YumSugar

Yummy Links: From Chocolate Crostini to Homemade McRibs

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:30:45 PST

Easy appetizer idea: savory chocolate crostini. - Food Wishes
A look at Michael White's first ever cheeseburger, the White Label. - The Feast
The host of Calorie Commando has been sentenced to nine years in prison. - Eatocracy
Serve homemade tamales over the holidays. - Chow
The year in tacos. - Eater NY
The 35 best pork dishes in New York City. - Grub Street NY
Must make: the 12-layer red and green holiday cake. - Serious Eats
Learn how to put together the McRib at home. - Huffington Post Food

Noteworthy Nibbles - Dec. 2-8, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:17:38 PST

With food festival season winding down for the year, there are certainly fewer events this month. Still, if you look hard enough, you can find a few gems, like the International Tamale Festival in Indio, CA, or Sonoma Valley's Blessing of the Olives. Or, enjoy one of the many holiday wine events, where perhaps you can find that perfect pairing for your holiday dinner.

Notice anything we've left out? If so, please feel free to chime in with your comments below!

Yosemite, CA: Vintners' Holidays 2008 - Dec. 2-3
Portland, OR: Holiday Ale Festival - Dec. 3-7
Mobile, AL: Gulf Coast Antiques Food and Wine Festival - Dec. 5-7
Fredericksburg, TX: Holiday Wine Trail - Dec. 5-7
Indio, CA: Indio International Tamale Festival - Dec. 6-7
Livermore, CA: Holidays in the Vineyards - Dec. 6-7
New Paltz, NY: ">Wreath Fineries @ 10 Wineries - Dec. 6-7
Sonoma, CA: Sonoma Valley Olive Festival & Tasting - Dec. 6
Carmel, CA: Chateau St. Julien Holiday Spectacular - Dec. 7
Ventura, CA: Holiday Street Festival - Dec. 7
New Orleans, LA: Classic Holiday Tipples With Tony Abou-Ganim - Dec. 8

Source

Noteworthy Nibbles - Oct. 28-Nov. 3

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:33 PDT

This week is all about quality over quantity: There aren't as many festivals on our radar, but all of them are can't-miss events. The Giant Omelette Celebration is sure to be an egg-cellent time. Now that we have yet another excuse to drink beer, let's enjoy some at the Great World Beer Fest. And a festival that's all about tamales? Who couldn't get behind that?!

Know of anything we've left out? Drop us a line in the comments below!

Denver, CO: Denver International Wine Festival - Oct. 29-Nov. 1
Terlingua, TX: International Championship Chili Cook-Off - Oct. 30-Nov. 1
New York, NY: Great World Beer Fest - Oct. 31-Nov. 1
Apalachicola, FL: Florida Seafood Festival - Oct. 31-Nov. 1

To see the rest,

Family Ties: Family Traditions

babysugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 10:09:02 PST

In my family, we've had a holiday tradition of making tamales for as long as I can remember. My grandmother has aged and no longer holds the position of Reyna Tamalera (translation: Queen Tamale Maker), but my mother has stepped in. And the younger generations of our family are getting in on the action, too. My sister, cousins and I and now our children are now learning the tricks of the tamale making trade. Here's a video of my niece spreading the masa on the ojas.

Being around loved ones, celebrating life and each other is what the holidays are all about for me. I hope one day I will be the Queen Tamalera – surrounded by my children, grandchildren, and great–grandchildren.

Southern Thanksgiving Side: Andouille and Cornbread Dressing

Nancy Einhart — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:02:07 PST

People have strong opinions when it comes to dressing, starting with whether it should be called "dressing" or "stuffing." In the South, my family always called it "dressing" and baked it in a casserole dish, not a turkey, and we always had two options: sausage or oyster. What we did not have was cornbread.

As a lover of all things cornmeal - corn dogs, grits, tamales, you name it - I figured it was high time I made a cornbread dressing. To my palate, white bread stuffings are often bland, but this New Orleans-inspired dressing packs a punch with spicy andouille sausage, chopped celery and red peppers, and a dash of hot sauce. I didn't change a thing in this recipe, and it was luxuriously moist, spicy but not too spicy, and full of flavor. Get the recipe for your Thanksgiving.

Have Your Gluten-Free Candy This Halloween and Eat It Too

Heather Dale — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:59:55 PDT

If the candy-lined store shelves didn't give it away, the sweetest annual holiday is just about here - no, not Valentine's Day silly . . . Halloween! For those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy/sensitivity, Halloween can be more of a trick than a treat because deciphering which candies contain traces of the gluten protein found in wheat, rye, and barley can be downright tricky.

Good news my friends. Although most cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and doughnuts are filled with gluten, most candy bars and hard candies are gluten-free (but stay away from Twizzlers, because they surprisingly do contain gluten!). Now I'm not saying you can go crazy next Monday, but when a majority of "fun size" bars are only 100 calories, a little indulging once in a while doesn't hurt. Keep reading to see which candies made the cut for being g-free!

Carnitas, Al Pastor, Barbacoa: Here's the 411 on Mexican Meats

Susannah Chen — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:21:09 PDT

The beer-drinking backdrop of an Indian Summer weekend would pair perfectly with a festive Mexican feast of tacos and grilled meats. But with a menagerie of Spanish monikers from carnitas to carne asada, taco meat terminology can get a bit confusing. For the breakdown of Mexican meats, keep reading.

Glee-Ful Highlights From Episode "Night of Neglect"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:12:26 PDT

After a month of reruns, Glee finally came back this week, but I have to admit that I was disappointed. The episode is all over the place: the focus is on the maligned glee kids once again, but now they've formed another group that needs aid. Sue is as insidious as ever in her pursuit of destroying Will and the club, and Gwyneth Paltrow shows up to revel in her new relationship with Will.

Lots of characters make brief appearances, including Kurt, Blaine, Emma, and Terri, but no one is really highlighted here (save for guest star Paltrow, who seems to have the most screen time). The central plot revolves around a benefit the club is hosting to raise money, punctuated by vague themes of neglect and bullying, but it all adds up to an underwhelming episode. To deconstruct it with me, just