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Noteworthy Nibbles - Apr. 21-28, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:24 -0700

If you thought last week was jam-packed with food events, then get excited for this week, as the festivals just get better. If I could teleport myself around the world, there's no question I'd hit up the nation's celebrations, from pickles to pie to asparagus to spam.

We will, however, be supporting the cause to end childhood hunger at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation series (if you're signed up to go to the San Francisco event, perhaps we'll see you there!). If you know of any other events we've left off the list, chime in below!

Dallas, TX: Dallas Wine & Food Festival - Apr. 22-26
Beaufort, NC: Beaufort Wine & Food weekend - Apr. 22-26
Sugarland, TX: The Grand Wine & Food Affair - Apr. 22-26
San Francisco, CA: Taste of the Nation San Francisco - Apr. 23
New Haven, CT: Taste of the Nation New Haven - Apr. 23
Wilmington, DE: Taste of the Nation Wilmington - Apr. 23
Mount Olive, NC: North Carolina Pickle Festival - Apr. 24-25
Stockton, CA: Asparagus Festival - Apr. 24-26
Pompano Beach, FL: Pompano Beach Seafood Festival - Apr. 24-26
Waikiki, HI: Waikiki Spam Jam - Apr. 25
La Crosse, WI: Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine & Cheese Festival - Apr. 25
Celebration, FL: Great American Pie Festival - Apr. 25

To see the rest, read more.

San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Beer Festival - Apr. 25
Vidalia, GA: Vidalia Onion Festival - Apr. 25-26
Maui, HI: Taro Festival - Apr. 25-26
Branson, MO: Missouri Wine Fest - Apr. 25-26
South Pittsburg, TN: National Cornbread Festival - Apr. 25-26
Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Wine Festival - Apr. 25-30
Toledo, OH: Taste of the Nation Toledo - Apr. 26
Portland, OR: Taste of the Nation Portland - Apr. 27
Worcester, MA: Taste of the Nation Worcester - Apr. 27

Source

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Oct. 15, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:30:19 -0700

A panel of wine experts puts $12 and under wine to the test. - Boston Globe
Try one of these taste-tested cornbread mixes to go with your chili. - San Francisco Chronicle
What kitchen essentials are worth investing in, and which ones you should pass up. - Los Angeles Times
Time-strapped? Here are some tips for conjuring up homemade soup flavor. - Chicago Tribune
Lots of doors open for producers who sell to the exclusive French Laundry. - Washington Post
Famed rancher Bill Niman is back with a new venture: raising goats. - New York Times
If you've got 15 minutes, then you've got time to throw together Jamaican chicken. - StarTribune

Source

Noteworthy Nibbles - April 24-30, 2008

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:11:11 -0700

Spring is food festival season, and there's no shortage of events to attend this weekend. From California to Florida and everything in between, there's an event for everyone. If something is missing from this list, let us all know about it in the comments below!

Beaufort, NC: Beaufort Wine & Food Weekend - April 23-27
Dallas, TX: Dallas Wine & Food Festival - April 23-27
Russellville, AR: Taste of the Valley - April 24
Vidalia, GA: Vidalia Onion Festival - April 24-27
Sarasota, FL: Florida Winefest and Auction - April 24-27
St. Michaels, MD: St. Michaels Food & Wine Festival - April 24-27
Mount Olive, NC: North Carolina Pickle Festival - April 25-26
Mesquite, TX: Real Texas Festival - April 25-27
Astoria, OR: Astoria Warrenton Crab & Seafood Festival - April 25-27

Pompano Beach, FL: Pompano Beach Seafood Festival - April 25-27
St. Albans, VT: Vermont Maple Festival - April 25-27
Stockton, CA: Stockton Asparagus Festival - April 25-27
New Orleans, LA: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - April 25-27, May 1-4
Greensboro, NC: Taste Carolina - April 26
San Francisco, CA: SF International Beer Festival - April 26
Petaluma, CA: Butter and Egg Days - April 26-27
Mansfield, IN: Mushroom Festival and Car Show - April 26-27
Reston, VA: Uncork the Fun - April 26-27
Lambertville, NJ: Shad Fest 2008 - April 26-27
Hana, HI: East Maui Taro Festival - April 26-27
Hunter, NY: Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival - April 26-27
South Pittsburg, TN: National Cornbread Festival - April 26-27

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken with Cornmeal Dumplings

partysugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 06:13:33 -0700

If you're a fan of comforting chicken dishes, make this meal tonight. Chicken pot pie meets chicken and dumplings in this scrumptious recipe. With the help of packaged cornbread twists, the dish comes together simply and quickly. The recipe calls for two cups of frozen vegetables, but fresh asparagus, carrots, and onions would be equally delicious. To check out the recipe, read more.

Chicken with Cornmeal Dumplings
From Better Homes and Garden magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground sage
12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 11.5-oz. pkg. refrigerated cornbread twists
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In resealable bag combine flour, sage, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.
Cut chicken in bite-size pieces. Add to bag; coat.
In skillet over medium-high heat stir and brown chicken in hot oil for 2 minutes.
In colander, run cold water over vegetables. Add vegetables along with broth and milk to chicken. Bring to boiling; stir.
Divide chicken-vegetable mixture among four small baking dishes.
Separate corn bread strips; place four strips over chicken-vegetable mixture in each dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake 9 to 10 minutes.

Serves 4.

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Reader Recipe: Broccoli Cornbread

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:11:18 -0800

I was going through the Kitchen Goddess group when I came across this post from TeamSugar member MotoLinz. In it she shares a family recipe for a Broccoli Cornbread. She suggests accompanying it with everything from tamales to chili, but admits that some folks think of it as a meal in itself. If you're curious about the recipe, just read more.

Broccoli Cornbread
Recipe submitted by TeamSugar member MotoLinz

My SILNIL has made this a few times, and I finally remembered to copy the recipe this afternoon. It is delicious and almost cake-like. I could eat half the pan, and a few others agreed it could be a meal in itself. Plus, it's really easy to make.

2 sticks of butter, melted
2 10 oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 small white onion, chopped
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin mix
2 teaspoons salt

- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding the broccoli last.
- Pour into greased baking dish (my SILNIL uses about a 7 x 11).
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
- During last few minutes, sprinkle top with a little extra shredded cheddar.

Yummy.

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Cornbread Dressing Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:28:33 -0800

Dressings and stuffings made with cornbread have become increasingly popular for Thanksgiving. Last year I jumped on the bandwagon and created my own version of cornbread dressing. I was worried because the cornbread alone was beyond bland and horribly dry. However, when mixed with vegetables and herbs and soaked with chicken broth, the dressing ended up being fantastically delicious and surprisingly moist. I recommend you experiment with cornbread dressing - if you haven't already - and have found two recipes to help you do so. One is easy and one is a little more difficult, so take a look at both and decide which one best suits your skills as a cook. To take a look please read more

Beginner Cornbread Dressing
From Sandra Lee

1 large egg
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound store bought cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup frozen diced onions, thawed
2 tablespoons Italian herb marinade mix (recommended: Durkee Grill Creations)
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (14.75-ounce) can cream style sweet corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl beat 1 egg with the chicken broth.
In a large bowl combine remaining ingredients and egg mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
Bake for 1 hour.

Serves 12.

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Expert Cornbread Dressing
From Gourmet magazine

For cornbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
For stuffing
1 1/2 loaves Corn Bread
2 cups pecans
7 leeks (about 1 pound; white and pale green parts only)
3 celery ribs
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage (about 3 links)
2 cups fresh or unthawed frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
2 cups chicken broth

Make cornbread: Preheat oven to 400° F. and butter two 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pans.
Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk in cornmeal and sugar until combined well.
In a bowl whisk together milk and eggs until just combined.
Add butter to flour mixture and with an electric mixer beat until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in egg mixture until just combined (batter will be thin).
Pour batter into pans and bake in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool corn bread in pans on a rack 10 minutes and turn out onto rack to cool completely. Corn bread may be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in a cool, dry place 2 days or frozen 2 weeks.
Prepare stuffing: preheat oven to 325° F.
Cut corn bread into 1/2-inch cubes and in 2 large shallow baking pans bake in middle of oven until just dry, about 20 minutes.
Transfer corn bread from 1 pan to a large bowl and in pan toast pecans in oven until insides are golden, 10 to 20 minutes.
Halve leeks lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a bowl of cold water wash leeks well and lift from water into a sieve to drain.
Chop celery.
In a 12-inch skillet cook leeks and celery in butter with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until leeks are tender, about 25 minutes.
Remove sausage from casings and break into small pieces. Add sausage to leek mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until sausage is cooked through.
In a small heavy saucepan cook cranberries with sugar over moderately high heat, stirring, 5 minutes, or until some begin to burst. Chop parsley.
To bowl of corn bread add remaining corn bread cubes, pecans, sausage mixture, cranberries, parsley, broth, and salt and pepper to taste and toss together. Cool stuffing completely. Stuffing may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.
For cooking stuffing inside poultry: any frozen poultry destined for stuffing should be completely thawed, and the stuffing itself brought to room temperature before it's put into the turkey. Do not stuff your bird the night before you cook it; such a seeming time-saver can have dangerous results. Instead, it is best to loosely fill the bird's neck and body cavities immediately before roasting. And always use a meat or instant-read thermometer: The meat is done when the temperature of the thickest part of the thigh (be careful not to touch the bones) reaches 180°F.; the stuffing baked inside the bird is done at 160°-165°F. After roasting, let your stuffed poultry stand 15 to 20 minutes, a double assurance that the requisite temperatures for food safety have been reached.
For cooking all or part of stuffing outside poultry: in a shallow baking dish bake stuffing in preheated 325° F. oven 1 hour (for moist stuffing, bake covered entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time).

Makes 12 cups.

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Southern Side: Cornbread

partysugar — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:58:41 -0700

Last week, when my older brother was in town, he requested ribs and cornbread for dinner. I had to work late so the entire dinner was left to my dad to prepare. My dad does a great job, but in my opinion, he takes a little too much help from the store, and didn't make the cornbread. Now, I'm curious to test out cornbread recipes, so I've decided to make some as a side dish for Easter dinner tomorrow. An excellent all-American, quintessentially Southern side dish, cornbread (or cornbread muffins) pairs wonderfully with ham, chili, and fried chicken. To add the recipe to your collection please read more

Cornbread
From Very Best Baking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal (suggested brand: Albers)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bow.
Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 12.

For Muffins: Spoon batter into 18 to 20 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Breaded Pork With Cabbage and Kale

partysugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:45:45 -0800

This delicious, effortless meal is made with a surprise ingredient: cornbread stuffing mix. Pounded slices of pork are coated with the crunchy, flavorful mix before being pan-fried in oil.

Sautéed kale and red cabbage is a colorful, healthy side. Balsamic vinegar adds a tangy punch to the wilted veggies.

To make this tonight, read more.

Breaded Pork With Cabbage and Kale
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1-1/4 lb. center cut pork loin, cut in 4 slices
2 cups corn bread stuffing mix, crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups sliced red cabbage
6 cups coarsely chopped kale
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
Place pork slices between plastic wrap. Use flat side of meat mallet to lightly pound slices to 1/4-inch thickness. Place stuffing mix in shallow dish; coat pork with stuffing mix.
In extra-large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook two of the pork slices for 2 to 3 minutes each side, until crisp, golden, and cooked through. Transfer to baking sheet; keep warm in oven.
Repeat with remaining oil and pork.
Wipe skillet. Add cabbage. Cook and stir until cabbage is crisp-tender.
Add kale and vinegar; cook just until wilted. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with pork.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Bold Flavorful Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:50:48 -0800

Are you sick of the same old, boring Thanksgiving recipes? Then this year, why not shake things up and serve a menu that is bold, flavorful, and eye-catching? Start with fried polenta bites with spicy chorizo. The focal point is a vibrantly colored turkey coated in adobo and red-chile gravy. On the side: cornbread stuffing, chile scalloped sweet potatoes, cranberry citrus compote, and olive oil mashed potatoes with manchego cheese.

While the traditional elements are there, each of these recipes has a slight twist making them oh-so-modern. Use all to host a memorable meal or incorporate one or two into your menu. The recipes, after the jump.

Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Carving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 07:50:19 -0700

From 2003 to 2006, every October I hosted an annual pumpkin carving party. In 2007, I threw a huge Halloween bash, and last year, I didn't do anything!

Now, I've decided it's time to bring back my beloved pumpkin carving dinner. I supply the pumpkins and a hearty Fall dinner and ask everyone to bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer. Since the party is all about creating interesting pumpkin designs, I like to serve a menu that guests can enjoy at their leisure.

For starters, I'll offer an orange and black cheese ball and spicy sausages wrapped in pizza dough.

A huge pot of vegetarian chili will bubble on the stove, and in between carving pumpkins, guests can grab a bowl and top it with an assortment of items like cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. A side of jalapeño cornbread muffins are ideal for dipping. To look at these recipes, read more.

Cheddar Cheese Ball
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds extra-sharp cheddar, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/3 cup poppy seeds

Directions

Process all ingredients except poppy seeds in a food processor until smooth.
Transfer to a large bowl lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Unmold onto a plate. Press poppy seeds evenly over surface, rounding top. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.

Serves 12 to 15.

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Spicy Sausage in Carrozza
From Michael Chiarello

Ingredients

6 spicy Italian sausages
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing
15 whole garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 (4-ounce) pieces pizza dough, store bought

Directions

In a saucepan add 1/2-inch water to the pan. Immerse sausages in water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove sausage and dry the pan.
Return to the heat and add the olive oil on medium heat. When hot return the sausage to the pan with garlic cloves and saute until medium brown all over.
Remove garlic to a bowl. Remove sausage to a plate to cool.
Use a fork to mash the garlic with salt and pepper. Stir in mustard and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut each piece of dough into 2 and roll out until 1/4-inch thick. Cut 6 pieces of dough about 3 inches wide and 1/2-inch shorter than the length of sausage, just enough to wrap around sausage with the ends peeking out.
Spread bottom of each dough with a tablespoon of garlic/mustard paste. Set sausage on top, moisten 1 dough edge with a wet finger so it sticks together and roll. Press the seam firmly and set them on a lightly floured sheet pan, seam side down.
Brush with olive oil. Bake until brown all around.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4-inch long pieces and serve.

Serves 6.

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Spicy Vegetarian Chili
From Whole Foods

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped chipotles in adobo 1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their liquid
3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until vegetables are softened but not browned.
Add chipotles, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt. Stir to blend. Add tomatoes and 4 cups water. Gently simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
Add beans and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish individual bowls with green onions or sour cream, if desired.

Serves 6-8.

Nutrition Per serving (about 17oz/495g-wt.): 230 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1200mg sodium, 37g total carbohydrate (13g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 11g protein.

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Jalapeño Corn Muffins
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

One 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix
1/2 cup milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 ears)
4 ounces jalapeño jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, prepare the mix according to the package directions, using the milk in place of water. Stir in the corn, cheese and basil; season with salt and pepper.
Grease a muffin pan and fill each cup with batter. Bake until lightly golden, 30 minutes; let cool.

Serves 6.

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