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Burning Question: What Keeps Food Fresher, Foil or Plastic?

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:30:35 -0800

To foil or to plastic wrap: that is the age-old question that's been around longer than I've known how to cook. So which keeps food fresher longer? The answer is that it all depends on what you're aiming to preserve.

Foil has a much more substantial thickness. It's preferable for aromatic, heavily scented foods like curries. It also prevents freezer burn, so use it for items that you're storing for a lengthy period of time in the freezer.
For fresh foods, opt for plastic; it's capable of sealing produce tighter than foil and is ideal for things like avocados and apples, which turn color when exposed. Aluminum reacts badly with acidic fruits and foods, whereas plastic wrap doesn't. Plastic wrap can even help to accelerate the marinating process.

It's important to keep in mind how you'll be reheating the food. It goes without saying that foil can't be microwaved, but heats well in the oven. While plastic wrap would melt under the heat of an oven, it seals in moisture in the microwave. If all else fails, there's always tupperware.

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What Do You Wrap Food In?

partysugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:45:19 -0700

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Come Party With Me: Camping Trip - Menu (Part 2)

partysugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:03:11 -0700

Yesterday I started planning the menu to a camping weekend in Yosemite. Instead of supplying the food for all the meals, ask guests to contribute. Have one couple bring sandwich fixings for Saturday's lunch. Have another bring Sunday's breakfast in the form of bagels, cream cheese, muffins, and fruit. For Saturday's dinner wrap salmon in foil and bake over the grill. Potatoes and onion packets cook the same way, wrapped tightly in foil. Cherry tomato skewers round out the menu.

A store bought fruit pie with whipped cream finishes the night on a sweet note. On Sunday before you pack up and drive off, serve guests a filling lunch of stuffed hot dogs. For these recipes read more

Salmon Baked in Foil
From Giada De Laurentiis

4 (5 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
2 chopped shallots
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons of oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Place a salmon fillet, oiled side down, atop a sheet of foil. Wrap the ends of the foil to form a spiral shape. Spoon the tomato mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely; seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a heavy large baking sheet. Repeat until all of the salmon have been individually wrapped in foil and placed on the baking sheet.
Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the foil packets to plates and serve.

Serves 4.

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When my boyfriend and I first moved into together, we had a house warming party that was all skewers (super fun and really easy clean-up, just make sure you have garbage cans handy). The biggest hit of the party was the Caprese Skewers, a simple and colorful appetizer.

Ingredients
Cherry Tomato
Fresh Mozzarella balls (roughly the same size as the Cherry Tomatoes)
Olive Oil (I love Sciabica Basil olive oil - they are the oldest olive oil producer in California)
Fresh Basil
Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
salt and pepper
Skewers

1. Soak the skewers in water for an hour

2. Chop up the Basil

3. Skewer tomato, mozzarella and piece of basil. Repeat

4. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Voila, Caprese Skewers!

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Grilled Potato & Onion Packets
From Bon Appetit magazine
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2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds white-skinned potatoes (about 4 large), peeled,
sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 large red onions, halved, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Combine oil, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in large bowl. Whisk to blend well. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
Add potatoes and onions to mustard oil. Toss to coat.
Set six 18 x 9-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on work surface. Spray foil with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Divide vegetables among foil sheets, placing in center of left half of each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold right half of foil over vegetables. Fold edges of packages together to seal tightly.
Place packages on grill. Grill until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 25-35 minutes.
Remove packages from grill. Slit top of foil and fold back. Garnish potatoes with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Serves 6.

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Hot Dogs Stuffed with the Works
From Mastering the Grill : The Owner's Manual for Outdoor by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim
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2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup refrigerated sauerkraut, drained, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
4 large hot dogs, such as knockwurst
1/2 ounce Cheddar cheese, cut into 4 small sticks
4 slices bacon
Oil for coating grill screen
4 long hot dog buns or small sub rolls, split

Mix the mustard, ketchup, and sauerkraut in a small bowl.
Slit the hot dogs lengthwise, forming a deep pocket end to end in each one. Fill the pockets halfway with the sauerkraut mixture. Put a stick of cheese in the center of each, and top with the remaining sauerkraut mixture. Wrap a bacon slice around each hot dog to hold it together, and secure the ends of each bacon strip with wooden toothpicks.
Put the grill screen on the grill and coat it with oil. Wait a minute or two, until the surface is hot. Grill the hot dogs until the bacon is cooked through and the hot dogs are browned on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.
To toast the buns, put them cut sides down directly over the fire for the last minute of cooking.

Serves 6.

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Favorite Summer Side: Grilled Potato & Onion Packets

partysugar — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 05:10:31 -0700

This is one of my all time favorite side dishes. Baby potatoes are tossed with red onions and a mustard oil for a delicious and fabulous side. I've made it countless times, it's my go-to side dish when I want something quick, easy and tasty. The red onions become sweet as they cook, and the thyme provides just the subtlest fragrance. It pairs perfectly with any meat and tastes great with beer can chicken or grilled fish too. You must give this recipe a try, so get it now, just read more

Grilled Potato & Onion Packets
From Bon Appetit magazine
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Combine oil, mustard, thyme, salt and pepper in large bowl. Whisk to blend well. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat).
Add potatoes and onions to mustard oil. Toss to coat.
Set six 18 x 9-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil on work surface. Spray foil with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Divide vegetables among foil sheets, placing in center of left half of each. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold right half of foil over vegetables. Fold edges of packages together to seal tightly.
Place packages on grill. Grill until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 25-35 minutes.
Remove packages from grill. Slit top of foil and fold back. Garnish potatoes with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Serves 6.

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Reduce The Amount Of Cupcake Clean Up

partysugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 07:56:31 -0700

What I hate about making cupcakes is having to scrape and scrub the muffin tin afterwards. Removing the caked on batter hurts my arm and ruins my nails. So I developed a system: I cover the muffin tin tightly with aluminum foil. Next, I slice a hole where the cupcake batter is supposed to go and press the foil into each indentation. I place the cupcake paper liners in the hole and fill with batter. If any of the batter spills it gets on the foil and not on the pan! After the cupcakes or muffins are finished baking & cooling, simply peel off the dirty foil and dispose.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Foil Pack Fish Florentine

partysugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:39:11 -0700

Using store-bought salad dressing as a quick fix marinade makes mid-week meals a snap. Tonight's fish is drowned in a bath of sundried tomato salad dressing before being rapidly steamed in a foil packet in the oven. The best thing about this meal - besides the fact that it comes together in minutes - is that no pots, pans, or plates are needed. If sundried tomato dressing doesn't sound appealing to you, don't fret, supermarkets are full of various dressings and vinaigrettes in every flavor imaginable. To check out a recipe that can be altered to your preferences, read more

Foil Pack Fish Florentine
From Kraft Foods

1 cup instant white rice, uncooked
1 cup warm water
1 halibut fillet (1/2 lb.), cut crosswise in half (or the white flaky fish of your choice)
2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Spoon 1/2 cup rice onto center of each of two 18-inch-long sheets of heavy-duty foil. (Or use double-layer sheets of regular foil.) Fold up all sides of foil slightly to form rim. Pour 1/2 cup warm water over each mound of rice; top each with 1 fish piece.
Arrange spinach around fish. Drizzle dressing evenly over fish and spinach. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place foil packets in single layer in shallow baking pan.
Bake 15 min.
Place one packet on each of two dinner plates. Cut slits in foil with sharp knife to release steam before opening each packet. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Serves 2.

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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Bartending Boy

partysugar — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 09:01:39 -0800

My friend Antonio is the best bartender I know. He's always looking for the latest, greatest addition to his home bar. Both Antonio, and your bartending boy, are sure to love any of these gifts.

Sleek coasters, a foil cutter, and a bar travel set are all fun and functional. A personalized bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue is a splurge well worth the price.

For more gift ideas for the bartender in your life, browse below.

Foil Cutter ($15.00)	Aluminum Coasters with Stand ($16.95)
Bar Travel Set ($40.00)	7-Piece Bar Tool Set ($49.95)
Johnnie Walker Scotch Blue ($159.99)	Everywhere Bar Storage ($129.00-449.00)

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Mac Attack! Gorgonzola Apple Macaroni and Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:30:54 -0700

I love blue cheese, but occasionally find that it can overpower a dish with its pungent flavor. But after appreciating its modest contribution to last week's buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese, I was ready to give it a starring role.

One of my favorite versions of macaroni and cheese in San Francisco is made by Solstice, a restaurant and bar in my neighborhood. One taste of the creamy, steamy, slightly sharp mac - which is foiled by tart green apples and toasted walnuts - and all of the day's problems have vanished.

Since I've enjoyed it so many times at the restaurant, I took a stab at recreating it in my own kitchen. My attempt wasn't too bad, although I decided next time I'll make a few variations to the béchamel, which are noted below. Curious to see how I made it? Find out after the break.

How to Care For Your Cast Iron Cookware

YumSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:00:54 -0700

Cooking with cast iron can be intimidating - not to mention heavy - but once you try it, it's easy to become a convert. I love my pan; it's great for making skillet breads or indoor grilling, and distributes heat incredibly evenly. Cast-iron pans can even help boost your iron intake.

But be warned: you can't treat cast iron like any old pot. To make sure it lasts as long as possible - basically, forever - you have to do some things differently. Before using your cast iron for the first time, you need to "season" it. This process will protect your pan's surface from moisture and rust. Find out how to care for cast iron.

How to Pack Burgers For a Picnic

partysugar — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:51 -0700

While burgers are a beloved backyard, picnic, and barbecue staple, enjoyed all Summer long, they aren't necessarily the easiest food to transport. However, it can be done. I recently made 16 burgers and successfully carried them to a remote location in Golden Gate Park. There, I grilled the burgers to perfection! Here's what I did:

The night before or morning of your picnic, prep the burger at home. Make any condiments and slice toppings, like tomato or lettuce, that don't spoil quickly. Leave avocado whole and cut on location.
Make the patties and place on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
Cut parchment paper into four- by five-inch squares. The number of squares depends on how many patties you make. You need one less square than patties (I made 16 patties and cut 15 parchment paper squares).
Spread a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface.
Place a patty in the middle of the foil. Top with a parchment paper square. Place another patty on top of the parchment paper. Repeat until you have a short stack of four patties. Fold the foil up and around to enclose patty stack.
Repeat, layering patty with parchment paper in stacks of four patties each, until all of your patties are packed.
Store patty packs in fridge until ready to leave. Place stacks in a cooler with reusable ice packs. Do not use regular ice; it could melt all over the meat.
Grill and enjoy at your destination of choice.

Got a tip for transporting picnic food? Please share with us below!

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