Filed under: YumSugar

Each Thursday, we bring you an assortment of tasty links from our friends over at YumSugar. We hope you enjoy!

• On this, National Moldy Cheese day, YumSugar wants to test your stinky cheese knowledge.
• This week’s featured ‘wich is a tasty looking smoked gouda and ham grilled cheese.
• America’s chattiest TV cook is expanding her empire to include a burger joint.
• Can’t tell a Bartlett from an Anjou? Learn your pear basics from this helpful slide show.
• Starbucks is starting to offer tasting of Clover coffee (aka, java from the world’s most expensive coffee maker).
• Ever wonder what Ponzu sauce is? Wonder no longer!
• Want to keep your roommate’s sticky fingers off your yogurt? Try a modular fridge!

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Filed under: Vegetables, Food Oddities

Check out this hilarious essay, in which Slate’s Sarah Dickerman outfits her kitchen with molecular gastronomy tools in an effort to see whether her picky, veggie-shy 4-year-old is more likely to eat broccoli that’s been turned into a gelatinized orb.

Dickerman buys a $200 Texturas kit, produced by molecular gastronomy king Ferran Adria of Spain’s El Bulli, which contains calcium gluconolactate, powdered xanthan gum, agar agar, and lecithin, along with a giant syringe. She and her son mix and stir the various powders like mad scientists, producing tomato spheres and tadpole-shaped broccoli balls (pictured).

Does he like it? Not so much. Carrot juice “air” is more successful. Plus, all the weird, slippery gelatinized, foamed food, the kid’s ready for some real dinner.

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Filed under: Dinner, Restaurants, Barbecuing, Raves & Reviews, America

“Who doesn’t love Wii?” says the manager I spoke with at Wildwood BBQ, a restaurant on Park Avenue at 18th Street in Manhattan.

Every Tuesday night since August, Wildwood BBQ, a classy new ribs joint off Union Square, has hosted Wii Boxing with cheap beer and big prizes. There’s a pre-tournament warm up at 8:00pm, when anyone can play, then signup for the tournament begins at 8:30. Sixteen guests can play for a chance to win $100 gift certificates good at any of BR Guest’s restaurants.

Sign up at the 50-foot bar for a chance to play, and starting at 9:30 pick up a $12 pitcher of Cold Ass beer (pardon my English; that’s really what it’s called).

Rumor has it that some undisclosed celebrities may be stepping into the ring one of these weeks! Get there if you can.

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Filed under: Tastings, Parties, Wine, Vodka, Champagne, Cocktails, Raves & Reviews, Spirits, Liqueurs, Celebrations, Holidays

It’s pink, it sparkles, and it comes in a fancy bottle. It’s Nuvo!

Nuvo is the world’s first sparkling liqueur, made with vodka and French sparkling wine. None of that, in theory, would make it pink. But, it’s pink. Magic! (additives!)

It is definitely best enjoyed very cold, and is meant to be served in champagne flutes over ice.

The flavor and aroma are delicate; you can definitely taste the wines used (very fruity). There is a strength to it, though. The best way I can find to describe it is to say it tastes like sparkling white zinfandel with a ridiculously high alcohol content…and frankly, it’s not bad!

Nuvo, in it’s signature bottle, makes a great gift and looks chic when served at parties. Its classy pink color makes it feel just a little bit more special than champagne or any of your usual liqueurs. Add more vodka to it to make a sparkling pink cosmopolitan! We approve.

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Filed under: in sixty seconds

• All around Portland, chefs are creating signature breakfast sandwiches. They’re offering up some of their recipes for you to try, including Little Red Bike Cafe’s Alleycat Sandwich, Caramelized Onions, Grand Central Bakery’s Egg Bolo Sandwich, Tomato Relish, Pine State Biscuits’ Reggie Deluxe, Savory Sausage Gravy, Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Sharon’s Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits.
  
• Katherine Miller is hoping to help her husband expand his dinner repertoire with the aide of a couple of cookbooks and a shopping list.
• Marcella Hazan recently published a memoir, the FoodDay offers their take on the iconic Italian cook’s bio.
• Here’s a dish that will let the last of your summer tomatoes have their day in the sun.
• Stumped by the delicata squash in your CSA box? Look no further for answers!
• How to handle an invasion of pantry pests.
• Check the Market Basket for a gurgling fish-shaped pitcher, a lovely leaf platter and a blown green glass apple.
• Want a bowl of chowder but without all the calories? Switch to tomato-based Manhattan clam chowder.
• Ivy Manning offers up a vegetarian-friendly meal of Salad With Sauteed Chanterelles and Farm FreshFried Eggs.

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Filed under: Cocktail Hour

After a week spent wandering the halls of Tales of the Cocktail in July 2008, sipping many finely stirred and shaken libations; I said to myself, “These special cocktails need to be shared with the world.” So I bring you Cocktail Hour, a finer way to celebrate the end of the day; with these recipes. They have either been created specifically for Tales of the Cocktail, or re-designed for a new approach on the traditional version by some of the top Mixologists in the world. Many are being presented to the public here for the first time. Enjoy!

Queen’s Park Swizzle cocktail recipe after the jump

Continue reading Cocktail Hour: Queen’s Park Swizzle

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Filed under: Recipes, Newspapers, Bread

Attention all people-who-would-really-love-to-make-bread-but-just-can’t-find-the-time: The New York Time’s Mark Bittman, AKA “The Minimalist” has figured out how to make no-knead bread even easier. Just add more yeast.

Bittman, who made no-knead bread inventor Jim Lahey a foodie household name when he first published his recipes two years ago, knows that Lahey himself wouldn’t approve. Lahey thinks bread is best fermented slowly with just a small amount of yeast. But while Bittman’s may not taste quite as good (which he freely admits), it only takes four and a half hours to rise. So basically you could mix the dough in the afternoon before a dinner party and have fresh hot bread to pass around the table with your beef tenderloin and roasted new potatoes.

All you need is a standard loaf pan. Check out the recipe here.

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Filed under: Slashfood Ate

Each Friday afternoon, I bring you an assortment of nibbles from the week previous week. While it’s been a particularly dour week in the national news, the food world still looks bright. Let’s dig in.

1. Spanish researchers have discovered that packaging infused with cinnamon oil can prevent bread from molding for up to 10 days.
2. Greenpeace and Ben & Jerry’s have teamed up to develop an environmentally friendly ice cream freezer that isn’t dependent on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a refrigerant.
3. Rachel of Coconut & Lime made a batch of absolutely drool-worthy apple cider doughnuts earlier this week, forcing me to consider dragging my deep fryer out of the hall closet.
4. Over at Dining at Large, there is a wonderful conversation taking place about the Top 10 Deadly First Date Foods.
5. For all those pumpkins that are starting to show up in CSA shares and farmers markets, why not try Dorie Greenspan’s stuffed pumpkin recipe.
6. Always wanted to make miso soup at home, but didn’t know where to start? Check out this post from Just Hungry, it’s a full-on miso tutorial.
7. If you like a nice story with your recipe, check out “The View from Mrs. Sundberg’s Window” column that runs on The Prairie Home Companion website each week. Up this week: a homey autumn casserole.
8. Lastly, if you’re in need of a good giggle, make sure to watch this short video clip from a recent Rachael Ray show, in which she appears to be getting quite friendly with an ear of corn [via Serious Eats].

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Filed under: Fast Food, Local Eating

So often, it feels like in order to grab a quick meal you have to check your environmentally friendly ways at the door. However, for some lucky people in the town of Gurnee, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), they will soon have a far greener fast food option.

This fall the Chipotle Mexican Grill chain will be opening a location that will get a portion of its operating power from a six-kilowatt wind turbine that has been erected behind the restaurant. They’ve also used recycled drywall, recycled barn metal, LED lighting, high efficiency faucets and toilets, and Energy Star rated equipment in the store’s construction. Check out more pictures of this store and its wind turbine in the gallery below.

This store (and we hope they mean to do more of this responsible construction), coupled with their commitment to buy locally and naturally raised meats means that there is finally a more sustainable choice when it comes to fast food. It also helps that their burritos are mighty fine eating.

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Filed under: Cocktail Hour

After a week spent wandering the halls of Tales of the Cocktail in July 2008, sipping many finely stirred and shaken libations; I said to myself, “These special cocktails need to be shared with the world.” So I bring you Cocktail Hour, a finer way to celebrate the end of the day; with these recipes. They have either been created specifically for Tales of the Cocktail, or re-designed for a new approach on the traditional version by some of the top Mixologists in the world. Many are being presented to the public here for the first time. Enjoy!

Cuban Grapefruit Blossom cocktail recipe after the jump

Continue reading Cocktail Hour: Cuban Grapefruit Blossom

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