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Yummy Link: Top Chef Live Cook-Off!

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:00:18 -0700

If you're a Top Chef fan who lives in New York, you might want to head over to NYC's Union Square Park next Tuesday. To kick off the 16th Annual Restaurant week, Bravo TV is hosting a Taste of Top Chef Cook-Off pitting season two winner Ilan Hall against season two fan favorite, Sam Talbot. Man I wish I lived in New York. - Will Work For Food

Yummy Link: Goodbye pinkberry, Hello Red Mango

YumSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 06:28:38 -0700

Love pinkberry yogurt? How about Red Mango yogurt. They started the yogurt revival and are opening their first store in the US this summer. - Will Work For Food

Food Section Sampler - Nov. 4, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:30:07 -0800

Isaac Mizrahi is now hawking plaid cheesecakes for QVC. - Women's Wear Daily
Did Gourmet magazine die by trying too hard to be all things to all people? - Los Angeles Times
One Brooklynite re-creates the famed St. Louis gooey butter cake. - New York Times
The economy hasn't quelled America's appetite for luxury foods. - San Francisco Chronicle
The science behind how gelatin works. - Boston Globe
Look forward to enjoying new cocktail classics. - Washington Post
Restaurants have a new way to cut back: Re-creating recipes to conserve on ingredients. - Wall Street Journal

What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:44 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

A new film documents cheese dip, the unofficial food of Arkansas.
Prepare healthier ramen noodle soup at home, courtesy of The Skinny Chef.
Gulf coast oystermen are up in arms over an FDA-proposed seasonal oyster ban.
Exactly how does a siphon coffee pot work?
The future of Gourmet.com is unclear, so take the time to download the site's web-exclusive recipes.
Which foods do celebrity chefs famously hate?

Source: Flickr User erin.kkr

Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Cookbook of All Time?

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:50:01 -0700

Since I just quizzed your knowledge of classic cooking works, I figured I'd go full circle: Whether it's battered and old or trendy and new, I'm curious to know what your most beloved kitchen book is. I have so many, it's hard to pick, but among them, I love the Bon Appétit Cookbook for its exhaustive collection of American recipes, and Ten by Sheila Lukins for its thoroughly tested instructions, as well as On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee. Even though the last isn't technically a cookbook, it's a great resource for understanding the chemical interactions between food ingredients, and the science behind various cooking methods.

What are your favorite cookbooks?

Morimoto to Bring Yakatori to the Traveling Masses

partysugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:50:26 -0700

Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto's got a new project in the works. Yesterday the hospitality company Delaware North Cos announced a partnership with the sushi master, with plans to launch Skewers, a new fast-casual airport restaurant chain.

Although no sushi will be on the menu, the concept will offer travelers easily portable meals like soups and salads, as well as a variety of skewered meats and vegetables.

Known as yakitori in Japan, skewers are an incredibly popular street food and Morimoto hopes to introduce the world to his interpretation of it. "Yakitori is the next big wave, I think," Morimoto said, adding confidently, "It will be very popular."

While the rollout dates and details concerning the locations have not been released, I think the idea sounds interesting. I've yet to experience yakitori and am curious to see how Morimoto translates it to the masses. How about you? Have you had yakitori? Will Morimoto's latest endeavor be a success?

What Did You Think of The Next Iron Chef?

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:20:57 -0700

Last night was the season premiere of The Next Iron Chef. For the elimination challenge, each of the ten industry vets was asked to cook using a different extreme ingredient. The list ran the gamut from unlaid eggs with fallopian tubes still attached to jellyfish, eel, and sea cucumber.

The putrid-smelling elements, like stinky tofu and durian, would've been the toughest to work with, simply because, when it comes to food, aroma is a component that can't be compromised. But it was the fallopian tube attached to the unlaid egg that really made my stomach turn.

To those of you who tuned in to watch the first episode: Which ingredient was the hardest to work with - and which was the most off-putting? What are your initial thoughts on the show in general?

Source

Wine Wisdom From Ravenswood Founder Joel Peterson

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:00:57 -0700

At a tasting recently, I had the opportunity to get acquainted with California pioneer vintner, Joel Peterson. In 1976, he founded Ravenswood Winery, one of the country's preeminent Zinfandel producers. More than 30 years later, he remains Ravenswood's head winemaker.

Joel's love for life and sense of humor were so infectious that I couldn't resist getting his insight into the world of wine. Learn more about his inspiration, as well as his tips for enjoying wine on a budget, when you read more

Ming Tsai on Best Meals, Food Politics, and What's Next

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:30:41 -0700

If it hasn't become apparent over the last few days, I'm an enthusiastic fan of Ming Tsai's. Last week, the Simply Ming chef stopped into San Francisco to host a party for the Macy's Come Together campaign. While demonstrating how to make potstickers, Ming, an exceptional storyteller, made fun of his parents who were present in the audience, told tales of mischief in France's Michelin-starred restaurants, and recalled his win against Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America ("rumor has it that I may soon face off against Iron Chef Morimoto," he told the crowd).

I got to kick back with Chef Ming, who, in between his thoughts on joining Top Chef Masters, must-have kitchen ingredients, and tips for keeping cool when hosting a party, had more surprising thoughts to share! Learn what they are when you read more

Must Read: New York Cooks

partysugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:15:56 -0700

Everyone knows New York City is one of the country's top places for eating, so it comes as no surprise that a new cookbook, New York Cooks ($30), celebrates the city's chefs and restaurants. Since I don't live in NYC, I was very excited when I got my hands on a copy of the book. To find out what I thought of it, read more.

Pros:

Each chef has multiple recipes. Before the recipes, there are a couple of pages that describe the restaurant with interesting quotes and details from the chef.
From appetizers to entrees to salads, there's a wide variety of dishes.
Although the cover states there's 100 recipes, because many dishes have sauces or vinaigrettes, it seems like there are more than 100 recipes.
When I dined at Casa Mono, my favorite dish was the fideos with cockles and chorizo. The book has the recipe, so now I can re-create it at home!

Cons:

It's format is hard to follow - it's broken down into section by cuisine. Instead of listing out the recipes in the table of contents, only the cuisine, chef, and restaurant are mentioned.
New York's restaurant scene is forever changing and some of the chefs, for example Anne Burrell, are no longer working at the restaurants associated with their recipes.
Some recipes are complicated with lots of steps. They seem more suited to a restaurant than a home kitchen. Also, others lack detail.
There are no desserts.

Recipes: While I've never heard of a few of the restaurants or chefs, it is the recipes that are important. Here are the ones that caught my eye.

Anne Burrell's taleggio, speck, and egg pizzetta
Mikey Price's blood orange and red onion salad
Joey Campanaro's gravy meatball sliders
Michael Lomonaco's Philly cheesesteak sandwich

Imagery: This read is full of delicious-looking food images and fun restaurant shots. However, not all of them are in color. Every recipe does not have a corresponding picture. Some of the chef's photographs seem dated. After seeing her on Top Chef Masters, it looks as if the picture of Anita Lo was taken years ago.

Overall: This book is a wonderful collection of recipes. It would be an excellent gift to a foodie moving to or from New York. Any well-respected home cook who loves to dine out while vacationing in NYC will also enjoy this tome.

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