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Southern (Indian) Thanksgiving

Yum Community — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:42 -0800

This story was written by member courtneyd and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

For a few years now I've wanted to try to marry the traditional Southern Indian food my husband grew up enjoying with Thanksgiving as I know it (Southern girl with a love of spice and heat). So this year I did a trial run of a tandoori-style turkey made in the oven.

By next year I hope to build my own tandoor, or at least grill this guy, because it needs a little more heat to crisp up properly. Even so, the meal turned out great! Tandoori turkey, tamarind gravy, creamed saag, masala mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods' naan, which has a slight dinner roll texture, so it works out perfectly for this blended meal. The tamarind gravy was an original creation (that I cannot believe turned out properly, it was sooooo good), and the other recipes were either inspired by or taken directly from The Food of India from Whitecap Books. I love their "food of" series, and my husband is impressed with the Indian recipes.

For the turkey, I followed the instructions from November's Martha Stewart Living to spatchcock a turkey and cooked according to their instructions after marinating for about 7 hours. Not including the marinade time, this meal came together in about 2 hours on a Friday night. Also, we discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc complements Indian food perfectly.

To get her recipes for this Southern Indian feast, keep reading.

Do Tell: What Are Your Favorite Thanksgiving Traditions?

TresSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:13 -0800

Thanksgiving is almost here, and it might just be my favorite holiday. Every year my family gets together for a big party at my aunt's house. I always look forward to the classic food like turkey and mashed potatoes, but I also love the dishes specific to my family, like my mom's spicy jalapeno cranberry sauce or the creamed onions made according to my grandma's recipe. After dinner, we all head to the living room hoping to beat our food comas with a spirited game of charades.

These are the traditions that I will be looking forward to all week. What Thanksgiving traditions do you enjoy?

Celebrity Chef Art Smith Scores New TLC Show

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:21 -0800

NBC and Fox aren't the only channels trying to nab a piece of the cooking show pie. So is cable channel TLC. Not only does the lifestyle network boast new programming like Cake Boss and the soon-to-air BBQ Pitmasters, but the channel has just ordered eight episodes of a new 30-minute series, Craving Comfort, starring celebrity chef Art Smith.

Rather than demoing dishes in the traditional cooking show sense, Smith will travel the country in search of America's most satisfying eats. Each show will focus on one particular comfort food, such as fried chicken or apple pie. Craving Comfort will debut in late 2010.

Smith, who owns Table Fifty-Two and was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a decade, recently starred in the Bravo series Top Chef Masters. I think David Chang is right in saying that comfort foods will be big in 2010, and that this show will take off. Are you a big enough fan of Art Smith to tune in?

Rihanna Wants Great Food and Great Sex For Christmas!

PopSugarUK — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0800

Following her stay in London this week, Rihanna arrived at LAX Airport yesterday in a cute and comfy outfit. She is the guest editor of MSN's music channel on Monday, and she's spoken with them about her plans for holiday season. When asked what she wants for Christmas, she replied: "some great food and some great sex"! You can watch the video of her interview after the jump, where she also talks about her family traditions and plans for this Christmas.

To watch Rihanna talk about wanting great sex and great food for Christmas, and to see more pictures of her arriving at LAX, just read more.

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Savory Sight: Finnish Delights

YumSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:00:32 -0700

Be it Eritrean cooking or Colombian cuisine, I'm obsessed with trying new foods from around the world. I'm sad to say I haven't made it to any Scandinavian countries yet - but thanks to FinnLover, I'm dying to go now. During a recent trip to visit her husband's family in Finland, she ate her way through a number of Finnish specialties, like Ruisleipä, or black rye bread, shown above. To get a glimpse of her palatable pictures, read more.

Karjalanpiirakka, also known as Karelian pies, are filled with a rice mixture and are commonly served with egg butter. Her favorite is topped with egg salad.

Finland's version of fast food: a deep-fried pie filled with meat and rice is served with sausages, onions, relish, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.

Finn's favorite: potato and salmon casserole with onions, dill, and cream.

In Finland, Mämmi - made of water, rye flour, and powdered rye malt - is a traditional Easter dessert. Apparently, it's a bit of an acquired taste.

Mämmi is traditionally served with vanilla cream and sugar.

Ruisleipä, or black rye bread, is topped here with a spread and rhubarb compote.

Have you tried any of these droolworthy Finnish specialties?

Are Traditional British Foods Becoming Extinct?

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:15:51 -0700

Seems like the Brits have a lot to worry about food-wise. First their curry industry ran into a crisis, and now it seems that their actual traditional dishes are becoming extinct. Experts believe that dishes like toad in the hole, spotted dick, steak and kidney pie, and jam roly-poly could disappear from dining tables by 2021.

A new survey conducted by Tesco - a huge British grocery store chain - discovered that only 6 percent of 18-40 year olds had cooked a Beef Wellington compared to 15 percent of 41-55 year olds.

The research claims that the traditional dishes are being prepared less frequently and that folks are opting for foreign cuisine, like spaghetti bolognese and curry instead. They believe that this will lead to the eventual wipe out of traditional dishes. Personally, I don't think this is true. We don't eat chicken piccata, or duck a l'orange very often, but those dishes have survived for centuries, and while not served in most homes, they're hardly "extinct."

So what do you think? Do you believe these dishes could become extinct?

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Ring in the New Year With Black Eyed Peas and Cabbage

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 03:00:00 -0800

So many holidays have special foods associated with them and now that it is the new year, it is time to say "goodbye" to those sugary candy canes and the chocolate log of goodness Bûche de Noël, and a big "hello" to black eyed peas and cabbage. These two super foods are here to help you usher in a healthy and prosperous 2008.

Black eyed peas are considered good luck in many cultures and are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in the south. They are circular and represent the cycle of a year ending. One cup of cooked peas contains 11 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein and less than one gram of fat. However, black eyed peas are most often cooked with hog jowls, bacon, or salt pork which adds fat and sodium to the dish, but also lots of flavor as well as luck. Pork is considered lucky because pigs use their snouts to dig in the ground in a forward direction. The forward direction being lucky.

Cabbage on the other hand is associated with prosperity. The leaves are considered to be representative of paper currency. Eating money will bring you money! Cabbage is most nutritionally prepared by steaming or sauteing, but not boiling since the leaves can lose up to 90 percent of their healthy antioxidants when cooked in water. Cabbage is high in vitamins K and C, the mineral magnesium, and even a little bit of omega-3 fatty acids. Plus it is great for cleansing your liver which might feel a little taxed today after last night's party. Now that is some veggie!

Good luck in the new year and adding these two foods to your diet, even if it isn't today, you can't go wrong.

Is there a food you always eat on New Year's Day (maybe to help your hangover)? I want to hear about it so tell me in the comments section below.

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Freaky or Fabulous: English Food Umbrellas

FabSugarUK — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:35 -0700

Showing off your patriotism with a union jack item is one thing, but wearing your pride with a traditional English photo umbrella is quite another! London Undercover have created these two funky accessories for the colder months where you can choose from either fish'n'chips in newspaper (£50) or an English breakfast on a gingham tablecloth (£50). What do you think of these food orientated accessories?

Health Foodie Community Right Here on FitSugar!

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:38 -0700

I'm into food - it's hard to live in SF and not become a foodie. I am also a health fanatic. These two parts of my life do not need to be mutually exclusive. One great place they meet up is the FitSugar Community. There are two groups which really get to the heart of the matter when it comes to healthy food.

There's the Healthy Recipe Group, and the name of the group really says it all. It's a place where you can find and share healthy recipes. Many are traditional recipes that have been "rehabbed" to reduce calories and fat. One tasty example is this vegetable-heavy simple weeknight chili.

For the times when you feel a little peckish, but don't want to dive into a bag of Doritos, there is the Snack Attack group. The group is full of quick treat ideas that won't break the caloric bank and many that help fill your nutritional requirements too. I'm hoping to make the baked pears with yogurt tonight.

If you need some inspiration for healthy cooking and eating, these groups are great places start. Please feel free to share your recipes and snacks here too. I am always looking for new ways to satisfy my palate while keeping my health in mind.

Do Tell: What's Your Thanksgiving Tradition?

DearSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:00:00 -0800

I love the smell of Thanksgiving, and in my opinion, it's the holiday that brings family and friends the closest. Every year, my parents host, our immediate family and close friends come for dinner (we don't eat until 6), and we always keep a few extra chairs handy in case someone drops by. We have the same menu year after year, and while the kitchen is bustling, football is on the background, a fire is burning in the living room, and the phone rings off the hook with Thanksgiving cheers. I love Thanksgiving because I get to see all my friends who have moved away, and it gets me all that more excited for the Christmas season.

Thanks for letting me share my memories with you. Now it's your turn. Ladies, do tell: What's your Thanksgiving Day tradition?

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