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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Hipster Foodie

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:00:52 -0800

A friend of mine, who fits the classification of hipster to a T, also happens to love all things gourmet. Initially, I was at a loss for what to get her, but I quickly discovered that there's an array of niche gift items that converge at the juncture of food, music, and cutting-edge cool. Case in point: I have to get her this book about underground dining, and because she loves to push the envelope, I know she'll flip for this shopping bag.

Want more gift ideas? Browse the selection below or check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

Coming Soon: Apples That Don't Rot?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Can you imagine leaving a piece of fruit in the crisper and being able to take a bite out of it after four months? That's the idea behind a new variety of apple that's being tweaked by researchers at Queensland Primary Industries. The RS103-130, as it's called, can stay fresh for at least 14 days without refrigeration, and keep in a refrigerator for four months.

Scientists are touting many benefits behind the fruit's longevity, which comes from incorporating a gene from a black-spot resistant apple. For one, the RS103-130 requires less fungicides; it would also need less cold storage, cutting down on energy costs.

As far as the most important factor - taste - is concerned, developers say the fruit is very sweet, and has come out on top in preliminary taste tests. Does the RS103-130 apple sound convenient, creepy, or both?

Killer App: Melon, Prosciutto, and Mozzarella Brochettes

partysugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:30:04 -0700

Although not as widely known as peanut butter and jelly, or salt and pepper, I consider melon and prosciutto to be a classic flavor combination. There is something about the sweet juiciness of the melon that so wonderfully complements the salty porkiness of the prosciutto. Throw some fresh mozzarella in the mix and you've got an appetizer that is insanely divine to eat!

This recipe serves the trio on a skewer, making it the perfect crowd-pleasing cocktail party bite. A drizzle of thick basil oil takes the easy and quick-to-prepare brochettes to a whole new level of deliciousness. Sound like something you might enjoy? Get the recipe and read more.

Brochettes of Melon, Prosciutto, and Fresh Mozzarella
From Bon Appétit

If melon isn't your cup of tea, consider using another type of fruit. I've also made this exact recipe with ripe peaches.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish
1 medium shallot, quartered
1 small (about 2-pound) cantaloupe, halved crosswise, seeded, cut into 6 wedges, peeled
6 small fresh water-packed mozzarella balls or one 8-ounce ball, drained
6 thin slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise, gathered into ruffle
6 8-inch wooden skewers

Directions

Using on/off turns, puree olive oil, 1/3 cup basil, and shallot in processor until basil and shallot are finely chopped.
Cut each cantaloupe wedge crosswise in half. If using large mozzarella ball, trim and cut into 6 cubes.
Alternate 1 melon piece, 1 piece ruffled prosciutto, 1 mozzarella ball or cube, 1 more prosciutto piece, and 1 more melon piece on each skewer. Can be prepared 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature 15 minutes before serving.
Arrange skewers on platter. Drizzle with basil oil and sprinkle with cracked black pepper. Garnish with basil sprigs.

Serves 6.

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Yummy Links: From Panini-Offs to Pie Crusts

YumSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:00:31 -0700

Jimmy Fallon and Tom Colicchio face off in a panini showdown. -Eat Me Daily
Food'lebrities: Photoshopped celebs whose names sound like snacks. - Lemondrop
Gobbling up the world's best beach food. - Epicurious
Chefs weigh in on the Obamas' date night number two. - Grub Street
Veteran restaurant publicist says it wasn't this bad even after Sept. 11. - The Feedbag
These United Plates prints are almost cute enough to eat. - Serious Eats
Taybarns is the Golden Corral of the UK. - Chow
Taste-testing Vio, Coke's new fruity milk soda drinks. - Eater
Do you prefer butter or shortening in your pie crusts? - Baking Bites

Come Party With Me: Technicolor Luau - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:50:07 -0700

When I hear the word luau, I immediately think of a creamy, cool coconut dessert. This recipe is just that; it combines two favorite pie flavors - key lime and coconut - into one fabulous finger-friendly dessert.

Key lime-coconut bars are ideal for a Saturday night bash. They must be made in advance, are bite-sized and easy to eat, and with their dusting of confectioners sugar and lime zest, look pretty delightful!

Sound scrumptious? Get the recipe.

Taste Test: Doritos Late Night Tacos at Midnight

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:30:32 -0700

In the interest of living a healthier lifestyle, I've been trying to cut out my habit of late-night snacking. Unfortunately, it hasn't gone so well, as that's my favorite time of the day to snack. And the fact that Doritos sent me a bag of special-edition Late Night Tacos at Midnight? That doesn't make it any easier, either.

These chips are intense: each triangular bite is densely covered in a blizzard of burnt orange powder and flecked with black spices. Upon first trying them, I wasn't too crazy about their seemingly artificial taste. They had a flavor that I couldn't pin down - but by the 15th chip or so, I'd figured it out. To find out what they taste like, keep reading

Fabio: "Unfortunately, You're Going to See My Face a Lot"

partysugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:30:59 -0800

It's down to the wire on Top Chef with only three contestants remaining. Fabio was the first of the Euros to pack up his knives and leave the competition. Yesterday, I had the chance to speak with him over the phone. To find out what he had to say about Stefan, his experience, and Padma's Italian, read more.

On Stefan: He is extremely confident. The difference between me and him is I am a people person, very personable. He doesn't care. He's very straightforward. He's not a cocky guy. He's a great guy, great person, and he is confident. if you want to translate confidence into cockiness, fine with me. If I wasn't confident, I wouldn't be here. It's not a bad thing to be confident, especially in this kind of economy. I could hang out with him all day; sometimes he's at the restaurant, we go party together.

On his elimination: I wasn't upset. I'm a very happy person. I see that I have 13 people behind me and three in front of me, and I get motivated. Life is too short to complain. My dad and my grandfather used to tell me, "If you have a problem, and you know there's a solution, then stop bitching about it." If you know there's no solution, then why bitch about it? There's no solution. When you're the chef you're always in the spotlight.

On Bravo's portrayal of him: Whatever you see is the way that I am. I'm a nice person. Listen, if you see somebody on TV that said "f**k this, f**k that, d*ck here, d*ck there," it doesn't matter how they cut you and paste you - you said those things. They cannot put things in your mouth. That's what you said, that's what you've done. I've been very happy with what I said. If I did misbehave, I apologize for that. That's the way I am, the way I talk, the way I act, the way I cook.

On the judges: Who am I to judge them? With Colicchio, I can agree to disagree. He has done things that I would love to be doing in the next 10 years. I honestly respect his opinion. It's up to you if you are smart enough to take it. Padma was speaking Italian to me. She was modeling for this Italian agency and she was working for this very famous talk show in Italy, so I was actually looking at Padma way before she was looking at my food.

She has a great palate, she's smoking hot, she understands a lot about food. I respect her. She's a very nice person, very personable. We had a good time together. She's very fun.

On the guest judges he disagreed with: I had a big argument with Martha Stewart. My polenta, she said that it was gray, but she didn't even taste it. She dipped her fork in it, she didn't even take a full bite. The other judge was a French guy, Jean-Christophe Novelli. He told me that my cream was not cooked enough and that the egg white was coagulated. I told him there was no egg white in it. I'm saying, there is no egg white in the cream - how's that sound for you? But he's French! Italy, France, they have a history. In food, and wine. Last year there was the World Cup, soccer; I understand. I'm just kidding. You know, I think he's a great chef. It's an opinion. You cannot agree with everything. It's your ass there, you gotta defend yourself a little bit.

On what's next: I will do more TV, I can promise you that. I have a food line coming out. I have an offer for a TV show. What I said is that I am getting a lot of offers. I am getting asked to license my image to food companies. I have a deal with Ducati motorbikes. I am dealing with a TV company, yes - I got a lot of requests; they offered me a job here and there. But don't forget that I am a chef. Everything that I will ever do . . . my first business is food. Unfortunately, you're going to see my face a lot. I am not allowed to talk about it. We will see. Watch what happens. But stay tuned.

Source

Taste Test: Burger King's Angry Whopper

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:00:41 -0800

Most of us hoped to start 2009 on a positive note, but Burger King was seemingly in a furious state of mind: At the beginning of January, the fast food chain introduced the Angry Whopper to its US menus. News of the limited-edition burger, purportedly only available through the end of March, took the Internet by storm. So after hearing the incessant hype surrounding it, I decided to put the burger to the test. To find out how it tastes and see additional photos, read more.

For the suggested retail price of $3.69, the Angry Whopper features everything that's on the joint's original Whopper (flame-broiled patty, lettuce, tomatoes, sesame bun) - as well as "sizzling angry onions," jalapenos, a slice of pepper-jack cheese, bacon, and "angry sauce." Others have proclaimed that the Angry Whopper isn't spicy enough, and while I have to agree that it doesn't really live up to its notorious moniker, it's pretty darn delicious.

The jalapenos provide the only real spice kick, while the "angry sauce" and jack give a nice element of creaminess. Add sizzling onions (really glorified onion rings) for crunch, a few slices of bacon (who can say no to bacon?), and you've got a winning burger - one that I would choose any day over its original counterpart. I had grand lunch plans ahead of me, so I only meant to take a bite or two of the burger, but I admittedly had at least a third of it.

Continuing its strategy of controversial food marketing, Burger King also launched a humorous website in conjunction with the release of the Angry Whopper. It features - you guessed it - an angry Whopper that fans can employ to rebuke annoying friends. The talking burger isn't the only thing that's salty: so is the Angry Whopper itself, with 880 calories and a whopping (pardon the pun) 1670 milligrams of sodium. Does the Angry Whopper sound like something that you would try? If you've tasted it, what did you think?

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Come Party With Me: Italian Christmas Eve - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:21 -0800

On Christmas Eve it's customary for Italians to consume seafood for dinner; they enjoy course after course of rich fish items. Although my family has Irish origins, I thought it would be fun to plan an Italian-style Christmas Eve - this year we'll be eating seven delicious seafood dishes. To get the party started we'll have raw oysters and cold, marinated anchovies waiting for the guests. Once a group has arrived, the hot appetizers will be set out. Spicy seared scallops are a delightful bite and slices of clam pizza are crisp and salty.

At the dining table a tuna and white bean salad will be served, followed by a silky shrimp bisque. The meal finishes with a velvety lobster pasta with cream sauce. Doesn't it sound to die for? Look at these recipes when you read more.

Spicy Seared Scallops
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

24 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved
Olive-oil cooking spray
For the seasoning:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or more to taste
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
For the Garnish:
One 12-inch-long daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
5 romaine lettuce leaves, very thinly sliced

Directions

Combine flour, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander, salt, and cardamom in a small bowl. Dip each halved scallop into the flour mixture to coat; set aside.
Place daikon rounds on serving platter. Top each with shredded lettuce; set aside.
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat with olive-oil spray, add coated scallops, and sear until light golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute per side.
Transfer each seared scallop half to a daikon round. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 48.

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White Clam Pizza
From Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
Salt
1/3 cup flour, for dusting
Two 16-ounce packages refrigerated pizza dough
Two 1-pound containers frozen chopped clams, thawed and drained (about 2 1/2 cups)
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Pepper

Directions

Position a rack in the bottom of the oven, place an inverted baking sheet on top and preheat to 500°.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and 2 pinches salt.
Lightly flour a baking sheet, place 1 piece of pizza dough on top and stretch to fit the dimensions of the baking sheet.
Drizzle 2 1/2 tablespoons garlic oil on top. Sprinkle half of the clams on top and season with 2 teaspoons Parmesan, 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme and salt and pepper.
Set the baking sheet on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make another pizza.

Serves 4.

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Tuna and White Bean Salad
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 6-ounce cans tuna packed in oil
3 cups drained and rinsed canned white beans, preferably cannellini (from two 15-ounce cans)
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 bunches watercress (about 3/4 pound), tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 2 quarts)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red- or white-wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

Directions
Put the tuna with its oil, the beans, onion, capers, watercress, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine.

Serves 4.

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Shrimp Bisque
From Ina Garten

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
4 cups seafood stock
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (3 leeks)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock. Add enough water to make 3 3/4 cups.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned.
Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper and shrimp and cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the Cognac and cook for 1 minute, then the sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the shrimp and leeks to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed.
In the same pot, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season, to taste, and serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

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Lobster Pasta With Herbed Cream Sauce
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

3 1 3/4-pound live lobsters
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 large plum tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 fresh tarragon sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
6 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 pounds fettuccine or linguine

Directions

Bring very large pot of salted water to boil. Add lobsters. Boil until cooked through, about 12 minutes (or cook in batches, if necessary).
Using tongs, transfer lobsters to large rimmed baking sheet. Remove meat from tail and claws; place meat in medium bowl. Remove any roe from bodies and place in small bowl. Cover and chill meat and roe (if any). Remove tomalley (green matter) from bodies and discard. Reserve bodies and shells.
Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add reserved lobster bodies and shells. Sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add tomato paste; stir 3 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, wine, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, thyme, and parsley. Add cream; boil 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer just until lobster flavor infuses cream, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Strain sauce into large bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard contents of strainer. (Lobster and sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)
Transfer sauce to heavy large saucepan. Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces; coarsely crumble roe, if using. Add to sauce. Gently rewarm over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add sauce; toss over medium-high heat until sauce coats pasta, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large shallow bowl and serve.

Serves 10.

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Taste Test: Chuao Firecracker Chocolate Bar

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:15:52 -0700

Last year, I sung the praises of a small chocolatier, Chuao, for its unique and delicious flavor combinations, like strawberry balsamic and spicy Cabernet caramel. I had a chance to try their newest bar, the Firecracker, and it was no exception.The chocolate smelled typical enough - bittersweet and slightly smoky. But once I took a bite, my experience took a turn for the bizarre. First, I tasted creamy dark chocolate then gradually intensifying heat and a tingly, burning sensation in the back of my throat. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, loud crackling and popping, at which point I realized there was not only an explosion of flavor, but also a physical explosion of some kind. To find out what the cracker of the Firecracker was, read more.

Turns out the appropriately-named chocolate bar is made of dark chocolate, enrobed in chipotle chiles, salt, and popping candy - the kind I loved in the third grade. I can only liken the bizarre, oddly addictive experience to going on a roller coaster for the first time and wanting to go again. For those of you who are game (it is not for the unadventurous eater or faint of heart), I encourage you to go for a ride. Does spicy chocolate with popping candy sound like something you'd want to try?