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Yummy Links: From Sugar Cookies to Food Charities

partysugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:45:59 -0800

Tips for making the best sugar cookies. - Serious Eats
Fashion designers and models share their holiday recipes. - Style
How to roast and peel beets. - The Kitchn
A big top theme is perfect for a baby shower. - Hostess with the Mostess
The cheese clock makes pairing cheese with wine or beer easy. - The Epi-Log
This holiday give back: Here are 10 food charities to contribute to. - Chow

Food Porn for Sale

YumSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:58:31 -0800

If the thought of Tom Colicchio's "Braised Monkfish with Pork Belly, Leeks and Cabbage" gets you all hot and steamy - and no "braised monkfish" is not a euphemism for anything - then you may be interested in this online auction. The show is called "Photography for Philanthropy" and it features photographs of food from star chefs such as Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Daniel Boulud, Jean Georges Vongerichten, and Lidia Bastianich. They've all worked with famed photographer Diana DeLucia, who has captured their masterpieces with her lens.

If you'd like to have one these bow-chicka-bow-wow food photos on your wall, all you have to do is bid. The minimum bid is $250, or you could it buy it immediately for $950. Oh and the best part is that the proceeds are going to City Harvest.

Mission Street Food: Transforming San Francisco's Food Scene

YumSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:50:35 -0700

While it's true that most restaurants have been hit hard by the economy, at least one eatery is flourishing. Meet Mission Street Food, an unusual dining concept that's taken flight in San Francisco's Mission district. Two nights a week, Anthony Myint, a former line cook at a well-known restaurant in town, sublets space from a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant, invites a guest chef to cook, and serves up creative, experimental dishes sourced from well-known farms in the area. Without the overhead costs of a fine dining establishment, Mission Street Food is able to donate a portion of profits to food charities like Meals on Wheels or C.H.E.F.S. The concept also gives Myint and his fellow colleagues a chance to experiment with new dishes. Keep reading to scope out the Mission Street Food scene.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Aug. 20-26, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:00:27 -0700

In the mood to soak up some live entertainment with your food? Whether you like magic with your potatoes or country music with your corn, this week's food festivals are for you. There are a number of charity events, so if you're in a generous mood consider helping those who are less fortunate. Here's a roundup of exciting events going on around the country. Feel free to chime in if we've left anything out!

Vail, CO: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Vail - Aug. 21
Winterville, NC: Winterville Watermelon Festival - Aug. 21-23
Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Wine Festival - Aug. 22-23
Barnesville, MN: Potato Days - Aug. 22-23

To see the rest, read more.

DeKalb, IL: Corn Fest - Aug. 22-24
Chantilly, VA: Virginia Wine Showcase - Aug. 22-24
Cortez, CO: Mesa Verde Country Food, Wine & Art Festival - Aug. 22-24
Los Angeles, CA: Taste of Eagle Rock benefiting GLAD - Aug. 23
Bodega, CA: Bodega Seafood, Art & Wine Festival - Aug. 23-24
Webster, MN: Webster Harvest Days - Aug. 23-24
Napa, CA: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Napa - Aug. 25

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Can You Guess the Chef About Town?

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:50:48 -0800

As it turns out, November isn't just about Thanksgiving - it's also about tons of charity events and celebrity chef appearances! We've spotted so many kitchen stars out and about this week that I thought it'd be fun to quiz you on which of America's biggest food personalities have been popping up around town. Are you ready to play? Let's begin.

Question 1 of 8

Which chef stayed busy plating courses at a fancy Atlantic City dinner?

KFC Closing Stores For a Good Cause

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:36 -0700

Is KFC trying to make amends for the Double Down, its infamous sandwich made with chicken patties instead of bread? The chicken chain is taking a break from inventing indulgent new foods to fight hunger, starting next Tuesday. Over the next few weeks, KFC will temporarily close more than 15,000 locations during the lunch rush and convert them into "World Hunger Relief Kitchens."

The kitchens will serve free grilled chicken meals to needy families while also raising awareness with charitable food drives and car washes at the shuttered stores. Fighting hunger is a pet cause of parent company Yum Brands, which launched a World Hunger Relief fund in 2007. Though there is some irony to KFC giving away free grilled chicken while it's being sued for grilled chicken, I can definitely get behind this good cause.

What do you think about the store closings: publicity stunt or sincere do-gooding?

KFC Hopes to Sweeten the Pothole

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:32:12 -0700

Could potholes be the new billboards? Kentucky Fried Chicken is hoping so with a new marketing and urban renewal program. Last week, as part of the chicken chain's "Fresh Tastes Best" campaign, KFC filled potholes as a private sponsor in Louisville, KY - spray-painting each repair with a stenciled memo: "Re-Freshed by KFC."

The fast food company, which estimates that there are more than 350 million potholes nationwide, wants four more cities to be a part of the campaign and has sent letters to various mayors, offering to patch potholes gratis.

KFC would not comment on how much it will cost the company to fill potholes in five cities. From Starbucks giving free coffee for community service to Kellogg's donating its Michael Phelps cereal boxes to a food bank, companies seem to be focused on marketing their brands next to a good cause.

I'm on the fence about this new campaign. Sure, it couldn't come at a better time for budget-strapped cities that desperately need repair. But on the other hand, I see it as yet another visual space being exploited for marketing purposes. Plus, there are other logistical matters that need to be accounted for - such as what materials are being used, how long KFC would be accountable for the potholes they've fixed, and, of course, the issue of those hideous spray-painted logos. What do you think of the campaign? Are potholes a great cause for KFC to get behind, or is it corporate sponsorship at its worst?

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Kellogg's Donates Michael Phelps Cereal Boxes to Food Bank

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:00:22 -0700

Unwanted publicity from former spokesperson Michael Phelps has forced cereal giant Kellogg's to think outside the box.

Last August, Kellogg's debuted its limited-edition Corn Flakes cereal boxes with the gold medalist on the cover. But when a photo of the Olympian smoking marijuana out of a bong surfaced, Phelps - and, some say, in turn, Kellogg's - were swimming in controversy. Ultimately, the cereal maker decided not to renew a contract with Phelps. One question remained, however. What would be done with all the cereal boxes graced by the champion?

As it should happen, one company's trash is another organization's treasure: Roughly 3,800 pounds of the the boxes were donated to the San Francisco Food Bank two weeks ago.

With the economy in shambles and more people in need than ever, the Food Bank was all too happy to take the boxes off the company's hands. As for cereal, says San Francisco Food Bank executive director Paul Ash: "It's become very hard to get ahold of."

Now that the boxes are no longer on supermarket shelves, they'll probably be collector's items - ones that can only be found at the food bank. Even if I do think the so-called scandal was blown out of proportion, I'm happy to hear that the leftover cereal will further a good cause. Are you surprised to hear of the outcome?

Source

Guess the Chef About Town!

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:50:26 -0700

With Fashion Week, awards shows, and charity dinners, September's turned out to be a month full of star-studded events. Some of our favorite celebrity chefs and food personalities have been out and about, painting the town red for an assortment of these shindigs. Who's been busy doing what? Play our guess who quiz to find out!

Question 1 of 10

Guess which TV chef showed up to check out Ralph Rucci's latest collection?

Top Chef Masters: Episode 4

partysugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:01:39 -0700

After a week hiatus, Top Chef Masters was back last night with Douglas Rodriguez, John Besh, Anita Lo, and Mark Peel competing for their respective charities. Eggs, magic, Tom Colicchio, and Doogie Howser played supporting roles. Did you watch? Want to discuss the episode? Keep reading.