"YumSugar" news and stories

YumSugar interviews omnipresent celebrity chef, "Top Chef Masters" host and "America's Next Best Restaurant" judge Curtis Stone and finds him "surprisingly grounded and impressively well-spoken." Stone has recently caught some flack for being more of a pretty face (those eyes!) than, well, a chef. Eater recently asked the question on everyone's mind, "Who the Hell is Curtis Stone Anyway?").

In the YumSugar interview, Stone admits that his detractors almost have a point. "If you're going to say you're a chef, you need to cook somewhere, which is why I'm opening a restaurant. I miss cooking in a restaurant, and that camaraderie, and that art of perfection that I was talking about."

Stone hopes his Los Angeles restaurant will be "a nice little place, where you can still cook for people the way you want to...I want it to be relaxed and special; I think 40 or 50 seats would see me out." Don't worry ladies, the man still has a few tricks up his sleeve (note: he is involved with the actress Lindsay Price). When asked what he wants to be remembered for, the cheeky Stone answered, "A few things spring to mind that I shouldn't say out loud."

Do you know your spatchcock from your woodcock? Or your panzanella from your pan au chocolat? Our friends over at YumSugar have put together a quiz that will test your knowledge of the more esoteric side of food, from fruits and vegetables to the origins of wine. And you'll learn a thing or two in the process.

Take the quiz at YumSugar.

You're holding a glass of Champagne, and it's your turn to give the toast. Maybe you'd like to say something other than "Cheers," or "Cin cin," or just "Down the hatch," this year. Or maybe you'll be traveling to, say, Beijing, and not speak a word of Chinese (neither Mandarin nor Cantonese). The editors at YumSugar are here to help. Take this cool quiz to discover what you already know about global toasts, and learn how to say "To life!" in Armenian, as well as nine other languages.

And for picks on the best sparkling wine to toast with (especially if you're on a budget) see today's post Bargain Bubblies.

This year was certainly a big year in food: food recalls, new food web sites launching, products being revamped, and plenty more. It was tough to keep up with it all.

So test your food-news savvy with YumSugar's Real or Fake Quiz: The Year in Food. Ask yourself: Did Baskin-Robbins really retire the French Vanilla flavor? We can admit we only anwered 9 out of 11 questions correctly.

Take the quiz: 2010 Headlines: Real or Fake?

Whether you have guests at your Thanksgiving table who are vegetarian or you've decided to take it a little easier this year, there are countless ways to let the vegetables shine.

From the small gesture of setting aside some of the stuffing and baking it separately in a gratin dish to making vegetarian appetizers (which won't fill everyone up before the big meal), YumSugar has rounded up ideas that will please carnivores and vegetarians alike.

Get more ideas: Make This Thanksgiving Vegetarian-Friendly