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Fast & Easy Dinner: White Bean and Tuna Panzanella

partysugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:50:56 -0700

When it comes to panzanella - the classic Italian bread salad with tomatoes - I love every variation. While I've made it with heirloom tomatoes and arugula, I've never had the filling warm-weather dish with tuna and white beans.

But thanks to this recipe, I plan on doing so tonight! What's not to love about chunky tuna, crispy oil-saturated bread, and tangy pickles? The cannellini beans ensure that this salad is hearty enough to stand alone.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

White Bean and Tuna Panzanella
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1/2 baguette, torn into 2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 pickles (preferably half-sour), cut into bite-size pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
kosher salt and pepper
2 6-ounce cans tuna, drained

Directions

Heat broiler. On a broiler-proof rimmed baking sheet, toss the baguette pieces with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Broil until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, pickles, onion, vinegar, the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Fold in the broiled baguette. Divide the mixture among bowls and top with the tuna.

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Do You Like Canning at Home?

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:30:16 -0700

Summer, with its bounty of exquisite produce, couldn't be a more fitting time to preserve fruits and vegetables for less-than-abundant months to come. Last year, I was obsessed with making quick pickles; this year, I'd love to pick up some professional canning equipment so I can save jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles for the Winter. Have you dabbled in home preserving?

Would You Eat Deep Fried Pickles?

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:30:29 -0700

Fried pickles accompanied by a side of ranch dressing are a staple on many a pub's menus, so recently, I decided to give them a try at one of my favorite spots, Barclays. With their salty goodness (think salt and vinegar chips), they complemented my pint of Guinness. However, I wouldn't dare to eat an entire plate of them, it's too much sodium for my taste. Would you give this crunchy and salt-laden pub delicacy a shot?

Must-Read: Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 09:00:20 -0700

Given that some say we're in the middle of a food revolution, and local, sustainable, home-grown produce is popping up everywhere, it's only logical that an uptick in home preserving will happen, too. Enter Karen Solomon's Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, a new book that's focused on making your own artisanal food products, either to keep or to give as gifts. The tome isn't simply limited to fruit jellies and quick pickles - it also includes instructions on making everything from flatbread to watermelon Popsicles to chai tea. But did it live up to its high expectations? Find out when you read more.

Pros:

The cookbook covers a wide range of basic preserving techniques that run the gamut from dairy products to cured meats.
Each recipe provides a general overview of the dish, estimated time required, and suggestions for storing.
Book size and binding make it easy for the tome to stay on the desired page.

Cons:

This do-it-yourself book could benefit from having more instructional pictures.
Recipe directions are written in paragraph form, which can be hard to navigate.

Recipes: I'm excited to create homemade versions of many different comestibles using the book's artisanal techniques and tips. Intriguing projects include:

Baked potato chips
Kimchee
Gravlax
Smoked trout
Ricotta salata
Lemon curd
Jamaican ginger beer

Imagery: While only a quarter of the book contains images, all of them are vivid, visually appealing color photographs.

Overall Rating: If you're looking to be a resourceful kitchen do-it-yourselfer, then this book would seal the deal.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Apr. 21-28, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:24 -0700

If you thought last week was jam-packed with food events, then get excited for this week, as the festivals just get better. If I could teleport myself around the world, there's no question I'd hit up the nation's celebrations, from pickles to pie to asparagus to spam.

We will, however, be supporting the cause to end childhood hunger at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation series (if you're signed up to go to the San Francisco event, perhaps we'll see you there!). If you know of any other events we've left off the list, chime in below!

Dallas, TX: Dallas Wine & Food Festival - Apr. 22-26
Beaufort, NC: Beaufort Wine & Food weekend - Apr. 22-26
Sugarland, TX: The Grand Wine & Food Affair - Apr. 22-26
San Francisco, CA: Taste of the Nation San Francisco - Apr. 23
New Haven, CT: Taste of the Nation New Haven - Apr. 23
Wilmington, DE: Taste of the Nation Wilmington - Apr. 23
Mount Olive, NC: North Carolina Pickle Festival - Apr. 24-25
Stockton, CA: Asparagus Festival - Apr. 24-26
Pompano Beach, FL: Pompano Beach Seafood Festival - Apr. 24-26
Waikiki, HI: Waikiki Spam Jam - Apr. 25
La Crosse, WI: Between the Bluffs Beer, Wine & Cheese Festival - Apr. 25
Celebration, FL: Great American Pie Festival - Apr. 25

To see the rest, read more.

San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Beer Festival - Apr. 25
Vidalia, GA: Vidalia Onion Festival - Apr. 25-26
Maui, HI: Taro Festival - Apr. 25-26
Branson, MO: Missouri Wine Fest - Apr. 25-26
South Pittsburg, TN: National Cornbread Festival - Apr. 25-26
Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh Wine Festival - Apr. 25-30
Toledo, OH: Taste of the Nation Toledo - Apr. 26
Portland, OR: Taste of the Nation Portland - Apr. 27
Worcester, MA: Taste of the Nation Worcester - Apr. 27

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Sally Winslet Is an Award-Winning Onion Pickler

partysugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:45:58 -0800

Looks like Oscar nominee Kate Winslet isn't the only award winner in her family. The British actress's mother, Sally Winslet, affectionately known as the "Queen of Shallots," is an award-winning pickler. Yesterday Sally won the annual onion pickling contest at her local East Reading pub, the Retreat. This is the third year in a row that Sally's pickled onions won the competition. Upon accepting her title, Winslet explained what made her onions so special:

There are a lot of good onions here. I just boil up the spices with sugar and when the balsamic vinegar is cold I pour it over the onions.

Over the past six months, pickling has become incredibly popular, and Anna Winslet, Kate's sister and Sally's daughter, who was on hand at the competition, couldn't have put it better when she said, "Everyone should be a pickler." No word on Kate's pickling skills, although she is known to be an enthusiastic, yet accident-prone cook.

Are you surprised to learn that Winslet's mother is an award-winning onion pickler? Do you pickle?

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Nov. 18-24, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:00:55 -0800

This week, the country's running wild with wine tasting events. Even if there isn't one listed below that you can attend, chances are that this week there's a wine celebration going on near you, as the third Thursday of each November marks the yearly release of Beaujolais nouveau. Stock up on cases to pair with your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner, because as soon as the bottles sell out, they're gone for good.

Chicago, IL: Passport to France - Nov. 20
Houston, TX: Beaujolais Wine & Food Festival - Nov. 20
New York, NY: Beaujolais Nouveau 2008 Celebration - Nov. 20
Dallas, TX: Beaujolais Wine Festival - Nov. 21
Grand Rapids, MI: Grand Rapids Wine & Food Festival - Nov. 21-23
Stamford, CT: Connecticut Wine & Food Festival - Nov. 21-23
Plant City, FL: Plant City Pig Jam - Nov. 22

To see the rest, read more.

San Francisco, CA: La Soirée Extravaganza - Nov. 22
Panacea, FL: Mighty Mullet Maritime Festival - Nov. 22
Minneapolis, MN: Calhoun Square Coffee Festival - Nov. 22
San Francisco, CA: Slow Food Nation Community Eat-In - Nov. 22
York, PA: Pennsylvania Food & Beverage Show - Nov. 22-23
Hyannis, MA: Taste of Cape Cod - Nov. 23
Rosendale, NY: International Pickle Festival - Nov. 23

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'Wich of the Week: Rotisserie Chicken, Chutney, and Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:32 -0800

Store-bought rotisserie chicken is one of the tastiest culinary shortcuts around. It's incredibly moist and flavorful, but all you have to do to prepare it is pull the meat off the bird. Since I love leftover sandwiches, I combined my current passion for chutney and bread-and-butter pickles with some excess chicken from a recent dinner.

The mango chutney, salty-sweet pickles, and smoky chicken come together to create a perfectly provocative bite, while the melted swiss and sprouts hold the potentially slippery sandwich in place. It's a ridiculously easy meal you can make in minutes, but the flavors are anything but simple. To get the recipe and step-by-step photos, read more.

Rotisserie Chicken, Chutney, and Swiss Cheese Sandwich
Original Recipe

Ingredients

2 slices whole-wheat or multigrain bread
2 tablespoons mango chutney
Rotisserie chicken, dark and white meat, enough to cover one slice of bread
6 bread-and-butter pickle slices
1 slice swiss cheese
1 piece of red leaf or romaine lettuce
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F or set toaster oven to "medium."
On one slice of bread, spread one tablespoon mango chutney. Arrange desired amount of dark and white meat of chicken on top.

Place 6 pickle slices on top of the chicken, and lay the swiss cheese over the pickles.

Place both slices of bread and toppings into a toaster oven or 350°F oven for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is lightly toasted.
Lay lettuce leaf over the cheese, follow by the alfalfa sprouts. Slather remaining tablespoon of chutney on the second slice of bread, place atop the sprouts, and cut in half to serve.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Chicago Dog Salad

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:00:00 -0800

It can be easy to associate salads with repetition and zero flavor, but these mixed greens have a completely refreshing point of view. Here, Rachael Ray takes what's thought to be junky ballpark food and turns it into something entirely unexpected. Juicy tomatoes, succulent hot dogs, tart relish, tangy mustard, and pungent onions make for a satiating, hearty salad. For Chicago-style authenticity, opt for Vienna Beef all-beef hot dogs. To get the recipe, read more.

Chicago Dog Salad
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (eyeball it)
1 rounded teaspoon granulated sugar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
16 ounces shredded cabbage
1 heart of romaine lettuce, shredded
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, diced
3 large half-sour or garlic pickles, chopped
8 pork or beef hot dogs, cut into 1-inch slices on an angle
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, sugar and 3 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper; taste, adjust the seasonings and reserve.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 turn of the pan, then arrange the sliced dogs in a single layer. Sear them for a couple of minutes on each side, turning with tongs.
Mound the salad on plates, top with the seared dogs and serve.

Serves 4.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Sept. 16-22, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:25 -0700

In the height of good weather, food and festivity abound, and right about now, I'm wishing I could teleport myself around the United States. First I'd hit up Manhattan for Wine 2.0's wine sampling this week, followed by the Shrimp & Grits Festival in Georgia, and then some classic Eli's cheesecake in the Windy City. Don't miss out on these events - if you do, you'll have to wait another year!

New York, NY: The StarChefs Rising Stars Revue New York - Sept. 16
New York, NY: Epicurious Wine.Dine.Donate New York - Sept. 17
New York, NY: Wine 2.0 New York - Sept. 18
Atlantic City, NJ: Celebrity Chef Tour Atlantic City - Sept. 18
Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA: Delaware River Food & Wine Festival - Sept. 18-21
Nappanee, IN: Nappanee Apple Festival - Sept. 18-21
La Crescent, MN: Applefest 08 - Sept. 18-21
Leavenworth, WA: Wenatchee River Salmon Festival - Sept. 18-21

To see the rest, read more.

Salinas, CA: Salute to Agriculture Taste of the Valley Food & Wine Show - Sept. 19
St. Peters, MO: Smoke-A-Palooza - Sept. 19-20
Hot Springs, AR: Smoke On the Water Arkansas BBQ Challenge - Sept. 19-20
Madison, WI: Food For Thought Festival - Sept. 19-20
Palisade, CO: Colorado Mountain Wine Fest - Sept. 19-21
San Pedro, CA: Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival - Sept. 19-21
Jekyll Island, GA: Wild Georgia Shrimp & Grits Festival - Sept. 19-21
Berea, KY: Berea Spoonbread Festival - Sept. 19-21
Sioux Falls, SD: Spirit of the West Festival - Sept. 19-21
Monroe, WI: Green County Cheese Days - Sept. 19-21
Los Angeles, CA: Picklefest 2008 - Sept. 20
Lowville, NY: Cream Cheese Festival - Sept. 20
Litchfield, CT: Litchfield Hills Harvest Festival - Sept. 20-21
Chicago, IL: Eli's Cheesecake Festival - Sept. 20-21
Westminster, MD: Maryland Wine Festival - Sept. 20-21
Nebraska City, NE: AppleJack Festival - Sept. 20-21
San Francisco, CA: A Food Affaire - Sept. 22

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