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Seinfelds Prevail Over Sneaky Chef in Lawsuit

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:42 -0700

She may have a famous comedian for a husband, but that's not the only reason Jessica Seinfeld is laughing all the way to the bank. Yesterday, a federal judge tossed out another author's claims that Seinfeld had copied from her cookbook. Seinfeld made a name for herself with Deceptively Delicious, a cookbook that encourages tricking kids into eating healthier food.

Six months before Seinfeld's tome was published, Missy Chase Lapine, author of kiddie tome The Sneaky Chef, warned Seinfeld not to print Deceptively Delicious, citing content similarities. When the book hit the press, Lapine sued the Seinfelds on counts of defamation and plagiarism.The judge ruled that the works are distinct, and that Jessica's book has a "completely different feel." She did leave open claims of defamation against the defendant's husband, Jerry Seinfeld, who made fun of Lapine on Letterman.

While Jerry Seinfeld probably shouldn't cracked a public joke about Lapine, I believe the right decision was made - but maybe that's just because I'm partial to the Seinfelds. Do you think justice was served?

The Sneaky Chef Sues the Seinfelds

YumSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:27:11 -0800

I don't know if you've been paying attention to the war of the crafty cookbook moms, but things between Jerry Seinfeld's wife Jessica, author of Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, and Missy Chase Lapine, author of The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies For Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals, have really escalated. Yesterday, Lapine formally sued the famous couple for defamation and plagiarism.

For those of you who haven't been paying attention, it pretty much boils down to this: While Lapine was touring her book in May, she learned about Seinfeld's similar book. She warned them of the similarities, but Jessica published anyways. Lapine claimed plagiarism. Jessica denied it. Jerry made fun of Lapine on Letterman, and it's been a cookbook war ever since.

To be honest, I'm not actually sure what to think about the whole thing. I can see how both of these books were made. Tricking kids into eating healthier food is a hot topic at the moment, and I think the cookbook shelf is big enough for two books with similar subjects. After all, if a lawsuit came out every time there was a cookbook that was "too similar" to another cookbook, wouldn't that mean there would only be one baking book? One quick-suppers book? One book on bbq?

So what do you guys think? Does this lawsuit have any merit, or is Lapine trying to drum up publicity for her own book?

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Yummy Link: A Deceptively Delicious Recipe for Plagiarism?

partysugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 03:00:13 -0700

There is a lot of controversy concerning where Jessica Seinfeld got the inspiration for her new book, Deceptively Delicious, which is about tricking kids into eating healthy foods. Did she steal her ideas from another best-seller called The Sneaky Chef? - New York Daily News

Yummy Link: Trick Kids To Eat More Veggies

partysugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:46:46 -0700

If you've got kids who are picky eaters, why not trick them into eating their vegetables by slipping beet puree into chocolate cake? That's what wife to comedian Jerry Seinfeld, Jessica, does. Now with her cookbook and blog, Deceptively Delicious, you can get your kids eating good food too. - Deceptively Delicious

Come Party With Me: Summer Cocktail - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:30:06 -0700

A Summer cocktail party must have a specialty cocktail. At first I thought to serve a classic concoction like a martini or Manhattan, but when I came across this updated version of the sidecar - a drink dating back to World War I that consists of cognac, lemon juice, and orange liqueur - I knew I had to make it. The basic three ingredients are there, but the addition of pineapple juice and muddled blackberries provide a distinct and deceptively delicious taste. To ensure that I'm not making cocktails all night, I'll set the ingredients up on a table in the garden and print out the recipe on nice paper. Then, I'll encourage guests to shake their own cocktails!

I've also asked everyone to bring either beer or wine, so they'll be plenty to drink when the cocktails run out. For the recipe, read more.

Blackberry-Pineapple Sidecar
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

7 blackberries
Ice
2 ounces Cognac
1/2 ounce Cointreau or other triple sec
1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
1 or 2 pineapple leaves, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the berries. Add ice and all of the remaining ingredients except the garnish; shake well.
Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish.

Makes 1 drink.

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Yummy Links: From Tanya Steel to Olympic Diets

partysugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:45:02 -0700

With her new book, Tanya Steel shows adults how to feed kids without being deceptive. - The Epi-Log
What is your most-stained cookbook? - Serious Eats
A delicious combination: tomatoes and vodka. - GlamDish
Before you pack that Spanish ham leg in your suitcase, learn what food and drink can legally be brought into the United States. - The Kitchn
Go behind the scenes of the 19th Annual Pennsylvania Dutch Festival. - Slashfood
A day in the life of a top mixologist.- 7 x 7
Dunkin Donuts debuts a healthier menu. - FitSugar
Everything you need to know about ramekins. - Baking Bites
How to clean a soft-shell crab. - Chow
Eat like an Olympian. - Food and Wine

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Nachos Frescos

partysugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:30:44 -0700

Although incredibly delicious, nachos are deceptively filling making them a dish that's easy to overeat. Since Cinco de Mayo is next week, I wanted to make a less-heavy variation of nachos that would allow for maximum margarita consumption. To make the nachos lighter - I have no clue if they're healthier, we'll have to ask FitSugar - I baked the tortillas instead of frying them and replaced the meat with black beans. The final nachos were fresh and delectable. I devoured them in minutes! For the details on how to make them, read more.

If you want to know more about how I made these nachos, check out the photo captions.

Nachos Frescos
Original recipe by PartySugar

Ingredients

For chips:
2 fresh flour tortillas
vegetable oil
salt
fresh cracked black pepper
cayenne powder
For bean-corn salad:
1 (13 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
3 green onions, finely chopped
4 small cloves of garlic minced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
salt
For nachos:
1/2 cup shredded green leaf lettuce
1/4 picked cilantro leaves, separated from their stems
1 roma tomato, seeded and finely diced
2 heaping tablespoons peppercini, finely chopped
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, finely grated

Directions

Make the chips: preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Cut the tortillas like you would a pizza pie, into 8 even, triangular pieces. Place on the foil lined cookie sheet.
Brush with oil and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne powder. Flip and repeat, brushing with the oil and sprinkling with the seasonings.
Bake in the oven until one side is crisp and browned 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the bean-corn salad: combine the beans, corn, green onion, and garlic in a bowl. Add the lime juice, honey, cumin, hot sauce, and vinegar. Stir to combine and season with salt to taste. Set aside and let the flavors meld for a couple of minutes.
Toss the lettuce with the cilantro leaves.
In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes and peppercini.
Assemble nachos: cover a bakeable serving dish - like a cazuela - with a layer of the half-baked chips in a serving dish. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese. Top with remaining half-baked chips and another layer of cheese.
Bake in the oven for 5-8 minutes until the cheese is melted and chips are completely baked.
Remove from oven and top with lettuce cilantro mix, bean-corn salad, and final sprinkle of cheese.
Return to the oven for 1-2 more minutes.
Top with tomato peppercini mixture and serve.

Serves 1 as a main course or 2 as appetizers.

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Happy Hour: Limoncello Collins

YumSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:28:31 -0700

A little while back, we received a bottle of Limoncé, Italy's "Number One Selling Limoncello." We planned on trying it straight, but when I stumbled across a recipe for a Limoncello Collins, I knew we had to try that instead. The original recipe asks you to make a large batch in a pitcher, unfortunately we didn't have a one at the Sugar HQ and we whipped up individual drinks instead. However, I wished we had used a pitcher; it was difficult to get the ratio just right and tedious to mix up several - sort of like lemonade, you might as well make one big batch. Yet the result was a delicious, not to mention deceptively naughty, drink. If you're mixing these up for friends, have extra bubbly water (or lemon/lime soda) on hand. Half the folks thought it was too strong, while the other half thought the mix of Limoncé mixed and Bluecoat gin was just right.

To get the recipe for the refreshing take on an old classic, read more.

Limoncello Collins
From Food & Wine and Cocktails 2007

Ingredients

16 ounces limoncello
12 ounces gin
8 ounces fresh lemon juice
24 paper thin lemon slices
Ice
16 ounces chilled club soda*
8 mint sprigs

*We substituted sparkling water for club soda. You could also substitute with lemon/lime soda.

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the limoncello, gin, and lemon juice.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
Press 3 thin lemon slices against the inside of each of 8 collins glasses.
Add ice to the glasses.
Stir the limoncello mixture and pour it into the glasses.
Stir 2 ounces of club soda into each drink and garnish with a mint sprig.

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The Sneaky Chef Makes a Comeback

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:09:22 -0800

By now, you've probably heard about Missy Chase Lapine - aka The Sneaky Chef - and her war with the Seinfelds, but did you know that the author of the popular children's cookbook has two other books in the works?

The first sequel, Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen!), comes out this Spring and will feature recipes that cater towards sneaking healthy food into "man food." It includes recipes like "Macho Meatballs," "Love Me Tenderloin," and "Champion Chili."

Apparently all the publicity - or pending lawsuit - with the Seinfelds isn't hurting Lapine any. Her publisher has just announced a deal for a third book. The third volume has yet to be titled and will feature family-friendly recipes that hide healthy ingredients inside.

So what I want to know is, do you think we'll see Jessica Seinfeld's Deliciously Deceptive Food For Your Man?

Sunday BBQ: Pomegranate Grilled Lamb Chops

YumSugar — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 01:18:19 -0700

I was trying to figure out what this week's Sunday BBQ should be, when I realized that we haven't talked about grilled lamb. For some reason, many people think of lamb as difficult and exotic, however it's really quite easy - if you can do pork chops, you can do lamb chops - and is wonderfully delicious. This particular recipe calls for a wonderful pomegranate marinade, you should let it soak overnight if you can, but don't worry if you can't. To wow your friends with a deceptively simple grilled meal, read more

Pomegranate-Grilled Lamb Chops
From California Sheep Commission
Image Source

1 cup fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 black peppercorns, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
4 double-thick California lamb loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pomegranate seeds; for garnish
Mint leaves; for garnish

Combine pomegranate juice, garlic, peppercorns and chopped mint in non-reactive bowl; mix well.
Add chops and turn several times to coat well.
Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, turning occasionally.
Remove chops from marinade; drain and set aside.
Pour marinade into small saucepan.
Heat to boiling and simmer 20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup.
Brush chops with reduced marinade and oil.
Broil or grill chops about 3 inches from heat, brushing once or twice with marinade.
Cook to preferred doneness, about 5 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, 7-8 minutes for medium and 9 to 10 minutes for well done.

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