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Seriously, You Can Make Salmon in Your Dishwasher

YumSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:23:56 -0700

Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman, authors of The Black Book of Hollywood Diet Secrets, appeared on The Early Show this morning to give away some of their secrets. While they mostly spilled the beans on diet tips, there was one thing that stood out to me: dishwasher salmon. That's right I said dishwasher. You just seal the fish up in foil, toss it in the dishwasher and let it go. The steam, along with a waste of power and water, cooks it through. Just be sure you don't use any soap.

If you think this sounds totally wacko then I should let you know that this is not the first time this has been done. Bob Blumer, aka The Surreal Gourmet, has poached salmon in more than 100 dishwashers on three continents. His recipe actually looks pretty good and comes complete with a piquant sauce. I don't know if I can actually endorse this method, it seems like a waste of energy, but I do think it would be fun to tell your guests you made it in the dishwasher. If you want to try it yourself, get his recipe when you read more.

Dishwasher Salmon
From Bob Blumer, The Surreal Gourmet

Ingredients

4 6-ounce salmon fillets
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
heavy duty aluminum foil

Dill Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white part only, finely chopped, then thoroughly washed
1 jalapeño chili, seeds and membranes removed, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh dill, stems removed before measuring
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Cut two 12-inch square sheets of aluminum foil.
Place two fillets side by side on each square and fold up the outer edges.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice over each fillet. Season with salt and pepper.
Fold and pinch the aluminum foil extra tightly to create a watertight seal around each pair of fillets. Make sure the packet is airtight by pressing down on it gently with your hand. If air escapes easily, rewrap.
Place foil packets on the top rack of the dishwasher. Run dishwasher for the entire "normal" cycle.
When cycle is complete, take out salmon, discard foil, place one fillet on each plate, and spoon a generous serving of dill sauce overtop.

Don’t have a dishwasher? Bake foil-wrapped packets in a preheated 400°F oven for 12 minutes.

Sauce

Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauté pan.
Add the leek, jalapeño, and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are translucent-but not brown.
Reduce heat to medium and add the stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. (Adjust heat as required to maintain simmer.) The liquid should reduce by half.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and add the dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Puree until smooth. Reserve and reheat just before serving. Stir in the sour cream at the last minute.

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What Not To Party: Showing Up Early

partysugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:58:31 -0700

An important part of being a great hostess is understanding what it's like to be a great guest. The first step towards becoming an excellent guest is knowing when to arrive at the party. When hosting a dinner or an event, there is nothing I hate more than people whom show up early unannounced. Invitations are sent with a specific starting time for a reason and if your hostess is anything like myself she is running around adding finishing touches to her sauces, plating bite sized appetizers, polishing wine glasses, and lighting candles. (My aunt came 30 minutes early for a dinner once and the appetizers were still in the oven, I wasn't dressed and had curlers in my hair-you can imagine my complete and total mortification). Coming before the space and hostess is transformed into party ready is a complete and total no-no. Just don't do it. Unless personally asked by the hostess, do not come early and if for some crazy reason you end up getting off the freeway twenty minutes before the specified time call her to let her know there was no traffic and you will be arriving early so she can at least put on her party outfit and set out a bowl of olives.

Thanksgiving Tip: Have Extra Place Settings Ready

partysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:11 -0800

Besides setting the table early - a couple of days before Thanksgiving - I also put aside several extra place settings. I'll stack two to three plates, chargers, napkins, and utensils in a hidden spot in the dining room.

My Thanksgiving is a "the more, the merrier" type of event, so if someone shows up with an unexpected friend or family member, all I have to do is grab the extra place setting that's ready and add another chair to the table.

It's one less thing to worry about, and will ensure that you don't have to go digging into your China cabinet looking for extra plates on the big night. Got a great Thanksgiving tip? Please share it with us below!

Can You Name That Classic Dessert?

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:50:20 -0700

The Top Chef news of the week came early yesterday morning when we learned that Bravo was sweetening its line of spinoffs with a 2010 show called Top Chef: Just Desserts.

Since the whole Top Chef franchise is starting to tire out for at least a few of us, I thought I'd get everybody pumped for the new show (and National Dessert Month!) by testing your knowledge of classic desserts from around the world.

I'll spit out a picture, and you tell me what dessert it depicts. Ready? Go!

Take the quiz

The Classic Cocktails of Mad Men

YumSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:50:58 -0700

Are you hooked on Mad Men, the Emmy-winning AMC series about ~~drinking~~ advertising in the early 1960s? If so, then you know that the show can easily put you in the mood for a cocktail, with its three-martini lunches and meetings over bloody Marys. It's a great showcase for classic libations, so before the next episode airs on Sunday, mix up one of these eight great drinks featured on the show.
Photo Courtesy AMC

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Ming Tsai Talks Food, Cooking, and Top Chef Masters

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:50:32 -0700

I've been sold on Ming Tsai ever since he was a barrel of laughs in Aspen, so when I heard he was headed west, I knew I had to meet him. Ming was in town hosting a benefit for Macy's Come Together, a campaign to provide 10 million meals for families in need. I caught up with him in the green room before his demo, where he shared his thoughts on the importance of cooking for others, why you shouldn't buy a $4.99 skillet, and whether we're likely to see him on Top Chef Masters. Read his thoughts after the jump

Bottled Water Sales Experiencing a Drought

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 09:00:50 -0700

Last week, I asked you how you felt about boxed water, the latest fad to hit the beverage market. Although many of you were in support of the company's sustainable business model, just as many said you'd rather turn on the tap. It turns out you're not alone: recent studies indicate that consumers are actually turning their backs on bottled water.

WaterAid, an international water charity, found that 63 percent of people surveyed preferred to order tap water - and the number is skewed in favor of women. Another study by market research firm TNS showed sales of bottled water - which climbed in the 1990s and the early part of this century - actually fell by nine percent last year. I find the concept of people returning to tap to be refreshing.

Circumstances like environmental urgency, economic turmoil, and advanced public water systems have made bottled water, at times, seem extravagant, wasteful, and unnecessary. Do you agree? How often do you reach for a bottle of packaged water?

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José Andrés Brings Spain to the American Kitchen

partysugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:00:33 -0800

A couple of weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Spanish chef, José Andrés. From his recently opened Beverly Hills restaurant, The Bazaar, at the SLS Hotel to his PBS television show to his new cookbook, Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes For the American Kitchen, the chef has had a very busy end of 2008. He's opinionated, proud, and incredibly creative - Spanish master Ferran Adriá was his mentor. To find out what the chef had to say about his book and what he thinks of Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow's televised trip around his native country, read more.

PartySugar: Tell me about the book.
José Andrés: It's a great book. I love to work on my books. Especially this one - every photo was shot in my house. The reason for the book is the television show. I'm trying to show America Spain. I want to get into the house of everyone who will let me in and show them Spanish cooking authentically.

PS: What's one Spanish dish you would recommend for the American home cook?
JA: To really bring the spirit of Spain into your house make toasted bread with good garlic. Rub the warm toasted bread with fresh tomatoes. Top with manchego cheese. It's the best option, you can make it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, whenever.

PS: What Spanish ingredients are must haves for the American kitchen?
JA: Spanish olive oil. It's the best. Piquillo peppers. Tuna packed in Spanish olive oil.

PS: What's your guilty pleasure food?
JA: I try to be a good role model for my young daughters and not commit too many crimes, but once in a while, I do have too many gin and tonics. Bombay Sapphire is my favorite. Some of my mixology friends think I don't have any refinement, but I don't care.

PS: When in the states, what do you most miss about Spain?
JA: The fish markets. America is very big, the fishing markets aren't right there. Barcelona is such a great fishing port with little fisherman who wake up in the morning early to get fish. Here, there are fisherman, but it's not the same freshness. Really good fresh fish is not as readily available for the average Joe. At the end, it is the ingredients that define the cooking of a country.

PS: Being a Spaniard, what do you think of the portrayal of your country in Mario Batali and Gywneth Paltrow's Spain on the Road Again?
JA: Well I can tell you my show was the first show that showed Spain to the Americas. The other show - I am very proud that they are highlighting my country. Anyone that is doing, telling anything to promote Spain is good. It only helps me on my mission. I have a very great relationship with them. I'm very happy that they did it.

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How to Tell if Wine Has Gone Bad

partysugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:15:22 -0800

Last week my girlfriend Kristal inherited 80 bottles of wine. She invited me over to browse the boxes and taste some of the vintages. The bulk of the wine was from the late '80s and early to mid 90s. While we immediately spotted a couple of valuable bottles, the vast majority were bottles we knew nothing about. Our main concern was finding out if the wine was drinkable. Not all wine is ideal for storing. If it's been in contact with air for too long or has a tainted cork, the liquid inside has turned and should not be consumed. To find out the signs that show a good wine has gone bad, read more.

The smell is off. If a wine's aroma is moldy or resembles a musty basement, wet cardboard, or vinegar, it's turned. A heavy raisin smell is another bad signal.
Avoid red wines that are not Port, but have the aroma typically characteristic of Port. When wine tastes like dessert wine, it has been overexposed to heat, and is therefore undrinkable.
When the cork is pushed out slightly from the bottle, it's a sign the wine has overheated and expanded within the bottle.
Examine the color. A brown hue in red wine demonstrates that the liquid is past its prime. White wines that have darkened to a deep yellow or brownish straw color are usually oxidized.
Wine that lacks fruit, is raspy, too astringent, or has a paint-thinner taste is usually bad.
A still wine that is fizzy or effervescent has undergone a second fermentation after the bottling and shouldn't be enjoyed.
Although the term "corked" commonly refers to wine that has gone bad, inspecting the cork alone will not determine if the wine is tainted. Be sure to smell and examine the actual liquid.

Have you ever had an undrinkable bottle of wine? How did you know it had turned?

Biggest Headline of 2008: Rachael Ray's Year of Ups and Downs

partysugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:30:22 -0800

Whether you love her or hate her, Rachael Ray, the Food Network's biggest star, is here to stay. Although 2008 was filled with many ups and downs, it was a huge year for Ray. Things got off to a rocky start in January, when a secondhand story claimed that Ray, a Dunkin' Donuts spokeswoman, refused to drink Dunkin's coffee, instead opting for Starbucks. A week later, Ray denied the claim as "absolutely ridiculous." In February, Ray happily hosted the wildly popular Burger Bash at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, but March brought worries that her daytime television talk show would not be renewed. However, these rumors were quickly squashed when reports showed that her viewership was growing. The weirdest bombshell came in May when Michelle Malkin, a conservative commentator, accused Ray of supporting terrorists in a Dunkin' Donuts ad. The donut chain pulled the ad and released a statement clarifying that Rachael was simply wearing a stylish scarf and not a traditional headdress sometimes associated with terrorists.

Ray rose above the controversy to win a daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show. In July she rolled out a line of pet food called Nutrish, and in early August Forbes named her the world's richest chef. The week before bringing the Burger Bash to New York City's first-ever Wine and Food festival, Ray revealed her plans to open a hamburger restaurant. Since then, Ray has laid low. She recently had throat surgery to get rid of her raspy voice and is currently taking some time off to recover.

What did you think about Ray's turbulent year? Will she continue to make headlines in 2009?

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