Blog Posts by YumSugar

Source: 5 Spring Fruits and What to Make With Them

It's still officially Spring, which means you can still enjoy the bounty of fresh fruits that sweeten up the season. Just like with peak Spring vegetables, enjoying these treats can be as easy as taking a juicy bite, but we've rallied together five recipes that highlight each fruit's delectable essence.

• The Spring Fruit - Kumquats: Don't peel these babies: tiny kumquats actually get their sweetness from the tender, edible rind, though the inside is quite sour. While the jury's out on whether it should be categorized as a citrus or something entirely on its own, the kumquat can be used in many dishes and beverages that call for oranges or lemons.
  What to Make - Kumquat Fizz: These mini fruits add the perfect sweet-tart note to a refreshing, fizzy Spring cocktail.
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• The Spring Fruit - Apricots: The fuzzy skin, delightful floral aroma, and juicy fruit seem to signal the peak of Spring and its sultry

Source: Follow These 4 Guidelines to Keep Your Spices Fresh

Whether you're partial to Indian curries, homemade chili, warmly spiced granola, or all three, chances are you've accrued quite the spice collection, but do you know how best to store your flavorful bounty? Protect your investment by keeping a few simple guidelines in mind:

• Store spices in airtight containers away from direct heat and sunlight, preferably in a cupboard, pantry, or drawer, so as to avoid damage to their essential oils. If storing spices in a drawer, stock up on a brand whose lid is labeled on top, like Morton & Basset, for easy identification of the contents within, or label the lids yourself. If housing spices in a cupboard or pantry, try a tiered shelf or lazy Susan for the best access.
• When you first crack open a spice jar, make certain to label it somewhere - we typically mark the bottom of the jar - with the date using a permanent marker. This way you'll know when the contents' potency has dulled,

POPSUGAR FoodSource: The Top 6 Trends From the South Beach Wine and Food Festival

Aside from gorging ourselves on snacks and spirits, interviewing food personalities, and attending celebrity chef demos, what else were we doing at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival? Why, keeping our eyes pried for new culinary trends, of course. Here are six themes we saw in a big way that may be poised to hit your dining scene soon.

• Salty-Sweet Snacks: Sugar and salt are nothing new, but the combo was at just about every event we attended. At Andrew Zimmern's truck event, Potoffee combined potato chips and toffee, and Friar Tuck's served a burger patty and cheese between maple-glazed doughnuts. At the Tasting Village, we enjoyed freshly shucked oysters that were dressed in a tropical passionfruit sauce.
• Piedmontese Beef: This breed of cattle, known for having less cholesterol and fat than its counterparts, was out in full force at the Grand Tasting Village. Andrew Zimmern also shared details on a new

Source: 10 Tricks For Better Homemade Salads

Do you ever find that your homemade salads just aren't as good as those in restaurants? Whether the problem rests in the prep of the salad or the choice of ingredients, these 10 tricks will have you tossing better homemade salads in no time.

• Wash and Dry the Leaves Thoroughly: Most people just rinse lettuce under the sink, but to really get all the dirt and grim out, fill a bowl with water and dunk the lettuce. Then use a salad spinner to completely dry the leaves. If there's any water remaining on the leaves, the salad dressing won't stick, resulting in a watery, bland salad.
• Salt the Dressing: No matter if it's just oil and vinegar, salt the dressing to taste to enhance the flavor of the salad. It's a step that a lot of people neglect to do, but that's why restaurant salads taste so good - chefs often salt their dressings.
• Use Varying Textures: Choose salad toppings that have contrasting textures like crunchy

Source: 5 Ways to Serve Corned Beef

If you're hoping to cook up some traditional Irish eats for St. Patrick's Day, corned beef should definitely be on the menu. Its association with Irish-American culture makes corned beef a holiday must, but feel free to get creative with your dish. From a morning classic to a salty, cheesy sandwich, here are five delicious ways to serve corned beef on March 17.

• With eggs. Start your St. Patrick's Day with a tasty take on the traditional beef. Corned beef hash and scrambled eggs are sure to get your holiday off on the right foot. Try the canned version or create your own with this simple corned beef hash recipe.
• On a sandwich. Stick to a classic Reuben sandwich recipe or keep things simple by adding slices of corned beef to marbled rye. A few condiment ideas: horseradish, mustard, or a layer of your favorite cheese.
• With potatoes and cabbage. Get in the Irish spirit by serving smoked corned beef with boiled potatoes and

POPSUGAR FoodSource: Simple Tips For Perfect Poached Eggs Every Time

Few culinary tasks are as simultaneously simple and complex as poaching eggs. While it's easy enough to plop an egg or two into a bath of simmering water, it takes a touch of practice and know-how to achieve consistently satisfying results. Lucky for you, we've done the legwork, testing out a variety of tips and tricks to determine what works best.

• Use the freshest eggs you can find: as eggs age the white becomes looser, more watery, and less likely to form a cohesive mass around the yolk when poached. If you have access to eggs from the farmers market, here's the time to use them; save older eggs for hard-boiling and baking.
• Rather than crack an egg directly into a pot of water to cook, crack each egg into an individual ramekin so that it can be gently turned out into the water and is therefore less likely to break.
• If using slightly older eggs, drain off any loose egg white before poaching. Crack each egg into a

Source: Rachael Ray on How She Keeps Up With a Growing Burger Bash

From The Q to the Grand Tasting, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival has many flagship events, but none is more sought-after than the Burger Bash hosted by Rachael Ray. Every star chef from Masaharu Morimoto to Guy Fieri has vied for top prize at the twice-yearly event (which is also held every Fall at the New York City Wine and Food Festival). We sat down with Rachael Ray just before she took the stage to announce the coveted People's Choice Award. She shared her thoughts on South Beach versus Miami, patty purists, and how she manages to taste all those burgers.

PopSugar: So how many Burger Bashes has this been for you?
Rachael Ray: Seven.

PS: What's different and what's new this year?
RR: Nothing's new about our event, except it gets bigger every year. What I love about our event is that I think it really embodies what I love about food: everybody's welcome, and it's for everyone. Whatever your skill level,

Source: Dos and Don'ts From Bobby Flay, Burger Bash's Newest Champ

Bobby Flay has a shining new accomplishment to put under his belt: winner of the Burger Bash people's choice award. The owner of Bobby's Burger Palace shared his elation with the crowd at a South Beach Wine and Food Festival demo yesterday, mostly about dethroning best friend and long-standing winner Michael Symon. "I've endured 36 straight months of razzing from Michael. The next 12 will be bliss . . . I'm going to give it back." Chef Flay also shared tips and his controversial opinions on what does - and does not - belong between two buns.

• Don't even bother with chicken burgers. When asked by an audience member why her chicken burgers never turn out quite right, Flay had a simple, definitive answer: "Don't make them!" Ground chicken breast doesn't work: it's too rubbery and dry. Instead, he offers customers a chicken breast sandwich and turkey burgers to satisfy those in need of a poultry fix.
• Do use