YumSugar

Join Us Today For Park(ing) Day!

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

In case you weren't aware, today is Park(ing) Day, a yearly event where businesses and volunteers take the time to construct parks in parking spaces in an effort to make the world a greener place.

We'll be hosting a special taste challenge at CasaSugar's Sweet Spot Park, so stop by between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. today to participate. CasaSugar's Sweet Spot Park will be in downtown San Francisco from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Howard Street between 2nd Street and New Montgomery. In addition to our fun, one lucky winner will be walking away with a $1,000 IKEA gift card courtesy of CasaSugar, and geeksugar will be on hand to show you the latest in solar technology.

Can't make it to our Park(ing) Day celebration? We'll keep you posted with the results of our taste challenge. Are you going to visit any Park(ing) Day parks in your town?

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Welcome CasaSugar! Win A $5,000 west elm Sweepstakes!

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:56:31 -0700

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Sugar Network Family, CasaSugar!

Offering design ideas and inspiration,
CasaSugar is the place to indulge all of your home-related hankerings, from decorating trends and gardening tips to strategies for getting organized. For a more complete list of features, visit CasaSugar now!

To celebrate the launch of CasaSugar, we have teamed up with our generous friends at west elm to offer a fabulous $5,000 sweepstakes!

Entering is easy: Just visit the contest page and create a wish list of your favorite west elm products worth up to $5,000. By creating and saving your list, you'll be entered to win all of the items on it! You must be a TeamSugar member to enter, so register here if you aren't already.

You can edit your list as much as you'd like between now and when the contest closes on August 19 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Please, only one entry per person. One grand prize winner (chosen at random) will receive all of his or her wish list items, and your west elm makeover will be featured on CasaSugar. In addition, we'll also randomly choose 100 second prize winners, who'll each receive $25 west elm gift certificates.

Let's Dish: What's the Star of Your Thanksgiving Meal?

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:50:57 -0800

A fellow Sugar staffer and I were discussing the subject of stuffing versus dressing when the conversation got a little sidetracked. When I mentioned that it (whatever you want to call it!) was the star of last year's Thanksgiving meal, we started sharing the dishes we're most anticipating this holiday. For TrèsSugar, it's mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce; for PetSugar, it's apple pie. To CasaSugar, the answer's obvious: the bird!

The star of my supper always seems to alternate between sourdough bread stuffing and a vegetable side, like these beloved brussels sprouts with bacon. What dish do you consider to be the star of your Thanksgiving feast?
Do you have an standout Thanksgiving recipe? Please participate in our Thanksgiving recipe challenge. All you have to do is upload your recipe, an image, and a brief description to the Kitchen Goddess group. If you're lucky, we might just feature your recipe here on YumSugar!

Source: Flickr User CarbonNYC

Yummy Links: From Wooden Bowls to Masa Harina

partysugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:45:12 -0700

Check out CasaSugar's exclusive interview with wooden bowl crafter Nick Stagg. - CasaSugar
Is it okay to eat on public transportation? - Chow
A new study shows that consumption of coffee might be good for you! - Slashfood
An easy way to clean your grill is by rubbing it with raw onion. - The Kitchn
McCain vs. Obama: how their culinary choices may affect the presidency.- The Epi-Log
Edible chic: finger food rings. - Serious Eats
What exactly is masa harina? - Baking Bites

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Yummy Links: From Zucchini to Buttercream Frosting

partysugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:45:05 -0700

A surprising tip for making delicious zucchini. - Gourmet
These cactus napkins are ideal for a hoedown! - CasaSugar
Fabulous recipes that use Fall produce. - Chow
Submit your best tailgating recipes to win a trip to the Super Bowl. - Epi-Log
Would you eat this hamburger fatty melt? - Serious Eats
Everything you need to plan a spooky chic dinner party. - Hostess with the Mostess
Get to know some of your favorite food bloggers better. - Cookthink Questionnaire
Make the perfect buttercream frosting. - The Kitchn

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Yummy Links: From Pumpkin Muffins to Easy Dinner Prep

partysugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:00:58 -0700

Celebrate Fall with these delicious-looking orange frosted pumpkin muffins. - Erin Cooks
Lace shopping baskets will make you look chic while browsing the farmers market. - CasaSugar
The right way to pour sparkling wine. - Chow
Behind the scenes of a home-cooked wedding. - The Kitchn
Travel the world in your own kitchen with 80 exotic and interesting recipes. - Epicurious
Show your love for serious eats with one of these fabulous t-shirts. - Serious Eats
Sweet meets savory in a scrumptious French toast and bacon sandwich. - Baking Bites
How to prepare dinner more efficiently. - Real Simple

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Yummy Links: From a Vegan's Vengeance to Food Network

partysugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:45:42 -0700

If you love foodie fiction, check out this crime novel in which a vegan gets his vengeance. - San Francisco Magazine
These cheesecake pops are pretty and delicious. - GlamDish
Check out the new and improved Chow.com. - Chow
Learn everything you need to know about 16 varieties of potatoes.- The Kitchn
In what must be the most absurd announcement of the week, PETA has asked Ben & Jerry to make ice cream with breast milk.- The Epi-Log
Wine wipes will get rid of red wine-stained teeth. - Serious Eats
How to unclog your coffee grinder.- CasaSugar
Food Network's holding casting calls for the fifth season of The Next Food Network Star; do you have what it takes? - Grubstreet

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Taste Test: Crunch vs. Krackel

partysugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:15:01 -0700

Last Friday after hearing the news that Hershey's had changed its chocolate formula, YumSugar and I decided to perform a taste test. Luckily we had the perfect place to host a chocolate taste test - CasaSugar's space at Park(ing) Day! For the taste test, we pitted Nestle's Crunch against Hershey's Krackel. To check out the taste test in action watch the video below!

To see the results, read more.

We blind folded each participant. Next we gave them a bite of Krackel followed by a bite of Crunch. The taster had to answer the following three questions:

Which is the Krackel and which is the Crunch?
Which tastes better?
Which tastes more chocolate-y?

According to our tasters:

47 percent think Krackel tastes better
53 percent think Crunch tastes better
79 percent could identify when blindfolded, while 21 percent guessed wrong!
33 percent thought Krackel was more chocolatey
67 percent thought Crunch was more chocolatey
Split on which was crunchier

If you were to choose one, which do you prefer: Hershey's Krackel or Nestle's Crunch?

View 11 Photos ›

Yummy Links: From Obama Waffles to Washing Dishes

partysugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:45:30 -0700

Bad taste: Obama Waffle mix. - Slashfood
Make your kitchen hazard-free. - Chow
Does food really travel 1,500 miles from farm to table? - Slate
Toast the last days of Summer with sparkling margarita floats. - Hostess with the Mostess
How to cook with quinoa.- The Kitchn
Can service at a restaurant ever be too good?- The Epi-Log
The do's and don't's of sandwich bags. - Simply Stated
The city of Toronto may ban paper coffee cups. - Serious Eats
Be more energy-efficient when washing dishes.- CasaSugar

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CasaSugar's Flaming Tongs of Fire Punch

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:00:00 -0800

Every year CasaSugar and her sweetie throw a big, holiday party called a Feuerzangenbowle. The place is well decorated with homemade-snowflake chandeliers, but the highlight of the party is the actual Feuerzangenbowle - German for "tongs of fire punch" - which contains fruity and mulled wine and a flaming rum. A sugar cone is soaked in rum and placed above the punch. It is then lit and the flaming sugar drips into the holiday wine. It's definitely a festive and unique way to ring in the holidays!

This photo was taken before the cone was lit, but if you'd like to see photos of it aflame, as well as get the recipe and techniques on how to make the Tongs of Fire Punch at home, read more.

Recipe and story from our very own CasaSugar

On Saturday, my fiance and I hosted a Feuerzangenbowle holiday party. (It's pronounced, approximately, foy-etz-ong-ah-bowl-ah.) Feuerzangenbowle (German for "tongs of fire punch") is a traditional fruity and mulled wine finished with flaming rum. The Zuckerhut (sugar cone) is soaked in Barcardi 151, and then lit so that the flaming goodness drips into the heady and seasonal brew. The lighting of the punch serves as a particularly festive kickoff to a cozy little holiday gathering. During the party, four different Zuckerhuts were lit, and my fiance would chant a little incantation before each lighting (this actually is just lyrics to a Tool song he recites in German, but it sounds very old-worldly for those of us who don't speak German).

My fiance and I are foodies, and he is an amazing cook. He went all out for the party-on Friday night he was up until 3 a.m. grilling eggplant, peppers, portabella mushroom, and squash. He also made three pounds of gravlax, which is raw salmon that's cured in salt, brown sugar, and spices over many days. He also made an amazing pumpkin dip. We bought a bunch of cheeses, cold cuts, and German appetizers from the local European deli The Junket, and bought stinky goat cheeses and delicious breads from The Cheese Board. We also served Egyptian dukkah spices with olive oil and bread, quince paste with Manchego, and ridiculous Christmas cookies from Neldham's, Oakland's Scandinavian bakery. One friend brought homemade Pfeffernusse cookies, other friends brought cakes, savory dips, and more delicious offerings.

And I was so busy socializing I forgot to eat!

We put out a lot of holiday decorations, many of which I made, and I'll post about these on Casa, and moved around the furniture to allow for the numerous guests who filtered through the house (and the multiple children who were found under tables, on tables, or behind tables depending on the time of the night).

All in all, it was a fun party, and I was happy to have some Sugar friends show up and enjoy the festivities! I definitely recommend the "Christmas in a cup" punch.

For the recipe for the punch, just .

Ingredients:
Bowle/Punch
3 bottles of red wine (2-3 liters total)
2 cinnamon sticks
cardamom
allspice
1-2 oranges
1-2 lemons
5 cloves

Zuckerhut
A German Zuckerhut (sugar cone)

Zuckerhut/Sugar Cone
1 German sugar cone/loaf*
1 bottle of rum

Directions:
1. In a large pot or kettle filled with red wine, add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and allspice. Cut up the oranges and lemons (optional: make peel spirals), crush fruit to release the juice, and add to the punch along with the cloves. Warm to a steaming mixture. Do not boil!
2. Place a German sugar cone (Zuckerhut, sugar loaf)* on a metal rack/screen or clamped in metal tongs above the warm punch. (Substitute sugar cubes if you can't get a Zuckerhut.) Slowly pour high-proof rum over the Zuckerhut or sugar cubes and let soak for a minute. Carefully light the Zuckerhut or sugar cubes and let the flaming sugar carmelize and drip into the punch mix. Add rum as needed to keep the flame going until the Zuckerhut process is done. Serve the punch hot in mugs or hot-tea glasses. (Note: Traditionally, Feuerzangenbowle was prepared with the Zuckerhut sitting on crossed swords atop the pot.)

*ZUCKERHUT: A German sugar cone or sugar loaf (lit. "sugar hat") is made of compressed Raffinade (refined sugar) in a cone shape. A German description of Raffinade: "Ein Zucker von höchster Reinheit und bester Qualität. Die Raffinade wird aus sehr reinen Zuckerlösungen gewonnen und entspricht hohen Ansprüchen." (A sugar of highest purity and best quality. Raffinade is made from very pure sugar solutions and meets high standards.) If you can't get the real thing, substitute sugar cubes in the recipe above.

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