YumSugar

Let's Dish: What Food Smells Do You Find Repulsive?

YumSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:50:44 -0800

Yesterday in the office kitchen, TrèsSugar, Fab, and I got into a discussion about durian, the controversial-smelling Southeast Asian fruit. Très loves it, but Fab said she simply can't get over the smell. The whole discussion got me thinking about olfactory offenses in the kitchen. Personally, I can't stand the sulfurous smell of eggs. What odors can't you handle?

Let's Dish: Whose Recipes Do You Trust?

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:50:54 -0700

Whether it's custard that won't set or brittle fleur de sel caramels, we've all had failed cooking attempts. But when disaster strikes while closely following a recipe, it poses the question: Whose recipes can be trusted? And whose cannot? Most religious recipe followers seem to have culinary experts they've come to trust. For example, I find it hard to pick on anything by famed perfectionist Thomas Keller. Same with any cookbook that's been tested over and over again, like those from the late Sheila Lukins. And I've never been able to find fault in a recipe from Tyler Florence or Ina Garten. Whose recipes have you counted on time and time again?

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?

Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Way to Enjoy Eggs?

YumSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 04:00:09 -0700

Happy Friday, and happy World Egg Day! This special occasion only comes around once a year, so I wanted to take the time to relish eggs and their multifaceted splendor. The incredible edible can be shirred, coddled, emulsified, or poached; used raw or cooked all the way through; eaten for breakfast or dinner; and presented in a salty or sweet manner.

From dessert soufflés to savory Scotch eggs, I've yet to meet an egg dish I don't like. But if I had to pick a favorite egg specialty, I think it would have to be smoked salmon eggs benedict, which comes with both poached eggs as well as a luscious, egg-laden hollandaise sauce, so I get a double dose of my favorite ingredient. What's your preferred egg dish?

Source: Flickr User shirley77

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

Let's Dish: What Foods Do You Eat When You're Sick?

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:00:47 -0700

There's a nasty cold going around the Sugar office, which makes me want to whip up a big vat of chicken noodle soup. Though honestly, chicken soup isn't something I crave when I'm sick - unless I have a stomach flu, in which case, chicken broth is basically all I can eat.

Assuming you can keep food down and you're not nursing a hangover, what comforting foods do you use to defeat a cold or get over an illness?

Source: Flickr User Robert Couse-Baker

Let's Dish: What Is Your Favorite Birthday Dessert?

partysugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:50:00 -0700

Since I turn a year older this Wednesday, I can't stop thinking about birthdays. Most importantly, birthday desserts. Last week when YumSugar asked me what kind of cake I would make myself, I quickly replied chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting. "Isn't that what you made last year?" she asked, shocked that I would repeat something. I started to panic before I realized, it was what I made last year! And the year before. And the year before that, too. At that moment, it became clear that chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting is my favorite birthday dessert. Considering that everyone loves a special celebratory treat on their birthday, tell me, what is your ideal birthday dessert?

Let's Dish: What's Your Before-Bedtime Snack?

YumSugar — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:30:42 -0700

Last month, I shared a dark secret with you: I'm reluctant to climb in between the sheets without snuggling up to a glass of red wine and a hunk of chocolate first. Before I was of drinking age, my favorite way to wind down before bed was with a cup of Blue Bell ice cream or a bowl of chilled, sliced fruit, like watermelon, mango, or papaya.

What do you feel inclined to eat right before you hit the sack?

Let's Dish: What Foods Remind You of Being a Kid?

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 03:30:46 -0700

Last weekend, for the first time in a long time, I made the trek out to the Chinese supermarket to buy some Asian ingredients. While in my favorite aisle - the snack aisle, of course - I spotted these Butter Coconut Cookies. I hadn't seen them in years, but immediately I had memories of being in my hometown's Asian grocery store, circa 1985, making the weekly shopping rounds with my mother. Right then, I knew I had to buy them! What foods make you nostalgic for your childhood?

Let's Dish: What Did You Serve at Your Last Dinner Party?

partysugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:15:00 -0700

Dinner parties are my favorite kind of party. Creating a meal for loved ones is highly satisfying, and when I'm prepping for a dinner, I'm always in the best mood. Whether it's a meal I've been planning for months or a last-minute affair, I always write down the menu.

The last dinner party I hosted was two weeks ago for 10 friends. To start I served grilled pancetta-wrapped peaches and chili con queso with tortilla chips. The appetizers were washed down with a watermelon mint lemonade cocktail. For the main course we enjoyed steak, grilled vegetables, mixed green salad with avocados and nectarines, and a tomato tart.

The memory is still fresh in my mind, but I'm already planning my next dinner and I need inspiration. So do tell: what was on the menu at your last dinner party?