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Celebrate Flavors of the Holiday With Sweet, Spicy Pecans

YumSugar — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:00:47 -0800

Maybe it's the "Christmas Song" ("chestnuts roasting on an open fire . . ."), but eating spiced nuts always gets me in the mindset of the holidays. One handful of spiced nuts, and I'm transported to a place where I'm with my family, snuggled up in blankets on the couch with a holiday movie on TV and hot chocolate brewing in the background. That picture may just be in my imagination, but I'll take that comfy feeling any day - hence loving these addictive nuts! To get the quick and simple recipe, read more.

Nigella's Maple Pepper Pecans
From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/3 cups pecan halves

Directions

Melt the butter with the syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper in a pan over low heat.
Add the pecans and stir to mix, leaving them on the heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
Spread the pecans on a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or foil; allow to cool before serving.

Makes 3 1/3 cups.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - April 24-30, 2008

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:11:11 -0700

Spring is food festival season, and there's no shortage of events to attend this weekend. From California to Florida and everything in between, there's an event for everyone. If something is missing from this list, let us all know about it in the comments below!

Beaufort, NC: Beaufort Wine & Food Weekend - April 23-27
Dallas, TX: Dallas Wine & Food Festival - April 23-27
Russellville, AR: Taste of the Valley - April 24
Vidalia, GA: Vidalia Onion Festival - April 24-27
Sarasota, FL: Florida Winefest and Auction - April 24-27
St. Michaels, MD: St. Michaels Food & Wine Festival - April 24-27
Mount Olive, NC: North Carolina Pickle Festival - April 25-26
Mesquite, TX: Real Texas Festival - April 25-27
Astoria, OR: Astoria Warrenton Crab & Seafood Festival - April 25-27

Pompano Beach, FL: Pompano Beach Seafood Festival - April 25-27
St. Albans, VT: Vermont Maple Festival - April 25-27
Stockton, CA: Stockton Asparagus Festival - April 25-27
New Orleans, LA: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - April 25-27, May 1-4
Greensboro, NC: Taste Carolina - April 26
San Francisco, CA: SF International Beer Festival - April 26
Petaluma, CA: Butter and Egg Days - April 26-27
Mansfield, IN: Mushroom Festival and Car Show - April 26-27
Reston, VA: Uncork the Fun - April 26-27
Lambertville, NJ: Shad Fest 2008 - April 26-27
Hana, HI: East Maui Taro Festival - April 26-27
Hunter, NY: Craft Beer & Fine Food Festival - April 26-27
South Pittsburg, TN: National Cornbread Festival - April 26-27

Reader Recipe: Maple-Balsamic Dressing

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:27:19 -0700

I was checking out all the great recipes everyone's been posting, when I came across this dressing from TeamSugar member FinnLover. She's based in Québec, and finally caved in to the local maple syrup frenzy. Lucky for us, it's resulted in a yummy looking maple-balsamic dressing. To get her recipe and try it for yourself, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member FinnLover

Yummy Maple - Balsamic Dressing
Tyler Florence's Fall Salad, Tyler's Ultimate

The Province of Québec is the world's largest producer of maple syrup and every year, during the months of March and April when the production takes place, happens some kind of maple frenzy. Wherever you go, restaurants have maple dishes on their menus (pie, cake, pork, salmon...). So last week, I decided to make this sweet and simple dressing. It was fast, easy and tasted great. Tyler's recipe called for candied pecans and pears, but since I had none of that on hand I made a simple green salad.

Ingredients

- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Mix together the shallot, Dijon mustard and Balsamic vinegar.

2. Slowly add the olive oil while you whisk to emulsify.

3. Add the maple syrup, mix well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve with the greens of your choice. I used Romaine because that's all I had, but endives, radicchio or baby spinach would have been great too.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - April 3-9, 2008

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:03:31 -0700

Looking for something tasty to do this weekend? Here are some noteworthy events you might want to check out. There's a lot going on this weekend, but if we missed one, let us know in the comments below!

Vail, CO: Taste of Vail - April 2-5
Meyersdale, PA: Pennsylvania Maple Festival - April 2-6
Miami, FL: Miami Wine and Food Festival - April 3-5
Newport, NC: Newport Pig Cookin' Contest - April 4-5
Kilgore, TX: Party in the Patch - April 4-5

Baton Rouge, LA: Wine and Culinary Festival - April 4-6
Toronto, Canada: Toronto Wine and Cheese Show - April 4-6
South Bend, IN: IGS State Gourd Show - April 4-6
San Francisco, CA: Junior Achievement Wine Tasting and Auction - April 5
Vergas, MN: Vergas Maple Syrup Fest - April 5
Belzoni, MS World Catfish Festival - April 5
Chicago, IL: Sweets: A Journey Through Midwestern Dessert Traditions - April 5
Seattle, WA: Taste! Washington - April 5-6
Pittsburg, PA: Pennsylvania Restaurant and Food Service Expo - April 6-7
Scottsdale, AZ: Scottsdale Culinary Festival - April 8-13

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Maple Pork and Sweet Potatoes

partysugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:32:41 -0800

Sweet flavors pair nicely with pork tenderloin. While the classic pairing is apple sauce, the combination of barbeque sauce and maple syrup work wonderfully too. Cooked together with sweet potatoes, this one dish meal is perfect for a Friday night. No time is spent slaving over the stove because the entire thing bakes in the oven!

To take a look at the recipe, read more.

Maple Pork and Sweet Potatoes
From Kraft Foods

3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider
2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 medium sweet potatoes (1-1/2 lb.), peeled, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 pork tenderloin (1 lb.)

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Mix barbecue sauce, syrup, cider, chili powder and cinnamon.
Place potatoes in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with onions. Pour half of the barbecue sauce mixture over potatoes and onions.
Bake 15 minutes. Place meat over potatoes and onions; top with remaining barbecue sauce mixture.
Bake an additional 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

Serves 4.

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Love Maple Syrup?

partysugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:01:31 -0800

Happy National Maple Syrup Day! Let's celebrate the classic waffle accompaniment by taking a quick quiz. Find out how much you know about everything maple syrup! Once you get your results, tell us how you did.

Source

Take the quiz

Glazed Carrots Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:50:07 -0800

It isn't a true Thanksgiving meal without loads of sides, scattered around the table like banchan at a Korean barbecue. And one side (other than creamed spinach) that I can't do without is a bowl of candied carrots.

The premise behind glazed carrots couldn't be more basic: you simmer the root vegetables in some form of sweetener (sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.) until the sauce has thickened and coats the carrots.

If you're taking part in a beginner, budget-conscious, or fast Thanksgiving dinner, opt for a two-step recipe made of only four pantry ingredients. Alternately, add citrus for a side that has layers of complexity. Scope out both recipes after the break.

The Basics: Roasted Butternut Squash

partysugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:00:24 -0700

One of my favorite Fall ingredients is butternut squash. It's incredibly versatile and lends an autumnal, pumpkin-ish flavor to everything from salad to soup to macaroni and cheese. Unlike the seasonal produce of Summer, many cold-weather vegetables can not be enjoyed raw. However, once you know the simple steps to roasting butternut squash you can put it to use in just about anything.

The roasted chunks can be tossed with arugula and white beans. Or, blitz the squash in a food processor and use the puree to make lasagna. Not only are there unlimited ways to cook with roasted squash, there are also plenty of ways to season it. Fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary add an earthiness to the squash, while honey or maple syrup caramelizes the flesh. Doesn't experimenting with different flavorings and preparations sound like fun? To get started, check out my basic recipe for roasted squash.

10 Ways to Make It Rain Meatballs

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:50:19 -0700

The trailer for the new animated comedy Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs makes me hungry for a plate of spaghetti with meatballs. The giant pancake laden with butter and maple syrup looks pretty good, and the gelatin, well . . . interesting, but the marinara spheres falling from the sky look too juicy and savory to resist. Whether or not you plan to catch the movie, here are a handful of different ways you can satisfy your inevitable craving for meatballs.

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'Wich of the Week: Portobello Mushroom Sloppy Joe

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:50 -0700

When it comes to meaty sandwiches, it's hard to get much meatier than a sloppy joe. But with National Vegetarian Month on the horizon, you can enjoy a kinder, gentler, and healthier version of the old Manwich.Made with hearty portobello mushrooms flavored with bell peppers, onions, tomato paste, and a touch of spice, these vegetarian sloppy joes don't taste like beef, but in sentiment and sloppiness, they do the trick. Get the recipe now.