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How To Host a Chili Cook-off

partysugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:00:40 -0800

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of speaking with three of San Francisco's busiest chefs, the men behind the PlumpJack restaurant kitchens. Jack Falstaff's Jonnatan Leiva, PlumpJack Cafe's Rick Edge, and Balboa Cafe's Jose Lemus each stopped by Balboa to deliver a batch of their ultimate chili. The chefs, along with the firefighters of Station 16, are taking part in an annual chili cook-off, benefiting the San Francisco Firefighter Toy Program. Each chef submitted a recipe for a different type of chili. From now until Friday, November 7th, diners at Balboa will have the chance to sample all four and vote on their favorite. If you don't live in San Francisco you may not be able to taste the chili, but you could host your own chili contest! A chili cook-off is the perfect alternative to a formal Thanksgiving dinner or ideal for game day. To check out my ideas for hosting your own chili cook-off and the PlumpJack chefs' tips for making the best chili,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Oct. 28-Nov. 3

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:33 -0700

This week is all about quality over quantity: There aren't as many festivals on our radar, but all of them are can't-miss events. The Giant Omelette Celebration is sure to be an egg-cellent time. Now that we have yet another excuse to drink beer, let's enjoy some at the Great World Beer Fest. And a festival that's all about tamales? Who couldn't get behind that?!

Know of anything we've left out? Drop us a line in the comments below!

Denver, CO: Denver International Wine Festival — Oct. 29-Nov. 1
Terlingua, TX: International Championship Chili Cook-Off — Oct. 30-Nov. 1
New York, NY: Great World Beer Fest — Oct. 31-Nov. 1
Apalachicola, FL: Florida Seafood Festival — Oct. 31-Nov. 1

To see the rest,

Beef Chili Two Ways — Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:00:19 -0700

October is National Chili Month, and beef, with its unmistakably robust flavor, is the classic meat that's used in this dish. Aside from being an enduring crowd-pleaser, beef chili is also affordable to make, portable, and just as great-tasting the next day. The beginner recipe is a quick, effortless weeknight meal, while the expert recipe, developed by celebrity chef and southwestern specialist Bobby Flay, elevates chili to a gourmet level. To try both,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Oct. 14-20, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:00:42 -0700

It's only Tuesday, but I'm already looking forward to the multitude of festivals this weekend.

There are so many in the Bay Area alone that I can't decide whether to hit up the Santana Row Pear Festival, the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, or the Monterey Wine Festival. I suppose I might just rock them all!

Have we left something out? If so, please drop us a line in the comments below!

San Francisco, CA: Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting — Oct. 14
New York, NY: At the Table: New York — Oct. 14
Torrance, CA: Oktoberfest at Alpine Village — Oct. 14-20
Circleville, OH: Circleville Pumpkin Show — Oct. 15-18
Monterey, CA: Monterey Wine Festival — Oct. 16-18
Tulsa, OK: Tulsa Oktoberfest — Oct. 16-19
Crowley, LA: International Rice Festival — Oct. 16-19
New York, NY: 6th Annual Gourmet Institute — Oct. 17-19
Paso Robles, CA: Harvest Wine Weekend — Oct. 17-19

To see the rest,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 23-29, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:00:54 -0700

This week, spice up your free time with the chili cook-offs that are setting the country aflame. Whether you're looking for an epicurean adventure at the Bellagio, or something more along the lines of a back-country roadkill cook-off, you're in luck. Check out what's going on in your neck of the woods this week, and let us know if we've left anything off the list!

Sante Fe, NM: Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta — Sept. 24-28
Las Vegas, NV: Gourmet's Taste of Bellagio — Sept. 25
New York, NY: Joy of Sake New York — Sept. 25
Providence, RI: Food for Thought — Sept. 25
London, KY: World Chicken Festival — Sept. 25-28

To see the rest,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 16-22, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:25 -0700

In the height of good weather, food and festivity abound, and right about now, I'm wishing I could teleport myself around the United States. First I'd hit up Manhattan for Wine 2.0's wine sampling this week, followed by the Shrimp & Grits Festival in Georgia, and then some classic Eli's cheesecake in the Windy City. Don't miss out on these events — if you do, you'll have to wait another year!

New York, NY: The StarChefs Rising Stars Revue New York — Sept. 16
New York, NY: Epicurious Wine.Dine.Donate New York — Sept. 17
New York, NY: Wine 2.0 New York — Sept. 18
Atlantic City, NJ: Celebrity Chef Tour Atlantic City — Sept. 18
Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA: Delaware River Food & Wine Festival — Sept. 18-21
Nappanee, IN: Nappanee Apple Festival — Sept. 18-21
La Crescent, MN: Applefest 08 — Sept. 18-21
Leavenworth, WA: Wenatchee River Salmon Festival — Sept. 18-21

To see the rest,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 9-15, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:00:41 -0700

Events are all over the map this week, especially in New York and California. As usual, there's no shortage of festivals for the oenophile. The other activities, however, really demonstrate our country's appreciation for regional American foods, from shellfish on the Eastern seaboard to kolaches in Texas.

New York, NY: A Taste of the Village — Sept. 10
Murphysboro, IL: Murphysboro Apple Festival — Sept. 10-14
San Diego, CA: Spirits of Mexico — Sept. 11-13
Traverse City, MI: Traverse Epicurean Classic — Sept. 11-13
Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Shout Blues, Brews, & BBQ — Sept. 12-13
Grapevine, TX: Grapevine's GrapeFest — Sept. 11-14
Greenville, SC: Euphoria — Sept. 11-14

To see the rest,

Six Makeshift Pantry Meals

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:30:09 -0700

You know the scenario: You arrive home late, need to put a meal on the table, and haven't gone grocery shopping. Rather than going out to eat an expensive dinner, stay home and whip up a last-minute meal from the ingredients right out of your cupboard! Here are six of our favorites.

Noteworthy Nibbles — Aug. 12-19, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:00:41 -0700

This week, we've changed things up: We've decided to give you more advance notice about each weekend's food festivals, so that you have more time to plan on attending! From gulf shrimp to beef to peaches to mushrooms, there's many a local favorite to celebrate.

Here's a roundup of exciting events going on around the country:

Houston, TX: Houston Restaurant Week — Aug. 11-17
Delcambre, LA: Delcambre Shrimp Festival — Aug. 13-17
Mammoth Lakes, CA: Mammoth Festival of Wine, Music & Food — Aug. 15-17
Red River, NM: Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights — Aug. 14-16
Boston, MA: Fisherman's Feast — Aug. 14-17
Crested Butte, CO: Crested Butte Mushroom Festival — Aug. 14-17

To see the rest,

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:15:39 -0700

I recently whipped up the fair favorite pictured below. It's so bad for you, it's good! Can you identify this southwestern delight?