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Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Ember Cocktail

Huddled in a dark Boston speakeasy in the lonely 2 a.m. hour, I need a drink. Not just any drink, no. Something memorable, something that I can take away with me. The mixologist in front of me has been less than helpful, and I know I'm on my own. I think of where I am, and where I want to be, and through the blur of warm apple tarts, polo shirts, and sandy moonlit beaches on the south of Cuba with warm winds all around, I think of an Ember.

2 ½ ounces añejo rum1 ounce applejack¾ ounce lillet¾ ginger syrupIceCandied ginger, for garnish

World of Recipes

Top 10 Destinations to Ward off the Cold

 Riviera Maya, Mexico

As soon as Labor Day weekend comes and goes, the rest of the year goes by in a flash. First it’s Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then in no time, you’re trying to remember to write 2012 instead of 2011. That high-speed train isn’t only going in the direction of the holidays, though. It’s barreling in the direction of cold weather, too. And since there’s little respite from those soggy, gray days at home, we thought we’d pinpoint ten destinations where December doesn’t mean dreary weather and puffy coats.


Click here to see the Top 10 Destinations to Ward off the Cold Slideshow.


Los Angeles natives have perfected the art of rubbing in their all-year-sun when temperatures drop on the east coast, but truth-be-told, hopping on an LA-bound flight mid-winter is an ideal antidote for gray-sky-blues. It’s a big-city-break, so there’s plenty to do, see, and eat — and it’s all under the sun. Or for a total sun-worshipper’s getaway, book a flight to Turks & Caicos, where relaxing, beachcombing, and fresh seafood are on offer every day.

Little is as satisfying as taking your coat off on the plane and not putting it back on until you’re freezing at baggage claim. Stuff that coat into the bottom of your suitcase (and the back of your mind) as you hunt down Puerto Rico’s coolest beaches and tastiest street foods. If you’ve done Puerto Rico, but still don’t want venture as far as Australia, hop on the easiest flight you’ll take all year, and head for sunny Bermuda. Just more than two hours from the eastern seaboard, that little island has both quaint charm and high-end luxury down pat.


Insist all you want that you “love the changing of the seasons.” Dining alfresco in December is an undeniable joy. And sunburns are just added bonuses, really. Check out the slideshow for our top ten warm-in-winter picks.

As soon as Labor Day weekend comes and goes, the rest of the year goes by in a flash. First it’s Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and then in no time, you’re trying to remember to write 2012 instead of 2011. That high-speed train isn’t only... Can you name what's been called "the nation’s biggest street festival after Mardi Gras"? We didn’t think so. Well, grab a Munchie Map and get educated — it’s called the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival and it’s... Agritourism is not a new concept. It’s an old one that makes complete sense — restaurants and inns on farms have much of what they need to accommodate guests right outside the front door. So of course they’re able to give travelers the...

World of Recipes

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

What Happened on The Chew Premiere

Mario Batali, who didn't show up until the last ten minutes

Much-hyped food talk show The Chew premiered yesterday, and viewers don't seem very happy


Here’s what happened:


• Michael Symon cooked some pork and beans. The very first dish! He asked a viewer why it was delicious, and the viewer responded, “...it’s just so delicious.”


• Dr. Oz showed up and told embarrassing stories about his daughter Daphne Oz. Here's a sample. On blueberries: “See how blue they are? That was the color Daphne was when she was born. She had the cord stuck around her neck." To which Clinton Kelly replied, “She was like Angry Smurf!”


• Carla baked fried apple pancake rings. Everyone loved it, and Carla was super peppy. Sample: "Yum, yum, and more yumminess."


• Mario Batali skipped the first 50 minutes or so, puttering around on a golf course for charity. He awkwardly made some pizza via satellite.


And here, the media chews up the show:


“It's safe to say everything will be adored and applauded here, even when Batali's pizza clearly has a burned crust.” — NY Daily News


“It's like one of those joke-y late-night-talk-show cooking segments, except it isn't funny and it lasts an entire hour.” — Grub Street


“‘The Chew’ has your standard dump-and-stir cooking demos, tips on entertaining and a mundane rehashing of food-related 'news.'... Attempts to make food accessible to the masses often came off as patronizing.” — Chicago Sun-Times


“I’m overwhelmed by the pace of content and the multiple personalities trying to have a voice and conduct segments. And it’s a shame that some of the brightest personalities fall to the background as a result.” — PopWatch/EW


Will you tune in for the second show? It airs at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT/PT on ABC.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

First Smashburger expanded to the Middle East, and now it’s giving out a free trip to Chicago. Talk about good publicity. Customers who visit a Smashburger through Oct. 30 will receive a validation code to register for the contest. One person wins... Three times a week, The Daily Byte rounds up stories worth reading and blogs worth following. • Blueberry buckwheat cakes are sweeted with raw lemon pudding and honey. Pretty genius. [Healthful Pursuit] • Quick tips from the lovely Emily at... Obama for America is raffling off one of three spots to have dinner with President Obama. To win a seat, visitors need to donate $3 or more by Friday, Sept. 30 to Obama’s 2012 campaign. According to the web site, first lady Michelle Obama says,...

World of Recipes

Negroni Sbagliato

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Darryl Robinson, host of the Cooking Channel's "Drink Up," and Dutch Kills' Richie Boccato, served up this bubbly take on the classic Negroni at the 2011 New York Wine & Food Festival's Meatball Madness event.

Add the liquid ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice to serve and garnish with an orange rind.


World of Recipes

Okuchi Japanese Restaurant at Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara

We were shopping at Sunway Giza Mall, Kota Damansara when we met a friend who then recommended us to try Okuchi, a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Okuchi is just a short walk from Sunway Giza Mall and it is located strategically in the middle of Dataran Sunway.

salmon.sashimi

VK, as usual ordered his Salmon Sashimi. This beautifully decorated sashimi was very fresh. I find the portion for this is a little bit too small. I guess good stuffs only comes in small portion. That way, we tend to treasure it more.

soft.shell.crab.sushi

Our order, Soft Shell Crab Sushi comes next. In contrast to salmon sashimi, the soft shell crab isn’t soft at all. It was really crunchy in the middle.

soft.shell.crab

We also ordered another version of the soft shell crab which was the Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Mayonaise. Like the earlier one, the soft shell crab was really good. Really crunchy.

meat.balls

Afraid that he might get hungry later, VK also ordered their meatballs. Personally, I find the texture of the meat balls a little bit too soft. It will be better if it was a bit more chewy. Sad to say, after a few bites, we got tired of it.

teriyaki.chicken

Instead of ordering my dishes ala carte, I ordered their Teriyaki Chicken Set. This set comes with a few slices of teriyaki chicken, assorted tempuras, miso soup, some vegetables, fruits and rice. At first, I thought that each set meals also comes with chawanmushi but unfortunately, they do not. So if you like chawanmushi, you must order it separately.

tempuras

I love brinjal and prawn tempuras. Look how beautiful they are.

teriyaki.chicken.set

The set meal portion is quite small, so if you are a big eater, you should consider ordering some side items just like we did.

okuchi.restaurant

Other than sushis, Okuchi also serves shabu-shabu. The waiting time for this restaurant is quite short as the service was very fast. Overall, we had a decent meal at Okuchi.

Details of this restaurant:

Okuchi Japanese Restaurant
Address: 36-1, Jalan PJU 5/9, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, PJ
Tel No.: +603-61408336
GPS Coordinate: N 3.151, E101.593

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World of Recipes

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Pumpkin Pecan Tarts

Decadently rich, thin slices of these little tarts are all that you need, with flavored whipped cream or ice cream, of course.

For the tarts:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the pie dough into six 4-inch circles and line the mini tart pans; crimp the edges. Place pans on baking sheets for ease in removing tarts from oven.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin purée, sugars, corn syrup, butter, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crusts. Sprinkle the pecans over top. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes until the center is set. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing; refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the topping:

Beat the cream with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and bourbon or rum until stiff peaks form.* Chill until ready to serve. 


Serves 6


*Note: To test, hold your whisk straight up in the air. If the cream curls over and forms a firm hook, you are done.


Adapted from "Small Sweet Treats" by Marguerite Marceau Henderson (Gibbs Smith, 2011)


World of Recipes

Weekly Media Mix: The Times' Sexy Chicken; Pot Police Eat Evidence; and Zuckerburg Hunts Larger Game

The Daily Byte's Weekly Media Mix rounds up the week's big food stories.

Health
•The crazy listeria outbreak caused by cantaloupe may be the worst in decades, and now a California farm is recalling chopped romaine lettuce because it might be contaminated, too. [CBS News]

Restaurants
• Magnolia Bakery, the bakeshop that launched a thousand cupcakeries, opens its first Chicago store Saturday. [Grub Street]

Industry
• Sources say Friendly’s will file for bankruptcy; nostalgia ensues. [The Daily Meal]

Entertainment
• Eva Longoria talks about her dinner at El Bulli. There’s a lot of onomatopoeia and awesome photos. [Jimmy Kimmel Live, via Grub Street]

Shame of the Week
• Two Houston cops are accused of arresting a pot-possessing suspect, and then eating his pot brownies. "So HIGH... Good munchies," one officer supposedly wrote on the in-car computer. [HuffPo]

Beef of the Week
• PETA takes issue with The New York Times’ sexy chicken photo. Not that surprising, but you’d think PETA would be busy with that porn site they’re working on. [Atlantic Wire]

Video
• Hurricane Irene did major damage in upstate New York. Here’s a devastating mini-documentary about what happened to David and Denise Lloyd of Maple Downs Farm. [Food Curated]

Politics
• A new web site lets you buy meat and cheese directly from farms, so you can support whatever farming method you prefer. [Home Grown Cow]

Tech
• Mark Zuckerberg shot and killed bison and made them into bison burgers. He was following his pledge to only eat meat he kills himself. [Fortune]

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

Oh, Martha. You’ve had some bad press lately, and now your own daughter is bashing you. In her new book, out October 18, Alexis Stewart writes, "Martha does everything better! You can't win! If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to... Remember back when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the VMAs? Well, the day after Erin McKenna at BabyCakes NYC baked up mini cinnamon buns and christened them the Beyoncé Buns. “It was a slow day in the bakery and we just happened... Doughnut Plant won the Sweetest of Sweet award by popular vote at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Sweet, so we caught up with owner Mark Israel afterwards. He was slightly shocked and a little lost for words. “It’s so sweet...

World of Recipes

New York Wine & Food Festival's Brooklyn's Bounty: Me v. Food

 Adam Richman and the GutterGourmet. GutterGourmet's picture

The Green Building in the Boerum Hill neighborhood right off the Gowanus Canal may have been a bit out of the spotlight to hold what may become one of the premier events of the New York City Food Network Wine & Food Festival, but it was probably appropriate. A former industrial area that was critical to the thriving port in Red Hook through the mid-20th century, it's also near the childhood home of one of my food heros, Adam Richman, host of popular TV food travelogue Man v. Food and host/brainchild behind the event: Brooklyn's Bounty.


As we pulled up to the Green Building, just a short detour off the now thriving restaurant scene of Smith Street, we saw three food trucks parked out front. The first one, speaking of Red Hook, was the now famous Red Hook ballfields Solber Pupusa truck, slinging traditional Salvadorian chicharron pork crackling stuffed masa patties. As we entered the Green Building, we thought the recent clashes on Wall Street had moved to Brooklyn as our senses were literally assaulted with "peppa" spray. Peppa's Jerk Chicken from Flatbush Avenue is open 24 hours and is the most authentic jerk chicken north of Kingston.


I must warn you about their hot "peppa" sauce: it burns so good. Local Kelso nut brown ale restored the feeling to my tongue as we were greeted by Adam and Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz who proclaimed Brooklyn the culinary capital of the world. A bit of hubris, I thought until I made the rounds.


Iconic Brennan & Carr's roast beef sandwiches, sliced to order and drowned in their hot au jus contrasted with the headcheese sliders from newcomer Colonie Restaurant. The Italian heritage of the borough was well represented by L & B Spumoni Gardens, who not only brought their Parmesan dusted square tomato pizzas but also lasagna bolognese. D. Coluccio & Sons, a distributor of Italian meats and cheeses, was hand-slicing proscuitto di Parma and handing out chunks of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Back outside, my old friend Pappa Perrone's Pizza Truck offered his ginormous arancini meat-filled rice balls with red gravy.



Acme Smoked Fish presented gravlax and pastrami salmon.


Entrepreneur Food Freak from Ft. Greene offered up salt fried baby Brussel sprouts to accompany short rib stuffed grilled cheese sandwiches and multi-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches with a tomato soup dipping sauce. Back inside, Acme Smoked Fish, supplier to Russ & Daughters, offered up gravlax and pastrami salmon with sweet hot smoked bits of wild Yukon Keta Salmon"candy." Real pastrami on rye with homemade mustard and sauerkraut was offered by barbecue masters Fette Sau. On the other side of Acme, Vinegar Hill House complemented the smoked fish with marinated white anchovies with peperonata atop marjoram crackers.


Bark Hot Dogs surprised with a heritage pork slaw covered burger while Der Kommissar won best of wurst with its cheese filled kasekarainer. Bierkraft brought both sweet and savory sandwich options with open-faced brisket sandwiches and brownie and cookie wrapped homemade ice cream sandwiches.



Adam Richman and the GutterGourmet.


My idol, Adam Richman was thronged by the crowd, so I chatted up his Mom who could've been my Mom. She was clearly bursting with pride. I told her, while proudly wearing my Man v. Food pepperoni pizza T-shirt in the shape of the U.S.A., that I secretly coveted her son's job and food T-shirt collection, which rivals my own. She high-fived me. After downing seven-layer chocolate cake from the Chocolate Room and seconds on roast beef, pizza, and jerk chicken, I finally got my photo-op with Adam, who looked like a deer in the headlights as he saw my shirt and said, "Love that show but the host is an a$&hole."


Unable to eat another bite, I waddled back to my car. Unable to fasten my seatbelt, I laughed at the photo of me and Adam and, alone in my car I fantasized what it must be like to be Adam and declared aloud to my imaginary fans: In the eternal battle of Man v. Food, Brooklyn's Bounty, this time... food definitely won.

The Green Building in the Boerum Hill neighborhood right off the Gowanus Canal may have been a bit out of the spotlight to hold what may become one of the premier events of the New York City Food Network Wine & Food Festival, but it was probably... More than 20 years have elapsed since my last visit to Venice, and awake at 3 a.m., I'm grateful for jetlag for the chance, lest I forget fleeting details, to write about my first lunch here since my last visit. Oliva Nera (the Black Olive) is a small... In 1935, long before Ferran Adrià, Grant Achatz, and Wylie Dufresne could have thought it up, a British confectionary company called Rowntree's patented a technique for aerating chocolate resulting in tiny air bubbles forming inside the...

World of Recipes

Monday, October 24, 2011

Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Biscuits

A cup of mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin guarantees a soft biscuit. The gluten just can’t get all worked up, so to speak. They take a little longer to bake than a regular biscuit, but you get a better yield. Once you've mastered how to use the shortening or lard, substitute butter for a very special biscuit. 

You may also want to try a savory variation. Omit the optional spices, or add ½ cup of crumbled, cooked bacon before adding the sweet potatoes.

For the biscuits:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Fork-sift or whisk 2 cups of flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl, preferably wider than it is deep, and set aside the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Scatter lard over the flour and work in by rubbing your fingers with the lard and flour as if snapping your thumb and fingers together (or use two forks or knives, or a pastry cutter) until the mixture looks like well-crumbled feta cheese, with no piece larger than a pea.

Shake the bowl occasionally to allow the larger pieces of fat to bounce to the top of the flour, revealing the largest lumps that still need rubbing. If this method takes longer than 5 minutes, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to re-chill the fat.

Make a deep hollow in the center of the flour with the back of your hand. Scoop the sweet potatoes (or pumpkin purée) into the hollow and stir with a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, using broad circular strokes to quickly pull the flour into the sweet potatoes.

Mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the sticky dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If too dry, add 1-4 tablespoons of milk.

Lightly sprinkle a board or other clean surface with some of the reserved flour. Turn the dough out onto the board and sprinkle the top lightly with flour. With floured hands, fold the dough in half, and pat dough out into a 1/3 to ½ inch-thick round, using a little additional flour only if needed. Flour again if necessary, and fold the dough in half a second time.

If the dough is still clumpy, pat and fold a third time. Pat dough out into a ½-inch thick round for a normal biscuit, ¾-inch thick for a tall biscuit, and 1-inch thick for a giant biscuit. Brush off any visible flour from the top. For each biscuit, dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter into the reserved flour and cut out the biscuits, starting at the outside edge and cutting very close together, being careful not to twist the cutter. The scraps may be combined to make additional biscuits, although these scraps make tougher biscuits.

Using a metal spatula if necessary, move the biscuits to the pan or baking sheet.* Bake the biscuits on the top rack of the oven for a total of 12-14 minutes, depending on thickness, until light golden brown.

After 6 minutes, rotate the pan in the oven so that the front of the pan is now turned to the back, and check to see if the bottoms are browning too quickly. If so, slide another baking pan underneath to add insulation and retard browning. Continue baking another 6-8 minutes until the biscuits are light golden brown.

For the icing:

Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and milk (or buttermilk) until smooth to make an icing. When the biscuits are done, remove from oven and slide them onto a rack over a piece of waxed paper. Drizzle the icing over the warm biscuits. Discard the paper with the excess icing.

Serve hot right away.

Makes 18 biscuits 

*Note: Select a baking pan by determining if a soft or crisp exterior is desired. For a soft exterior, use an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan, pizza pan, or ovenproof skillet where the biscuits will nestle together snugly, creating a soft exterior while baking.

For a crisp exterior, select a baking sheet or other baking pan where the biscuits can be placed wider apart, allowing air to circulate and creating a crisper exterior, and brush the pan with butter.

Adapted from “Southern Biscuits” by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart (Gibbs Smith, 2011)


World of Recipes

What Your Order Says About You on a Date

  Matt McCue's picture

Dinner dates offer plenty of chances for close inspection. Is the restaurant appropriate for the occasion? Is the reservation time fashionable? What about the price ceiling? Is your date being too flashy or stingy?


What you order can say a lot about you, too. Something is wrong if you’re 32, working for a big law firm, and but still opting for the spaghetti with marinara, just like mom used to make when you were a child. So too goes for the sparkling, rather than tap, water — hello there, Ms. High Maintenance! And guys, stay away from the pink cocktails. For one TDM editor, the date is instantly over if you order one. 


You might know not to order the most expensive thing on the menu when on a date, but that doesn’t mean you should order like a rabbit just because it’s inexpensive —  especially if your date is getting the lamb. Consider the ubiquitous grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast. Are you playing it safe or just plain old boring? If you don’t order organic are you a coldhearted industrialist who abhors fair trade? If you order a locally sourced dish do you also belong to a CSA, favor plaid, and dabble in apiary? If you order the Black Label Burger — well, how did you score a seat at Minetta Tavern? You must know someone. Just don't order it well-done — with meat that good, just don't.


To help you navigate the menu the next time you're dining á deux, we’ve selected 10 dishes, slapped them with a stereotype that you are sure to disagree with vehemently, and then went about making generalizations. Or did we? You be the judge. 


Click here to see the What Your Order Says About You on a Date Slideshow.

Dinner dates offer plenty of chances for close inspection. Is the restaurant appropriate for the occasion? Is the reservation time fashionable? What about the price ceiling? Is your date being too flashy or stingy? What you order can say a lot about you... If there's no such thing as easy money, the closest thing has to be free-flowing cash from celebrity endorsements. All notables seem to have to do is lend their pearly whites to products, attend media events, and tell the masses they, “Better... Your buddy is getting married and it’s your task to throw the "Last Night as a Free Man" party. Steer clear of the clichés — they never truly live up to the hype, anyways — and take the group to another kind of gentlemen...

World of Recipes

Korean BBQ at Little Korea – Solaris Mon’t Kiara

Whenever I think about Korean food, I think of kimchi. Kimchi is a acquired taste dish and as I am not exposed to Korean food a lot, I don’t really know how to appreciate this kimchi. So I tried as much as possible to avoid it. Kimchis are usually served as a side dish or soup.

Side Dishes

If you do not know already, sides dishes in Korea restaurants, are not limited. You may order a refill as many times as you wish. There are no additional charges for ordering more of it.

Unlimited Side Dishes

One of the things we ordered that day was their omellete called the Korean Scallion Pancake priced at RM25.00. The Korean Scallion Pancake does look great. Lots of toppings and its’ size is huge. However, we were not impressed by this dish as it wasn’t crispy enough as it looks. The amount of greens in this dish was overwhelming that it dampens the omellete.

Omellete

For our main dishes, we ordered a plate of Pork Ribs priced at RM30.00 marinated with their in-house sauce. Here, you are given the option whether to allow the cook to cook the meat on your table itself or in the kitchen. We opted to have our meat cooked in front of us as we would like to see how our food are prepared.

Pork

The process is quite simple. First, the chef heated up the griller, then he dumps in all the ingredients with the onions first and thereafter the pork meat.

Cooked Pork Ribs

The same process was done for our beef. Onions first and then the beef.

Beef

I got to say, it sure does looks simple enough for me to do this at home, but whenever I cook, I don’t get this result. I’m sure there must be something extra that must be done before or maybe during the cooking time. What is it, I’m not sure. Maybe it’s the marinate that is doing the trick.

Almost Done Rib Eye

Among the “few” Korean restaurants that I’ve visited, Little Korea‘s barbeque is one of my favourite. I just love those sweet and tender pork ribs and rib eye. It was really yummy! So the next time, if you are around Solaris Mon’t Kiara and do not know what to eat, I recommend you to try Little Korea.

Details of this restaurant are as follows:

Little Korea Korean Restaurant
Address: 5-3 7-3 9-3, Jalan Solaris One, Solaris Mon’t Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
GPS Coordinates: N3 10.448 E101 39.607
Tel: 03-6203 7217

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World of Recipes

Pumpkin Is the King of Fall


When leaves start changing colors, restaurants and coffee shops all start serving the same ingredients: pumpkins, apples, butternut squash, beets, etc. Example: Pumpkin spice lattes.


We polled our readers to see which autumn ingredient was their favorite, and 42 percent of them chose pumpkins. Butternut squash came in second with 25 percent, while apples received 24 percent. Trailing far behind, beets received only 10 percent of the votes.


The results are surprising; doesn't the saying go, “As American as apple pie?” Perhaps pumpkin's popularity has something to do with the jack ‘o lanterns in October and pumpkin pie in November. Or maybe it’s popular because pumpkin somehow manages both the sweet and savory worlds.


Pumpkin cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, milkshakes, and waffles are all wonderful. But then there’s that pumpkin lobster ravioli at Ngam, pumpkin sage orzo risotto, and pumpkin curry soup. And really, who doesn’t fight for the last piece of pumpkin tempura? It's just too bad about that pumpkin shortage; looks like we'll just have to settle for the second-best gourd, butternut squash.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

Oh, Martha. You’ve had some bad press lately, and now your own daughter is bashing you. In her new book, out October 18, Alexis Stewart writes, "Martha does everything better! You can't win! If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to... Remember back when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the VMAs? Well, the day after Erin McKenna at BabyCakes NYC baked up mini cinnamon buns and christened them the Beyoncé Buns. “It was a slow day in the bakery and we just happened... Doughnut Plant won the Sweetest of Sweet award by popular vote at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Sweet, so we caught up with owner Mark Israel afterwards. He was slightly shocked and a little lost for words. “It’s so sweet...

World of Recipes

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Ultimate Stadium Eats at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field

 Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field SportsandFood.com's picture

The Green Bay Packers have more than 80,000 names on their waiting list for season tickets. If ever there was a football team that could get away with concession stands that sold nothing but cold hot dogs and instant coffee made from hot tap water, it would be the Pack. What are you going to do, threaten to cancel your season tickets unless they upgrade the food?


The Packers do care intensely about the fan experience at Lambeau Field, though. It’s a point of civic pride for the NFL’s only publicly owned team. The people of Green Bay pride themselves not only on the Packers but on the overall quality of life in Titletown — and they have good reason to be proud.


The food served at Lambeau Field reflects this, and it’s Leo Dominguez’s job to ensure that every Packer fan, from the luxury suite denizens to the average Joe or Jane in the bleachers, can find something good to eat at Lambeau. Dominguez, Levy Restaurants’ executive chef at Lambeau, oversees a staff of 50 chefs and cooks along with an untold number of servers and support personnel. He and his staff feed not only the fans but the media, the stadium staff, the players, and the coaches.


Lambeau Field is a major Wisconsin tourist attraction. With the season ticket wait estimated at more than 900 years, there are a great many Packer fans who have come to accept they will never see a game inside Lambeau. They come anyway, year-round, to shop in the Packers Pro Shop, take the stadium tour, visit the Packers Hall of Fame, or just have their pictures taken by the statues of Vince Lombardi and Earl “Curly” Lambeau. Many of them also stop for a beer and a bite at Curly’s Pub, a year-round restaurant and sports bar located inside the stadium. (Photo courtesy of Levy Restaurants)


Chef Dominguez and I sat down inside Curly’s Pub to discuss what goes into making sure the Packers and their fans get fed — and well. His enthusiasm for his job is palpable and contagious. He described some of the new products offered at Lambeau’s concession stands this year, including a Frickle Burger (a burger topped with cream cheese and deep-fried pickle slices) and the Titletown Pile-Up. When Dominguez first mentioned the latter, I envisioned some of that “tall food” that has been trendy in recent years. I was wrong. The Titletown Pile-Up is six miniature Johnsonville bratwursts dipped in corn dog batter, deep fried, then skewered, and served on a bed of fried cheese curds. That’s Wisconsin for you.


Lambeau is the only NFL stadium that sells more brats than hot dogs, and that shouldn’t surprise you. Dominguez also told me pizza is one of the more popular items at the concession stands though, when he showed me the inside of a typical concession stand, he tapped the handle of a beer tap and said, “Of course, this is our biggest seller.” That’s also Wisconsin for you.


Click here to read the full story at SportsandFood.com


By Mark Hasty

The Green Bay Packers have more than 80,000 names on their waiting list for season tickets. If ever there was a football team that could get away with concession stands that sold nothing but cold hot dogs and instant coffee made from hot tap water, it... Bend is all about outdoor sports, food and beer. You’re sticking out if you don’t have a rack for your skis, bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes. We spent a week there and enjoyed every minute of it. We didn’t have a bad meal.... Few things are better than heading to your favorite ballpark, chomping into some fine baseball food, and washing it down with an overpriced beer. But every park has its specialties. So when I booked a trip out to Chicago, I wanted to be sure to check out...

World of Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

 When the leaves are falling and the air is crisp, these cupcakes will warm the kitchen with the fragrance of fall. The comforting flavor of spiced pumpkin in a soft and tender cake is layered with a luscious cream cheese frosting sweetened with real maple syrup.

Be sure to use the darkest, most flavorful maple syrup you can find — look for Grade C, which is not an indication of quality but of darkness and intensity of flavor. School party? Top each one with a little candy pumpkin.

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 standard-sized cupcake tins with 18 paper liners.

Beat the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high until very light in color, 4-5 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium bowl, although you may need to beat the mixture a little longer to achieve the same results. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl to blend. With the mixer on medium, add the eggs to the butter mixture about 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to completely blend in before adding the next. About halfway through, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then resume adding the eggs. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the pumpkin and blend well.

With a fine-mesh strainer, sift the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and clove into a medium bowl and whisk to blend. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately, beginning with 1/3 of the flour mixture and ½ of the buttermilk; repeat, then finish with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand.

Fill each liner ¾ full with batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes completely on a cooling rack. Frost the cupcakes the day you wish to serve them.

For the frosting:

Place the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a mixer or a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the maple syrup and confectioners’ sugar and mix thoroughly. Scrape down the bowl with a clean spatula and blend again briefly.

Using a small offset spatula, evenly distribute the frosting among the cupcakes, being sure the frosting covers the entire top. Garnish with the nuts. These should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.


Makes 18 cupcakes


*Note: Make sure to use pumpkin purée, and not spiced pumpkin pie filling, which is an entirely different thing.


Adapted from "So Sweet!" by Sur La Table (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011)


World of Recipes

The Scientifically Perfect Boiled Egg


Some science students over at the Royal Society of Chemistry have discovered the secret behind perfect boiled eggs.


Here’s what they found:
• “Margarine makes a stronger dunking soldier than butter”
• “White bread makes more effective soldiers”
• “Optimum toasting time is 2.5 minutes”
• “The perfect soldier dimension is 1.5cm in width”
• “The perfect boiled egg takes six minutes”


But what if people like their egg yolks only slightly runny? What then? And do you count starting from when you put the egg in? When the water boils? And just last year someone reported that it’s 4.5 minutes, not six. But if science says it’s six minutes, and Delia Smith says six minutes, then it must be true.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

Friday night’s Sweet dessert-fest wouldn’t have been complete without Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery. Pastry chef Alessandra Altieri was repping the newest outpost at Rockefeller Center, and we asked her what to expect from the bakery... Three times a week, The Daily Byte rounds up stories worth reading and blogs worth following. • Gorgeous Penang food in Singapore, rounded off with a stunning shot of assam laksa. [Miss Tam Chiak] • Annabel discovers the joys of avocado toast... Some science students over at the Royal Society of Chemistry have discovered the secret behind perfect boiled eggs. Here’s what they found: • “Margarine makes a stronger dunking soldier than butter” • “White bread...

World of Recipes

Sunday, October 9, 2011

“Sang Har” Mee at Pan Heong, Batu Caves

Thousands throng Batu Caves to pay homage to Lord Subramaniam during Thaipusam. But at other times, the word “Batu Caves” doesn’t even come to our mind when we are looking for good food. Our recent find brings us to Pan Heong, a Chinese restaurant which cooks really good Big Prawn Mee (Sang Har Mee).

Pan Heong restaurant was very crowded when we arrived. After a short wait, we managed to get a table. Without hesitation, we ordered their “Sang Har” cooked with “hor fun”. They also have another type of noodle; i.e. “yee mee”.

Big Prawn Mee

Big Prawn Mee doesn’t come cheap. In fact, we were told that the minimum order is for 2 pax at RM40. That is RM20 per person.

Big Prawn Mee

It comes with two (2) really huge prawns cutted into half. Taste wise, I think this dish really brings out the flavour of the fresh prawns. The nicest part is the sauce which was infused with the flavour of the prawns. It was really good.

Pan Heong

There are also other items available at Pan Heong like steam fish, fried noodles and others. But the popular one is their Sang Har mee. So the next time if you are going to Batu Caves, drop by at Pan Heong for their Sang Har mee.

Details of this restaurant:
Restaurant Pan Heong
Address: No. 2, Jalan Medan Batu Caves 2, Medan Batu Caves, 68100 Selangor
Tel: 03-6187 7430
GPS Coordinates: N3 14.017 E101 40.427

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World of Recipes

Martha Stewart’s Daughter Tells All in Tweeny Book

Alexis Stewart (left) with co-author Jennifer Koppelman Hutt

Oh, Martha. You’ve had some bad press lately, and now your own daughter is bashing you. In her new book, out October 18, Alexis Stewart writes, "Martha does everything better! You can't win! If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to do it again… I grew up with a glue gun pointed at my head."


The 46-year-old also complained that there wasn't food in the fridge fit to eat. "There was never anything to eat at my house. Other people had food. I had no food... There were ingredients but no prepared food of any kind."


Alexis also dishes out some of her 70-year-old mother’s dating advice, mainly to marry rich but sleep with the handsome. “A woman lived near us when I was little who had married someone very wealthy and very unattractive, and my mother actually told me when I was a small child, 'Now Alexis, if this ever happens, you make sure you have sex with somebody else to have their baby. Don't have his baby."


At least Alexis tried to apologize by prefacing Whateverland with, "Thanks in advance to my mother for not getting angry about anything written in this book." Still, no woman over the age of 40 should use the word "whatever."

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

Oh, Martha. You’ve had some bad press lately, and now your own daughter is bashing you. In her new book, out October 18, Alexis Stewart writes, "Martha does everything better! You can't win! If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to... Remember back when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the VMAs? Well, the day after Erin McKenna at BabyCakes NYC baked up mini cinnamon buns and christened them the Beyoncé Buns. “It was a slow day in the bakery and we just happened... Doughnut Plant won the Sweetest of Sweet award by popular vote at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Sweet, so we caught up with owner Mark Israel afterwards. He was slightly shocked and a little lost for words. “It’s so sweet...

World of Recipes

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Foogo by Thermos Leak-Proof SS 10 oz Food Jar in Pink

Foogo by Thermos Leak-Proof SS 10 oz Food Jar in PinkFoogo Vacuum Insulated Food JarTherMax double wall vacuum insulation for maximum temperature retention Unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior Wide mouth is easy to fill, eat from, and clean Ergonomically designed lid with rubber grip Dishwasher safe Non-slip, scratch resistant base, cool to the touch with hot foods Light, compact and portable

Price: $22.00


Click here to buy from Amazon

Where Are Beyoncé's Baby Buns Going?

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
BabyCakes NYC owner Erin McKenna

Remember back when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the VMAs? Well, the day after Erin McKenna at BabyCakes NYC baked up mini cinnamon buns and christened them the Beyoncé Buns.

“It was a slow day in the bakery and we just happened to make a small batch of cinnamon buns, and they came out really small so we were like oh, they’re like baby buns,” she says, “Then I said oh my God we should call them the Beyoncé Bun.”

The Beyoncé Bun in the Oven is made every week, tracking the size of Bee’s real bun in the oven. We checked in with McKenna at Friday’s Sweet event and she said it was 3.75 inches in diameter.

Sadly, the Beyoncé cinnamon bun is not for eating; it's for display only, and McKenna won't tell us what happens afterwards. “We put it on display and then it just disappears,” McKenna said, fluttering her hands. Are they stashing it somewhere? Donating it? Eating it secretly? “We haven’t all agreed on what we’re going to do on [the birth date], but we’re kicking around some ideas,” McKenna said. One idea: Have a party, cut the cinnamon bun, and eat it. Bonus: Get Beyoncé there.

Also baking at the bakeshop: McKenna is working on a new vegan and gluten-free cookbook. “Well, hoping to do a third cookbook,” she said, “and I want it to be all salty things. I just did a croissant the other day that was really amazing, bread, chips, just like all those salty things that people with food allergies really miss.”

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.

Oh, Martha. You’ve had some bad press lately, and now your own daughter is bashing you. In her new book, out October 18, Alexis Stewart writes, "Martha does everything better! You can't win! If I didn't do something perfectly, I had to... Remember back when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the VMAs? Well, the day after Erin McKenna at BabyCakes NYC baked up mini cinnamon buns and christened them the Beyoncé Buns. “It was a slow day in the bakery and we just happened... Doughnut Plant won the Sweetest of Sweet award by popular vote at the New York City Wine & Food Festival’s Sweet, so we caught up with owner Mark Israel afterwards. He was slightly shocked and a little lost for words. “It’s so sweet...

World of Recipes

What to Do When Conversations Turn Bad

 

When entertaining, there are two secrets to a host’s success: An ability to bring together people and create lasting memories, and the foresight to see — and resolve — problems before they arise. Once a week, our resident experts Mindy Lockard and Coryanne Ettiene will weigh in with helpful advice to help the modern host tackle even the stickiest of situations with grace. Have a question you want answered? Send us an email with your dilemma, and then check back every week for new tips and advice.


This week’s question:


I was recently at a dinner party where the table conversation turned to a topic I was not comfortable with, and the host failed to steer the conversation back on track. I’m hosting a dinner party next week, and am not sure what to do if that happens. What tips do you have for redirecting the conversation should sensitive topics arise?


Coryanne: Sensitive topics are tricky, especially when you add cocktails to the mix. If you are planning a formal, sit-down dinner, add a conversation starter to the back of the place card. This gives something neutral for everyone to share should the need arise — it also makes for a great ice-breaker if you’re mixing together guests who may not know each other very well.


Mindy: This is an oldie but a goodie — just change the subject. Although this is usually the host’s job, if the conversation is on a one-way track to uncomfortable, it's okay for a guest to hop in and intervene. For example, say something like, “Sally, I totally forgot to ask you about your trip to Italy,” or “John, I hear you just bought a new boat, any fun adventures on the horizon?” Sure, everyone might know what you are up to, but most likely, they will all be quite appreciative.


About Our Experts: Mindy Lockard is The Gracious Girl and offers traditional etiquette advice with a modern gracious twist. Coryanne Ettiene believes entertaining at home should be an everyday affair; she shares contemporary advice for modern living at Housewife Bliss.


Click here to see more tips and advice from our experts. 


Click here to see more tips for engaging in conversations. 


Click here to see what to talk about (and not talk about) at the dinner table.


Click here for some kid-friendly conversation topics. 

When dating, dining out can get old fast. Sure, being cooked for, and cared for, is stress-free and relaxing, but where is the romance in being seated elbow-to-elbow like sardines at that tiny Italian hot spot, or having to scream across the table just to... A night out on the town for cocktails and dinner can be fun. But with the deafening restaurant noise, the tiny tables crammed into an even more snug space, and the awkward dates around you, taking your date out can sometimes put a damper on your evening... You’ve been invited for dinner and asked to bring a bottle of wine. Should you ask the store manager at the corner liquor store by your office for something good, and gift it to your host still wrapped in the brown paper bag (or worse yet, plastic...

World of Recipes

Friday, October 7, 2011

Sandwich of the Week: Flour Bakery's Breakfast Sandwich

Flour Bakery Egg Sandwich Frugal Foodista's pictureEditor's Note: Although Flour Bakery was already featured as a Sandwich of the Week, this breakfast sandwich is outstanding enough to warrant headlining the bakery a second time. 

Many people underestimate the power of a good sandwich. When the bread and filling are perfectly balanced (which is no easy feat), the outcome can be life-changing. Luckily, with all the little cafés and bakeries in the city, Boston has a vast array of good sandwich options available. This of course begs the question... which one is the best?

Certainly there are many sandwiches that can qualify as "the best," given the time and situation, however, the breakfast sandwich from Flour Bakery in Boston's South End neighborhood is one of my all-time favorites.

This sandwich is served on a warm, freshly baked roll that doesn’t overpower the fillings (too much bread can be a disaster). Inside is a soft omelet, topped with crispy bacon and arugula, and smothered with cheese and Dijon mustard.

Why is it such a great sandwich? Well, take all the elements separately and they would be delicious — but, put them altogether and the dish becomes a tour de force… definitely worthy of an encore.

Know a great sandwich that should be featured? Let us know by email or comment below! Click here for other featured sandwiches.

Editor's Note: Although Flour Bakery was already featured as a Sandwich of the Week, this breakfast sandwich is outstanding enough to warrant headlining the bakery a second time.  Many people underestimate the power of a good sandwich. When...

World of Recipes

The Book of Cheap and Healthy Recipes

The Book of Cheap and Healthy RecipesOver 100 Cheap and Healthy Recipes From Over a Dozen Chefs and Contributors. Who said eating healthy had to be dull or expensive?

Price: $2.99


Click here to buy from Amazon

Gourmet Chocolate

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Put your fork down. Back away from the wine glass. If there were ever a time to indulge in chocolate, it would be now. US News and World Report just published some info that even your cardiologist would approve of. Seven independent studies involving 114,000 people demonstrated that those who ate chocolate at least once a week lowered their risk of heart disease by 37 percent, their risk of diabetes by 31 percent, and their risk of stroke by 29 percent, compared to those who ate little or no chocolate at all. Even more encouraging, the researchers found no distinction between dark or milk chocolate varieties.


Encouraging findings like these don’t hit the stands (or the plate, for that matter) often. As such, I’ve made it my conviction to better my health and embark on a chocolate crusade. Here are my latest findings of intriguing chocolates now available, to all our hearts’ desires.


Bacon Bliss
Katrina Markoff, founder of Vosges Chocolates, enraptured the world’s taste buds with her quirky combinations of crisp bacon and velvet chocolate years ago. Now the Bon Appétit Food Artisan of the Year has released a 16-piece truffle box in time for fall. The creamy organic milk and dark chocolate bacon truffles rest softly in their handsome Vosges box, each sprinkled with either signature bacon caramel toffee or hickory smoked bacon. Katrina’s website insists, "Please consume within 10 days." I don’t think that will be a problem, Katrina. Bring home the bacon at VosgesChocolate.com.


Care for a Square?
Jer’s Chocolates, the much-admired pioneers of peanut butter and chocolate combinations, now counts squares in its collection of chocolate balls and bars. Jer’s Squares offer a "bite-sized" version of Jer’s All-Natural Peanut Butter Bars. The 11-time International Award-winning company puts peanuts on a pedestal, never using preservatives, additives, or fillers. If this wasn’t enough to make my heart swell with health and happiness, Jer’s Chocolates supports a number of esteemed nonprofits in its "Jer’s Cares" initiative. Make your heart happy at Jers.com.



Tease Me with Taza
The love of authentically made Mexican chocolate is apparent — from Taza’s sustainable factory to its blog that features gleeful employees concocting chocolate recipes. Taza’s cacao beans are stone ground in the traditional method used for centuries in the pre-Columbian era of Latin America. This fall I’m cozying up to a cup of Mexican hot chocolate made with Taza Cinnamon Chocolate Mexicano. This artisan batch is gingerly made with whole cinnamon sticks and cocoa nibs on a traditional Oaxacan stone mill. Bursts of berry, wisps of rich cinnamon, and the depth of the beans’ flavor will keep me on the couch and in front of the fireplace this entire season. Cuddle up with some at TazaChocolate.com. — Katherine Bond


Related Links: 


 • Distinctive Washington White Wines


• Chef Michael Cragg | Catering to Wine Country


• Meditate in Any Environment with Alberto Frias Pod Beds

Put your fork down. Back away from the wine glass. If there were ever a time to indulge in chocolate, it would be now. US News and World Report just published some info that even your cardiologist would approve of. Seven independent studies... "This is the spirit of the Southwest Highlands," distillery owner Dana Kanzler proudly proclaims. We are on the downwind side of the smoke chamber, as gentle, aromatic smoke from local mesquite wafts upward to the overhead air vents. Dried... Enrique Iglesias is no stranger to successful collaborations, having worked with superstars Akon, Usher, and Pitbull on his recent studio album, Euphoria, but now he is taking his Latin good looks to liquor stores. Iglesias announced earlier this month a...

World of Recipes

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Demy Kitchen Safe Touchscreen Recipe Reader

Demy Kitchen Safe Touchscreen Recipe ReaderThe Demy is the world’s first touchscreen, kitchen-safe digital recipe reader. The Demy is designed to deliver a complete recipe collection to cooks in the kitchen. The Demy also includes handy tools like 3 kitchen timers, a measurement conversion calculator and an ingredient substitution dictionary to get cooks out of a pinch if they are one special ingredient short. The Demy is designed to thrive in the unpredictable and often messy kitchen environment. Its high resolution, capacitive glass touchscreen packs a sealed 7” monitor into a footprint of just a 5 x 7 card. The Demy can also stand upright, taking up the counter space of just a 3 x 5 card. The screen rotates automatically for easy viewing. Each Demy recipe collection is powered by the KeyIngredient website, the best place to find, create, share and collect all of your recipes. The Demy unit comes pre-loaded with 250 recipes and has the capacity to hold 2,500 recipes complete with photographs, descriptions, ingredients and steps. And your complete recipe collection on KeyIngredient can be synced to your Demy in minutes with the included USB cable. The Demy puts all of your recipes at the tip of your finger.

Price: $299.95


Click here to buy from Amazon