YumSugar

Do You Eat at Restaurants With Picture Menus?

partysugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:45:20 -0700

Yummy Link: Weird Food Around The World

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:32:11 -0700

One of my favorite things about traveling is checking out the aisles of foreign grocery stores. If you haven't been fortunate to travel around, then don't fret, there's always this gallery of weird things people eat around the world. - Gadling

Yum Market Finds: Traveling Food Fun

partysugar — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 15:58:31 -0700

Since we kicked off our very first travel week here on YumSugar it's fitting that I feature a few fabulous Yum Market finds in relation to traveling. Whether it's exotic French seasonings in flyer friendly chic tins like these ones bookmarked by atkoester, or a picnic basket that you pack a meal in, summer is the perfect time to splurge on travel related food goods. A lunchbox that resembles a handbag, wine glass holders for the grass, and a box of chocolates that you can munch on while you wait are three more awesome options for traveling food fun. Finally, if you aren't taking any extravagant vacations this year, take a culinary journey in your kitchen by making a dish from In Nirmala's Kitchen: Everyday World Cuisine. Check out these items in our new cool list scroller below!

2-In-1 Travel Tag Favor/Placecard

partysugar — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 09:39:31 -0700

I'm an avid traveler and big time country dropper. I like to pretend I'm a jet-setter and really do have friends all over the world. When I saw these cute little travel tags, I suddenly wished I wasn't planning Julie's Wedding but my own! Travel tags are something everyone can use, but don't necessarily buy for themselves - making the little tags a wonderful and practical favor! Slide a small piece of paper with each guests name written in the most beautiful calligraphy and voila! The favor becomes a placecard! Name the tables after your favorite travel destinations and loop a card that resembles a boarding pass with the name of each destination (table) through the black leather strap of the travel tag. Hang all of the travel tags/placecards on a large map with pretty glass head pins. In the future when your guests travel the world they will remember back to your wedding day!

Come Party With Me: Travel Party - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 07:03:38 -0700

As it's our second edition of travel week here on YumSugar, I thought it would be perfectly fitting to plan and host a globe trotting fiesta. That's right you guessed it: a travel party! What on earth is a travel party? It's a blowout bash where each room takes the theme of a different country. I've picked five countries (Mexico, Japan, Russia, England, and Cuba) for five rooms in my house and each one will have its own appetizers, drinks, and decor. Instead of sending out a standard party invite, I'm sending faux passports to all of my guests. They have to bring the passport to the party and will receive a stamp on the pages after consuming the specified beverage for said country. More on that later, it's invitation making time! To see how I made this adorable passport booklet invitation just read more

To make an invitation similar to the one seen here you will need:

dark blue cardstock
light blue regular printer paper (5-6 sheets)
scissors
glue
stapler
computer & printer
an image of the American passport cover
images of each country's flags

To assemble an invitation similar to the one seen here:

Start by dragging the passport image into the right hand side column of a new word document that is set in two columns. Crop it, cutting out the words and leaving the symbol intact in the middle.

Above the symbol add the passport in all capital letters and below it type United States of America. Print out a test copy and once satisfied print out on the dark blue cardstock. This will serve as the front cover to your passport invite. Set aside while making the pages.

On another new document set into two columns, insert a a blank square. When guests arrive at the party, snap a Polaroid pic, cut down to size and glue inside the square. In my invite I used geeksugar's avatar for her invite. I included her birthday and home address.

On the other side of the column write out the details of the party. To make it fun include typical travel speak. Like a real passport, number all of the pages. Here's what I wrote in American Typewriter size 11:

PartySugar invites you to grab your passport and join her in an adventure around the world!

Take Off Date:
Saturday July 28, 2007
Estimated Time of Departure:
20:00
Departing From:
PartySugar’s House, SF
RSVP:
415.555.5555

Travel chic attire requested.
This passport is your ticket to the party.

Print out a test copy and once you are satisfied, print out on a sheet of light blue printer paper.

Create the country pages of the invite by labeling the top of each column with the page number and the words that are found at the top of a passport's real pages.

Entries Departures
Visas
Entrées / Entradas Sorties /Salidas

Drag the image of the flags onto the passport pages. Each country should have its own page. Print out a test copy and once you are satisfied, print out on the light blue printer paper.

Cut the pages of the booklet in half so that all of the pages are separate, also cut all pages to the same size. Put in numerical order.

Cut the passport cover down to the size of the booklet pages. Carefully fold in half.

Wrap around the pages and staple on the front outside crease of the passport. Ensure that the staples, one at the top and another at the bottom, went all the way through to the back enclosing each page inside of the book.

Voila! Your passport is done. Send in envelopes addressed with your best handwriting.

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Revisiting Travel Week

partysugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 10:50:18 -0800

This Summer YumSugar and I went on a trip around the world, and we invited you along for the ride! We devoted entire days to discussing the delicious cuisines from 10 different countries around the globe. I've looked back at all of our coverage and picked out my favorite memories from our culinary journeys. Here they are for you to revisit! Starting in top left corner and moving clockwise:

Yum celebrated all things Brazilian by making Pão de Queijo, a Brazilian cheese bread.
I planned a travel party.
In Morocco, we chowed down on kefta - spiced meatballs - with eggs.
We learned how to say cheers in 12 different languages.
When we went to Japan, we channeled our inner sushi chef by rolling sushi.

How about you? Where did you enjoy traveling to this year?

Come Party With Me: Travel Party - Menu II

partysugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:51:31 -0700

I've already got a portion of the menu planned for this week's travel party - where the theme takes itself from five countries. The Mexican, Japanese, and Russian rooms will have delicious savory nibbles, dips, and tasty appetizers for guest to enjoy while they mingle. For an element of surprise, create an English cheese tasting platter for the British room. Generally cheese platters consist of Italian, French, or Swiss cheeses, so a platter with nuts, jams, honey, fig crackers, English cheddar, and Stilton will wow guests with your originality. Meaty Cuban sandwiches with pickles and mustard finish up the menu. Head over to Cost Plus World Market to supplement the rooms with sweet treats and exotic bites from the respective countries. For the recipes that will take you around the globe, read more

Farmhouse Cheddar and Fig Crackers
From Food & Wine magazine
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3 large dried figs, preferably Calimyrna
Boiling water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 pound extra-sharp farmhouse Cheddar cheese, preferably from England, grated (1 1/4 cups)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a small heatproof bowl, soak the figs in boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the figs and pat dry. Slice off the tough stems, then cut the figs into 1/2-inch dice.
In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, Cheddar cheese, kosher salt and pepper and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl and add the figs and egg. Using your hands, work the dough until it comes together.
Scrape the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a 12-by-2-inch rectangular log. Wrap the log tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Slice the log of dough crosswise 1/4 inch thick.
Arrange the slices at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the Cheddar crackers for about 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown and slightly firm. Carefully transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 3 dozen.

Make ahead: the dough can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or wrapped in plastic, then in aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. The crackers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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Cuban Sandwich
From Whole Foods

1 mini baguette (6 oz, whole grain, if available) cut in half and sliced open to make 4 halves
mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, to taste (optional)
4 very thin slices Black Forest or other lean deli ham
4 very thin slices deli smoked peppered turkey breast
4 very thin slices deli salami
1 large dill pickle, thinly sliced
4 very thin slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
2 thin slices purple onion
2 slices red pepper, raw or roasted

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle, or a double-sided sandwich maker such as a Foreman Grill.
Spread mustard and mayonnaise as desired on each piece of the bread.
Layer 2 slices each of the ham, turkey, salami, and cheese on 2 pieces of the bread.
Layer even amounts of pickle between the meat and cheese.
Top each with even amounts of spinach, purple onion, and red pepper.
Using the top of the bread, make 2 sandwiches.
Place them on the hot skillet or griddle. (If desired, you can use a small amount of butter on the grill).
Lay a heavy iron skillet or other heavy skillet on top of the sandwich. (You may need to prepare one sandwich at a time). Flatten the sandwich to about 1/4 of its original size,
Grill for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
If using a double-sided sandwich maker, grill for 3 to 4 minutes, watching carefully.

Serves 2

Nutrition Information: Per Serving (168g-wt.): 380 calories (150 calories from fat), 16g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 3g dietary fiber, 20g protein, 36g carbohydrate, 50mg cholesterol, 1310mg sodium

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Come Party With Me: Travel Party - Menu I

partysugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 08:57:39 -0700

This week, I've invited guests to join me in traveling to five countries. While we won't be actually jetting on a plane and heading to each destination, five rooms in my house will be transformed into a specific theme based around each country. The rooms will have unique decor, music, food, and drinks. In the Mexican themed room I'll fill huge bowls with multi colored tortilla chips and homemade salsa. A large mortar and pestle will hold just mashed guacamole. I'll take help from the grocery store or local Japanese restaurant for the Japanese themed room, and offer platters of various types of sushi: California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, assorted sashimi, etc. Order whatever you and your friends like. Offer guests a classic bite of Russia with cornmeal blinis and caviar in the Russian themed room. To take a culinary journey around the world in your very own home, read more

Salsa
From Simply Recipes

2-3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 lb to 1 1/2 lb), stems removed, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
1 serrano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: oregano and or cumin to taste

Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes.
Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat.
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.
Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Makes approximately 3-4 cups.

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Guacamole
Modified from Avocado Central

4 Hass Avocados, peeled and pitted
2 lemons, juiced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ Cup cilantro, chopped
¼ Cup green onion, diced
¼ tsp ground cumin
1-2 Jalapeño, seeded and all of them minced
Salt and chile powder to taste

Place avocados in a large bowl and mash them.
Add lemon juice and mix well.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 12.

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Cornmeal Blini with Caviar
From Chow

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
Vegetable oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons salmon caviar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Osetra caviar
2 cups crème fraîche
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
30 small fresh chervil leaves

Heat the oven to 250°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt and stir well to mix. Add the egg and milk, and mix until smooth.
Heat a heavy griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot, then brush with oil. Using a spoon and working in small batches, drop 1-tablespoon-size dollops of batter into the skillet. When bubbles form evenly on the top of the blini, turn (just once) and cook the blini until golden.
Transfer the first batch of cooked blini to a heatproof plate lined with paper towels and keep warm, covered, in the oven.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
To serve, top each warm blini with 1 tablespoon crème fraîche, 1 teaspoon salmon caviar, 1/2 teaspoon of Osetra caviar, a pinch of chives, and a chervil leaf. Serve immediately.

Makes 30 blini.

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Animated Anthony Bourdain Stars in Cartoon Show

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:15:19 -0700

If you can't get enough of Anthony Bourdain, know that there'll soon be even more to love. The food industry's most opinionated figure is now getting his own cartoon series.

The six-part animated web series, titled Anthony Bourdain's Alternate Universe, will reveal Bourdain's "personal and unique view of the world that lives in his imagination." It's arrived out of thin air, even beating Gordon Ramsay's animated show to the punch. The first line in the trailer below? "If you've ever wondered what really goes on inside his head, you can stop."

Actually, I haven't. I already know the bad-boy chef's tiresome schtick, and it's not nearly as esoteric as everybody thinks it is. In some sort of . . . well, alternate universe, perhaps this cartoon would make more sense. Watch the trailer and share your thoughts after the break.

Yummy Links: From Vampire Cookies to Beer-Turkey Pairings

partysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:50:14 -0800

Celebrate the premiere of New Moon by making vampire cookies. - Baking Bites
Fabio Viviani talks turkey. - Endless Simmer
Find out why ground beef is dangerous. - The Atlantic
Are you on Team Martha or Team Rachael Ray? - The Epi-Log
Anthony Bourdain is not happy that the Travel Channel is now under Food Network's ownership. - Eater
Google has launched a new food-centric portal. - Grub Street SF
A detailed description of Guy Fieri's just launched road tour. - Eat Me Daily
Michael Chiarello on brining turkey. - Chow
Worried about what wine pairs with turkey? How about serving beer instead? - Serious Eats