YumSugar

Celebrate the Season With Chocolate

partysugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:13:31 -0800

Although it technically doesn't have a season, chocolate seems to taste better this time of year. It's so much easier to indulge in chocolate when you have an excuse like the holidays. Highlight the pure flavor of chocolate by making an easy, elegant mousse tart. The crust is made with cookie crumbs and the simple filling is smooth and creamy. You will need time for the tart to firm up in the fridge so plan ahead. To get this tasty recipe, read more

Chocolate Mousse Tart
From Nestle

1 1/2 cups finely crushed chocolate wafer cookies (about 16 cookies)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) bittersweet chocolate morsels
2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325º F.
Combine crushed cookies and butter in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and up side of ungreased 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Microwave morsels and 1 cup cream in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
Beat remaining cream and powdered sugar in chilled medium mixer bowl until stiff peaks form.
Carefully fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture until blended. Spoon into prepared crust; smooth top.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.

Serves 12.

Substitution: For a more sophisticated flavor, add two tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur into chocolate mixture before spooning into crust.

Print recipe with images | without images

Delicate Chocolate Florentines

partysugar — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 09:18:45 -0700

Florentine cookies make excellent gifts. Wrapped in plastic baggies and tied with a festive ribbon, who could deny such a tasty treat? Despite their name - which hints at an Italian heritage - florentines were originally created by Austrian bakers. These flat cookies are wonderful alone, but taste even better with chocolate sandwiched between two layers. If you prefer dark chocolate over milk, use that instead. For this scrumptious recipe, read more

Milk Chocolate Florentine Cookies
From Very Best Baking

2/3 cup butter
2 cups quick oats
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (11.5 oz. pkg.) milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375° F. Line baking sheets with foil.
Melt butter in medium saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla extract and salt; mix well.
Drop by level teaspoons, about 3 inches apart, onto foil-lined baking sheets. Spread thinly with rubber spatula.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets on wire racks. Peel foil from cookies.
Microwave morsels in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium high (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Spread thin layer of melted chocolate onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to make sandwiches.

Makes about 42 cookies.

Print recipe with images | without images

Serve Rice Pudding Instead Of Birthday Cake

partysugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:01:39 -0700

My dad's birthday is on Friday, and instead of baking him a cake I'm making a big bowl of rice pudding. He's currently all about foods that remind him of the old days - life before I became a raging foodie maniac - meatloaf, chicken in a bag, hard shelled tacos, etc. That's why I thought a classic dessert would be a lovely treat. A candle will fit nicely on top of a mound of sweet, creamy rice flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar. Pair all of that with a happy birthday song and I'm sure he'll call it a great birthday. To make this soothing dessert for your loved ones, read more

Rice Pudding
From Very Best Baking

2 cups water
1 cup white rice, medium or short grain
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
1 can (14 oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Place water, rice and cinnamon stick pieces in small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Remove cinnamon stick pieces. Stir in evaporated and sweetened condensed milks, raisins, vanilla extract and salt; bring to a boil.
Stir a small portion of rice mixture into eggs. Add egg mixture to rice mixture; mix well with wire whisk. Bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Serve warm or chilled. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Southern Side: Cornbread

partysugar — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 03:58:41 -0700

Last week, when my older brother was in town, he requested ribs and cornbread for dinner. I had to work late so the entire dinner was left to my dad to prepare. My dad does a great job, but in my opinion, he takes a little too much help from the store, and didn't make the cornbread. Now, I'm curious to test out cornbread recipes, so I've decided to make some as a side dish for Easter dinner tomorrow. An excellent all-American, quintessentially Southern side dish, cornbread (or cornbread muffins) pairs wonderfully with ham, chili, and fried chicken. To add the recipe to your collection please read more

Cornbread
From Very Best Baking

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal (suggested brand: Albers)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bow.
Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 12.

For Muffins: Spoon batter into 18 to 20 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

Print recipe with images | without images

Must-Read: The Sweet Melissa Baking Book

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:40:24 -0700

"The best food doesn't have to be challenging in its preparation, but should recall our fondest food memories," Melissa Murphy writes in The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. That pretty much sums up the philosophy of this cookbook ($17.82), penned by the brainchild of Brooklyn's popular Sweet Melissa Patisseries. Here, the French Culinary Institute-trained pastry chef reveals the secrets behind the refined, yet homespun, baked treats that the bakery's known for. Was the tome a sweet success? Find out when you read more

Talking Food With Cookbook Authority Sheila Lukins

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:15:00 -0800

Sheila Lukins is one of America's most prolific cookbook authors. More than 25 years ago, she published The Silver Palate Cookbook, which introduced the boomer generation to upscale at-home cuisine. In addition to publishing other blockbuster cookbooks, Lukins has edited the food pages of Parade magazine for over 20 years.

I had a chance to enjoy breakfast with Sheila on a sunny Saturday morning, while she was on tour for Ten, her latest (and seventh!) cookbook. Over coffee, she offered her best tips for home cooks, and talked about the ever-so-controversial seasonality issue. To see more of what she had to say, read more.

YumSugar: Why did you come out with Ten?
Sheila Lukins: My editor [Peter Workman], and I were talking about all the foods we craved. Everybody really has the same favorite foods; we all love noodles, ribs, Italian food. He said, there's a book in that - you could have 10 recipes for each of your favorite foods.

YS: You've got whole chapters dedicated to tomatoes, corn, asparagus. Should home cooks use seasonal vegetables year-round?
SL: I believe in eating seasonally; there's nothing like going to the farmers market and getting Silver Queen corn, but you get certain things year-round these days. It's not like I want to eat hard or yellow strawberries, but . . . certain tomatoes, let them ripen on the counter, and they're okay. I'm not going to say I'm never going to eat [an out-of-season] tomato.

YS: Why do you think your books resonate with people?
SL: The recipes are so clearly written; they are so specific. I make up every recipe, first with a yellow pad at the stove, at home, in my own kitchen - and they work. We go over it and over it and over it. You can't do bad recipes, and then have people spend money on ingredients and get a recipe that doesn't work well. That's so horrible.

YS: What were some of your most memorable moments in the kitchen?
SL: I got almost electrocuted by an eggplant. I wrapped it in aluminum foil and was baking it so I could make baba ghanoush. I opened the foil and got a horrible shock!

YS: What's your advice for the home cook?
SL: Find a couple things you enjoy making. Try them ahead of time, then make them when you're having people over. Don't feel like you have to make every dish in a cookbook. Most people don't; they have their favorites. Read recipes through, and be sure you have your ingredients. Make sure you check your cabinets, and keep things in stock so you don't have to keep shopping from scratch every time you want to cook.

YS: Where are your favorite places to eat out?
SL: In New York, I used to go downtown a lot, but now I go a lot less because there are such good places on the Upper West Side. I love Tom Valenti and his restaurants - that would be Ouest, and a new one, West Branch. Craft is very good for special occasions. Love Balthazar. I always get Chinese food from Shun Lee West, and I get pizza from Patsy's because they deliver, and it's near my house. Because I've lived on the Upper West Side, these are places that are very convenient to me, and also very delicious. We used to have no good food on the Upper West Side. Daniel Boulud just opened Bar Boulud, and I go there a lot.

Photo Courtesy of Francesco Scavullo

'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.

View 5 Photos ›

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.

Print recipe with images | without images

Adventures in Expensive Sandwiches: Turkey Meatloaf

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:00:28 -0800

It's unusually chilly in San Francisco this week and downright frigid in other parts of the country, which has me craving comfort food: sandwiches, soup, lasagna, turkey, meatloaf, turkey meatloaf . . . So although I dismissed the Sentinel's shoddy construction on my last adventure in expensive sandwiches, I was lured once again to the nearby shop by the thought of turkey meatloaf, snuggled in a hot, buttery roll and slathered with cranberry sauce.This sandwich was both lip-smacking and something of a letdown. To hear what I thought and to get the recipe, read more.

On the one hand, the spicy flavor of the chipotle mayo against the more Midwestern meatloaf was delectable, and I'm always a fan of cran with my turkey. Like before, the Sentinel really excels with its fresh-baked bread, which tastes like a buttery dinner roll.But the meatloaf wasn't what I was expecting. I wanted a very traditional taste, albeit with turkey instead of beef, but instead I got what was essentially a juicy turkey burger. A good turkey burger, but not the best ever, and not enough like meatloaf for my taste. Also, as you can see from the photos, the mound of turkey was enormous - really too much in proportion to the bread. When I make it at home, I'll opt for a more traditional meatloaf and slice it about an inch thick. Check out my version of the sandwich below.

Turkey Meatloaf Sandwich
Inspired by The Sentinel

Ingredients

1 white or sourdough sandwich roll
1 slice of turkey meatloaf, about 1 to 2 inches thick
2 tablespoons canned whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons chipotle mayonnaise
2 leaves of butter lettuce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Slice the sandwich roll in half horizontally. On each half, spread 1 tablespoon of chipotle mayo.
Lay the sliced meatloaf on the bottom half of bread, then place both halves of bread in the oven for 5 minutes or until bread is lightly toasted.
Cover the meatloaf with a generous dollop of cranberry sauce and spread evenly across the meat.
Cover the cranberry sauce with leaves of butter lettuce, place the other half of the roll on top, cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes 1 sandwich.

Print recipe with images | without images

You Showed Us Your Cookbooks!

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 08:01:31 -0700

A few weeks ago I asked you to share your favorite cookbook with the rest of us. For PartySugar it's Williams-Sonoma's The Bar Guide by Ray Foley. For me it's Baking Illustrated by the editors of Cook's Illustrated Magazine. There were so many great entries (over 20!) and only one duplicate. These books look fascinating and I can't wait to try out some of them. Thanks to everyone who submitted their book!

Entry #1
LA's Sarah Kushner wanted to share Nigella's How To Be A Domestic Goddess. She says it's the one cookbook she uses on a regular basis.

Entry #2
Radarkitty from Livermore, CA wanted to share the book Sweet Gratitude. She choose it because it's all about baking desserts and is a fun illustrated read.

Entry #3
SoCalSugar, who's in Berkeley via San Diego, wrote in to share Christine Ingram's Vegetarian and Vegetable Cooking: The Definitive Encyclopedia of Healthy Vegetarian Food. She believes there's a lot of great variety, including hearty and unique vegetarian meals that omnivores will love too!

Entry #4
Llendril writes in from Peyton Colorado to share Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home To Yours. She loves this book because she believes Greenspan to be a lovely writer who produces even lovelier baking recipes.

Entry #5
Portland based LovaAJN couldn't choose a cookbook, so instead she's decided to take a picture with her favorite pink binder. This binder holds her most cherished recipes, including ones passed down to her from her mom.

Entry #6
Chef Farid Zadi, who's originally from France but is currently based in LA would love to share The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage by Rachel Laudan. He chose this book because it helped him look at food cultures and food history through a new lens or rather multiple lenses.

Entry #7
France-based Jennifer ended up deciding on The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine by John D. Folse. She believes it's beautiful and well researched with over 700 recipes that chart the evolution of cuisine in Louisiana.

For SEVENTEEN additional submissions, please read more

Entry #8
Maryann from Finding La Dolce Vita writes in to tell us about Honey From a Weed by Patience Gray. She chose this book because it contains stories and recipes gathered from the people who live close to the land in Tuscany, Catalonia, The Cyclades, and Apulia.

Entry #9
Jay from Cincinnati, Ohio wants to share both Professional Chef and Baking & Pastry from the CIA. Why? Because those two books are a continual inspiration for
all the "goofy *&^%" he wants to create!

Entry #10
Schianne dropped a line from Virginia to say that the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (which is about 17 years old!) is her favorite because she can count on it to have recipes for the staples as well as fancier dishes.

Entry #11
Good ol' Chubby from Bunrab loves Simple French Food by Richard Olney so much that it's falling apart from use. This old school book without glossy photos contains recipes like onion panade, sorrel tart and turnip gratin that are beyond delish.

Entry #12
Carrie from Minnesota's Twin Cities loves the Betty Crocker New Edition Cookbook because she grew up with it and has become very familiar with the recipes. She's also never had one go wrong!

Entry #13
Lucky entry 13 comes from Nags in Hyderabad, India. Her favorite cookbook is Tarla Dalal's Healthy Subzis. It's the favorite because of the simple and healthy recipes, and because it allows her to mix-n-match.

Entry #14
Half-Baked in Alabama wants to share the Joy of Cooking with us all. She loves it because you can find a recipe for almost anything you want to make.

Entry #15
Sarina writes in from Trinidad to share Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas and Lillian Kayte. She loves that it contains wonderful tasting vegetarian meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less!

Entry #16
Washington DC based Popgoestheworld would like to share America's Test Kitchen's The New Best Recipe. She believes it has the absolute best recipes for all the classic dishes.

Entry #17
Linda writes all the way from The Netherlands to share Donna Hay's Modern Classics 2. It contains lots of yummy and well-written recipes, but what she really "loooves" are the pictures!

Entry #18
Nahm in Santa Monica, CA would love to share Tommy Tang's Modern Thai Cuisine Cookbook. It's her fave book because most of the recipes are Thai, but not all the way Thai; therefore people who are not used to real Thai cuisine can enjoy them too.

Entry #19
TeamSugar member Rothchild wrote in to also share the Joy of Cooking. She says that it's her go-to whenever she makes something new or uses a new ingredient. She also says that it has never failed her!

Entry #20
Josh writes in from the Bay Area to promote Radical Brewing by Randy Mosher. While this book does not have a recipe for cookies, meatloaf or veggie casserole, it does have a plethora of delicious beer recipes from polka dot pilsner to pumpkin spice beer.

Entry #21
Our very own TeamSugar has fallen in love with Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour. She thinks it's a superb read because not only does he cover the food, but the culture and people that have made it.

Entry #22
Team member tdamji wants to make sure we all know about How It All Vegan by Sarah Kramer and Tanya Barnard. She loves it because the recipes are simple and don't require a lot of special ingredients. She belives that it's a great cookbook for vegans and non-vegans alike!

Entry #23
Kiwitist wants to make sure that we all know how much she loves The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It's her old, beat-up favorite book!

Entry #24
Finally, last but not least, we have YumJimmy who is sharing How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. He uses this book all the time and treats it like a reference. This should give you an idea on how much he uses it: Whenever I ask him about something the answer is usually, "Well Bittman says..."

View 24 Photos ›

Alton Brown's Tips For Perfect Pancakes

partysugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:15:42 -0700

At his Kidz Kitchen demonstration at the NYC Wine and Food Festival, Alton Brown not only answered audience members questions, but he taught the eager crowd how to make a kid-friendly dish, a pancake cake with a slime-like avocado frosting. Here are his tips for making the most delicious pancakes:

Always weigh out the dry ingredients. It's especially important to weigh out the flour which can become very compact.
For the best batter consistency, use both all-purpose and cake flours.
If using baking soda include an acidic ingredient in the wet mixture. Brown likes buttermilk.
To create your own pancake mix, measure several batches of the dry ingredients. Keep stored in air-tight container. Shake to combine before using the pancake mix.
Don't overbeat. The batter should be lumpy.
Be patient! When bubbles form around the edges of the cake and the center looks firm and set, carefully pick up with a spatula and flip over.

Did Alton Brown forget something? What's your technique for making the best pancakes?

Source