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Taste Worth Dying For?

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:40:01 -0800

The other day FitSugar tipped me off to this new restaurant in Tempe, Arizona. Imagine you head over to your local burger joint and are greeted by a bunch of "hot nurses." Okay, to some this is a dream come true, to others a grotesque degradation to women. If you fall into the latter, they you may want to avoid the Heart Attack Grill in Tempe, Arizona. With a menu that offers the "Quadruple Bypass Burger" and "Flatliner Fries" (deep fried in pure lard), you may find yourself wishing those "nurses" held real nursing credentials.

What do you think, have the folks at Heart Attack Grill gone to far?

Noteworthy Nibbles - Mar. 3-9, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:28 -0800

Springtime is coming, as illustrated by the fact that the country is buzzing with fun food events this week. Whether you want to watch a coffee competition in Portland, OR, or attend a gastronomic gala in Charleston, SC, there's likely to be a fabulous food event near you.

Know of any goings-on that you see left off this list? If so, chime in below. Will you be at any of this week's events?

Plant City, FL: Florida Strawberry Festival - Feb. 26-Mar. 8
Chicago, IL: Chicago Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-6
New York, NY: NYC Restaurant Week - Mar. 3-20
Garden Grove, CA: Japanese Food and Sake Festival - Mar. 5
Fulton, TX: Oysterfest - Mar. 5-8
Charleston, SC: Charleston Food and Wine Festival - Mar. 5-8
Dare County, NC: Taste of the Beach - Mar. 5-8
Portland, OR: United States Barista Championship - Mar. 5-8

To see the rest, read more.

Dallas, TX: Savor Dallas - Mar. 6-7
Philadelphia, PA: Philly Beer Week - Mar. 6-15
Calistoga, CA: Mustard, Mud, and Music: Calistoga Jazz Festival - Mar. 7-8
Tempe, AZ: Great Arizona Beer Festival - Mar. 7-8
Sonoma County, CA: Annual Barrel Tasting - Mar. 7-8
New Orleans, LA: World Cocktail Week in the Big Easy - Mar. 8
San Francisco, CA: Slow Food Nation Eat-In - Mar. 8
New York, NY: Taste Napa Valley - Mar. 9-12

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52 Weeks of Baking: Irish Soda Bread

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:03:40 -0700

This weekend we made a Guinness Beef Stew (although why we were making stew on such a gorgeous day is beyond me...) and I figured that a good hearty Irish Soda Bread would be a nice accompaniment. So I dug out the trusty Baking Illustrated and gathered up all my ingredients.

Since the stew took over 8 hours to make, and since I am the world's greatest procrastinator, I kept saying, "Oh I'll make the bread in a little bit." The boyfriend kept asking when I was starting and I kept saying, "soon, soon..." Then suddenly, the stew was almost done, the bread was just a pile of ingredients, the butter was beyond room temp (it was really hot out and I didn't pay attention, I highly recommend room temp butter and nothing more) and I needed to get cracking!

So I pulled out the ol' mixing bowl and got to work. It was barely done in time (it could have used a little bit longer to set) and an old friend I hadn't seen in over a year arrived while I was halfway done (translation: this bread did not get my full-undivided attention). I guess the bf was right, I should have started earlier in the day...

At any rate, the bread held up really nicely and paired fantastically with the stew. If this is what I get with haste and negligence, I can only imagine what a real loaf would be like (translation: this recipe is easy and hard to screw up). For step by step pictures and the full recipe, read more

Classic Irish Soda Bread
From Baking Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen

3 cups (15 oz) low-protein unbleached all-purpose flour (although I used regular all-purpose flour and it came out okay)
1 cup (4 oz) plain cake flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter, plus 1 tbps melted butter for crust
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 400F.
Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl.
Work the softened butter into the dry ingredient with a fork or your fingertips. Do this until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a flour-coated work surface. Knead until the dough becomes cohesive and bumpy (12 - 14 turns, do not overknead, you do not want it to be smooth).
Pat the dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches in height.
Place on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Score the dough by cutting a cross shape on the top of the loaf.
Bake until loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the surface with the melted butter.Ignore this baking pan, I just needed somewhere to set the loaf...
Cool to room temperature, 30-40 minutes.

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YumSugar Preview: Fresh Cookies Any Time

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:01:17 -0800

The holidays are just around the corner and we're happy to announce that YumSugar.com will be here just in time! Starting this Friday, YumSugar.com will be your go to place for delicious recipes, entertaining tips and festive cocktails. See below for a sneak peek:

Since I never know when a cookie attack is going to happen, I like to keep a batch ready in the freezer at all times. They're perfect for unexpected guests, quick dessert or anytime you want a little treat.

Line a baking sheet (or any firm tray that will fit in your freezer) with parchment or wax paper. Portion out the dough like you would if you were baking (except, don't worry about the spacing). Stick the sheet into the freezer for a few hours or until the dough is mostly frozen (they should be firm and not sticky/gooey).

Once frozen, you'll be able to pick them up and put them into an airtight container. I prefer a ziploc freezer bag, it takes up less space and I can write the cookie type, oven temp and time needed right onto the bag. The dough should keep for three months, but good luck making them last that long!

For best results you should let the dough thaw before cooking (only take out what you're going to use). Tossing them directly into the oven will result in undercooked middles (which are sometimes wonderfully tasty). If I'm going to put them in frozen, I usually lower the temp a bit and keep them in longer. However, you'll have to pay attention because the edges will crisp quicker than the frozen middle can cook. The perfect time/temperature ratio will depend on your cookie recipe.

Note: This method works best for drop cookies. Drop cookies are cookies that are made by forming balls of dough and dropping them on to the pan (such as chocolate chip, oatmeal, etc.).

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I Heart Candy Roundup

YumSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:28:39 -0700

I was so excited to open up my inbox and see it stuffed with I Heart Candy submissions. You guys are really amazing and totally impress me, from cookies to truffles and everything in between, you guys really love your candy! There are 20 entries total, so let's just get this candy-loving party started!

Oh and if you sent one in and it didn't appear here, use the contact form above to drop me a line and I'll get it added!

Entry #1
Our first entry comes from TeamSugar member calibabi who wrote in to share her recipes for Rolo Cookies and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. I think I know what I'll be baking this weekend!

Entry #2
Kate from A Way To Eat took her home state Vermont into consideration when she made maple walnut pepper crunch. This looks fantastic over ice cream, but I bet I could eat handfuls on its own!

Entry #3
Amy from Seattle's Nook & Pantry melted my heart with green tea truffles. I've had these once before and have always wanted to make my own. Thanks for submitting these!

Entry #4
Utah-based Heather from dustbunnies wrote in to tell about her favorite new candy: Bertie Botts Every Flavored Jelly Bean. As someone who's a big Harry Potter fan, I was excited to hear that she and her family love to play Bertie Botts russian roulette. Hope you don't end up with the vomit flavored one!

For SIXTEEN more sweet entries, read more

Entry #5
Manila-based SweetPleasures got inspired by the film Chocolat and made us some lovely homemade chocolates. I gotta make my own someday too!

Entry #6
Bon Vivant's own Colorado-based Chelsea decided to make an English Toffee Inspiration Sundae. Is it bad that I am craving this so early in the morning?!

Entry #7
Candied blood orange peels end up being the secret weapon for Nina of Sweet Napa. Her orange creamsicle birthday cake will surely beat the Los Angeles heat!

Entry #8
Based in the Philippines, Chef KC wrote in to say that it's fun to play with your food, especially if it's candy!

Entry #9
Minko of Couture Cupcakes sent these vodka soaked Red Skins cupcakes all the way from Australia. I've never even heard of Red Skins (a raspberry "flavoured" hard candy), but I really want to try these!

Entry #10
TeamSugar member Karla Sugar wrote in to say that although it sounds odd, she thinks water with lemon tastes just like candy! Especially if it's room-temp or cool (not ice cold). What do you guys think?!

Entry #11
Maryland based TeamSugar members crispet1 and beamer1, did three entries! First they created a selection of adorable candy filled phyllo purses and then they created cute cupcakes and a drink they call "Gummy Worm" - can't wait to try them all!

Entry #12
Our very own GeikoSera has decided to list her favorite candy. Mallo Cups... mmm....

Entry #13
Molly was able to capture a pic of the elusive Knut the polar gummi bear!

Entry #14
Canada-based Sweetheart_450 sent her recipe for Peanut Butter Buckeyes. She says they're the most delicious sweets she's ever tasted and a must try for everyone!

Entry #15
Team member Bonne sent us a recipe for rock candy and then wrote in to tell us how she used to eat all the fundraiser candy! Shhh.. don't tell!

Entry #16
SU3 of TeamSugar treated us with two delights: M&M's Kisses pretzels and Butterfinger popcorn balls. I can't decide which treat I want to try first!

Entry #17
TeamSugar member poetess treated us to a quick poem about candy.

Entry #18
The office went wild for the Heath Bar Cake that PartySugar made. So delicious!

Entry #19
Our pal TeamSugar shared her weakness for Milk Duds and Dots (just not at the same time)!

Entry #20
And finally, I started the whole shebang by creating Reese's PB Cup Cookies.

Not enough candy? Be sure to check out some more candy related posts. There's still some time left in June, so it's not over yet!

How To Ripen Peaches Faster

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:03:45 -0700

Last weekend my friend April and I went to the farmer's market. Along with a lovely batch of fresh strawberries, we both decided to pick up some early peaches too. The only problem was that while the peaches looked great, they were still too hard and unripe. So what could we do? We could sit them on our counter and wait for what seems like an eternity for them to ripen, or we could employ a quick trick and have them ripen in double the time.

To speed up the ripening process in peaches, place them in a loosely sealed brown paper bag on the counter. The peaches give off ethylene gas - a natural ripening hormone - which is trapped inside the bag causing the fruit to ripen faster. You can do this with a plastic bag too, but the plastic doesn't "breathe" as well as the paper, meaning moisture may collect causing your perfectly ripened peaches to rot.

Once ripe, peaches should be refrigerated and used within a few days (although they'll taste better at room temp). Ripe peaches have a sweet fragrance, are soft (but not mushy) to the touch and have a golden undertone.

This ripening trick also works for apricots, nectarines, avocados, bananas, kiwi, mangoes, pears and plums.

We Take the 7Up Taste Challenge

YumSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 16:00:19 -0700

Do you remember the Diet 7Up Taste Challenge Kit I told you guys about a few weeks ago? Well mine arrived yesterday, and we decided to put our tastebuds to work immediately. When I opened the box I was greeted with 2 sets of instructions (I think this was a mistake), a coupon for a free 2-liter bottle of Diet 7Up, a can of the new Diet 7Up, a can of Sprite Zero and a ridiculously banged up can of Sierra Mist Free. The instructions said to refrigerate the sodas for at least an hour before tasting, but they arrived ice cold - the same temp as the sodas in the fridge - so we dove straight in. I thought that the Diet 7Up we had in the fridge was different, so I ended up throwing that into the mix as well.

I poured each drink into red party cups labeled A, B, C and D - set them out and let everyone taste. No one knew which was which (except me), so there would be no bias. Out of the ten people who participated, 5 liked A the best, 3 for C and 2 for D. To find out what was in each cup, read more

A was Sprite Zero, B was Sierra Mist and C & D were both Diet 7Up. The study itself was ridiculously flawed - I thought C & D were different types of 7Up, but really they were the same (although oddly, most people thought they tasted different) and the Sierra Mist was flat, flat, flat (that was probably since it arrived all banged up). Overall there was no real winner (although both PartySugar and I liked the Diet 7Up the best), and we learned some interesting things (including the fact that one person said she'd never drink D, only to find out that she drinks it all the time). We also had to wonder why, if given a choice, would you drink a soda with no caffeine and no sugar and very little taste? Why not just drink water or sparkling water instead?

If you didn't order a taste challenge kit in time, you can always set up your own. If you do, let us know what you think.

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52 Weeks of Baking: Berry Curd Swirl Cake aka Berry Bread Pudding Cake

YumSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:48:31 -0700

For this week's baking experiment, I wanted to make something out of Heidi Swanson's new book, Super Natural Cooking. There were a few really great sounding recipes, but I wanted to use one that I had most of the ingredients for so I ended up settling on the Raspberry Curd Swirl Cake - only I had strawberries, not raspberries, so I gave that a try instead.

My final cake was actually delicious, unfortunately it didn't really turn out like it was supposed to - quite a few things went wrong, but ultimately they were happy accidents. The butter was supposed to be at room temperature, but it was really hot out that day and mine was at butter-soup temp and wouldn't cream correctly (I shouldn't have even bothered), I took it out of the oven too soon (it was getting late and I was impatient), and I didn't grease the pan properly (should've used a parchment paper sling, like my gut told me to). While it was baking, it looked wonderful, but while it was cooling it completely collapsed. I was pretty devastated, and contemplated rushing out and buying all the ingredients to start over again, but then I tasted it, and it was delicious. It was insanely moist (like bread pudding), the whole-wheat resulted in a delicious loaf, and the smell was amazing. I want to try it again, but I'm almost afraid that it will turn out correctly this time. If you want to check out the recipe and hope for your own happy accidents, read more

Raspberry Curd Swirl Cake
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
3/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temp.
1 1/2 cups natural cane sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh raspberries halved - optional
3/4 cup raspberry curd (aka raspberry butter)
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350F and position the racks in the middle of the oven. Choose your cake pan (8x4 loaf, or 9 or 10" spring form) and butter in generously.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, use a stand mixer or handheld mixer to beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat again. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl once or twice during the process so you end up with a nice, even, creamy blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. If you don't beat well enough at this stage, you'll end up with little butter sugar flecks throughout the batter in the end. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and gently fold them in by hand just until the last of the flour barely disappears; don't over mix. Fold in the berries.
Scoop half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. It's pretty thick, so you may need to spread it around a bit with the back of a spoon. Now spread about half of the curd over the batter, staying clear of the sides of the pan. Add the rest of the batter and smooth the top until level, then plop big spoonfuls of the remaining curd on top of the cake (again staying clear of the sides of the pan). Drag a butter knife through the curd in a loop-de-loop motion so the cake batter swirls with the curd to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake bounces back a bit when you push the top of it with your finger. The baking time will vary depending on pan size and shape. The cake should be very moist, so don't overcook it; trust your eyes, nose, and instinct. Let cool in the pan. Slice and serve at room temperature, dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and with a side of softly whipped cream if you like.This is what happens when all sorts of things go wrong...

Serves 12 picnickers.

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Sunday Dinner: Classic Cheese Fondue

YumSugar — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:01:31 -0700

One of my favorite things in the whole world is cheese. I love it in just about all formats, but especially have a thing for it when it's heated and gooey and waiting for me to dip things into it. Yes ladies and gents, I'm talking about fondue. For tonight's Sunday dinner I suggest you gather up your favorite accoutrements (bread, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, apples, broccoli, carrots, etc.) and prepare yourself a delicious cheese fondue. It'll work better if you have a fondue pot with long dipping forks, however if you don't, you can gather around the stove while you eat, but that's just not as fun. To check out a simple basic recipe (from which you can use as your launch pad to go crazy with cheese experimentation), read more

This recipe is assuming you have a fondue pot that is okay for the stove - or an adjustable temp fondue pot. If yours is more of a warmer only/can't go on the stove, start it in a different pot on the stove and then move it over to the fondue pot.

And don't throw out the leftover fondue. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, you can heat it back up for tomorrow's leftovers.

Classic Cheese Fondue
From Go Fondue

1/2 lb Emmenthaler (Swiss) Cheese (shredded)
1/2 lb Gruyeye (shredded)
1 clove Garlic
2 cups Dry White Wine
1 tbs Lemon Juice
2 tbs Flour
3 tbs Kirsch
1/4 tsp White Pepper
Nutmeg and/or Paprika to taste

Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic clove - add clove to pot or discard
Heat up the White Wine & Lemon Juice - should be hot but do not boil
Reduce heat to low and slowly add cheese while stirring
Slowly add remainder of ingredients while stirring
If fondue is too loose add more cheese
If fondue is too stiff add more wine

Use dipping forks to dip your favorite items (crusty bread, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, etc).

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What do you like to dip into your cheese fondue?

Shown: Bodum Fondue Set

52 Weeks of Baking: Goatbread Cookies

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:58:11 -0700

Toot! Toot!
That, my friends, is the sound of me tooting my own horn. A few weeks ago I bought some of the amazing goat butter from the folks at Meyenberg and loved it so much that I wanted to use it for everything. I had eaten it on toast, over pasta and on crackers, but at some point I decided, actually make that knew that I had to make shortbread cookies with it. Nevermind the fact that I had never actually made shortbread cookies, nor actually even liked them that much, neither of those things were going to stop me - I was going to make goatbread cookies (aka shortbread cookies made with goat butter)! To see how they turned out (toot! toot! I freaking loved them) and see the recipe that I more-or-less concocted on my own, read more

Once I decided I was going to make the goatbread cookies (that name sounded best to me), I started pouring through a bunch of cookbooks in order to check out their shortbread cookie recipes. I knew that the goat butter would lend a savory quality, so I knew that I shouldn't add anything like vanilla extract and I didn't want the sugar's sweetness to over-power the goat flavor either. Ultimately I ended up taking a piece from that one (rice flour from Test Kitchen), a piece from this one (temp from Bon Appetit) and just winging it the rest of the way. The bf was worried that all the amazing goat butter was going to be wasted, and to be honest, so was I. However the end result turned out fantastic - although I think that's just a testament to how fantastic the goat butter is. The goatbread cookie was crumbly, but cohesive, had a bit of a sweetness to it, and a nice goaty aftertaste. The recipe is far from perfect, but it's definitely a good launching point. I definitely cannot wait to try more goat butter creations.

Goatbread Cookies
From YumSugar

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) goat butter (cut into 1" cubes)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup rice flour
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300F. Move oven rack to top 1/3 of the oven.
In large bowl, or stand mixer, whisk salt and sugar together.
Add butter, mix well. I mixed in stand mixer on medium until butter was completely blended and creamy (about 2 minutes via mixer). Note: this can be done by hand also.
Sift flour together.
Slowly (on low speed if using mixer) add flours to butter mixture. I added 1/3 at a time. Scrape sides with spatula as needed.
When flour is fully incoporated you will be left with a sand-textured mixture. Try and form a ball with your hands. If the dough is not holding together, add a few drops of water (I added about 1 tbsp). Do not add too much water. The final result should be barely cohesive.
In a 9" cake pan, lined with parchment paper or well-greased, place dough and spread out as evenly as possible.
Take another 9" cake pan (you may want to grease the bottom) and place it on top of the dough. Apply even pressure to form the dough into an even-sized disk.
Remove dough from pan and place onto baking pan lined with parchment or silpat.
Using a knife and fork, score & design shortbread (I definitely needed some help in this department).
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and top is even golden color.

Remove from oven and let sit on pan for about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges. Note: It is extremely important to cut into wedges before it cools completely. If you wait until it cools, it will crumble.
Serve and savor!

Note: Next time I will completely skip the pan part and try my best with creating an even square by hand. Until I get really concerned with presentation (gotta master flavor first!), I think it was more of an unnecessary mess. However, if you skip this step, make sure that your goatbread has an even thickness - this way you'll ensure even baking throughout.

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