YumSugar

YumSugar Gift Guide: Who's the Boss?

partysugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:13:31 -0800

If you decide to get your boss a gift these holidays, stay away from a generic gift basket. They'll be receiving tons of gift baskets from PR agencies and other businesses. Instead of the obvious, choose universal gifts that work well for almost anyone. Sushi plates are out of the ordinary and not usually included in an everyday China set.

Wine is a great go-to gift idea. I suggest giving a bottle of California's Ridge because it's my boss's favorite wine!

A classic cookbook, like Julia Child's The Way To Cook, is another option. The book is Child's most creative and comprehensive, making it a gift to be enjoyed by any food lover.

For more ideas, browse below.

Maki Sushi Plates ($5.95 each)	Tasting Olive Oils ($21.95)
Fluted Carafe ($29)	Ridge Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2005 ($32.99)
The Way to Cook, by Julia Child ($52.00)	Rise to the Occasion Pastry Stand ($198.00)

Off To Market: Sushi Serving Set

partysugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:01 -0700

It may be a bit over the top, but I love to have the correct serving dishes for specific international items. For example, any time I make Spanish tapas I serve them in clay dishes that I purchased while living in Spain. Although I have never been to Japan, I really want a fabulous sushi serving set. There is something about the delicate, beautifully patterned serving sets that I admire and love. Can you help me find the most spectacular sushi serving set? Search the internet for the most authentic sushi sets and intricately designed chopsticks. Save your bookmarks in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Sushi Serving Set. I'm excited to see the pieces you discover!

For more on how the bookmarking feature functions check out geeksugar's guide.

Airlines Aiming Higher With Fancier Coach Meals

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:50:20 -0700

These days, airlines are engaged in new flights of fancy: in an effort to set themselves apart from competitors, many have been upping the ante on food offerings.

Airlines began charging for meals post-9/11, but food-for-purchase replacements never fared well. They came with high price tags, questionable freshness, and inventory challenges. But major players have found a way to tackle these issues, and hope to enhance their brand images with a revamped reputation for good food.

Delta Air Lines serves Ben & Jerry's ice cream, cheese plates, and a new array of dishes created by culinary impresario Todd English that includes grilled chicken gyros and almond butter sandwiches. In May, American Airlines partnered with Boston Market, hoping to levy the rotisserie chain's name recognition. Although Hawaiian Airlines has long kept a focus on high-end food, it, too, has tried to elevate coach sales. While meals are free on Hawaiian, paying an additional $10 buys passengers satay chicken with vermicelli, or a sushi bento box with edamame and teriyaki chicken.

Airlines have found savvy methods of measuring the success of food programs, like using credit card readers to monitor the popularity of foods. Do you think the new tactics work? Has airline food gotten tastier?

Become One With Your Inner Sushi Chef

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:58:30 -0700

Today our "travels" took us to the elegant cuisine of Japan. Sushi, one of their most popular exports, happens to be a really big weakness of mine. However it's a rather expensive - and delicious - hobby. At some point I was eating it several times a week and decided that I could no longer justify spending that much money on it. So I took the frugal route and decided to make it at home instead. If you've ever wanted to try making your own sushi, you're in luck. I've got some great tips to help you get started. If you're scared of eating raw fish at home, don't forget, you can always make California or vegetarian rolls. To check out my tips, read more

The first thing you need is a sushi roller. Once you have yours take a piece of plastic wrap and cover it lengthwise - making sure the edges are sealed. Next, take a piece and cover it the other way - also covering all edges. Now you won't contaminate your roller. When you clean up your mess, you'll be able to simply remove the layers of plastic wrap.

Every sushi restaurant does their rice differently. Some places even have a secret hand-crafted seasoning, while others simply use a powder or a vinegar mixture. You can try to find your own powder/mix or try one of these sushi rice recipes.
You will want to season your rice while it is warm. Use a wooden spatula to mix the seasoning into it. Remember to be gentle, you don't want to crush the grains. Once seasoned, use a fan (we plug the electric one in) to cool the rice. Your rice should be glossy, but not wet.
Before you begin rolling, be sure to pre-slice all of your fish, vegetables, etc. I like to create little plates of ingredients, so that I can just grab what I need when rolling.
If you're opting for fish, be sure you get it from a trusted source. Tell the fishmonger that you're planning on using it as sushi. It should not smell "fishy" (it shouldn't really smell like anything). It should also be bright in color and moist looking. For more tips check out sushi links.
When rolling, place all of your ingredients on one side. Do not overfill. Roll gently, tucking the ingredients in as you go.

Once you have your sushi rolled, use a clean sharp wet blade to slice through. You can try to use one long motion, but you will be better off to use a sawing motion. Also, be sure to wipe the blade off every now and again.

Know a great sushi trick? Share it with us below!

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Off To Market Recap: Sushi Serving Set

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:56:13 -0700

Last week I told you how I love to have the correct serving dishes for specific international items. Although I have never been to Japan, I really want a fabulous sushi serving set. When I'm out eating sushi, I always admire the delicate, beautifully patterned serving sets and want to bring this sentiment into my home. So I asked you to help me find the most spectacular sushi serving set out there. You saved the pieces in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Sushi Serving Set. I really like the aqua fish shaped sushi set that UrbanBohemian bookmarked. It's enough for two people and the gorgeous color of the plates makes me want to use these dishes for more than just sushi. However my favorite sushi set was found by gruaig_rua. The cobalt blue bamboo pattern is both traditional and sophisticated, elegant and modern, and absolutely lovely. Great job girl! Scroll through the list below to see what else you guys came up with!

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For more on how the bookmarking feature functions check out geeksugar's guide.

Eric Dela Cruz: My Life As a Google Chef

partysugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:03:31 -0700

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's a known fact that the employees at Google live a charmed life. Besides massages and Internet-wired shuttles, Googlers are invited to free breakfast, lunch, and dinner each and every day. The Google campus has 17 gourmet cafés, complete with 700 culinary staffers and 20 chefs. Last Friday I was lucky enough to check out some of the cafés - more on that later! - and speak with Eric Dela Cruz, a chef at Cafe 7. To see what his life as a Google chef is like read more.

Eric studied culinary arts at the City College of San Francisco. Before Google, Eric worked at Draeger's cooking school and as a chef for Bon Appétit magazine. After sampling some of his fresh, California cuisine, Eric and I sat down to chat. Here is what he had to say:

PartySugar: Why did you decide to work at Google?
Eric Dela Cruz: Well, I work Monday through Friday. I get weekends and holidays off. I live the chef's dream. Not too many chefs have a schedule that allows them nights and weekends off. One of my old bosses called to tell me Google was hiring and I immediately knew it was right for me. I get to cook whatever I want with the best quality food around. It's really great because we purchase everything top quality and everything we buy has a positive effect on the environment. We buy 100-percent sustainable, local ingredients. There is no pressure to make money on each plate, I don't have to cook what sells. Food is art and Google is my playground.

PS: What is your day-to-day schedule like?
EDC: I get into the kitchen at 5:45 every morning and start to prep the day's meals. I write a lot of the menus, so I work on those. I answer emails, oversee the arrival of our ingredients. By 6 a.m., I make sure the cooks are prepping the food. The cooks are very important, they are everything. I make sure they know the menus and have decent knife skills. Service starts at 11:30, so we have a couple of hours to make everything. Each day we serve several amuse-bouches, salad and soup bars, a noodle station, two entrées, a veggie station, two pizzas, a sandwich station, and a pastry dessert station. After lunch, we prep for dinner service. I make sure that gets underway with the night cooks and leave around 4 in the afternoon. But we are always preparing, cooking, and serving. In the morning we set out a continental breakfast, lunch service is from 11:30-1:30. At 3 we set out a healthy snack like crudité platters and cheese plates. We have sushi on Thursdays and a full happy hour on Fridays.

PS: Is each café responsible for obtaining their own ingredients or does everyone get the food from some giant Google refrigerator?
EDC: Each cafe functions individually like its own restaurant. We all get our food from the same providers, but since the menus vary, what we order is an individual thing. In my café, there is a person - the receiver - whose job it is, each morning between 6 and 10, to make sure we receive all of our ingredients. There isn't really much competition between the cafés. Naturally you want yours to be the best café, but really what is special is the variety. You know we have 17 different cafés that make totally distinct types of food. You could eat at a new one for 17 days in a row, that's almost half the month tasting new foods.

PS: How do you feel about the chef who left Google to work for Facebook?
EDC: God bless the guy. Congratulations and good luck! You know when opportunity comes knocking, you have to answer the door.

PS: What did you eat for lunch today?
EDC: Nothing. I don't really sit down and have full meals while I am at work. I'm tasting things all day that by the end of the day I am full.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I take you on a photo tour of the Google cafés!

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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Top Chef 3.1 - First Impressions Recap

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:13:11 -0700

On last night's season 3 premiere, Top Chef appeared to be back on form - solidifying its place in my cooking reality shows hierarchy. Unlike Hell's Kitchen, which is about Ramsay screaming at folks and The Next Food Network Star, which is about people showing off their personalities, last night's Top Chef was mostly about the food. Sure there was a little contestant squabbling and drama, but overall it was about the food and the cooking. Plus any show that pulls out my favorite food celebrity as guest judge is going to get big props anyway. To get the full recap (with spoilers), read more

The show starts off with 15 contestants arriving at what appears to be a cocktail party at Casa Casuarina (Versace's former mansion). At this point there are too many people to get to know, in fact we strangely only get introductions from 11 of them.

After the cheftestants have mingled and devoured a lot of food, Padma and Chef Tom surprise them with a quickfire challenge. The folks have 10 minutes to make an amuse-bouche using the leftover food in front of them. The winning dish was Micah's "Tuscan Sushi Revisted" - an italian ham with figs & balsamic dressing - and the losing dish was Clay's apple filled with salsa/gazpacho something. It looked great to me, but it was not an amuse-bouche. Meaning Micah gets immunity and Clay is now the guy who doesn't know what an amuse-bouche is.

Next they're whisked off to their fancy new digs in order to prepare for tomorrow's elimination challenge. When they arrive at the challenge they're faced with a large table of "proteins" and are asked to create a Surf & Turf dish. The catch (there's always a catch) is that these are pretty exotic proteins, such as kangaroo, black chicken, eel, rattlesnake, geoduck, alligator, etc. The ol' knife block is pulled out to determine who gets to choose proteins first and of course the tamer ones are picked first. Once proteins are chosen they're told that today's guest judge is exotic cuisine-loving Anthony Bourdain - leaving the folks with the tame meats second-guessing their selections.

During the cooking I noticed one major thing, not once did Padma say "The Kenmore Pro Kitchen." The sponsors are still there, but they're not in our face, which in my opinion, is a huge relief. I also noticed that food photography looks better this season and that there were more shots of food and fewer shots of chefs scowling. Also, two contestants (Brian and Howie) actually don't finish their dishes in time (anyone know if this is a TC first??). My favorite part of the night happened when Howie was criticized for not having plated his dish in time and quoted Bourdain to Bourdain as retaliation! I knew there was no way he was going home after that.

The two top performers of the evening turned out to be Tre with ostrich and abalone and Hung with geoduck and blackened chicken. They were so serious during Judge's Panel, but when told they could smile, they actually smiled. And when asked if he tried Hung's food, Tre started gushing amazingly nice sentiments. If this was season 2, you would have expected Hung to scowl or roll his eyes in return, but what does Hung do? Why he gives a genuine thanks and smile. How novel! In the end Tre is the victor with seared ostrich fillet with heirloom tomato risotto and abalone reduction. His prize: he gets to hang out for a night with Bourdain in NYC, as well as receive autographed copies of all of his books. I personally thought it was a weird prize, and this is coming from someone who would hang out with Bourdain any night!

With Tre declared winner, it's time to send someone home. During the loser's panel Padma breaks from her robot persona and smiles naturally while stating that they could fry her toe, dipped in batter and it would taste good. However, after deliberation, it isn't the fried food that gets sent home. Bourdain declares Clay's dish to be like the "quality class of air cambodia" and so Clay is told to pack his knives and go.

If the season 3 premiere didn't satiate your Top Chef hunger, it looks like Bravo gave their TC homepage a makeover. There's even a Hung vs. Clay taste test battle video that didn't make it into the premiere, as well as several of last night's recipes.

And if you're wondering where Ted Allen was, rumor has it that he and Gail will be alternating as judges.

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