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Kitchen Shears: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 04:00:13 -0700

I'm a huge fan of kitchen shears. I use them to snip herbs, cut chicken into chunks, and open cheese and prosciutto packages. I find them very handy and employ them on a regular basis. When I asked YumSugar if she loved her shears as much as I love mine, she said, "I don't have them and don't get the point of them." Now I'm asking you: Do you have kitchen shears? Are they an essential tool in your kitchen or do they sit untouched in a crowded drawer?

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Yum's October Must Haves

partysugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 05:30:52 -0700

Hard to believe October is already here! Although I'm not a fan of colder weather, I am looking forward to everything October has to offer. From harvest meals to Halloween, it's sure to be an exciting month. Here are my top picks for properly enjoying this fabulous Fall month to the fullest.

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Pizza Pro Slicer: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 04:00:11 -0700

The first thing I thought when I came across this Pizza Pro pizza slicer ($19.99) was genius!

Then I imagined using it. The scissored spatula looks like it might be difficult to maneuver. Also, what happens when you prefer a larger piece of pizza? Or when it comes time to wash it?

Still, it's an interestingly designed product. Has anyone tried it?

Yum Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:48:11 -0800

Coasters - Cute coasters do more than just protect the furniture. They help set the mood and let the party thrower show off a bit of their own personality. You’ll find some great designs here.

Zyliss Garlic Press - Every aspiring chef could use a garlic press in their kitchen. After years of hard to clean garlic presses that pinch my fingers, I finally stumbled across this one by Zyliss. It comes with a piece to clean out the holes and the edges are wide enough to guarantee a pinch free press every time. Buy it here for $13.99.

Three more, so read more

Kitschy Toothpicks - These fun and inexpensive toothpicks will make a great addition to any party. Find these flamingos and more here.

Mundial Kitchen Shears - A quality pair of all-purpose scissors is a must in the kitchen. This one is dishwasher safe (though hand washing is recommended to keep the blades sharp), made from stainless steel and even comes apart for easy cleaning. Buy a pair here for $16.

The Wine Deck - This cute deck is a perfect stocking stuffer for the foodie who likes wine, or wishes they knew more about it. These handy cards include information on taste, origin, food pairings and more. Buy it here for $8.37.

Oven Thermometer - An inexpensive oven thermometer will make a great addition to their stocking this year. Knowing exactly how hot, or cold, the oven runs will help them ensure each recipe is prepared to perfection. KitchenAid has one that will set you back about $13.

Killer Apps: Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:28:51 -0700

Growing up, I hated asparagus. I thought it tasted weird, had an odd texture and was downright lousy. These days my opinion has completely changed and I think it's one of the tastiest veggies out there. Naturally it took a piece of cured meat to change all of that. That's right, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus was how I took the plunge from asparagus hater, to asparagus lover. And while I've learned to love asparagus in most any form, there's nothing quite as tasty as when it's wrapped in pork.

The traditional recipe for prosciutto-wrapped asparagus calls for you to blanch them first. However our pals at Slashfood claim you can skip the blanching step and roast them directly. Not wanting to dirty another pan, I decided to take their advice. It came out perfectly, and made for a wonderfully quick, delicious appetizer. If you want to see how to do it - with or without blanching - just read more.

Roasting without Blanching Method
To create the asparagus seen here, I cut the woody ends of the asparagus off. Next I cut pieces of prosciutto with kitchen shears (to create smaller pieces easily), and then wrapped them around the stems. I roasted them directly on a pan in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. I used skinny asparagus stalks, for larger stalks, you'll want to up the cooking time.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus
From Whole Foods

Ingredients

20 stalks of asparagus
4 thin slices of prosciutto, fat removed
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan
1 lemon, quartered

Directions

Cut off tough ends of asparagus. Cover asparagus with water in a skillet; bring to a boil and cook until tender but still firm, 3–4 minutes. Drain well.
Divide asparagus into 4 bundles of 3 stalks each. Wrap prosciutto slice around center of bundle. Place the bundles into oven-proof dish; dot with butter; season with pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place in the oven to brown the cheese, 4–5 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedge.

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Reader Recipe: Cuckoohead Cookies

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 03:00:06 -0700

In honor of National Cookie Month, Sugar staffer Nancita decided to resurrect a recipe she "invented" at age 5. Since I know you guys like snickerdoodles, I thought you would appreciate this story.

Writes Nancita:

I invented this recipe when I was five, after first encountering a Snickerdoodles cookie. I thought it was a funny name and wanted to come up with my own cookie with a silly name. I called them cuckooheads and suggested the main ingredients: almonds, raisins, and caramels; my mom put together the recipe.

While it's definitely an unlikely set of ingredients - a bit cuckoo, if you will - Nancita assures me that these cookies are chock full of gooey goodness. To get the recipe, read more

Cuckooheads

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups caramels, snipped into sixths (use a pair of oil kitchen shears to cut them)
1 cup toasted slivered almonds

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, both sugars, and almond extract in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture, then raisins, caramels, and nuts.

Using a spoon, scoop out the dough and form it into tight balls, keeping the caramel away from the edges. Place balls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown. Let stand for two minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.