Anna Monette Roberts
Assistant Editor, Food
savory sights

Savory Sight: Sweet and Sour Sloppy Joes

If you elevate them with Asian pantry staples, sloppy joes can be classy too.

If you elevate them with Asian pantry staples, sloppy joes can be classy too. Just ask dmash.

It turns out that when you mix together green onions, a little soy sauce, ginger, tomato paste, brown sugar, and ground beef, you’re in for the tastiest Asian-inspired sandwich ever.

For more — and the recipe — visit her blog and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.

salads

10 Tricks For the Best Homemade Salads

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes?

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes? If you find that your homemade salads just aren't as good as those in restaurants, perhaps the problem rests in the prep of the salad, the choice of ingredients, or the dressing itself. Integrate these 10 tricks into your salad-making routine, and we promise, you'll toss better homemade salads in no time.

Vegan

Do Beyond Meat's Chicken-Free Strips Really Taste Like You-Know-What?

There are some pretty scary mock meats out there, but here's a new one that claims it doesn't compromise flavor or texture: Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips ($5).

There are some pretty scary mock meats out there, but here's a new one that claims it doesn't compromise flavor or texture: Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips ($5). These strips, which are sold at Whole Foods nationwide, are being touted as gluten-free and protein-rich (about 18 grams for 3 ounces). They've even garnered praise from the likes of Mark Bittman, who claims he was "fooled badly" in a blind tasting. But let's get to the real heart of the matter: is this product, made primarily of non-GMO soy and pea protein, just a science experiment of sorts, or is it really worth eating?

10 Tricks For Better Fruit Salads

It may seem as though there's not much to a fruit salad other than tossing chopped fruit in a bowl, but a few simple tricks transform a flat fruit salad into something enticing to the eye and pleasing to the palate.
How to Make a Really Good Fruit Salad

It may seem as though there's not much to a fruit salad other than tossing chopped fruit in a bowl, but a few simple tricks transform a flat fruit salad into something enticing to the eye and pleasing to the palate. From picking fruit with the same level of ripeness to spritzing fruit with lemon juice, these 10 tricks will help you make better fruit salads all year round.

Source: Shutterstock

A Crave-Worthy Cobb For the Salad Averse

Confession: I didn't eat salads until I was way into my teens.

Confession: I didn't eat salads until I was way into my teens. The reason? I never found them filling and was typically bored after a few bites. It wasn't until I tried a Cobb salad, filled with all sorts of hearty ingredients, that I changed my mind about leafy green meals.

The rainbow spread of toppings in a classic Cobb include bacon, tomato, egg, blue cheese, avocado, and shredded chicken, positioned neatly over a bed of romaine lettuce. While any dressing, from creamy blue cheese to balsamic vinaigrette, will complement the salad, my favorite way to eat it is with a tart red-wine vinaigrette, which helps cut through the rich flavors.

See the recipe to change your mind about salads.

savory sights

Savory Sight: Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

We're looking at our new favorite Summer sandwich, courtesy of FoxesLoveLemons.

We're looking at our new favorite Summer sandwich, courtesy of FoxesLoveLemons.

This sandwich is something my friend from culinary school would call "Lori Food." In our two years in school, he quickly learned my favorite dishes and ingredients and noticed how I tried to sneak them into everything. Goat cheese, basil, red peppers, things made into sandwiches — these are all "Lori Food."

For more — and the recipe — visit her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.

salads

3 Travel Containers to Transport Salad Dressing in Style

If you've tried it all — resealable baggies, plastic containers from delis, and even mini shampoo bottles — but haven't yet found the best way to pack salad dressing for lunch, then try these three mini containers and bottles, made from plastic, silicone, and glass.

If you've tried it all — resealable baggies, plastic containers from delis, and even mini shampoo bottles — but haven't yet found the best way to pack salad dressing for lunch, then try these three mini containers and bottles, made from plastic, silicone, and glass. They're guaranteed to be food-safe, durable, and, most importantly, spill-free.

Nalgene Leakproof Jars ($2) — The makers of the BPA-free plastic water bottles also make these mini leakproof jars with a screw lid that hold just enough salad dressing for lunch.




See more salad containers.

baking

5 Treats to Celebrate National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Yes, May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and there's only one thing to be done: make a dozen or two cookies to celebrate.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Yes, May 15 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and there's only one thing to be done: make a dozen or two cookies to celebrate. We've included a few classic, much-loved recipes, but if you're feeling in the mood for a riff, like chocolate chip cookie cake or even a guilt-free vegan cookie dough, then keep on clicking, because we've got you covered.

A Decadent Bridal Shower Treat: Four-Layer Petit Fours

If you're responsible for bringing the dessert to a bridal shower, look no further than this decadent, special occasion treat which feeds a large group of people.

If you're responsible for bringing the dessert to a bridal shower, look no further than this decadent, special occasion treat which feeds a large group of people. Petit fours are miniature layered cakes that take a long time to prepare, but as all will attest, they are so worth it. These are taller than your average petit four, but that's because there are four layers of sour cream-cheese pound cake with sweet cherry preserves filling. The bride and the rest of her party are sure to love the towering tiers of sweetness. To see how it's done, in photos, keep reading.

Cooking Basics

Bring On the Bacon Grease! How to Handle, Store, and Use It

Before my nose fully reached the countertop, my grandmother would show me how to fry up a piece of bacon just to render the bacon fat for my favorite lady pea recipe.

Before my nose fully reached the countertop, my grandmother would show me how to fry up a piece of bacon just to render the bacon fat for my favorite lady pea recipe. After all, the Southern attitude is of the "who needs spices or herbs when bacon's flavor will saturate and perfect just about any dish?" mentality. I've maintained that perspective in my kitchen today, and urge you to do the same. If you've been prone to toss out the liquid gold after frying up a few pieces of bacon, for goodness' sake, stop! Let me show you how to handle, store, and use bacon grease.

10 Culinary Essentials For the College-Bound Grad

Ah, the days of dorm-room eating: you remember eating dorm-room meals consisting of ramen noodles, frozen dinners, potato chips, and canned soup.

Ah, the days of dorm-room eating: you remember eating dorm-room meals consisting of ramen noodles, frozen dinners, potato chips, and canned soup. Likewise, you know what essential tools a tiny dorm kitchenette needs.

Give the graduating high school student in your life these essential tools — and as a bonus, pass on your tried-and-true dorm-room hacks (yes, you can microwave cake). While it's unlikely that fancy meals will emerge from a minimicrowave, you know they'll be appreciative of a reliable set of plates and an old-fashioned can opener.

Keep reading to shop our 10 essentials.

savory sights

Savory Sight: Easy Summer Parfait

Thecondochef shows us that blueberry jam doesn't just belong on toast.

Thecondochef shows us that blueberry jam doesn't just belong on toast.

Mango, blueberry jam, and apple-cinnamon granola parfait: Easy Summer cooler for this sweltering heat!

For more — and the recipe — visit her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos via Savory Sights on POPSUGAR Social or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.

Geek gear

7 Cute Cake Toppers For Trekkie Couples

If you and your future spouse are die-hard Trekkies, then why not express your obsession with a custom Star Trek wedding cake topper?

If you and your future spouse are die-hard Trekkies, then why not express your obsession with a custom Star Trek wedding cake topper? Click through a few of our favorites, and if one catches your eye, then think like Captain Picard and "make it so!" With Star Trek Into Darkness hitting theaters on May 17, you're sure to find plenty of inspiration for every aspect of your nuptials.

— Additional reporting by Lisette Mejia

Go Greek With This Salad

I liked but never loved Greek salads until I tried them in Greece.

I liked but never loved Greek salads until I tried them in Greece. At the height of Summer, even the red onions are so sweet and tame, I could eat chunks of them like apples. I never met a mealy nor sour tomato, just tomatoes so ripe they didn't even need a sprinkle of salt to draw out their perfect flavor. And the feta. Can we stop a second to describe the crumbly, umami-filled feta, sliced ever-so-thinly and sprinkled with the most fragrant oregano that I can't help but imagine the restaurants plucked it from their backyard bushes?

While it has been four years since my last visit to Greece, the memories linger vehemently. I've tried my best to re-create and somewhat American-ize the recipe, so you can enjoy the salad at home.

Popcorn: It's Not Just For the Movies

Remember when popcorn was merely a treat to eat on weekends at the movies or curled up on the couch with a Blockbuster flick?

Remember when popcorn was merely a treat to eat on weekends at the movies or curled up on the couch with a Blockbuster flick? Those days are long gone. In the past year, popcorn's proven itself to be the new bar nut as well as a luxurious dessert.

We first noticed the trend at restaurants, in every application: as truffled popcorn, alongside cocktails at the bar in San Francisco's Bourbon Steak; as a flavoring agent in popcorn soup at WD-50 in New York, and as the stand-alone star at Manhattan's Populence, an entire store devoted to flavors like ginger caramel, tangy raspberry, and sweet cinnamon.

But that's not all; the volume of artisanal gourmet popcorn bubbling up in supermarket chip aisles has astounded us. Minnesota-based Angie's sells Boomchickapop sea salt popcorn, prized for its simple list of ingredients and fresh-tasting flavor. Quinn Popcorn out of Massachusetts, with its Quinn Parmesan and Rosemary popcorn, has reinvented the concept of powdered cheese on microwaveable popcorn. And California's 479º Popcorn offers flavors like Fleur de Sel Caramel (trust us: kettle corn's got nothing on this stuff).

We're happy the puffed grain has hit the mainstream food circuit in a major way and have no qualms (yet!) about the exotic riffs in unlikely spots that we're seeing. But tell us; how do you feel about the burgeoning popcorn trend?

digital life

From Deep Sea to Outer Space, the Best Spots For a Geek Wedding

Location, location location! Where you choose to tie the knot says a lot about you and your future mate, and a fun, geek-inspired celebration can set an unforgettable tone.

Location, location location! Where you choose to tie the knot says a lot about you and your future mate, and a fun, geek-inspired celebration can set an unforgettable tone. Museums, places of scientific discovery, and the best theme parks in the world are a few quirky spots to consider hosting your wedding. Take a look at these awesome spots we think would be perfect for a geeked-out wedding.

Source: Thinkstock

Wedding

How to Do Food Trucks the Right Way at a Wedding

These days, food trucks are no faux pas when it comes to wedding catering.

These days, food trucks are no faux pas when it comes to wedding catering. They're a cheap, trendy way to get good, fresh food out to guests on the fly, and guests are excited to see trucks they know and love at your wedding. However, this is a wedding — not a street fair — after all, so here's how you should do food trucks the right way at your wedding.

Photos via Style Me Pretty