairs fit for beach season Angelina Jolie and shirtless Brad Pitt take the kids to a water park Yoga poses to help cure your headache Summer hair tips from Oprah's personal stylist A recipe for delicious potato stuffed tomatoes
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Tomato and Peach Salad Recipe
salads

Summer of Salads: Tomatoes and Peaches

The farmers market is in full swing and fresh tomatoes have just started to arrive on the scene — I can't resist buying several pounds each week.
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The farmers market is in full swing and fresh tomatoes have just started to arrive on the scene — I can't resist buying several pounds each week. While I love classic salads like Caprese, I enjoy trying slightly more unusual combinations, such as this tomato and peach salad with tangy orange vinaigrette. I'm growing a small garden this year, thus I used a bunch of different varieties of basil and mint; don't be afraid of mixing your herbs to enhance the flavor of any dish! You could easily substitute the orange juice in the dressing with other fruit juices, so have fun experimenting. Keep reading for this incredibly simple salad recipe.

Popeyes, Jack in the Box Start Offering Healthful Menu Options
Love It or Hate It

Healthy Fast Food: Love It or Hate It?

Healthful Southern food may sound like a paradox, but for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, it's now a reality.
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Healthful Southern food may sound like a paradox, but for Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, it's now a reality. The Atlanta-based fast food chain has just launched a new, diet-friendly "Louisiana Leaux — Get up & Geaux!" menu, with a focus on foods that contain fewer calories, less fat, and lower sodium.

On the menu: a meal of seasoned chicken tenders, green beans, and toasted baguette roll; a chicken wrap made with a cheese tortilla, chicken tenders, lettuce, and pickles; a chicken tender po' boy baguette with barbecue sauce, lettuce, and pickles; and a new kids meal, with naked chicken tenders, applesauce, toasted baguette roll, and no-calorie drink.

Popeyes follows other fast food companies, such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Jack in the Box, who've recently opted to offer more nutritious items such as fruit sides on their menus. Do you welcome this change, or does it seem like a contradictory move to you?

What to Make With Pesto
Cooking Basics

Beyond Spaghetti: 8 Things to Do With Pesto

During the Summer, I love to use the bounty of in-season basil to make fresh pesto.
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During the Summer, I love to use the bounty of in-season basil to make fresh pesto. The combination of basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil is always delicious. If you don't have time to blitz your own pesto but want to cook with the sauce, simply pick up some from the local market. Although pesto is wonderful tossed with al dente pasta, there are plenty of other ways to make use of the Italian condiment. To see my suggestions, read on.

Traci Des Jardins Daily Life
celebrity chefs

A Day in the Life of Traci Des Jardins

Traci Des Jardins is a San Francisco based chef and restaurateur.
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Traci Des Jardins is a San Francisco based chef and restaurateur. She has three very different eateries: upscale Jardinière, Mexican Mijita, and ballpark-based Public House. Her fourth restaurant, Manzanita, is in Lake Tahoe at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. You may recognize Jardins from Top Chef Masters, where she made it to the final episode. Here is what she did yesterday, Sunday, June 26.

7:00 a.m.: I was in Tahoe. I drove up Saturday evening and woke up on Sunday early.

8:00 a.m.: I spent the whole day in the kitchen working out new dishes with my chef and sous chef. We're working on debuting a whole new menu. It's going to be put in place on July 7th. The seasons up there are different; it's basically going from Winter to Summer.

11:00 a.m.: I was tasting food all day long. I tasted a dozen different dishes, so I didn't really have lunch or anything. I started with the breakfast dishes. I tasted the huevos rancheros from the new breakfast menu. I tasted the egg-in-a-hole — it's a new dish.

1:00 p.m.: From the lunch and dinner menu I tasted the halibut with sweet melon and cucumber. Let's see. We also tried the new sea bass dish with baby fennel and saffron potatoes.

To find out what else Traci ate and what she made herself for dinner, keep reading.

St. Germain Sparkling Wine Cocktail Recipe 2011-06-27 12:05:12
recipes

Jalisco Flower

From Bon Appétit Jalisco Flower Information Category Drinks, Cocktails Ingredients1/4 cup fresh ruby red grapefruit juice 3 tablespoons St-Germain 2 tablespoons tequila Ice cubes Chilled brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine 2 grapefruit peel twists Directions Combine first 3 ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice.
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Jalisco Flower

Jalisco Flower

Information

Category
Drinks, Cocktails
St. Germain Sparkling Wine Cocktail Recipe 2011-06-27 12:05:12

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
3 tablespoons St-Germain
2 tablespoons tequila
Ice cubes
Chilled brut Champagne or other dry sparkling wine
2 grapefruit peel twists

Directions

  1. Combine first 3 ingredients in cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover and shake vigorously 20 times. Strain into 2 flutes or coupes; top each with sparkling wine. Garnish with grapefruit peel.

Makes 2 cocktails.

Difference Between Gelato and Ice Cream
ice cream

You Say Gelato, I Say Ice Cream: What's the Difference?

Over a recent dinner party dessert of assorted gelatos, a burning (or shall I say freezing?) question arose.
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Over a recent dinner party dessert of assorted gelatos, a burning (or shall I say freezing?) question arose. If the word "gelato" isn't simply Italian for ice cream, then what exactly is the difference between the two frozen desserts?

The answer, in short, is air — and fat. During the churning process, ice cream's volume is increased by more than half. In contrast, gelato is churned at a slower speed, which means not as much air is whipped into the mixture; this helps gelato achieve a consistency that's so dense, it requires a warmer serving temperature than its counterpart.

Ice cream also contains more fat than gelato. By USDA standards, ice cream must contain a minimum of 10 percent milk fat, although most brands contain somewhere between 14 and 17 percent. Gelato, which often has almost no cream at all, contains roughly 3 to 10 percent fat. Less cream and air means the Italian dessert tastes decadent and more intensely flavored without as much fat. Which frozen dessert's consistency do you prefer?

Tomato and Peach Salad
peaches

Tomato and Peach Salad

From Fine Cooking Tomato and Peach Salad Information Category Salads, Fruit Ingredients1/2 small red onion (about 2 oz.) 1 Tbs.
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Tomato and Peach Salad

Tomato and Peach Salad

Information

Category
Salads, Fruit
Tomato and Peach Salad

Ingredients

1/2 small red onion (about 2 oz.)
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, and more if needed
2 lb. heirloom tomatoes (a mix of sizes — including cherries — and colors is nice)
1 lb. ripe peaches
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. orange juice or mango smoothie drink, and more if needed
1 tsp. soy sauce, and more if needed
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. kosher salt, and more if needed
1/2 cup lightly packed whole small mint and basil leaves (or large ones torn into smaller pieces)
Edible flowers, petals separated if large, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Place the diced onions in the balsamic vinegar and set aside.
  2. If the tomatoes are not fleshy, core the large tomatoes and stem any cherry or tiny tomatoes. Cut the larger tomatoes into large, evenly sized pieces. To do this easily, first cut the tomatoes crosswise into thick slabs, and then cut the slabs into large dice (3/4 to 1 inch wide). If the tomatoes are very irregularly shaped, just cut them into wedges and then cut the wedges in half. Cut the cherry or tiny tomatoes in half or into quarters. Put all of the tomatoes into a large shallow serving bowl.
  3. Peel the peaches with a paring knife and slice them off the pit into wedges (whatever size you like, depending on the size of your peach). Add the peaches to the bowl.
  4. Whisk together the olive oil, 2 Tbs. orange juice, 1 tsp. soy sauce, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Whisk in the balsamic vinegar and onions.
  5. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and peaches. Add half of the herbs, season with salt, and toss gently but thoroughly. Taste the salad and add more vinegar, soy sauce, and orange juice if you need to. (You can let the salad sit for a few more minutes and taste and season again if you like.) Before serving, toss again and sprinkle with remaining herbs and the flowers (if using).

Serves 6-8.

Salad Recipes
salads

10 Salads to Enjoy This Summer

Now that Summer is officially in full swing, it's time we turned our attention to salad.
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Now that Summer is officially in full swing, it's time we turned our attention to salad. Although I eat salad all year long, I have twice as many during the warmer months. They require no cooking and are a great way to use the season's best produce. To inspire you, I've rounded up our most scrumptious salad recipes.

Pesto Pasta Salad Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad Corn and Cotija Salad Caesar Salad Caprese Salad Asparagus Panzanella German Potato Salad
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