YumSugar

Yum's January Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:48 -0800

Happy New Year! After the excitement of the holidays, January is a tough month for me - instead of partying, everyone is detoxing. That's why I'm going to focus on becoming a better home cook. Here you'll find six must-have items to maximize time in the kitchen.

View Slideshow ›

Let's Dish: What Are Your Culinary New Year's Resolutions?

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 05:30:34 -0800

Every January, we are filled with renewed determination to be more organized, stop smoking, or lose weight. While I make plenty of common New Year's resolutions, since food and cooking are such an important part of my life, I make culinary resolutions as well. Whether it's sharpening my knife skills, learning an unknown kitchen technique, or experimenting with exotic cuisines, I always feel like I have something new to learn.

After reading Michael Ruhlman's Elements of Cooking, I've been wanting to make my own veal stock from scratch - a long, drawn-out process that takes more than a day. But the famous author and Next Iron Chef judge has made so many arguments about veal stock adding depth and body to sauce that I simply have to try incorporating it into my dishes.

What kitchen accomplishments are you determined to make in 2009?

Source

Do You Know the World's Best Hangover Cures?

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:00:03 -0800

If you woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather, know that you're not alone: All around the world, revelers are rising with a pounding headache, waves of nausea, and, after a night of wearing some serious beer goggles, 20/20 vision that's clear as day. Hangovers may be a universal experience, but each culture boasts its own cures, from simple solutions to seemingly bizarre behaviors. Can you match the cure to the country? Take this quiz to find out!

Source

Take the quiz

7 Festive Sparkling Wines

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:00:42 -0800

Are you faced with the same dilemma every New Year's Eve of what wine to select from the Champagne aisle? We hear you. There are a growing number of bubblies that fall in the range between Cook's and Cristal, and choosing the right one can be tricky. Here's a tip: The bargains lie in sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region of France. We've compiled some of our favorite Champagne alternatives, so you can choose the perfect sparkler for your celebration.

View Slideshow ›

Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:45:36 -0800

The lunar New Year and the year of the ox begins on Jan. 26. To celebrate, gather friends and family for a Chinese-style banquet. Food symbolism plays an important role in Chinese New Year, so select the menu carefully. Start by serving mushroom spring rolls. The crispy, golden rolls represent gold bouillon. Serving a chicken whole represents a sense of unity - this recipe produces juicy, tender meat. Chinese noodles seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro signify longevity. Oysters braised with sea moss is a traditional dish that brings luck to business transactions and rounds out the menu. To look at these recipes, read more.

Mushroom Spring Rolls with Creamy Ginger Sauce
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 plump lemongrass stalk, tender white inner bulb only, minced
1 red Thai chile, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
10 thin egg roll or spring roll wrappers
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 Boston lettuce leaves, halved

Directions

In a very large skillet, melt the butter. Add all of the mushrooms, the wine and soy sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are tender, about 8 minutes.
Uncover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes longer.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, lemongrass, chile, shallot and 1 tablespoon of the ginger and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the lemon zest, then stir the mixture into the mushrooms.
On a work surface, lightly brush an egg roll wrapper with the beaten egg. Spread 1/4 cup of the mushrooms on the lower third of the wrapper; bring the lower edge up and over the filling and roll up, folding in the sides as you go. Lightly flatten the roll and brush it with the beaten egg. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
In a blender, puree the mayonnaise with the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, the tarragon, lime juice, vinegar and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of ginger until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a medium skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 250°. Add 3 or 4 spring rolls and fry gently until nicely browned, about 1 minute per side. Drain on the prepared baking sheet and repeat the frying with the remaining spring rolls.
Cut the rolls in half on the diagonal, wrap them in lettuce leaves and serve right away with the ginger sauce.

Makes 10 spring rolls.

Print recipe with images | without images

White-Cut Chicken
From Gourmet

Ingredients

For chicken
1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken (with head and feet if desired), neck (if without head) and giblets reserved for another use if desired
1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise
2 oz Smithfield or other cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating
6 (1/4-inch-thick) round slices peeled fresh ginger
14 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
For dipping sauce
1 bunch scallions (white and pale green parts only), cut into very thin 2-inch strips
3 tablespoons light soy sauce (preferably Pearl River Bridge brand)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated (with a rasp) peeled fresh ginger

Directions

Make chicken: rinse chicken inside and out, then bend legs to tuck feet (if still attached) inside cavity. Stuff cavity with scallions, ham, and ginger.
Bring water with salt to a boil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot or pasta pot. Add chicken, breast side down (chicken may not be completely covered with liquid), then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and let stand, covered, 15 minutes more (chicken will be cooked through).
While chicken stands, fill a large bowl three-fourths full with ice and cold water. Carefully remove chicken from pot with a large slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Let stand, gently turning over once (be careful not to tear skin), until cool, about 10 minutes total. Carefully transfer to a cutting board and discard scallions, ham, and ginger from cavity. Pat dry. Rub skin with sesame oil.
Make dipping sauce: stir together scallions and soy sauce in a small heatproof bowl.
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating sides. When oil just begins to smoke, carefully add ginger (oil will spatter) and stir-fry 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat and pour over scallion mixture, stirring to combine (scallions will wilt).
To cut and serve chicken on a platter (Chinese restaurant–style), cut off the head and neck (if attached) with a cleaver and put at one end of a large platter. (These parts, along with the back and feet, aren't always eaten.) Cut off the feet. Cut off the drumsticks and thighs, then cut crosswise through the boneinto 1-inch pieces. Place the feet and leg meat at the other end of the platter. Cut off the wings, separating them at the joints, and put on the sides of the platter. Cut through the ribs, separating breast from back, then cut the backbone crosswise into 3 pieces and put them in the center of the platter. (Striking the cleaver with a rubber mallet makes the cuts clean.) Cut the breast crosswise through the bone into 1-inch pieces and arrange on the back. Alternatively, cut chicken according to procedure and mound pieces in a bowl.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons dipping sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining dipping sauce on the side.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Chinese Noodles with Sesame Dressing
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) thin Chinese noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons light-brown sugar
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain; rinse under cold water until completely cool. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, red pepper, and cilantro. Add noodles; toss to combine. Season with salt and ground pepper, and serve.

Serves 6.

Print recipe with images | without images

Braised Oysters with Sea Moss
From Food Network

Ingredients

11 ounces Chinese and iceberg lettuce leaves
8 jumbo oysters
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 black mushrooms, soaked in water
0.7 ounces sea moss, soaked in water
1/3 cup +2 tbsp chicken stock
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water

Directions

Blanch lettuce quickly in seasoned water, remove and line a serving dish with the leaves.
Poach oysters in the same water until 50% cooked. Remove.
Heat Chinese wok and quickly sauté oysters with vegetable oil. Add the black mushrooms, sea moss, chicken stock and oyster sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
Season the sauce with sesame oil, salt and sugar. Mix cornstarch with water. Add enough of the cornstarch mixture to slightly thicken the sauce.
Place oysters, black mushrooms and sea moss on top of lettuce.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:15:06 -0800

Red and gold are the perfect colors for an elegant Chinese New Year dinner. Use Asian prints and symbols as accents. Start by covering the table in a rich red tablecloth. Set the table with gold plates, gold napkin rings, and golden stemmed flatware. Instead of a floral arrangement, place a large golden bowl in the center of the table. Fill with vibrant tangerines.

Glass barware with a dragon motif is divine for serving shinsei sangria. Run globular votives down the middle of the table. Place fresh bamboo planters in the corners of the dining space. Write the name of each guest on the back of traditional red envelopes and use instead of place card holders.

Source

Come Party With Me: New Year's Eve - Invitations

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 07:04:23 -0800

I love the holidays because there are multiple days of celebration. The day after Christmas you have no reason to feel let down because New Year's Eve is just around the corner. With that said, it's time to get started planning my New Year's Eve Party. Each day this week I will write about a different element of the party, so if you want to plan with me you'll have some time to do so.

After deciding to plan a party the first step is to create a guest list. A very key factor in the success of a party is the group of people who will attend. Sure it's tempting to invite everyone you know to your party but more is not necessarily merrier. The night of a party a hostess has too many other things to worry about than whether or not there will be belligerent friction, uncomfortable silences, or unwanted cliques. Once you figure out exactly who will be on the guest list, it's time to make the invitations. To see the invitations I have sent out for my New Year's Eve party, read more

Invites: As I have mentioned before, invitations should reflect the mood, atmosphere, and theme of the party. Let's apply that concept here. The mood is festive - it's the start of a new year; the atmosphere is full of excitement and anticipation for the clock to strike 12, and the theme is New Year's. Black and gold will be the dominating color scheme running through the party (pair a metallic with any other color: silver and blue, purple and gold, silver and pink, red and gold). I'll start by folding a sheet of black cardstock in half lengthwise to make a long skinny card 11x4.25 inches. Next I'll take shiny gold paper that is slightly smaller than the folded black card stock (10x3 inches) and will add a sculpted edge by using fancy crafting scissors.

Using gold glitter glue (or with gold alphabet stickers), I'll write You are like Gold to Me on the paper. Once the glitter has dried I will glue the gold paper to the front of the folded black card. Next using my computer I'll type the following information in gold ink:

And I want you to be there when I celebrate the arrival of 2007! Please join me in a blowout bash to ring in the New Year on Sunday the 31 of December at 9:30 pm. After dinner nibbles and champagne. Festive and fabulous attire requested. Please RSVP by December 30.

I'll print it out on another piece of black card stock and cut a rectangle (with my fancy crafting scissors) that is slightly smaller than the folded black card. Finally I will glue this piece to the inside of my invitation to complete it.

Instead of using a plain old envelope I will wrap the card in shiny gold paper - different from the one on the front of the invitation. I will tie the wrapped invite with black ribbon that has a whole punched tag looped through it. On the tag I will write the name of the invited guest. Lastly I will drive around to each of my friends houses and place the package invitation in their mailboxes.

Now some of you may be thinking, YumSugar that sounds like a great idea, but I don't have time to make an elaborate homemade invitation. Don't worry. I have found some great invites-below-that you can turn into your own by taking the picture and adding it to a word document that has the text of your party.

Now that I told you all about the process of creating my New Year's Eve Party invites, feel free to share your ideas with me! Check back tomorrow to read about the menu for this party.

Source

Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Menu

partysugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:45:32 -0800

Instead of hosting a crazy party on New Year's Eve, invite friends and family over for a decadent lunch on Jan. 1. Begin the soirée in the early afternoon (around 2:30) to allow late-night partygoers plenty of time to recover. Serve a menu that is rich, satisfying, and luxurious.

Start with caviar on brioche toasts with creme fraiche. Slice smoked salmon and cream cheese frittata into bite-size pieces and serve as appetizers. Have guests sit down to a creamy leek and potato soup paired with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.

This menu would also make a delightful first day of the year dinner. To check out the recipes, read more.

Toasted Brioche Rounds With Creme Fraiche and Caviar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces black caviar, or more

Directions

Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds of brioche from slices.
Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar.

Makes 36 appetizers.

Print recipe with images | without images

Smoked-Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
From Gourmet

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
thinly sliced red or sweet onion, optional for serving

Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, chives, basil, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
Preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook, lifting up cooked egg around edges using a spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle salmon all over frittata, then press on salmon lightly and shake skillet to allow salmon to settle into top.
Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 baking potato (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil or parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the potato and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, then return it to the pan. Season the soup with salt and pepper, garnish with chervil and serve.

Serves 6.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

Print recipe with images | without images

Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:00:50 -0800

Although desserts are not tremendously popular in Asian cuisine, for a Chinese New Year celebration, there are plenty of options. First there's the traditional Nian Gao, a sticky, sweet gelatinous cake. Then there's the modern spring roll: filled with fruit, fried until a golden, and served with a caramel rum dipping sauce.

Finally, there's this recipe for sweet sesame wonton crisps. Serve with a tart tangerine sorbet for a soft-crunchy balance of textures. Not only is this dish unexpected, but it also symbolizes luck. To check out the recipe, read more.

Sweet Sesame Wonton Crisps
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

8 square wonton wrappers, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
4 teaspoons white or black sesame seeds, or a mixture
1 pint tangerine sorbet, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange wonton wrappers in a single layer on baking sheet, and set aside.
Stir together sugar, ginger, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
Whisk together the egg yolk and cream in another small bowl. Brush wontons with egg wash, and sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds and scant 1/4 teaspoon sugar mixture. Bake until wontons are golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack. Serve wonton crisps with sorbet.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Happy New Year!

YumSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:00:00 -0800

I wish you and your loved ones the best for 2008! Here's to a year full of great recipes, good eats and festive parties!

Last year I resolved - and somehow managed - to bake something every week. This year I'm resolving to try one new recipe each week. My "To Make" folder is getting quite full and it's time to clean it out! How about you, do you have any New Year's resolutions? Perhaps you're hoping to host a party every season, or maybe you're going to try a new restaurant each month? Whatever it is, we can't wait to hear them. Inspire us all with your resolutions, just post them in the comments section below!

Happy New Year! Hope you had a fantastic celebration!

Source