YumSugar

Come Party With Me: Super Bowl - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:00:08 -0800

The Super Bowl is this Sunday and to make sure you host the best blowout bash, I'll be sharing all of my ideas for an awesome party. To get things started let's talk about the menu. Before you select a bunch of dishes, think about the crowd you will be serving. Will it be mostly people who are invested in the game? A male heavy group? A mix of football fans and people who are simply there to socialize? Choose dishes that will accommodate this group. My crew falls into the last category with a variety of meat-lovers and vegetarians planning to attend.

For appetizers set up a buffet of store bought or homemade dips (guacamole, buffalo chicken dip, hummus, and artichoke crab dip are my favorites). As the main course, offer oozing grilled mozzarella sandwiches and cheesesteak sliders. No Super Bowl party is complete without a deep fried treat and guests will be delighted to snack on super crispy onion rings. To look at these recipes, read more.

Grilled Mozzarella Sandwiches
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, cut into 4 equal pieces about 3-inches by 4-inches
8 1/2-inch thick firm white sandwich bread
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
A grating of nutmeg
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Place the mozzarella on 4 slices of the bread. Cover with the remaining slices to form sandwiches. Trim the crusts off to make perfect 4-inch squares.
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cream, thyme leaves, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk until well blended.
In a 10 to 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking.
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook until the sizzling subsides.
Dip 2 of the sandwiches into the egg mixture, turning to coat, place in the pan, and cook until golden brown on the first side, about 2 minutes. Flip over and brown on the other side.
Transfer the sandwiches to individual plates and repeat the process with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 2 sandwiches. Cut in half, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Print recipe with images | without images

Cheesesteak Sliders
From Everyday with Rachael Ray

Ingredients

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper
2 large bell peppers, cut into thin strips
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
16 dinner rolls, split
6 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until rippling. Season the beef with salt and pepper, increase the heat to high and cook in the skillet for 3 minutes; flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium high heat, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Place the roll bottoms on a large rimmed baking sheet and top each with the beef and vegetables; sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake until the cheese is melted, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with the roll tops.

Makes 16 sliders.

Print recipe with images | without images

Supercrispy Onion Rings
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 quarts vegetable oil, for frying
3 cups cake flour
1 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 1/2 to 3 cups chilled club soda
2 large Spanish onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices and separated into rings

Directions

In a very large pot or deep fryer, heat the oil to 365°F.
In a bowl, whisk the cake flour with the cornstarch, baking soda and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Add 2 1/2 cups of the club soda and whisk until smooth; the batter should be thick but pourable. If necessary, add the remaining 1/2 cup of club soda, a few tablespoons at a time.
Working with 6 to 8 onion rings at a time, dip them in the batter until completely coated; as you pull the rings from the batter, scrape some of the excess against the side of the bowl.
Carefully add the onion rings to the hot oil and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain the onion rings on paper towels.
Sprinkle the onion rings with salt and serve immediately or keep warm in an oven on low heat while you coat and fry the rest.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Would You Eat From These Vending Machines?

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:30:13 -0700

I was at a New York airport recently when I came across these vending machines. Rather than vending typical fare like chips and sodas, these machines sold warmed-up hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and other prepared foods. I wasn't hungry (and I was about to miss my flight), so I didn't spring for them, but otherwise I might have. What about you - would you have given them a try?

Take a Visit to Pink's

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:56:31 -0700

A few months ago, I was supposed to grab dinner with my brother in LA. Unfortunately he had to work late, so a sit-down dinner was out of the question. However that was okay with me, this meant I finally had an excuse to go to Pink's, the famous LA hot dog institution. We got there around 11p.m. and there was definitely a crowd. To see what it was like, what we ordered, and learn why it's so darn popular, click the "Start Slideshow" button.

View Slideshow ›

Reader Recipe: Powderhorn Potatoes

Yum Community — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:50:11 -0800

This story was written by member b1uebunn and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.Check out her family's Thanksgiving recipe when you read more

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

Taste Test: Burger King's Angry Whopper

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 14:00:41 -0800

Most of us hoped to start 2009 on a positive note, but Burger King was seemingly in a furious state of mind: At the beginning of January, the fast food chain introduced the Angry Whopper to its US menus. News of the limited-edition burger, purportedly only available through the end of March, took the Internet by storm. So after hearing the incessant hype surrounding it, I decided to put the burger to the test. To find out how it tastes and see additional photos, read more.

For the suggested retail price of $3.69, the Angry Whopper features everything that's on the joint's original Whopper (flame-broiled patty, lettuce, tomatoes, sesame bun) - as well as "sizzling angry onions," jalapenos, a slice of pepper-jack cheese, bacon, and "angry sauce." Others have proclaimed that the Angry Whopper isn't spicy enough, and while I have to agree that it doesn't really live up to its notorious moniker, it's pretty darn delicious.

The jalapenos provide the only real spice kick, while the "angry sauce" and jack give a nice element of creaminess. Add sizzling onions (really glorified onion rings) for crunch, a few slices of bacon (who can say no to bacon?), and you've got a winning burger - one that I would choose any day over its original counterpart. I had grand lunch plans ahead of me, so I only meant to take a bite or two of the burger, but I admittedly had at least a third of it.

Continuing its strategy of controversial food marketing, Burger King also launched a humorous website in conjunction with the release of the Angry Whopper. It features - you guessed it - an angry Whopper that fans can employ to rebuke annoying friends. The talking burger isn't the only thing that's salty: so is the Angry Whopper itself, with 880 calories and a whopping (pardon the pun) 1670 milligrams of sodium. Does the Angry Whopper sound like something that you would try? If you've tasted it, what did you think?

View 10 Photos ›

Michael Schlow's Award-Winning Burger

partysugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:15:51 -0800

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival hosted by Food Network and Food and Wine magazine kicks off today in Florida. One of the hottest tickets is to the wildly popular Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. In October, I checked out the New York competition that Katie Lee Joel won with her Logan County Burger.

Tonight, Joel will defend her title against last year's South Beach winner, Michael Schlow. Since I won't be present at the SOBE Burger Bash, I decided to treat myself by making Schlow's monster of a burger. The Schlow burger is more complex than Joel's burger and involves fried onion rings, melted cheddar cheese, and a creamy horseradish sauce. The recipe says that the 9-ounce patties make "two fat-boy burgers" and trust me, after eating one of these babies (I made it through half), you'll feel like a fat boy.

However, this incredible burger is worth it. It's a masterpiece of flavors: the crispy onions are slightly caramelized, the lightly seasoned ground beef is tender, the mayonnaise is tangy and provides a much-needed moistness. If you or a loved one is a burger fanatic, make this burger. There's a reason it won the Burger Bash - quite simply, it's absolutely delicious. Want the recipe? Please, read more.

The Schlow Burger
From It's About Time

Ingredients

18 ounces ground beef (Ask the butcher for 80 percent lean. Do not change this part, please!)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared white horseradish
Juice of half a lemon
2 thick slices good quality Vermont or English cheddar cheese
2 hamburger buns, split in half (buy the best ones you can get; I like brioche buns)
Crispy Onions
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Combine the ground beef with the olive oil, salt, and plenty of black pepper.
Divide the meat into two 9-ounce patties and refrigerate until the grill is ready. (Don't do this more than an hour in advance.)
Combine mayonnaise, horseradish, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl and season with black pepper. (You can do this ahead of time and store it in the fridge.)

Heat the grill to high. Take the hamburgers out of the refrigerator 5 to 7 minutes before you are ready to grill them.
Place the burgers on the preheated grill and cook 1-1/2 minutes (for rare). Give the burgers a quarter-turn to "mark" them, and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.

Flip the burgers over and cook 1-1/2 minutes. Rotate a quarter-turn to "mark" and cook 1-1/2 more minutes.
Transfer the burgers to the grill's top shelf or to a cooler section of the grill and cover each one with a slice of cheese. Turn the grill off and shut the lid.

After 4 minutes, open the lid. The cheese will be melted and the burgers cooked rare to medium-rare. Toast the buns, if desired, and place a burger on each. Spread plenty of the horseradish sauce on each burger; it should drip down the sides. Top with Crispy Onions and season with freshly ground black pepper. Slather more sauce on the other half of the bun and place it on top of the burger. Grab a cold beer or iced tea and get ready to make a mess. This is not a dainty meal!

Makes 2 "fat boy" burgers.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 23 Photos ›

Food Industry's Elite Party in South Beach

partysugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:50:20 -0800

While the entertainment industry turned to LA for the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards, the best and brightest stars of the culinary world gathered in Florida over the weekend for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival.

The four-day festival kicked off on Thursday night with the highly anticipated Burger Bash. Reigning Burger Bash queen, Katie Lee Joel, handed her crown over to the new king, Top Chef four's Spike Mendelsohn. His Coletti's Smokehouse burger (with Applewood bacon, sharp Vermont cheddar, fried Vidalia onion rings, and chipotle BBQ sauce) swept the competition.

Other highlights included a special dinner with the king and queen of Spain, a barbecue hosted by Tom Colicchio, a tribute to Emeril Lagasse, an Oscars viewing with Bobby Flay, several grand tastings, and countless demonstrations.

To check out a huge gallery of images of all your foodie favorites, read more.

View 52 Photos ›

Source

'Wich of the Week: Grilled Grouper With Fried Green Tomatoes

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:00:28 -0800

If fried food isn't your thing, then skip last week's fried grouper sandwich and opt for a blackened, grilled version instead. Oh yeah, except this version adds fried green tomatoes, so you'll probably want to leave those off if it's healthy eating you're after. But where's the fun in that? I never would have thought to combine succulent white fish with tangy green tomatoes, but the combination was really outstanding.The restaurant also added onion rings to its sandwich, but I found those to be a little much: All the friedness was getting in the way of the fish flavor. So if I were to make it again, I'd just pair a simple piece of blackened grouper with fried tomatoes, plus lettuce and tartar sauce (or mayo if you prefer). To get the recipes, read more.

Fried Green Tomatoes
From Cookie

Ingredients

4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon paprika or pimentón (a Spanish smoked paprika, available at latienda.com)
2 eggs
Vegetable oil

Directions

Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.
Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.
Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.
Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.
Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.
Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Print recipe with images | without images

Blackened Grilled Grouper Sandwich
Modified From Publix

Ingredients

12 slices of fried green tomatoes
1 1/2 lbs. grouper (or mahi) fillets (thawed, if needed)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons blackening seasoning
4 kaiser rolls
4 tablespoons tartar sauce
8 lettuce leaves (rinsed)

Directions

Preheat 2-sided tabletop grill. Cut fish into 4 portions. Coat both sides of fish with cooking spray then sprinkle with blackening seasoning.
Place fish on grill (wash hands); close lid, and cook 5 minutes or until fish is opaque and separates easily with a fork. (If using regular grill, double cooking time, turning once.) Cook time may vary depending on thickness of fish.
Cut rolls in half, if needed. Spread tartar sauce on bottom half of each roll.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Print recipe with images | without images

Let's Dish: Hell's Kitchen 4.4

partysugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:11:33 -0700

The women shone on last night's installment of Hell's Kitchen: they won the pasta challenge and completed the dinner service before the boys. It was the first time in Hell's Kitchen history that children were invited to dine in the restaurant. The menu featured kid-friendly foods like pasta, hamburgers, onion rings, and barbecued chicken. The simplified menu allowed the chefs to finally find a rhythm. To address some of the main issues of the episode - Ramsay often refers to the chefs lovingly as donkeys so wasn't it ironic when live donkeys were part of the kiddie entertainment? - read more.

Let the discussion begin!

Isn't it weird how many of the contestants were chefs in the past but have since moved onto other professions? Example: Ben used to be a chef and is now an electrician.
Was the pasta challenge an unfair test of strength between males and females?

In a real kitchen, does someone have to stand around and hold the pasta while it dries?
Did anyone else notice the dated-looking paper doily underneath the sad onion rings?
Was Vanessa over exaggerating the degree of her burn?
Who should emerge as a leader of the blue, all-male team?
Was Jen's performance worthy of Ramsay's praises?
Was Ramsay being too hard on Ben?

And now, let's recall some of Ramsay's finest moments:

On the chefs' pasta-making skills: OK bloody good effort! I've seen more energy in the last 20 minutes than I have the last three services.
On Jean Phillipe's stuffy attire: Come here you, it's a family service. Take your f***ing tie off. You're like a f***ing stick. Walk straight you f***ing doughnut!
On Matt's barbecued chicken being sent to a child when it was still raw: Gentlemen raw chicken! Matt it's pink and bloody. Come here you. What the f*** are you doing? It's the tartare again with you, isn't it? F***ing donkey!
On the small, bad hamburgers the boys were cooking: Why are we cooking the burgers off so early?! They're like ice hockey pucks! Are we a fast-food joint now?
On Craig's performance in the kitchen: It's raw - so how long? He doesn't even answer! He's not giving me an answer. He is making me f***ing nervous, oh my f***ing god!

Photos courtesy of Fox.