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Yum's November Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:38:25 -0800

There are only 24 days until the biggest food holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. Here are five items that will make your month fuss-free and delicious.

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Off to Market Recap: Dutch Oven

partysugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:41:17 -0700

With the cold weather narrowing in, I'm starting to crave comforting, slow cooked soups, stews, and sauces. In order to make delicious dishes, I've decided to invest in a new Dutch oven - a large pot with a tight fitting lid - that I can use for the rest of my life. No steam escapes when it's closed, making it the ideal cooking vessel for braising and stewing.

I asked you to help by searching for beautiful Dutch ovens that are durable, long lasting and in colors or designs. You bookmarked the pots in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Dutch Oven.

Following some of your recommendations, I'm planning on investing in a set of Le Creuset Dutch ovens. They're expensive but suit all heat sources, are dishwasher safe, and come with a lifetime guarantee. Twinkle found these ovens in a gorgeous Caribbean blue color that I won't get sick of over time. Nice one Twink! Take a look at all of the ovens bookmarked by browsing below.

For more info, read geeksugar's guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar.

Off To Market: Dutch Oven

partysugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:13:59 -0700

With the cold weather narrowing in on us, I can't help but crave comforting, slow cooked soups, stews, and sauces. In order to make the most delicious dishes, I've decided to invest in a new Dutch oven that will last the rest of my life. A Dutch oven is a large pot with a tight fitting lid. No steam escapes when closed, making it the ideal cooking vessel for braising and stewing. Let's head off to market in search of a beautiful Dutch oven. Look for durable, long lasting pots in fun colors or designs. Bookmark your finds in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the tag Dutch Oven. Happy hunting!

To better understand how to use this fun feature, read geeksugar's guide to bookmarking on TeamSugar.

To get you started, browse a list of my favorite online stores, read more

Bed Bath & Beyond
CB2
Cooking.com
Crate & Barrel
Ikea
Linens and Things
NapaStyle
Pier 1
Plum Party
Pottery Barn
Sur La Table
Target
Restoration Hardware
Williams Sonoma
Wishing Fish
World Market

'Wich of the Week: The Ex-Boyfriend at Ike's Place

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:41 -0700

I love Ike's Place so much that I could start a 'Wich of the Week spinoff devoted solely to sandwiches from Ike's. I was hesitant to write about my new favorite sandwich place in San Francisco, since the lines are long enough already. But keeping the enormous, palate-entertaining creations to myself wouldn't be in the spirit of sandwich love.

Opened a year ago, Ike's is a tiny storefront in the Castro neighborhood, barely big enough to accommodate its sizable staff - making sandwiches this well is no easy task - and massive menu of 50-plus sandwiches with playful names like Nacho Boy (hot roast beef, mushrooms, avocado, and swiss) and the Paul Reubens (a take on the Reuben with poppy-seed coleslaw). Priced between $7 and $9, these are some of the largest sandwiches I've ever eaten; if I have one for lunch, I'm hardly hungry for dinner. But that's not even a taste of why I like Ike's. To count the ways, read more.

I have sampled several sandwiches from Ike's, all of which come with lettuce, tomato, and onions. My favorite so far is We're Just Friends, which features shredded chicken cooked in a sweet orange glaze, contrasted with avocado and pepperjack. On my most recent trip, I tried the similar but not quite as transcendent That's Too Bad (above), with chicken, spicy lime fajita sauce, mushrooms, and pepperjack, as well as today's featured sandwich, the Ex-Boyfriend, with salami, bacon, avocado, and cheddar. I've whipped up a recipe below, but first, here's are five reasons that Ike's is awesome.

The rolls - your choice of French, sourdough, wheat, or Dutch crunch - aren't baked until you order your sandwich, so they are fresh beyond belief.
Before baking, the rolls are spread with "dirty sauce," a homemade garlic and herb aioli. It's very subtle but adds a perfect little kick.
The ingredients are first-rate. The shredded chicken is so moist, I could eat a plate of it, and the avocados are always perfectly ripe.
The French fries are to die for. They're medium-cut but with a crust like curly fries that tastes vaguely of chipotle.
The staff is super nice. Clearly they care a lot about sandwiches, so they are happy to help you make a decision about which of the sandwiches suits you best.

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For a sandwich lover like myself, Ike's is something of an obsession. But I'll try to refrain from letting it take over 'Wich of the Week. I haven't quite figured out how Ike's makes its sammies (for instance, does it put them back in the oven after assembling them?) but here's an approximation of the Ex-Boyfriend to try at home.

Salami and Bacon on Dutch Crunch
Inspired by Ike's Place

Ingredients

1 Dutch crunch or French roll
2 tablespoons of garlic aioli
2-3 slices of cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced red onion, to taste
1/4 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/2 avocado, sliced
3 slices of tomato, thinly sliced
8 slices of high-quality salami
6 strips of bacon, cooked

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice Dutch crunch or French roll in half horizontally, and coat the inside of the roll on both sides with garlic aioli.
Lay sliced cheddar on bottom half, and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Remove from oven. On top of the cheese, arrange onions, lettuce, avocado, tomato, salami, and bacon.
Place the top half of the roll onto the stack of ingredients, cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes one sandwich.

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Wedding Registry 101: Cookware

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 05:57:31 -0700

To round out our wedding registry tips, I thought I'd cover my favorite category, cookware & bakeware. To begin, look at both of your current pots/pans and see if there are any worth keeping, or any sets you have already started. Also look to see what kind of pans you have, are there any you love and want more of? Or maybe you splurged on a fancy brand only to learn you hated the way they heated. Also think about your cooking style. If you're more health conscious, you may want to consider non-stick so that you can use less oil. If you're an aspiring chef, go for hard anodized stainless or copper for superior heat conductivity. To learn what you should look for when selecting pots, pans and bakeware, as well as a pretty full list of things you might want to register for, read more

Be sure to select materials and styles that reflect your cooking style.
Consider registering for a few different types of pans. Stainless steel requires the least maintenance and can go in the dishwasher, and sometimes you really don't feel like washing the pans by hand.
Copper pans are the best heat conductors, yet cool quickly allowing for maximum heat control. They are also oven safe, however you will have to hand wash them and occasionally polish them too.
Stainless Steel pans have a clean look, and are easy to take care of. They're also oven and dishwasher safe (bonus!).
Enameled Cast Iron pans heat slowly, but distribute heat effectively. The ones with porcelain-enamel insides are stick-resistant and the ones with the porcelain-enamel outsides are quite durable and cute. Plus, the enameled ones are dishwasher and oven safe.
If you don't like baking, then there's probably no need for specialty pans such as springform or popover. You may decide to register for more dinnerware or appliances instead.
Consider registering for pan sets as well as individual pieces. This way you'll break apart the range of prices your guests can choose from.
Cookware should feel good and sturdy in your hands. Also note the weight. If you find the pot too heavy to carry while empty, imagine it full of food.
Be sure to include at least 2 round cake pans and a square or rectangular cake pan. Also most muffin/cupcake recipes yield 24, so you may consider adding two to your registry.
For a fully stocked kitchen, you'll want to consider some of the following:
Cookware:
- Sauce Pans
- Sauté Pans
- Stock Pots
- Frying Pans
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Double Burner Griddle
- Casserole Dishes
- Wok
- Grill Pan
- Braiser
- Roasting Pan
- Paella Pan
- Fish Poacher
- Asparagus Pot
- Double Boiler
- Fondue Pot
- Steamer
- Pressure Cooker
- Tea Kettle
- Dutch Oven

Bakeware:
- Pizza Pans
- Muffin Pans
- Cookie Sheets
- Cake Pans (Round, Square, Rectangular)
- Pie Pans
- Tart Pans
- Loaf Pans
- Bundt Pans
- Popover Pans
- Ramekins
- Rolling Pins
- Springform Pans
- SilPat
- Pizza Stone
- Flour Sifter

- Mixing Bowls
- Cookbook Holder
- Measuring Cups

Shown: Sur La Table Professional HD Hard-Anodized Nonstick 8-Piece Cookware Set

'Wich of the Week: Ham and Swiss on Dutch Crunch

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:15:09 -0700

San Francisco's Roxie Food Center is an unassuming corner store, located on an unlikely residential block, that's rumored to have remarkable sandwiches. I've been meaning to try it for months, so a few weeks ago I made a special trip just to get my jaws around one these sammies.

Though the store has all the usual varieties of bread and cold cuts, I'd heard great things about the Dutch crunch rolls, which are topped with a sugary, salty crust. The mere thought of the salty-sweet bread combined with jalapeños and pickles made my mouth water, so I ordered a ham and swiss sandwich, dressed with everything and warmed in the oven. For the rest of my Roxie sandwich adventure, read more.

My friend got the Simon Special, with pastrami, turkey, and cheddar (see above), and we took our enormous paper-wrapped meals to a nearby park. (There's just something extra tasty about a sandwich wrapped in paper, isn't there?) The rolls were so decadent, it was almost like eating a pastry, but the sweet, crunchy roll melded perfectly with the massive stack of ingredients.

In fact, these sandwiches were so packed with different flavors and textures - shredded iceberg lettuce, pickles, jalapeños, tomatoes, and onions - that it was impossible to distinguish one taste from the other. Just like a great sandwich should, the Roxie transformed a bunch of disparate flavors into one novel (and delicious) taste.

If you're ever in SF, I highly recommend this hidden convenience store gem. But even if you're not, this is a relatively simple sandwich; re-creating it is all about getting the right ratio of ingredients. I've tried my best to replicate the recipe below, so if you try it, let me know what you think.

Ham and Swiss on Dutch Crunch
Inspired by the Roxie Food Center

Ingredients

1 Dutch crunch roll
4 slices of cold-cut ham
3 slices of tomato
4-6 jalapeño pepper slices (canned, not fresh)
4-6 dill pickle sandwich slices
1/4 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/8 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2-3 slices of swiss cheese
Yellow mustard and mayonnaise, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice Dutch crunch roll in half horizontally, and coat the inside of the roll on both sides with yellow mustard and mayo.
On the bottom of the roll, arrange the cold-cut ham, and top with tomato, jalapeno, and pickles.
On top of that layer, place the shredded lettuce, followed by the onion slices.
Top all ingredients with the sliced swiss cheese, and place the top half of the roll down onto the stack of fixings.
Place the entire sandwich in the oven for 5 minutes, or until roll is crisped and cheese is just melted. Remove from heat, cut in half, and serve immediately.

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Yum Market Finds: Ready For Fall

partysugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:47:33 -0700

Are you ready for fall's arrival? As much as I hate to see summer go, there comes a time when one must prepare their kitchen for fall. So put away the ice cream maker and sangria pitchers, and make room for the dutch oven and teapot. Today I checked out the Yum Market on TeamSugar to see if you had any ideas for an easy summer to fall transition. Start by dusting off your favorite mugs and cleaning out your oversized thermoses. At the grocery store get the fixings for a whole wheat apple pie and stock up on your favorite, warming tea. Pumpkin butter tastes delicious on breakfast toast and afternoon snack crackers. Splurge on individual French onion soup bowls that can double as creme brulee pots. Lastly, fill your house with fall's fresh fragrance in the form of a bay leaf wreath. laura1867 bookmarked this gorgeous piece that can be placed on your front door, in your walkway, or above your cabinets.

For the details on how to save your fall must haves in TeamSugar please read geeksugar's helpful guide.