YumSugar

Keep 'Em Guessing With Complex Flavors of Tonnato Sauce

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:30:02 -0700

Two weekends ago, I joined a friend at a potluck dinner organized by Slow Food San Francisco. While I do support the movement's good, clean, and fair principles, I also realized I'd probably be dining amongst a fair share of victory garden-sowing, microwave-loathing culinary crusaders. Eager to please the environmentally aware diners at the potluck, I decided to bring a wholesome spread of unadulterated vegetables fresh from that morning's farmers market, served alongside a rustic Italian tuna sauce.

Flash-forward to dinner - I'd returned to the serving table for seconds after filling my plate with a few too many vegan farro and quinoa courses the first time around. As I reached for my tonnato and vegetables, and the guy next to me in line interrupted. "Have you tried that? I can't figure out what it is, but it is absolutely delicious. And have you ever seen a purple carrot before?!" I blushed, explained what went into the tonnato, and considered my mission to impress Slow Foodies accomplished. See the crowd-pleasing recipe.

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:15:03 -0800

The dip below would be ideal at a Super Bowl party. It's generally served with crudités or thick-cut potato chips. Sometimes it's used to dress salads. Do you know what this dip is called?

Definition: Crudités

YumSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:00:27 -0800

Crudités
pronounced crew-dee-tay
Traditional French appetizers of raw or blanched vegetables, served with a dipping sauce. Popular crudités include celery sticks, carrots, bell pepper strips, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, and endive.

Source

10 Unexpected Thanksgiving Leftovers

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 04:00:00 -0800

Thanksgiving leftovers can sometimes be too much of a good thing. Tons of turkey meat and side dishes can be great, but not if they mean eating uninspired leftovers with monotonous flavors. Thankfully, there's loads you can do with leftovers beyond pot pie, sandwiches, and chili. Here are ten of our favorite new ideas.

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Cheesiest Odd Couple: Amy Sedaris and Martha Stewart

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:18:11 -0700

If you're in need of a little Friday afternoon pick-me-up, I have just the thing for you. Thanks to FourFour, I discovered that entertainer extraordinaire Amy Sedaris appeared on Martha Stewart's show. It was her second visit, and this time she and Martha spent a few minutes making cheeseballs. I love the way Amy - in her adorably childish dress - makes crass jokes about bongwater, while Martha - who is ever so diplomatic - glides right over them with such grace. I think they might be the best odd couple pairing ever, and the video is definitely worth viewing. To check out both video clips, read more

Making Cheeseballs:

Making Veggie Crudites:

Come Party With Me: High School Graduation - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:15:13 -0700

This week I'm planning the ultimate high school graduation party. Most high schools host a grad night after the ceremony where students get to celebrate together one last time. To ensure that they won't miss the festivities at either the grad night or their family's gathering, throw the personal party in the days following the graduation. The majority of graduates will have some sort of get together, and guests may be party-hopping, so take that into consideration when selecting a menu. Instead of offering a formal, sit-down dinner, opt for heavy appetizers or a casual, make-ahead buffet. This menu consists of comforting, simple, kid-friendly party food.

You can't go wrong with classics like seven-layer dip with tortilla chips and ranch dip with crudites. Pressed mozzarella and tomato sandwiches get more flavorful over time, and beef sliders with cheese and spicy mayonnaise are hearty enough to satiate the football players. For these crowd-pleasing recipes, read more.

Seven-Layer Bean Dip
From Better Crocker

Ingredients

1 can (16 oz) refried beans
1 package (1 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
1 cup chunky salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded Cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 medium tomato, diced (3/4 cup)
Tortilla chips, if desired

Directions

In medium bowl, mix refried beans and taco seasoning mix. Spread mixture on large platter.
In another medium bowl, mix cream cheese and chiles. Carefully spread over bean mixture.
Top with salsa, lettuce, cheese, olives and tomato. Refrigerate until serving time. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 16.

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Ranch Dip with Vegetables
From Sara Moulton

Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 carrots, cut into sticks
6 celery ribs, cut into sticks
1 seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), cut into sticks
1 small jicama, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into sticks
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes (9 ounces)
thick cut, crinkle potato chips (optional for serving)

Directions

Stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl until combined well. Chill dip, covered, until slightly thickened, at least 1 hour (for flavors to develop).
Serve dip with vegetables and potato chips.

Serves 12.

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Sliders with Chipotle Mayonnaise
From Bobby Flay

Ingredients

Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 lime, juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sliders:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, 80/20
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cheese slices, your choice
Mini burger buns
Pickles, Red onion slices, tomatoes, lettuce, optional for topping

Directions

Make the Chipotle Mayonnaise: Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Make the Sliders: Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
Form the meat into 2 to 3-ounce portions, packed tightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Place the sliders on the grill. Wait until they are nice and crusty on the first side, about 4 to 5 minutes and then flip and cook another 4 minutes. When the sliders are about done, top with desired cheese and close the grill, allowing the cheese to melt.
Place the slider on mini burger buns and top with chipotle mayonnaise and any other desired toppings.

Serves 6-8.

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Pressed Mozzarella and Tomato Sandwich
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, reserving 1 tablespoon oil
1/2 loaf ciabatta bread (about 5 ounces), split horizontally and hollowed out
Romaine lettuce leaves
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard and oil until thick; spread on bread.
Layer bottom half of bread with some of the lettuce, then cheese, tomatoes, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining lettuce and bread.
Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic; place on a baking sheet. Top with another sheet, and weight down with canned goods or a heavy skillet.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight to meld flavors. Cut in half, and serve.

Serves 2.

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PartySugar Behind The Bash: Beats For Boobs

partysugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:33:33 -0700

Last Thursday night, I was invited to a fundraiser that kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness month. Put on by the organization Beats For Boobs, the event was a celebration of art, fashion, food, and music with the focus on breast cancer awareness. The annual fundraiser began in 2003 as a reaction to event producer Juliana Cochnar's mother's diagnosis with breast cancer.

The Invite: In flyer form with the image shown at left. It stated that guests wear pink... and lots of it!

The Look: An over the top explosion of all things pink. Tons of fresh, beautiful pink floral arrangements, pink tablecloths, pink ribbons, pink silverware, napkins, etc.

The Menu: A smörgåsbord of scrumptious, slow roasted pork tenderloin chunks; fresh vegetarian spring rolls; sticky sweet barbequed chicken wings; crunchy crudites with creamy dips; cheeses; crackers; and much much more. For dessert they had cupcakes with candies in the shape of nipples for garnish!
The Music: A rowdy mix of remixed hits, bumping beats, and smooth house. To promote feminine empowerment, the DJs were all female.

To check out all the pictures I took - there was a fire dancer! - and to see my tips on how to host a breast cancer party in your own home, read more

Invite friends to come over for a cocktail style bash. Create an all pink invite and encourage guests - boys and girls - to come "pinked out." Ask guests to make a donation to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. When friends arrive, ask them a trivia question that relates to breast cancer knowledge. For example, at what age should you start to get a mammogram? (Answer: 40) Remind guests of the importance of performing a self examination each month.
Decorate with everything pink. Check out your local party supply store. Most will have plenty of breast cancer themed goodies. Streamers, balloons, ribbons, etc. all of it should be in shades of pink. Fill vases with your favorite pink flowers.
Serve a selection of your favorite foods. Offer a little bit of everything from meats to cheeses to crackers, breads, olives, and veggies. Get pink plates, silverware, and napkins.
Play a mix of your current favorite songs and get the party started!

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