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Kraft Announces Plans to Slash Sodium by 10 Percent

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:40:35 -0700

Kraft, the largest food maker in the US, has announced plans to cut sodium levels in its North American products by 10 percent over the next two years. The move, which will affect over 1,000 products, will eliminate more than 10 million pounds of salt from some of the country's most recognizable foods, like Oscar Mayer Bologna, Velveeta, and Easy Mac. Kraft's attempt to reach health-conscious consumers follows a plea that First Lady Michelle Obama gave Tuesday to corporate food giants, urging them to produce more healthful food. It's hot on the heels of other food makers, like Campbell's Soup, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper, that have pledged to slash sugar and salt. This is a timely move as Americans grow increasingly concerned about sugar and salt intake. Yet, I can't help but think about how food titans should've done this many years earlier, and by much more than 10 percent. Are you worried about your sugar and salt intake?

Source: Flickr User Clean Wal-Mart

Come Party With Me: Half-Birthday Housewarming - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:50:35 -0700

On birthdays (and half birthdays), I like to make my favorite foods, thus for my half-birthday housewarming, I plan on serving a spread of delectable Italian bites. The party goes from 7:30-10 p.m., smack in the middle of dinner time, so I'll need to offer a substantial amount of food. I don't want to spend days in the kitchen or prepare anything that requires a plate and utensils; that's why I'll take some help from the grocery store and make four easy appetizers.

From the Italian market I'll purchase charcuterie, an assortment of cheese, marinated olives, grissini, nduja and crusty bread. A quartet of homemade dishes - stuffed marinated hot red cherry peppers, polpette in spicy tomato sauce, roasted asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, and arugula and fava-bean crostini - rounds out the menu. To check out the recipes I'll be using, read more.

Stuffed Marinated Hot Red Cherry Peppers
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

14 hot red cherry peppers, cored and seeded, tops reserved
4 ounces young pecorino or provolone cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
14 small sprigs fresh marjoram
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

Stuff each pepper with cheese and a sprig of marjoram. Transfer stuffed pepper and pepper tops to a glass loaf pan.
Whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over peppers. Let marinate at room temperature 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tops on peppers. Cook until cheese has melted and peppers are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve with bread.

Makes 14 peppers.

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Polpette in Spicy Tomato Sauce
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 pound ground veal
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large egg whites
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
Large pinch of crushed red pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a bowl, mix the veal with the sausage meat, bread crumbs, milk, garlic, chopped parsley, egg whites, tomato paste and 1/2 cup of pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Roll into 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Bake the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking sheet for about 30 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
In a large saucepan, season the tomato sauce with the crushed red pepper. Add the meatballs and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with pecorino cheese and serve.

Serves 12.

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Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto
From Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.
Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

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Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup shelled fresh fava beans (1 1/4 pounds in pods) or shelled fresh or frozen edamame (soybeans; 3/4 pounds in pods)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula (1 1/2 ounces), divided
3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 baguette
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
16 mint leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Cook fava beans in boiling water, uncovered, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Gently peel off skins (if using edamame, don't peel).
Pulse fava beans in a food processor until very coarsely chopped, then transfer half of mixture to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup arugula, cheese, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to favas in processor and purée until smooth. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop remaining cup arugula and gently fold into fava-bean mixture.
Cut 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put in a 4-sided sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon oil. Bake until pale golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub with cut side of garlic.
Spoon fava-bean mixture onto baguette toasts, then drizzle with oil and top with mint.

Serves 8.

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Will Top Chef 7 Be Top Chef: Washington DC?

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:30:44 -0800

Hot on the heels of news that Top Chef 7 has been delayed, rumors are flying that the show will be filmed in the nation's capital. Yesterday, DC food blog Metrocurean said it received word that Bravo crews could roll in as early as next week - and anonymous tipsters quickly began leaving intel that the cast, crew, and judges would be staying on location in historic neighborhood Dupont Circle.

Today, The Reliable Source, the Washington Post's gossip column, is also reporting that Top Chef will be filmed in the nation's capital. It doesn't surprise me that Washington DC is the purported season seven location. I'm already envisioning episodes involving Michelle Obama's garden, the White House farmers market, and former Top Cheffers (and locals) Spike Mendelsohn, Carla Hall, and Bryan Voltaggio.

Would you be pumped if Top Chef 7 took place in Washington DC?

Source: Flickr User Alotor

Know Your Ingredients: Pickling Spice

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:50:40 -0800

It wasn't until St. Patrick's Day was on the horizon that I started using pickling spice. Before that, I was barely aware of its existence.

When you purchase pickling spice at the store, what you're actually buying is a blend of spices, such as cassia bar, mustard seeds, coriander, allspice, peppercorns, juniper berries, dill seeds, fennel seeds, celery seeds, bay leaves, ginger, mace, and hot red pepper.

The mixture, which may vary by spice supplier, is used for pickled, canned vegetables such as cabbage, onions, and bread-and-butter pickles; fish, like salmon and herring; and meat dishes, such as Irish corned beef and German sauerbraten.
Pickling spices are generally left whole, so as not to cloud the brine, and they're usually tied in a cheesecloth or sachet for easy removal after cooking. What do you use pickling spices for? Have you ever blended your own?

Sunday Slow Cooker: Creamy Tomato-Vodka Soup

YumSugar — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:30:12 -0800

The slow cooker isn't just great for braised meats and stews; it's also the ideal vehicle for making smooth and creamy blended soups. This recipe is a staple of mine; it's wonderful on the fly because it calls for commonplace ingredients like broth and canned plum tomatoes.

When pureeing the hot soup, I recommend allowing it to cool slightly and partially covering it as you use an immersion blender. Or, opt for a standing blender if you're worried about being splashed by hot soup.
For a complete meal, serve with crusty homemade garlic bread and, if you want to add a little more protein, a topping of crispy baked prosciutto. See the recipe when you read more.

What's the Difference Between Corned Beef and Pastrami?

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:00:55 -0800

After I made corned beef for the first time ever this week, I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about it, other than the fact that it's absolutely delicious. What, exactly, makes it different from that other deli favorite, pastrami? Corned beef and pastrami are both beef cuts that have been cured and cooked. But that's where the similarity ends.

Although brisket is commonly used for both, corned beef can also be made from lean round, while pastrami can also come from navel (plate) and round. Corned beef is first soaked in a salt water brine with pickling spices, then boiled.

The process for pastrami varies widely, but in general, the meat is first cured with a spice rub or soaked in brine. From that point, it's encrusted in peppercorns, then smoked. The beef may be hot-smoked all the way through; if not, it is then steamed or simmered. Were you aware of the difference between the two? Which do you ask for on a reuben?

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Source: Flickr User Marshall Astor

Bobby Flay's Tips For Making the Perfect Steak

partysugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:50:27 -0800

During his demonstration on Saturday morning in South Beach, Bobby Flay made steamed fish and steak. The chef invited Next Food Network Star winner Melissa d'Arabian to join him on stage, where the two bantered about cooking on a budget. Although he's known for grilling, Flay cooked the steak on the stove while providing plenty of tips for making the most delicious piece of meat. To find out what the chef, whose favorite cut is rib eye, had to say, keep reading.

Up Next: Starbucks Dark Cherry Mocha, McDonald's Oatmeal?

YumSugar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:00:51 -0800

This year, coffee and breakfast have been the name of the game for fast food and casual chains. Last week, Burger King announced it'd soon be serving specialty coffee in a partnership with Starbucks-owned Seattle's Best - part of the company's goal to bring "new and improved" products to a.m. customers. But they're not the only ones raising the bar: Starbucks will also up the ante with a new specialty coffee, and McDonald's has been mulling over oatmeal.

With the Dark Cherry Mocha, which makes its US and Canada debut Mar. 9, Starbucks hopes to add cachet to its coffee drinks. The drink is already an international favorite and has a significant cult following abroad. It comes with espresso, bittersweet chocolate sauce, dark cherry flavoring, milk, whipped cream, and chocolate curls and can be made hot or iced.

Number one fast food chain McDonald's, in turn, has been following the lead of Starbucks and Jamba Juice by testing out oatmeal in test markets like Baltimore and Washington DC. Although it hasn't yet decided the future of the breakfast offering, McDonald's representatives maintain that the oatmeal has been "well-received."

One thing is for sure: the breakfast wars are on in full force. Which chain do you count on for breakfast on the go?

Source

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:00:36 -0800

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

As unemployment has risen, fast food breakfast sales have declined.
Danny Meyer is extending his business to include a hospitality learning business.
A first look at Burger King's new Steakhouse XT Burger Line.
The Skinny Chef makes a healthier - but no less comforting - version of chicken Cordon Bleu.
McDonald's is making the most of Lent with a two-for-$3 Filet-o-Fish deal.
Ideal wines to pair with hot Winter soups.

Source: Flickr User avlxyz

Greek Avgolemono Soup Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:50:19 -0800

Seeing PartySugar's menu for a Greek dinner made me realize how long it's been since I've made my favorite Greek dish, avgolemono. If you've never heard of this homey soup (av-what?), avgolemono is a Mediterranean specialty made up of four basic elements: chicken stock, eggs, lemon, and rice. When preparing it, remember to add the hot broth gradually to the lemon-egg mixture, otherwise you will cook pieces of the egg. Prefer not to work with raw poultry? Throw already-cooked chicken breast into the simmer. Or, make it a complete, from-scratch meal by poaching chicken breasts with rice, vegetables, and herbs. See which recipe fits your cooking style when you read on.