YumSugar

Foie Gras May Be Humanely Produced After All

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:50:46 -0800

When it comes to culinary controversy, there are few things more divisive than the fatty duck liver known as foie gras. The reason? The allegedly inhumane "gavage," or force-feeding process, which involves placing a metal tube down a duck's throat to deliver large amounts of food. In fact, the 5,000-year-old French delicacy has had such a bad reputation that it was once banned in Chicago, and will be banned in California by 2012.But in a recent investigative piece, Village Voice contributor Sarah DiGregorio visits the nation's biggest foie gras farm, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, and finds the process to be relatively inoffensive. She writes:

The sights could not have been more different from the horrifying images I'd seen on the Internet . . . the actual process with the tube didn't seem to bother them . . . Each waddled calmly away, looking unfazed: no breathing problems, no vomiting, and no trouble walking. Their feathers were fairly clean, and I didn't see any lesions on their feet or bodies . . . If I had seen with my own eyes that Hudson Valley produced foie gras by abusing ducks, this article would have turned out very differently. But that just wasn't the case.

I found myself relieved to read at least one perspective demonstrating that the production of foie gras was far less harmful than PETA and its opponents have portrayed it. Were you surprised by DiGregorio's investigation? What impact do you think this will have on the foie gras industry?

Source

Name That Dish!

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:15:25 -0800

If you're thinking of forgoing turkey this Thanksgiving, you might opt for this opulent French dish, which stars duck and citrus instead. Do you know what it's called?

Do You Decorate With Duck Decoys?

CasaSugar — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:30:00 -0700

In an episode of Sex and the City, Trey's mother Bunny MacDougal festoons his Park Avenue apartment with duck decoys and plaid curtains, in a begrudging attempt to wield control over her son; Charlotte was less than pleased. All in-law issues aside, if it were me, I'd opt out of the duck decoys regardless, unless I'd spray painted them in glossy white to be cheeky or ironic. How about you? Do you decorate with duck decoys?

Duck, It's What's For Dinner

YumSugar — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:00:20 -0700

Last weekend, I met up with some friends at a nearby butcher shop. The place is known for quality meats, and on this particular morning the duck legs looked mighty tasty. So I picked up a pair of them and went home for a cooking adventure.

I came across a recipe for roasted duck breast, but I adapted it to suit the legs. However, as much as I love dark meat, I think breasts would actually have been a better choice. It's a nice pairing of fresh plums and duck, and actually comes together in a short amount of time. To see how to put it together for yourself, read more.

Note: Bon Appétit called this recipe "roasted," but I think they actually meant to say "fried in its own fat." The duck skin actually lets out quite a bit of grease, and if you're not careful it'll pool up. For my execution, I halved the recipe and used two duck legs instead.

Duck Breasts With Grilled Plums
From Bon Appétit, June 2008

Ingredients

4 12- to 14-ounce boneless Muscovy duck breast halves, trimmed of excess fat
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
6 firm but ripe Santa Rosa plums or other purple plums, halved, pitted
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Using sharp knife, score skin of duck breasts in crisscross pattern (cut skin only; do not cut through meat), spacing cuts 1 inch apart.
Sprinkle duck breasts on both sides with 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and chill.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) [I used an indoor grillpan on my stovetop].
Toss plum halves, olive oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon thyme, remaining 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl.
Grill plum halves, cut side down, until grill marks appear and plums begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
Turn plums over and grill, skin side down, until skin begins to soften but plums still retain their shape, about 4 minutes.
Transfer plums to bowl. Cover with foil and let stand while cooking duck.
Heat 2 large skillets over medium-high heat. Add 2 duck breasts, skin side down, to each skillet. Cook until skin is crisp and golden, about 7 minutes.
Turn duck breasts over and cook to desired doneness, about 8 minutes longer for medium-rare.
Remove from heat and let duck rest 5 minutes.
Thinly slice duck crosswise. Divide among plates.
Place 2 plum halves alongside each serving. Drizzle any plum juices from bowl over. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons thyme and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 10 Photos ›

Cute Alert: Duckling Loves Doggie

GiggleSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0700

We refurbished one of the cutest vids around with a new soundtrack. Just when you think this interspecies BFF video couldn't get any cuter, a little girl wanders into the frame and bumps it into cute nirvana. Enjoy!

Cute Alert: Now I Lay Me Down to Snore . . .

GiggleSugar — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:00:00 -0700

I never thought I'd consider any kind of snoring "cute," but here it is. Who would've thunk that something so tiny could make this kind of noise while sleeping? Or maybe he's not sleeping at all. Maybe this is a conniving ploy to have our attention on him at all times. Who could turn away from the sight and sound of this? His thoughts exactly.

Fast & Easy Dinner: 20-Minute Peking Duck

partysugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:30:16 -0700

Normally Peking duck takes over 24 hours to make, however this dish - which is inspired by the ingredients used in the traditional Chinese recipe - comes together in twenty short minutes. Duck breasts are used instead of a whole duck, making for a quick cook time. The fragrant, syrup-like sauce is a blend of fresh orange juice, sesame oil, and Sriracha. To make this exciting dish - from our friends at MyRecipes.com - tonight, read more.

20-Minute Peking Duck
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 (8-ounce) packages boneless duck breast halves, thawed and skinned
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 8 strips
2 green onion tops, cut into thin strips
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side.
Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 3 minutes on each side or until done. Cut duck diagonally across grain into thin slices.
Combine hoisin, orange rind, orange juice, and Sriracha. Heat tortillas according to package directions. Spread about 2 tablespoons hoisin mixture down center of each tortilla.
Top each tortilla with 1/4 of duck, 2 cucumber strips, 1/4 of onions, and 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds; roll up.

Serves 4 (serving size: 1 filled tortilla).

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 331(29% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 2.6g,mono 3.9g,poly 2.6g); PROTEIN 26.6g; CHOLESTEROL 88mg; CALCIUM 36mg; SODIUM 595mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 6.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.3g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- Dinner Tonight Recipes in 45-Minutes or Less
- Quick and Easy Meal Ideas
- All About Poultry from Cooking Light
- Get More Chinese Recipes

Print recipe with images | without images

Jambalaya Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:41:31 -0800

I make chili around the Super Bowl and I enjoy cooking up jambalaya to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Jambalaya is a signature Creole dish that combines a variety of ingredients ranging from poultry and sausage to shellfish and green peppers. This classic one-pot rice dish is a must for every cook's recipe collection. It's hearty, scrumptious, and great for entertaining a crowd. I've got two recipes for you to choose from, all you have to do is read more.

Beginner Jambalaya
From Food and Wine magazine

1 tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 lb. andouille or hot link sausages
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
3 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/4 tsp. cayenne
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 in all), cut into 1-inch pieces

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, until browned, 5 to 10 minutes in all.
Remove. When the sausages are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1/4-inch slices. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pan.
Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and cook, covered, over moderately low heat until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the rice, broth, sausage, cayenne, bay leaves, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the chicken and simmer, covered, until the chicken is just done and the rice and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 2 minutes.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Expert Jambalaya
From Emeril Lagasse

1 (5-lb.) duck, trimmed of fat and cut into eight pieces
1 tsp. salt, plus more for seasoning duck
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning duck
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, diced
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 tbsp. Essence, recipe follows
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
2 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups long-grain white rice
1 lb. small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Season the duck pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the duck, skin side down, and sear for 5 minutes. Turn and sear on the second side for 3 minutes. Remove from the pot and drain on paper towels.
Add the sausage to the fat in the pot and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, 1 tbsp. of the Essence, and black pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes give off some of their juices, about 2 minutes.
Add the thyme, stock, and duck. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 50 minutes.
Remove duck pieces from the jambalaya and cool slightly. Skim the fat. Discard skin and bones and shred duck meat.
Add the rice and bring back up to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is barely tender, about 10 minutes.
Return the duck meat to the mixture. Season the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon Essence. Add the shrimp to the pot, return to a simmer, and cover.
Remove the pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
Add the green onions and parsley to the jambalaya and stir gently. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Adjust the salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Serve directly from the pot.

Serves 8.

Essence Creole Seasoning:

2 1/2 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Makes 2/3 cup.

Print recipe with images | without images

Flock of Ducks Too Lazy to Take the Stairs

GiggleSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:00:00 -0800

There's no telling how this pack of quackers got into such a sitch, but they seem to be holding their own here. Methinks they're on a Cinnabon run and the food court happens to be one floor up. But hey, they'll waddle wherever to get them some sweets- the stale bread crumbs served down by the pond are getting a little old, you know?

Have You Ever Eaten Peking Duck?

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:31:31 -0800

This past October, I was lucky enough to find myself in Beijing, eating platefuls of Peking Duck. The Quanjude Roast Duck restaurant was established in 1979 and is one of Beijing's "must try" foods. There are actually several locations, and the one I visited did not let me down. The chefs carve the delicious duck table-side and when it hits your lips, it just melts. The fragrant duck meat is complemented by thin crepe-like pancakes, plum/bean sauce and some sliced cucumbers, jalapenos and lettuce. Our feast lasted quite some time, and I only left the restaurant because we had devoured every last bite, and they were closing. I'm pretty sure someone had to roll me out of the place, I was in such a food-coma bliss, that it's a bit of a blur.

So why am I talking about Peking Duck? Well it turns out that today, Jan. 18 is National Peking Duck Day. I thought you might be interested to hear about it, and then I was wondering, have you ever had Peking Duck?

View 7 Photos ›