Enter the Year of the Dragon

This week marks the beginning of The Year of the Dragon. Chinese New Year was on Monday, January 23rd and we're excited to try our hand at some traditional Chinese dishes. And this time we're gonna resist the urge to call our favorite delivery spot (Main Garden, anyone?) and make everything by hand.

Because making dumplings, egg rolls and lo mein from scratch seemed a little intimidating, we needed some inspiration. Enter Bruce Lee. His classic Enter the Dragon was exactly what we needed. Watching Bruce win battle after battle gave us confidence that we could follow a couple new recipes- even if we wrecked the kitchen in the process.

So, we put down the nunchucks and picked up a laptop to use FoodPair Recipe Search Engine for traditional Chinese dishes like steamed dumplings and moo shu pork. After some trial and error, here are our 5 favorite dishes for the Year of the Dragon.

Plump Pea Dumplings
With this recipe you'll be a dumpling black-belt in no time.
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Parmesan Cheese, Shallot, Ricotta Cheese, Peas, Lemon Zest, Sea Salt, Wonton Wrappers

Chinese Boiled Pork Dumplings
Steamy Kitchen walks you through dumplings step-by-step.
Ingredients: Scallion, Ginger, Soy, Napa Cabbage, Salt, White Pepper, Ground Pork, Chinese Rice Wine, Sesame Oil, Dumpling Wrappers

Chicken and Shrimp Egg Rolls
Making egg rolls is a fun and delicious cooking project.
Ingredients: Cilantro, Garlic, Shrimp, Scallion, Cabbage, Ginger, Chicken Stock, Chicken Breast, Apple, Red Chile, Egg Roll Wrappers

Moo Shu Pork
Not sure why, but we always love wrapping up moo shu pancakes.
Ingredients: Garlic, Ginger, Soy Sauce, Flour Tortilla, Cornstarch, Sesame Oil, Pork Loin, Hoisin Sauce, Cole Slaw Mix

Steamed Cantonese-Style Fish
In Chinese, fish sounds like "save more" and brings good luck.
Ingredients: Cilantro, Ginger, Cod, Sea Salt, Sesame Oil, Peanut Oil, Spring Onion, Light and Dark Soy Sauce


Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Feel free to share your dumpling-making secrets in the comments.

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Lessons from the Winter Fancy Food Show

(Bacon T-shirt courtesy of J&D's Foods)

Earlier this week we had the pleasure of attending the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. For three days, over 1,300 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries showed off their very best products and we stuffed our faces as much as humanly possible. There were mountains of cheese, rivers of sauces and more olives than snowflakes in Alaska.

Lesson 1: Pork is still sizzling hot.

There's pork everywhere these days. People just can't seem to get enough bacon, prosciutto, pulled pork, ribs and chops. Chefs are getting pig and pork tattoos to immortalize their affection. At the Fancy Food Show there was more than enough bacon and cured pork to go around. Company reps were slicing prosciutto on-site and offering samples of bacon-wrapped everything.

Even people who don't eat pork could get in the game with a visit to J&D's booth. In J&D's, the J is for Justin and the D is for Dave. At the show, we hung out with Justin as he explained how you can make anything and everything taste like bacon while keeping it kosher and vegetarian. The company started with Bacon Salt before branching out into a ton of other products including Baconnaise, Bacon Rub and our new favorite, Bacon Croutons. Those suckers are addictive even without a salad!

Lesson 2: An avalanche of artisan cheeses and olives.

As we weaved through the International aisles with products from Italy, France, Greece and Switzerland we were struck by the amazing variety of cheeses and olives making their way to the US. There were cool new cheeses, like a Blue Brie that had all the great creaminess of brie with a subtle hint of blue cheese flavor. There were also a number of delicious flavored cheeses from Yancey's Fancy in Corfu, New York. We enjoyed their Double Cream Medium Sharp Cheddar as well as the XX-Sharp Ol' Timer Cheese. But, their Roasted Garlic and Jalapeno & Peppadew Cheddar cheeses were some of our favorites because the flavors were tangy and intense.

Our favorite olives of the show were from Mani Imports, who source their products from across the Mediterranean. They served our favorite bite of the show, a red pepper stuffed with Feta and Mizithra (a Greek cheese made from either sheep or goat's milk).

Lesson 3: Craft brewers care about food pairings.

In the beer area, which had the most energy of any part of the show, we sampled great craft brews from Goose Island and Kona Brewing.

Kona brews according to a seasonal schedule and was serving its Pipeline Porter, brewed with real Kona coffee for a great dark, roasted flavor. It's great with red meat or any hearty soups and stews. They also offered their Koko Brown, which has a pronounced fresh coconut flavor.

Goose Island offered their Vintage Ales, which are actually designed for food pairing. We tasted the Sophie, Matilda, Pere Jacques and Pepe Nero. Our favorite was the Pere Jacques, a Belgian Style Abbey Ale with fantastic malty and fruity notes. It pairs well with bittersweet chocolate or wild game meats. We also enjoyed the Pepe Nero, an intriguing beer brewed with black peppercorns. The addition of pepper makes it a perfect pairing for anything coming off the grill, from meat to vegetables.

Now that we're back from the show, we have so many ideas and food pairings to try. Our plan is to use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to find creative dishes for the new craft beers and cheeses we were able to sample.

Even though we wish there was a Fancy Food Show every day, it's good news for our waistlines that it only happens twice a year.

Have you tried any great new foods lately? Share your experiences in the comments.

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Twinkie Goes Bankrupt, so Make Your Own

When we heard that Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, Ho Hos, Ding Dongs, and all things snack-alicious had filed for bankruptcy, we panicked. A world without Twinkies? We immediately ran out and bought all the Twinkies we could carry. After all, those things are supposed to have an infinite shelf life.

Then we got a quick legal and business primer- filing for bankruptcy doesn't mean Twinkies will disappear, just that the company couldn't pay its debts. Has worldwide Ding Dong and Ho Ho consumption fallen that low? Well, no matter, we're relieved they'll still be around for long road trips and late nights at work.

After the dust settled we realized there was a better option. Instead of spending all our hard earned cash to buy and hoard Twinkies, we should learn how to make delicious snack cakes at home. Problem solved.

So, we put down the Twinkie and picked up a laptop to search the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine for snack cakes, cupcakes, and brownies. We found several thousand recipes and handpicked 5 to satisfy your sweet-snack craving.

Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes
This chocolate cupcake hits all the right notes.
Ingredients: Egg, Yogurt, Sugar, Salt, Flour, Baking Powder, Vanilla Extract, Almond Extract, Oil, Whipping Cream, Bittersweet Chocolate

Chocolate-Banana Snack Cake
Chocolate and Banana are a pairing we'd like to eat more often.
Ingredients: Egg, Banana, Butter, Sugar, Salt, Flour, Vanilla Extract, Baking Soda, Cocoa Powder, Applesauce, Instant Coffee

Blueberry Snack Cakes
This moist snack cake is great for breakfast, snack or dessert.
Ingredients: Egg, Butter, Sugar, Blueberry, Flour, Baking Powder, Milk

Homemade Twinkies
This recipe will help you re-create the Twinkie magic.
Ingredients: Egg, Butter, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese, Whipped Cream, Instant Vanilla Pudding, Yellow Cake Mix

Banana Snack Cake with Brown-Butter Frosting
We like anything with brown-butter frosting, especially this snack.
Ingredients: Egg, Butter, Vanilla Extract, Powdered Sugar, Cream Cheese, Whipped Cream, Instant Vanilla Pudding, Yellow Cake Mix


So have no fear, with these recipes you can always make your favorite snack at home.

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Help with your New Year's Resolutions

Every New Year's Eve we make a handful of resolutions. It's no surprise that as "foodies" most of our aspirations are food-related- we want to eat more veggies, less cheese, more fish, less junk food. Many of you reached out to us for advice on how to keep your resolutions and we're happy to help with tips, recipes and more. According to this study, nearly 80% of people fail to keep their New Year's Resolutions. So, how do you keep yours?

First, write them down and sign the paper as a commitment contract. Somehow, writing things down helps etch them in our memory. And contracts make things more serious in a hurry. No one wants to get sued!

Second, to give your promises some teeth, pick a friend as a referee and set a penalty (money or social) for failing to keep them. Put it in your New Year's contract: If I fail to meet a milestone, I pay $20 or I have to show up at dinner in a chicken suit.

Third, set a specific time frame and small, manageable steps to get there. Don't say, "I'm going to drop a lot of weight" or "I'm going to lose 20 pounds in a month" because the first is unclear and the second is physically impossible. Instead, break it down to 5 pounds a month over 4 months.

Finally, make an action plan. For dieting, cut out specific foods or perhaps late night desserts & snacks. For healthier eating, say you're going to add a serving of vegetables at dinner each night or have a salad for lunch a couple times a week.

How can FoodPair help? Well, we recently launched Dietary Filters to make it easy for you to find recipes that fit your resolutions. We now have one-click filters for Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets. For instance, if you want to start a Low Fat diet, we have nearly 50,000 recipes. From there, you can refine with your favorite ingredients or by course and recipe site. You can also use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to craft your own search if you're looking to eat more veggies for dinner or fresh fruit for snacks.

Overnight Oatmeal
Healthy eating begins with a hearty breakfast. Make this the night before.
Ingredients: Fresh Fruit, Rolled Oats, Chopped Nuts, Lemon Zest, Vanilla Extract, Agave Nectar, Lowfat Milk

Banana Breakfast Smoothie
Smoothies are a great breakfast option. This one is loaded with protein.
Ingredients: Honey, Banana, Nutmeg, Milk, Ice, Greek Yogurt

Chipotle Baked Fish
To eat more fish in 2012, start with this delicious & healthy recipe.
Ingredients: Cilantro, Lime, Catfish (or other white fish), Chipotle, Adobo, Salt, Yellow Onion

Mashed Cauliflower
To eat more veggies, give mashed cauliflower a try!
Ingredients: Olive Oil, Cauliflower, Black Pepper, Sea Salt

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter
Roasting asparagus brings out great flavor; a touch of butter goes a long way.
Ingredients: Balsamic Vinegar, Asparagus, Butter, Salt, Black Pepper, Cooking Spray, Low Sodium Soy Sauce


With these tips and recipes you'll be well on your way to keeping your 2012 New Year's Resolutions!

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Our Favorite New Year's Recipes

Happy New Year's from the FoodPair Team! Here's to a healthy and happy 2012 for you and yours!

On New Year's Eve, everyone likes to celebrate, so we've decided to feature New Year's recipes with some pop and style. Get things started with your favorite Champagne cocktail- we like ones with fresh fruit and juice in addition to a bit of the bubbly. For the rest of the meal we found an award-winning appetizer with candied bacon and apple-- after all, 2011 was the Year of Bacon in many circles. For our New Year's entree, we like baked & wrapped fish dish with vegetables. By baking the fish in parchment paper, each guest will get to unwrap their own delicious present. You can customize the dish with any fish you like (cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, sea bass, etc.), seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, etc.).

We have over 800 recipes for Champagne to help you create inspired New Year's dishes. You can also use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to select your favorite ingredients or recipe sites and browse from there. To help you get started, we selected 5 recipes to create your New Year's extravaganza.

Raspberry Champagne Cocktail
Celebrate New Year's in style with this tasty cocktail.
Ingredients: Champagne, Raspberry, Grenadine, Cassis

Party Mimosa
Get your party going with this fresh take on the classic mimosa.
Ingredients: Water, Champagne, Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate, Apricot-Mango Nectar, Pineapple Juice

Candied Bacon and Apple Canapes
Your guests will love this award-winning appetizer.
Ingredients: Pie Crust, Bacon, Egg, Apple, Lemon Juice, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Blue Cheese, Cayenne Powder, Cream Cheese, Sea Salt

Baked Fish Packets with Broccoli and Squash
Give everyone a main fish-dish wrapped like a present.
Ingredients: Garlic, Olive Oil, Shallot, Lemon Juice, Cod, Salt, Pepper, Seasonal Veggies (Broccoli, Squash), Fresh Herbs (Oregano, Basil)

Mandarin Champagne Sorbet
This sorbet works well as a light & flavorful dessert.
Ingredients: Champagne, Simple Syrup, Mandarin Orange, Orange Liqueur (such as Grand Marnier)


With New Years Eve right around the corner and these recipes in your repertoire, it's time to put that Champagne on ice!

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Recipes for a Merry Christmas

Christmas is right around the corner, but it's not too late to plan a classic holiday feast for your friends and family. Christmas brings to mind comforting winter dishes with bursts of flavor and color from cranberries, persimmons and cherries.

The centerpiece of most Christmas meals is a holiday Ham, Turkey or Goose. Around that, we like complementary side dishes and sauces. Finish off your meal with a Christmas Trifle, Holiday Cookies and a little Chocolate-Peppermint Bark.

How can FoodPair help? For one, we have over a thousand recipes with the keyword "Christmas". You can also use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to select ingredients such as Ham or Goose and browse from there. To help you get started, we selected 5 recipes to create your dinner for a very merry Christmas.

Baked Brie en Croute with Apple Compote
This elegant appetizer is delicious and easy to prepare.
Ingredients: Apple, Butter, Sugar, Brie, Water, Puff Pastry Dough, Egg, Plain Water Crackers, Ground Cardamom

Frisee Salad with Persimmons, Dates and Almonds
This flavorful holiday salad features persimmon and frisee.
Ingredients: Almond, Olive Oil, Leek, Date, Persimmon, White Wine Vinegar, Kosher Salt, Salad Greens

Glazed Ham with Mango Salsa
This ham has a sweet glaze and tropical salsa.
Ingredients: Honey, Mango, Red Onion, Mustard, Clove, Ham, Sugar, Soy, Pepper, Sherry, Lime Juice, Red Chili

Maple-Glazed Turkey with Gravy
You can't go wrong with a perfectly cooked and glazed turkey.
Ingredients: Turkey, Maple Syrup, Flour, Black Peppercorns, Malt Vinegar, Turkey Stock

Lemon Curb Trifle with Fresh Berries
Trifle is a classic and delicious layered dessert.
Ingredients: Egg, Mint, Butter, Sugar, Lemon, Whipped Cream, Pound Cake, Fresh Fruit, Grand Marnier (optional)


Now that you have the blueprint for a great Christmas meal, pick your favorite dishes and start cooking!

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Soups & Stews to Warm your Winter

With winter in full swing we're constantly looking for ways to help you stay warm and healthy. The first thing that came to mind was a post with flavorful and easy to prepare soups and stews. Why? Because when we're feeling cold, we make soup. And when we're feeling a little bit sick, we also make soup.

Soups & stews are warm and comforting and a cold winter night. Nearly every country and culture has a favorite soup, like chowder in the Northeastern US, onion soup in France, coconut soup in Thailand, and chicken soup in nearly every country from New York to Beijing.

With one click of the Soups and Stews box in our Course Filter, FoodPair will show you over 20,000 soup recipes. To help you navigate through a river of recipes, we took charge of the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine and handpicked 5 recipes featuring some of the best soups and stews from across the globe.

Savory Beef Stew
This hearty stew gains a unique flavor from cranberry juice.
Ingredients: flour, lean beef, bacon, onion, cranberry juice, beef broth, clove, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, garlic powder, carrot, potato, frozen peas

Scallop Chowder with Bacon
Try this delicious chowder with fresh scallops and smoky bacon.
Ingredients: sea scallops, bacon, frozen onion, boiling potato, flour, whole milk, frozen mixed vegetables, thyme, salt, pepper

Easy French Onion Soup
We love French onion soup, especially when it's easy to prepare.
Ingredients: unsalted butter, olive oil, yellow onion, sugar, salt, flour, beef stock, dry white wine, pepper, French bread, garlic, Gruyere

Chinese Chicken Soup
Chicken soup, like this Chinese version, always makes us feel better.
Ingredients: sesame oil, turmeric, ginger, chile paste, chicken breast, chicken broth, sugar, soy, celery, ramen, lettuce, green onion

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup (Tom Ka Gai)
Tom Ka Gai is a traditional and delicious Thai soup everyone will love.
Ingredients: galangal or ginger, fresh cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, fish sauce, lime, coconut milk, chicken breast, red chile


Now you have all the knowledge you need to beat the winter back with hearty soups and stews.

Any other favorite themes, ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, Like us on Facebook for helpful updates in your news feed.