YumSugar

Yummy Link: Dine to the Soothing Sounds of the Sea

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:01:01 -0700

Please pass the salt. Oh and the pepper, and also the iPod. Thanks.

That's right, I said iPod.

World famous chef Heston Blumenthal, of England's The Fat Duck (which is currently ranked as the #2 restaurant in the world), is creating a new experience for his lucky customers. When they order his new dish "Sound of the Sea," they'll also get to use an iPod to experience soothing ocean tracks while eating. I dunno guys, what do you think? The sea sounds fine, but what's the next level. Do I really want to hear farm life while eating beef or chicken? - geeksugar

50 Best Restaurants in The World

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:31:38 -0700

Last night Restaurant Magazine announced their annual list of the world's 50 best restaurants and I am ridiculously embarrassed to say that even though two of them are really close by (Chez Panisse and the French Laundry), I have not been to any of the ones on the list. While I go hang my head in foodie shame, you can check out the list. Oh and it's worth noting that the top 6 are the same as last year and there are only 5 new entries and one that has re-entered. And finally, if you don't recognize him, that's El Bulli's head chef Ferran Adria in the photograph.

1 - El Bulli, Spain - Best in Europe
2 - The Fat Duck, UK
3 - Pierre Gagnaire, France
4 - The French Laundry, USA - Best in the Americas
5 - Tetsuya’s, Australia - Best in Australasia
6 - Bras, France
7 - Mugaritz, Spain
8 - Le Louis XV, Monaco
9 - Per Se, USA
10 - Arzak, Spain

To see the rest of the list, none of which I've eaten at either, read more

11 - El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
12 - Gambero Rosso, Italy
13 - L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
14 - Hof van Cleve, Belgium
15 - Noma, Denmark - The biggest climber - up 18 places from last year
16 - Le Calandre, Italy
17 - Nobu London, UK
18 - Jean Georges, USA
19 - Hakkasan, UK
20 - Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
21 - L’Astrance, France
22 - Can Fabes, Spain
23 - L’Ambroisie, France
24 - Restaurant Gordon Ramsay UK
25 - Troisgros, France
26 - Le Bernardin, USA
27 - Martin Berasategui, Spain
28 - Le Gavroche, UK
29 - Le Cinq, France
30 - Charlie Trotter’s, USA
31 - Dal Pescatore, Italy
32 - Daniel, USA
33 - Rockpool, Australia
34 - St John, UK
35 - Chez Dominique, Finland
36 - Alinea, USA - Highest New Entry
37 - Bukhara, India - Best in Asia
38 - DOM, Brazil
39 - Oaxen Skärgårdskrog, Sweden
40 - Chez Panisse, USA
41 - Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
42 - Cracco Peck, Italy - New Entry
43 - L’Arpège, France
44 - River Café, UK - Re-Entry
45 - Oud Sluis, Netherlands - Biggest drop - down 26 places from last year
46 - Combal Zero, Italy - New Entry
47 - Le Quartier Français, South Africa - Best in Mid East & Africa
48 - Taillevent, France - New Entry
49 - Bocuse, France
50 - Les Ambassadeurs, France - New Entry

Image Source

YumSugar Gift Guide: The Bachelor Gastrosexual

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:30:03 -0800

Is your brother or your best friend a perpetual heartbreaker? If his gastrosexual self already knows that the way to a woman's heart is through her stomach, browse the options below, which fit in perfectly with his impossibly smooth pad.

His George Foreman deserves a long-overdue upgrade; try this indoor grill. If he's a serious gourmet, he'll love an at-home meat grinder. For those last-minute dates, Zagat to Go is a perfect reference.

Want more gift ideas? Browse the selection below or check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:15:27 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Case closed: Oysters are responsible for The Fat Duck-related food illnesses.
Cheftestants, take advice from Master Rick Bayless himself.
Top 10 most bizarre celebrity food commercials.
Is gesturing an appropriate way to get your server's attention?
One UK eatery calls a rowdy toddler the f-word on a check.

Source: Flickr User Allerina & Glen MacLarty

Ramsay Missing From the World's Best Restaurants List

partysugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:15:44 -0700

Yesterday Restaurant magazine and S. Pellegrino announced its famed list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The list is developed by a large panel of well-regarded international judges consisting of 806 chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and journalists.

For the fourth year in a row, Ferran Adriá's experimental Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been named the best eatery in the world. Coming in at sixth, Thomas Keller's Per Se is the highest-ranking US restaurant.

The most shocking news, however, is that Gordon Ramsay's flagship London establishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which was number 13 on last year's list, is totally absent from this year's. To check out the complete list, read more.

El Bulli, Spain
The Fat Duck, UK
Noma, Denmark
Mugaritz, Spain
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
Per Se, US
Bras, France
Arzak, Spain
Pierre Gagnaire, France
Alinea, US
L’Astrance, France
The French Laundry US
Osteria Francescana, Italy
St. John, UK
Le Bernardin, US
Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
Tetsuya’s, Australia
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
Jean Georges, US
Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
Chez Dominique, Finland
Ristorante Cracco, Italy
Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
D.O.M., Brazil
Vendome, Germany
Hof van Cleve, Belgium
Masa, US
Gambero Rosso, Italy
Oud Sluis, Netherlands
Steirereck, Austria
Momofuku Ssam Bar, US
Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
Martin Berasategui, Spain
Nobu UK
Mirazur, France
Hakkasan, UK
Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
La Colombe, South Africa
Asador Etxebarri, Spain
Le Chateaubriand, France
Daniel, US
Combal Zero, Italy
Le Louis XV, France
Tantris, Germany
Iggy’s, Singapore
Quay, Australia
Les Ambassadeurs, France
Dal Pescatore, Italy
Le Calandre, Italy
Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden

Source

Duck, It's What's For Dinner

YumSugar — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:00:20 -0700

Last weekend, I met up with some friends at a nearby butcher shop. The place is known for quality meats, and on this particular morning the duck legs looked mighty tasty. So I picked up a pair of them and went home for a cooking adventure.

I came across a recipe for roasted duck breast, but I adapted it to suit the legs. However, as much as I love dark meat, I think breasts would actually have been a better choice. It's a nice pairing of fresh plums and duck, and actually comes together in a short amount of time. To see how to put it together for yourself, read more.

Note: Bon Appétit called this recipe "roasted," but I think they actually meant to say "fried in its own fat." The duck skin actually lets out quite a bit of grease, and if you're not careful it'll pool up. For my execution, I halved the recipe and used two duck legs instead.

Duck Breasts With Grilled Plums
From Bon Appétit, June 2008

Ingredients

4 12- to 14-ounce boneless Muscovy duck breast halves, trimmed of excess fat
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
6 firm but ripe Santa Rosa plums or other purple plums, halved, pitted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Using sharp knife, score skin of duck breasts in crisscross pattern (cut skin only; do not cut through meat), spacing cuts 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle duck breasts on both sides with 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and chill.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) [I used an indoor grillpan on my stovetop].
Toss plum halves, olive oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
Grill plum halves, cut side down, until grill marks appear and plums begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Turn plums over and grill, skin side down, until skin begins to soften but plums still retain their shape, about 4 minutes.
Transfer plums to bowl. Cover with foil and let stand while cooking duck.
Heat 2 large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 2 duck breasts, skin side down, to each skillet. Cook until skin is crisp and golden, about 7 minutes.
Turn duck breasts over and cook to desired doneness, about 8 minutes longer for medium-rare.
Remove from heat and let duck rest 5 minutes.
Thinly slice duck crosswise. Divide among plates.
Place 2 plum halves alongside each serving. Drizzle any plum juices from bowl over. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons thyme and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 10 Photos ›

Discover the 2008 List of 50 Best Restaurants in the World

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:11:11 -0700

Every year San Pellegrino and Restaurant magazine releases a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world. The list is put together by The Nespresso World's 50 Best Academy, a group that consists of over 650 chefs, restauranteurs, food writers and critics. There is no list of nominees, each member of the voting panel votes for their favorite five restaurants. They can't vote for their own restaurant, and they have to have eaten at their nominees within the past 18 months. So after 3,410 votes, who came out on top?

The top three are unchanged from last year, with Ferran Adria's El Bulli ranking number one. There are also four re-entries and two new entries. To discover the whole list, read more.

1. El Bulli, Spain
2. The Fat Duck, UK
3. Pierre Gagnaire, France
4. Mugaritz, Spain
5. The French Laundry, US
6. Per Se, US
7. Bras, France
8. Arzak, Spain
9. Tetsuya's, Australia
10. Noma, Denmark
11. L'Astrance, France
12. Gambero Rosso, Italy
13. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, UK
14. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
15. Le Louis XV, Monaco
16. St John, UK Highest Climber, up 18 places from last year
17. Jean Georges, US
18. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
19. Hakkasan, UK
20. Le Bernardin, US
21. Alinea, US
22. Le Gavroche, UK
23. Dal Pescatore, Italy
24. Le Cinq, France
25. Troisgros, France
26. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
27. Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville, Switzerland Highest Re-Entry
28. Hof van Cleve, Belgium
29. Martin Berasategui, Spain
30. Nobu London, UK
31. Can Fabes, Spain
32. Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
33. Le Meurice, France
34. Vendome, Germany Highest New Entry
35. Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
36. Le Calandre, Italy
37. Chez Panisse, US
38. Charlie Trotter's, US
39. Chez Dominique, Finland
40. DOM, Brazil
41. Daniel, US
42. Oud Sluis, The Netherlands
43. Cracco Peck, Italy
44. Asador Etxebarri, Spain
45. Les Ambassadeurs, France
46. L'Arpege, France
47. Tantris, Germany
48. Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
49. Rockpool, Australia
50. Le Quartier Francais, South Africa

While I find this list completely fascinating - and I definitely want to eat at more than one of them - I'm a little dismayed by the fact that there isn't a single restaurant in Asia on this list. Not to mention the overall lack of diversity. What do you guys think about it?

Source

Not Interested in Foie Gras? How About Faux Gras?

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:18:39 -0800

Foie gras is definitely a controversial subject, some folks love the way it tastes and don't care about how it's produced, while others won't go near it because of how it's produced. There are even those who love it, but feel too guilty to eat it.

We could get into a big debate over whether or not foie gras is cruel - sidenote: did anyone see Anthony Bourdain's Holiday Special segment about it? - but for the time being, I thought I'd just tell you about an alternative. UK supermarket Waitrose has created a product called Faux Gras - they even have the term trademarked - that is a blend of goose liver and goose or duck fat. It costs significantly less than the real thing and comes close to the real thing. David Stone, a buyer for Waitrose, said:

"We are confident we have come up with the holy grail of the gastronomic world - a pate with the richness of traditional foie gras, but without any of the guilt."

What do you think of this? Would you try it? And for those of you that are curious about it, but don't live in the UK, Gourmet has a recipe for Chicken Faux Gras.

Source

Sunday Dinner: Cassoulet

partysugar — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:31:11 -0800

A few weekends ago I got a craving for cassoulet: the day was cold and dreary and I was in the mood for a provencal French dish. It was a completely illogical desire: I've never spent time in the French countryside and I've never made cassoulet at home in my kitchen. After consuming cassoulet a few times at restaurants, I suddenly was ready to take a stab at making it on my own. Cassoulet is a French stew made with meat and white beans. Typically the duck or pork used is slowly cooked in its own fat days/weeks before making the stew. If the thought of slowly cooking meat in its own fat disgusts you have no fear, my recipe is a variation on the theme in which the meat is browned and cooked with the beans. A great one pot meal, this dish is perfect for a lazy, rainy Sunday when you have nothing to do but curl up with a blanket and watch movies. To make cassoulet for your Sunday dinner, read more

Cassoulet
From Bon Appetit magazine

1 pound dried Great Northern beans
5 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
1 3 1/2-pound boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound kielbasa, cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup sliced peeled carrots
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs made from French bread
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
Chopped fresh parsley

Place beans in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and soak beans 1 hour. Drain.
Return beans to pan. Add enough cold water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until beans are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300°F.
Cook bacon in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl
Discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, cook pork shoulder and kielbasa in pot until brown, about 8 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork and kielbasa to bowl with bacon.
Add onions, celery and carrots to pot. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and thyme; sauté 1 minute.
Mix in broth, tomatoes with juices and tomato paste; bring to boil.
Stir in meats from bowl, then drained beans. Return to boil. Cover pot. Transfer to oven; bake until pork is tender, about 1 hour.
Maintain oven temperature.
Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beans and vegetables from pot to processor and purée. Return purée to pot. Stir in wine. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and refrigerate. Bring cassoulet to simmer before continuing.)
Smooth top of cassoulet. Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan and oil in bowl. Sprinkle half of crumb mixture over cassoulet.
Arrange bell pepper atop crumb mixture. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake cassoulet uncovered until pork and beans are very tender and topping is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes.
Garnish cassoulet with parsley and serve.

Serves 8 to 10.

Print recipe with images | without images