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Is Cooking a Way to Heat up a Date?

partysugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:33:34 -0700

Being single, I've had my fair share of online dating experiences. However no online dating service seems as exciting as this cooking show that FitSugar told me about. The interesting website - Feed Me, the Brooklyn Cooking Dating Show - invites two singles into the kitchen. They cook together, and the date is filmed and then posted for all to see on the site.

I love the concept behind this idea: that food and cooking can bring two people together. However, you won't see me on an episode anytime soon - the service is for New York residents only.

It did get me thinking about cooking and the effect it can have on romantic relationships. What do you think about the service? Is cooking a way to heat up a date?

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Yummy Links: From Hot Cocoa to Date Foods

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 06:58:12 -0800

Looking for the best hot cocoa? Check out the results to this hot chocolate taste test. - Serious Eats
It's good to read that women wield the power in today's wine world. - Napa Valley Register
Going on a road trip? Here are a few tips on how to eat healthy while traveling. - FitSugar
Shipping goodies to someone for the holidays? Read these tips for shipping baked goods before you do. - Baking Bites

Folks tend to pack on the pounds during the holidays, this 580 calorie slice of pizza probably doesn't help. - Slashfood
Is your tree lacking something? Try this easy plan for an edible garland. - lilsugar
As the weather gets colder, try one of these ten comforting cool-weather drinks. - iVillage
Got some great lighting ideas? Be sure to get your casa cravings in! - CasaSugar
Going out on a date? Here is some advice on which foods to avoid. - Chow

What Do You Eat On A Date?

partysugar — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 05:45:13 -0700

The other day my gal pal DearSugar was talking about sharing food on the first date. The whole conversation got me thinking about what is the perfect date food. What do you guys think? What do you eat on a date?

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Fall Pantry Favorite: Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:41 -0700

At a recent happy hour hosted by a friend, I found myself conveniently placed near a certain charismatic snack: rustic crisps studded with slivers of dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. Despite my attempts to save my appetite for dinner, I couldn't pull myself away from the crackers, which were just as habit-forming when eaten alone as they were with a slather of good goat cheese.

After a little research, I learned that Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps, as they're called, hail from Canada and come in a multitude of flavors, like Raisin Pecan, Fig and Olive, and Salty Date and Almond, and are sold at many Whole Foods stores. I tried several flavors, but the hazelnut, with its mild nuttiness, paired with the slightly chewy consistency of the cranberries, remains my hands-down favorite combination. I'm keeping some stocked to make a mark at impromptu gatherings this Fall.

Have you ever tried Lesley Stowe's Raincoast Crisps?

Chipotle Goes Solar

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 05:50:50 -0700

Looks like Chipotle has seen the light. Yesterday, the fast-casual Mexican chain announced plans to install solar paneling on 75 of its locations in the next year. The move will make the company the largest direct producer of solar energy in the restaurant industry to date. Chipotle wants to reduce energy consumption during its peak hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., when the energy grid experiences the highest level of demand. With solar panels, it could eliminate as much as 41 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. The Mexican fast-casual chain has partnered with Standard Renewable Energy to begin installing panels on restaurants in Denver, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. Along with the company's desire to educate diners about food sustainability and use environmentally conscious building materials, this move is yet another case for why customers should support the brand. But let's be honest: the best reason to hit up Chipotle is still for its insanely good burritos. Are you impressed that the company is making more socially conscious strides?

Source: Flickr User bpende

Morimoto to Bring Yakatori to the Traveling Masses

partysugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:50:26 -0700

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's got a new project in the works. Yesterday the hospitality company Delaware North Cos announced a partnership with the sushi master, with plans to launch Skewers, a new fast-casual airport restaurant chain.

Although no sushi will be on the menu, the concept will offer travelers easily portable meals like soups and salads, as well as a variety of skewered meats and vegetables.

Known as yakitori in Japan, skewers are an incredibly popular street food and Morimoto hopes to introduce the world to his interpretation of it. "Yakitori is the next big wave, I think," Morimoto said, adding confidently, "It will be very popular."

While the rollout dates and details concerning the locations have not been released, I think the idea sounds interesting. I've yet to experience yakitori and am curious to see how Morimoto translates it to the masses. How about you? Have you had yakitori? Will Morimoto's latest endeavor be a success?

The Hills Food Quiz: "A Date With the Past"

partysugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:15:16 -0700

Normally I leave The Hills coverage to my friends Geek, Bella, and Fab, but this week's episode actually featured a lot of food scenes! On it, our favorite Los Angeles heroine, Lauren Conrad, went on a date with old flame Stephen Colletti. Did you watch? Do you know what they ate on the date? Take our fun quiz to see if you picked up the foodie details!

Photos courtesy of MTV

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Yummy Links: From Fall Desserts to Taco Bell's Cupcakes

partysugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:50:32 -0700

21 desserts that celebrate Fall. - Bon Appétit
Why are doctors selling out to Coke?- The Atlantic
Learn how to paint your kitchen. - The Amateur Gourmet
Scenes from the 2009 Los Angeles Chocolate Salon. - Daily Dish
Andrew Carmellini was crowned the Meatball King at the New York Wine and Food Festival. - Grub Street NY
Scary or practical? Coasters that detect if a drink is spiked with date-rape drugs. - Eat Me Daily
Ferran Adria is rumored to be opening a restaurant outside of Spain. - Eater
Taco Bell is currently testing cupcakes and smoothies.- OC Register

Must Read: New York Cooks

partysugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:15:56 -0700

Everyone knows New York City is one of the country's top places for eating, so it comes as no surprise that a new cookbook, New York Cooks ($30), celebrates the city's chefs and restaurants. Since I don't live in NYC, I was very excited when I got my hands on a copy of the book. To find out what I thought of it, read more.

Pros:

Each chef has multiple recipes. Before the recipes, there are a couple of pages that describe the restaurant with interesting quotes and details from the chef.
From appetizers to entrees to salads, there's a wide variety of dishes.
Although the cover states there's 100 recipes, because many dishes have sauces or vinaigrettes, it seems like there are more than 100 recipes.
When I dined at Casa Mono, my favorite dish was the fideos with cockles and chorizo. The book has the recipe, so now I can re-create it at home!

Cons:

It's format is hard to follow - it's broken down into section by cuisine. Instead of listing out the recipes in the table of contents, only the cuisine, chef, and restaurant are mentioned.
New York's restaurant scene is forever changing and some of the chefs, for example Anne Burrell, are no longer working at the restaurants associated with their recipes.
Some recipes are complicated with lots of steps. They seem more suited to a restaurant than a home kitchen. Also, others lack detail.
There are no desserts.

Recipes: While I've never heard of a few of the restaurants or chefs, it is the recipes that are important. Here are the ones that caught my eye.

Anne Burrell's taleggio, speck, and egg pizzetta
Mikey Price's blood orange and red onion salad
Joey Campanaro's gravy meatball sliders
Michael Lomonaco's Philly cheesesteak sandwich

Imagery: This read is full of delicious-looking food images and fun restaurant shots. However, not all of them are in color. Every recipe does not have a corresponding picture. Some of the chef's photographs seem dated. After seeing her on Top Chef Masters, it looks as if the picture of Anita Lo was taken years ago.

Overall: This book is a wonderful collection of recipes. It would be an excellent gift to a foodie moving to or from New York. Any well-respected home cook who loves to dine out while vacationing in NYC will also enjoy this tome.

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:30:20 -0700

Bacon-wrapped dates may just be the world's most perfect sweet-salty combo.
Quiz: what do you know about the Food Network's newer chefs?
Oktoberfest starts this weekend, and Party kicks it off with a German meal at her haus.
Ten ways to make it rain meatballs after watching the new movie.
Ring in the Jewish New Year with sweet honey cake.
Were you in the know about this week's Top Chef battle on the range?
Ten meatless starters that are always tops for entertaining.