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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Hipster Foodie

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:00:52 -0800

A friend of mine, who fits the classification of hipster to a T, also happens to love all things gourmet. Initially, I was at a loss for what to get her, but I quickly discovered that there's an array of niche gift items that converge at the juncture of food, music, and cutting-edge cool. Case in point: I have to get her this book about underground dining, and because she loves to push the envelope, I know she'll flip for this shopping bag.

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

Yummy Links: From German Beer to Pabst Blue Ribbon

partysugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:50:51 -0700

What you should know about German beer. - Chow
On Chez Pim's cookbook: What really is a foodie? - Eat Me Daily
Meet the revuelto, Spain's answer to scrambled eggs, but with more veggies and less eggs.- The Atlantic
The movie Julie & Julia doesn't translate well with the French.- The New York Times
There's nothing more simply delicious than spaghetti alla carbonara. - Serious Eats
Soul Food Farm recently experienced a crippling fire. Here's how you can help. - Eater SF
Reusable produce bags get rid of the need for plastic. - The Epi-Log
More and more hipsters are drinking PBR. - Grub Street

Source: Flickr User soylentgreen23

Come Party With Me: Dolores Park Picnic - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:15:20 -0700

Dolores Park is located in between San Francisco's Mission and Castro districts and therefore attracts an eclectic crowd of hipsters. The look of our picnic will be very informal. First a large hippie blanket will be spread on the grass. The perishable food will be kept cold in a portable cooler while the rest of the dishes can be packed in a classic-style picnic basket. An inflatable ice bucket is a must have for keeping drinks icy cold.

Fill a screw-top pitcher with the lemonade and serve in plastic glasses. Bring paper plates and paper napkins, but be sure to recycle them if you can. Lastly, don't forget a hat to protect your face from the sun.

Photo by Loose Charm Productions

Come Party With Me: Dolores Park Picnic - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:15:00 -0700

Dolores Park is San Francisco's see-and-be-seen picnic spot. On warm weekends, the park fills up with everyone from families to hipsters looking to soak up the sun. Since the weather here is unpredictable, rarely do I plan a picnic in advance. Every time my sister calls to invite me to D-Park, I simply grab whatever is in my fridge. However, with a warm week ahead of us, I promised her that I'd make the ultimate fresh, healthy picnic. The Mediterranean-inspired menu will consist of the regular store-bought suspects (salty cheeses, briny olives, cured meats, crispy crackers) supplemented with some homemade favorites.

I'll wrap eggplant caponata and mozzarella sandwich halves in parchment paper. Then, I'll pack two salads - three bean with honey-mustard vinaigrette and couscous with spiced zucchini - in reusable plastic containers. These vegetarian-friendly recipes are perfect for picnicking anywhere so why not add them to your repertoire? To do so read more.

Caponata Picnic Sandwiches
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1(14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon drained capers
1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled
6 slices (1/3-inch-thick) drained fresh water-packed mozzarella

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
Add the vinegar, sugar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cut the bread pieces horizontally in half. Grill the bread cut-side down on a grill pan over medium-high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Rub the whole garlic cloves over the toasted side of the bread.
Add a slice of mozzarella to bread bottom, spoon the caponata on top, cover with the other bread half.
Wrap the sandwiches separately in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill until ready to serve, or keep at room temperature up to 1 hour.

Serves 6.

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Three-Bean Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
From Whole Living

Ingredients

Juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 pound haricots verts or green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ounce mache or watercress, trimmed, rinsed, and spun dry
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, tarragon, chives, honey, mustard, and salt until combined. Set aside.
Prepare an ice bath; set aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add haricots verts or green beans; simmer until bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer haricots verts to ice bath, and let cool completely. Drain in a colander, and pat dry with paper towels.
Place in a large serving bowl. Add kidney beans and cannellini, and drizzle with vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Gently toss in the mache or watercress; season with pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

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Couscous with Spiced Zucchini
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plain couscous
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Bring broth with 1/4 teaspoon salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over couscous in a bowl and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add zucchini and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to moderately low, then stir in coriander, chili powder, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Gently stir zucchini mixture into couscous and cool to warm or room temperature. Just before serving, stir in mint and lemon juice.

Serves 4-6.

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Mustache Napkin Ring: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 03:30:50 -0700

Modern hostesses, I'm curious to know what you think of this chalkboard mustache napkin ring ($24). It couldn't be more different from the vibrant pom-poms we showed you how to make last week, but I find it laughably cute, with a contemporary hipster vibe. How do you feel about them?

Source

Offaly Good Secret Tacos

YumSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:16:32 -0700

I spent a good chunk of this weekend geeking out with geeksugar at the 2008 Maker Faire. While there I noticed a booth called "Secret Eating Society" and told geek she'd know where to find me if we got separated.

The Secret Eating Society is a group of Bay Area foodie hipsters who are putting out a quarterly journal of adventurous eats. (There's no word on where you can buy the journals, but you can send them an email and I'm sure they'll let you know.) They also have events around the area, including this booth at Maker Faire. Their booth was selling offal tacos - whole roasted pig and braised lamb cheeks - as well as hibiscus-mint coolers.

To celebrate the fact that Cinco de Mayo was just around the corner - not to mention the fact that I actually love weird meats - I ordered one of their tacos. And as much as I hate to say the pun you're all thinking, the braised lamb cheeks taco was indeed "offally" good.

So tell me, what do you think of a secret eating society? Would you join if it was in your area?