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Get Excited for Fall Foods

partysugar — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:00:15 -0700

The first official day of Fall was over the weekend and with the cooler weather and shorter days comes a bounty of fresh, crunchy fruit and hearty vegetables. While apples and pumpkins are commonly consumed in large quantities, this year the Wall Street Journal has published a list of 10 other foods to consider for Fall cooking. To check out their delicious suggestions,

Discover the 2008 List of 50 Best Restaurants in the World

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:11:11 -0700

Every year San Pellegrino and Restaurant magazine releases a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world. The list is put together by The Nespresso World's 50 Best Academy, a group that consists of over 650 chefs, restauranteurs, food writers and critics. There is no list of nominees, each member of the voting panel votes for their favorite five restaurants. They can't vote for their own restaurant, and they have to have eaten at their nominees within the past 18 months. So after 3,410 votes, who came out on top?

The top three are unchanged from last year, with Ferran Adria's El Bulli ranking number one. There are also four re-entries and two new entries. To discover the whole list,

Taste the Future of Flavor — The Top 10 Flavor Pairings For 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:20:51 -0800

Each year, the folks at McCormick put out a list of 10 flavor pairings. Last year things like clove and green apple reigned supreme, but this year it's more intriguing like vanilla bean and cardamom. To see all 10 of their food-pairing predictions, click the "Start Slideshow" button below.

10 Fonts That Will Make You Hungry

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:43:31 -0800

There are a lot of interesting fonts available for people to download or purchase, but I bet you would be surprised to discover how many of them are food related. If you're looking for something to spruce up your next party invite, then look no further. I've hunted down 10 food-related fonts that will definitely get folks talking.

Thanksgiving Tip: Make a List or Two

partysugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:03:33 -0800

If you have not begun to think about Thanksgiving, stop what you are doing, grab a pad and a pen, and make a list. Or twenty.

Start with the menu; if you are designating certain courses to friends or families do so on the list. Continue with the guest list, the things you want to get accomplished before Thursday — polish silver, buy a roasting rack, etc. — and the decorations. Plan out any other meals you may be making during that week.

Finally, make the most important list of all, the grocery list. Carefully read through each recipe and write down all the ingredients you will need. Use one sheet of paper for groceries you can buy in advance and another sheet for last minute things that will need to be picked up the day before or that morning. Once you have finished a task be sure to cross it off the list; after all, it's the most satisfying part of making a list!

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Summer Reading: Milk Eggs Vodka

YumSugar — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:01:31 -0700

I don't know about you guys, but I love making lists - mostly so I can cross things off of them. One of my favorite lists to whip up is a grocery list. Milk. Eggs. Butter. Candy. More Candy.

When I'm done with the list, I usually just toss it out in the recycling. However one or two may have accidentally been left in the shopping cart. Luckily for author Bill Keaggy, I'm not the only one who ever left a shopping list behind. In his new book Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found Keaggy has compiled hundreds of found shopping lists for your viewing enjoyment. The book, which is divided into 20 different types of lists (just plain funny, "badd spellrs", organized lists, etc.) is a fun look into other people's lives and will make for a great coffee table book or gift.

And if an entire book full of other people's shopping lists wasn't enough for you, then be sure to check out his website, grocerylists.org. There's over 1500 lists to choose from. I chose the one on the right because of the line "Bubble Gum if Alexis is good."

Hottest Men On Food Network

YumSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 08:01:31 -0700

The other day Stuff Magazine created their list of the top ten hottest women of Food Network. Many of you thought their list wasn't quite right, but the rest of you thought we should come up with our own list of the top ten hottest men of Food Network. When I mentioned this idea to PartySugar, she quickly agreed and handed over her list. After a little bit of tweaking (I really wanted Alton higher on the list!), we finally settled on our top 10.

#10 - Robert Irvine
The host of Dinner: Impossible always manages to whip up a meal while under pressure. His fast thinking ways, body builder physique and British accent have garnered him a spot on our list.

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#9 Emeril Lagasse
Despite his success and his "BAM"itude, Emeril is devoted to great food and fresh ingredients. His toothpaste ads may have pushed him down a few notches, but his passion for getting everyone in the kitchen solidifies his place on this list.

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#8 Duff Goldman
In addition to owning and operating Charm City Cakes, he's also a sculptor, artist and musician. Besides, any man that can cook up fancy wedding cakes has earned a place on this list.

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#7 Bobby Flay
Bobby's bad-boy attitude (remember when he stood on the cutting board during Iron Chef?), charm and grill skills makes him a rock-solid addition to this top ten list.

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For the rest of the list,

Suck On This: Today is National Lollipop Day

YumSugar — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:38:30 -0700

Today is National Lollipop Day, but instead of just giving you a rundown of lollipops and sending you on your way, I thought it would be fun to see just how far the lollipop has gone. What is usually just thought of as a bit of hard candy on the end of a stick, is in fact, a much larger culinary trend. These days it seems that anything round and placed on the end of a stick can be considered a lollipop. From foie gras to cupcakes and everything in between, here's a roundup of my favorite non-candy lollipops:

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Picnic Must Pack List

partysugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:27:17 -0700

Isn't it the worst when you arrive at your picnic destination with a cooler full of beer and realize you've forgotten the bottle opener?? When preparing a picnic, it's easy to overlook the small items you need when dining outdoors. The best way to prevent forgetfulness is to make a list, so I've put together a picnic packing list for you. Print out a copy and the next time you are planning a picnic be sure to go through the list and check everything off. To check out the list,

Why Is Your Home Town A Culinary Paradise?

YumSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 12:17:37 -0700

Alan Richman, a writer for GQ, recently wrote:

"Alice Waters and sourdough bread aside, the Bay Area has contributed surprisingly little to the culinary ripening of America."

What? Is he crazy? Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle thought so and offered up a 25 point rebuttal on his blog today.

Included in his list are:

Chuck Williams - founder of Williams-Sonoma
Robert Mondavi - he brought French modern techniques in winemaking
Ceclia Chiang - whom Alice Waters calls "The Julia Child of Chinese Food
Thomas Keller - only American to have top ratings for both his NY and Bay Area restaurants
Wine bars - The London Wine Bar is credited with starting the wine bar genre
The Mai Tai, Martini & Lemon Drop - while there's some debate, both are usually credited to the Bay Area
Laura Chenel - made the first artisan goat cheese in America (which makes her my hero)

The whole list is pretty interesting (although, admittedly, there are a few things that you've never heard of), but I'm glad he threw it together. This place is a tasty slice of food heaven.

However, even if it didn't have any of the history or famous people behind it, there are currently so many different cultures and great produce that it's definitely a food lover's dream come true.

So tell me, why is your hometown a culinary paradise?

Top 10 Food Trends for 2007

YumSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 08:57:32 -0700

The Institute of Food Technologists (yep such a place exists) has come up with the Top 10 Food Trends for 2007. From upscale at home, to snacking on your own, the 2007 trends are definitely diverse and definitely speak to our ever changing society.

Since the IFT document is actually 39 pages long, I thought I'd help you out by giving you a general overview.

Dining at Home - 75% of people polled said that they preferred to eat in (at least 5 nights a week). They liked this because they thought homemade food to be healthier. However the rise of take out and to-go meals are on the rise too.
Food as Fun - 8 out of 10 diners "trade up" when dining out and splurge on premium, gourmet and exotic foods. Plus, celebrity chefs are just as famous as some movie stars.
Convenient Products - With schedules getting busier and busier, people are looking for fresh, ready-to-eat food such as salads, precut veggies, pouches of tuna, skillet meals, single servings and more.
Food "Sense" - Expect more foods with strong aromas, bigger crunch, crispiness, and freshness.
Kids Rule - Parents are becoming more aware of the growing obesity rate in children. More companies are working on new and healthy snacks created just for kids.

To see the other 5 Food Trends,

50 Best Restaurants in The World

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:31:38 -0700

Last night Restaurant Magazine announced their annual list of the world's 50 best restaurants and I am ridiculously embarrassed to say that even though two of them are really close by (Chez Panisse and the French Laundry), I have not been to any of the ones on the list. While I go hang my head in foodie shame, you can check out the list. Oh and it's worth noting that the top 6 are the same as last year and there are only 5 new entries and one that has re-entered. And finally, if you don't recognize him, that's El Bulli's head chef Ferran Adria in the photograph.

1 - El Bulli, Spain - Best in Europe
2 - The Fat Duck, UK
3 - Pierre Gagnaire, France
4 - The French Laundry, USA - Best in the Americas
5 - Tetsuya’s, Australia - Best in Australasia
6 - Bras, France
7 - Mugaritz, Spain
8 - Le Louis XV, Monaco
9 - Per Se, USA
10 - Arzak, Spain

To see the rest of the list, none of which I've eaten at either,