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Posts for March 20th 2012

Sugar Shout Out March 20, 2012
Sugar Shout Out

Sugar Shout Out: Creative Ideas For Your Next Outdoor Date

Every outdoor dating idea under the sun How to back up your photo library 10 luscious recipes to close out National Chocolate Week Mad Men catch-up: where we saw the characters last Video: David Beckham on matching outfits with Victoria: "What were we thinking?"
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Cod With Asparagus in Parchment Paper Recipe
cod with asparagus

Cod With Asparagus, Ginger, and Spring Onion in Parchment

I sliced my ginger when I made this but I would suggest mincing it instead.
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I sliced my ginger when I made this but I would suggest mincing it instead.

From Camilla Salem, YumSugar

Cod With Asparagus, Ginger, and Spring Onion in Parchment

Cod With Asparagus in Parchment Paper Recipe

Ingredients

1 cod fillet, cut into two pieces
1 bunch of asparagus, last two inches cut off
2 Spring onions, sliced up to green part
2 tablespoons of basil, cut into a chiffonade
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, sliced or minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Parchment paper

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Set two large pieces of parchment paper on a baking tray.
  2. Set a piece of cod onto each piece of paper. Place half of the asparagus right on top of each piece of fish. Do the same with the Spring onions. Top each piece with equal amounts of basil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and olive oil. Crack some black pepper if you like.
  3. Close up the parchment paper to make two little packages.
  4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked through and asparagus is tender (but not overcooked!).
  5. Transfer your fish and some of the sauce to a plate and toss the parchment paper in the garbage.

Serves two.

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Snacks to Make Ahead of Time
Cooking Basics

It's Time for a Snack-Attack!

We all get hungry throughout the day, and while it's easy to pop into the nearest café or corner store to pick up something to nibble on, it's much more rewarding, and satisfying, to make your own snacks.
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We all get hungry throughout the day, and while it's easy to pop into the nearest café or corner store to pick up something to nibble on, it's much more rewarding, and satisfying, to make your own snacks. The good news is if you spend a little time on the weekend preparing some tasty treats, you'll be able to toss them in a bag and throw them into your purse to enjoy for the week ahead. Note: these ideas also make great snacks to sneak into movies . . . shh!

  • Make some sinfully delicious tiki party mix. Any bacon lover will be thrilled to snack on this.
  • Cracker Jack's aren't just for the baseball stadium. Munch on this sweet treat to get you through long afternoons at the office.
  • My grandma always had candies in her purse. Make your own caramel candies, wrap them individually in wax paper, and keep a stash in your purse whenever you need to calm your sweet tooth.
  • If you're trying to keep things a little healthier, cut your vegetables ahead of time, and pack them with some homemade hummus or white bean dip in tupperware.
  • Stale, processed cookies from the grocery store? No thank you! Try some no-bake date cookies instead.

Do have snacks you make ahead of time?

KitchenArt Adjust-A-Cup Measuring Cup Review
kitchen tools

Super Tools: The KitchenArt Adjust-A-Cup Measuring Cup

If you've ever tackled a recipe that calls for honey or peanut butter, you've undoubtedly felt the pain of trying to scrape every last bit of gooey goodness out of your measuring cups.
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If you've ever tackled a recipe that calls for honey or peanut butter, you've undoubtedly felt the pain of trying to scrape every last bit of gooey goodness out of your measuring cups. Last week, I faced the challenge of accurately measuring out 2/3 cups of goopy sourdough starter — a task rendered unbelievably easy thanks to my adjustable measuring cup! This cylindrical tool measures both wet and dry ingredients in cups, ounces, milliliters, and pints, but the best part is the interior plunger that guides sticky ingredients out of the tube and scrapes down the sides in one push. Corn syrup, jam, and molasses are no match for my wonder tool.

Still, I won't let go of my standard measuring cups, which are still the best for measuring flour out of the tub and for small jobs, but the KitchenArt Adjust-A-Cup is an important member of my tool arsenal. Are any specialized tools must haves in your kitchen?

Chocolate Recipes For National Chocolate Week
recipes

Close Out National Chocolate Week With 10 Luscious Treats

National Chocolate Week ends today, but it's not too late to honor this tempting ingredient.
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National Chocolate Week ends today, but it's not too late to honor this tempting ingredient. We've gathered up 10 of our richest and most beguiling recipes to whip up before this delectable holiday ends. Of course, we firmly believe in chocolate's culinary ubiquity, so feel free to enjoy these sweet treats in perpetuity!

Photos: Camilla Salem and Lauren Hendrickson

Chocolate Soufflé Chocolate-Dipped Chicharrónes Nutella Pound Cake Chocolate Cupped Cupcakes With Coffee Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries German Chocolate Pudding Cups Salty Chocolate Pretzel Clusters
View 10 Photos
The Hunger Games Lamb Stew With Dried Plums
recipes

Get Ready For the Hunger Games Release With Katniss's Favorite Lamb Stew

Are you as excited as we are for the release of The Hunger Games in theaters this Friday?
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Are you as excited as we are for the release of The Hunger Games in theaters this Friday? As if we needed to be any more pumped up, last week we received The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook. The trilogy does a great job of making us crave things like bread, goat cheese, and especially Katniss's favorite lamb stew. Naturally, the lamb stew with dried plums was the first thing I attempted out of the cookbook.


Although dried fruit in meaty stews is something I'm familiar with, I'm not a huge fan, and the recipe out of this book actually scared me a little bit. To be completely honest, I wasn't thrilled with the result. There are a few changes I would make if I were to prepare this stew again: When the recipe says to deglaze the pan with water, I would use red wine instead to develop the flavors of the stew more. I would also reduce the amount of dried plums used by half. The flavor was overpowering, in my opinion; I would have preferred it to be a little more toned down. I also ended up adding an extra two teaspoons of salt to the recipe because it was far too sweet for my taste buds. I didn't find the ginger ale addition necessary, so next time I would leave this out.

If you're a huge fan of Katniss (or if you just love lamb stew with dried fruit), find the original recipe when you keep reading.

Ferran Adria to Launch Culinary Wikipedia

Ferran Adrià to Launch Culinary Wikipedia

At the first annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival, culinary whiz Ferran Adrià offered a detailed explanation of his plans for the future. Plans include his previously discussed elBullifoundation, a culinary museum slated for 2016, and a culinary bible of modern Spanish cuisine available online called LaBullipedia (like Wikipedia).
The Hunger Games Lamb Stew With Dried Plums Recipe
lamb stew with dried plums

Katniss's Favorite Lamb Stew

Note the large number of servings that comes out of this recipe.
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Note the large number of servings that comes out of this recipe. I chose to cut everything in half.

From The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook by Emily Ansara Baines

Katniss's Favorite Lamb Stew

The Hunger Games Lamb Stew With Dried Plums Recipe

Ingredients

5 pounds lamb fillet, shoulder or leg, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
4 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
3 teaspoons brown sugar
3 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced zucchini
1-1/2 cups diced celery
2 large onions, diced
3 potatoes, cubed
5 cups dried plums
2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 cup ginger ale

Directions

  1. Place lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large pan and brown the meat, working in batches if you have to.
  3. Remove lamb to a side plate. Pour off fat, leaving 1/4 cup in the pan. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until the onion becomes golden. Deglaze frying pan with the 1/2 cup water, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan to stir up all of the tasty bits of meat and onion. Cook to reduce liquid slightly, then remove from heat.
  4. Place the lamb and garlic-onion mixture in a large stockpot. Add beef stock and sugar, stirring until sugars are dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
  5. Add the vegetables, dried plums, herbs, and ginger ale to the pot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until meat and vegetables pierce easily with a fork.

Serves 8 to 10.

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Marmite Shortage in New Zealand
Food News

Link Time: There's No More Marmite in Kiwiland

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