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Cherry Cobbler Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 03:30:05 -0700

To me, one of the sweetest rewards of waiting all year long for warm weather is the sweet-tart, firm, ink-red cherries that flourish for a short season. After ogling Party's cherry pie, I decided it was high time I make my own pastry with this beloved stone fruit. Nothing's more summery than a fruit cobbler, still piping hot from the oven and covered with moist biscuit dough. I'm torn, however, between two different versions: a quickie that calls for frozen dark cherries (so I can save my fresh ones for eating out of hand), and a slightly more laborious (yet equally rewarding) adaptation that takes advantage of juicy, just-pitted fresh fruit. Which one should I make? See both when you read more

Yummy Links: From Michael Chiarello to Michael Ruhlman

partysugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:50:20 -0700

How chef Michael Chiarello deals with the crazies who come to his restaurant. - Eater SF
Calling all hot girls: Carl's Jr. wants you to star in its next burger commercial. - Eat Me Daily
Ten drinks that could only have been invented in America. - Endless Simmer
Learn how to make perfect French fries a la Bobby Flay. - Serious Eats
Take a closer look at Brooklyn's UnFancy Foods Show. - The Feedbag
Is the torta the new banh mi? - Grub Street
A brown sugar berry cobbler is a welcome finish to a Summer barbecue. - Epicurious
Michael Ruhlman discusses his new book. - Chow

52 Weeks of Baking: Peach Puzzle

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:01:31 -0700

The magazine Cook's Country recently hosted a recipe contest where their readers sent in their old-school family recipes. The winner, a crafty "Peach Puzzle" looked delicious, but didn't really catch my fancy until I read the recipe. The whole thing is prepared like an upside-down cake - with an empty ramekin placed in the middle - and when flipped over the ramekin is surprisingly full of a sweet liquid treat! It's wonderfully old-fashioned, absolutely tasty, and I actually couldn't wait to tell everyone how it was made. If you're curious yourself, then check out the recipe now, read more

Definitely serve this one warm. I had leftovers and brought them in to the office the next day. Since the liquid didn't travel well (it spilled all over), the peach puzzle was completely soggy - still tasty, but awful to look at - and had lost its crispy crust.

Peach Puzzle
From Lois Schlademan of Stow, Ohio via Cook's Country Magazine

Serves 7

Lois says to choose peaches that are neither very ripe nor rock-hard. They should give a little when squeezed. Also, be sure to invert the pie plate quickly to avoid losing any of the syrup.

Peaches and Syrup
7 medium peaches , peeled (see note)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled
6 tablespoons milk

For the peaches and syrup:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Place 6-ounce custard cup or ramekin upside down in center of 9-inch pie plate and arrange peaches around ramekin.
Combine brown sugar, water, butter, vanilla, and salt in medium saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and butter melts, about 5 minutes. Pour syrup over peaches.

For the dough:

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until blended.
Add butter and pulse until flour mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, five to six 1-second pulses.
Turn mixture into medium bowl.
To make dough by hand: Use large holes on box grater to grate frozen butter into bowl with flour mixture, then rub flour-coated pieces between your fingers until flour mixture turns pale yellow and coarse.

To assemble:

Using rubber spatula, fold milk into flour mixture, pressing mixture against sides of bowl to form dough.
Squeeze dough together and flatten into disk. On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into 9-inch circle.
Lay dough directly over peaches and press dough so that it fits snuggly around peaches. The dough will stretch as you fit it around peaches, but do not attach dough to pie plate.
Bake until top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on rack for 30 minutes.

To Serve:

Place large rimmed serving plate over top of pie plate and quickly invert Puzzle onto plate.
Cut into wedges around each peach and serve, pouring syrup over each portion.

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Happy Hour: Kiwi Cobbler

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:00:42 -0700

Last week at the market, I spotted some New Zealand kiwis for a good price. I know they're not local and organic, but they simply looked too plump and verdant to pass up, so I bought a ton. And, when life handed me a bunch of kiwis, what did I do? Make a kiwi cobbler, of course.

I'm a sucker for muddled fruit cocktails, and this one from Boston fine-dining institution Radius is no exception. I love how fresh it tastes with one whole kiwi, torn mint, and a splash of seltzer. Make it in a minute when you read more

Paula's Peach Cobbler

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:01:09 -0800

Yesterday we ran into the lovely Paula Deen at the SF Fancy Foods Show. It was wild, her publicists, assistants and handlers were keeping the Paula-loving crowd organized and in check. It was sort of dorky, all of us standing around looking at Paula, waiting for a glimpse, you'd think we were all seeing The Beatles in their prime, or something. Unfortunately we didn't get to speak to her much (shhhh... she's on some sort of a press "embargo" and "couldn't" actually talk to us).

However, it got me thinking about some of the reasons why people love her so much. I think it's because she oozes with "Southern Hospitality" and just seems so darn nice. Also, her recipes, no matter how many sticks of butter she uses, always seem comforting and tasty.

So to commemorate our brief encounter with Paula (more pictures here), I have decided to highlight one of her specialties, a lovely peach cobbler. To check out the recipe, read more

Peach Cobbler
Recipe from Paula Deen and Food Network

4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Must-Read: Dinner At My Place

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:30:49 -0700

Over the past few months, I've been testing recipes from Tyler Florence's recent cookbook: Dinner At My Place $13.57.

Although Florence has penned several other cookbooks, this one has a particularly intimate feeling because it includes his family's favorite recipes along with great menus for dinner parties.

To find out if you should add it to your cookbook collection,
read more.

Pros:

The book is divided into innovative menus and theme parties. Some examples are Crab Season, Tolan's Birthday Dinner, and Sunday Dinner. There are a wide variety of recipes in each menu, which can be easily mixed and matched.
Many of the recipes offer substitutions in case some of the ingredients are not in season or are unavailable.
The last chapter, Cheat Sheet, has over 20 basic recipes (such as creamy parmesan potato gratin, Japanese beef broth, classic French Vinaigrette) that are fast and easy staples perfect for livening up any meal.

Cons:

Tyler is the father of three children, however, I thought it was overkill to dedicate an entire chapter to baby food. Perhaps a separate book or a smaller section? After all, I'm not making puree of anything for my adult guests anytime soon.
Directions for the recipes are in paragraph format rather than number.

Recipes: There are a wide variety of recipes in each of his pre-planned menus. Here are some that caught my attention.

Garden Puree Bruschetta
Blender Béarnaise
Watermelon Nectar with Lime Salt
Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Relish
Corn Pudding with Poblano
Artichoke Fritters with Meyer Lemon Salt
Beet Cakes with Sweet Greek Yogurt
Chinese Chicken Stock
Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Imagery: There are tons of pictures, which I promise will get you salivating.

Overall Rating: This cookbook has plenty of recipes perfect for a dinner party. It's not filled with lengthy and difficult culinary challenges, but rather tasty comfort foods that an average family is sure to enjoy.

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Taste Test: Jamba Juice Oatmeal

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 11:30:38 -0700

Because I had a coupon to try Jamba Juice's new oatmeal for a buck, and because Monday in San Francisco started with a serious chill, I decided to mix up my usual cold cereal routine and try this warm treat for a change.

Jamba has been advertising this organic oatmeal generously in its storefronts, and the photos of creamy oats topped with fruit enticed me. You can choose from apple-cinnamon, blueberry-blackberry, or banana, all enhanced with "brown sugar crumble."

As you can tell, the genuine article (at right) didn't exactly match Jamba Juice's description or the photos. To see what it's supposed to look like, and to hear what I thought, read more.

Below, is how the oatmeal is pictured online: a nice little cup of oatmeal, topped with a dollop of seemingly fresh fruit and sprinkled with crumbly brown sugar. But rather than a crumble, I got what looked like brown sugar served with a melon baller - and way too much of it.

The fruit, which I mistakenly assumed would be fresh, was actually a jam-like fruit compote better suited to a cobbler. It was somewhat gelatinous and also quite sugary; now I understand why this oatmeal is 280 to 290 calories, something that perplexed me at first. Though the banana version uses fresh fruit, the apple-cinnamon topping is also a premade "compote."

Too bad, because the oatmeal itself was good: nutty and chewable and rich in earthy flavor. But it was hard to taste with the mixed berry goo invading from the top. I'd much rather have the oatmeal on its own, or topped with real fruit. It was definitely better than instant oatmeal, and the hearty portion kept me full, but I don't know that it was worth $3. Good thing I only paid a buck.

Obama Calls Spiaggia's Tony Mantuano His "Favorite Chef"

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:00:16 -0800

Since Barack Obama was elected as president, we've learned a fair amount about the commander in chief's food preferences. He enjoys johnnycakes and peach cobbler, and prefers his burger medium-well with salad on the side. The newest item to add to his list of loves? Tony Mantuano, executive chef of Spiaggia.

Spiaggia, one of the Windy City's premier restaurants, has always been a special occasion favorite for the president and first lady. When the Levy Restaurant group - which owns Spiaggia and handles special catering for the Washington, DC's Verizon Center - learned the president would be at the Bulls-Wizards game last Friday, it flew Mantuano to the nation's capital to surprise Obama with dinner. Mantuano recalls:

When Obama walked out and saw me there, he did a classic double take and said, "What are you doing here?" It was hilarious. He called the photographer over and said, "Take a picture of me with my favorite chef." He said "favorite chef." I've got witnesses!

For dinner, the executive chef cooked Obama his favorite dish from Spiaggia, scallops made in a wood-fired oven, adding that the president "always orders them."

With its cheese cave, floor-to-ceiling views, and 700-bottle wine list, Spiaggia's on my list of Chicago destinations. Hearing how much Obama loves the chef has me coveting a table there even more - and I'll surely try the wood-fired scallops. Those of you who've been to Spiaggia: Are you a fan of Tony Mantuano's cooking?

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The Ultimate Bar: Cocktail Shaker

partysugar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:58:13 -0700

The most important tool for the home mixologist is the cocktail shaker. If you buy only one accessory for your bar, buy this essential utensil. Cocktail shakers serve to effectively combine the elements of a drink and quickly chill the mixture before it is poured into a glass. There are two types of cocktail shakers the cobbler and the Boston. The cobbler, like the sleek shaker at left ($10.00), is the classic 3 part shaker that consists of a metal tumbler, a snug fitting lid, and a small cap that fits over the lid and covers the strainer that is built into the lid. This is most commonly used when entertaining at home. The Boston shaker, commonly found behind professional bars, has two parts: a larger metal mixing tumbler and a smaller glass tumbler that fits together to form a sealed container. A few more shakers so read more

The bartender's best friend, this Boston cocktail shaker has a durable glass measuring cup that will not stick and is dishwasher safe. At $45.00 it's a little more expensive than the cobbler but if you're considered an expert mixologist it's worth the splurge.

For the hostess with the mostess, who has an amazingly chic apartment, a sleek cocktail shaker is a must. I love this moderately priced ($35.00) stainless steel shaker with removeable hawthorne strainer and streamlined, flat top.

Top Chef 5.3 - Foo Fighters Thanksgiving Recap

partysugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:15:34 -0800

This week on a Thanksgiving episode of Top Chef, the Foo Fighters made a special appearance and award-winning chef and cancer survivor, Grant Achatz, was the guest judge. To discuss the episode (warning: spoilers ahead), read more.

Grant Achatz: kind of a hottie?
Watching the start of the quickfire, did you want the Top Chef cookbook? I did!
Do you like white asparagus?
Were you surprised that Leah selected the most confident chefs?
Do you consider Ariane a cougar?
Can you imagine cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a microwave?
Hosea made a fruit cobbler and referred to it as not his "most proud dessert." Would you serve a mediocre dessert to the judges?
What dish did you want to eat at Thanksgiving? I want to try Fabio's pumpkin tiramisu.
Was it weird how the elimination challenge had no winner?
Between Jeff, Richard, and Danny, who deserved to go home?

To learn how to dress like Padma, check out our new site, CelebStyle.

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