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Love It or Hate It: Unusual Uses For Kool-Aid

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:50:40 -0700

While watching television the other day, I saw a commercial for Kool-Aid that got me thinking. Kraft Foods, the food giant that makes the fruity punch powder of my youth, has embarked on a campaign to encourage different uses for the mix. Creative ideas include using Kool-Aid as a flavoring agent for plain yogurt or cupcake frosting, a color boost for cake, and even to turn tamales into dessert. Olé!

While I think it's great that Kool-Aid is trying to reinvent itself, a few of the ideas, such as the tamale, struck me as less than appealing. Would you ever experiment with any of the suggestions? If you have already, please share your Kool-Aid experience with us below!

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Koodies: So Hot Right Now

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:50:38 -0800

Meet the biggest buzzword in the food world this minute: koodies. No, I'm not referring to the term we used prolifically as fourth graders; I'm talking about kid foodies. Food trend analyst Phil Lempert, also known as the Supermarket Guru, coined the term to refer to children with an "ardent or refined interest in food" or "an unusual, sometimes fanatic, desire to eat unusual foods."

The term may be brand-new, but the idea of kids with refined palates has been on the horizon for a while. Remember Greg Grossman, who catered in the Hamptons? Or David Fishman, who dined alone at 12? Let's not forget Julian Kreusser, the 5-year-old with a cooking show. They're all poster children for the term "koodie."

Do you have any koodies in your life? Do you respect their precocious appreciation for food - or do you find it to be obnoxious?

6 Unusual Uses For Matzo Crackers

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:50:02 -0700

Now that Passover's in full force, many of you have put aside bread, bagels, and burgers in favor of the unofficial carb of Passover seder, matzo. And although there are few things better than matzo brei and sweet butter spread thin on matzo sheets, perhaps you're in need of more creative uses for the unleavened bread. Check out some of our favorite unusual uses when you read on.

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Must Read: Pestos, Tapenades, & Spreads

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:48 -0800

Much like PartySugar, I'll be paying special attention to the oft-neglected starters when I host this year's Thanksgiving meal. I've not yet determined what they'll be: should I serve soup? Dip in a bread bowl? So I am excited for a new book, Pestos, Tapenades, & Spreads ($17) by Stacey Printz, which offers up an array of spreads to serve when entertaining on the run. Were its offerings worthy of being on the Thanksgiving table? Find out when you read more.

Kellogg's Testing Logo Corn Flakes in the UK

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:20:07 -0700

From Chanel suckers to LV-inspired cupcakes, fashion labels and food have been teaming up in unusual ways. But this trend may be headed in a direction that even the most brand-beset consumers couldn't have comprehended.

In an effort to quash imitators, cereal brand Kellogg's is developing laser technology in the UK to burn its logo onto individual Corn Flakes. "Now you'll always be able to tell your Corn Flakes from your corn fakes!" Kellogg's UK tweeted yesterday.
The company intends to use concentrated beams of light to print a toasted trademark logo without altering the cereal's taste, and is going to test batches before deciding whether or not to put branded flakes in all Corn Flakes boxes. If successful, the logos could be put on other brands, such as Special K and Bran Flakes.

Helen Lyons, lead food technologist for Kellogg, said, "We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else. We're constantly looking at new ways to reaffirm this, and giving our golden flakes of corn an official stamp of approval could be the answer."

Source: Twitpic User KelloggsUK

For a Quick Bite, Roll Your Own Spring Rolls

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:00:59 -0700

This past weekend, San Francisco experienced a couple of the hottest days of the year. After a blistering morning walk around the city with out-of-town visitors, I invited my friends over for lunch. To keep things appropriately light, I served wine spritzers and made fresh Vietnamese-style Spring rolls.

Although they may look and sound labor-intensive, non-fried Spring rolls - or Summer rolls, as they're sometimes called - can make for an incredibly speedy meal. While this recipe calls for deli roast beef (an unusual filling for Spring rolls), you can use any protein you like; I later made rolls with roasted turkey, which tasted great as well. The versatility of the filling is part of the beauty of the dish. Learn how to roll your own when you read more

Burning Question: When Is It OK to Eat Moldy Food?

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:50:51 -0700

The other day, a co-worker asked me whether it was OK to eat a piece of cheese that had grown slightly moldy. That question sparked a discussion on how to handle moldy foods. Can you ever simply cut off the bad parts and proceed to eat the rest? Find out the answer when you read more

In Season: Sweet Limes

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:50:06 -0800

Although the assortment of produce seems to be more varied when the weather is warmer, I encountered an unusual fruit on a recent trip to the farmers market: the sweet lime. Also referred to as a Palestine sweet lime, the citrus fruit is native to India, where it's used medicinally to allay upset stomachs, nausea, and throat infections. It's still somewhat obscure in America, but the hardy lime, which blooms in Winter and Spring, has long been commercially grown in Vietnam, Egypt, along the Mediterranean coastline, and in states such as California and Florida. To learn how sweet limes get their yellow color, read more.

Generally, limes are picked while they're still green, but they actually turn yellowish in color when completely mature. Likewise, green sweet limes, while unoffensive, have yet to reach their full sweetness. Rather than having a high amount of sugar, the fruit contains less acid than ordinary limes, causing it to taste sweeter. Although the fruit's pale yellow flesh is praised for its mildness and palatability, some have described the fruit's taste as insipid due to its complete lack of tartness.

A few ways to use sweet limes:

Make sweet limeade, or add some to your ice water for a refreshing aroma.
Use the fruit's juice to make sweet lime-flavored granita.
Incorporate the fragrant peel into in a homemade marmalade.
Toss into a Winter fruit salad for an unusual bite.
Tone down your cocktails by using in place of sour limes.

If you've ever encountered sweet limes, how do you enjoy them?

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 09:30:33 -0800

We're celebrating this year's crab catch with a seasonal sandwich and tropical salad.
Learn how to make your own pappardelle pasta and ricotta cheese.
Discuss the finale of Top Chef 5 and find out what the cheftestants have to say.
We've thought of seven unusual uses for tortilla chips.
Consumers have been turning to chocolate during tough economic times.
Roasted chicken hits the spot on a rainy day.
Inspired by Slumdog Millionaire's Oscar wins, Party hosts an Indian dinner party.

'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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