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Killer App: Spicy Onion and Tomato Dip

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:22 -0700

This weekend, I'll be spending Labor Day at a friend's barbecue bash. She's already got the barbecue and its essential accoutrements entirely covered, so I've been racking my brain to come up with an appropriate contribution. I had no idea what that was going to be - until I had a lightbulb moment for the perfect pièce de résistance.Since I won't be spending the holiday with family, I figure I'll bring a bit of my family to the festivities. As a child, I hardly liked spicy food, but from the first time I watched my mother whip together this slightly cooling, slightly fiery cream dip, I was hooked. It's one part Southern, one part retro, and 10 parts addictive, whether served with Ruffles, saltines, or celery sticks. See the two-second recipe when you keep reading.

Chick-Fil-A Shows Spirit With Chicken Sandwich Giveaway

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:50:10 -0700

Yet another reason to love Labor Day? Free food. To commemorate its second annual Chick-fil-A Kickoff football game, which takes place Sept. 5, fast food chain Chick-fil-A is giving out free Original Chicken Sandwiches to any customer wearing sports-related apparel on Labor Day, Sept. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The promo, which takes place at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide, states that acceptable sports clothing includes any article or accessory with a sports team logo. Not a sports fan? There's still a way for you to score: Go to this spinoff website and sign up to receive a coupon for a free sandwich. If you're one of the first 250,000, you'll also land a coupon for a free Coke Zero.

I no longer live near a Chick-fil-A, but if I were nearby, I'd definitely be in for one of the chain's signature crispy chicken sandwiches. What about you?

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Know Your Labor Day Food Factoids?

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:50:27 -0700

Next Monday, Sept. 7, professionals everywhere will take advantage of Labor Day to play hooky, travel, and, of course, eat. Although the holiday originated out of labor disputes, the first Monday in September has become synonymous with many things - not the least of which is a national celebration of food. You may know exactly what you'll be snacking on next Monday, but what tasty tidbits do you know about the holiday weekend's food heritage? Click through our quiz to find out.

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Let's Dish: What's the Best Hamburger You've Ever Had?

YumSugar — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:00:47 -0700

I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger on Labor Day. OK, so that doesn't have a great ring to it, but the last barbecuing holiday of the year has me craving burgers. The recently released Hamburger America got me thinking about where to get the best hamburger in the country, so I thought I'd throw the question out to you.

Steering clear of fast-food and homemade burgers, tell me: What was the best hamburger you ever had? What made it so special and delicious? It doesn't have to be expensive, but maybe it had some unique twist, or maybe it's a place you go all the time. I personally love Rosamunde Sausage Grill, where the burgers are so good they only serve 'em once a week. Tell me all about your favorite below.

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Free Chicken Strips at Chick-fil-A on Labor Day

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:04:53 -0700

To promote the start of college football season and the inaugural Chick-fil-A College Kickoff game, Chick-fil-A is giving away its new and improved (that is, larger) Chick-n-Strips for free on Labor Day, Sept.1.

The catch? While you don't have to get decked out in a cow suit, the deal only stands for customers who show up wearing football team attire. Wear any football team logo and get one free order of Chick-n-Strips (three count) anytime from 10:30 a.m. to close at participating locations.

Have you tasted the chicken from this cult favorite? Will you be trying to score some free chicken strips?

Come Party With Me: End of Summer BBQ - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:21 -0700

Even though I graduated from college six years ago, I still get the end-of-Summer blues every August. There's only one remedy to this sickness: I turn my energy toward hosting a spectacular barbecue. If you experience the same low, consider throwing a barbecue this weekend or over Labor Day.

This menu consists of a smorgasbord of grilled foods starting with grilled jumbo shrimp doused in a thick shower of garlic-herb butter. For the main course, let guests assemble their own plates by choosing from an assortment of grilled meats (ribs, chicken, and sausages) and vegetables (onions and bell peppers). A strawberry, peach, and melon fruit salad gets a modern makeover thanks to a sweet yet spicy black pepper dressing. To serve these tasty items to your friends and family, get the recipes and read more.

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Garlic-Herb Butter
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped basil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
16 jumbo shrimp in the shell, preferably with heads left on
Salt and freshly ground pepper
White rum, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the butter with the parsley, basil, garlic and shallot and melt over low heat.
Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Halve the shrimp lengthwise, leaving them attached 1 inch below the head. Devein the shrimp and spread them open. Season with salt and pepper, then brush liberally with the herb butter.
Grill the shrimp over a medium-hot fire, shell side down, until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Turn and grill the other side until lightly browned, about 40 seconds. Turn the shrimp again.
Brush them liberally with more herb butter, sprinkle with rum and grill until barely cooked through and bubbling, about 1 minute longer. Serve at once.

Serves 4.

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Mixed Grill with Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Cherry Cola Barbecue Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 12-ounce bottles (ketchup-style) chili sauce
1 12- to 13-ounce jar cherry preserves or jam
1 cup cherry cola (regular, not diet)
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
Spice rub:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika or hot smoked Spanish paprika*
2 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Mixed grill:
1 13x9x2-inch disposable aluminum pan (to catch drips)
4 to 4 1/2 pounds baby back pork ribs, cut into 4 slabs
2 cups (or more) wood chips (cherry, alder, apple, or hickory), soaked in water 1 hour
4 6x31/4x2-inch disposable mini loaf pans (for wood chips if using gas grill)
Vegetable oil (for brushing)
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, pounded with mallet to 3/4-inch thickness
8 fully cooked smoked sausages (such as chicken-apple), pierced in several places with fork

Directions

For barbecue sauce: Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Stir in chili sauce, preserves, cherry cola, brown sugar, and vinegar; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until reduced to 4 cups, stirring often to prevent scorching, about 50 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more hot pepper sauce, if desired. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
For spice rub: Mix all ingredients in small bowl to blend. Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight container at cool room temperature.
For mixed grill: Remove top rack from grill. Place foil drip pan in center of bottom rack; fill halfway with water (if using 2-burner gas grill, place drip pan on 1 unlit burner).
Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle ribs with salt and 3 tablespoons spice rub. If using charcoal grill, light briquettes in chimney and pour half onto rack on each side of drip pan (you'll need to light more briquettes in chimney to replenish 1 or more times during grilling). If using 3-burner gas grill, light burners on left and right, leaving center burner off. If using 2-burner gas grill, light burner on side opposite drip pan.
Drain wood chips. If using gas grill, stack 2 mini loaf pans and fill with 1 cup drained wood chips. Stack remaining 2 mini pans and fill with 1 cup drained wood chips. Place pans on flame. If using charcoal, scatter 2 cups drained chips over coals. Brush top grill rack with oil; return to barbecue.
Place ribs on grill rack over drip pan. Cover barbecue; grill until meat is coming away from bones, turning and repositioning every 30 minutes and adding more wood chips to pans as needed, about 1 1/2 hours. Maintain barbecue temperature at 350°F, opening vents wider for more heat or partially closing for less heat. Transfer ribs to rimmed baking sheet; cool. Ribs can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Remove drip pan from barbecue.
Lightly brush grill racks with oil. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Sprinkle chicken with salt and remaining spice rub. Place chicken, sausages, and ribs on grill racks; cover and grill 7 minutes, turning occasionally.
Brush ribs with 1 cup cherry cola sauce; cover and grill until chicken is cooked through and ribs are glazed, turning frequently, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer sausages to platter; transfer ribs and chicken to cutting board. Cut pork between bones; cut chicken crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips. Transfer to platter with sausages. Serve with remaining cherry cola sauce.

Serves 8.

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Grilled Mixed Peppers and Onions
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 white onion, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 red onion, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 green bell pepper, cut into quarters and seeded
1 red bell pepper, cut into quarters and seeded
1 orange bell pepper, cut into quarters and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into quarters and seeded
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Soak wooden skewers 20 to 30 minutes. Heat a grill to medium.
Skewer the white and red onion slices, passing the skewer through each layer; skewer the green, red, orange, and yellow peppers. Place the skewered vegetables, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl, and turn the vegetables until they are coated.
Place vegetables on grill, and cook until lightly charred, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board.
Cut peppers into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and remove skewers from onions. Transfer vegetables to a serving platter.

Serves 4.

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Fruit Salad with Black Pepper Dressing
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 bunches mint leaves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 honeydew, cut into wedges
1 cantaloupe, cut into wedges
6 large peaches, sliced
4 cups strawberries, sliced
2 pints raspberries

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup water, half of the mint leaves, the sugar, vinegar and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 4 teaspoons water. Stir into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes; strain.
In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the honeydew, cantaloupe, peaches, strawberries and raspberries. Top with the remaining mint leaves.

Serves 20.

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For a Quick Bite, Roll Your Own Spring Rolls

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:59 -0700

This past weekend, San Francisco experienced a couple of the hottest days of the year. After a blistering morning walk around the city with out-of-town visitors, I invited my friends over for lunch. To keep things appropriately light, I served wine spritzers and made fresh Vietnamese-style Spring rolls.

Although they may look and sound labor-intensive, non-fried Spring rolls - or Summer rolls, as they're sometimes called - can make for an incredibly speedy meal. While this recipe calls for deli roast beef (an unusual filling for Spring rolls), you can use any protein you like; I later made rolls with roasted turkey, which tasted great as well. The versatility of the filling is part of the beauty of the dish. Learn how to roll your own when you read more

Noteworthy Nibbles - Sept. 22-29, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:50 -0700

When it comes to food festivals, I've decided that the peak of the season isn't the three-month span between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Instead, it's right this minute, when the last of the season's seafood festivals converge with harvest celebrations and the beginning of chili cookoffs. We can't wait to check out the bites at the Taste of Petaluma.

Where will this week be leading you? Let us know in the comments below!

New York, NY: StarChefs New York Rising Stars Revue - Sept. 22
London, KY: World Chicken Festival - Sept. 24-27
Columbus, OH: Columbus Food & Wine Affair - Sept. 25
Redondo Beach, CA: Redondo Beach Lobster Festival - Sept. 25-27
Sonoma, CA: Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival - Sept. 25-27
Los Angeles, CA: Feast of San Gennaro - Sept. 25-27
Orlando, FL: Epcot International Food & Wine Festival - Sept. 25-Nov. 8
Petaluma, CA: Taste of Petaluma - Sept. 26
Pittsburgh, PA: Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival - Sept. 26
Stone Mountain, GA: The Great Miller Lite Chili Cook-Off - Sept. 26

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7 Happy Trail Mixes For Back to School

partysugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:00:09 -0700

Happy Monday and Happy Labor Day Day! Seeing as many kids are heading back to school, I find this the perfect time to celebrate snacking. Trail mix - a combination of fruit, grains, nuts, and sometime chocolate - is a healthful and delicious snack. It's not only ideal for hiking, but also for packing in school (or office) lunches. For a variety of trail mix recipes to experiment with, start clicking.

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Sunday BBQ: Grilled Pork Paillards

YumSugar — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:00:52 -0700

Since I know that Labor Day's gatherings will be all about long-weekend classics like hamburgers, hot dogs, and ribs, I'm going against the mainstream grilling grain today with a straightforward pork recipe that definitely won't be on the menu manaña.

In less time than it takes to watch the evening news, I'll be eating alfresco with this one-platter meal, which calls for just six commonplace ingredients. It'll be exactly the dining departure that I need so I can fully appreciate tomorrow's barbecue spread! See the ultrasimple recipe when you read more