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A Spoon Saves the Day

partysugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:15:25 -0700

It's frustrating when a jar lid is exceptionally hard to remove. I always hear my father's voice say, "pretend you're on a desert island and that's all you have to eat." After a childhood of that, I've figured out a no-fail trick for opening difficult jars. The secret ingredient? A simple spoon. Here's what you do:

Hold the spoon in one hand and the jar firmly in the other.
Nestle the spoon in the crack between the lid and the glass. Push up and back. You want to break the seal.
Press up with the spoon to loosen the lid. If the seal does not break, rotate the jar and repeat, pressing up and back with the spoon until you hear a pop.
Let go of the spoon and twist the lid off. It will come of smoothly and easily.

How do you deal with frustrating lids? What's your trick to remove them?

Sealing Silicone Lids: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:12:51 -0800

As I was browsing the new Napastyle catalog, I came across these interesting silicone sealing lids. Apparently they can fit almost every kitchen vessel from salad serving bowl to sauté pan. While they look a little bulky, I love the idea of the lids as they omit the need for tupperware! My only concern is they come in such large sizes with no lid smaller than eight inches. Still, I'm curious to see how functional these are. What do you think of the lids? Useful or useless?

Sweet 'n' Creamy Caramelized Figs With Ricotta Mousse

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:15:07 -0700

I am falling for figs and can't resist trying just about every recipe! After enjoying the figs in a blanket, it was time for something sweet rather than savory. Something like caramelized figs with ricotta mousse.

The simple, light, orange-infused ricotta mousse can be made ahead of time, and caramelizing the figs only takes about 15 minutes. When adding the balsamic vinegar to the syrup - be careful! - I suggest having the pan's lid handy to avoid any splatter.

Once the mousse is topped with warm balsamic caramel and sweet figs, it's the perfect dessert to finish a Fall dinner. If you are short on time and can't make the smooth creamy ricotta mousse, the caramelized figs would be equally tasty served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. To get started caramelizing your own figs, keep reading.

The Secret's Hidden in the Lid

YumSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Although bottled water isn't great for the environment, it seems like there's a new kind out each week. We've had holy water, vitamin water, mint water, flavored water and even fiber water. While it seems like you couldn't add another kind to the mix, Los Angeles based Activate is doing just that.

The new ~~marketing gimmick~~ trick is that the vitamins and herbs in their vitamin and herb-infused water are stored in a chamber inside the cap. When you twist the cap clockwise, the chamber is cut and the powder drops into the water below. The founders of the company came up with the idea because they had a hard time remembering to take their daily vitamins. Storing the ingredients in the cap will keep them fresh until they're released.

If you're interested to see how Activate tastes, the purified water is currently available in four flavors - Fruit Punch (Vitamin), Orange (Immunity), Berry (Antioxidant), and Lemon-Lime (Energy) - and claims to have no syrupy taste. There's no sugar - although it is lightly sweetened with Splenda - and it does contain caffeine.

So tell me, are you going to try Activate?

My Afternoon as a Starbucks Barista

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:10:52 -0700

Chaotic as things may appear behind a Starbucks counter, every drink is made custom and to order in a systematic, organized way. I know this because I spent an afternoon as a Starbucks barista. Laurel Village Starbucks store manager Deanna Barbagiovvanni put me to work yesterday behind the espresso machines.

The trickiest part of being a barista is deciphering the code on the side of a Starbucks cup. It was like trying to read an unknown foreign language. "That's a nonfat, two-pump white mocha," Deanna said, reaching for espresso shots, as I stood there, still trying to make sense of the notations. Customers rarely place orders for standard drinks, she explained: "One girl comes in every day and orders a venti Coffee Frappuccino with a grande scoop of ice, double blended, with light whip and just a little chocolate drizzle." Find out what else I learned and check out a video of me as barista when you read more

Come Party With Me: Outdoor Concert - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:45:09 -0700

Why do I love sangria so much? Let me count the ways. It's wildly delicious and refreshing. It can easily satisfy a crowd and tastes best when made in advance. Essentially, sangria recipes takes inexpensive wine and turns it into something extraordinary. Oh, and it's perfect for sipping in the Summer at an outdoor concert!

Simply make in a pitcher with a lid and pack in a cooler. This recipe uses no hard alcohol, but instead combines wine with fresh fruit. The ingredient list calls for strawberries, peaches, and bananas, but any combination of fruit works well. To take a look at it, read more.

Sangria
From Gourmet

Ingredients

1/ 2 pound strawberries, washed and halved
2 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
juice and rind of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bottles ordinary red wine
ice

Directions
In a large pitcher put strawberries, peaches, bananas, the lemon juice and rind, sugar, and cinnamon. Add red wine and stir the mixture thoroughly, mashing the fruit slightly. Let the sangria stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, add about 20 ice cubes and stir the mixture briskly until it is ice cold.

Serves 8-10.

Print recipe with images | without images

Bobby Flay Shares Suggestions For Making Supreme Burgers

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:00:49 -0700

Although he'd just given President Obama a lesson on grilling steaks, Bobby Flay was back on the burger track at his seminar in Aspen, where, like fellow Iron Chef Michael Symon, he had plenty of his own venting to do. "I've never met a vegetarian burger that I like," he declared, as he wowed the crowd with a Cheyenne burger (barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, and onion rings), garlic-parsley bistro fries, and a chocolate milkshake. "And I can't stand a cheeseburger that's not fully melted." To right all the world's burger wrongs, Bobby offered plenty of pointers for plating the perfect burger patty. Be burger-equipped for the holiday weekend when you read more

Layer Ahead, But Toss Salad Right Before Serving

partysugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 10:15:12 -0700

When hosting a dinner party, I like to get as much prep work done in advance as possible. This includes assembling large green dinner salads. To ensure that each vegetable remains flavorful and crisp, I like to layer them in the bowl. Place heavy, juicier ingredients, like beans, beets, tomatoes, mushrooms, or peppers, on the bottom of the bowl. Layer greens on top. If nuts are a part of the salad, place these on top of the greens - that way they won't get soggy by being in contact with the moist veggies. Prepare the salad dressing in a small jar with a lid. Grate any cheese and store in a plastic baggie. Place the bowl, the dressing, and grated cheese in the fridge for up to two hours. When it's time to enjoy the meal, sprinkle the cheese over the greens, shake the jar to combine the vinaigrette, and pour over the bowl's contents. Toss the salad and serve.

The Barbecue Guru's Tips for Better Barbecue

YumSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:45:44 -0700

Those of you who are barbecue fanatics are probably familiar with barbecue guru Steven Raichlen. Steven is the author of over ten cookbooks, including the BBQ Bible, and is the host of the PBS show Primal Grill. He recently finished a world tour in promotion for his new book Planet BBQ, and his last stop was the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. I watched his cooking demonstration and snagged a bunch of great grilling tips. To see Steven Raichlen's barbecue tips, read more.

When grilling corn, pull the husks down to the bottom to create a handle. Grilling corn in the husk steams the corn instead of actually grilling it, so it's best to barbecue husked corn.
Pack as much food as possible onto a skewer leaving only a tiny tip at the top of the skewer. This makes the food easier to eat. If the food is way down on the skewer guests will have to pull the hot food up to the top and could risk impaling themselves.
Should you use charcoal or gas? He prefers neither and recommends grilling with wood.
A wadded up piece of foil and a pair of tongs make a wonderful substitute to a wire brush. Use this to clean the grill.
A steak is ready to flip when pearls of blood bead up on the top of it.
If the protein is thinner than the palm of your hand, leave the lid open while cooking. If it's thicker, close the lid during cooking.

Ming Tsai Dishes Up Cooking Tips

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:15:17 -0700

During the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, I attended Ming Tsai's "East-West Vegetarian" demonstration. I had been a mild fan of Ming's before, but after seeing him live I was sold. He was hysterical - seriously he'd be successful as a stand-up comedian - as well as informative. He taught us the secret to perfect potstickers, and tricks on how to successfully cook garlic. To see what he had to say, read more.

When making a balsamic reduction, Ming never uses a reactive pan (such as aluminum or copper - although aluminum or copper cores are OK). The acid reacts with the metal and, as Ming said, "has something to do with Alzheimer's, I forget now."
If your sautéed garlic starts to burn, Ming suggests adding the rest of the veggies. This will make the temperature drop and prevent the garlic from further burning.
Here's how Ming creates the perfect potsticker: start by adding oil to the pan. Next add the potstickers. Once the bottoms are browned, add the water and cover with a lid. Once the potstickers are cooked through, remove the lid and let the bottoms get crispy again. If you're not trying to keep it vegetarian, Ming recommends steaming the potstickers in chicken broth.