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Come Party With Me: Fast Thanksgiving — Menu

partysugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:56 -0800

Many people think that serving your family a classic, delicious Thanksgiving requires days of work in the kitchen. However, with a little culinary savviness, one can make a complete meal in a couple of hours. Pick up store-bought snacks to tide over your crowd until turkey time. Put together a simple cheese plate with olives, nuts, figs, and charcuterie.

Cut cook time in half by serving a roasted turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. Keep the stuffing simple and the flavoring ingredients to a minimum. A gravy that doesn't require turkey drippings is another time saver. Combine the sweet potato side with the traditional mashed potatoes. Make a quick cranberry sauce with sugar, cranberries, and water. Serve one vegetable side in the form of a crunchy broccoli-cauliflower gratin. To look at these fast and easy recipes,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 16-22, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:00:25 -0700

In the height of good weather, food and festivity abound, and right about now, I'm wishing I could teleport myself around the United States. First I'd hit up Manhattan for Wine 2.0's wine sampling this week, followed by the Shrimp & Grits Festival in Georgia, and then some classic Eli's cheesecake in the Windy City. Don't miss out on these events — if you do, you'll have to wait another year!

New York, NY: The StarChefs Rising Stars Revue New York — Sept. 16
New York, NY: Epicurious Wine.Dine.Donate New York — Sept. 17
New York, NY: Wine 2.0 New York — Sept. 18
Atlantic City, NJ: Celebrity Chef Tour Atlantic City — Sept. 18
Shawnee-on-Delaware, PA: Delaware River Food & Wine Festival — Sept. 18-21
Nappanee, IN: Nappanee Apple Festival — Sept. 18-21
La Crescent, MN: Applefest 08 — Sept. 18-21
Leavenworth, WA: Wenatchee River Salmon Festival — Sept. 18-21

To see the rest,

Noteworthy Nibbles — Sept. 9-15, 2008

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:00:41 -0700

Events are all over the map this week, especially in New York and California. As usual, there's no shortage of festivals for the oenophile. The other activities, however, really demonstrate our country's appreciation for regional American foods, from shellfish on the Eastern seaboard to kolaches in Texas.

New York, NY: A Taste of the Village — Sept. 10
Murphysboro, IL: Murphysboro Apple Festival — Sept. 10-14
San Diego, CA: Spirits of Mexico — Sept. 11-13
Traverse City, MI: Traverse Epicurean Classic — Sept. 11-13
Charlotte, NC: Charlotte Shout Blues, Brews, & BBQ — Sept. 12-13
Grapevine, TX: Grapevine's GrapeFest — Sept. 11-14
Greenville, SC: Euphoria — Sept. 11-14

To see the rest,

Happy Hour: Pisco Sour

YumSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:00:46 -0700

The other night I found myself at Nopa, a San Francisco restaurant known for its great food and equally respectable drinks. My drink of choice was the pisco sour, the slightly sweet, tart, frothy lemon cocktail made with pisco, a regional South American brandy. This is a wonderful concoction and I'm excited to re-create it at home.If you don't own pisco, you can find it at a well-stocked liquor store or online. The pisco sour and its namesake spirit have been at the center of a centuries-old battle between Chile and Peru, with both countries claiming it their own.

Note that this recipe calls for Chilean pisco, which is sweeter, with slightly lower alcohol content than Peruvian pisco. If you substitute Peruvian pisco, increase the amount of simple syrup and lemon juice according to your taste. To get the recipe to this lovely Latin libation,

Epicurious at the Farmers Market

partysugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:15:33 -0700

Yesterday Tanya Steel, the award-winning editor in chief of Epicurious, was at the San Francisco Ferry Building. YumSugar and I took a walk down to meet with the Epicurious street team and check out the latest produce at the Tuesday morning market. On a green market tour to promote eating locally, Epicurious has created a bunch of special recipes that feature produce specific to each region. For some tips on how to eat locally and more pictures of Epicurious at the Ferry Building,

Reader Recipe: Grilled Asian Flank Steak With Slaw

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:00:37 -0700

Doesn't this Asian flank steak with slaw look delicious? FinnLover posted it in the Dinner Challenge group on TeamSugar.

The recipe reminds me of an updated steak salad. Rather than using lettuce, it calls for shredded Napa cabbage, making for the perfect side of slaw.

To see the recipe (FinnLover modified one from Epicurious) plus her detailed instructions and photos,

Happy Hour: Margarita

partysugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:00:58 -0700

I don't know about you, but being this close to Cinco de Mayo makes me crave margaritas! Simply made, a margarita is tequila, orange liquor, and lime juice. However, this recipe for the ultimate margarita takes the concoction to a whole new level. Limeade concentrate and beer are the secret ingredients that make it exceptionally refreshing. While I prefer my margaritas on the rocks, this recipe is also nice blended.

To rim the glass with salt, rub a lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Dip it in a bowl of coarse salt, turning the glass in a circular motion. Carefully fill with ice and the margarita.

To check out the recipe — seriously this is a keeper, I've made it more times than I can remember! —

Come Party With Me: Easter Brunch — Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:18:51 -0700

No menu — including an Easter brunch — is complete without a sweet finish. You could order a bunch of fancy pastries from your favorite bakery, or you could use puff pastry to make a sweet, flaky chocolate filled treat in the comfort of your own kitchen. These mini pain au chocolates are deliciously satisfying and beyond simple to make.

I always include them on any brunch menu because rave reviews are guaranteed. To see how they are made,

Yummy Link: The Spring Table

partysugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:28:31 -0700

Wondering how to set the table for Easter or Passover? When creating the look for your next event, get inspired by the colors of Spring, pretty blooming flowers, and oversized green leaves. — Epicurious

Sunday Dinner: Corned Beef and Carrots

partysugar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:23:31 -0700

While some of you believe corned beef tastes like dog food, I happen to love this St. Patrick's Day staple. Slathered in an orange marmalade and whiskey glaze, this is the perfect Sunday night dinner. Don't be intimidated because this recipe calls for fully cooked corned beef. You cook it like you would a baked ham.

For the sweet carrots on the side use real carrots. Packaged baby carrots won't have such a fresh flavor. To make this for your family tonight,

Test Kitchen: The Internet's Most Famous Chocolate Cake

partysugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:15:51 -0800

I finally got around to making the internet's most-clicked chocolate cake recipe last weekend. The recipe is simple and easy to make, and the resulting cake is dense and delicious. However, I didn't think this was the best chocolate cake ever. It's definitely good, but I'm not desperate to make it again.

The cook time given for the cake was over an hour, but mine finished in about 35 minutes, so be sure to check it while baking. Also, allow plenty of time for the frosting to cool and thicken, at least an hour for a rich consistency.

To form your own opinion about this chocolate cake, make it, and try it for yourself. Get the recipe, just

Yummy Link: Award Winning Menus

partysugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:03:31 -0800

Instead of serving a buffet of snacks at your Oscars viewing party, make a sit down dinner. For dinner ideas based on the Oscar nominated films, check out these cohesive and delicious menus. — Epicurious

Happy Hour: Greyhound

partysugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:03:57 -0800

The other day, while I was at one of my favorite bars — Cantina — I had a delicious and refreshing drink made with fresh grapefruit juice. A variation on the classic caipirinha, the cocktail was on the menu for that night only. I wanted to run home and re-create the delightful concoction, but I couldn't remember the list of ingredients. Since the grapefruit juice is what stood out the most, I settled on making a greyhound.

The close cousin of a screwdriver, a greyhound is a sublime blend of vodka and fresh grapefruit juice. To enjoy this cocktail now — grapefruits are in season — get the recipe and

Cupcake of the Week: Your Own Bloody Valentine

YumSugar — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:31:37 -0800

If you think cutesy pink Valentine cupcakes are too sentimental and passé then wait until you check out these Bleeding Heart cupcakes. Instead of being cutesy hearts, they're almost gruesome, and the best part is that they actually bleed jam! I love how fun they are, and especially adore the use of marbles to create the indentations! To check out the recipe and create your own bloody valentine,

Yummy Link: Gourmet Breaks Away From Epicurious

partysugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:28:33 -0800

Yesterday, Gourmet magazine launched an updated, free-standing website. Until now, the magazine's Internet content was grouped together with Bon Appetit's content on Epicurious. The new site has plenty to offer from recipes to interviews to interesting articles. I love watching the Diary of a Foodie videos! — Gourmet

National Daiquiri Day

partysugar — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 02:03:23 -0700

According to the generally accepted legend, in 1905 a mining engineer named Jennings Cox landed on the shores of a Cuban beach called Daiquiri. When he ran out of gin while entertaining fellow Americans, Cox invented the daiquiri. He had an abundant supply of rum, sugar, and limes and the drink was an invention of necessity. The daiquiri stayed local until a US Navy medical officer introduced it to Washington DC's army and navy clubs. Later, the drink was highly popularized by Earnest Hemingway who enjoyed the cocktail with twice as much rum at the famous Cuban bar, El Flordita. Rumor has it that he once consumed 16 daiquiris in one sitting! To make a classic daiquiri - it is National Daiquiri day! -

Cherry Pie Two Ways - Beginner & Expert

partysugar — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:38:39 -0700

Just as I have to have pumpkin pie in winter, no summer can pass without a delicious cherry pie. With the help of canned cherries and premade pie crust, a simple pie can be assembled in a matter of minutes. If you aren't much of a baker, serve guests this beginner's pie and tell them you made everything homemade. Trust me no one will know the difference! If you are like me, an experienced baker with many a scrumptious pies under her apron's tightly knotted belt, make a flaky pastry dough and release some stress pitting fresh cherries. Whatever your cooking level, every home cook can wow guests with one of these amazing cherry pie recipes. This fruity dessert is divine after a barbeque and pairs perfectly with a cold glass of champy. Tempted? Wait till you see the recipes:

PartySugar Behind The Bash: Wine.Dine.Donate

partysugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:13:18 -0700

Coinciding with National Hunger Awareness day, Epicurious (the website for Bon Appetit & Gourmet magazines) hosted five charity dinners in five different cities. I was lucky enough to get an invitation to the San Francisco dinner at Farallon restaurant Friday night. All of the money raised from the event went to an amazing organization, America's Second Harvest, a food bank network that provides food to low income people in the United States. Oftentimes the fact that there are more than 9 million hungry children here in our country gets overlooked, so it was wonderful to be a part of such an important charity event. The coolest thing about wine.dine.donate is that even if you can't attend the big city event, you can hold a dinner party at your home to support the cause. I'm thinking about turning my next dinner party into a soirée that benefits the cause, but until then I'll be dreaming about the delectable dishes I ate the other night. The dinner was absolutely delicious, the deconstructed fried soft shell crab BLT, the fresh oysters, and the crispy veal breast with soft boiled egg and polenta were my favorite dishes. Just writing it makes my mouth water!

To take a look at an entire gallery of the event, including the sweet rhubarb empanada dessert created by Emily Luchetti,

You Put Peanut Butter In My Cookie!

YumSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 01:18:31 -0700

Believe it or not, today is another one of those "who came up with this holiday" days! This time it's National Peanut Butter Cookie day and ooohwee, I am excited about this one! Although my personal favorite is chocolate chip, I have been known to dig in to my fair share of their peanut butter cousin. To celebrate peanut butter cookie day, run to the kitchen and whip up a batch of these sweet treats. To check it out, just

Today's Special: Artichoke & Feta Cheese Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:58:32 -0700

One of my pantry staples is canned/jarred marinated artichoke hearts. I always have these babies on hand because there is so much that you can do with them. Toss them with pasta and vegetables for a quick dinner or mix with cheese, homemade mayonnaise, and green onions for an instant appetizer at the arrival of an unexpected guest. Marinated artichokes can liven up store bought salad greens or be blitzed into a creamy soup with an onion, potato, and broth. However, tonight I'm in the mood for pizza, so I'll use the little hearts to top a crisp, irresistible pizza. The recipe is vegetarian but if you want to add meat try adding ham - in one of its more glamorous forms - will pair perfectly with the artichokes and feta. Take a quick look at the super easy recipe,

Mardi Gras Dessert: Frozen Chocolate Bourbon Parfaits

partysugar — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:11:17 -0800

In my opinion parfaits are a totally underrated and overlooked dessert. They can be made hundreds of ways with just as many ingredients, yet when do you ever have one? When and why did they go out of style? Think about it: when was the last time you had a delicious parfait that wasn't some generic concoction from Dairy Queen or TCBY? If you answered never to this question, then you must make this divine dessert in the very near future. In fact drop what you are doing and make it now - this way it will be nice and chilled for after dinner. Layers of chilled creamy chocolate, softly whipped cream, and crispy praline. I'm merely writing about it and my mouth is watering. The splash of bourbon gives it a New Orleans-ish underlying flavor. This recipe is a great one for a party or dinner because it can be made up to 2 days ahead of your event. For the heavenly recipe,