USDA Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Program

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	USDA Unveils the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass
	New Web Resource Maps USDA Support for Local and Regional Food Projects, Highlights Business Opportunities for Farmers, Ranchers and Growers
	WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2012- Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan unveiled the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF) Compass, an interactive web-based document and map highlighting USDA support for local and regional food projects and successful producer, business and community case studies. While hosting a live webinar to highlight USDA's work over the past three years, the Secretaries emphasized how local and regional food systems across the country create additional economic opportunities for farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs, expand healthy food access and meet growing customer demand. "USDA works every day to strengthen American agriculture, drive job growth and support farm-family income," said Vilsack. "The KYF Compass highlights how USDA support for local and regional food systems has brought additional opportunities to our country's farmers, ranchers, processors, distributors and food entrepreneurs. The stories and maps in the Compass underscore how diverse and innovative American agriculture can be." The KYF Compass is a digital guide to USDA resources related to local and regional food systems. The Compass consists of an interactive U.S. map showing local and regional food projects and anaccompanying narrative documenting the results of this work through case studies, photos and video content.

Get Your Samoa Fix @ Sugar Fix

Catch Island Fever with our new Samoan Cupcake! Buttery
Vanilla Cake topped with Caramel Frosting, Toasted Coconut
and drizzled with Chocolate and Caramel. You'll be left
wanting Samoa!

 now offers Vegan Cupcakes! Follow us on
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(@SugarFixDessert) to find out what flavor we're baking up!

 

   is located at:

63 South Raymond Ave; Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-396-9402

Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

www.SugarFixDesserts.com

Soulful Sundays - "People Make The World Go Round" Michael Jackson

Soulful Sundays - "Stop On By" Rufus & Chaka Khan

Soulful Sundays - "Love To Love You Baby" - Donna Summer

Toast to the Red Carpet - Live

Toast to the Red Carpet – Live, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! is inviting all you movie lovers out there to an online red carpet viewing party, which will be full of insider access to the red carpet, an exclusive roundtable of Hollywood stars, and best picture themed recipes for your own home viewing party.

Streaming live on I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Facebook page on February 26^th from 3:00-4:30PST. Toast to the Red Carpet – LIVE, presented by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

During that time Hollywood stars can be found dishing all the latest insider news such as who is wearing what, what they have been eating to stay in such fabulous shape and much, much more.  Couple that with being able to see all the amazing clothes and accessories the stars have brought out before the show even begins is better than actually being on the carpet (you don’t have to deal with paying for parking at least.)

Also for all of the Culinary Minded, Fashionistas out there, a roundtable discussion will occur with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and a Culinary professionals will be preparing the best picture-themed recipes for you to use at home for your own viewing party.

The Supreme Plate will also be giving a coupon to one of our followers for a FREE Tub of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! (courtesy of the great folks over at I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!) for simply leaving a comment on the post about why your going to watch the Toast to the Red Carpet – Live online show and or interact during the Toast to the Red Carpet – Live online show on the I Can’t Believe It’s Not butter Facebook Page.

This post brought to you by I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Fly Shit - Doris & Kelley "You Don't Have To Worry"

Gummi Bear Art

Luna Modern Mexican Cuisine... Corona, CA

Luna Modern Mexican Kitchen in Corona, CA is putting an amazing new twist on classic Mexican dishes in an area that desperately needs this kind of cutting edge thinking. As they themselves state they are doing Mexican Food Justice and much more from signature cocktails, elegantly plated delicious dishes and a welcoming atmosphere this is a spot that you should check out and support.

I stopped by just this evening to take a loved family member out and snatched up a few items that needed to be spoken about rather quickly. The tableside made Guacamole Autentico (w/ fresh Hass Avocados, Mango, Chipotle Shrimp and fresh made chips) was fantastic and went well with a few Bacardi & Cokes.

The appetizers were quickly followed by our order of Luna’s Special Fajitas and the Mar y Tierra Duet which was grilled adobo flat iron steak and sautéed jumbo prawns with roasted chorizo potatoes and fried plantain arroz blanco.

The Fajitas came loaded with sauteed Shrimp and succulent grilled steak, Arroz de la casa, Frijoles de la olla, Pico de gallo, Sauteed sweet onions and Sauteed mixed peppers & homemade tortillas, the type of dish you need to order when your hungry for a good amount of food that s full of fresh flavor and no canned fillers.

A few drinks later and we were ready to go. All in all Luna’s Modern Mexican Kitchen is a fresh spot, putting a great spin on Authentic Mexican Cuisine in a quiet neighborhood. Who said you need to be surrounded by paparazzi to have good food?

For more info check out their website:

Luna Modern Mexican Kitchen

Nike Black History Month Pack

Don't Do It...

Valentine's Day Done Right, Right At Home. Bistecca Alla Fiorentina & Grilled Lobster Tails w/ Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Valentine’s Day Done Right, Right At Home. Bistecca Alla Fiorentina & Grilled Lobster Tails w/ Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Today being Valentine’s Day, a lot of things change from what you would normally expect them to be. Restaurants see a lot of action over the next 24 – 48 hours simply because a lot of people know how hard their loved ones work and how much they deserve to be treated to an amazing meal outside of the house. That causes mayhem that a lot of usually try to avoid.

The aforementioned aside, there are also those of us who want to actually put some elbow grease into a meal to make something special that we wouldn’t have the time to do on the regular.

That being said, today we are going to help those of you out there who want that fabulous Surf & Turf dinner without even having to leave the house with our Recipe of the Day: Bistecca Alla Fiorentina (Steak Florentine or Porterhouse Steak) & Grilled Lobster Tail w/ Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. This recipe is deadly simply because the aromas it kicks up, the mood it creates and the dexterity it shows someone has in the kitchen is just all around FLY!.

Enjoy this meal with a loved one over some strong libations. Its Valentine’s Day, everyone deserves some love.

Separating Fact From Fiction In The Kitchen

Food Safety is a very important but often misunderstood part of everyday living. Let us face the facts of life and admit, some people keep a dirty house and don’t know jack when it comes to preparing food (those people shouldn’t be you or your friends.)  A lot of times people confuse getting a “24 hour Flu Bug” with what really happened which most likely is they ate something that wasn’t handled correctly.

With a little bit of care and common sense, a lot of hassles can be prevented, here are a few tips we put together to help separate fact from fiction in the kitchen.

Fiction: 

Food poisoning isn’t a serious matter.  Wait a few days and it will blow over.

Fact:  

Food-borne illness is a lot more serious than you may realize.  Some illnesses can lead to long-term health problems and in the worst cases, death.  According to the CDC, 48 million Americans get food poisoning each year, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.  Here are the facts on long-term effects of food poisoning.

Fiction: 

Thawing meat on the counter top is okay because frozen food doesn't harbor bacteria.

Fact:  Frozen foods can harbor bacteria!  Because bacteria grow surprisingly rapidly at room temperatures, your counter top is never a place to thaw foods. 

Check out the good folks over at food safety.org on how to properly thaw food. 

Fiction:  

The more bleach used to clean the kitchen, the better. Using more bleach kills more bacteria and is therefore safer for my family.

Fact:  

Actually, using more bleach is no more effective than using just one teaspoon of liquid unscented bleach to one quart of water.  To clean your kitchen properly, there is no need to use too much bleach.

Fiction:  

Washing fruits and vegetables is unnecessary because you plan to peel them.

Fact:  

Bacteria is easily transferred from the peel or rind to the inside of fruits and vegetables when being cut.  Wash all produce whether you plan to peel it or not.

Fiction:  

Rinse meat, poultry or seafood with water to get rid of the bacteria.

Fact:  

Rinsing with water is the last thing you want to do.  Splashing juices containing bacteria can contaminate your sink and counters, and result in an increase in your chances of getting food poisoning.  The correct way to cook meat, poultry, or seafood safely is to cook it to the right temperature.

Fiction:  

It's okay to eat food right away after it's been microwaved if it's not too hot.

Fact:  

Microwaved food should be allowed to rest ("standing time") to allow the food to cook more completely, to let the colder areas absorb heat from the hotter areas. 

Use a food thermometer if your ever in doubt.

Fiction: 

Leftovers are safe to eat until they emit an awful smell.

Fact: 

Bacteria that cause food poisoning cannot be detected by look, taste or smell of the food.  Don't guess about yours or your families safety.

Fiction:  

Since bacteria is killed during cooking, you have no need to worry once you consider it "done and ready to eat."

Fact:  

The opposite is true.  As the temperature lowers after cooking, the possibility of bacterial growth increases.  Keeping cooked food warmed to the right temperature is critical for food safety.

Fiction:  

Since marinades are acidic, which you believe kills bacteria, it's okay to marinate foods on the counter or in the sink.

Fact:  Bacteria grows rapidly at room temperature, even in acidic marinades.  Marinate foods in the refrigerator to prevent bacteria from thriving.

Fiction:  Washing fruits and vegetables with soap or detergent is the best way to clean them.

Fact:  

Truth is, soap and detergent can remain on the foods and are not fit for consumption.  Clean running water is the most effective way to wash produce properly.

Food Safety at home is an extremely important habit to develop for you and your family.  The entire food supply chain is responsible for delivering clean, safe food, and then, once it's in your hands, it's up to you to follow the Best Practices Possible.

Get into a "Food Safety Mindset" at the grocery store with these tips, and look for quality food brands that have your best health interests at heart.

Also, if you use a Reusable Bag, be sure to WASH them. A study released by the University of Arizona reveals that a high percentage of people don't wash these bags, allowing illness-causing bacteria to grow.

Homemade Chocolate Souffles for Valentine's Day

Sometimes going out to dinner doesn’t live up to ones expectations, leaving everyone involved in the affair, pissed off. With Valentine’s Day arriving tomorrow, we hope that everyone has made the proper plans to pull off a fly evening without being bombarded by BS ads to buy flowers and the old school standbyes that people with no style are forced to purchase for their loved ones.

Now back to the matter at hand, ever been to a restaurant and had their chocolate soufflé and thought to yourself “could I do this at home?” Well now you can and if you are the type who takes matters into their own hands, then you will most likely be making dinner at home, followed by an amazing dessert and whatever else you have in mind.

This recipe is one we actually picked up in Culinary School and with a bit of knowhow simplified it down to a recipe that takes not much time at all, leaving you to have plenty of time to really get your Valentine’s Day in action.

Enjoy!

(click read more for the entire recipe)

Soulful Sundays - "Look What You Done For Me" - Al Green

Soulful Sundays - "Sunrise" The Originals

Whitney Houston Dead at Age 48

RIP Whitney Houston. Whitney was supposed to be in the remake of the classic movie “Sparkle.” She will be missed by many.

Today is National Peppermint Patty Day

Rakim - Juice (Know The Ledge)

What does this have to do with cooking? Nothing at all, but it sure is fly isn’t it?

Designer Sausage Anyone?

Remember Back In The Days...

A Toast to Louis Vuitton... Literally

BRRRRR!!! Gucci Raw Meat

Fendi Fishsticks

Escarole & Pancetta Salad

We got a few emails today asking for meals that truly took less than 15 minutes to make from start to finish. We understand how frustrating it is to work a long day for someone who we sometimes hate, only to sit in traffic for hours to get home and have to make dinner for either yourself or the family.

Sometimes simplicity is the key to sanity and in this instance, simple reigns Supreme.

This salad is a quick and easy meal that can be eaten by itself or alongside a steak, fish, chicken breast or even some warmed up leftovers from the lunch you couldn’t finish at work today (cause you way too busy slaving right though your lunch break right?)

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 TBS Diced Pancetta

2 TBS Olive Oil

4 Garlic Cloves (Smashed on a cutting board by a skillet)

! Head Chopped Escarole

Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Directions

Cook 3 TBS diced pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels.

Add 2 TBS olive oil and 4 smashed garlic cloves to the skillet; cook the garlic for about 1 - 2 minutes.

Add the chopped escarole and cook, tossing, until wilted, about 5 minutes.

Toss back in the Pancetta and season with Black Pepper.

Serve and Enjoy.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon

Brussels Sprouts are something that for the life of me I could not make myself eat until I was a grown up. I could not wrap my head around any sort of fact that they were good for me or even worse, they might actually taste good. Well we all know the age of rule of thumb, if something doesn’t taste right naturally, fry it or Add Bacon. In this case we are going to choose the latter and roll with the punches.

Crispy bacon adds a great flavor as well as texture to Brussels Sprouts.

Serve them alongside a nice steak with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or alongside some pan seared Halibut. Those of you who do, will thank me later.

Enjoy!

(click read more for the entire recipe)

Bacardi Rock Coconut & Pineapple

Soulful Sundays - "Faded Lady" - S.S.O

Soulful Sundays - "Take The Time To Tell Her" - Jerry Butler

Soulful Sundays - "Ghetto Life" Rick James

Fresh Cuts, Served Daily...

Taste on Melrose, The Place You Should Be Spending Valentine's Day

Taste on Melrose, is no stranger to these pages nor to our faithful readers. If you don’t know about it, well then you need to get hip, and quick. This Valentine’s Day, taste is going to be doing a 4 Course Prix Fix menu for $55.00

Consisting of mouth-watering dishes (that are so good, fights have been known to break out over the crumbs) such as  Butter Poached Lobster Mac & Cheese, Spicy Tuna Tartar, Violet Mustard Crusted Australian Rack of Lamb and Chicken Mole De Poblano as well as their World Famous desserts, this is the type of meal you starve yourself for, so that you savor each and every bite. Taste on Melrose has been known to quickly fill up around the holidays so hopefully, if your interested you can still get in the door at a reasonable hour.

Good Luck & Enjoy!

For more info check their website: ILoveTaste.com 

5 Guys Burger On The Go...

Double Beef Patties + Bacon + Onion Rings + Cheese + Hot Sauce & Tomato = Flavorful

The National Food Holidays of February

February is the shortest month of the year, which is no wonder why the government bestowed the honor of Black History Month upon it. But let us not get started on a tirade of how unfair our government treats people, as we all know they don’t care about us, but they do care about our dollars.

With that being said let us get down to business. February is a beautiful month, especially in Southern California. The weather is still a bit chilly by our standards, but the skies are clearer than they will be for the remainder of the year.  Take a few moments and enjoy the clean air, the crisp views of your city and plan out a vacation for yourself. If you’re a hard worker, you deserve to have a moment of peace in your life and with the right planning, the right food and some perfect company, you just might be able to make that happen.

Enjoy February and check back often for our Recipes of The Day.

February is:

National Fresh Berry Month

Canned Food Month

Celebration of Chocolate Month

Great American Pies Month

National Fiber Focus Month

National Hot Breakfast Month

National Grapefruit Month

National Snack Food Month

National Cherry Month

National Potato Lovers Month

National Sweet Potato Lovers Month

The First week of February is:

Shape Up w/ Pickles Time

The Second week of February is:

Great American Pizza Bake Week,

Jell-O Week,

Kraut & Frankfurter Week

The Fourth week of February is:

National Pancake Week,

National Food Checkout Week

The Second Monday of February is:

National Oatmeal Monday Day

February 1    National Baked Alaska Day

February 2    National Heavenly Hash Day

February 2    National Crepes Day           

February 3    National Carrot Cake Day

February 4    National Homemade Soup Day

February 4    National Stuffed Mushroom Day

February 5    National Chocolate Fondue Day

February 6    National Nutella Day

February 7    National Fettucini Alfredo Day   

February 8    National Molasses Bar Day

February 9    National Bagels & Lox Day

February 9    National Pizza Day

February 10  Cream Cheese Brownie Day

February 11  National Peppermint Patty Day

February 12  National Plum Pudding Day

February 13  National Tortellini Day

February 14  National Crème-Filled Chocolates Day

February 15  National Gumdrop Day

February 16  National Almond Day

February 17  National Indian Pudding Day

February 17  National Café Au Lait Day

February 17  National Cabbage Day

February 18  Crab Stuffed Flounder Day

February 18  National Drink Wine Day

February 19  National Chocolate Mint Day

February 20  National Margarita Day

February 21  National Sticky Bun Day

February 22  National Cherry Pie Day

February 23  National Banana Bread Day

February 23  National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day

February 24  National Tortilla Chip Day

February 25  National Clam Chowder Day

February 25  National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day

February 26  National Pistachio Day

February 26  National Chili Day

February 27  National Strawberry Day

February 27  National Kahlua Day

February 28  National Chocolate Souffle Day

February 29 (Leap Day)  Surf & Turf Day