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6 Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

partysugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:50:37 -0800

Planning a Thanksgiving dinner can be a daunting task. To make it more manageable, start thinking about the meal now and take things one-step at a time. First, select a menu. Chances are you're still seeking recipe inspiration. Thus, I've created six fabulous menus for you to browse. From a meat-less vegetarian feast to an easy dinner that's perfect for beginners, here you'll find something for everyone.

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Would You Eat at a Restaurant With No Menus?

partysugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:50:53 -0700

Recently Mouthing Off, Food & Wine's blog, chatted about the menu, or lack thereof, at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. The restaurant of James Beard Award winning chef Dan Barber stopped using menus a year ago. Instead, diners are presented with a list of in-season ingredients. They select either five or eight courses and let the waitstaff know of any off-limits foods. The kitchen has total control over a patron's meal. Considering I'm an adventurous and sometimes indecisive (I want to try everything!) eater, I would love to eat at a menu-free restaurant - especially if the chef is as acclaimed as Barber. How about you?

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Do You Save Restaurant Menus?

YumSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:18 -0700

Yummy Links: From Crab Fondue to Oscar Menus

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:45:20 -0800

This cheesy crab fondue looks to die for! - Simply Recipes
Find out which store-bought chicken stock tastes the best. - Serious Eats
Learn how to cook beans in a slow cooker. - The Kitchn
Use frozen berries to bring Summer's fruit pies into Winter's kitchen. - Simply Stated
Super charge with these ingredients that make you smarter and more virile. - Chow
Five menus that coincide with this year's Oscar nominations for best picture. - The Epi-Log

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Love It or Hate It: Prix Fixe Recession Specials

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:30:09 -0800

While they're nothing new to the world of restaurant dining, lately fixed-price menus have become more prevalent. Last month, as the nation's economy reached record lows, online reservation system OpenTable promoted its Appetite Stimulus Plan, a three-course, prix fixe promotional offering at restaurants in 13 US cities. I've noticed a number of San Francisco dining spots with set menu bargains, and New York establishments are also suggesting several courses for a steal. While some diners have been taking every opportunity to try set menus at special prices, I've been sticking to the traditional menu. I gravitate toward innovative preparations, and the prix fixe options I've seen have often been tired standards, such as mixed greens appetizers, uninspired chicken entrées, and sorbet desserts. It makes me wonder who's getting the better end of the bargain: diners, or dining establishments?

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Yummy Links: From Shrimp Roll Pizza to Pie Pans

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 07:59:31 -0700

As if that crazy Japanese Double Roll pizza wasn't enough, now Korea has its own Double Roll and it includes shrimp! - Serious Eats
The five cookie finalists in the Mrs. Fields Search for the 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest have been announced. - iVillage
Learn more about fair trade, including 12 ways to shop fair trade. - TeamSugar
Moving to college? Check out these desperate dorm-room tricks and microwave hi-jinxs. - Chow
Summer is full of great produce, and here are five ways to eat more of it. - Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen
Take some time to learn the science behind the restaurant menu. - Will Work For Food
Here's another fascinating vintage recipe. This time it's for Velveeta Nutburgers. - Slashfood
Don't miss this list of eight foods men (and probably women) should eat everyday. - FitSugar
Ever wish you could make just a slice of pie? Well the individual pie slice pan takes you one step closer to that goal. - Baking Bites

MenuPages: Scope Out Menus Before You Eat

YumSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:30:23 -0700

Last week, Partysugar asked if you like to read the menus before eating at new restaurants. I know I do: Especially if it's a reservation I've been looking forward to for a while, I'll often pore over a menu for days, thinking about what I might order.

Many restaurants publish menus on their web sites, but for the ones that don't, MenuPages is an excellent resource. This web site posts full menus for thousands of restaurants in eight metropolitan areas: New York, San Francisco, LA, Philly, Boston, Chicago, DC, and South Florida. You can look up restaurants by name or browse by cuisine and neighborhood. To ensure that its menus are up to date, the site takes submission directly from restaurants, and readers can also suggest joints they'd like to see featured. For why I love this web site, read more

Of course, many restaurants change their menus weekly or even monthly, but MenuPages tries to stay as real-time as possible. Often, the menu online is exactly the same as what you'll find while dining, and even when it isn't, I still love MenuPages. It gives me a great idea of the types of dishes served, not to mention a realistic representation of the prices.

If you don't live in one of the eight regions featured on MenuPages, I highly recommend consulting it the next time you travel. Have you guys used this site? If so, what do you think?

Mindful Menus Wherever You Eat Out

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:30:00 -0800

Are you someone that has a hard time making healthy choices when dining out? Navigating menus can be tough on even the savviest of healthy eaters so why not get a little help?

Mindful Menus is looking to make eating out a little easier (and healthier) for you. Mindful Menus Wherever ($25) is a small, metal card holder that contains 10 different laminated nutritional cheat sheets for a variety of cuisines for when you are eating out. You can use the 10 credit card sized cards to help you decide what to order and what not to order when you are eating Italian, diner food, Sushi, Mexican, Thai, Salads, Chinese, Starbucks, even at happy hour and more. I love that it is small enough to fit into a purse, because the last thing I need is another thing to carry around. Pretty cool, eh? Buy it here.

Should School Lunch Menus Display Calorie Counts?

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

A North Carolina school district is testing new technology aimed at fighting childhood obesity. The schools have licensed food boards resembling those at fast food drive-thrus, but in the place of prices are calorie counts.

The school board realizes that providing the calorie counts alone won't do much to make a positive change, so teachers will devise lessons for the classroom to help kids make healthier choices. Crest Middle School principal Amy Jones commented, "We really don't want to make them afraid to even pick up anything and put it in their mouths, but we also want to make them educated, that's our job."

It's important for kids to understand how their food choices affect their bodies, but I can also see how providing calorie counts for kids could be sending a confusing message. What's your take on this experiment?

Yummy Links: From Ferran Adria to Kid's Menus

partysugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:45:16 -0700

Dining with Ferran Adria at Katz's Deli. - Serious Eats
Nine chefs share their bloody kitchen nightmares. - Metromix New York
Love to cook, but can't seem to find the time? The Sunday dinner project, hosted by Andrew Schloss, helps you make the components for multiple meals every Sunday evening. - Cookthink
The cruelest practical joke in food history. - The BA Foodist
Sharpen your knife skills with these books. - The Epi-Log
A look at Asia's tea harvest. - The Kitchn
Can grown-ups order off the kid's menu? - Chow

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