Posts for February 21st 2012

Sugar Shout Out February 21, 2012
Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: Tour a Cool Southern California Home

Amber Lewis takes us on a tour of her cool Southern California home The latest iPad 3 news Video: Look back at Oscar red carpet favorites 10 New Orleans pantry essentials Jobs bookworms will love Snaps of super cute animals Shop pretty pastel pieces for Spring Easy ways to acheive instant makeup perfection Real romances of the silent film era A sweet and whimsical kid's birthday bash Gossip Girl love: Dan and Blair's road to romance Seven ways to snack on fiber-rich avocado All the stars on the red carpet at the Brit Awards A tiny bedroom makeover
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YumSugar at the 2012 South Beach Wine and Food Festival
2012 SBWFF

Join Us For a Tour of South Beach!

This weekend marks the anniversary of a special event, and we're not talking about the Oscars — we're headed to the 11th annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival!
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This weekend marks the anniversary of a special event, and we're not talking about the Oscars — we're headed to the 11th annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival! Last year, we heard insights from Jamie Oliver, discovered we'd been making cocktails all wrong, learned how to prep onions the Scott Conant way, and got in on Anne Burrell's secrets to making pasta. Stay tuned for more lessons from Food Network chefs and celebrity wine educators, tasting tent trendspotting, and, of course, the winner of this year's South Beach Burger Bash!

Anything you're dying to know? Leave a note for us in the comments.

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Find Your Color Inspiration
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Find Your Color Inspiration

When you're thinking about redecorating or decorating a room for the first time, inspiration can come from anywhere, from street graffiti to a colorful cupcake.
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When you're thinking about redecorating or decorating a room for the first time, inspiration can come from anywhere, from street graffiti to a colorful cupcake. But how do you turn that inspiration into a renewed room? With help from My Colortopia, of course!

My Colortopia's My Image Inspiration Tool lets you upload a photo of something you like (whether it's a piece of art, furniture, fabric — anything really), and you'll get a selection of color palettes inspired by the photo. The color palettes are made up of one main color and two coordinating colors, which you can use on trim or for decorative accents. Try the tool out and you'll be ready to start redecorating the moment inspiration hits!

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe
recipes

For Fat Tuesday or Any Monday: Red Beans and Rice

In New Orleans, red beans and rice are a weekly tradition, typically served on Mondays.
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In New Orleans, red beans and rice are a weekly tradition, typically served on Mondays. I love to eat them every year on Fat Tuesday. But one thing remains a constant: a hearty meal slow-cooked on laundry day.

Historically, Monday was wash day in early 1900s Louisiana. The laundry took all day, so women would cook the beans and meat while the laundry dried. Today, most restaurants in New Orleans still feature red beans and rice as the Monday special.

My laundry day is Sunday, but it's just as suitable for red beans and rice cooking. It takes a little advanced planning, soaking the beans starting Saturday night, but once you've gotten that out of the way, it's ridiculously easy: put all ingredients in a pot and cook for three hours.

I like to make a lot and eat the leftovers throughout the week, since the flavors only improve with time. I do, however, like to make the rice fresh each day; this method leaves it just a little bit wet, which is the perfect complement to the thick, spicy gravy of beans. Get the recipe now.

2012 James Beard Semifinalists
Food News

Link Time: Meet the 2012 James Beard Award Semifinalists

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Red Beans and Rice
red beans and rice

Red Beans and Rice

Note: The rice will keep warm enough for serving second helpings if you use a heavy saucepan and keep it covered after serving.
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Note: The rice will keep warm enough for serving second helpings if you use a heavy saucepan and keep it covered after serving.

Adapted from The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

For the rice:
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups cold water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons salt butter

For the red beans:
2 pounds dried red (kidney) beans, soaked overnight in cold water to cover
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/3 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
1 pound cooked andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ham hocks, on the bone
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper pods
2 whole bay leaves, broken into quarters
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
2 quarts cold water, approximately

Directions

For the rice:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir once with a fork, then cover tightly and reduce the heat to very low.
  2. Cook covered for exactly 15 minutes. Do not lift the cover during cooking.
  3. Remove the pan from heat , uncover, and fluff the rice gently with a fork.

Serves 8.


For the red beans:

  1. Drain the soaked beans in a colander and put them, along with all the other ingredients, into a heavy 8- to 10-quart pot, adding just enough of the cold water to cover.
  2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and a thick, natural gravy has formed.
  3. Add about 1 cup of water toward the end of cooking if the mixture appears too dry. If the mixture is too watery — it should have the consistency of gravy — continue to cook on low heat until it reaches desired thickness.
  4. During cooking, stir frequently and scrape down the sides and across the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent scorching. (If you use a heavy pot and very low heat — just high enough to keep the barest simmer going — you should have no problem with beans sticking to the pot during cooking.)
  5. Stir the entire mixture thoroughly just once about every half hour, letting the ham fall off the bone in the process.
  6. When the beans are cooked, turn off the heat. To serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups of beans, with meat and gravy and without bay leaves or bones, over a portion (about 2/3 cup) of boiled rice.

Serves 8 or more.

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Tom Cruise's Favorite Comfort Food
POPSUGAR Food

Find Out Which Foods Are Celeb Faves at Oscar Time!

Ever been curious to know which foods celebrities cave in to eat at Oscar time each year?
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Ever been curious to know which foods celebrities cave in to eat at Oscar time each year? Wonder no more, thanks to Governors Ball chef Wolfgang Puck, who reveals to PopSugar editor Lindsay Miller exactly what stars, from Tom Cruise to Barbra Streisand, chow down on postshow (hint: the items aren't exactly rabbit food!). Watch the clip below to find out all the details.

Wolfgang Puck 3D Dessert For Oscars
Oscars

Wolfgang Puck Debuts a 3D Dessert at This Year's Governors Ball

Regardless of who takes home the gold, this year's Academy Awards is bound to have a sweet finish.
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Regardless of who takes home the gold, this year's Academy Awards is bound to have a sweet finish. Why? Because Wolfgang Puck, the chef behind the longtime postawards Governors Ball, has announced that he's adding a new item to this year's menu: a confection in 3D! Watch here as he tells PopSugar's Lindsay Miller exactly what he'll be serving up (check out those colorful glasses!) and learn why this year's dessert will be more than meets the eye.

Midnight in Paris Oscars Party
party planning

Pretend You're in Paris With a French-Themed Fete

Did you get lost in Woody Allen's latest film, Midnight in Paris?
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Did you get lost in Woody Allen's latest film, Midnight in Paris? Did you find yourself wanting to go back in time with Owen Wilson and experience the Golden Age that was Paris in the '20s? Well, for now at least, you can create your own Parisian Golden Age Oscars party in the comfort of your living room. Dim the lights and light a bunch of candles to cast a romantic energy throughout the room, and play Cole Porter tunes in the background. Serve Champagne in old-fashioned glasses or drink Hemingway's cocktail, Death in the Afternoon. Munch on French-inspired bites throughout the evening and demand that everyone speak in French accents for the entire party.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Death in the Afternoon Chive Tartines With Smoked Salmon Cheese Platter Niçoise Salad Macarons
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