YumSugar

Ugly Is In, Even In the Produce World

YumSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:13:33 -0700

Each year the folks at Santa Sweets hold an Ugly Tomato contest. The contest, which is to celebrate their UglyRipe variety of tomatoes, brought in many entries that they actually named eleven winners. The tomatoes were yellow, red, green and some contained many weird lumps. The odd shaped fruit surprised everyone, including Joe Procacci, CEO of Procacci Brothers Sales Corp (the parent company to Santa Sweets), who had this to say:

"I've been in the tomato-growing business for over 60 years and I have never seen tomatoes this ugly!"

Here are a few of my favorites, but be sure to check out all the winners when you have a chance.

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:11:47 -0700

Cheers to fall! Raise a champagne filled cupcake in celebration! When you're done chomping down on that, go ahead and plan a festive fall dinner party.
This week marked the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Did you eat your mooncakes?
New Game: We give you a few ingredients and you tell us what you would make!

We said farewell to ice cream and hello to soup! Each week PartySugar will bring you a new soup recipe. She's kicked things off with a creamy artichoke soup.
Looking for a homemade lunchbox snack alternative? Try these homemade fruit roll ups.
Science alert! How well does water clean your fruits and vegetables?
Top Chef is just about over. This week we went from four contestants down to three.
It's Oktoberfest time! How much do you know about it?
Miss Martha is expanding her empire. First there was Macy's, and now there is her own wine. Speaking of Martha, did you see her and Amy Sedaris making cheeesballs?

Is taking children on a field trip to a winery a good idea or bad one?
Ugly is in! Don't miss out on this gallery of ugly tomatoes.
And finally, would you eat fish balls?

Come Party With Me: Ugly Sweater - Menu (Savory)

partysugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:28:39 -0800

Although the Ugly Sweater party starts at 8 p.m., it's important to offer guests a few snacks to nibble on throughout the night. The last thing you want is a drunken guest raiding your fridge or pantry. To avoid this sloppy situation, set out a variety of small appetizers that require virtually no work throughout the night.

A vegetarian garlic, eggplant, and tomato spread is delicious on crusty bread. A homemade chex-style party mix is an excellent absorber of alcohol. Since this is a tacky-chic party, make three different kinds of cheese balls. Serve with an assortment of crackers and flatbreads. If desired, supplement the menu with store bought goods like olives, dips, and vegetables.

For the recipes, read more

Garlicky Eggplant and Tomato Crostini
From Food and Wine magazine

2 pounds small eggplants-peeled, quartered lengthwise, then halved crosswise
6 medium garlic cloves, halved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 28-ounce can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
toasted croutons, crostini, or crackers for serving

In a large saucepan fitted with a large steamer basket, bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer. Add the eggplant and garlic to the steamer. Cover the saucepan and steam the eggplant over moderate heat until tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices along with the cilantro, cumin, paprika and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Drain the steamed eggplant and garlic in a colander, pressing gently to extract any excess water.
Transfer to a bowl and finely mash the garlic and coarsely mash the eggplant with a fork, then scrape them both into the tomato sauce.
Add the fresh lemon juice and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.
Serve the eggplant salad at room temperature or lightly chilled with croutons, crostini, or crackers for spreading.

Serves 6.

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Homemade Party Mix
From Emeril Lagasse

1/2 pound cashews
1/2 pound hot roasted peanuts
2 cups pretzel nuggets
8 cups waffle cereal (such as Chex)
1 cup butter
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Creole spice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl combine nuts, pretzels and cereal.
Melt butter with Worcestershire sauce and drizzle over nut mixture; sprinkle with Creole spice.
Toss to coat completely, pour onto a cookie sheet and bake until crisp and tasty, about 25 minutes.

Makes about 12 cups.

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Cheese Balls Three Ways
From Martha Stewart

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
3 packages (8-ounce) cream cheese
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot sauce, preferable Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
8 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 tablespoons store-bought chutney
3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Water crackers, for serving
6 ounces Roquefort cheese
1 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons brandy, optional
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Vegetable chips, such as Terra Chips Sweets & Beets, for serving
8 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch slices, for serving

Prepare the Base Mixture: in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper; mix on medium speed until combined. Divide equally among 3 medium bowls.
Prepare the Cheddar and Cranberry Cheese Ball: stir cheddar and chutney with base mixture in the first bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Roll cheese balls in cranberries to coat before serving. Serve with crackers.
Prepare the Roquefort and Walnut Cheese Ball: stir blue cheese and shallot with base mixture in second bowl; add brandy, if desired. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 1 month. Roll in walnuts to coat before serving. Serve with chips.
Prepare the Goat Cheese and Scallion Cheese Ball: stir goat cheese and scallions with base mixture in remaining bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days to freeze up to 1 month. Roll in parsley to coat before serving. Serve with cucumber slices.

Makes three 4-inch cheese balls and serves 8 to 10.

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Come Party With Me: Season Premiere - Menu (Part I)

partysugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:57:31 -0700

This week I am planning a watching party for a television show's season premiere. One of my favorite fall shows, Ugly Betty, serves as the theme and centerpiece of the party. Since Betty Suarez's family is from Mexico, that region's authentic dishes will make up my menu. When my friends arrive I'll have large colorful bowls filled with classic tomato salsa, tomatillo guacamole, and blue corn chips. Later I'll remove a platter of queso fundido from the oven to serve with warmed tortillas and chicken in green sauce. Guests can make their own soft tacos by choosing from any of the aforementioned toppings and fillings. To get these recipes, read more

Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole
From Sunset magazine
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1 or 2 fresh Jalapeños, stems removed, and chiles halved and seeded
1/2 medium white onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tomatillo, papery skin removed
1 avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
At least 1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
At least 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large, unoiled frying pan over medium heat, pan-roast the Jalapeños, onion, garlic, and tomatillo on all sides, 20 to 25 minutes total.
In a blender, whirl the vegetables with 1/4 cup water until blended but still chunky.
Add avocado and lime juice; pulse until blended. Add cilantro and salt, pulse to combine, and add more salt and/or lime juice to taste.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

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Salsa
From Pedro Rosas, Chef at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista

5 large tomatoes
5 large jalapenos
1 small bunch cilantro
1 medium white onion
1 small lemon
salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, ground cumin to taste

Roast the tomatoes and jalapenos till the skin is burned (do not remove the skin) and let it cool off for 2 hours
After the tomatoes and jalapenos are cool, place it into the blender with 1 cup of water and mix together
Chop the fresh cilantro and onion and add to the mix with all the remaining ingredients and with the lemon juice.

Makes 1-2 cups.

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Queso Fundido
From Rick Bayless
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1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin
1 medium red onion, sliced
6 to 8 ounces full-flavored mushrooms, such as shiitakes, oysters or practically any wild variety, stemmed (discard woody stems or finely chop them) and sliced (you'll have about 2 generous cups)
2 to 3 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, seeded and thinly sliced
Salt
12 corn tortillas, the fresher the better (store-bought are okay, but homemade will really shine here)
8 ounces mozzarella, preferably whole-milk (but not "fresh" mozzarella, which will not melt) or Mexican quesillo, shredded (you'll have about 2 cups)
A generous 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or generous 1 teaspoon chopped fresh epazote
A little black pepper, preferably freshly ground

Make the mushroom mixture: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet (preferably nonstick), heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softening and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir nearly constantly until they have softened and any juice they release has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the sliced chiles, then taste and season with salt, usually about 1/4 teaspoon. Transfer the mixture to a 9- or 10-inch shallow baking dish, Mexican cazuela or pie plate.
Finishing the queso fundido: Very lightly dampen a clean kitchen towel. Check the tortillas to make sure none are stuck together. Wrap them in the towel, then in foil, sealing the edges tightly. Place in the oven and set the timer for 7 minutes.
When the timer goes off, stir the shredded cheese into the warm mushroom mixture. Set in the oven alongside the tortillas and bake until the cheese is just melted, about 5 minutes longer.
Sprinkle with the thyme or epazote and black pepper and serve without a moment's hesitation, accompanied by warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8.

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Mayan Chicken With Green Sauce
From Mario Batali
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2 lbs chicken drumsticks and thighs
3 lbs tomatillos, husked
6 garlic cloves
2 serrano chiles
juice and zest of 3 limes, plus 1 more for garnish
1 bunch cilantro
salt
chopped scallions, for garnish

Remove the skin from the chicken. Set aside.
In a large pot of boil water, place the tomatillos, garlic, and chiles. Boil for 2 minutes and drain.
Fill a blender with the tomatillos, garlic, and chiles along with the lime juice and zest. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
Add the sauce to a large saucepan with the raw chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes.
Season the sauce with the juice of a lime and add the chopped scallions.
Serve with warm tortillas.

Serves 6-8.

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