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A Taste of Rome

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:24:56 -0800

Leave it to the folks over at the premium cable channels to come up with another fun marketing campaign. This time HBO has graced 100 Italian restaurants in LA, NY and Chicago with bottles of Rome wine. The cabernet sauvingnon, which is bottled in California, will be offered free to patrons. Each table will have a card that states:

And our house wine tonight is brought to you by HBO. A taste of 'Rome' awaits you. Ask server for details.

I'm not sure what the entire marketing strategy is, but I wonder if it will cause as much buzz as rival Showtime's clever Weeds brownie promotion.

Source: Ad Age

In Season: Dandelion Greens

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:00:54 -0700

Spring doesn't officially start until tomorrow, but judging by the produce that's popping up at the farmers market, the season's already begun. Edible weeds like fresh dandelion greens are at the peak of their season now through mid-Spring - and, with their mildly astringent, pleasantly bitter flavor, they're not to be missed. To find out how they're used, read more.

Dandelion greens, which are named after the phrase dent de lion, or "lion's tooth," have jagged, irregular leaves. Look for firm, fresh, tender, bright green leaves that aren't discolored or wilted. When refrigerated in a plastic bag, they will keep for a few days. Like spinach, dandelion greens are commonly enjoyed raw, but they also taste fantastic sautéed, braised, or even stewed:

Wash, trim, tear, and toss in your favorite salad medley.
Sauté with garlic, onions and pine nuts; finish with goat cheese crumbles.
Substitute spinach for dandelion greens in spanakopita, the traditional Greek dish.
Make Provençal soup: Sauté leeks, and garlic, add greens until wilted, and then simmer over water until greens are tender. Temper in a couple of beaten eggs, turn off the heat, and top with croutons and Parmesan cheese.
Add another layer of flavor to a stew: throw in greens and cook until wilted.

What do you think of dandelion greens? If you've been a longtime fan, tell us: What are your favorite ways to enjoy them?

Yummy Link: Stonerware Baking Pan

YumSugar — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 15:10:01 -0700

If you're planning on throwing a proper Weeds party, you might want to invest in this Stonerware Baking Pan. - via Tastespotting

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..."

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Come Party With Me: 4th Of July - The Look & Music

partysugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 06:01:38 -0700

The 4th of July is probably the easiest holiday party to decorate. The requisite red, white, and blue, stars, stripes, and American flags do all of the work for you. Every store in the nation is flooded with red serving platters, blue and white star tablecloths, American flag this and American flag that so weed through the options and find stuff that fits your need and goes along with your style. I'm not too into the patriotic look, so I'll only have the American flag on teeny toothpicks. White paper lanterns add soft lighting and beer will be placed in lots of little red buckets. The tablecloth is red and the tableware navy. Wrap red, white, and blue ribbon around your poles, banisters, and deck. Create floral arrangements with blue glass vases and red, white, and blue flowers. Decorate the space with red hurricane holders and fill with white pillar candles.

For music compile a list of songs related to America or the 4th of July. I'll be playing BuzzSugar's 50 Songs for 50 States playlist.

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Top Chef 4 Star All Stars Recap

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:20:59 -0700

Last night Top Chef kicked off its new season with an All Star battle that pitted season one chefs against season two. On the season one team we had Harold, Stephen (oh how I missed his condescending smug attitude), Tiffani and Dave - surprisingly absent was Leanne, but she couldn't participate because she is now Bravo TV's food producer). The season two team consisted of fan favorite Sam, Elia, Marcel and Ilan. The two teams were going head to head and the team with the most wins contributed $20,000 to their favorite charity.

Overall it was a bit lackluster - there was no drama unfolding, as no one was getting kicked off, and all the food looked delicious - however it was fun to see my favorite contestants back in the kitchen. It was definitely a great tease (or should I say amuse-bouche) to lead into season three. There were a few good quotes and I'm sure you guys want to know about the food, and see some pictures. So let's get started, just read more

First of all, I can't get on with any of the recapping without pointing out three things. (1) Marcel rapped, again... (2) was that the Brooklyn bridge carved into Ilan's hair? I'm pretty sure it was and (3) the immersion blender in Ilan's mouth looked a bit... wrong? Oh my, now on to the recap!

The challenge started off with Padma and Chef Tom telling the former contestants that each team needed a team captain. Initially I thought it would be the two winners, but I should have known better! Instead of having the teams pick captains, the captains were chosen by a quickfire challenge! They were presented with two eggs and a large oven mitt. The oven mitt was for them to wear, because Padma tells them that they will be cooking eggs with one hand behind their back. They then cut to Stephen who says, "If you can't cook eggs, you're probably better off not being in the kitchen." I guess no one told those folks in Hell's Kitchen that.

In the end, Stephen wins with a "perfect omelette" and is chosen captain of season one - competing for the Susan G. Komen foundation. And even though his dish was topped with a dollop of saffron foam, Marcel is the runner-up and is chosen as captain for season two - competing for Share Our Strength.

The teams are then told that they're making a four course meal consisting of scallops, lobster, duck and kobe beef. Each team member chooses an ingredient and they will go head-to-head against the other season's chef. The team with the most winning dishes will be the victors.

Up first: Dave vs Elia with scallops - Elia produces two versions both paired with a marmalade, Dave produces a smoked scallop with a tapenade. In the end Elia's wins, although I must admit, I was rooting for Dave.

Next up: Stephen vs Marcel with lobster - Marcel's dish includes both a gelee and a foam (served tableside even!), both of which begin to deflate in the hot Miami heat. Stephen's is immaculately plated and consisted of beautiful saffron tones. Winner? Stephen.

Third course: Harold vs. Ilan with duck - The showdown is on! Season one winner vs season two winner, should be impressive, no? Actually turned out that the judges didn't really love either of them. Harold's was "incomplete" and Ilan's was a mess. In the end incomplete wins over a mess, and I say hurray, because well it's no secret, I heart Harold.

Last up: Tiffani vs Sam with kobe beef: Both dishes looked great, but Tiffani's was the winner. Chef Tom even mentions how nice it is to have her food again.

With a vote of 3-1, season 1 is declared the victor!

If you missed the show, you can check it out later this week (check the Bravo schedule) or stream it over the internet. Also, for a few hysterical comments on last night's show, visit our pals at We Cook, They Dish.

Now for a few of my favorite quotes:

"If the bitch can cook, let him cook!" - Dave about Marcel

"I have way too many people at home watching, I can't go home against this guy." - Harold about Marcel

"I'm so weeded right now." - Marcel

"I don't want to prove myself to these guys anymore." - Dave

"He's KIND OF cute?!?" - Ted Allen about Sam

"Don't read the blogs because you'll find shit on there that you don't want to know about yourself. Stuff that you probably didn't even know about yourself." - Sam

Oh Sam, was it something we said?

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Mother's Day Gift Guide: 86 Recipes, Herbs & Tea

YumSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:51:55 -0700

If the person you call "Mom" is a foodie at heart, here are some great gift ideas that will be sure to wow her this Mother's Day.

My favorite pick works well for moms who love to travel and eat out, or moms who like to stay in and cook. A new collection called 86 Recipes is a series of recipe boxes that contain (you got it) 86 recipes each. However these aren't just any recipes, these are recipes from some of the best restaurants in the country. Available in a New York or San Francisco edition (New Orleans is launching this summer), each box contains 86 recipes with tips on presentation, wine pairings, plus a photo, map and contact info of each restaurant. Where else can you get 86 practically-famous recipes (SF - Gary Danko, Tartine Bakery, Chez Panisse; NY - Daniel, Aquavit, Prune) in one place? Oh and why 86? That's restaurant slang to indicate that a popular item has been sold out. However each box also comes with a bunch of other origins for the name "86" - but you'll just have to get it to find out. SF edition is $19.99, NY edition is $24.99. Pick one up for mom, and pick up the other for yourself. Oh and if you're lucky, maybe you'll win a trip to NY or SF for mom too!

Two more great gift ideas for your mom, just read more

Imagine growing fresh herbs all year long. Oh and did I mention that it would be dirt and weed free? If the mom you know is into fresh herbs, but lacks a green thumb, get her an Aerogarden and watch things grow. Available for $149.99.

If mom would rather sit in the living room with a good book and a pot of tea, why don't you get her a Flowering Tea Set from Numi. This deluxe set comes packaged in a hand-made bamboo case that houses a glass teapot and a bin of Numi's hand-sewn flowering teas. The glass teapot is perfect for viewing the blooming tea, and I'm sure it will brighten mom's day. Available for $34.95.

Need more ideas? Be sure to check back tomorrow for part 2!

Flowers 101: Calla Lily

partysugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:58:31 -0700

Since so many of you expressed your unabashed love for calla lilies I thought it would be a fantastic flower to feature as the flower of the week. A very versatile flower, the calla lily is scientifically known as zantedeschia - a genus of 28 floral species native to South Africa that derives its name from a 19th century Italian botanist named Giovanni Zantedeschi. It consists of a funnel shape colored leaf that surrounds tiny flowers. The leaves are broad and narrow shaped and attach to the stem at the base of the plant.
Thought of as a weed in many parts of the world, calla lilies grow continuously for long periods of time when watered and fed regularly. They can also thrive in many soils and habitats and can survive minor frosts. For planting they require full sun to partial shade and wet soil moisture. They bloom in the summer, but need a winter rest period for successful re-bloom. Traditionally calla lilies are white although they have been hybridized to come in a variety of colors. The white were originally considered a funeral flower, but in pinks, yellow, lavenders, and golds, they are perfect for weddings - they are also known to be quite hearty and have long lasting bloom.

Yum Gift Guide: Kitchen Geeks

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 08:01:18 -0800

The kitchen geek is in a class of her own. She's got the best gadgets, worships Alton Brown and knows more about food science than you can wrap your brain around. This Yum Gift Guide is all about gifts you can get for her.

Cuisinart Duet Blender and Food Processor - The folks at Cuisinart have finally blessed us all with a food processor & blender combo. This space saving gadget will crush ice as well as dice vegetables. This year why not get your favorite foodie two gadgets instead of one. Buy it here for $129.

Four more, so read more

Programmable Thermometer with Timer - Give them this thermometer and they'll never overcook (or under cook) their food again. They'll be able to set it to the desired temperature, stick it into the meat and walk away until the alarm goes off. A magnetic LCD display allows it to stay put on the outside of the oven door. Buy it here for $25.95.

Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker - This soft serve ice cream maker is guaranteed to put a smile on all of your food loving loved ones. With three compartments for their favorite toppings and a built-in cone holder there's no way they could turn this down. Buy it here for $129.99.

Aerogarden - Imagine growing fresh herbs all year long. Oh and did I mention that it would be dirt and weed free? If your food geek is into fresh herbs, but lacks a green thumb, get them an Aerogarden and watch them grow wild. Available here for $149.99.

Salter Nutritional Scale - This scale weighs food portions and calculates nutritional values. With its capability to analyze over 900 foods and ingredients, it is guaranteed to bring the mad scientist out of your favorite food geek.
Buy it here for $69.99.