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Sunday BBQ: Shiraz-Soy Tri-Tip

YumSugar — Sun, 13 May 2007 03:37:19 -0700

This week I thought I'd we'd get the grill going with a nice big tri-tip. My mom is a sucker for bbq and I know she especially loves a good tri-tip, so when I saw this recipe I thought it would be nice to try on Mother's Day. The tri-tip is marinated in a nice shiraz (aka syrah) and soy combination, making it the perfect dish to throw onto a smokey bbq. Do all the hard work today and let mom relax with a glass of the fruity, yet somewhat rich, wine. To check out the recipe, read more

Shiraz-Soy Tri-Tip
From Sunset Magazine July 2005

3/4 cup Shiraz (Syrah) wine
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 beef tri-tip (about 2 1/2 lb.), fat trimmed, rinsed and patted dry

In a gallon-size zip-lock plastic bag, combine Shiraz, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard, and garlic. Add tri-tip and seal bag. Chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day, turning occasionally.
Lightly oil a barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium coals or medium heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 4 to 5 seconds). Lift tri-tip from marinade and lay on hot grill; discard marinade. Close lid on gas grill. Cook tri-tip, turning every 5 minutes, until rare in center of thickest part (still pink; cut to test), 125° to 130° on a thermometer, about 25 minutes, or until as done as you like.
3. Let meat rest 5 minutes, then cut across the grain into thin, slanting slices.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 151(38% from fat); FAT 6.3g (sat 1.9g); PROTEIN 21g; CHOLESTEROL 59mg; SODIUM 342mg; FIBER 0.0g; CARBOHYDRATE 0.8g

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Happy Hour: Lime Rickey

partysugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:11:57 -0700

This weekend my dad was helping me make a lime tart for Easter dinner's dessert. We were working in my brother's kitchen, which is beautifully remodeled, yet lacking in the essential kitchen tools. The lime tart was my best option because it required no hand mixer or food processor. I bought a whole bunch of limes and my dad agreed to juice them with his hands and a fork. He cut all 15 limes and we only needed juice from about half of that. What did I do with all of the extra lime juice? Why I made a cocktail of course! A lime rickey is a refreshing cocktail that's like an adult version of limeade. Gin (or vodka, if you prefer) is stirred into a mixture of sugar simple syrup, lime juice, and soda water. Garnish with the extra limes and enjoy. To check out this must-make-the-next-time-you-have-too-much-fresh- squeezed-lime-juice recipe, read more

Lime Rickey
From Sunset magazine

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups gin
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 quarts chilled soda water
Thin slices of lime

In a 1-quart pan, mix sugar with 1/2 cup water and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool or chill.
In a 3-quart pitcher, combine gin, lime juice, and the cooled syrup. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.
To serve, add soda water. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with lime.

Serves 6 to 8.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 182(0.0% from fat); FAT 0.0g (sat 0.0g); PROTEIN 0.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; SODIUM 0.9mg; FIBER 0.0g; CARBOHYDRATE 17g

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Dining Among the Redwoods at Sunset's Celebration Weekend

YumSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:50:52 -0700

On a recent weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Sunset's Celebration Weekend, an outdoor event dedicated to all things lifestyle, from gardening to home improvement to, of course, food. The festival, which took place under a shining sun at Sunset magazine's headquarters in Menlo Park, CA, featured cooking demos from chefs like Cindy Pawclyn, Jamie Lauren, and Aaron McCargo, Jr.; composting seminars from Sunset editors; wine tastings; and vendors selling fresh greens, molés, and gelato. There was tons of food and drink to sample: I spotted everything from grilled sausages to watermelon beer to the tallest strawberry daiquiris known to man. To transport yourself to this sunny California festival, read more.

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Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:30:50 -0700

Summer is the height of food festival season, and Party and I are in the thick of it now, paying visits to everything from the Great American Food & Music Festival to Sunset magazine's Celebration Weekend. As you read this, we're at the biggest one of all, the Aspen Food & Wine Classic - but before we left we had time to make some standout Summer dishes, like Pink Torpedoes, Parmesan fricos, and an airy, berry pavlova. Were you paying attention? Take our quiz to find out.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

partysugar — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:30:55 -0700

One of our favorite places to search for wonderful recipes is MyRecipes.com - the site that houses all of the recipes from several great food magazines like Cooking Light, Sunset, and Southern Living. We love the website so much that we've become fabulous friends and they're graciously providing this month’s Fast & Easy dinner recipes!

To get things started, I've found this delicious and filling salad recipe. Here, the classic Cobb is jazzed up with a green goddess dressing packed with fresh herbs. It's a wonderfully scrumptious dinner -especially after yesterday's Mexican food overload - so get the recipe now and read more.

Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced
Salad:
8 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 cup trimmed watercress
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
2 tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
2 hard-cooked large eggs, each cut into 4 wedges
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

To prepare dressing, place first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Chill.
To prepare salad, combine lettuce and watercress in a large bowl.
Place 2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates.
Arrange 6 tablespoons chicken, 4 tomato wedges, 2 egg wedges, 2 tablespoons avocado, and 1 tablespoon cheese over each serving. Serve each salad with 1/4 cup dressing.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 273(39% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.6g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.5g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 158mg; CALCIUM 196mg; SODIUM 637mg; FIBER 3.8g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.3g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 7 Cool Salads Under 300 Calories
- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Salad Recipes

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52 Weeks of Baking: Baby Pumpkins with Garlic Custard

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:13:33 -0700

I was flipping through the lastest issue of Sunset magazine when these cute little pumpkins caught my eye. Not only were they adorably festive, but they were full of custard too! I immediately sent YumJimmy to the store to find pumpkins, while I prepped the kitchen for baking. Unfortunately, the store didn't have baby pumpkins, so I had to make do with mid-sized ones. The custard, which is a savory one, came out wonderfully silky - almost like a silken tofu - and the flavor was subtle - almost too subtle, I actually had to load up on salt and pepper afterwards - and it was so fun to look at too!

While this particular recipe is savory -and, if using the right pumpkins, comes together in 30 minutes - the pumpkin vessel can be used for any flavor custard. I definitely plan on trying it again with a pumpkin custard!

If all of this pumpkin talk has you interested, check out the recipe, just read more

The amount of custard the recipe makes is enough to fill six small pumpkins, or one medium-sized one. If you use a medium-sized pumpkin, be sure to up the amount of baking time; they will need to be in the oven for about an hour. Also, if using a medium-sized pumpkins, omit the first step where the pumpkins are baked empty.

If you try this recipe, definitely look for small fist-sized pumpkins - the presentation is much cuter - and make sure your garlic is fresh. The flavor is really subtle, but the texture is lovely and smooth.

Baby Pumpkins with Garlic Custard
From Sunset, October 2007

6 small pumpkins
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely shredded parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Bake pumpkins until just tender, about 20 minutes. Cut off tops and set aside, then scoop out seeds.
In a medium bowl, whisk together heavy cream and whole milk with garlic, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, and white pepper. Pour mixture into a measuring cup.
Arrange pumpkins in a baking dish large enough to hold them without crowding. Divide custard mixture among pumpkins and cover with tops.
Pour enough water into dish to reach halfway up sides. Bake until custard jiggles only slightly, about 30 minutes. Remove from dish and let cool 5 minutes.

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Come Party With Me: Welcome Back - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:13:18 -0700

My girlfriend Melissa is moving back to California and I'm in charge of planning her welcome back party. This morning I made invitations inspired by the route Melissa and her boyfriend will travel from Seattle to San Francisco. Now I have to put together a menu of passed appetizers that includes both vegetarian and meat-friendly hors d'oeuvres. The party not only celebrates the return of my friend, but it also highlights the local cuisine, culture, and atmosphere of the area that Melissa has desperately missed for the last two years. I'll be buying all of the ingredients for the menu at the farmer's market to ensure the produce is local and the cheese artisan. I'll use recipes from some of the Bay Area's most celebrated chefs so check out what I'll be cooking, just read more

Alice Waters and Thomas Keller are two names that come to mind when one thinks of Californian cuisine, so I'll be slicing up pieces of Water's Rainbow Tomato Pizza and serving slices of Keller's Caramelized Onion and Cheese Toasts. To round out the vegetarian portion of the menu, I'll make Napa's most famed pioneer Michael Chiarello's Bruschetta with White Beans, Sundried Tomatoes & Basil. For the meat lovers present I'll make Barbecued Bacon Shrimp and mini Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwiches with recipes from the west coast lifestyle magazine, Sunset.

To take a peek at these scrumptiously savory dishes click on one of the images below:

What are your favorite appetizers to serve at a cocktail party? Share your ideas with me below!

Eat Like Friends: Il Sole's Shrimp Linguine

partysugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:58:31 -0700

PopSugar has reported that the Friends gals, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox (plus her adorable daughter), and Lisa Kudrow love eating out at Sunset Boulevard's hot spot Il Sole. Now, thanks to our fabulous friends over at Life & Style magazine, you and me can too! Il Sole is a cozy little Italian restaurant whose specialty is authentic contemporary cuisine, with an extensive wine list of bottles from Italy's top regions. You could make reservations for the next time you are in LA or you could make the same shrimp linguine that Jen and Courteney eat in the comfort of your own home. Pick up a bottle of Fiano at your local wine shop and you'll be eating like the stars in no time flat... for the recipe, read more

Il Sole's Shrimp Linguine
From Life & Style magazine

8 oz linguine pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
4 oz shrimp, cleaned and halved
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant.
Add the shrimp, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Stir adding wine slowly. Simmer allowing the wine to evaporate several minutes.
When the wine has evaporated carefully pour in the tomato sauce. Stir to combine and cook for a minute.
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the pan cooking everything together for a minute.

Serves 2.

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