YumSugar

Do You Like Paté?

partysugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:45:51 -0800

12 Days of Edible Gifts: Chicken Liver Pate

partysugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:18:16 -0800

Rich, creamy, and luxurious, pate is one of my favorite foods. However, it's not something I consume or make on an everyday basis. In fact, before Saturday, I had never made pate. That's why I thought it would be an excellent gift for myself (I would learn the process of making pate) and my girlfriend Erica (she loves pate too).

Although the recipe is simple and straightforward, you will need a food processor. The hardest part is pushing the chunky pate through a fine sieve - don't skip this step though, it's required for a silky, smooth texture. If you're a fan of pate, you'll love this homemade variation. I gave two jars to Erica and kept one for myself! To look at the recipe, read more.

Chicken Liver Pate
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
4 bacon slices, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
12 oz chicken livers, trimmed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch cubes (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram*
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, quartered
2 tablespoons dry Sherry, bourbon, or Cognac
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Fresh parsley sprig
Rye bread slices, toasted or crackers, for serving

Directions

Melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add onion and sauté until pale golden, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and stir 1 minute.
Add chicken livers, apple, and marjoram; sauté until livers are no longer pink inside and apple is soft, about 8 minutes.
Transfer warm liver mixture to processor. Add hard-boiled eggs, Sherry, and salt; puree until almost smooth.
Transfer mixture to fine to medium sieve set over large bowl. Using sturdy rubber spatula, press mixture through sieve into bowl.
Mix in remaining 1/2 cup butter. Season pâté to taste with freshly ground pepper. Transfer to small serving bowl. Garnish pâté with parsley and serve with toasted rye bread or crackers.

Makes about 2 cups.

Make ahead: Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.

*My grocery store was out of fresh marjoram. I used parsley because it's what I had on hand, but oregano is another nice option.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 15 Photos ›

Come Party With Me: My Birthday - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:00:09 -0700

Although my birthday starts at 9 p.m. on a Saturday, I want to offer my friends snacks to nibble on throughout the night. Since the kitchen at 15 Romolo is still under construction, I'll make an assortment of easy appetizers that are best served at room temperature.

Marinated mushrooms and prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks are delicious starters. Chicken liver pate on crostini will suit the palates of my foodie friends and pair nicely with a goat cheese pesto torta. For these wonderful recipes, read more.

Marinated Mushrooms
From Whole Foods

Ingredients

1 pound fresh cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2–4 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or to taste
1–2 cloves minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 teaspoons fresh minced oregano
2 tablespoons fresh minced Italian parsley
sea salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon each black peppercorns and coriander seeds

Directions

Clean mushrooms and remove stems.
Simmer mushroom caps in salted water for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
Add olive oil, vinegar, garlic, red onion, oregano, parsley, salt, peppercorns and coriander. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Info: Per serving (About 5oz/146g-wt.): 110 calories (70 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 3g protein, 8g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium

Print recipe with images | without images

Prosciutto Truffle Butter Breadsticks
From Robert Irvine

Ingredients

2 teaspoons chopped parsley leaves
2 teaspoons chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
4 tablespoons white truffle oil
16 breadsticks
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
16 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced

Directions

Mix parsley, chives, salt and white pepper with softened butter and truffle oil, then spread on a flat plate.
Dip each breadstick in butter mixture so that 3/4 of the stick is covered to hold prosciutto in place.
Roll in Parmesan, then wrap a slice of prosciutto over the buttered 3/4 length of each stick, leaving a dry end of stick for guests to serve themselves.

Serves 8.

Print recipe with images | without images

Chicken Liver Crostini
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry
2 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1-by-1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 Golden Delicious apple-peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup brandy
Salt and freshly ground pepper
24 baguette slices, toasted
Small sage leaves, for garnish

Directions

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the olive oil until foaming.
Add the chicken livers and cook over high heat, turning once or twice, until browned all over, about 3 minutes. Transfer the livers to a small bowl.
Add the bacon to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the apple, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until very soft and just beginning to break down, about 10 minutes longer. Add the brandy to the skillet and carefully ignite with a long match; let the alcohol burn off.
Add 1/4 cup of the apple mixture to the bacon. Add the remaining apple mixture to a blender along with the chicken livers and blend until smooth.
With the machine on, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and puree until creamy.
Pass the chicken liver mousse through a fine strainer into a bowl (omit this step for a chunkier mousse). Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Spread the chicken liver mousse on the baguette toasts. Garnish with a little of the bacon-apple mixture and the sage leaves and serve at once.

Makes 24.

Make ahead: the mousse and apple-bacon garnish can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. Return to room temperature before serving.

Print recipe with images | without images

Goat Cheese Pesto Torta
From Gourmet magazine

Ingredients

1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
Vegetable oil for brushing pan
1/4 cup finely chopped rinsed drained bottled roasted red peppers
20 oz soft mild goat cheese, softened at room temperature (2 cups)
3 tablespoons bottled black olive paste or tapenade
crackers or toasts

Directions

Drain pesto in a small fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl 15 minutes, then discard excess oil.
Lightly oil loaf pan and line with a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to allow a generous overhang on all 4 sides. For a smoother-looking torta, oiled loaf pan can be lined with parchment paper instead of plastic wrap. Cut 1 long piece of parchment to line bottom and ends, leaving a 2-inch overhang, then trace and cut out 2 more pieces for sides of pan plus a 2-inch overhang.
Blot peppers well between paper towels to remove excess liquid.
Spread about one fourth (1/2 cup) of cheese evenly over bottom of loaf pan and top with all of pesto, spreading evenly. Drop 1/2 cup cheese by tablespoons over pesto and spread gently to cover pesto.
Top with chopped peppers, spreading evenly. Drop another 1/2 cup cheese by tablespoons over peppers and spread gently to cover peppers.
Spread olive paste evenly on top, then drop remaining cheese by tablespoons over olive paste, spreading gently to cover olive paste. Cover pan with another sheet of plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours.
Remove plastic wrap from top of pan and invert torta onto a serving plate, then peel off remaining plastic wrap. Let torta stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Serves 8-10.

Make ahead: torta can be chilled in pan up to 24 hours. Let torta stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.

Print recipe with images | without images

Would You Eat This Vegetarian Pâté?

partysugar — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:13:31 -0700

At the Artisan Cheese Festival, I was browsing the cheese display with my mom when she did something totally out of the ordinary. She's not an adventurous eater, but to my surprise she took a gigantic chunk of vegetarian pâté! I love regular pâté, but was a little wary of the bright orange, green, and white thing that rested on my mom's plate. I wish I could say it was absolutely delicious but it just wasn't. The texture was weird and the flavor odd. We were both glad we tried it, but aren't running out to purchase buckets of vegetarian pâté. How about you? Would you eat this vegetarian pâté?

Would You Eat This Paté?

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:11:31 -0800

I've found us the perfect item for a special holiday edition of Would You Eat This. You may have heard of duck or goose paté, but how about reindeer paté? It's a paté made from cuts of Swedish Artic Reindeer meat, cognac and spices. It's supposed to go great on buttered toast with a glass of brandy. It makes me sad to think I'd be munching down on Dancer, Prancer or one of Santa's other reindeer, however it probably wouldn't stop me from trying it. How about you guys, would you give it a try?

Food Section Sampler - May 27, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:50:40 -0700

A growing number of food vendors have taken to the streets of San Francisco. - San Francisco Chronicle
Make Jacques Pepin's smoked salmon paté in a matter of minutes. - Boston Globe
El Bulli's Ferran Adrià has developed a beer that's meant to be enjoyed like wine. - New York Times
The Wholesome Wave Foundation, a federal food assistance program that draws families to farmers markets, is breaking ground. - Washington Post
What are the keys to whipping up a well-balanced vinaigrette? - Chicago Tribune
Scientific breakthroughs have allowed California to make major advances in blueberry farming. - Los Angeles Times
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, long championed for its editorial independence, is under fire for accepting industry-paid trips. - Wall Street Journal

Source

All the News That's Fit to Eat - Dec. 10, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:45:03 -0800

Bake five different kinds of cookies with this one master dough recipe. - The Oregonian
The economic downturn has changed the way America eats. - New York Times
Quality artisanal hard ciders embody the flavors of Winter. - Los Angeles Times
If you liked our chicken liver paté, try this tuna paté. - Boston Globe
For festive, affordable holiday cheer, opt for bubbly that's not Champagne. - Washington Post
With a new president soon to be in the White House, Alice Waters is heading lobbying efforts for national food reform. - San Francisco Chronicle
Save leftover egg whites in the freezer. - Chicago Tribune
Concerned for the future of Parmigiano cheese, the Italian government is spearheading bailout efforts. - Wall Street Journal

Source

Would You Eat Bone Marrow?

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:15:03 -0700

I recently went out to dinner and found an intriguing dish on the appetizer menu: bone marrow served with little toasts. A long, skinny spoon is used to scoop the marrow out of the bone. It can be spread on the toast, or eaten alone. The flavor is surprisingly delicious and rich. It's a bit oily, but the texture is smooth. Similar to paté's flavor palate (only not so livery), bone marrow is a rare treat that I highly recommend. What do you think, could you eat bone marrow?

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 09:13:10 -0800

We asked you to submit your gingerbread houses and you guys really impressed us. We had 30 entries including this one from Jessica in Australia. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Still looking for some last minute gifts? This week we've uncovered gifts for your neighbors, a white elephant exchange, newlyweds, your boss your co-workers, and their holiday stockings.
Need a little inspiration for your holiday meal? Check our ideas for a traditional Christmas dinner.
Ever wonder who won Glad's Steamiest Chefs contest?

We want to know, can you tell the difference between real food songs and fake ones?
Go behind the scenes at the Sugar Holiday party and learn how to throw your own bowling alley party.
Get a great recipe for golden beet soup, as well as one for orange ricotta poundcake and Santa's Martini.
Would you eat reindeer paté?
Is a new Rachael and the return of Jamie enough to save the Food Network?
We've started recapping our Best of 2007 polls and posts. Come find out more about:
- Our favorite sides
- This year's favorite foodie film
- The best cakes of the year
- My favorite of the 52 weeks of baking
- This year's most interesting polls
- Our favorite restaurant chef
- The year's best invites
- The best new magazine
- Your favorite cooking show, food reality show, and foodie tv show
- The year's favorite male and favorite female celebrity chefs