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Last Chance to Enter Our Thanksgiving Giveaway!

partysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:16:47 -0800

From our free downloadable planner to our favorite recipes for stuffing, sides, and desserts, we're dedicating November to all things Thanksgiving. We're taking it one step further by partnering with our friends at Williams-Sonoma® to bring you the ultimate turkey day prize! There's everything you need to host the perfect Thanksgiving.

We're sending you the bird, a free-range organic Willie Bird turkey from California. Then, we're throwing in all the necessary tools for creating a juicy and flavorful roast turkey. There's a stainless steel roaster, a baster, turkey lifters, brining bags, and probe thermometer. We couldn't forget about the side dishes, so there's a kitchen timer to ensure everything cooks properly; a potato ricer is a must have for smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes; and a ruffled pie dish and Fall forest piecrust cutters are essential for picture-ready pies. All of these products form a giveaway package that's worth more than $500!

To enter to win, you must log in and take the quiz below by 1 p.m. EST on Friday, Nov. 20. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct; completing the quiz once you are logged in makes you eligible to win. You do, however, need to be a PopSugar Network member before taking the quiz. If you're not already a member, register here for an account. One quiz entry per person. See the official rules here.

Take the quiz

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicken Couscous With Dried Fruit

partysugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:50:49 -0800

Couscous is quite possibly the world's quickest cooking grain. It takes literally five minutes to make - meaning it's an ideal ingredient for home cooks who are pressed for time. To create an entire meal with couscous, toss with sauteed vegetables, dried fruit, aromatic spices, and rotisserie chicken. Feel free to use the recipe loosely as a guide; onions and garlic aren't the only veggies that work with this dish. Butternut squash, red peppers, and broccoli would also be delicious. To look at the incredibly uncomplicated recipe, read more.

Chicken Couscous With Dried Fruit
From Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

2 lemons
4 Tbs. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 cup chopped mixed dried fruits, such as pitted dates and apricots
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups couscous
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

Grate 1 1/2 tsp. zest from the lemons and squeeze 1/4 cup juice. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until the garlic and onion are golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the cumin and cinnamon, and then mix in the chicken, lemon zest and juice, dried fruits and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Stir in the couscous, re-cover the pan and remove from the heat. Let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the cilantro and the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil. Toss with a fork to fluff the couscous and distribute the cilantro.
Garnish with the almonds and serve.

Serves 4.

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Pasta Multi-Pot: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:00:46 -0700

Whenever I watch Rachael Ray or Anne Burrell make pasta on the Food Network, I get all dreamy-eyed by their pasta multi-pots. You know what I'm talking about? Those two-in-one giant pots that hold water and pasta. The inner pot is actually a colander, so when you remove it from the outer pot, the water remains and the pasta is drained.

While I marvel at how they appear on television, I can't justify getting one for myself. They're expensive (this one by Williams-Sonoma is $130) and bulky, and my studio kitchen is already overcrowded. How do you feel about them?

Announcing the Winner of the Steak and Wine Giveaway!

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:00:01 -0700

Put your hands together for YumSugar reader allegro! She is the lucky winner of our Father's Day-themed giveaway. When she heard that she had won a prize package from Williams-Sonoma that includes grass-fed steaks, grilling tools, and wine essentials, allegro said, "I'm truly honored and grateful to everyone and will be delighted to accept this prize." Well, we are just as excited to give it to you! Congratulations, allegro, and thanks to everyone else who participated.

A Round of Applause For. . .

partysugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:30:06 -0700

YumSugar reader daddio49! She is the lucky winner of our Ultimate Easter Baking giveaway. Our friends at Williams-Sonoma are sending her everything she needs to go cupcake crazy. She's the recipient of a new KitchenAid standing mixer and a bunch of fabulous accessories. I hope she enjoys her prize and shares the delicious treats she makes with us on TeamSugar. Congrats to daddio49!

Announcing the Winner of Our Valentine's Day Giveaway!

partysugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:50:33 -0800

Please join me in congratulating scooterbrown! The New Orleans resident is the lucky winner of our Sweet Valentine's Day Giveaway.

Our friends at Williams-Sonoma are sending her a deluxe KitchenAid standing mixer and all of the necessary tools for baking, including measuring bowls, spatulas, and chocolate cake mix.

I hope she enjoys her prize and shares the delicious treats she makes with us on TeamSugar. Cheers to scooterbrown!

Sunday Slow Cooker: Thomas Keller's Cassoulet

YumSugar — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:00:41 -0800

Got guests over watching the Super Bowl this weekend? You can employ the help of a low-maintenance slow cooker during the game yet still impress your party with cassoulet. One of the benchmarks of classic French cooking, it's characterized by a copious mélange of grand meats, from duck confit to fine sausages.

Since this rendition was adapted from a recipe developed by celebrity chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller, it won't fail you! To wow your family this weekend, read more.

Thomas Keller's Slow-Cooker Cassoulet
From Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients

4 lb. boneless pork shoulder, cut into 8 pieces and trimmed of excess fat
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup panko
4 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
4 cups coarsely chopped yellow onions (about 3 medium onions)
2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (35 oz.) peeled Italian plum tomatoes, drained and
coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken broth
12 cups cooked Great Northern beans or other small white
beans, drained
1 1/2 lb. fresh chorizo sausage, each halved on the bias
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1 lb. baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
Coarse sea salt, such as sel gris, for garnish

Directions

Season the pork generously with kosher salt and pepper; set aside.
In the stovetop-safe insert of a slow cooker over medium-high heat, combine the canola oil and panko. Cook, stirring constantly, until the panko is toasted and golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the panko to a baking sheet and season with kosher salt and pepper.
Add the bacon to the insert and cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Reserve the bacon fat in the insert.
Add half of the pork to the insert and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining pork.
Add the onions and 1 tsp. kosher salt to the insert and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes and broth. Remove the insert from the heat and add the beans, pork, chorizo and garlic.
Place the insert on the slow-cooker base, cover and cook on low until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, 9 to 10 hours. Skim off the fat, and remove and discard the garlic. Fold in the panko and the 1/4 cup parsley. Adjust the seasonings with kosher salt and pepper.
Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat the broiler.
Brush the baguette slices with olive oil. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, on top of the cassoulet, overlapping them. Broil until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with the reserved bacon, sea salt and parsley.

Serves 8 to 10.

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The Year's Best Kitchen Store

partysugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:00:40 -0800

As part of our Best of 2008 coverage, we asked you where you like to shop for kitchen supplies. Williams-Sonoma was the clear winner with 39 percent of the vote. YumSugar and I agree with you readers: we love Williams-Sonoma too! Not only does Williams-Sonoma have an amazing selection of quality kitchenware, but it also publishes must-read cookbooks. In November we were lucky enough to score the ultimate Thanksgiving giveaway thanks to our friends at Williams-Sonoma. The store recently launched a wine club that I look forward to checking out in 2009. What do you love about Williams-Sonoma?

Source

YumSugar Gift Guide: Last Minute Gourmet Gifts

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 11:16:11 -0800

As much as we try to avoid it, last-minute shopping inevitably seems to be a part of every holiday season. This year, do yourself a favor: Ditch the stressful, crowded mall, and shop online instead.

Email your Internet-savvy foodie friend with the gift of a customizable Tastebook; set your wine-loving college roommate up with a Wine Enthusiast subscription. For the truly special oenophile, opt for Williams-Sonoma's new wine club - a gift to enjoy year-round.

For more gift ideas, browse the selection below and check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

And the Ultimate Thanksgiving Giveaway Goes to...

partysugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:00:49 -0800

Put your hands together and give a huge congratulations to TeamSugar user pinkoliveblossom! She's the lucky winner of our Ultimate Thanksgiving Giveaway!

Williams-Sonoma is shipping her a turkey and over $700-worth of kitchen tools including a baster, brining bags, thermometer, roast lifters, twine holder, kitchen timer, potato peeler, spatulas, garlic peeler, The New Thanksgiving cookbook, and more.

I hope she enjoys her prize and shares the details of her Thanksgiving celebration with all of us!