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All the News That's Fit to Eat — Nov. 19, 2008

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:30:37 -0800

How novices can put together a successful Thanksgiving. — Boston Globe
This year, give your guests something to talk about: unusual wines. — The Oregonian
At home with chef Tyler Florence in his new Mill Valley digs.— San Francisco Chronicle
For last-minute holiday help, consider calling one of these hotlines. — Chicago Tribune
What's the science to roasting a (nearly) perfect turkey? — Washington Post
The supporting star of Thanksgiving is the gravy; how to get it right. — New York Times
Pay a pretty penny for the newest wave of refrigerators, which claim to keep food fresh for longer. — Wall Street Journal
The US Department of Agriculture is finalizing parameters for organic milk. — USA Today
As a Thanksgiving guest, think of the host when considering which sides to bring. — Los Angeles Times

Yummy Link: Milk Martini

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:15:53 -0700

How clever is this fabulous presentation of milk and cookies?! Instead of serving the cookie on a boring plate and the milk in a regular glass, it's served like a dessert cocktail! — The Boastful Baker

Fast & Easy Dinner: Goat Cheese and Tomato Strata

partysugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:30:22 -0700

Instead of making croutons, use leftover bread to make a simple supper in the form of a strata. Like a savory bread pudding, this layered dish is filled with fleshy tomatoes and melted cheese. The recipe involves minimal prepwork giving you plenty of time to unwind after a long day. Pair with a glass of wine and a green salad. For the recipe,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo

partysugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:11:39 -0700

I love everything about creamy, decadent pasta sauces. However, I know they're incredibly unhealthy. That's why I enjoy making lighter versions like this low-fat fettuccine Alfredo. The recipe calls for skim milk and tons of crunchy, green broccoli. A small amount of good quality parmesan cheese adds depth and flavor. To recreate this classic pasta dish in a more healthful manner,

Would You Drink Raw Milk?

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:43:33 -0700

While there are many proponents of raw milk, there are even more folks against it. Recently a family vacationing at a working farm ran into complications from drinking raw milk (they're going to be okay, but had contracted a bacterial food poisoning because of it). Raw milk sales are actually prohibited in many countries as well as 25 states and DC. California is one of the states that allows it and I was able to pick up this jug at Whole Foods. The flavor is much richer and strong, I would even consider it somewhat "grassy" tasting, as if you could tell what the cow had fed on. It's nothing like store-bought milk — especially the lower fat versions. It's wonderfully smooth and, for lack of a better word, milky tasting. So tell me, would you drink raw milk? Or do the health concerns worry you?

Would You Drink Raw Milk?

It's my milk of choice!

Yes, if I had the opportunity.

Maybe, but only to taste it.

No, people get sick from it, I won't be trying it.

No, but I don't drink any type of milk.

Other — I'll tell you in the comments.

Yummy Links: From Kim Cattrall to White Gold

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:31:19 -0700

This year's James Beard Awards will be hosted by Kim Cattrall. If you're wondering why, I should mention that her boyfriend is chef Alan Wyse, so maybe it's not such a crazy stretch? — Eater
Bypass the supermarket and buy your meat direct. — Chow
Clean up your act with this recipe for homemade silver polish. — CasaSugar
Who Cooked it Better? Rachael Ray or Giada De Laurentiis? — Endless Simmer
Get tips on eco-friendly entertaining. — GlamDish
Discover new drinks to try this summer. — iVillage
Discover a simple and healthy cappuccino dessert. — FitSugar
Meet White Gold, the band in the the latest wacky milk ads. — Serious Eats

Source

Do You Call it Skim Milk or Nonfat Milk?

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:28:31 -0700

PetSugar and I recently got into a discussion over milk. I grew up knowing that there was whole milk, lowfat milk and nonfat milk. However she grew up calling nonfat milk skim milk. We think it might a coastal thing, but aren't sure. So tell me, what do you call it?Source

Do You Call it Skim Milk or Nonfat Milk?

Nonfat Milk

Skim Milk

Other — I'll tell you what I call it below.

Milk, It Does an Appetite Good

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:01:31 -0800

In Los Angeles' sea of frozen yogurt, one place dares to offer real ice cream. Milk on Beverly Blvd, is an ice cream parlor/sandwich shop/bakeshop that holds nothing back when it comes to flavor and taste.

Recently, on a trip to LA, my brother and I hit up Milk to try out some of their tasty treats. It was lunch time, but their ice cream parlor menu — check out a pic of it below — was much more captivating, so we skipped straight to dessert. To read about what we ate,

How Much Is That Milk in the Window?

Angelica — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:01:48 -0800

How Much is That Milk in the Window?
With all the research that's been done on dairy and weight loss, I didn't think there was a silver lining to my milk aversion. Turns out I'm actually saving a lot of cash by ordering soy in my lattes.

Yummy Links: From Pie Gates to Homemade Twix

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:57:31 -0800

Tired of pie filling spilling out of your pies? Try investing in a Pie Gate. — Baking Bites
Love Frito chips? Do you know how they were invented? — Slashfood
I'd never even heard of Postum, but apparently there's a large group of folks who are upset that Kraft is discontinuing it. — Chow
Top Chef fans will be thrilled to know that Dave "I'm Not Your B*tch B*tch" Martin's restaurant has opened! — They Cook. We Dish.
Bone Appétit! Can you figure out if this is a people snack or a dog snack? — PetSugar
If you love everything bacon wrapped, why not wrap yourself up with this bacon-like scarf. — Serious Eats
This year California is putting new milk standards into place. — Supermarket Guru
Hubert Keller will be opening a new Burger Bar in San Francisco. — Eater SF
If you have a snack attack, why not make your own Twix. — FitSugar

Yummy Links: From Pet Peeves to Alton Brown

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 09:43:33 -0700

Have a cooking pet peeve? Here's a list of simple kitchen problems and their solutions. — iVillage
The Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant has an amazing organic garden and farm. Be sure to check out these photos. — CasaSugar
Lab ware, such as test tubes, flask and cylinders are becoming trendy in the kitchen. — Serious Eats

Is this a photo of the Virgin Mary appearing as a hard-boiled egg? — Slashfood
Have you heard of "adult milk?" It's good for stress, but bad for your finances. — FitSugar
Believe it or not, former boxer Evander Holyfield is launching his own table top fat-draining grill. — Amazon's al Dente
Are those superfoods really super? — Culinate
Looks like Alton Brown hates on other foodie reality tv shows. And is it just me, or is he sounding more like Anthony Bourdain these days? — Chow

Suck It Up! Get Instant Chocolate Milk From a Straw

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:28:50 -0700

A few months ago, I told you guys about straws that help flavor milk. We finally got our hands on some and wanted to let you know what we thought. The straws come in packs of six and are available in three flavors: banana, strawberry and chocolate. However, because today is National Chocolate Milk Day, we're going to focus on the chocolate.

I started off by taking a pint of milk and dividing into three cups. Then I put one straw into each cup. The straws are rather unique, they're a bit larger than normal straws and have three small openings on each end. The openings are big enough to allow milk to pass through, but small enough that the chocolate "beads" don't escape.

To be honest, I was expecting it to taste overly sweet and weird, but it was surprisingly good and rather interesting. There was no clumping powder or syrupy mess, instead all the chocolate remained in the straw. In fact, you might even say it was like a chocolate filter. As the milk passed through, it slowly dissolved the beads and created a flavor infusion. After several minutes of the straw in my glass, my milk had a very light brown hue, and eventually the beads dissolved completely.

If you've got kids, or are one at heart, this will make a great afternoon surprise. The product, which is produced by Felfodi, was just announced at the Candy Expo and will hit the shelves soon.

Got Chocolate Milk?

partysugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:13:33 -0700

I'm not a huge milk drinker, but every now and then I get a craving for a glass of frothy chocolate milk. I've got one of those cravings this morning because I just realized it's National Chocolate Milk Day! In honor of today's celebration, here are my tips for the perfect glass of chocolate milk:

Use chocolate milk syrup instead of chocolate powder. Sometimes the powder doesn't dissolve fully making for some nasty chocolate chunks.
To make foamy chocolate milk, blend the cold milk and syrup in a blender until frothy.
For a bigger chocolate flavor, add more syrup. If there is too much chocolate add more milk.
Fill glass with coffee ice cubes for a mocha flavored variation.
Use vanilla extract, nutmeg, or cinnamon to jazz up chocolate milk.
Got a chocolate craving? FitSugar recommends sucking on chocolate milk ice cubes.

I'm all about Hershey's chocolate milk, but what about you, what kind of chocolate milk do you like to drink?

Source

Definition: Half & Half

partysugar — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:13:39 -0700

Half & Half
A dairy product that consists of equal parts cream and whole milk. It is usually 10 to 12 percent milk fat. In some cases it can be used as a cream substitute, however it can not be whipped.

Yummy Links: Got Something to Say About Milk?

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 11:08:33 -0700

Believe it or not, there are over 950 reviews for milk on Amazon.com. My favorites include a poetic ode, scenes from romance novels, and excerpts from what I can only imagine to be rejected mobster novels. - Amazon

Hayden and Masi Got Milk!

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:28:58 -0700

Even though there is some controversy as to whether or not milk is good for you, or whether or not you should drink raw milk, the folks at America's Milk Processors keep pleasing us with new celebrity Got Milk campaigns. This time it's Hayden Panettiere and Masi Oka — aka my two favorite Heroes — who are sporting milk mustaches.

When asked about the photo-shoot Hayden said:

"I am so excited to be doing Got Milk. It's amazing I was looking through the book and just seeing the people that have done it before me — you know, it was always something I grew up looking at, but I just have never realized how many other people I look up to have been involved with Got Milk."

To hear what else Hayden had to say, and to get a link to a behind the scene's video,

Got Milk? You Might Need Some Extra Cash First

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:01:38 -0700

Warning milk drinkers, you might want to start tightening those purse strings, the cost of milk is going up. Since January, the price of a gallon of milk has gone up a dollar in California - bringing the minimum retail price for a low-fat gallon of milk to $3.10. Similar pricing issues are being felt across the country and are said to be caused by several factors:

High price in the corn-based feed the farmers provide to their cattle.
Drought in Australia has challenged their highly exported dairy industry.
Fewer supplies coming from Europe due to a cap on dairy subsidies.
High demand in Asia and other nations with developing economies.
Increased gas prices mean increased delivery costs.

Not worried because you don't drink milk? Think again. This pricing structure might end up effect your lattes, chocolates, and cheeses too.

In May, the Hershey Co. in Pennsylvania revised its 2007 earnings expectations, saying higher dairy input costs are "adversely impacting'' its outlook.

In Seattle, a spokeswoman for Starbucks Coffee Co. said that dairy represents from 5 percent to 10 percent of the company's costs, "and as such will put pressure on our cost structure in fiscal 2007.''

In San Francisco, Todd Parent, chief executive of Extreme Pizza ... said he expects to raise prices $1 per pizza in the near future -- a 3 to 5 percent price increase -- to cover costs.

Something tells me this might be a bad time to develop an ice cream sandwich habit...

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Fantastic Pour

YumSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 01:13:58 -0700

Let me start off by saying, folks I am really surprised by the longevity of the "Got Milk?" campaign. These things have been going strong for what, a bajillion years now? I suppose everyone loves to see a celebrity with a milk moustache and this time it's Jessica Alba and the rest of the Fantastic Four. It's interesting to me how milk campaigns went from celebrity endorsements to actual movie-tie-ins. An ad within an ad I suppose... At anyrate, if you're in to the Fantastic Four, you can head over to bodybymilk.com and test out your F4 knowledge, find out which character you're like, and bid on a bunch of other F4 items. See folks, an ad within an ad.

Image Source: MilkPEP

For a closer look,

Add Some Flavor to Your Milk

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:53:38 -0700

For some reason, I surprisingly don't know that many people who actually drink milk. They either don't like the flavor or the texture or both. For those of you that also don't like the flavor of milk, I have found something that may change your mind: flavored straws. The folks over at UniStraw have created not one but two new ways to drink milk - Mai'a (iced coffee straws) and Sipahh (milk flavoring straws in 4+ flavors). Both brands are essentially straws filled with special flavor beads that dissolve as you sip milk through the straw. The beads mix with the milk creating the flavor combo. I guess if you're into chocolate milk (or strawberry, banana, cookies & cream or coffee), it'll be a perfect thing to have on hand.

Source: This Next

Candy Bar Milk? Slammers from Bravo! Foods

YumSugar — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:53:47 -0700

I know that kids are drinking too much soda (adults too), and so everyone is looking for new products to drink (like flavored, fortified and designer water), but do we really need candy bar flavored milk? The folks at Bravo! Foods think so and have recently come up with new milk based products called Slammers. Available in Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Starburst and MoonPie, Slammers are the "ultimate milkshake" (or smoothie in the Starbust case). I don't know about this one guys, do we really need a drinkable candy bar?

Anyone tried these, what do you think of them?

Your Fancy Coffee Deserves a Fancy Milk and Sugar Set

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 03:29:21 -0800

Since so many of you enjoy your coffee with cream and sugar, I thought I'd share this cute set with you. I'm a sucker for great design and clever innovation and Tonfisk's Newton Milk and Sugar Set definitely captures both. The sugar bowl acts as a lid for the milk and has a slick mechanism that will keep it still while you pour the milk.

Unfortunately, like most really great designs, this set doesn't come cheap. You can get it plain for $62 or with a gold interior for $125.

TV Dinners: Laverne & Shirley - Pepsi Milk

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:58:12 -0800

When I was in college, one of my pals introduced me to the weirdest concoction: Pepsi Milk. And yes, it's exactly what it sounds like, Pepsi and milk mixed together at last. The end result is actually way tastier than it seems (think about a Pepsi float once the ice cream has started to melt) and I surprisingly enjoyed it on more than one occasion.

Now, many years later, I was searching for references to Pepsi Milk and discovered that my crazy friend did not invent this drink on her own. In fact it was enjoyed on national television by one Penny Marshall (aka Laverne De Fazio from Laverne & Shirley). Rumor has it that Penny Marshall enjoyed them in real life and had it written into Laverne's character.

If you want to try creating your own Pepsi milk,

Milky History

partysugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:02:56 -0800

Since the colonization of America, milk has played an important part in our everyday life. The first dairy cows were imported in to the settlement in Jamestown, Virginia and originally the milkmen filled customer's jugs with milk. However, on today's date, January 29, exactly 129 years ago, the history of milk was changed forever. A certain George Lester created a patent for the first glass milk container. Many people today for their nostalgic simpleness of a lost era collect milk bottles. The most valuable ones are embossed and painted bottles with the names of dairies on them. I found a great collection of them and thought I'd share a few with you. Click on an image for a larger view:

Source: Milk Bottle of the Week (they have almost 100 different bottles to check out)

What Do You Drink With Breakfast?

YumSugar — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 07:01:10 -0800

A recent study is showing that more people are drinking soda with breakfast!

Breakfast consumers order a soft drink with their breakfast 15.1 percent of the time, compared with 7.9 percent of the time in 1990, said Harry Balzer, an NPD executive vice president who has studied U.S. eating habits for more than 25 years. At the same time, Balzer said, coffee was being ordered 38 percent of the time, compared with 48.7 percent 15 years ago.

The statistics are specific to drinks with meals and do not, for example, address the Starbucks phenomenon.

I personally don't drink much soda, and can't possibly fathom it before noon. If I'm eating breakfast I like to have a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.Source: The Seattle TimesSo, what do you drink with breakfast?

What Can Replace Heavy Cream?

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:11:22 -0800

So you took the recipe for Penne with Parmesan Cream and Prosciutto home only to realize you didn't have any heavy cream. You probably thought, great I'll just make this some other time. But wait! You can use a simple culinary substitution to ensure that your dish will still turn out.

To substitute 1 cup of heavy cream, mix 3/4 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of butter/margarine (melted and cooled). Just don't try to whip this, it won't work. Many people insist that it can only be substituted with whole milk (as opposed to skim or non-fat), however I say in a pinch, give it a try and see what you end up with - but if it's for an important feast, you may just want to run to the store.

What kind of milk do you drink?

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 01:43:16 -0800