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Yummy Links: From Vegetarianism to Breakfast

partysugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:15:51 -0700

This week's episode of Top Chef brought to light four myths about vegetarian cooking. - Jezebel
New York City's food bloggers are playing musical chairs. - Grub Street NY
Are these 10 items really the world's scariest foods? - Concierge
Still looking for a cocktail to serve on Halloween? Make full moon punch. - Chow
A roundup of November's Thanksgiving-themed magazines. - Eat Me Daily
Top Chef Masters season two has started filming, so Angelenos be on the lookout for competing chefs. - Eater
Cod with tarragon-anchovy breadcrumbs is a delicious dinner. - Serious Eats
Learn what people around the world are eating for breakfast. - Woman's Day

Do You Enjoy Potato Chips in Sandwiches?

partysugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:15:41 -0800

Adventurous Cookbook Gets the Ball Rolling

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:00:43 -0700

When I need culinary inspiration, I turn to one of many cookbooks. But unless I'm feeling extraordinarily creative, I'm not sure I'll be turning to the latest cookbook to hit the circuit. The Testicle Cookbook: Cooking With Balls was just published by Ljubomir Erovic. Erovic is a chef in Serbia, a country where testicles are a prized delicacy. In the mood for goulash? Then why not experiment with a testicle version? Love pizza? Make his cheese, onion, pepper, bacon, and bull's testicle pizza. Of course, the art of eating testicles is nothing new: around the world, they've long been touted as aphrodisiacs.

According to Erovic, who organizes an annual testicle-cooking championship, the tastiest testicles come from bulls, ostriches, and stallions, although he claims, "All testicles can be eaten. Except human, of course."

What's your reaction to this? If you're really curious, you can view a bit of the book online. Do you have the balls to try any of the recipes?

Source

Would You Eat This Spleen Sandwich?

partysugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:30:52 -0700

On tonight's episode of Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern the host heads to Sicily where he is greeted by a variety of odd foods, including sardine meatballs, artichoke ice cream, and cow spleen sandwiches.

The spleen is boiled in a vat of fat before being topped with cheese and tucked inside two slices of bread. Although the word spleen sort of grosses me out, I'm adventurous and would love to try the sandwich. How about you?

Watch the video and let me know, would you eat a spleen sandwich?

13 Freaky Foods for Freaky Friday

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:09:19 -0700

In honor of Freaky Friday (today's Friday the 13th!), I thought I'd pull together a list of 13 freaky foods. Even if you don't have Triskaidekaphobia (the fear of 13), you may be afraid of some of the things on this list. I know that there are a bunch of other freaky things out there (how about almost anything Anthony Bourdain eats on his show?), so if you think something's missing, tell us in the comments!

#13 - Bubble Tea
I personally love this stuff, however I've known quite a few folks that are freaked out by the tapioca inside of the tea. Come to think of it, I know a lot of people that are freaked out by tapioca in general...

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#12 - Pimento Loaf
Processed meats are a bit freaky to begin with, but Pimento Loaf really creeps me out. Finely chopped pork and beef supplemented with pickles and pimentos? No thanks.

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#11 - Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans
I know these are just meant as a novelty item, but seriously Vomit flavored Jelly Beans that actually taste like vomit? No thanks...

#10 - Squid Ink Pasta
I don't have a problem with this lovely pasta dyed with squid ink. However some folks find eating black pasta to be just a bit too freaky...

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#9 - Edible Bugs
I've had a few of these, and while some of them are actually interesting to try, I just can't seem to get past the idea that they're still creepy, crawly bugs.

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#8 - Scrapple
I've actually never had (or even heard of) scrapple, however quite a few folks were quick to add it to their freaky food list. Based on the definition, I can see why it makes the list. What's not freaky about a loaf of savory mush from cornmeal, flour and pork scraps?

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#7 - Chou dofu - aka Stinky Tofu
This super popular Asian snack is one of the worst things I have ever smelled. Stinky Tofu is a fermented tofu dish that is very... um, fragrant. Some folks say it smells like stinky feet, baby poo or worse (use your imagination). Personally I don't get it (my mom has forced it on us several times a year), it's not tasty enough to get past the smell.

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For the rest of our freaky food list, read more

#6 - Sweetbread
I'm actually a fan of sweetbreads, but many folks can't wrap their heads around the fact that they're eating innards. My biggest problem is actually the name.

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#5 - Pickled Pigs Feet
The little piggy feet are salted and smoked like bacon and ham, but then are placed in a jar of hot brine and preserved for months. I don't know about you, but I just have a problem with eating feet.

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#4- Chicken Feet
As I mentioned above, I have a problem with feet. This time it's a delicacy that is usually served in dim sum. Chicken feet are usually deep fried then boiled and marinated in a black bean sauce. However there are a ton of little bones. It's gross to look at and quite frankly, just not worth the effort.

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#3 - Sea Urchin - aka Uni
When I asked the folks in the Sugar HQ to name a freaky food, 5 of them said Sea Urchin. Uni is served in many sushi restaurants and is actually the gonads of the sea urchin. It has a creamy texture and a yellow/orange hue. It's a bit like a firm custard, but I sort of think that it's like biting down on a squishy tongue.

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#2 - Black Pudding aka Blood Pudding/Sausage
Anything with the word "blood" in it deserves to be on the freaky list. Blood pudding - which actually has very little to do with pudding and a lot to do with blood - is a sausage made by cooking animal blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal.

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#1 - Balut

I love poultry and I love eggs, so I should love balut, right? I live by the "try anything once" motto, but even I might have a hard time chowing down on a boiled almost whole baby duck stuck inside of an egg.

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Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Weird Food Combination?

YumSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:15:03 -0700

At a recent restaurant outing, a friend and I ordered an appetizer that was an unusual (but not unheard of) combination of flavors: gruyère cheese and Fuji apples.

The combination of melted cheese and apples has always been a favorite of mine, and it made me ponder the other unusual pairings that I've loved in my lifetime. As a 5-year-old, I wrapped Kraft singles around my bananas. In college, my roommate got me hooked on canned tuna with cottage cheese. And these days, I enjoy chips in my sandwich.

I'd love to hear your confessions: What are the unusual (or even gross sounding) food combinations that appeal to you?

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

Was This Dish Named After Someone?

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:50:47 -0800

Call it a predilection, an idée fixe, or simply a weird fascination, but I've always had a penchant for Continental dishes with unique names and even more intriguing histories. But it wasn't until I took the time to look up some of the foods that I realized many of the dishes aren't just named after their creator or an inspirational figure, but also other oddities, like locales, plays, and even battles.

Since many of you scored so well with your food trivia the first time around, just for kicks, I thought I'd test you again. If you're just getting started, here's the drill: I'll list an unusually named dish, and you have to guess whether it was named after a person or not. Ready? Go!

Take the quiz

Momofuku's David Chang Talks Sabbaticals and San Francisco

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:00:48 -0800

We've always been huge fans of New York chef and restaurateur David Chang: He was Sugar's pick for Best Restaurant Chef of 2008. By fusing innovative flavor combinations and haute kitchen techniques with casual dining, the Momofuku overlord revolutionized the restaurant scene in America.

What's most refreshing about Chang, however, are his irreverent demeanor and unapologetic opinions. Even though I'd interviewed him before, when I heard Chang and his co-author, New York Times writer Peter Meehan, were in town promoting their new bible, the Momofuku Cookbook, I couldn't resist chatting with them. His two cents on culinary trends, TV, and Top Chef Masters, after the jump.

Yummy Links: From Chocolate Keyboards to Espresso

YumSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:01:31 -0800

Nom nom nom, I hope somebody takes this chocolate keyboard out of concept and into reality. - Serious Eats
Hamburgers and peanut butter? Would you eat any of these weird food combinations? - iVillage
Like granola? Try new Feed Granola. I've had a few bites and it is delicious - FitSugar
Still looking for another drink for the big game? Try mixing up Go Team! - Al Dente
Just in time for Valentine's Day, sweetheart cake pans. - Baking Bites
Asian Costcos seem a lot cooler than the ones in the US. - Slashfood
Don't miss out on these lined glasses from Cheong and Nogtev. - CasaSugar
Are Amou berries really the "Kobe Beef of Strawberries"? - Chow
This Handpresso espresso machine allows you to have coffee anywhere. - The Food Section
Can you replace espresso powder with espresso? - The Kitchn