PetSugar

Ring In the Year of the Tiger With Fragrant Steamed Fish

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:34:46 -0800

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Eat and Drink Your Way Through Costa Rica

partysugar — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 08:00:58 -0800

Wishing you were on a tropical vacation? Might I recommend Costa Rica? I was fortunate enough to spend the Winter holidays there in Tamarindo. While I enjoyed plenty of beach time, I also made it a priority to eat and drink at as many restaurants and bars as possible. Here are some highlights from my trip!

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Scallops Provencal Are as Easy as One, Two, Three

partysugar — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:38:15 -0800

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Sole Inspired by Julia

partysugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:09:59 -0700

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How to Grill Spanish-Style Sardines

partysugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:50:27 -0700

Pop into any beach bar along the southern coast of Spain and you'll find sardines on the menu. Fresh-caught sardines are a delicacy native to the region where they're served grilled, seasoned only with chunky salt crystals. Recently, I attended a barbecue where a Spaniard taught me how to make sardines. Read on for the procedure.

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Check Out the World's First Hotel For Pet Fish!

PetSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:30:37 -0700

Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn for these fishes getting a special vacay spot while their owners are off on holiday. Dive into a slideshow of the world's first fish-only resort - I hope it catches on for all our swimmy friends stateside!

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Crab Cakes Are an All-American, Unexpected Appetizer

partysugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:33:48 -0700

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So How Would One Transport the World's Largest Fish?

PetSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:18:45 -0700

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Homemade Ceviche Is Fresh, Flavorful, and Fabulous

partysugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:14:40 -0700

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Super Cool Phone Booth Transformation Just For Fishes!

PetSugar — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:46:26 -0800

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Hundreds of New Species Found Off Tasmanian Coast

kristyrk — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:03:12 -0700

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'Wich of the Week: Fish and Farm Baguette

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:32:59 -0700

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Not Your Regular Nachos: Fish Taco-Bite Nachos

partysugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:21:23 -0700

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Check Out the View on This Sink!

kristyrk — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:08:02 -0700

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It's Migration Time – Cownose Stingrays Head North!

kristyrk — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:11:59 -0700

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That's a Big Fishie Tank!

kristyrk — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:16:56 -0700

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Swim With the Fishies...In Your Bathtub?

kristyrk — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:35:27 -0700

A fish tank that's a bathtub.

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Getting "Framed" Isn't Always a Bad Thing... When You're a Fish

kristyrk — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:09:17 -0700

Hang this tank on your wall for a great view of your water logged pets!

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Fish Balls, Fish Balls, Roly Poly Fish Balls

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:13:33 -0700

A few months ago, I was hanging out with my mom and she was frying up some delicious fish balls. There's a place in LA that, according to her, makes the "best fish balls." She had just recently come into a batch, and so she was making an impromptu feast. She had a bunch of fresh herbs and veggies from her garden, so she went to work and created a really simple meal.

If you want to check out what exactly goes into Stir-Fried Fish Balls, read more

Note: This is obviously for fish balls, but you can easily omit the fish balls and make it a veggie stir-fry.

Stir Fried Fish Balls
From YumSugar's Mom

2-5 dried hot chili peppers (depending on how spicy you like things)
10-15 fish balls, fresh or thawed and then sliced into 1/4" chunks
3-4 cauliflower florets, chopped into smaller pieces
1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 sticks of celery (or 5-7 small sticks of "chinese celery"), cut into 1 1/2" long pieces
3 scallions, whites included, finely chopped
pinch of salt
3-4 tbsp oil
4 tbsp water

On high, heat oil in a large frying pan or wok.
When oil is shimmering, toss in hot peppers.
After 30 seconds, toss in scallions, let fry for another 30-60 seconds. Peppers will start to darken.
Add cauliflower, carrots, celery, fish balls to oil mixture. Let sit for 20 seconds and then stir.
Stir constantly for about two minutes to ensure that the ingredients don't stick to the pan.
Sprinkle two tbsp of water evenly over the dish and season with salt.
Keep frying and stirring until water is mostly evaporated. Add an additional 2 tbsp of water. Put lid on top and let simmer for a minute or two.
Remove lid and stir until all the water has evaporated. Note: If you like your vegetables to be less crispy, add water and repeat the last step. You can also, at this time, decide to use more salt or MSG, but as my mom says, "Americans don't really like MSG."
Remove from pan when desired crispiness is achieved. Remove the hot peppers, unless you do not mind accidentally eating them.
Sprinkle with finely chopped celery and serve!

Note: This recipe is based on notes I took while watching my mom in action. If you have any questions, just let me know!

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Become One With Your Inner Sushi Chef

YumSugar — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:58:30 -0700

Today our "travels" took us to the elegant cuisine of Japan. Sushi, one of their most popular exports, happens to be a really big weakness of mine. However it's a rather expensive - and delicious - hobby. At some point I was eating it several times a week and decided that I could no longer justify spending that much money on it. So I took the frugal route and decided to make it at home instead. If you've ever wanted to try making your own sushi, you're in luck. I've got some great tips to help you get started. If you're scared of eating raw fish at home, don't forget, you can always make California or vegetarian rolls. To check out my tips, read more

The first thing you need is a sushi roller. Once you have yours take a piece of plastic wrap and cover it lengthwise - making sure the edges are sealed. Next, take a piece and cover it the other way - also covering all edges. Now you won't contaminate your roller. When you clean up your mess, you'll be able to simply remove the layers of plastic wrap.

Every sushi restaurant does their rice differently. Some places even have a secret hand-crafted seasoning, while others simply use a powder or a vinegar mixture. You can try to find your own powder/mix or try one of these sushi rice recipes.
You will want to season your rice while it is warm. Use a wooden spatula to mix the seasoning into it. Remember to be gentle, you don't want to crush the grains. Once seasoned, use a fan (we plug the electric one in) to cool the rice. Your rice should be glossy, but not wet.
Before you begin rolling, be sure to pre-slice all of your fish, vegetables, etc. I like to create little plates of ingredients, so that I can just grab what I need when rolling.
If you're opting for fish, be sure you get it from a trusted source. Tell the fishmonger that you're planning on using it as sushi. It should not smell "fishy" (it shouldn't really smell like anything). It should also be bright in color and moist looking. For more tips check out sushi links.
When rolling, place all of your ingredients on one side. Do not overfill. Roll gently, tucking the ingredients in as you go.

Once you have your sushi rolled, use a clean sharp wet blade to slice through. You can try to use one long motion, but you will be better off to use a sawing motion. Also, be sure to wipe the blade off every now and again.

Know a great sushi trick? Share it with us below!

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