Blog Posts by YumSugar

Source: Heat Wave Cooking: Icebox Cake

I still manage to learn a little something new each day. Today, it was that the memory card from my camera could be inserted directly into my laptop. Yesterday, it was that a manicure can mean the difference between a finger and no finger when you're chopping a lot of vegetables. And earlier this month, it was the revelation that is a layered icebox cake.

I've never seen a dessert that proffers such a large payout, given the minimal effort. Seriously, spread out cookies like tiles, lay them thick with whipping cream, and repeat until towering. If you're feeling particularly mischievous (and I usually am), shower the top with shavings from your favorite chocolate brand. Exhibit a little self-restraint (the hardest part!), stick your masterpiece in the fridge, and the next morning, you'll open the icebox to find the the most gorgeous layered cloud of a dessert that you've ever seen. A bonus dirty little secret: if you're especially lazy, this cake

Source: Adventures in Ingredients: Guinea Fowl Eggs

While at the Marin farmers market this past weekend, I made friends with Jackie, an adorable farmer who sells eggs under the brand By Cracky It's Jackie's Farm Fresh Eggs. At the end of the market, a few stragglers stopped by her booth requesting chicken eggs. She responded, "Nope, sorry. The weather has been too hot for the chickens to lay eggs. But I have plenty of guinea fowl eggs. They're producing like crazy!" Most refused her offer and walked away disappointed.

While Jackie was gracious enough to give me a dozen guinea fowl eggs at the end of her farmers market run, I'll admit my initial response was not one of excitement: I'd recently encountered a slightly sulfuric-smelling batch of chicken eggs and hadn't quite recovered from the experience. I assumed the eggs from the guinea fowl, which sounded exotic and complicated, must have possessed an equally game taste to match.

"What should I do with them?" I asked Jackie

Source: Learn Proper Etiquette For English Teatime

For Americans, it's more common to slurp a coffee in a plastic on-the-go cup during a morning commute than to sit down with friends for a proper tea, so that explains why we don't know mluch about English tea etiquette. Some of the rules and behavior expected at afternoon tea are not intuitive, so it's necessary to learn them. While a few of these customs may seem silly, many serve the important purpose of avoiding spills and hot-water burns. If you find yourself sitting down to afternoon tea, whether in England or otherwise, then here are a few tea etiquette pointers.

• Pouring: Place the mesh tea strainer over the cup, then hold the teapot handle in one hand and press down the lid with the other as you pour the tea. Fill the cup only three-quarters of the way full to prevent spills and to save room for the milk and sugar. Remove the mesh tea strainer and set it aside on a small plate.
• Seasoning: After the tea is poured,

Source: Taste Test: Cheesecake Factory's Oreo Dream Extreme

There's nothing better than Oreos baked into other desserts, so we were thrilled when we received an Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant empire released this limited-edition flavor to its stores on July 30 to celebrate both National Cheesecake Day and the 100th birthday of the Oreo.

Get it while it lasts, because this is no ordinary cheesecake. It has archaeological layers of chocolate-y goodness waiting to be discovered. Starting with an unctuous layer of chocolate cake, it's followed by whole Oreo cookies embedded in vanilla cheesecake. A sizable spread of chocolate icing blankets the whole thing, and, finally, mini chocolate chips, studded around the sides, add a little crunch to the otherwise smooth slice. Our eyes feasted, but what about our palates? Take a look at our comments and ratings of this extreme cheesecake.

The promise for the Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake: The press

Source: Mix It Up! The Case For Marrying Ground Meats

There's an easier method to marrying meats than constructing a turducken. For starters, try the combination of ground beef and ground pork. Ground beef - a key element in bolognese sauce, tacos, and meatballs - often needs aromatic vegetables, herbs, and spices to amplify its flavor. Ground pork, found in quick Asian stir-fries and breakfast sausages, is semisweet on its own but can be too rich and fatty. Combine the two together, and you have ground meat that's earthy and tender without tasting iron-like.

Try this trick for meatballs, meat sauces, stir-fries, and even chili: combine equal parts raw ground beef and ground pork in a bowl, using a large fork or your hands to mix the two together. Season with salt and pepper and sauté in a skillet over medium high, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon as the meat browns. Cook until no pink remains, about 10 minutes, adding beef stock or water if needed to deglaze the fond at

YumSugarSource: 5 Satisfying Salad Entrées to Make This Week

While the weather's warm, it's difficult to eat anything piping hot for dinner. Instead, opt for the crunchy freshness of salad greens topped with raw veggies and quick-cooked protein. We've got a salad for everyone, from steak lovers to fish fans to vegetarians. Stay cool and full with these five, satisfying salad recipes that you can make each night this week.

Related Content:

5 No-Cook Meals You'll Have Time to Make This Week (We Promise!)

5 Tomato-Based Recipes to Try This Week

Eat Seasonally With These Easy Summer Dinners

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Source: 5 Ways to Use a Chinois at Home

If you've never heard of a chinois, it's a cone-shaped strainer that's often seen in professional kitchens and used for a multitude of purposes. While household strainers are more commonly round-shaped (better suited for straining pasta, sifting powdered sugar or flour, and the like), the conical chinois is more functional for extracting the liquids out of meats, vegetables, and fruits. Want a case for adding the chinois to your home kitchen? Here, we offer five foods that work well with the chinois.

• Stock: Make your stocks clear and fiber-free by straining out the bones and vegetable pieces. The cone shape helps trap everything, so bones don't go flying into the strained stock.
• Pureed soups and sauces: Leave behind even the most minute fibrous material after blending soups and sauces into a puree.
• Gravy: Trap small particles from pan gravies, so you are left with a silky, thick finishing sauce.
• Custard: Strain

YumSugarSource: 5 No-Cook Meals You'll Have Time to Make This Week (We Promise!)

When it comes to weeknight cooking, Summer days are both bad and good things. On the one hand, with longer, warmer days, it's easier to be out and about than behind the stove in a kitchen. On the other hand, balmier evenings call for fast, superlight, no-cook meals that come together in a heartbeat. Keep reading to see five of our favorites right now.

• Vegetarian Taco Salad: No stove is required to brown beef in this meatless taco salad. Rather, it's chock-full of different textures and flavors, from crunchy jicama to salty queso fresco.
• Roast Beef Sandwiches: These aren't just any roast beef sandwiches: we love the tangy combination of chive spread, ripe tomatoes, beef, and sourdough bread.
• Smoked Salmon Salad: Get both your greens and your protein from a mixed greens salad with cold-smoked salmon.
• Pita Bread With Mint and Feta: In a serious time crunch? A pita filled with