Posts for July 20th 2011

Reality TV

More Details on Top Chef Just Desserts Season 2

Gail Simmons revealed to us that the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts would air before the end of the year, and now Bravo's finally unveiling more details.

Gail Simmons revealed to us that the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts would air before the end of the year, and now Bravo's finally unveiling more details.

The latest season of the Top Chef spinoff will premiere Aug. 24 at 10 p.m. on Bravo. It'll be led by the usual suspects — Gail Simmons as host, Johnny Iuzzini as head judge, with Hubert Keller and Dannielle Kyrillos as regular judges — plus a few famous guest judges, among them Cat Cora, Francois Payard, and the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz. Oh, and the cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Bravo's revealed the season two lineup of contestants, too.

Will you tune in?

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Appetizers

Zucchini Carpaccio

From Gourmet Zucchini CarpaccioIngredients4 small zucchini (1 lb.

From Gourmet

Zucchini Carpaccio

Zucchini Carpaccio Recipe 2011-07-20 15:53:41

Ingredients

4 small zucchini (1 lb. total)

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup pine nuts (1 oz.)
1 (6-oz.) piece grana padano or parmigiano-reggiano

Garnish: thinly sliced tips of 2 zucchini blossoms, several fresh mint sprigs, or edible flowers

Special equipment: mandoline or adjustable-blade slicer



Directions

  1. Cut zucchini diagonally into paper-thin slices with slicer. Arrange slices, overlapping slightly, in 1 layer on 4 plates.
  2. Make stacks of mint leaves and cut crosswise into very thin slivers, then sprinkle over zucchini.
  3. Whisk together oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, then drizzle over zucchini. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper to taste, and pine nuts. Let stand 10 minutes to soften zucchini and allow flavors to develop.
  4. Just before serving, use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese to taste over zucchini, then sprinkle with zucchini blossoms and mint.

Makes 4 first-course servings.


Wine

Download Our Wine Tasting Worksheet!

Love learning more about wine?

Love learning more about wine? Then make the most of tastings by downloading our printable wine tasting worksheet. Whether you're sampling new varietals at a wine club meeting, a wine bar tasting, or simply on the couch, use the sheet to jot down musings about memorable bottles so you can remember them in times to come. Keep on reading for a list of wine-related vocabulary, plus a link to the free tasting-notes worksheet.

quiznos

A Day in the Life of Zach Calkins, Quiznos Innovator

Zach Calkins is Senior Vice President of Culinary Innovation at sandwich chain Quiznos, where he tracks food trends and develops new products for the sandwich market.

Zach Calkins is Senior Vice President of Culinary Innovation at sandwich chain Quiznos, where he tracks food trends and develops new products for the sandwich market. Here's what he did on Monday, July 18.

6:30 a.m.: I got up, made a latte, and let Hazy, my labrador, out. I started thinking about the day, what I had to get done. I fed Hazy, and was out the door by 7:30, heading downtown to the corporate office on my bike.

7:45 a.m.: It was a big product showing day in the office: I had to present to the team what we're going to be doing for September and October, based on consumer research and studies we'd conducted online.

If we're going to bring in a new product, our vendors need eight weeks to get everything made and into our 2,600 stores. Yesterday was the drop dead date. I finalized my recipes and the prep list for my team to get ready.

Keep reading to learn about the new menu items Zach's been creating for Quiznos.

Cocktails

5 Cocktail Elements to Make at Home, and 3 to Leave to the Pros

Home mixology is having a moment right now, and rightfully so: why pay $10 or more for a cocktail at a local bar, when you can mix up something equally delicious for much less?

Home mixology is having a moment right now, and rightfully so: why pay $10 or more for a cocktail at a local bar, when you can mix up something equally delicious for much less? But being your own bartender does come with its limitations, and you may still need to rely on the liquor store or your favorite bar for more complicated or obscure ingredients. So which cocktail elements should you DIY, and which should you leave to the pros? Find out!

  1. Simple syrup: Got sugar? How about water? Then you’ve got yourself a batch of simple syrup! If you need syrup fast and don’t have time to wait for it to cool, try this trick: combine equal parts sugar and cool water in a container with a lid (like a mason jar), and shake vigorously until it starts to combine. Leave it be for a minute or two, then give it another shake; repeat until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Grenadine: Homemade grenadine is a cinch to make, and the resulting syrup is tart and flavorful. It’ll add more depth to your drinks than a splash of supersweet Rose’s will.
  3. Flavored liquors: If you're wary of investing in an entire bottled of flavored liquor, this one's for you. Skip the bottle of citron vodka, and make your own instead. You can use any flavors you want, and make it as strong as you want. Try making your own gin or mixing up a batch of limoncello this way, too!
  4. Ice: This one may seem like a no-brainer, but be honest: how many times have you had to put your mixology on hold to make an ice run? Do yourself a favor and keep a few full ice cube trays in your freezer, or even a shallow pan filled with water. Dump the frozen block into a Ziploc bag and whack it a couple times with your muddler, and you've got instant (and free) crushed ice.
  5. Sweet and sour mix: Don’t be fooled by the plastic bottles of sweet and sour mix in every liquor aisle; the mix is really just simple syrup with citrus juice added. Make your own sweet and sour for a fresher, less cloyingly sweet result.

Keep reading to find out which cocktail ingredients may be best left to the pros!

Food News

Retailers Join Michelle Obama to Combat Food Deserts

This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama will be joined by corporate chiefs from Walmart, Walgreens, Supervalu, and other national and regional chains to announce a new initiative to open or expand more than 1,500 retail stores in an effort to bring healthier food to underserved areas.

This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama will be joined by corporate chiefs from Walmart, Walgreens, Supervalu, and other national and regional chains to announce a new initiative to open or expand more than 1,500 retail stores in an effort to bring healthier food to underserved areas. It's the latest push in Obama's Let's Move! campaign to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity.

These changes, according to the Domestic Policy Council, will affect 9.5 million people and could create as many as tens of thousands of new jobs. As part of the campaign, Walmart will open 275 to 300 stores in food deserts between now and 2016 and continue its efforts to make premium, healthful foods like whole wheat pasta more affordable for low-income shoppers. Walgreens will expand its fresh fruit and vegetable offerings, among other nutritious options, to at least 1,000 stores.

The USDA defines a "food desert" as a place where 33 percent or 500 people (whichever is less) live more than a mile from a grocery store in an urban area, or more than 10 miles away in a rural area. Currently, 23.5 million Americans — 6.5 million of them children — live in low-income areas that are less likely to have affordable, wholesome foods.

How exciting that fruits and vegetables will soon be available in low-income retailers — drugstores, even — across the country. Still, it's hard not to question the incentives of America's retail giants. What do you think of the announcement?

Appetizers

Fire Up the Grill For Stuffed Jalapeños

If you're barbecuing this weekend, don't forget to light the grill a little early and make these amazing jalapeño appetizers to get the party started right!

If you're barbecuing this weekend, don't forget to light the grill a little early and make these amazing jalapeño appetizers to get the party started right! Each halved jalapeño is stuffed with a combination of crispy bacon, whipped cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, then baked on the grill to keep the heat out of your kitchen. Even cooked, these peppers tend to pack a lot of heat, so to balance the spiciness, top it all off with a refreshing cilantro sauce. Sound enticing? Then turn on the barbie and keep reading.

Food News

Who Done It: Coke or Pepsi?

The rock 'n' roll cola wars are back!


The rock 'n' roll cola wars are back! Recent financial reports indicate that Pepsi's empire still can't beat Coke's, yet the latest Pepsi ad circulating the airwaves depicts Coca-Cola's historical icon Santa turning down Cokes in a tropical locale. His reason? "I'm on vacation. I'm going to have a little fun!"

Are you on Team Coke or Team Pepsi? When it comes to the battle, every drinker, it appears, has an intense opinion on the matter. After all, the brawl between Coke and Pepsi has been on since the beginning of time. How well do you know the history of these two famous American brands? Take this quiz to find out!

Source: Flickr User Captain Victor

Take the Quiz
community

Savory Sight: Your Morning Dose of Hagel Slag

Chocoholics: check out Elka Karl's hagel slag.

Chocoholics: check out Elka Karl's hagel slag. That'd be Dutch for chocolate sprinkles.

Good morning! I wanted to share this photo of waffles with Hagel Slag (Dutch chocolate sprinkles) that the hubz posted on Facebook this morning. This weekend I made waffles, and he decided to finally try the Hagel Slag (haw-gull schlawg) that I brought back from Amsterdam. The results are in: it was totally delicious. 

I make waffles with nonfat plain yogurt in place of much of the milk, which gives them a buttermilky tang, and always separate the yolks from the egg whites to keep them fluffy. How do you make your waffles?

Want to share your favorite a.m. treat? Share it with us in the Savory Sights group in the YumSugar Community.