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Yum's November Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:50:31 -0800

Fall is flying by and it's time to start prepping for the most food-centric holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. Turkey day requires special ingredients, cooking equipment, and entertaining supplies, so we've rounded up some important items that will help you out during November. Here are our must haves for this month.

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Yummy Links: From Gail Simmons to Team Rainbow

partysugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:15:12 -0800

Ever wonder what Top Chef Gail Simmons cooks at home? Here's 10 of her favorite recipes. - Food and Wine
Foodies show off their food tattoos. - Chow
Six supermarket turkeys are put to the test. - Epicurious
How to handle annoying party guests. - Lemondrop
Which roasting pan is the best for holiday cooking? - The Kitchn
Beautiful inspiration for a modern Thanksgiving dinner. - Hostess With the Mostess
Get the official Top Chef Team Rainbow shirt. - Serious Eats

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Yum's November Must Haves

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 07:01:11 -0700

There's no way around it, November means Thanksgiving. Whether you're prepping your own meal, or headed over to someone else's house, you will definitely find something on our list of must haves.

To start things off, we've got the Willie Bird Fresh Organic Turkey ($65-$85). It's raised on natural grains and vegetables in Sonoma County, California. In addition to being organic and free-range, it has a clean turkey flavor.
Once you get a fabulous turkey, you're going to need a large roaster to cook it in. This Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Roaster with V-Rack ($99.95) is sleek and contains an aluminum core for superb heat conductivity. It's large enough for a 25lb turkey and the rack is non-stick.
If you're looking to take the leap from mashed potatoes to thinly-sliced gratin, then you're going to need a slicer or mandoline. This Zyliss 4-In-1 Multi Slicer/Grater ($19.95) will make slicing and grating a breeze!
Need a great way to get the conversation started? These TableTopics Conversation Starters will help you break the ice. Each set of conversation starting questions will help maneuver through those awkward party moments. They're perfect for the host, and great for a guest to bring as well.
Finally, an important Thanksgiving must have is this Multi-Time Triple Timer ($14.99). With three display monitors, you can easily set and keep track of three items at once.

Sunday Dinner: Pan Roasted Chicken with Black Truffle Risotto

partysugar — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:03:56 -0800

Whether you are hosting a party tonight, watching alone, or not watching at all Sunday is a wonderful excuse to treat yourself to a luxurious homemade dinner with decadent ingredients. Roast chicken is one of my favorite dishes to make on Sundays because it fills the house with a delicious warm aroma and there are so many varieties you could make a new one every week. Today's recipe is one that will be offered to the stars tonight at the Governors Ball and is paired with a luscious, sexy, creamy black truffle risotto. This would also make a great intimate dinner for two. To make this for dinner, read more

Pan Roasted Organic Chicken with Black Truffle Risotto
From Wolfgang Puck

6 organic chicken breasts
2 whole black truffles, plus 1/4 cup chopped black truffles
1 pound goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup olive oil
6 Shelton Farms chicken leg and thigh meat, finely diced
3 medium carrots, 1/4-inch diced
6 stalks celery, 1/4-inch diced
2 cups yellow onion, 1/4-inch diced
2 leeks, white part only, 1/4-inch diced

Preheat oven to 400°.
Slice the whole truffles on a truffle slicer. Gently separate the skin from each chicken breast without tearing the skin, and stuff the sliced truffles and goat cheese between the breast and the skin.
Sear the chicken, skin side down, in a hot skillet with a little olive oil. Remove from the heat, and leaving the breasts skin side down, roast them in the oven until thoroughly cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
Sweat the carrots, celery, onions and leeks in a little olive oil until tender. Reserve.
Sear the leg and thigh meat in a skillet with olive oil.
Toss the vegetable mix with the cooked leg and thigh meat. Add chopped black truffles and Natural Jus.
Presentation: On individual plates, place some of the risotto to cover the plate. Spoon the leg and vegetable ragout in the center of the plate. Place the sliced chicken breast on top of the vegetables and shave some black truffles on top.

Natural Jus

1/4 cup garlic, sliced
1/2 cup shallots, sliced
4 cups button mushrooms, chopped
2/3 liter white wine
2 Tbsp. Port wine
2 cups freshly made or store-bought chicken stock
1/2 cup store-bought hoisin sauce or demi glace
1 pound roasted chicken bones
1 stick unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

In a flat-bottomed pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and shallots until caramelized.
Add mushrooms and sauté until their moisture is released.
Add the wines and reduce by half. Add the stock, hoisin sauce or demi glace and bones, and reduce by 2/3.
Add the rosemary and thyme. Finish with butter.
Strain and adjust seasonings.

Black Truffle Risotto

From Wolfgang Puck
1 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 pound risotto
2 cup white wine
6 cups freshly made or store-bought chicken stock
1/2 cup truffle butter (see below)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 ounces black truffles

In a flat-bottom saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil.
Add the onion and sweat until translucent. Add the risotto and make sure it is thoroughly coated with the mixture while stirring constantly.
Add the white wine and reduce until dry.
Add half of the chicken stock to cover the risotto, and stir constantly until the stock is gone. Repeat with the remaining stock until you have used up all of the liquid and the rice is tender but still chewy, about 20 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup of truffle butter and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan.

Truffle butter

1 Tbsp. chopped black truffle
4 sticks unsalted butter

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, mix the butter and truffles for about 1 to 2 minutes.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Roasted Chicken Legs With Potatoes

partysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:43 -0800

If roasting a whole chicken seems like too much work at the end of a long week, consider this recipe that combines chicken legs with potatoes and kale. It's the perfect one-pot meal.

All you have to do is toss everything into a roasting pan, throw it in the oven, and about an hour later, you'll have a flavorful dinner on the table.

Of course, chicken breasts can be substituted for the legs, but the dish may lose some of its rustic appeal. To get the uncomplicated and savory recipe, read more.

Roasted Chicken Legs With Potatoes
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds tender, young kale, stems and inner ribs removed
1 1/2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 whole chicken legs (about 10 ounces each)
1 teaspoon paprika
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a very large roasting pan, toss the kale, potatoes and onion with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer.
Set the chicken on a cutting board, skin side down. Slice halfway through the joint between the drumsticks and thighs. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the paprika and set on top of the vegetables.
Cover the pan with foil. Roast the chicken in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Transfer the chicken to plates and spoon the vegetables alongside. Serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 8.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Beef and Sweet Potato Pan Roast

partysugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:30:09 -0700

The classic pot roast gets a quick, modern makeover in this delicious recipe. Instead of slow roasting a large piece of meat, petite pieces of beef tenderloin are pan seared.

Then, they're tossed with fleshy sweet potatoes for a rapid roast in the oven. This recipe also uses the last of the season's cherry tomatoes.

A fresh parsley gremolata finishes off this robust dish. To make this meal for your family, read more.

Beef and Sweet Potato Pan Roast
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. bottled roasted minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. medium orange and/or white sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch wedges
4 6- to 8-oz. beef shoulder petite tenders* or 1-1/2 to 2 lb. beef tenderloin
1 cup cherry tomatoes
Chopped Parsley Topping, recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a bowl combine Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir in olive oil. Divide seasoning mixture between two large self-sealing plastic bags.
Place sweet potatoes in one bag; shake to coat potatoes. Spread potatoes in a single layer on greased shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place beef tenders in remaining bag. Shake to coat. In a skillet brown beef tenders over medium-high heat, turning to brown evenly.
Stir sweet potatoes in roasting pan and push to edges of pan. Place beef tenders in center of pan. Roast, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes; roast 10 to 15 minutes more or until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of tenders registers 145 degrees F for medium-rare or 160 degrees F for medium doneness.
Let stand for 10 minutes before carving. Sprinkle with Chopped Parsley Topping and serve.

Serves 6.

Chopped Parsley Topping: Stir together 1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley; 2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel; 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

*The versatile petite tender is relatively new to the market. This juicy, lean cut from the top of the shoulder requires little or no marinating. Serve it roasted, grilled, or stir-fried. Each tender serves two.

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Even Bean Haters Will Love This Bean Salad

partysugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:38 -0700

Over the Summer we took advantage of the season's wide variety of produce and shared our best salad recipes. However, one salad, the bean salad, was overlooked. Luckily reader Lengel has shared her rendition of bean salad in the Kitchen Goddess group on the YumSugar Community. Want your recipes and photos to be shared here on YumSugar? Start participating in the community!
Lengel, who has her own food blog, Working Girls Kitchen, is not a fan of bean salads. Although she finds them to be totally unappealing, she describes this salad recipe - which comes from another popular food blogger, Heidi Swanson - to be simple, yummy, and surprising. Pan-roasted carrots and fresh dill take ordinary canned beans to a whole new level. I agree with Lengel when she says, "this is a great dish for any picnic and will work great for work lunches." To check out the recipe, read more.

Easy Canned Bean Salad
http://workinggirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/recession-canned-bean-salad.html

Nothing against bean salads, but I really don't find them appealing. So I certainly surprised myself with this one! The recipe is very simple yet very yummy! The pan roasted carrots and fresh dill take all the attention away from the canned beans, to my surprise. This is a great dish for any picnic and will work great for work lunches.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped carrots
1 clove of garlic
1 can of white beans
1 can of black beans
1/4 cup chopped dill
salt & pepper to taste

for the vinaigrette
1/4 cup good olive oil
juice of half a lemon
2 shallots diced
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Over medium heat, in a large fry pan, heat up some cooking oil ( I prefer Spectrum Canola Oil). Add the diced garlic and carrots. Saute carrots and garlic until the carrots turn brown and begin to caramelize. It should smell delicious!

In a medium bowl throw in the beans and dill. Lightly toss. When carrots are done roasting add to the beans, add the dill. Lightly toss once more.

In a small bowl whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients. Take a taste to test seasoning. You may need to add more salt/pepper. Lightly toss into the bean salad.

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Wedding Registry 101: Cookware

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 05:57:31 -0700

To round out our wedding registry tips, I thought I'd cover my favorite category, cookware & bakeware. To begin, look at both of your current pots/pans and see if there are any worth keeping, or any sets you have already started. Also look to see what kind of pans you have, are there any you love and want more of? Or maybe you splurged on a fancy brand only to learn you hated the way they heated. Also think about your cooking style. If you're more health conscious, you may want to consider non-stick so that you can use less oil. If you're an aspiring chef, go for hard anodized stainless or copper for superior heat conductivity. To learn what you should look for when selecting pots, pans and bakeware, as well as a pretty full list of things you might want to register for, read more

Be sure to select materials and styles that reflect your cooking style.
Consider registering for a few different types of pans. Stainless steel requires the least maintenance and can go in the dishwasher, and sometimes you really don't feel like washing the pans by hand.
Copper pans are the best heat conductors, yet cool quickly allowing for maximum heat control. They are also oven safe, however you will have to hand wash them and occasionally polish them too.
Stainless Steel pans have a clean look, and are easy to take care of. They're also oven and dishwasher safe (bonus!).
Enameled Cast Iron pans heat slowly, but distribute heat effectively. The ones with porcelain-enamel insides are stick-resistant and the ones with the porcelain-enamel outsides are quite durable and cute. Plus, the enameled ones are dishwasher and oven safe.
If you don't like baking, then there's probably no need for specialty pans such as springform or popover. You may decide to register for more dinnerware or appliances instead.
Consider registering for pan sets as well as individual pieces. This way you'll break apart the range of prices your guests can choose from.
Cookware should feel good and sturdy in your hands. Also note the weight. If you find the pot too heavy to carry while empty, imagine it full of food.
Be sure to include at least 2 round cake pans and a square or rectangular cake pan. Also most muffin/cupcake recipes yield 24, so you may consider adding two to your registry.
For a fully stocked kitchen, you'll want to consider some of the following:
Cookware:
- Sauce Pans
- Sauté Pans
- Stock Pots
- Frying Pans
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Double Burner Griddle
- Casserole Dishes
- Wok
- Grill Pan
- Braiser
- Roasting Pan
- Paella Pan
- Fish Poacher
- Asparagus Pot
- Double Boiler
- Fondue Pot
- Steamer
- Pressure Cooker
- Tea Kettle
- Dutch Oven

Bakeware:
- Pizza Pans
- Muffin Pans
- Cookie Sheets
- Cake Pans (Round, Square, Rectangular)
- Pie Pans
- Tart Pans
- Loaf Pans
- Bundt Pans
- Popover Pans
- Ramekins
- Rolling Pins
- Springform Pans
- SilPat
- Pizza Stone
- Flour Sifter

- Mixing Bowls
- Cookbook Holder
- Measuring Cups

Shown: Sur La Table Professional HD Hard-Anodized Nonstick 8-Piece Cookware Set

The Age of Asparagus

YumSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:30:57 -0700

This is the dawning of the age of asparagus - that is, the time of year when the stalky green veggie is at its peak of flavor. So move beyond your roasting pan and get creative with these eight recipes that showcase the vegetable in a myriad of new and surprising settings.

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Sunday Dinner: Roast Chicken With Potatoes and Asparagus

YumSugar — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 06:00:19 -0700

In the last few weeks, San Francisco's been blessed with such warm weather that I've been thinking it's time to pack up the cold-weather clothes in favor of some sunnier ensembles. In addition, I'll be putting away my slow cooker until next Winter, forgoing Winter stews for fresh preparations instead.

What could be more seasonal than a Spring chicken, roasted with new potatoes and bright-flavored asparagus and lemon, and served with a roasted pan juice? To make this timely supper, read more.

Roast Chicken With Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.
Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Serves 4.

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