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Guinness Takes the Cake

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:15:54 -0800

Every once in a while it's nice to have a little indulgence in life. This weekend, I made a decadent chocolate-stout cake to celebrate the start of the new year. The addition of Guinness creates an incredibly moist cake with a delicious, bittersweet aftertaste. For chocoholics, the cake is absolutely heavenly!

To balance the dense richness, I served each slice with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Whipped cream would also be lovely on the side. The original recipe calls for three, 8-inch cake pans, but I own 9-inch pans, so I halved the recipe and made a two-layer cake. To satisfy your chocolate craving,

Celebrate With Fig Tapenade, Goat Cheese Amuse-Bouche

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:00:23 -0800

New Year's Eve is an ideal time to serve simple appetizers that can withstand hours of partying. After making Roquefort and Walnut Canapés, I had leftover walnuts, so I looked for another amuse bouche that could use up the nuts.

With its easy fig and olive tapenade, this delicious bite is served on a cracker with a small dollop of goat cheese and a roasted walnut topping. The tapenade can be made three days in advance, and the whole thing is quick to assemble just before party time. Every bite is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, creamy, and crunchy. To celebrate with these appetizing hors d'oeuvres,

Fast & Easy Dinner: Crunchy Wasabi Salmon

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:45:16 -0800

Spicy wasabi peas can kick up your party-food spread, and this popular snack can do the same for a thick piece of salmon. The sinus-clearing punch of horseradish mellows out when the peas are ground up and used as a coating on roasted fish. Zest of lime and shredded cabbage make for a pretty plate, while another pea — sugar snap — offers even more crunch with a touch of sweetness.

I've made this dish several times, and it's always far more satisfying than it is a challenge. See how simple it is to make when you

This Year's Best Food Magazine

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:18 -0800

As part of our Best of 2008 series, we asked you which food magazine was your top pick this year. Although there are many great food publications, we had a clear winner: Bon Appétit had 25 percent of the vote. Yum agrees; it was our favorite glossy, too.

To ring in 2008, Bon Appétit underwent a complete redesign. The initial response to the mag's contemporary graphics and new logo was mixed, but Bon Appétit's recipes continued to be innovative and reliable, and the culinary content relevant. Even better, the love was mutual: The publication approached us to be featured in its Blog Envy feature.

Tell us: What makes Bon Appétit your favorite?

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Come Party With Me: Latke Party — Menu

partysugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:00:00 -0800

This year instead of hosting a formal Hanukkah dinner, invite friends over for a festive happy hour. Serve guests a selection of vegetable latkes with a buffet of traditional toppings like applesauce, sour cream, and smoked salmon.

Classic potato latkes are delicious alongside cauliflower curry latkes. Zucchini latkes with red pepper jelly and smoked trout add a touch of elegant sophistication to the menu. Spinach latkes with feta-yogurt sauce are original and unexpected. For these recipes,

Monday's Leftovers: Tortellini With Mushroom Sauce

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:45:02 -0800

Tortellini with mushroom cream sauce might be something you reserve for an upscale Italian restaurant rather than your kitchen. But when you enlist the help of pre-made tortellini and dried mushrooms, the entrée turns out to be far less complicated than it sounds. The recipe calls for dried porcini mushrooms, but would taste delicious with any dried mushroom variety, such as chanterelles, shiitakes, or maitakes. To see the recipe,

Come Party With Me: Italian Christmas Eve — Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:00:52 -0800

The holidays are the perfect time to go all out and make a show-stopping, elaborate dessert. The classic Christmas ingredient, eggnog, gets an Italian makeover in this stunning tiramisu eggnog trifle recipe.

Since it's like three desserts in one, you'll need to start making this dish at least one day in advance. To look at the recipe — it's the ultimate finish to a feast of seven fishes —

Latkes Two Ways — Beginner and Expert

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:00:20 -0800

In case you aren't familiar with them, latkes (or latkas, depending on where you're from), are fried potato pancakes traditionally prepared during the Jewish Hanukkah festival. Although latkes come in many shapes and forms — from zucchini variations to beet renditions — the classic latke is made of shredded potatoes, oil, and seasoning. It's garnished with sour cream or applesauce.

You don't have to be celebrating Hanukkah to enjoy latkes: When topped with smoked salmon and crème fraîche, they're the perfect appetizer at a holiday party. They're also a great side dish alternative to roasted or mashed potatoes. If you're a beginner, make things easier on yourself with already-shredded potatoes, or to go truly gourmet, try making your own savory applesauce. To see both recipes,

Come Party With Me: Italian Christmas Eve — Menu

partysugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:00:21 -0800

On Christmas Eve it's customary for Italians to consume seafood for dinner; they enjoy course after course of rich fish items. Although my family has Irish origins, I thought it would be fun to plan an Italian-style Christmas Eve — this year we'll be eating seven delicious seafood dishes. To get the party started we'll have raw oysters and cold, marinated anchovies waiting for the guests. Once a group has arrived, the hot appetizers will be set out. Spicy seared scallops are a delightful bite and slices of clam pizza are crisp and salty.

At the dining table a tuna and white bean salad will be served, followed by a silky shrimp bisque. The meal finishes with a velvety lobster pasta with cream sauce. Doesn't it sound to die for? Look at these recipes when you

Check Out YumSugar on Bon Appétit!

partysugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:30:40 -0800

Bon Appétit is one of our favorite magazines and web resources for all things food. So imagine our surprise when they approached us about being a part of a special slideshow, entitled Blog Envy.

The editors have highlighted 24 of their daily must-read food blogs and YumSugar is one of them! The Internet is filled with fantastic food blogs, and we are truly honored to be featured. Be sure to browse the slideshow, you'll see familiar faces and meet some fantastic new sites.

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