YumSugar

Keep Your Lettuce Longer

YumSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 09:01:01 -0700

Last week I mentioned how to save wilted lettuce, but how do you keep it from getting that way to begin with?

For starters you should discard any leaves that have brown or black spots.
Then soak them in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes.
Spin them dry (or gently pat them dry with a kitchen towel) and wrap loosely in dry paper towels.
Finally put them in a ziploc bag, squeeze as much air as possible (don't crush the leaves), seal the bag 3/4 of the way and store in your fridge's produce drawer.

This entire process will help slow the deterioration process down and will hopefully, depending on the state it was in when you purchased it, allow your lettuce to last for up to two weeks.

Don't Toss Your Sad Lettuce - Fix It!

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 09:58:31 -0700

We've all done it, we've bought lettuce with the perfectly good intention of turning it into salad, only instead of making a salad, we throw it in to the back of the fridge and forget about it for a while. We come back a few days later and find that the leaves look a bit sad and wilted. Well, what do you do? Do you toss it out? Nope! You soak it! Place washed lettuce leaves in a bowl (preferably stainless steel) filled with cold water, lemon juice and ice cubes. Soak for an hour in the refrigerator, then drain, dry and enjoy! Oh and let's be realistic here folks, if your lettuce is starting to turn to soggy mush, no amount of lemon juice is going to save it.

Simple Tip: Use Radicchio As a Serving Bowl

partysugar — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:13:33 -0700

At the Junior Achievement's Wine Tasting and Auction, I was inspired by their servingware. Instead of offering guests olives and marinated cheeses in regular bowls, they were festively placed inside radicchio leaves. The bright purple leaves made the antipasto display pop with color!

This is a great idea for the eco-conscious hostess. No bowls need to be washed and the empty leaves can be placed into the compost bin. Iceberg and romaine lettuce leaves would also work well for serving salsas, olives, cheese, crackers, and more.

Got another edible alternative to a serving bowl? Share your ideas with us below!

How to Pack Burgers For a Picnic

partysugar — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:30:51 -0700

While burgers are a beloved backyard, picnic, and barbecue staple, enjoyed all Summer long, they aren't necessarily the easiest food to transport. However, it can be done. I recently made 16 burgers and successfully carried them to a remote location in Golden Gate Park. There, I grilled the burgers to perfection! Here's what I did:

The night before or morning of your picnic, prep the burger at home. Make any condiments and slice toppings, like tomato or lettuce, that don't spoil quickly. Leave avocado whole and cut on location.
Make the patties and place on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
Cut parchment paper into four- by five-inch squares. The number of squares depends on how many patties you make. You need one less square than patties (I made 16 patties and cut 15 parchment paper squares).
Spread a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface.
Place a patty in the middle of the foil. Top with a parchment paper square. Place another patty on top of the parchment paper. Repeat until you have a short stack of four patties. Fold the foil up and around to enclose patty stack.
Repeat, layering patty with parchment paper in stacks of four patties each, until all of your patties are packed.
Store patty packs in fridge until ready to leave. Place stacks in a cooler with reusable ice packs. Do not use regular ice; it could melt all over the meat.
Grill and enjoy at your destination of choice.

Got a tip for transporting picnic food? Please share with us below!

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Obama & Biden Grab Cheeseburgers at Arlington Burger Joint

YumSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 05:50:01 -0700

Maybe President Obama and Vice President Biden needed a break from white-tablecloth dining or perhaps they just felt like getting out on the town. Either way, the two took a short lunch trip yesterday to a popular local burger joint called Ray's Hell Burger.

Upon arriving at the strip plaza eatery, the duo declined offers from other patrons to cut the line. Ray's - which prides itself in serving unconventional sodas and cheesy tater puffs in lieu of fries - couldn't accept Obama's order for fries, so he went with the potato puffs and a bottle of water instead. To check out footage of the presidential lunch outing, read more.

Since it's well-documented that President Obama prefers his burger medium well, it's no surprise that he ordered a basic cheddar cheeseburger, medium well, with lettuce, tomatoes, spicy mustard, and no ketchup. The executive branch must love its burgers medium well, since Biden ordered his Swiss cheeseburger prepared the same way, but topped with ketchup and jalapeño peppers, and a good old-fashioned root beer to drink.

The best part? When the cashier taking the presidential order wanted to take care of the tab, Obama insisted otherwise: "See all those people?" he said, pointing to the press pool that came along. "They'll write about how we were freeloaders." He paid for all the burgers in cash, leaving a $5 bill in the tip jar.

Check out the footage below - I was particularly entertained by the fans taking pictures of the president in the background - and tell me your thoughts.

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Bobby Flay's Sandwich Tips

partysugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:00:01 -0700

Yesterday we brought you a fun little video of Bobby Flay making sandwiches, and today we've got his tips for crafting the best 'wich! While Flay is known for his superior grill skills, he's also a sponsor for Best Foods mayonnaise and a master of sandwich making. Here's how the Iron Chef recommends building a better sandwich:

When a sandwich contains several moist ingredients (mayonnaise, tomatoes, etc), use a thick, crusty bread like ciabatta.
When putting together a simple sandwich with fewer ingredients, like ham and cheese, select thinly sliced bread.

Get the rest of Flay's fabulous suggestions when you read more.

For sandwiches on the go, separate the elements: Put the bread in one baggy, the condiments in a small Tupperware or squirt bottle, and the veggies in another baggy. Assemble just before eating.
Get creative! Instead of using lettuce, opt for other crunchy vegetables. When they come in contact with oil-based condiments, sliced cucumber and fennel won't wilt or turn soggy.
Add a kick to any sandwich with strong flavors like smoked Spanish paprika, fresh ground black pepper, chili powder, or fresh lime juice.
Make sure your sandwich is full of color. Incorporate fresh vibrant elements such as parsley leaves, finely diced red onions, or green, yellow, and red peppers.
Don't forget to have fun with your ingredients! Who says you can’t enjoy the crunch of blue corn chips on your sandwich? Why not include chopped toasted walnuts or pecans? How about dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins? The sky is the limit.
Think outside the box. By adding a creamy lemon-chive vinaigrette, you can take the classic egg sandwich from breakfast to dinner.
Make your own custom sauces. Jazz up store-made condiments with fresh herbs, citrus juice, horseradish, roasted tomatoes, olives, or chiles.

How do you make the ultimate sandwich? Share your tips with us below!

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What Would You Do?

partysugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:50:56 -0800

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's today's scenario:

You've heard positive things about a neighborhood pizzeria; upon arrival, the small place is crowded with no empty seats. You approach the waitress/hostess and inquire about a table. She replies in a slow, stoned voice, "Maybe I can find you a table soon. Actually, I don't really know how long the wait is." She doesn't take your name and you feel invisible. Fifteen minutes pass and she randomly offers you and your friend a table to share with another couple. You oblige, even though it's sitting with strangers - you're hungry!

You order salad and pizza. When the salad arrives, it's overflowing and hard to eat. It's clearly being served in a plate that is too small for it. As you eat, more and more lettuce falls off the plate onto the dirty-looking table. You try and motion the waitress - multiple times - but she ignores you. What do you do?

To find out what I did - it happened to me! - read more.

Instead of making a scene with a waitress who obviously had no desire to wait on me, I walked to the bar and stocked up on napkins. Next I placed a ring of napkins around my plate, so when lettuce did fall off, I could still eat it. Needless to say, I did not leave an extremely generous tip.

How would you handle the situation? What do you think of my reaction? Did I overreact?

Camping Gone Gourmet Side: Grilled Lettuce

partysugar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 08:31:58 -0700

The next time you're camping, serve grilled lettuce instead of a predictable side salad. Grilled lettuce makes for an excellent twist on a salad and it's deliciously crisp. Make the blue cheese dressing and bacon crumbles before you leave for the campground and pack both in your cooler with the lettuce. Grill the lettuce like you would any other veggie and pair with sliced tri-tip or barbecued chicken. It's the perfect camping gone gourmet side, so check out the recipe read more

Grilled Lettuce With Blue Cheese Dressing
From Fine Cooking magazine
Image Source

For the dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whole milk; more as needed
6 oz. crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort or Danish Blue; more to taste
1-1/2 Tbs. finely grated shallot
1 clove finely grated garlic
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more to taste
For the salad:
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, bases trimmed but left intact, halved lengthwise
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled (preferably applewood)

Make the dressing: in a medium bowl, stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, blue cheese, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to let the flavors develop. Before using, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. The dressing will thicken as it sits and may need to be thinned with more milk.
Prepare the salad: once the dressing is chilled, heat a gas grill to medium low or prepare a medium-low charcoal fire. Be sure the grate is hot, too.
Lightly brush olive oil all over the romaine hearts, taking care not to break the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put the lettuce cut side down on the grate, directly over the heat. Grill until the outer leaves are charred and wilted and the lettuce is warm and just barely tender all the way through to the core, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the heat of your grill.
Transfer the lettuce to a clean platter and let rest for 5 minutes.
To serve: place half a heart of romaine, cut side up, on each plate, top with about 2 tablespoons of the blue cheese dressing, or more to taste, and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

How to Bring Salad to a Potluck

partysugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 10:01:31 -0800

Salads don't travel as well as other dishes, especially when the greens are doused in dressing or vinaigrette. When bringing a salad to a potluck, prepare all of the elements in advance. Assemble the salad later upon arrival at the dinner. To avoid a soggy salad use the following technique:

Always wash the greens and lettuce. Even if you purchase a washed bag of greens there are so many recalls these days, it's best to take the time and wash them.
Throughly dry the greens in a salad spinner, colander, or with paper towels and place in the serving bowl.
Chop or dice the vegetable elements. Store in separate containers or plastic baggies and place on top of the lettuce in the bowl.

If using an ingredient that browns easily - like avocado - wait until the last minute to cut it.
Make the dressing or vinaigrette and store in a small Tupperware. Place on top of the salad greens.
Cover the entire bowl with plastic wrap or foil, grab your salad tongs and head out to the party.

Got a tip for keeping salads fresh for potlucks? Please share with us below!

Meeting Marcus Samuelsson

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:20:16 -0700

Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant, Merkato 55. His love for African cuisine was illustrated at the demo where he cooked shrimp piri piri in lettuce wraps and rack of lamb with couscous. In San Francisco to promote BlueStar cooking ranges, Samuelsson took some time out of his hectic schedule to speak with me. To see where he likes to eat in San Francisco and hear what he has to say about his buddy Rocco DiSpirito, read more.

Samuelsson is friendly yet focused, personable yet professional. The chef, who was angered by buzzed, pretentious fans who interrupted our interview, clearly values respect, privacy, and consideration.

His favorite places to eat in San Francisco: Samuelsson enjoys the Ferry building and all it has to offer. He recommends "the Mexican food stand behind the building" because "it has the most amazing breakfast burrito." The Slanted Door and Coi are other favorites.
The difference between food in San Francisco and food in New York: Both cities are incredibly "magical in different ways." Out of the two, "New York has a true reflection of the world. The entire world is right there. However, New York doesn't have the same sort of relationship to farmers. The relationship, the bond that the chef has with farmers, that was started by Alice and the Berkeley hippies is still something that is very San Francisco."

The ingredients he can't live without: Anything in season. Samuelsson enjoys the farmers' markets and is quick to point out that New York City has over 42 farmers' markets.

On a typical night at Merkato: The restaurant is so new that he is focusing on communicating. It's his goal to teach everyone (the customers, his staff, food writers, the purveyors) the "elegant nuisances of African food." Although the majority of African ingredients can be found in 13 mom and pop stores, Samuelsson hopes that in the future African ingredients will be common and found in stores nationwide.

His tip for the everyday home cook: Understand the seasons. Look at food as you would clothes. Just as you wear certain things in the Winter and other things in the Summer, you should do the same with food. Even fish has seasons. If he were to serve a meal tonight, he would use wild salmon and pair it with delicious heirloom tomatoes. He says, "rather than try and make complicated dishes, make simple dishes that highlight the food that's in season."

What he thinks of his pal Rocco DiSpirito: Samuelsson feels Rocco is tragically misunderstood by the food industry. He believes Rocco is the best chef in America and is sad that one teeny mistake ruined his reputation as a chef. He's also confident that Rocco has what it takes to make a come back

After speaking with the chef, I was eager to get home and practice what he preached. The next time I'm in New York, I hope to eat at one of his restaurants.

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