FitSugar

How to Prep Peppers For Jalapeño Poppers

Susannah Chen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:03:06 PST

I adore jalapeño poppers so much that they'd be a guaranteed part of my last meal - but up until recently, I'd never made them at home. This was in large part due to past misadventures in hot pepper handling (key takeaway: no matter what happens, don't touch your face when working with chiles). But this weekend, I finally overcame my fear of prepping poppers, and guess what? It wasn't nearly as scary as I'd thought. Follow a few careful steps, and you're sure to find success with these, not only in the kitchen, but also at the Super Bowl party table.

We're Hot For Jalapeños!

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:53:14 PDT

This year's hotter-than-heck Summer makes us crave nothing but more heat - for our palates, that is! There's something pleasantly painful about the slight scorch of a jalapeño-infused dish (and, of course, an ice-cold beer to chase it down). From gyro jalapeño poppers to spicy cucumber and cantaloupe paletas, here are six creative ways we love to turn up the heat on your plates.

Bacon-wrapped jalapeños	Gyro jalapeño poppers	Pico de gallo
Grilled jack cheese-stuffed jalapeños	Jalapeño nacho cheeseburgers	Spicy cantaloupe and cucumber paletas

Fire Up the Grill For Stuffed Jalapeños

Lauren Hendrickson — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 05:54:49 PDT

If you're barbecuing this weekend, don't forget to light the grill a little early and make these amazing jalapeño appetizers to get the party started right! Each halved jalapeño is stuffed with a combination of crispy bacon, whipped cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, then baked on the grill to keep the heat out of your kitchen. Even cooked, these peppers tend to pack a lot of heat, so to balance the spiciness, top it all off with a refreshing cilantro sauce. Sound enticing? Then turn on the barbie and keep reading.

Yummy Links: From Bodega Pop-Up to Perfect Pie Crust

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:14:18 PST

Dale Talde plans to open a Bodega pop-up inspired by his winning eatery on Top Chef All-Stars' restaurant wars. - Eater NY
How to make conversation hearts-infused vodka. - StylishHome
Are restaurant soft openings a thing of the past? - Grub Street SF
A new chili pepper has been bred for making bigger jalapeño poppers. - Huffington Post Food
Exclusive recipes from the sous chefs behind some of New York City's biggest restaurants. - Tasting Table
Lion meat returns to Arizona, this time in the form of tacos. - Slashfood
20 gluten-free party snacks. - The Kitchn
The secret to perfect pie crust? Vinegar. - The Feast SF

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Celebrate Your Freedom With Jalapeño Nacho Cheeseburgers

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:00:53 PDT

A week later, I'm still dreaming about the Savory Sight of a jalapeño nacho cheeseburger from Urbun Burger that reader Mee-shell uploaded to the YumSugar Community. In fact, I was so enamored, I must have gone back to look at that picture at least five times, so I ultimately decided I had to have it.

I would've hit up the San Francisco-based burger joint where said cheeseburger was from, but they told me they no longer carry the jalapeño nacho cheese, so I took it upon myself to make my own version of the burger, adding slices of grilled tomato. It was so insane that I wolfed down the behemoth in less time than it took to grill it!
The end result was like a fusion of a juicy hamburger and stadium nachos - and it doesn't get more all-American than that. When making this, bear in mind that oozy, melted Velveeta doesn't wait for you - so you must eat this burger right off the grill, and keep napkins handy. For a 4th of July crowd-pleaser, read more.

Come Party With Me: Fourth of July - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:50:46 PDT

The Fourth of July falls on a Sunday this year, and that means there's no excuse not to throw a party! Gather up a group of friends, light the barbecue, and prepare a delicious feast of eats. Start things off with two finger food favorites: lemon-herb grilled shrimp and grilled jalapeño poppers. Since no one can ever decide between chicken or ribs, please everyone and offer barbecued ribs and chicken with a tangy homemade sauce as the main course. Corn on the cob with parmesan butter and tomato and feta salad are two easy, but scrumptious side dishes.

To take a look at these classic recipes that are perfect for your all-American celebration, keep reading.

Pineapple Adds Fruity Pizzazz to Fresh Salsa

partysugar — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 09:00:49 PDT

Last weekend I had one of those culinary "why didn't I think of that?" moments. My dad and I hosted a barbecue and my cousin's contribution was salsa. But not just any old salsa, a perfectly balanced crunchy and creamy pineapple salsa! While pineapple is common in salads, I couldn't believe I had never tried it in salsa with salty chips on the side. It was absolutely fabulous and everyone could not get enough, myself included. Since the salsa is chunky and on the heavier side, it's important to serve it with thick, hard chips. Pair with margaritas and you've got a Cinco de Mayo party in the making! Get the easy recipe now.

Simple Tip: Seed Jalapeños in the Plastic Bag

partysugar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:30:22 PST

Whenever I use jalapeños, or any other spicy chile for that matter, I always employ the same simple technique for seeding that ensures my hands and eyes won't burn. Here's how I do it:

Flatten the plastic baggy that the jalapeños come in on the counter next to a cutting board. Place the jalapeño on the cutting board and slice the stem off, then slice in half lengthwise.
Set the jalapeño half in the middle of the plastic baggy. Fold the plastic over to cover the jalapeño.
Taking care not to cut the plastic with your nail, gently scrap out the seeds into the plastic.
Repeat with remaining half and prepare jalapeño according to your recipe.

It's a lot easier than wearing gloves! How do you seed chiles? Share your methods below.

View 4 Photos ›

Fasy & Easy Dinner: Fresh Corn-Rice Salad

partysugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:50:44 PDT

During the Summer, it's hard not to take advantage of the plethora of farm stand produce that's available. This recipe utilizes the season's bounty of corn and tomatoes. There's no fancy ingredients or exotic spices, thus the pure and colorful freshness of the veggies is highlighted. By mixing in cooked rice, the salad becomes substantial enough to make up a whole meal. To learn the uncomplicated technique,

Make Your Own Salsa

partysugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:00:41 PDT

For the first 23 years of my life, I thought salsa was something purchased at the grocery store or enjoyed at a Mexican restaurant. Then one day, I realized I could make it at home using fresh ingredients and everything changed.

The entire experience of eating salsa (with tortilla chips, of course) was enhanced. The juicy sweetness of tomatoes, the spicy heat of jalapeños, the subtle smokiness of chili powder, the crunchy bite of raw onion - it was like tasting salsa for the first time.

Don't be intimidated if you've never made salsa before, it's wildly easy and domestically rewarding. While having a food processor allows you to make salsa in mere minutes, it can also be done the old-fashioned way by finely chopping the ingredients. To check out my favorite salsa recipe