YumSugar

How to Make Chicken Cutlets

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:30 -0700

When I was developing my recipe for buffalo chicken mac and cheese, I headed to the local butcher to buy chicken cutlets. The butcher said he didn't have any on hand, but could make some for me on the spot. But when I stood there watching him, I couldn't believe how easy it was! I vowed to share the painless process with you. For step-by-step instructions, keep reading.

View Slideshow ›

Michael Symon's Pointers For Preparing Meat

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:30:54 -0700

At his seminar in Aspen, Iron Chef Michael Symon had a lot to share beyond flavor and spice. The pork-loving chef demonstrated how to make a double-bacon "BBLT" sandwich, with bacon, pork belly, lettuce, and pickled tomato, and kept the crowd entertained with his wisecracking (in addition to wanting to kill the inventor of the garlic press, Michael also wants to go after the guy who invented turkey bacon). As he paid homage to the pig with his 'wich, he also had plenty of pointers to offer when it comes to preparing meat. See them after the jump.

How to Chiffonade Vegetables

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:50:44 -0700

Now that you've become acquainted with the culinary term chiffonade, learn how to employ the kitchen cutting technique in your cooking. It's easy - we've got step-by-step instructions to show you how. This method applies to herbs used for garnish, like basil and sage, or vegetables that have firm leaves, such as cabbage, spinach, collard greens, or chard.

View Slideshow ›

Definition: Chiffonade

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:00:40 -0700

Chiffonade
A kitchen cutting technique used to shred the leaves of herbs and vegetables into long, skinny ribbons. It is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the rolled leaves thinly and evenly with a sharp knife, producing long strips. A chiffonade may then be used in a light sauté or as a garnish.

How to Prepare Cantaloupe

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:30:19 -0700

Cantaloupe is one of those things that I see a lot in salad bars and packaged fruit salads but rarely in bagged lunches or at friends' homes. Perhaps if more people knew the right way to cut this fragrant melon, it would be more of a household staple. View this slideshow to learn how simple cantaloupe is to prepare.

View Slideshow ›

Learn How to Cut a Pineapple

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 10:15:31 -0700

Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits. However, I used to be intimidated by the spiky outside and would sometimes just buy the plastic containers full of precut pineapple. I always felt guilty, those plastic containers are a waste, and they cost a lot more than a whole pineapple would. So a few years ago, I decided to pony-up and learn how to cut one properly. It was a little awkward at first, but now it is a breeze. If you want to learn an easy way to do it, then click the "Start" button.

View Slideshow ›

Definition: Julienne

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 06:56:11 -0800

Julienne
To cut food into long skinny "matchstick" size strips. The strips are usually about 1/8-inch-thick all around.

You'll find that most references to julienne will be about vegetables (such as potatoes or carrots). However the term is sometimes used for meat or fish (especially in regards to stir fry).

To julienne potatoes: first cut them into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Stack slices and cut them into 1/8-inch-thick strips.

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:30:37 -0700

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

Chantelle Pabros, sommelier of Chicago's L20, suggests the best wine pairings for burgers.
Have you ever experienced pine nut mouth?
A few pointers on improving your basic knife skills.
The CoffeeMeister's advice for brewing exceptional French press coffee.
The world's first bite-sized melon, the pepquiño, is coming stateside.
Ritz crackers make a surprisingly suitable fruit substitute in a mock apple pie.

Source

Are Cooking Television Shows Too Unrealistic?

partysugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:50:52 -0700

In his blog on the New York Times, food journalist Mark Bittman makes the claim that food television - particularly cooking shows that teach a viewer how to make something - are too unrealistic. Unlike the real world, the chefs never make mistakes and each dish always comes out perfectly. He says:

When you watch most celebrity chefs go to work on TV it is a) baffling and intimidating, and b) a charade. Baffling and intimidating because nearly every ingredient is usually prepared in advance, and what isn’t is selected so that the chef can show off his (almost never “her”) knife skills, which are bound to intimidate nearly all of us who can never aspire (and why would we, really?) to chopping an onion with our eyes closed.

While I understand how the lack of miscalculation may isolate a viewer, I disagree with Bittman. I enjoy the Barefoot Contessa because her world is an escape from my reality: In her sunny Hampton house the food is consistently delicious. Rather than feel intimidated, I feel inspired! What's your take on Bittman's perspective?

Source

Chatting It Up With Iron Chef Challenger Ron Siegel

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:00:15 -0800

Now that Top Chef is over, I've got another professional chef showdown to discuss: Iron Chef. I'm a huge fan of not only the American version, but also the Japanese version that started it all. Recently, I had an opportunity to catch up with America's very first Kitchen Stadium winner, chef Ron Siegel, now the executive chef at The Dining Room at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

On a sunny morning I met with the chef in his kitchen, which recently launched a small bites and half bottles menu. I was taken by his humility - "I'm not doing a great service here," he told me, "I'm just cooking" - and his candidness. To see what else he had to say, read more.

YS: How did winning Iron Chef change your life?
RS: When you're younger, you're not necessarily open-minded. I was younger, and set in my ways of cooking. Going to Japan introduced me to a lot of other influences. I don't watch TV. I haven't even seen Iron Chef in 10, 11 years. But I'm sure there are some great chefs; there are great chefs everywhere.

YS: How would you describe your style of cooking?
RS: It's very simple - everything is made based on what's available. The menu changes every day, and the farmers market sets the tone. The preparation is similar, but the garnishes may change. [Points to fruit he's cutting.] These are pineapple guavas from my neighbor - I gave his kids a ride, so he told me to take them. I don't know what I'm going to do with them, but they have a great smell.

YS: Who are your culinary influences?
RS: Thomas Keller, George Morrone, and Daniel Boulud. When I worked for Thomas Keller as his opening sous chef [at The French Laundry], it was crazy, long hours. But I've learned a lot; I've learned about perfection. And Julia Child. She wasn't some hottie; she just knew how to make great food. But she probably couldn't get a show now.

YS: How has food changed since you first started cooking?
RS: In the '70s, everyone was smoking and drinking. People are definitely lighter these days. They don't want something that's going to make them feel bad at the end of the day. Also, people want to be who they are - they don't want to have to put on a suit to go out for a good meal.

YS: Where are your favorite places to eat in the Bay Area?
RS: I love Picco and Marché Aux Fleurs. Manka's was probably my favorite before it burned down.

YS: What's your advice for the home cook?
RS: Work on your knife skills! It's all about practicing until you get better at it. Going to the farmers market is a great way to understand seasonality and introduce yourself to things. If you go every week for two years, you're going to know what's in season and what's not. Don't rush cooking food. It's a labor of love, like what I'm doing now [running chicken stock until it comes out clear]. Home cooks can bring that same passion to their food. It's a lot of time, and a lot of work. I'm not sure how I feel about those 30-minute meals.