YumSugar

Bring on the Borscht!

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:45:27 PST

Until I watched Anthony Bourdain order green borscht from a restaurant in Ukraine, I had only ever thought of the soup as bright purple and made of beets. Considering it's National Soup Month, I set off on a culinary mission to learn as much as I could (in a couple of hours) about borscht. Here's what I learned in a nutshell.

Borscht originated from the trimmings of Winter vegetables, particularly beets, which were stored in a kettle outside during the cold months. They were then cooked up and turned into borscht after the first Spring thaw. The most popular rendition of borscht is a purple, beet-based soup that hails from Ukraine, although it's quite popular in many Eastern European countries. There are, however, several variations on the soup, including recipes that don't include beets at all! Orange borscht is tomato-based, and green borscht's main ingredient is sorrel leaves.

Borscht can be served both hot and cold. Hot borscht can feature hearty vegetables, like potatoes and cabbage. Meat may or may not be added depending on preference. Cold borscht has a creamy appearance because it is mixed with sour cream or kefir during its preparation. It's traditionally served with black bread (also called rye bread).

Do you have a favorite type of borscht?

Source: Flickr User Istelleinad

Do You Dare Eat Beets With Chocolate?

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:35:17 PST

Well, you should, because this moist chocolate-beet cake recipe is one of the most delicious and interesting desserts I've had in a long time. Beets happen to be one of my favorite vegetables because of the earthy taste and vivid color, and the fact that this recipe artfully transforms the root into a luscious cake is just really cool.
There are more steps to this recipe than most cakes, because the beets have to be cooked, but the result is worth it: it's a moist, decadent chocolate cake. I could taste a hint of earthy, beet flavor (that I loved), but others claimed they tasted nothing but rich chocolate. Keep reading for more!

5 Convenient Superfoods of Fall

Susi May — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:22:42 PDT

If you are what you eat, why not be super? Here are five superfoods, loaded with nutritional benefits, that are in season now. Unlike gogi berries and acai, these fruits and veggies are not exotic, and you should have no problems finding them in the produce aisle of your neighborhood grocery store or local farmers market. Take a look to see why you should be putting these seasonal delights in your grocery basket and what to do with these fruits and veggies once you get them home.

Just Beet It With Goat Cheese & Arugula Pesto Pizza

Lauren Hendrickson — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:27:24 PDT

Once Fall farmers market hits, I always buy at least one bunch of beets just about every week. Week after week I roast the bunch, but beet salads can become a little tiresome. I skipped the salad bowl and started experimenting with this Fall root vegetable as a pizza topping. My first attempt resulted in pizza - a creamy, earthy and a delicious meatless meal complete with roasted beets, goat cheese, mozzarella, scallions and a drizzle of basil olive oil.

For my second attempt at perfecting a beet pizza, I skipped the olive oil and added fresh and easy arugula pesto, which added a little more color and even more dimension to this pizza. With a little planning you can easily add this pizza into your fast and easy weeknight dinner routine. Just roast the beets and prepare the arugula pesto the night before. If you want to skip both of these steps, Trader Joe's carries roasted beets in the refrigerator section and a store-bought basil pesto would work just the same. Give these earthy roots a try on your next pizza pie and keep reading for this easy recipe.

In Season: Beets

Susannah Chen — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:59:46 PDT

I must admit I'd been seriously dismayed to see peaches and watermelons being replaced by Fall fruits at the farmers market, but once a myriad of different beets caught my eye, the season managed to redeem itself. From the crimson-red garden beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues.They add a punch of color - and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked - to just about any course. While they're available in California almost year-round, October, it seems, is the time of year when they taste most tender. To find out how to select, store, and enjoy these versatile veggies, read more.

In Season: Beets

Susannah Chen — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:33:55 PDT

When the colors of Autumn beg us to return to the golden hues of root vegetables, the first in line to blossom is the beet. From the crimson-red sugar beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues. They add a punch of color - and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked - to just about any course and are at their most tender during the Fall months, peaking in October. To find out how to select, store, and enjoy these versatile veggies, keep reading.

Orange Skin and Other Food's Weird Effects on the Body

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 00:26:59 PDT

Fruits and veggies are full of vitamins and nutrients, but eating them can do some funky things to your body. We all know that beans can make you gassy and onions can cause bad breath, but here are some of produce's effects on the body that might not be as familiar.

Asparagus: After eating some grilled spears with dinner, you may notice an odoriferous effect when you use the restroom. Does everyone experience smelly urine after eating asparagus? No, but if it happens to you, it's completely harmless. Mercaptan is the culprit. This compound found in the green stalks causes the ammonia- or sulfur-like smell to be released when you relieve yourself.
Beets: You enjoyed some delicious beet salad at your friend's barbecue and hours later a visit to the powder room has you reaching for your phone to dial 911. Don't be alarmed! Many people experience reddish-colored urine after they eat beets. It's either caused by a genetic condition known as Beeturia (that's the real name!) or an iron deficiency. A trip to your doctor for a quick blood test will let you know if you need to include more iron-rich foods in your diet.
Carrots: A person needs 2,310 international units (IU) of vitamin A a day. One carrot contains 10,255 IU, half a cup of red pepper has 2,333 IU, and half a cup of sweet potato contains 15,740 IU. If you're a fan of these foods, it's easy to overdo it on vitamin A. Your skin can become saturated, which results in an orange glow. This symptom alone isn't harmful, but if it's coupled with blurred vision, nausea, irregular periods, and hair loss, you've probably overdosed on vitamin A and it's time to cut back. Sadly, getting too much vitamin A while pregnant can also cause birth defects, so don't ignore that orange tint!

Find out what food causes a color change in your number two.

A Salad Worthy of Thanksgiving

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 14:00:34 PST

When it comes to Thanksgiving, the humble salad is not one of the spectacular standout sides. It's overshadowed by more showy dishes like creamy mashed potatoes with rich giblet gravy or melt-in-your-mouth stuffing with juicy sausage. However, with interesting ingredients and a proper homemade vinaigrette, the salad can be transformed into a side worthy of competing with the best potatoes and stuffing.
Follow this recipe for a beet and butternut squash salad and you'll end up with a remarkably textured and flavorful salad that's pretty to look at and satisfying to eat. The dried cranberry dressing that coats the vegetables, leafy greens, and crunchy pumpkin seeds are sheer perfection, and the liberal shaving of salty parmesan is the ideal garnish. To check out this seasonal salad recipe, keep reading.

Healthy Gourmet Beet Carpaccio Flatbread

FitSugar — Wed, 19 May 2010 04:30:05 PDT

I love beets and I love walnuts, but the healthy nuts don't seem to need much of a hard sell. Beets, on the other hand, are shunned by many, and unrightfully so in my opinion. This recipe by former Google chef Charlie Ayers is a great way to work beets into a meal for folks that have no love for the red tuber. At a recent event celebrating the health benefits of the California walnut, I overheard many guests exclaim that they never liked beets until eating this very dish. When I say "Try it, you'll like it," I really mean it.

This flatbread recipe is like a Mediterranean pizza with no tomato sauce. Serving the arugula on top of the cooked dough layered with beets and cheese is another creative way to work greens onto your plate. The dish feels fancy.

To check out the recipe, keep on reading.

Inventive Bribes: Mamas Come Clean and Confess!

LilSugar — Thu, 06 May 2010 15:00:46 PDT

My son can find a security camera in any public location from shops to restaurants to stoplights in a matter of minutes. Until he pointed them out, I never realized that Big Brother really is everywhere. I take my three kids out by myself fairly often, and since my middle guy is a bit of a wild card, I use the cameras to my advantage. When he inquires about what they are watching, I tell him his behavior. We went to a formal dinner event that lasted about two and a half hours last weekend, and he sat at the table eating and talking the entire time. Every so often, he'd entertain hopping out of his chair and then look up at the camera, smile, and stay put. The tactic works rather well, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time before he figures things out and calls my bluff. FitSugar told me she's got a trick to getting her daughter to eat her veggies. She recently tweeted:

Should I be ashamed for taking advantage of my daughter's girly stage by convincing her to eat beets since they make her pee pink?

As it turns out, letting her little girl borrow one of mommy's shirts to wear to bed if she bathes also works! Some women grab their wallet or promise candy to get their lil ones to do what they want, but kids are getting smarter - have you become more inventive?