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Yummy Link: Miniature Meat House

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 14:28:11 -0800

If you thought all gingerbread houses were impressive, wait until you see this edible meat cabin. - Easy Jo

First-Ever White House Farmers Market Makes Its Debut

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:50:44 -0700

Some legislation, like healthcare reform, might take a little more work for the White House to push through, but other initiatives, like the White House farmers market, are happening virtually overnight. Less than a month ago President Obama revealed that he and the first lady were looking into holding a farmers market outside the White House - and the plan's already come to fruition. At the opening of the FreshFarm market yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Washington DC mayor Adrian Fenty spoke to a crowd of about 300 shoppers about the importance of eating healthy, local food.

The visitor that drew the most attention was Michelle Obama, who encouraged Americans to get to know the farmers that grow the market's food, and stressed the importance of fresh markets, particularly in urban deserts.

Located at 810 Vermont Avenue, just blocks from the White House, the market runs Thursday afternoons through the end of October, and accepts food stamps. It sells pasture-raised meats, artisan cheeses, milk, yogurt, fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, flowers, and preserves. DCers, have you had a chance to visit?

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Burning Question: Why Does Spinach Make Your Teeth Gritty?

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:50:35 -0700

Not too long ago, I enjoyed my favorite steakhouse side, creamed spinach, with a reliable hunk of aged meat at the House of Prime Rib. I hadn't had the dish in a while, and when I took my first bite I instantly remembered what it felt like to have "spinach teeth" - a gritty, uncomfortable sensation that one experiences after eating spinach. Why, I wondered, does spinach leave your teeth feeling rough?For starters, spinach grows best in sandy soil, so the grittiness may very well come from actual sand if it's not been thoroughly washed. But on top of this, the plant's leaves contain a high amount of oxalic acid crystals, which spread onto the teeth during the chewing process, resulting in a chalky sensation in the mouth. Spinach teeth may be enhanced when the vegetable is eaten with iron-rich substances like milk, which explains why the phenomenon is so detectable with creamed spinach.

Got a burning question? Contact us.

Noteworthy Nibbles - Aug. 18-25, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:30:11 -0700

So much to eat, so little time. This week, we'll be warming up to the patio at the Magic Flute Garden Party, chowing down on dogs at Acme's Haute Dog Tasting, and enjoying the likes of El Huarache Loco at San Francisco's first Street Food Festival. I do wish I were in New York, however, to see the infamously meat-centric chef David Chang cook a vegetarian meal at the Beard House!

Care to share something delicious that's not on our radar? Please feel free to add in below.

New York, NY: Legends of Barbecue with Ed Mitchell - Aug. 18
San Francisco, CA: Summer Garden Party at the Magic Flute - Aug. 18
Houston, TX: Houston Restaurant Week - Aug. 18-23
New York, NY: Edible Evenings: Preserving America's Food Traditions - Aug. 20
San Francisco, CA: Haute Dog Tasting - Aug. 20
New York, NY: David Chang Does Vegetables - Aug. 20

To see the rest, read more.

Honolulu, HI: The Joy of Sake - Aug. 21
Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Wine Festival - Aug. 21-22
DeKalb, IL: DeKalb Corn Fest - Aug. 21-23
Mesa Verde, CO: Mesa Verde Country Food, Wine & Art Festival - Aug. 21-23
San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Street Food Festival - Aug. 22
Fremont, CA: Annual Cajun Zydeco Festival - Aug. 22
Paso Robles, CA: Paso Robles Olive Festival - Aug. 22
San Francisco, CA: Mac Battle Royale w/ Cheese - Aug. 23
Birmingham, AL: Taste of the Nation Birmingham - Aug. 24

Come Party With Me: Summer Cocktail - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:50:13 -0700

I can't let August end without hosting a Summer cocktail party, so this Friday we're gathering in the gorgeous garden of my sister's house to sip drinks and nibble snacks. The assorted menu of savory bites is 100 percent finger food that's both vegetarian and carnivore friendly.

Those who don't eat meat will enjoy crispy black-bean cakes with creamy guacamole. They'll also love crunchy tortilla chips topped with grilled corn and melted cheddar cheese and smooth flavorful grilled-veggie gazpacho.

Seafood aficionados are sure to go crazy for spicy Buffalo shrimp with blue cheese dip and celery. Finally, the meateaters' hunger will be satiated with grilled beef tenderloin on focaccia toasts. To check out these tasty warm-weather appetizer recipes, read more.

Black Bean Cakes with Guacamole
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 ripe avocados, coarsely chopped
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, 1 can drained but not rinsed, 1 can drained and rinsed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus whole leaves for garnish
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
Dash hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
1/2 cup flour
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

In a nonreactive bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar and cumin; season with salt and pepper.
Combine the dressing and the avocados and mash until smooth; set the guacamole aside.
In a food processor or blender, process the unrinsed black beans, the eggs, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt and hot sauce until combined. Stir in the flour and the rinsed black beans.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Working in batches, drop rounded tablespoons of the black bean mixture into the pan and fry, turning once, until crisp, about 4 minutes on each side; add more oil between batches if necessary.
Top the black bean cakes with the guacamole and cilantro leaves.

Serves 20.

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Tortilla Chips with Grilled Corn and Cheddar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 ears of corn, husked
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 jalapeno chiles
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated (1 3/4 cups)
24 tortilla chips, preferably lime-chili flavor

Directions

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. (If you are using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for 3 to 4 seconds.)
Brush corn with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill corn and chiles, turning occasionally, until grill marks appear and both are tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Cut kernels off cobs, and transfer to a medium bowl. Peel, stem, and seed jalapenos. Cut into 1/8-inch dice, and add to corn.
Add scallion, cilantro, lime juice, and 1 1/4 cups cheese to corn mixture. Toss until well combined.
Preheat broiler. Arrange chips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Top each chip with a tablespoon of corn mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over chips. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 30 seconds. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve immediately.

Makes 2 dozen.

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Buffalo Grilled Shrimp with Blue Cheese Dip and Celery
From Gourmet

Ingredients

For blue cheese dip:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 ounces)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon milk
For shrimp:
18 jumbo shrimp (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), peeled, leaving last shell segment and tail fan attached, then deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup hot sauce such as Frank’s RedHot
1/2 bunch celery, cut into 4-inch sticks

Directions

Make dip: Stir together ingredients, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Make shrimp: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas).
Toss shrimp with oil and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then grill shrimp, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes total.
Stir together butter and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add shrimp and toss until coated. Serve shrimp with dip and celery.

Serves 6.

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Grilled-Vegetable Gazpacho
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 large red bell peppers, cored and quartered
2 large yellow bell peppers, cored and quartered
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2-inch slabs
2 ears of corn, husked
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions

Light a grill. Thread the garlic cloves onto a skewer. Lightly brush the garlic, bell peppers, zucchini, onion and corn with the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill the vegetables over moderately high heat, turning frequently, until lightly charred and crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic and let steam for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the garlic cloves from the skewers, peel them and transfer to a large bowl.
Using a large serrated knife, cut the charred corn kernels into the bowl. Peel the peppers and add them to the bowl along with the zucchini, onion, cumin, crushed red pepper, tomato juice, orange juice, lemon juice and vinegar.
Working in batches, puree the vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor. Pour the gazpacho into a clean bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Just before serving, stir the cilantro into the gazpacho. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the cucumber and serve.

Serves 10.

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Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Focaccia Toasts
From Tyler Florence

Ingredients

2 pounds cherry tomatoes
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 lemon, juiced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons hot chili paste
1 whole beef tenderloin*, about 6 to 8 pounds
2 loaves focaccia bread, sliced and toasted
Baby arugula, for garnish

Directions

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss the tomatoes into a roasting pan, drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatoes have collapsed, about 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Drizzle the garlic with olive oil, wrap it in foil, and bake it until soft, about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft garlic onto a cutting board.
Strip the needles from the rosemary, add them to the garlic, and chop them together. Pour 1 cup olive oil into a small bowl; add the garlic and rosemary mixture and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside until ready to grill.
Char the outside of the pepper under the broiler or over a gas flame. Put it into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
When cool enough to handle, peel, seed, and chop and put it into a blender. Add the mayonnaise and chili paste; process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper; refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be made the day before.)
Heat the grill. Remove the meat from the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before you are going to grill it. Brush it with some of the flavored olive oil and season it generously with salt and pepper.
Grill the tenderloin, turning frequently, until the meat is rare or medium rare, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a platter and let it rest for 5 minutes, brushing it with the flavored olive oil. Cut the beef into thin slices.
To serve, put some of the flavored mayonnaise onto a piece of focaccia toast. Top it with a thin slice of the beef and spoon on some of the roasted tomatoes. Garnish with some arugula leaves and serve.

Serves 30.

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Federal Government Outlines Tighter Food Safety Guidelines

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:00:33 -0700

Enough is enough, the White House has declared: Yesterday, a food safety working group established by Barack Obama announced new standards in the production of foods such as eggs, poultry, beef, leafy greens, melons, and tomatoes.

In the last year, members of virtually every food group - from spinach, jalapeños, milk, and peanut butter to cookie dough, beef, and now dry milk - have been recalled due to possible salmonella or E. coli contamination. With a series of new rules, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius are hoping to prevent as many further food safety issues as possible. Find out what the guidelines are when you read more

Dunkin' Drinks Join Beef, Cookie Dough Ranks in Food Recall

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:52 -0700

Yesterday, Dunkin' Donuts temporarily pulled its Dunkaccino and hot chocolate drinks off store menus after discovering that one of its suppliers' facilities may have been contaminated with salmonella. The doughnut chain's supplier, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, voluntarily recalled several of its products, although no illnesses have been traced back to the contamination. Dunkin' Donuts is confident the drinks will be back in stores soon, but yesterday's recall is simply one more to add to a rapidly growing list of food contamination concerns. At the end of last month, Nestlé pulled 30,000 cases of Toll House refrigerated cookie dough after dozens of illnesses were traced to the product, which contained harmful traces of E. coli bacteria. Then over 380,000 pounds of beef were recalled across the country because the meat was also tainted with toxic E. coli. More than 12 people have been hospitalized as a result.

Food contamination appears to be a concern for Americans now more than ever. In March, following recalls of spinach, jalapeños, milk, and peanut butter, President Obama addressed food-safety issues and reassured Americans that he would aid the FDA in strengthening the country's food-safety system. Yet the situation only seems to be getting worse. Are you as frustrated with the FDA's lack of diligence as I am?

Come Party With Me: Girls Winter Weekend - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:00:26 -0800

This weekend I've invited my seven very best friends to join me at my vacation house in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'll watch movies, go wine tasting in Murphys, and indulge in nonstop good eats. Naturally I'm planning the menu. Two of my gal pals are pesceterians (they don't eat meat, but will consume seafood), so the food will be vegetarian-friendly. After the long car ride to the cabin, the girls will be hungry for a hearty, soothing meal. An Italian-style vegetable soup served with olive cheese bread is filling and scrumptious. The following morning we'll eat store-bought bagels and cream cheese before we hit up the local wineries for lunch. Saturday night will be "make your own pizza" night.

Each girl can grab a ball of Trader Joe's pizza dough and choose from a variety of toppings - crumbled sausage, prosciutto, caramelized onions, pesto, kalamata olives, mushrooms, roasted red peppers - to make an individual pie. A simple green salad with Dijon vinaigrette finishes up the menu.

Sunday morning we'll have a leisurely brunch featuring a potato and leek frittata paired with oven-crisped bacon. For these recipes, which are perfect for enjoying with your friends and family on any Winter weekend, read more.

Italian Vegetable Soup
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 9-oz. package frozen cut green beans
1/2 of a 16-oz. package frozen cauliflower
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup sliced celery (1 stalk)
1/4 cup regular barley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable juice
1/4 cup purchased pesto (optional)
Finely shredded Parmesean cheese (optional)

Directions

In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, place frozen green beans, cauliflower, undrained tomatoes, onion, celery, barley, garlic, and pepper.
In a medium bowl, combine vegetable broth and vegetable juice. Pour over vegetable mixture in cooker.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours. If desired, top each serving with pesto and Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6.

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Mixed Green Salad With Tarragon Vinaigrette
From Gourmet

Ingredients

4 teaspoons Sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 lb frisée (French curly endive), torn into bite-size pieces
1 head Boston lettuce (1 lb), torn into bite-size pieces
1 bunch arugula (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded
1 bunch watercress (1/2 lb), coarse stems discarded

Directions

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in tarragon.
Toss greens with dressing in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

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Yukon Gold Potato, Leek, and Fromage Blanc Frittata
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled (3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 large eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
4 ounces fromage blanc or crumbled feta cheese (1 cup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.
In a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, melt the butter. Add the leeks and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 4 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour the eggs over the leeks and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes without stirring.
Dollop the fromage blanc or sprinkle the feta cheese over the leeks and potatoes.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the eggs are just set in the center, about 18 minutes. Slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 8.

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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Boss

partysugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:00:05 -0800

When selecting a gift for your boss, start by thinking about their interests. Take my boss for example; let's call her Nancy.

Nancy loves sandwiches, Frappuccinos, and New Orleans. Naturally, I'll get her gifts that coincide with these themes.

She'll enjoy a salami gift set from San Francisco's newest house cured deli, Boccalone. A Starbucks gift card will give her the daily luxury of delicious coffee. A meat t-shirt is conversation-provoking and daring.

For more ideas browse below, or head to HolidaySugar. Happy Holidays!

Won't You Let Me Take You on a Meat Cruise?

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:01:31 -0800

Do you remember the miniature meat house? Well the crazy folks behind it couldn't leave well enough alone and have done it again. Only this time instead of a simple abode, they've created a sea-faring meat vessel.

Their nearly meat creation - they used some pastry, along with onions and mushrooms on this one - contains 20 sausages, 48 slices of bacon, 1.2 kg of sausage meat, 10 hot dogs, and more. There are pics of the entire process, but the best part is that they filmed the entire building process and have created a time-lapse video of the whole thing.

To check out the video, read more.