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Taste Test: Cape Cod Popcorn

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:15:10 -0700

I'm a huge snacker, and admittedly have more than a few downfalls. One of them is popcorn. Combine this with a shipment we recently received of new popcorn from Cape Cod Chips, and you can guess where the story is headed.

Cape Cod is known for its all-natural potato chips, which come in a wide variety of flavors (my favorite is the jalapeño and aged cheddar - especially as a hangover snack). Now, the brand has added three kinds of popcorn flavored with all-natural ingredients to that list: white cheddar, sweet cream butter, and sweet and salty (all $2.69). Did they live up to their chip counterparts? Find out after the break.

Come Party With Me: Oscars Viewing - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 09:00:06 -0800

Every February I invite an intimate group of friends over to watch the Academy Awards. In 2007 I cooked a menu that featured Wolfgang Puck's recipes. In 2008, I made a smorgasbord of elegant, award-winning appetizers. This year I've decided to serve a buffet of classic movie foods. However, I'll give the concession-stand snacks the star treatment. Instead of offering guests boring old popcorn, toss fresh cooked kernels with truffle oil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Wrap mini sausages in puff pastry for an upscale take on the ordinary hot dog. Serve with a trio of dipping sauces - honey mustard, chipotle ketchup, and garlic mayo.

Trade in the theater's bright orange nacho cheese and stale tortilla chips for a creamy goat cheese béchamel and blue corn chip variation. Not into the Oscars? These recipes would be excellent at any movie-watching shindig. To add them to your recipe collection, read more.

Truffled Popcorn
Modified from Food and Wine

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon white truffle oil
Salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup popcorn kernels (7 ounces)
Freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in truffle oil and a pinch of salt; keep warm.
In a large, heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil. Add the popcorn kernels, cover and cook over moderate heat until they start popping. Cook, shaking the pot continuously, until the popping has almost stopped.
Carefully pour the popcorn into a very large bowl. Add the truffled butter and parmesan cheese and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Serves 6.

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Pigs in a Blanket
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

2 pounds (about 60) mini hot dogs
Cheddar cheese, cut into small pieces, optional
Caramelized Onions, optional
1 large egg
All-purpose flour, for work surface
1 box (17 1/2 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
Poppy, sesame, or mustard seeds, optional
Mustard, for serving
Ketchup, for serving

Directions

Cut hot dogs lengthwise 3/4 of the way through. Insert a piece of cheese or 1/2 teaspoon caramelized onions into each hot dog, if using; set aside. If not using cheese or onions, poke hot dogs several times with the tip of a knife.
On a lightly floured work surface, working with one sheet of puff pastry at a time, roll into a 14-by-11-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into seven 1 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 rectangles, each about 3 1/2 inches long.
In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside. Place a hot dog on the narrow end of one piece of pastry. Roll to enclose, brushing with some of the beaten egg to adhere; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining hot dogs and pastry.
Brush the tops of puff pastry with egg and sprinkle with seeds, if using. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill for 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool briefly before serving with mustard and ketchup.

Makes about 4 dozen.

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Goat Cheese Nachos
From Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Two 15.5-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
1/2 white onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch ground cumin
Salt and pepper
20 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup heavy cream
2 bags tortilla chips (18 to 24 ounces total)
3 ripe avocados, coarsely chopped
1 pint fresh pico de gallo or salsa
1 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan, combine the black beans, lime juice, onion, olive oil, garlic, cayenne, cumin and a pinch salt and pepper.
Cover and warm over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer half of the mixture to a food processor; blend until smooth. Return the puree to the saucepan and stir; cover to keep warm.
In a medium, microwaveable bowl, stir the goat cheese with the heavy cream. Cover and microwave on high power for 90 seconds; whisk until creamy. Set aside.
Place a large handful of tortilla chips in individual paper bowls, drizzle with goat cheese sauce and top with the black bean mixture, avocado, pico de gallo and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 10.

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What's Cooking at Slashfood

partysugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:30:46 -0800

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

Everything you need to know about Rhum Clement VSOP.
Honey butter popcorn is a delicious, easy-to-make treat.
Eight foods and drinks to help you sleep.
Cafeteria: the place in New York to get good food all night long.
Learn how to make gnocchi.
Wine that pairs with leftover Halloween candy.

Source

Come Party With Me: Election Night - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:00:42 -0700

Since the election night party starts around dinnertime, I plan on providing guests with some substantial snacking. However, the party is at Elixir, a bar with no kitchen, so all of the food has to be made in advance, and it must taste delicious served at room temperature.

To keep up with the patriotic theme, LibertySugar and I have come up with clever names for each of the dishes. Spicy buffalo chicken left-wings (or right! depending on your party) are cooled off with a scrumptious blue cheese dip. A campaign trail mix is crunchy and filling.

Lipstick pigs in a blanket are sure to be a crowd-pleasing favorite. Seven-layer dip with red, white, and blue tortilla chips rounds out the menu. To get the recipes to these festive election night eats, read more.

Buffalo Chicken Left-Wings
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

4 pounds chicken wings
3 tablespoons cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 pound blue cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
5 teaspoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
8 ribs celery, cut into sticks

Directions

Heat the oven to 425°.
In a large bowl, combine the wings, oil, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, and the cayenne.
Arrange the wings in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake until just done, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, scallions, 1 teaspoon of the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the ketchup, the remaining 4 teaspoons vinegar, and the Tabasco sauce. Add the wings and toss to coat. Serve the wings with the celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing alongside.

Serves 4.

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Campaign Trail Mix
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
9 cups freshly popped unsalted popcorn
2 cups miniature pretzels
1 1/2 cups salted roasted peanuts
1 1/2 cups whole almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups salted roasted cashews

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Whisk together egg whites, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add popcorn, pretzels, nuts, and salt to taste and toss until thoroughly coated.
Spread evenly in 2 buttered large shallow baking pans (1 inch deep) and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until coating is crisp, about 20 minutes total.
Spread mixture on 2 large sheets of parchment paper or oiled foil and cool completely.

Makes 14 cups.

Make ahead: Spiced party mix can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Lipstick Pigs in a Blanket
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 10-ounce jar apricot all-fruit preserve
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 box puff pastry, defrosted and refrigerated until ready for use (recommended brand: Pepperidge Farms)
1 12-ounce package pre-cooked apple chicken sausage, or any kind you like (about 4-5 links)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450° F.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the apricot preserves and honey. Reserve 1/3 of the apricot mixture for another use. Add the mustard to the remaining apricot for the dipping sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds and the poppy seeds and reserve for sprinkling later.
Cut each sausage into 2 even pieces.
Spread some of the apricot-honey mixture over puff pastry, reserving some for dipping later.
Cut the puff pastry sheet in half and then cut 5 equal rectangles out of each half, making 10 equal rectangles.
Lay 1 sausage chunk an inch from the edge of the puff pastry. From there, roll the puff pastry and sausage to the opposite edge of the square. Give it a quick pinch to close.
Lay the rolls out on a baking sheet with enough room to allow the puff pastry to rise. Brush a little more of the apricot mixture on top of each blanket, then sprinkle each one with a little of the sesame and poppy seed mixture.
Bake according to the puff pastry package directions, or until golden brown all over, about 12-15 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Serves 4.

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Seven-Layer Dip With Patriotic Chips
From Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients

1 9-ounce can bean dip
1/4 cup picante or taco sauce
1 8-ounce container refrigerated guacamole
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)
2 tablespoons sliced pitted ripe olives
2/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)
8 cups tortilla chips, a mixture of colors including white, blue, and red (regular corn, blue corn, and red corn tortilla chips)

Directions

Combine bean dip and picante sauce; spread into a rectangle about 9-by-5-inches on a serving platter making a layer about 1/4 inch thick.
Next carefully layer avocado dip and sour cream. Top with cheese, green onion, and olives. Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
Before serving, sprinkle with chopped tomato. Serve with red, white, and blue tortilla chips.

Serves 16.

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It's Popcorn Time!

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:30:33 -0700

October is National Popcorn Month, and there are so many reasons to celebrate. Every October, the kernel harvest signals another year of the air-popped pleasure. Popcorn is indeed one of America's all-time favorite snacks, with over 16 billion quarts consumed each year. That's more than 54 quarts per person! Here, nine popcorn recipes worth munching on.

View Slideshow ›

Do You Smuggle Food Into Movie Theaters?

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:15:40 -0700

When I made microwave popcorn the other day, it sparked a conversation in the office about sneaking food into movie theaters.

Considering the majority of you like to eat popcorn at the movies, I'm wondering how many of you sneak in your popcorn? While I've never done the deed, I have plenty of friends who do, because store-bought popcorn is a fraction of the cost of movie-theater popcorn. I will admit to occasionally having snuck in my own candy and water, though. Fess up: Do you sneak food in, too?

Noteworthy Nibbles - Sept. 3-8, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:20:43 -0700

This week's so packed to the brim with festivals nationwide, you couldn't avoid one if you tried. There are food and wine classics all across the East Coast, and here in the West, we're planning on dropping by the chocolate festival in our neck of the woods. If we've left anything out, please chime in below.

Brigham City, UT: Peach Days - Sept. 3-6
Saratoga Springs, NY: Saratoga Wine & Food Festival - Sept. 4-6
Marion, OH: Marion Popcorn Festival - Sept. 4-6
Columbus, OH: Columbus Food & Wine Affair - Sept. 5
Chicago, IL: Windy City Wine Festival - Sept. 5-6
St. Louis, MO: Norton Wine Festival - Sept. 5-6

To see the rest, read more.

Groves, TX: Grillin' In Groves - Sept. 5-6
Bowers, PA: Chile Pepper Food Festival - Sept. 5-6
Forth Worth, TX: ZestFest 2008 - Sept. 5-7
McHenry, MD: Deep Creek Lake Art & Wine Festival - Sept. 5-7
Paw Paw, MI: Paw Paw Wine & Harvest Festival - Sept. 5-7
Lithopolis, OH: Lithopolis Honeyfest - Sept. 6
Valparaiso, IN: Valparaiso Popcorn Festival - Sept. 6
Fulton, CA: Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival - Sept. 6
Kennett Square, PA: Mushroom Festival - Sept. 6-7
Temecula, CA: Temecula Food & Wine Classic - Sept. 6
San Francisco, CA: Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival - Sept. 6-7
Rhinebeck, NY: Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest - Sept. 6-7
Gettysburg, PA: Gettysburg Wine & Music Festival - Sept. 6-7
Humble, TX: Chocolate Festival of Texas - Sept. 8-9

Source

Yummy Links: From Balsamic Vinegar to Food Waste

partysugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:00:23 -0700

Learn everything you need to know about balsamic vinegar. - Start Cooking
California wine legend Robert Mondavi has died. - Tasting Room
The rising cost of popcorn may cause movie ticket prices to increase by 30 percent later this year. - Serious Eats
The 2008 Spirit Award nominations have been announced. - Martini Groove
Food Network is rebranding their "In the Kitchen" daytime lineup. Paula, Giada, and Ina are all getting new shows with different concepts. - Broadcasting and Cable
If you are hosting an alfresco event this weekend, be sure to check out these outdoor entertaining tips. - The Kitchn
Has anyone tried Flipsides, the new pretzel crackers by Keebler? - Slashfood
Change your grilling habits to be more healthful and eco-friendly. - Forecast Earth
This image of how much food Americans waste is disturbingly shocking. - New York Times

Source

Roast Coffee Beans with a Hot-Air Popcorn Popper

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:22:57 -0800

Want to roast your own coffee beans, but don't want to splurge big bucks on a home coffee roaster? Then try using a hot-air popcorn popper. Sweet Maria's has a full how to, and the folks at KK just put it to the test.

You order unroasted green beans, and put them in the popper like you would popcorn. As the beans roast (they're not going to pop like the popcorn does), the bean casings separate. The skins will float up and make a big mess. However, after a few minutes, you'll have wonderfully roasted beans - they'll need to be cooled, but you can use them like you would normal.

At least, this is how it works in theory. I personally haven't tried it, and I don't have an air-popper at the moment. But I might just have to go out and get one. How about you? Would you try to roast your coffee beans this way?

Come Party With Me: Oscars Viewing - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 08:28:31 -0800

Instead of serving a sit down dinner at your Oscars viewing party, offer a smörgåsbord of snacks like Wolfgang Puck does at the Governors Ball. Provide a hearty mix of homemade and store bought appetizers. Have a cheese plate with several different types of cheese, crackers, flatbreads, crostini, and grapes. A platter of salumi - salami, proscuitto, chorizo, etc. - with olives compliments the assortment of cheeses. Order a couple of sushi platters from your favorite sushi restaurant.

Supplement these grocery store goodies with easy to make dishes: smoked salmon pizza, blue cheese popcorn, smoky chipotle hummus, and gingery chicken satay with peanut sauce. For the recipes, please read more.

Smoked Salmon Pizza
From Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine

Two 12-inch store-bought partially baked pizza crusts
Extra-virgin olive oil
Pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup drained capers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 pound sliced smoked salmon

Preheat the oven to 450°.
Drizzle the crusts with olive oil, season with pepper and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, shallots, 2 tablespoons capers, 1 tablespoon dill and the lemon juice.
Spread the cream cheese mixture on the crusts. Top with the smoked salmon, remaining 2 tablespoons capers and 1 tablespoon dill. Cut into wedges.

Serves 6.

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Blue Cheese Popcorn
From Emeril Lagasse

3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup white popping corn
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1/3 pound) piece assertive blue cheese, frozen
1/2 cup coarsely chopped lightly toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

In a large, partially covered saucepan, heat the oil and 1 kernel of popcorn until hot enough to make the corn pop. Add the remaining popcorn and cook, partially covered, shaking until all the corn is popped.
Transfer the popcorn to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. While popcorn is hot, grate the blue cheese over the popcorn. Add the walnuts and chives and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 cups.

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Smoky Chipotle Hummus
From Bon Appetit magazine

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)*
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
21/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies**
1 large garlic clove, minced
11/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos in oil, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 6-ounce packages roasted-garlic bagel chips

Reserve 3 tablespoons garbanzo beans for garnish.
Blend remaining garbanzo beans and next 7 ingredients in processor until smooth.
Add pimientos; process, using on/off turns, until pimientos are coarsely chopped.
Transfer hummus to medium bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved garbanzo beans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Accompany with bagel chips.

Serves 20.

*Sold at Middle Eastern markets, natural foods stores and some supermarkets.
**Chipotle chilies canned in a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes called adobo, are available at Latin American markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

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Gingery Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
From Food and Wine magazine

4 large shallots
4 large garlic cloves
2 stalks of lemongrass, bottom 6 inches only, outer leaves peeled, inner stalk cut into 1-inch pieces
2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise 1 inch thick
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Light a grill.
In a mini food processor, combine the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, ginger, soy sauce, coriander and ground pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of the fish sauce and process to a fine paste. Transfer half of the seasoning paste to a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Thread the chicken strips onto skewers. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil and let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan. Add the remaining seasoning paste and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring. Whisk in the peanut butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon each of brown sugar and fish sauce and bring to a simmer. Transfer the sauce to a blender, add the lime juice and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
Grill the chicken skewers over a hot fire until lightly charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter or bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve with the peanut sauce.

Serves 6.

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