FabSugar

Trend Alert: Onesies!

FabSugar — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:45:44 PDT

The youthful all-encompassing onesie has certainly seen mixed emotions. I for one feel they are very beach-appropriate; the cute onesie is so easy to slip on and off and has a fun flair. On the streets they are more of a fashion risk. But, when worn with the right (minimal) accessories and a cool attitude, per Nicole Richie, they can look totally chic. Lastly, I would keep the look toned down and casual, like the ones here, and make sure your bod is in tip-top shape. As for those still on the fashion fence: you never know until you try!

Fast & Easy Dinner: Arctic Char With Mushrooms

partysugar — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:00:31 PDT

Chances are, if you celebrate Good Friday, you'll be enjoying fish for dinner tonight. Thus, I've found the perfect recipe for you. It's a healthful but elegant preparation of arctic char with a satisfying portion of mushrooms and arugula on the side. Lots of fresh herbs and red wine vinegar season the simple and scrumptious dish. It's sophisticated enough for entertaining, but so quick and uncomplicated you won't break a sweat. Want the recipe?

Sauteed Cauliflower With Anise and Cashews

Padma Lakshmi — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:19:11 PST

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of Emmy-winning Top Chef, writer, and designer started Padma Lakshmi, a social networking site that celebrates our favorite topics, including food adventures, recipes, and party planning. She'll be dishing up goodies for us here on YumSugar monthly! Today, Padma shares a recipe for Sauteed Cauliflower With Anise and Cashews.

Cauliflower gets a bad rap sometimes. It's definitely always the last vegetable left on a crudites platter, but that's lucky for me because I happen to love this cruciferous floret. I think a lot of people are just a touch puzzled when it comes to preparation and don't know the proper ways to work with it and coax out a truly indulgent flavor.

I have a delicious preparation that will leave everyone at the table gazing longingly at the empty serving bowl where the cauliflower once was.

In North India, in a dish called aloo gobi, it is made with potatoes and cumin. I've replaced the potatoes with cashews and the cumin with anise seeds; it's lighter without the potatoes, and the cashews give it a rich, nutty flavor that pairs well with the anise seeds. The long, dry red chilies give the dish a burst of red color that looks gorgeous on the plate.

This is a great side dish to add to your Thanksgiving Day feast. It's a surprising twist on a traditional vegetable that will add some intrigue to the line-up of usual suspects. Keep reading for the recipe.

A Tale of Three Tortas: Tortas en Mexico

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:28:21 PST

How do tortas stack up when eaten in their country of origin, Mexico? Between the Bread does a little investigating.

Since I'm mildly obsessed with spicy tortas, I couldn't let my first trip to Mexico end without trying a local sandwich. Though Zihuatanejo is more known for pozole and tacos al pastor, we heard good things about hole-in-the-wall Tortas Ziranda and hit it up for our last meal.

Markedly different from Nopalito, obviously, but far more authentic, Ziranda serves reasonably sized tortas on toasty grilled rolls. I ordered ham and cheese (pictured below), while Andrew got the Ziranda specialty of shredded pork and jam with two kinds of cheese (above)

For more of her thoughts and pictures, keep on reading.

Make the Ultimate Cheeseburger From Scratch

YumSugar — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:02:22 PDT

A delicious burger is like a work of art. The meat should be smoky and charred on the outside, but juicy and tender on the inside. The cheese should be melted, the condiments crisp and fresh, and the bun toasted, but soft. Once you've mastered the basic method, it's fun to get experimental with the ingredients. But before you can do that, you've got to learn how to make a traditional burger. Watch the video now to see how it's done!

21 Perfect Pizzas From Coast to Coast

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:38:00 PDT

Call it a 21-pie salute to the best pizzas our country has to offer. In honor of National Pizza Month, we've teamed up with our expert taste testers in NYC, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco to pinpoint our 21 favorite pizza places in four major cities. Read on, then eat up.

YumSugar's Top 5 Pizzas

Motorino: New York's East Village is lucky to have this neighborhood spot, which makes a memorable, chewy-blistery crust (pictured above). Try the brussels sprouts and smoked pancetta pizza.
Pizzeria Mozza: The luscious toppings and creative flavor combinations at Mario Batali's Los Angeles pizza outpost will leave any pie lover hankering for more.
Gino's East: Chicago's deep-dish pizza wouldn't be what it is without the precedent of Gino's East. Do as a Chicagoan would do: order a pie with an entire layer of the joint's famous sausage.
Pizzeria Delfina: San Francisco's favorite neighborhood pizza house makes solid pies across the board, but the panna pizza - with sweet-tart tomato sauce, cream, basil, and thin shavings of parmigiano - will change your life.
Grimaldi's: There's a perpetual line around the block at this Brooklyn institution, and for good reason. Don't pass up an opportunity to try a classic New York slice, made in a historic coal-burning brick oven.

Check out 20 more favorites from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, after the jump.

The Difference Between Bruschetta and Crostini

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:44:20 PDT

Both bruschetta and crostini are Italian terms that relate to crispy bread. But what's the difference between the two of them?

Crostini translates to "little toasts" and generally refers to small pieces of bread that are baked. These toasts are then topped with a variety of ingredients like cheese, vegetables, meat, or seafood.

Bruschetta, on the other hand, is a larger piece of bread that is cooked over coals or a grill. Bruschetta can be rubbed with garlic and is traditionally served freshly charred. Like crostini, bruschetta can be topped with a wide range of items. What do you like to top yours with?

Photo by flickr user Jeffrey Beall

The Basics: Roasted Red Peppers

Lauren Hendrickson — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:55:16 PDT

While it's easy to pick up a jar of roasted red peppers, it's nearly just as easy to make your own. You will need to pay a bit of attention while you roast them, so they don't get too charred, but in less than an hour, you will have fresh roasted peppers! They are great for sandwiches, pizzas, hummus, and even more delicious pureed and served as a pasta sauce.

If you're ready to skip the aisle at your local market and get started in the kitchen, click through for the simple step-by-step instructions.

5 Different Ways to Grill Fish

Susannah Chen — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 05:39:12 PDT

From hot dogs to halloumi and wild leeks to watermelon, just about every provision can be made more delicious on the grill. My recent obsession is fish; a short grill takes its delicate flavor profile for a wild ride, imparting a char and an intoxicatingly smoky aroma that can't be replicated. Another reason to love fish on the 'cue: the versatile protein also works well in an extensive range of preparations. Here are five of my favorite methods with fish on the barbecue; to take advantage of them before Summer comes to a close, keep reading.

Neil deGrasse Tyson's Cosmic Twitter Tutorials

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:30:58 PDT

To many Americans Neil deGrasse Tyson is the face of astrophysics and space science. As host of StarTalk Radio, host of NOVA scienceNOW, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium, and frequent guest to shows like The Colbert Report and the Daily Show, he is a top proponent of space travel and making science relevant to all age groups.

We'll get to know Neil even better when he stars as the host of a modern, updated version of Cosmos, the science show previously hosted by Carl Sagan. The show won't be hitting the airwaves until 2013, so in the meantime we'll turn to Neil's Twitter feed for daily space and science lessons. Here are our favorite recent "tweetorials" from the astrophysicist.

On the future - "In 5-billion yrs the Sun will expand & engulf our orbit as the charred ember that was once Earth vaporizes. Have a nice day."
On cheese - "How many Calories would a Moon made of cheese be, you ask? A made-of-manchego Moon = 285 septillion Calories."
On celestial wonders - "When do NorthernLights peak, you ask? The Sun's activity drives it during an 11yr cycle: Mid 2013 (Not 2012!)"
On Doctor Who - "Dr. Who geeks only: Am I last to learn that "DoctorWho" letters rearrange to "Torchwood" - their Alien-tech research center?"
On celebrating the planets - "Jul 12, 2011: Happy 1st B'day to Neptune. Discovered in 1846, today marks 1 full orbit since the Sept 24th night it was found."
On America's favorite past time - "Just an FYI: It takes twice as much energy to throw a baseball 100mph than it does to throw one at 70mph. DoThePhysics."