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Test Your Canned Foods IQ!

YumSugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:00:07 -0800

Canned goods may get a bad rap once in a while, but they deserve an upstanding reputation. Not only is canned food ultra-safe and convenient, but it's also consistently affordable.

If you haven't restocked your pantry with cans yet this year, now's the time to do it - February is National Canned Food Month! How much do you know about this method of preservation, which has saved household dinners for over a century? Find out when you take our quiz.

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Can You Identify These Brands?

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:10:31 -0800

February is national canned food month, and even the snobbiest of food snobs out there must surely purchase some sort of canned food, such as tomatoes for homemade sauce. In fact canned foods are so common, I wonder if you could identify the brands by looks alone. I took some nationally recognizable canned food brands and blurred out their logos. Can you identify them?

Source

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Spam Turns 70 - Take a Quiz to Celebrate!

YumSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:03:33 -0800

A little while back, our very own canibits presented me with a loverly can of Spam. Turns out the luncheon meat that you either love or love to hate is turning 70 this year. To celebrate I thought I'd test your Spam knowledge. Think you know what this stuff is made of? Then give it your best shot!

Take the quiz

Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:00:31 -0800

When done properly, a table runner and tablecloth can both be used to create a harmonious and gorgeous table setting. Think of it like you would clothing: if one is patterned and textured, the other should be simple and plain. Here, a rich brown-velvet runner is placed on top of an elegant white cloth. Golden beaded chargers serve as accents and white serving ware - plates and bowls - let the food be the focal point. Fill glass bottles with the orange wine and fresh water. Candles and flowers are essential to achieve a festive and celebratory mood.

How do you plan on decorating your Thanksgiving table? Share your ideas below!

Fast & Easy Dinner: Shrimp and Ginger Stir-Fry

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:20 -0800

As much as I love talking and thinking about Thanksgiving, sometimes it's nice to take a quick break from the all-American feast and enjoy a simple Asian-inspired meal.

In this recipe, shrimp is combined with a gingery soy sauce, chunks of red pepper, and slivers of green onions. Served on a bed of rice, it makes for a light and flavorful alternative to the season's plethora of comfort foods.

Remember a recipe is merely a guide, and many vegetables, from red onions to broccolini, can be used in place of the ones listed in the ingredients. To learn the method, read more.

Shrimp and Ginger Stir-Fry
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp, tails removed
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
white rice, for serving

Directions

To make ginger juice, place finely grated ginger in a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl.With a spoon, press down firmly until juices are released. Discard the solids; whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 cup water; set sauce aside.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the shrimp, turning once, until just opaque, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon oil; repeat with remaining shrimp. Set shrimp aside.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan; cook bell peppers and white parts of scallions over medium-high heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Whisk reserved sauce; pour into pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Add shrimp and green parts of scallions; stir until coated with sauce, 30 seconds more. Serve immediately with rice.

Serves 4.

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Share Your Fabulous Food Photos!

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:15:26 -0800

Are you drooling over the yummy-looking food photos in the YumSugar Community? Then add some of your own! We've got a group called Savory Sights, where you can upload mouth-watering images of foods and drinks you've made, consumed, or just salivated over. Speaking of which, doesn't this blueberry scone uploaded by Nancita look delicious? Upload your photos, and you might be featured on YumSugar! There are lots of ways to share, so read on to learn more.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:30:25 -0800

This holiday, make a homemade crust with shortening for an apple pie you won't forget.
Enter to win our ultimate Thanksgiving package!
Top Chef took food into the bedroom; did you watch?
You'll want to make this Maryland-style crab dip again and again.
It's a tired turkey day no more, thanks to Party's bold flavorful Thanksgiving.
Can you identify which classic dishes were named after people?
Decide what seasonal cocktails to serve with your big feast.

Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:30:13 -0800

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving! With less than a fortnight to go, the biggest food holiday of the year seems to be all we can think about.

In fact, we're so pumped that we're sending one of you home with everything you could possibly need for the ultimate feast.

Did you gobble up all of the information this week? Take our quiz to find out.

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Study Reveals UK Throws Away $20 Billion in Food a Year

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:44 -0800

With the biggest meal of the year a mere two weeks away, here's something to keep in mind: reducing food waste. The British government has just released a new report that reveals each year, the country throws away more than $20 billion in consumable food and drink.

According to the Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP), the UK's food waste is topping 6.6 million tons annually. By tossing less, consumers could prevent food from being directed to landfill sites - an act that would prevent 15 million tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions yearly. (Once it becomes landfill, food produces methane, another potent greenhouse gas.) WRAP aims to reduce waste by 250,000 tons by March 2011.

I can only imagine what the results of a food waste study would be in the United States. Hopefully, this is an initiative that our administration is looking into - although the first step is definitely consumer awareness. How mindful are you of not wasting food?

Top Chef Vegas: Episode 11

partysugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:00:55 -0800

After a brief hiatus with last week's Fabio-hosted reunion dinner, we went back to Vegas - and into Padma's hotel room - for this week's episode of Top Chef.

The final six chefs started things off by cooking breakfast in bed for their fearless hostess and her celebrity chef friend Nigella Lawson. For the elimination challenge, each contestant created a dish for a party, drawing inspiration from different casinos on the strip. Who was playing to win? Let's talk about it when you read more.

I love how Nigella said Eli's dish "would be" good hangover food - you know, in theory. Whose quickfire dish would you want to eat if you were hungover?
How did you feel about Nigella as a guest judge?
What casino do you think would be hardest to base a dish around?
Kevin's dish looked great, but can anyone explain what it had to do with the Mirage?
Why do you think Jennifer has seemingly lost so much of her confidence?
With all the focus on Bryan's son and family life, did you think he might get kicked off?
Isn't it odd that the remaining guys are sharing a room? Shouldn't they be able to spread out by now?
What was up with the wind in that party venue?
Are buffalo wings something you associate with New York City? What iconic NYC food would you riff on in Michael's position?
How do you feel about who won and lost?

Photo courtesy of Bravo