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'Wich of the Week: Truffled Grilled Cheese With Asparagus

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:13:58 -0700

I'm always looking for unexpected things to put between two slices of bread, so when GiggleSugar let me taste her asparagus panini the other day, I couldn't wait to create a similar concoction. The secret, she said, was truffle-infused Parmesan cheese she got at Bristol Farms, so I picked some up and put together my own version of the sammie.

Asparagus is both in season right now and good for you, and today's 'Wich of the Week combines the yummy Spring vegetable with equally bold cheese. The strong flavor combination is balanced out by cold-cut roasted chicken, wheat bread, and balsamic reduction sauce. For the recipe and step-by-step instructions, read more.

Truffled Grilled Cheese With Asparagus and Chicken
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 bunch fresh asparagus
4 slices of wheat bread
1/4 lb. thin-sliced cold-cut roasted chicken
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
6 very thin slices of truffle-infused Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Makes 2 sandwiches.

Preheat oven to 450°F.
After washing the asparagus, trim the thicker, rough ends and discard. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and coat lightly with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.

In a small saucepan over very low heat, slowly heat the balsamic vinegar, stirring occasionally, until it's reduced by about two-thirds. Set aside and let cool.
Coat one side of each slice of bread with the balsamic reduction sauce, spreading just enough to cover the surface of the bread.

On each of the two bottom slices, divide the chicken and lay the slices flat over the balsamic spread.
Evenly divide the asparagus between the two sandwiches and lay the spears side by side atop the chicken.
Gently lay the thin slices of cheese on top of the asparagus, and cover each sandwich with the remaining two slices of bread, vinegar side down.

Place in a panini press and cook for about five minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is lightly browned. (If you don't own a panini maker, you can place the sandwiches on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven, and cover with a cast-iron skillet to press. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.)

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Yummy Links: From Spicy Brownies to Small Appliances

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 08:01:31 -0800

These sweet heat brownies look like a wonderful blend of chocolate and spice. - The Kitchn
Looking for inspirational baby shower ideas? - Hostess with Mostess
Make a loaf of lightened up banana bread using quinoa flour. - FitSugar
Discover six different menus for a romantic dinner. - iVillage
We've all been there. Check out this video of tall vs. small Starbucks orders. - GiggleSugar
Are European-style butters better? - Baking Bites
Do you think bags of milk are weird? - Slashfood
Rachael Ray is hosting her own indie music showcase at South by Southwest. - Chow

Don't miss out on these crave worthy crockery platters by Esther Derkx. - CasaSugar
Find out which appliances made the best small appliances list. - Food & Wine

Foodie Flashback: Space Food Sticks

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:28:11 -0700

For some reason I assumed energy bars were an invention of the 90s. However, I just discovered that back in the late 60s, Pillsbury developed "many special foods" for the space race. The first one was called Space Food Sticks and it was a "compact, nutritious, high energy food." And it was apparently good for everyone from astronauts - who strangely have a hole in their helmets for their space food stick to go through - to baseball playing tykes. And hey, it's only 44 calories.

They disappeared for a while, but now they're back in a slightly different format. You can get an entire case for about $30. Now you can blast off into outer space!

To check out the fantastic commercial for this fantastic flashback product, read more

If you're looking for more bizarre flashbacks, be sure to check out GiggleSugar.

Twinkies, Deconstructed

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 09:01:38 -0700

If you're the kind of person who likes to snack on a Twinkie every now and again, I'm sorry to say you may want to rethink that snack. Steve Ettlinger, the author of Twinkie, Deconstructed states that there are 39 ingredients in a Twinkie, and all but one are processed. The list, which includes cellulose gum, calcium sulfate and polysorbate 60 are used in sheetrock, shampoo, laundry detergent and even rocket fuel.

It took Ettlinger over five years to track down the source of every ingredient found in a Twinkie. Along the way he discovered that the vitamins, artificial flavors and colorings come from petroleum and sorbic acid is made from natural gas.

When asked about the findings, the folks at Hostess said:

"Deconstructing the Twinkie is like trying to deconstruct the universe. We think the millions of people would agree that Twinkies just taste great."

Oh and one other thing that blew my mind - although really I should've realized this - the creamy middle? According to Ettlinger, that's mostly Crisco shortening.

And while all of this sounds terrible, I'd like to add that these ingredients aren't just found in Twinkies. Many other processed foods contain the same ingredients. Makes you think twice about what you eat, no?

Thanks to GiggleSugar for sending this info on to me!

All The News That's Fit To Eat - September 19, 2007

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:03:33 -0700

One of the new trends at Bay Area restaurants, is the use of fake meat. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but if I want a veggie dish, I don't want it to taste like meat. - San Francisco Chronicle
More and more city dwellers are raising chickens in their yards. It's true, my neighbor has three of them. - New York Times
Bored by chicken? Here are 10 ways to break your chicken breast blues. - Chicago Tribune

Find out how Rock, the latest Hell's Kitchen winner is doing as he gets ready to embark on his new life as reality tv winner. - Washington Post
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, and many folks celebrate by noshing down on mooncakes. - Houston Chronicle
With a few tips, and some staples, you can create your own semi-homemade meals for busy week nights. - Sacramento Bee
Uh-oh, another food recall. This time it's E. coli tainted salad from Dole. - Associated Press
And finally, speaking of food you might not want to eat, here are some nasty looking scab-shaped candy. - GiggleSugar

Image Source

Are Men Overwhelmed By The Grocery Store?

YumSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 03:38:10 -0700

Ladies, looks like you better stop sending those guys to the grocery store. Turns out they're overwhelmed.

A recent report, creatively entitled "Men in Grocery Stores," discovered that men shop inefficiently and never ask for help (I could probably insert some stereotypical male joke here, but will leave the laughs for GiggleSugar).

Unlike female shoppers, males give more thought to convenience than price and are more likely to hone in on a specific product, ignoring the rest of the aisle and "circling back" to get items missed the first time. However, if they can't find it, then they just don't need it.

Many men have difficulty finding items, forego buying rather than risk purchasing a substitute for an item on the grocery list and hesitate to ask for help if they can't find an item.

What do you folks think? Ladies, does this describe your guys? Guys, does this describe you?

Source: Yahoo News via The Kitchen @ Apartment Therapy

Off To Market Recap: Cool Flask

partysugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:12:48 -0700

My girlfriend Kristen recently asked me if I could help her find a cool flask for her longtime boyfriend Chris. She has been going through some stressful times and he has been so supportive that she wants to surprise him with a small special gift. I asked you to head off to market in search of the coolest flasks around for Chris. The flask had to be functional and sleek, durable and modern to fit Chris' intelligent, super social great guy persona. You saved the flasks in TeamSugar with the keyword tag Cool Flask and here's what you found:

Katherine suggested this classic stainless steel flask that comes camouflaged inside a little book. From the outside the book resembles a Bible and from the inside it's a flask - so naughty I love it!

A few more so read more

This olive green plaid flask is perfect for golfing, skiing, or a night on the town. With its outside encased in leather, SU3 discovered this flask that's larger than it looks: it can hold up to 9 oz roughly 4 shots.

Both GiggleSugar and SU3 recommended this personalized leather flask that Kristen can have engraved with Chris' initials. He'll carry his spirits in style with its luxurious embossed croc finish.

Thanks for helping me and Kristen readers! I wonder which one she'll pick to give to Chris. To learn how to bookmark cool stuff from the internet on TeamSugar, refer to geeksugar's informative explanation.

Yummy Links: From Guinness Marmite to Wii Chocolates

YumSugar — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:56:41 -0800

Some people love Guinness, some people love Marmite, and then there are those that love both. Check out the limited edition Guinness Flavored Marmite - GiggleSugar
Pancakes (and crepes) don't always have to be made with milk. In fact you could even try to make crepes with wine instead. - Becks & Posh
Sometimes altering a recipe will end up in great results, other times, it ends up in a disaster. Too bad all disasters can't look as delicious as these Peppermint Rochers. - Candyblog
Ever bring homemade snacks in for your office? Be sure to read this article about food at work politics. - Serious Eats
Shhh.. don't tell but your favorite food chain might have a number of secret off-the-menu items. I mean, have you ever had a "Sourpatch Kid" at Jamba Juice? - BuzzFeed
Is there really anything tastier than a glorious perfect cheese fondue? - Simply Recipes
Want to know what to do with your plastic wii packaging? Why not make your own shaped chocolates? - GeekSugar

Thailand's $25,000 Dinner

YumSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:33:40 -0800

First of all, if I was awesome, this post would have been called "One Night in Bangkok," but sadly someone else already used it. Since I'm not that awesome, I'm going to just cut to the chase. This past Saturday night 40-some high-rolling diners headed to Bangkok, Thailand for a 10-course, $25,000 meal.

Yes, I said $25,000. Per person.

To learn what would make a meal worth $25,000, read more

Branded with the name "Epicurean Masters of the World," the dinner was cooked by six 3-star Michelin chefs (four from France, one from Germany and one from Italy). The meal consisted of intricate items such as "tartar of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oysters," "couquille Saint-Jacques and truffles," and "mousseline of 'pattes rouges' crayfish with morel mushroom infusion."

Oh and those truffles I just mentioned? Each plate contained 3 1/2 ounces, that's $350 of truffles on each plate. Think that's decadent? The evening's wine cost more than $200,000.

Ultimately, the event was for charity, (most of the profits will go to Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Chaipattana Foundation, a rural development program set up by the king of Thailand) and consisted of 15 paying guests and 25 invited guests. Tell me, how can I get on the next guest list!?

Thanks to GiggleSugar for the tip. I think it was her way of saying thanks for the inflatable swan I found for her.

Source: My Way News

Savory Sights: Decadent Salad

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 07:59:00 -0800

This week's savory sight belongs to my own dear GiggleSugar. The other day she had this decadent salad for lunch and was showing it off. I definitely had to demand a photo. What do you guys think, doesn't this look scrumptious? To have your photos shown here, just post them in the Savory Sights Group. To learn how to post to the group, read more

I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Savory Sights Group
Click "Participate!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "food and entertaining"
Add keywords (for example mine for this photo were "salmon, mango salsa, fish")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the Savory Sights group and start posting your great photos!