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Do You Eat at Restaurants With Picture Menus?

partysugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:45:20 -0700

Burger King Gets a Makeover

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:15:47 -0700

While one fast food chain is temporarily closing stores, another has begun remodeling them. Hoping a facelift will invigorate sales, Burger King announced a major effort to redesign its 12,000 worldwide locations.

Burger King is betting that rotating red flame chandeliers, LCD menus, and corrugated metal and brick walls will encourage customers to sit down and enjoy a meal rather than simply passing through.According to Chairman and CEO John Chidsey, who describes the overhaul as "contemporary, edgy, futuristic . . . like an upscale restaurant," the 60 outlets that have already been revamped have generated 12 to 15 percent more sales.

The "20/20" design transformation, as it's called, is a huge risk for Burger King. The overhaul will take several years to complete worldwide, and will cost franchisees a whopping $300,000 to $600,000 per restaurant. Check out new store pictures. Could a redesign coax you into buying more BK?

Taste Test: McDonald's Angus Third Pounders

YumSugar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:30:06 -0700

Back in April, McDonald's announced plans to add a premium Angus burger to its fast-food lineup. The burger, priced at $3.99, would compete with other higher-end fast-food burgers such as Carl's Jr.'s Six Dollar Burger and Burger King's XT burger, and was scheduled to roll out nationwide by August. Well, July's barely begun, but yesterday the chain's Angus Third Pounders hit menus across the country.

The burgers, which weigh at least a third of a pound, or 5.33 ounces, before they're cooked, come in a trio of styles, all on a sesame seed bun: Deluxe, with tomato, lettuce, mustard, mayonnaise, red onions, dill pickles, and American cheese; Bacon & Cheese, with ketchup, mustard, red onions, dill pickles, American cheese, and three slices of bacon; and Mushroom & Swiss, with mayonnaise, sautéed mushrooms, and swiss cheese. See more pictures - and the results of our office taste test - when you keep reading

Must-Read: Dinner At My Place

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 03:30:49 -0700

Over the past few months, I've been testing recipes from Tyler Florence's recent cookbook: Dinner At My Place $13.57.

Although Florence has penned several other cookbooks, this one has a particularly intimate feeling because it includes his family's favorite recipes along with great menus for dinner parties.

To find out if you should add it to your cookbook collection,
read more.

Pros:

The book is divided into innovative menus and theme parties. Some examples are Crab Season, Tolan's Birthday Dinner, and Sunday Dinner. There are a wide variety of recipes in each menu, which can be easily mixed and matched.
Many of the recipes offer substitutions in case some of the ingredients are not in season or are unavailable.
The last chapter, Cheat Sheet, has over 20 basic recipes (such as creamy parmesan potato gratin, Japanese beef broth, classic French Vinaigrette) that are fast and easy staples perfect for livening up any meal.

Cons:

Tyler is the father of three children, however, I thought it was overkill to dedicate an entire chapter to baby food. Perhaps a separate book or a smaller section? After all, I'm not making puree of anything for my adult guests anytime soon.
Directions for the recipes are in paragraph format rather than number.

Recipes: There are a wide variety of recipes in each of his pre-planned menus. Here are some that caught my attention.

Garden Puree Bruschetta
Blender Béarnaise
Watermelon Nectar with Lime Salt
Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Relish
Corn Pudding with Poblano
Artichoke Fritters with Meyer Lemon Salt
Beet Cakes with Sweet Greek Yogurt
Chinese Chicken Stock
Bourbon Peach Cobbler

Imagery: There are tons of pictures, which I promise will get you salivating.

Overall Rating: This cookbook has plenty of recipes perfect for a dinner party. It's not filled with lengthy and difficult culinary challenges, but rather tasty comfort foods that an average family is sure to enjoy.

View 6 Photos ›

Must-Read: Giada's Kitchen

partysugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:30:08 -0700

Last week Giada De Laurentiis fourth cookbook, Giada's Kitchen ($32) hit bookshelves. The book release coincided with the relaunch of her website, Giadadelaurentiis.com. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the glossy hardback with Tiffany-blue interior. Yesterday I spent some time reading the book - which is full of pretty pictures and delicious-sounding recipes - to see what I thought of it, read more.

Pros:

The book is loaded with clear, tantalizing pictures. Most recipes include a picture.
At the back of the book, there's a section devoted to menu ideas. There's a bunch of different themes (Aprés-Ski, Italian Picnic, Elegant Vegetarian Dinner, etc.) with dishes from the book. The menus are carefully thought out and make me want to host one of the parties.
This is the first book where De Laurentiis devotes a chapter to (not) just-for-kids food. Many of the recipes look scrumptious!

Cons:

The recipes are written in paragraph form, without any steps, making them harder to follow. It seems more like a showy book you would read, rather than actually cook with.
The aforementioned menus section does not include page numbers. So if you want to make the Tuscan Mushrooms for a Game Day viewing party, you have to look in the index to find out what page the recipe is on.
Many of the recipes have appeared on Giada's Food Network series, so a lot of them - like this orange ricotta pound cake or this chocolate and brie panini - can be found on the Internet.

Recipes: The recipes are classic Giada with the most delicious-sounding ones being her California-Italian-style dishes. The recipes listed below are on my must-make list:

Appetizers and Cocktails - pecorino crackers, apple and thyme martini, crostata with mushrooms and pancetta
Salads and Vegetables - parmesan potato pancake, artichoke gratinata
Meat - chicken scallopini with saffron cream sauce
Desserts - hazelnut crunch cake with mascarpone and chocolate

Imagery: The pictures are beautiful. The double page snapshots of Giada performing several steps of a certain recipe are especially helpful because they demonstrate the recipe's techniques.

Overall Rating: Mixed. While I'm a huge fan of Giada and I love her recipes, the fact that many can be found online makes me wonder what is the point of a cookbook? If you collect cookbooks, I suggest you get your hands on a copy. But if you can't afford the splurge, check out Giada's recipes on FoodNetwork.com.

Have you checked out Giada's Kitchen? What did you think?

Yummy Links: From Crab Fondue to Oscar Menus

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:45:20 -0800

This cheesy crab fondue looks to die for! - Simply Recipes
Find out which store-bought chicken stock tastes the best. - Serious Eats
Learn how to cook beans in a slow cooker. - The Kitchn
Use frozen berries to bring Summer's fruit pies into Winter's kitchen. - Simply Stated
Super charge with these ingredients that make you smarter and more virile. - Chow
Five menus that coincide with this year's Oscar nominations for best picture. - The Epi-Log

Source

All The News That's Fit To Eat - November 7, 2007

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:18:08 -0800

Forget fancy formal dining, the latest trend is casual yet creative dining including more lounges and signature dishes on bar menus. - San Francisco Chronicle
A breeder in Kansas is on a mission to save rare heritage turkeys from extinction. - New York Times
Stressed out over holiday cooking duties? This year leave the cooking to restaurants, caterers or personal chefs. - Houston Chronicle

Wondering why there's a picture of kitty litter here on YumSugar? Well, believe it or not this kitty litter box is actually full of cake. - PetSugar
Go on and party like it's 1967! These four classic nibbles have been updated for the 21st century. - Chicago Tribune
Plateau de fruits de mer - translation: platters of fruits of the sea - is an extravagant dish to order out. However when made at home this seafood platter can really zing! - Los Angeles Times
Go ahead and master the classic French onion soup. - The Oregonian
Nothing says "holiday" like showy pies - with a little patience, the perfect pie can be yours. - Star Tribune
You either love it or hate it, but coconut cake is the glamour queen of confections. - Dallas Morning News
Mmmm... I wish delicious Salvadoran pupusas were available on every street corner here. - Washington Post

Exercise in Excess: Feasting at The French Laundry

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:01:31 -0700

A little while back, I confessed to never having eaten at a single one of the 50 best restaurants in the world. Well, last week I finally fixed that by dining at Thomas Keller's number 4 ranked (number 1 in the US) The French Laundry of Yountville, CA (Napa wine country). The menu there consists of two options: the chef's tasting menu or the taste of vegetables menu, so unfortunately there's no popping in and ordering a la carte. In fact, there's no popping in of any sort - we had our reservations booked two months in advance, and even those were hard to come by. The meal itself is rather pricey, but I felt worth it for the food, atmosphere service and experience. It's not something I could see myself doing often, mostly for financial reasons. When I told everyone that I went, the first question was, "was it worth it?" followed shortly by, "what did you eat?" To find out the answers and see a parade of delectable pictures, read more

The evening started off by being presented bottles of both still and sparkling water. The still water was from Hildon and my friend Eric made sure that I noted that the bottle said it was "An English Natural Mineral Water of Exceptional Taste." Once we were settled in with waters, we (there were four of us) all decided to go with the Chef's tasting menu. The vegetable menu looked great, but I knew I would be sad not to get the chef's menu. Once our menus were chosen and our variations (a few dishes had options) selected, it was time for the amuse-bouches.

The two amuses were little gougeres (cheese bread puffs) served on a warm plate, and red onion crème fraiche filled, black sesame cornets topped with salmon tartare. I could have eaten just these and been quite a happy camper.

Next up is the "Oysters and Pearls," "Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Beau Soleil Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar. This is one of of the only dishes that is served just about every evening, and after tasting it, I know exactly why. The oysters were great, the caviar delectable and the texture amazingly creamy. It was like a savory tapioca pudding, everything just melted in my mouth. They followed this up with one of the best breads I'd ever eaten. A "brioche-like" roll and I must say, if this recipe is in either the French Laundry or the Bouchon Bakery cookbook, this will be disaster for my waistline.

After the caviar it was time for Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Au Torchon" "Compressed" Strawberries, Purple Top Turnips, Frisée Lettuce and Black Truffle "Gastrique" served with fresh buttery rich brioche. This dish was smooth, creamy and totally my undoing. I should have eaten only part of it, but I devoured it instead. In fact, I had more than one helping of brioche. Along with the brioche, the foie gras was also served with a trio of fancy salts.

At this point we were only 2 of 9 courses in to the meal, and on our 3rd glass of wine. Like I said, the whole evening was an exercise in excess! Be sure to come back for tomorrow for part 2 of my French Laundry recap!

Come Party With Me: Knitting Party - Decorations

partysugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:08:19 -0800

This week I am busy preparing a knitting party. I've invited over a group of girls and Elena, my friend who is a superb knitter, is going to give lessons. It's okay if your friends are at varying levels of understanding knitting. In fact this is what you want to have a successful party. The girls who have more experience can help those who are still learning. You as a hostess won't have to worry about conversation because knitting is what will bring everyone together. I already worked out the drinks and food menus and today I need to clean up my house and transform it into a haven perfect for an afternoon of festive knitting. To see what I have in mind, read more

You should always start with a very clean, tidy house. You want your guests to feel comfortable so your personal belongings (laundry, magazines, papers, books, etc.) should be organized and out of sight. Next walk through your house and decide which room will suit the needs of your party. In this case you'll want a big open space with good lighting and lots of comfy seating. I'll host the party in my family room because I have a big corner couch, a comfy red leather armchair, and a fireplace.

Once I find the location, I like to take a look around the space and imagine my party there. When envisioning the party I always ask myself the following questions: Is there enough seating for all of my guests? Can I create a circular formation with chairs, cushions, pillows, and stools to create more seating? Is there room for me to set up the tea bar, punch bowl, glasses, and finger foods? Is the bathroom accessible?

In my case there will be enough seating for my guests and to add depth and dimension to the room, I'll leisurely toss several purple, lavender, and fuchsia (the color scheme of the event) throw pillows. Elena offered to bring over all of her knitting supplies and when combined with those borrowed from my grandmother, there should be enough needles and pretty yarn for everyone. I'll set up several tv dinner trays (because there is only one small coffee table) for guests to rest their drinks on while they knit. On the coffee table I'll place a basket with other basic supplies: several pairs of scissors, pencils, and pads of paper for taking notes. I'll fill several vases with fresh pink and purple flowers and arrange them artistically throughout the room. All of my candles and votives will be lit and a cozy fire will be waiting for the guests arrival.

On my bar I'll set up the tea glasses, tea fixings, and garnishes. On a long skinny banquette I'll place the platters of food. I'll put a resting station in the kitchen (which opens to the family room), and will position a punch bowl along with plates of the rest of the food. I'll use put out my deep purple tablecloth and raspberry colored placemats.

If you have asked a friend to give the knitting lesson as I have, be sure to have a thank you gift wrapped and waiting for her. Present it to her slyly after the party and when she is on her way out. The gift could be a very pretty yarn, a new set of knitting needles, a bottle of wine or Champagne, or a set of decorative candles.

Did I forget a finishing flourish in my knitting party decor? Tell me your suggestions below or post pictures of your best decorating designs in my super special occasion group on TeamSugar. Tomorrow is the day before the party and I still have to figure out what the soundtrack is, so stay tuned....

Come Party With Me: WInter Wonderland Weekend Getaway - Music

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:01:12 -0800

As you all know this weekend a group of couples, my husband, and I will be escaping city life for a winter wonderland getaway. It's a weekend long party, and I have been planning all week. First I made green, silver, and white snowflake invitations, next I planned menus for six meals, yesterday I designed the decorations, and the final part, not to be overlooked of course, is the music.

You may be wondering, is she going to choose a selection of music to last the entire weekend? No way that would be crazy! Instead I'll create one play list that will be the recurring soundtrack of the weekend. I'll also ask my guests to bring their favorite CDs to share. To see my compilation, read more

Selecting the dishes for a meal is a task I enjoy and can do, however, when it comes to selecting songs for a play list, I lack the confidence that I have in the kitchen. Luckily, my good friend BuzzSugar recently created a playlist for a snowy day! I'm going to make copies of the CD and put a cool label with a picture of a winter landscape (like the above photo) and title it the Winter Wonderland Weekend Getaway and this weekend's date. When I give my friends a map to the cabin, I'll also present them with a copy of the CD. Voila! The soundtrack for the weekend is complete.

If you've got a great song that is perfect for a snowy weekend escape tell me about!