Your morning cup of coffee may be sacred, but every once in a while, it's good to shake things up and get creative. Cream and sugar are always going to be there for you, so why not try something new? Spice up your coffee (or spike it up) with interesting additions and mix-ins. Try adding spices to the coffee grounds before brewing. Cinnamon and nutmeg are common additions. If you're looking Read more

Over the past few years, Indian food, much like Vietnamese and Korean cuisines, has made giant strides in the landscape of American cuisine. No one can speak to this more than chef Sachin Chopra, the creative force in the kitchen at Bay Area restaurants All Spice and Arka (where he's chef-owner and consulting chef, respectively). Chopra, who was recently named one of the four new chefs to watch Read more

We've got a new partnership with Padma Lakshmi! The host of the 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 shows us what the spice cardamom is useful for, and why it's so much better Read more

This may come as a surprise, but if we had to eat one cuisine for the rest of our lives, my pick would be Ethiopian. There's something incredibly natural about the act of eating with one's hands, and the spiced, slow-cooked, home style preparations. But to someone who's not familiar with East African cuisine, deciphering an Ethiopian recipe or the menu at an Eritrean restaurant can be sort of Read more

So many people in my life are terrified when I bring up the idea of going out to my favorite Indian spot in the city. Indian flavors are not for the faint of heart, but most people think that Indian food is just about a super-spicy curry; that couldn't be further from the truth. Indian food is bold, flavorful, and indicative of the country's rich and vibrant history. The regional flavors are as Read more

I'm not sure whether it's the readily available resources online or the sheer number of food documentaries I've watched (Forks Over Knives was the latest viewing that gently pushed me over the edge), but I've officially decided to go vegan for 30 days. I realize this lifestyle change is not for everyone, but making the shift is something I feel ready to experiment with, if only for a limited Read more

We're halfway through Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. Although it's a time of spiritual reflection, there's also a focus on food and Iftar, the meal that breaks the fast at sundown. This is no exception in the food-centric North African country of Morocco, where nearly 99 percent of the population practices Islam. Moroccan cuisine is distinctive and unique, thanks in part to the Read more

Although I'm not Vietnamese, I grew up eating at plenty of the Vietnamese restaurants that surrounded my Houston neighborhood. But more than 20 years later, I have a confession: even for me, those menus — with their complicated spellings and manifold accent marks — can be pretty darn confusing! But regardless of your familiarity with ethnic foods, absolutely don't let the foreign-looking Read more

My award for breakfast of the year goes to the portable, nutrient-packed, and easy-to-prep smoothie — all you have to do is give it a whirl in your blender, pile it into a to-go cup, and run your blender through hot water for instant cleanup. But I have a bit of a bone to pick with smoothies: I can't see one more strawberry-banana smoothie combination! Considering there are countless options Read more

This time of the year marks long-awaited warmer temperatures, extended days, and the sweet smell of springtime. Now that Spring has finally arrived and we can kiss our cabin fever blues away, there's another fever we have to contend with — Spring fever! Spring causes hormones to surge and our energy levels to burst from the seams, so why not add to the madness with a natural aphrodisiac Read more