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Do You Eat Junk Food?

partysugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Get ready to throw your diet out the window, because today is National Junk Food day! I consider junk food anything that is processed, from a fast food joint, or unhealthy. However, it can be extremely tasty. To test your knowledge on junk food, I've described popular items and you have to identify them. Ready, set go!

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Should TV Chefs Be Responsible For Promoting Eco-Friendly Cooking?

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:26 -0700

When we recently disagreed with the assertion that cooking shows are too unrealistic, many of you seemed to share our opinion that food TV can actually be rather inspiring. Well, here's another question for you to ponder: Should TV chefs serve as role models?

In a Huffington Post article titled "Nasty Habits of Food Network Celebrities," columnist Isabel Cowles criticizes Food Network chefs like Giada De Laurentiis, Sandra Lee, and Guy Fieri for "encouraging wasteful, unhealthy behavior."Cowles derides De Laurentiis for using (and not recycling) nearly 1,000 square inches of aluminum foil on an episode of Everyday Italian. She frowns on Sandra Lee's use of packaged foods that come in more bags, bottles, and packaging. She doesn't approve of a chili recipe by Guy Fieri that calls for four pounds of meat from three animals, which, she maintains, encourages the reckless consumption of big-agriculture meat. Cowles argues:

The image these chefs are creating of our country's food ethos and practices wreaks of wastefulness, over-indulgence, and laziness. The Food Network and its celebrity chefs should inspire Americans to savor quality food and the entire process of making a meal . . . It's a shame that these chefs don't use their popularity to truly help improve how Americans cook and eat.

I'm curious to hear what you think. Are television chefs being wasteful? Is it their responsibility to serve as an example for the rest of us? Should cooking shows lead the way in encouraging America to reduce its kitchen carbon footprint - or is society expecting a little too much?

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Let's Dish: What Will You Eat During the Super Bowl?

partysugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:26 -0800

I've always looked forward to the Super Bowl. Not because I'm a huge football fan, but because I'm a foodie. It's an excuse to unashamedly devour nachos, chili and buffalo wings. Anything excessive, spicy, unhealthy, and cheesy is welcome on the Super Bowl table.

This year I'm thinking about serving either an Italian menu (with pepperoni pizza dip and Italian sausage meatball sandwiches) or a more traditional menu (with guacamole and cheddar beer soup).

How about you? What's on your Super Bowl menu? If you aren't cooking, what do you plan on eating while you watch the game?

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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Sept. 24, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:30:07 -0700

With a new book and an LA restaurant, José Andrés is continuing the Spanish culinary revolution he brought to America. - Los Angeles Times
Meet Michael Suas, consultant to the best breadbakers. - San Francisco Chronicle
France is still the region with the best wine values. - New York Times
Rosh Hashanah calls for both old traditions and new favorites. - Boston Globe
One mother's campaign to change her kids' unhealthy eating habits. - Washington Post
Roux 101: A primer on the adaptable white base. - Chicago Tribune
Oenophiles protest state wine shipping laws. - Wall Street Journal
Making cinnamon buns from scratch is worth the trouble. - Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The top 10 towns with the best craft beer and college football. - St. Petersburg Times

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo

partysugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:11:39 -0700

I love everything about creamy, decadent pasta sauces. However, I know they're incredibly unhealthy. That's why I enjoy making lighter versions like this low-fat fettuccine Alfredo. The recipe calls for skim milk and tons of crunchy, green broccoli. A small amount of good quality parmesan cheese adds depth and flavor. To recreate this classic pasta dish in a more healthful manner, read more.

Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo
From Real Simple magazine

Ingredients

12 ounces fettuccine
1 head of broccoli
1 1/2 cups cups skim milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Cook fettuccine according to the package directions; drain.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook broccoli (cut into florets, stalks peeled and sliced), 3 minutes; drain.
Heat skim milk and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Slowly whisk in flour.
Simmer until slightly thickened, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and salt.
Add the pasta and broccoli and stir over low heat until heated through. Top each serving with Parmesan shavings.

Serves 4.

NUTRITION PER SERVING: CALORIES 445(0% from fat); FAT 9g (sat 5g); PROTEIN 22mg; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 312mg; SODIUM 568mg; FIBER 4g; CARBOHYDRATE 72g; IRON 3mg

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'Wich of the Week: Mediterranean Tuna Melt

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:20:13 -0800

Tuna salad is one of the great sandwich standbys, but the usual mayonnaise-laced version can get old, not to mention unhealthy. For something slightly more sophisticated, I've been making this Middle Eastern-inspired version, served open face on crusty Italian bread.

Since I had lots of olives after making muffalettas, I decided to make the Mediterranean Tuna Melt today's 'wich of the week. It mixes canned tuna with chickpeas, green olives, and capers and uses a mustard and olive oil base rather than mayo. Shredded Parmesan cheese on top gets nice and crispy in the broiler. For the recipe and more photos, read more.

This sandwich comes together in less than half an hour, but the unusual flavor makes it disproportionately impressive. I served it with a Greek spinach salad, which was a nice counterpart. In addition to the Parmesan, you can also melt crumbled feta cheese over the top for some added flavor, and if you have leftover tuna salad, it's also great served over lettuce.

Mediterranean Tuna Melt
From Everyday Food

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

2 cans (6 ounces each) chunk light tuna packed in water, drained
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped green olives
2 tbsp. capers, rinsed
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 loaf (8 ounces) Italian bread, split lengthwise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat broiler. In a bowl, combine first eight ingredients (through mustard); season with salt and pepper.
Lay bread, cut side up, on a broiler-proof baking sheet; top with tuna mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Broil until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Cut into pieces; serve.

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Healthy Food From a Vending Machine?

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 08:58:31 -0700

I blame my unhealthy college eating choices on the fact that there we were located on top of a hill with miles to the nearest store and the only thing providing sustenance between the hours of 9pm and 6am was a nearby vending machine. I cannot tell you how many papers were finished with a diet coke in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. Imagine how healthy I could have been if there had been, oh say, a vending machine that dispensed healthy treats instead.

YoNaturals is a rapidly expanding network of healthy vending machines called: Yo!Zone and YoThirsty? (which are snacks & drinks). With their distribution circle growing wider by the day, the machines are currently found in some offices, schools, hospitals, hotels, etc. They offer more than 100 types of natural snacks/beverages including: Clif Bars, Vitamin Water, Horizon Organic Milk, Bumble Bars and Stacy's Pita Chips.

After all my vending binges in college, I sort of made a pact to myself to avoid them whenever possible. However, if we had one of these in our office, I know I'd hit it up more often than not.

Classic Sugar Cookies

partysugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:28:30 -0700

This morning I was at Starbucks during my daily pit stop and I found myself staring at all the pastries in the glass case. As I looked at the large round sugar cookies I thought when was the last time I made classic sugar cookies? Sure I made them around the holidays, but those were different, those were the kind of sugar cookies that you cut out with a fun cookie cutter and festively decorate with colored frosting. The sugar cookie I'm craving are the buttery, soft, chewy big ones that are perfect after a deli sandwich or for an afternoon snack or for a totally unhealthy breakfast (FitSugar is going to kill me when she reads that). Ironically I can't believe we haven't featured a Sugar cookie recipe yet... this is after all, YumSugar. To see if you have to make a trip to the grocery store before you make these scrumptious cookies, read more

Sugar Cookies
From Martha Stewart

3 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 3/4 Cups granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed light-brown sugar
1 Tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Cup unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened
2 large eggs
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl; set aside.
Put sugars and lemon zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 30 seconds. Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and then the lemon juice. Reduce speed; gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.
Scoop dough using a 2-inch ice cream scoop; space cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with a spatula. Sprinkle tops with sanding sugar, then lightly brush with a wet pastry brush; sprinkle with more sanding sugar.
Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Makes 20 3 1/2 inch cookies.

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Love McNuggets? Thank The People Of Knoxville

partysugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:01:11 -0700

If you love McDonald's chicken nuggets and are looking for someone to hate for your unhealthy addiction, don't blame the employees of McDonalds. Instead point a finger to the residents of Knoxville, Tennessee. Before chicken nuggets made their debut at McDonald's in 1983 (I'm older than the chicken nugget, who knew?) Ronald and his crew had to test market the bites of fried goodness and they chose Knoxville as the lucky city to evaluate their popularity. On today's date, 27 years ago, the chicken nugget was first offered in Knoxville's McDonalds. They were such a hit Ronald and co. had to quickly look for a secondary supplier of "chicken" (how much real chicken goes into producing the nuggets?). The rest of the story is, of course, history as McDonald's has made chicken nuggets one of America's most well liked finger foods.

Should Parents Feed Their Children Kid-Friendly Foods?

partysugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:57:31 -0800

Recently I have read a few interesting articles about the foods parents feed their children. There are those who believe that kids should not eat grown up food and instead be fed a diet of plain buttered pasta, chicken strips, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. On the other hand, there are an increasing number of advocates who feel that kids should eat exactly what the adults are eating. In fact, some claim that giving kids spaghetti-O's instead of the ragu you are eating will cause kids to become picky and unhealthy eaters when they grow up. Rachael Ray claims that she ate anchovies and other unusual foods as a youngster because her parents exposed her to these foods at an early age. Ruth Reichl, of Gourmet magazine, in her March editor's letter rants about irresponsible adults who feed their children dinosaur shaped chicken and heart shaped sandwiches. Where do you stand on this issue readers? Should parents feed their children kid friendly foods?