YumSugar

The Ultimate Kitchen: Baking Sheet

YumSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:13:29 -0800

Every kitchen needs a baking sheet (aka jellyroll pan). Not only are they great for baking cookies and pizza, but you can put it under a roast to catch drippings.

So you're probably saying to yourself, okay but what's the big deal, a piece of metal is a piece of metal, right? Wrong. Think about it, have you ever put a sheet of cookies inside the oven only to hear this weird "thwoang" noise? That, my friends, is the sound of your thin baking sheet warping (also, thin baking sheets may cause the bottom of baked goods to burn or heat unevenly). To avoid this, you'll want to invest in a couple good quality, heavy, durable, rimmed baking sheets. Oh, and make sure they'll fit in your oven, refrigerator and cabinets.

This professional-grade baking sheet from Chicago Metallic is heavier than most standard bakeware, distributes heat evenly and the aluminum-coated steel won't rust or warp. The rimmed edge is deep enough for baking cookie bars, and perfect for catching any drippings. One for $17 or two for $30.

If your kitchen is a tiny one, you might consider a quarter sheet pan instead. It has a light-colored matte finish that promotes even heat absorption and is half the size of a standard home baking sheet (perfect for those small kitchens). One quarter sheet will cost you $11.95.

Two more, so read more

If you're not using parchment paper or silpats, then you might really enjoy the the Cuisinart Nonstick Baking Sheet. Constructed out of heavy gauge aluminized steel, it heats evenly for consistent baking results and the nonstick coating ensures easy food release and cleanup. One sheet costs $17.95.

Another option is an insulated baking sheet. Although it has some downsides (they don't have rims and it doesn't always produce the correct degree of crispiness), some people really enjoy it. The central air chamber insulates food from excessive heat which means there's less chance of burning. However you'll have to be sure to monitor because things take longer to bake. Starting at $14.95.

Foie Gras May Be Humanely Produced After All

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:50:46 -0800

When it comes to culinary controversy, there are few things more divisive than the fatty duck liver known as foie gras. The reason? The allegedly inhumane "gavage," or force-feeding process, which involves placing a metal tube down a duck's throat to deliver large amounts of food. In fact, the 5,000-year-old French delicacy has had such a bad reputation that it was once banned in Chicago, and will be banned in California by 2012.But in a recent investigative piece, Village Voice contributor Sarah DiGregorio visits the nation's biggest foie gras farm, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and finds the process to be relatively inoffensive. She writes:

The sights could not have been more different from the horrifying images I'd seen on the Internet . . . the actual process with the tube didn't seem to bother them . . . Each waddled calmly away, looking unfazed: no breathing problems, no vomiting, and no trouble walking. Their feathers were fairly clean, and I didn't see any lesions on their feet or bodies . . . If I had seen with my own eyes that Hudson Valley produced foie gras by abusing ducks, this article would have turned out very differently. But that just wasn't the case.

I found myself relieved to read at least one perspective demonstrating that the production of foie gras was far less harmful than PETA and its opponents have portrayed it. Were you surprised by DiGregorio's investigation? What impact do you think this will have on the foie gras industry?

Source

Come Party With Me: Super Bowl Party - Decorations

partysugar — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 06:58:19 -0800

It's the week before the big game and I'm obsessing so much about the Super Bowl you'd think that I was a member of the Chicago Bear's non-existent cheerleading team. I am hosting a fantastic fiesta to watch the commercials. Oops, did I just say commercials? I meant to say football game. Even if I'm not a crazy die hard football fan (if you are - more power to you!) throwing a watching party will allow me to enjoy the show and when bored I'll busy myself by blending up another batch of margaritas. When planning an epic party of these proportions there are many factors to consider: the invitations should evoke the football-y feel, the menu chock full of stadium food, and the drinks pack an extra punch of game day goodness. Not to be forgotten are the decorations: just because the party revolves around a big screen television doesn't mean that you can't have a fabulous time decorating your house in bright blue and outrageous orange. To see how I'll change the decor of my house from everyday to game day, read more

Start with your screening room (aka whatever room has the largest television in your house) and make sure there is enough seating for all of your guests to sit comfortably. Add pillows, cushions, fold out chairs or chairs from other rooms of your house if you have to. The television is the focal point so make it so by clearing out the area around it for clutter free viewing. If you have a bear or colt stuffed animal place it on the sofa to act as team mascot. Set up a strand of cheap football lights around the windowsill or along the entryway into the room.

If you know that all of your friends will be decked out in their Chicago Bear wear-yourself included-make blue and orange the underlying tone of the decorations. Pick up a roll each of blue and orange streamers at the local party supply store. Be sure to check out the selection of Super Bowl related stuff because party stores always have a lot of fun theme supplies to make your bash especially memorable. Twist the streamers and arrange decoratively throughout the room and wrap around banisters. If your friends are a mix of Bears and Colts fans decorate one side of the room with blue and orange and the other half with blue and white. Have guests sit on their side of the "stadium."

Arrange appetizers and snacks on your coffee table or small tables around the space. Cover your kitchen table with a green table cloth to simulate a football field and adorn with a centerpiece made of mini footballs placed in a French fry basket. Put several chairs in your kitchen for the less enthusiastic football fans to converse and gather without taking the attention away from the game. Serve the food on colored paper plates to reduce clean-up and give it an authentic feel (if you were at a stadium you'd be using paper products!).

Since I will be serving margaritas on the rocks I'll purchase fun orange light up football ice cubes for guests to submerge in their drinks. I want my friends to be in the party mood from the moment of their arrival and will stick the ends of orange and blue metallic pom poms into the gravel surrounding the walkway up to my front door.

What's the look for your Super Bowl Party? Please share your winning decoration ideas with me below. Tomorrow I'll talk about game-day music!

Come Party With Me: Super Bowl Party - Music

partysugar — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 06:57:19 -0800

Are you ready for some football? I certainly am! I've been gearing up for the biggest sporting event of the year, the Super Bowl, all week. I am throwing a fabulous fiesta to watch the game and I've invited over a group of rowdy friends to chow down on some classic football food. The margaritas will be fuerte (tequila + beer + grand marnier) and the decor a huge helping of blue and orange (Go Bears!). Everything is prepped down to the last crunchy tortilla chip and shiny metallic pom pom, there is only one last thing to do before I begin the best part (the cooking!) and that is to figure out a pump-them-up playlist to listen to while the guests arrive. To see my selection of game day tunes, read more

I went a little crazy on this one and got back to my cheerleader roots with a collection of fanatical football songs.

We Will Rock You/We are the Champions, Queen
Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
Final Countdown, Europe
Jump Around, House of Pain
The Hey Song
Whoomp! (There It Is), Tag Team

Other ideas are the soundtrack to Rocky and BuzzSugar's very own super special Super Bowl playlist (OMG she includes the The Chicago Bears, "Super Bowl Shuffle"!). I plan on putting all of her songs and mine onto a playlist entitled Super Bowl Sunday on my iPod. When it's time to party, I'll hit the play and shuffle buttons and be good to go.

Did I forget one of your most inspiring songs? Tell me about it below. Hope you all have a fabulous Super Bowl, and go Bears!