Healthy happy you.
Just the term "fermented foods" sounds, well a little . . . odd. Yogurt, an every day fave, is a fermented food. Add to that list the international flavors of sauerkraut, Korean kimchi, and miso. These foods all contain probiotics, lactobacilli created during the fermentation process, which have been shown to reduce breast cancer risk, protect against yeast infections, and boost immunity. They Read more
We last took you to Mexico for a bright and tangy take on one of America's favorite game-day foods, but our next culinary adventure sends us across the Pacific to South Korea for some sweet and spicy finger-licking. If you've been lucky enough to dine at the KyoChon or BonChon chicken restaurants, then you know that Koreans love fried chicken. One of the most popular varieties is yangnyeom dak, Read more
In honor of Freaky Friday (today's Friday the 13th!), I thought I'd pull together a list of 13 freaky foods. Even if you don't have triskaidekaphobia (the fear of the number 13), you may be afraid of some of the things on this list. I know there are a bunch of other freaky things out there (how about almost anything Andrew Zimmern eats on his show?), so if you think something's missing, we want Read more
January sure is a busy month. Along with National Soup Month, it also happens to be National Tea Month. We thought we'd start off the festivities with a primer on a very trendy tea. Green tea came from Asia and took America by storm with its claims to fix just about every ailment. But what exactly is this wonder tea? Keep reading to find out. Read more
Recently, while sipping a glass of excellent Champagne, I had a horrible realization. I know nothing about the way Champagne is produced! Sure, I can read the label, pair it with food, and select a decent bottle, but when it comes to the hard-core technique that is the Methode Champenoise, I know very little. Naturally, I decided to learn all about it and share the process with you: It begins Read more
For every minute that I cling more desperately to the idea of Summer produce, I can feel it further slipping away. My soon-to-be saving grace? A frenzy of food preservation as the days get shorter and the nights grow colder. Who knows; perhaps I'll host a canning and pickling party or make a fruit jam of my own! But before I share ideas and recipes with you, I want to find out just how versed you Read more
We are thrilled to announce our 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 offers her thoughts on the specialty ingredient known Read more
A healthy gut is a happy gut. To keep your intestinal tract in optimal working order, it needs lots of "good" bacteria — no, that is not an oxymoron! There are only three types of basic bacteria in our digestive systems, so boosting the "friendly bacteria" with probiotics can help balance the pH of the intestinal tract, creating a less desirable environment for pathogenic bacteria (the bad Read more
This season, I made it a priority to educate myself on the basics of canning, pickling, fermenting, and food preserving. Thankfully, I was able to put my knowledge to work when I finally confronted a boiling-water canner and my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. My parting thoughts after this first brush with home canning? It's not as hard as it sounds, and once you get the rhythm of it, it Read more
Popcorn may not be the first food pairing that comes to mind when drinking wine, but Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson thinks it's time to change that. "Popcorn is great with wine," said Robinson, who discovered the pairing when she was first starting out at New York's International Wine Center. "I went into the kitchen to microwave some popcorn, and there was a free bottle of Lindemans Bin 65 Read more
