Camilla Salem
Assistant Editor, YumSugar (2011 to 2012)
Camilla Salem

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recipes

Time to Party With a Zesty Taco Salad

Taco night is a rarity in my house.

Taco night is a rarity in my house. For some reason, I just can't wrap my head around getting all the ingredients prepared and laying everything out for easy assembly. Fortunately, I found a way to get my fill of taco night flavors in a fast and easy (and healthy!) salad form.

My recipes tend to be inspired by beautiful produce, and when I got my hands on some stunning purple radishes, I knew they would be a crisp and refreshing component of this salad. Jalapeño, garlic, and cumin bring a lot of flavor to ground beef, and it takes just minutes to come together.

For this simple recipe, keep reading.

summer

Load Up Your Appetizers and Entrées With Pesto

If you're in search of a quick flavor fix, turn to pestos as they're full of bold, concentrated flavors.

If you're in search of a quick flavor fix, turn to pestos as they're full of bold, concentrated flavors. Pesto alla Genovese — basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan, and olive oil — is typically the first ingredient combination that comes to mind, but really, the ground nut-and-herb mixture just brings endless color to all manner of dishes. Here are a smattering of recipes loaded with all kinds of pesto.

— Additional reporting by Anna Monette Roberts

fast and easy

Fast and Easy Dinner: Chicken Breast With Goat Cheese and Basil

This recipe requires only a few ingredients, takes five minutes to put together, and cooks up in about about 40 minutes.

This recipe requires only a few ingredients, takes five minutes to put together, and cooks up in about about 40 minutes. It's the definition of a fast and easy meal, and also incredibly satisfying and comforting without being heavy.

Chicken breasts with the bone in and skin on are actually cheaper than boneless, skinless breasts at the grocery store (there was a $2 difference at the store!), and this recipe actually requires the skin to hold in the goat cheese and basil. The result is a moist, tender piece of meat, packed with flavor. Even if you're not the biggest fan of goat cheese on its own, know that once it's been cooked with the basil and chicken, it takes on a whole new flavor.

For this super simple recipe, keep reading!

Cooking Basics

Coffee Break: A Look Into the World of Coffeemakers

A good cup of joe signifies the start of a new day, a well-deserved break, the end of a great meal, and so much more.

A good cup of joe signifies the start of a new day, a well-deserved break, the end of a great meal, and so much more. Coffee is most definitely an important component in many cultures. With that comes an abundance of different types of coffeemakers. If you've ever been curious about the functionality of these different brewers, you've come to the right place. Click through to learn about coffeemakers in every shape and size.

Dessert

15 Sweet Treats to Serve at a Bridal Shower

Bridal showers are for gift giving, gossiping, and even a little indulging.

Bridal showers are for gift giving, gossiping, and even a little indulging. What better way to celebrate than with some tasty, dainty desserts? Here are 15 decadent recipes, some of which are rich and some of which are on the lighter side, but all are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

— Additional reporting by Anna Monette Roberts

cookbooks

Kitchen Essentials: Cookbooks Everyone Should Have

In order to learn home cooking basics, you've got to get your hands dirty making (and possibly washing) more than a few dishes.

In order to learn home cooking basics, you've got to get your hands dirty making (and possibly washing) more than a few dishes. To whet your appetite for the stove, we've rounded up our essential cookbooks for every kitchen. Many of these have had a profound impact on home cooking for decades, and others are the classic cookbooks of tomorrow. Read on to check out our picks.

Source: Flickr User timsackton
Cooking Basics

10 Essential Recipes For Graduates

If you or someone you know is about to graduate from college, then it's time to move on from the days of dorm food, meal plans, and affordable campus eateries and get cooking instead.

If you or someone you know is about to graduate from college, then it's time to move on from the days of dorm food, meal plans, and affordable campus eateries and get cooking instead. Should the kitchen be somewhat of a foreign place, fear not. Start with basic (but delicious) recipes and meals and work your way up to more complicated adaptations. Here are 10 tasty and essential recipes to start your culinary education.

party planning

A Sweet and Savory Mother's Day Brunch

Make this Mother's Day memorable and delicious with an impressive brunch spread.

Make this Mother's Day memorable and delicious with an impressive brunch spread. Don't hold back here — more is more when it comes to brunch. We've got an idea for a tasty menu that will make any mom feel so loved . . . and full.

Daytime Drinks
Mimosas or Bloody Marys? Who says you have to choose? Have a wonderfully boozy start to the day (which will probably be followed by an afternoon nap) with fresh grapefruit mimosas and classic Bloody Marys to choose from.

Sweet and Savory Main Courses
An uncomplicated and filling frittata is a great way to serve eggs to a crowd. This savory recipe is chock full of veggies and it's easily adaptable to fit your taste preferences. For a sweeter counterpart, cook up a fluffy french toast strata with chicken sausage. Make life easier on yourself and put this together the night before, so you can just wake up and stick it in the oven.

A Hashed-Out Side Dish
Sweet potato hash browns are easy to put together and are especially delicious doused in your favorite hot sauce. This side dish complements the sweet and savory items of the brunch spread perfectly.

Seasonal Fruit Salad
For some freshness, grab your favorite fruit and throw together a fresh fruit salad. A rich meal like this benefits from a crisp and juicy component.

Chocolate-Covered Ending
Finally, because your mom is totally worth it, make a bunch of chocolate-covered strawberries to finish the meal that will show her just how much you love her.

What are you cooking or eating this Mother's Day?

Wedding Decor

27 Wedding Cake Toppers From Etsy

A cake topper is a great place to get a little bit playful when planning a wedding.

A cake topper is a great place to get a little bit playful when planning a wedding. We scoured the pages of Etsy and handpicked 27 of our favorite finds, from classically beautiful to some very unique options (fiddlehead fern cake topper, anyone?). Click through for some wedding cake inspiration!

Spring

7 Recipes For a Rainy Day

April may be almost over, but we have a funny feeling that we haven't seen the last of those pesky Spring showers.

April may be almost over, but we have a funny feeling that we haven't seen the last of those pesky Spring showers. Don't let the rain get you down; instead, channel all of that energy into some culinary projects and challenges. We've got eight ideas for recipes to make while it's coming down outside. Some of them may take a bit of extra effort, but it will be worth it when you can cuddle up in front of a good movie with some delicious eats while you wait for the sun to come out again.

Eco

Make Your Eating Habits More Sustainable

Earth Day is today, and it always serves as a good reminder to rethink our eating habits and cooking practices.

Earth Day is today, and it always serves as a good reminder to rethink our eating habits and cooking practices. There are so many small changes that we all can make in our everyday lives that, over time, significantly impact the world that we live in. While we may not be able to implement all of these changes all of the time, it is important to consider how our actions affect the bigger picture. Find out how you can make a difference when you keep reading.

Eco

Taste All the Colors of the Rainbow

Now that we've taken a tour of the produce section, color by color, we're so inspired to make meals that use all of these fresh, flavorful ingredients.

Now that we've taken a tour of the produce section, color by color, we're so inspired to make meals that use all of these fresh, flavorful ingredients. But before we do, we want to take one more moment to admire all of the gorgeous edible colors.

Eco

Taste the Rainbow: Purple

Purple fruits and vegetable are like works of art, yet shockingly abundant in the produce aisle.

Purple fruits and vegetable are like works of art, yet shockingly abundant in the produce aisle. For our exploration through the colors of the fruit and vegetable rainbow, we were able to track down a bright-purple head of cabbage, a box of blueberries, an elegant, long-necked Japanese eggplant, and a peak-season bunch of Spring onions. Looking for ways to enjoy these purple produce items? Then keep reading.

Eco

Taste the Rainbow: Green

Crisp green produce just looks like it's good for you, doesn't it?

Crisp green produce just looks like it's good for you, doesn't it? Out of all of the colors of the rainbow, I tend to prefer green veggies the most. While there are countless fresh and tasty options, at this time of year, it's hard not to be drawn to avocados, artichokes, english peas, and lettuce. Find out what we like to do with these bright green ingredients when you keep reading.

Eco

Taste the Rainbow: Yellow

We're moving on to the yellow produce part of our journey.

We're moving on to the yellow produce part of our journey. When I think of yellow fruits and vegetables, I immediately taste lemons. But beyond lemons, crookneck squash happens to be one of my favorite vegetables to cook with. Golden delicious apples are often overlooked for fancier varieties, even though they boast a unique and refreshing flavor. And yes, you guessed it, we're looking at more bell peppers! For some colorful recipes using all of these yellow ingredients, keep reading.

Eco

Taste the Rainbow: Orange

Produce in vivid red hues might seem hard to come by, but interesting enough, in our colorful produce tour, orange produce was even harder to track down.

Produce in vivid red hues might seem hard to come by, but interesting enough, in our colorful produce tour, orange produce was even harder to track down. As it turns out, the options are pretty straightforward — oranges, carrots, and golden bell peppers — but that doesn't make them any less full of flavor. Find out what to do with them when you keep reading.

Taste the Rainbow

In honour of Earth Day (next Monday, April 22), we want to take this week to appreciate all of the colourful, nutritious, flavourful produce that we get to enjoy.

In honour of Earth Day (next Monday, April 22), we want to take this week to appreciate all of the colourful, nutritious, flavourful produce that we get to enjoy. With that in mind, we scoured the shelves of our local food market for the most colourful ingredients, from bright red capsicums to deep purple cabbage. We're going to be taking a look at all of the colours of the produce rainbow and chatting about our favourite ways to enjoy them. Keep checking all week long for lots of colourful culinary inspiration.

Eco

Taste the Rainbow

In honor of Earth Day (next Monday, April 22), we want to take this week to appreciate all of the colorful, nutritious, flavorful produce that we get to enjoy.

In honor of Earth Day (next Monday, April 22), we want to take this week to appreciate all of the colorful, nutritious, flavorful produce that we get to enjoy. With that in mind, we scoured the shelves of our local Whole Foods Market for the most colorful ingredients, from bright red bell peppers to deep purple cabbage. We're going to be taking a look at all of the colors of the produce rainbow and chatting about our favorite ways to enjoy them. Keep checking all week long for lots of colorful culinary inspiration.