Last night while at a benefit for Global Green, one winery asked me to think outside the box. Now I want you to do the same: Allow me to introduce California's premium wine tube. It's not wine in a box, it's wine in a tube! Four Wines has created the first high-quality, alternative-packaged wine. While I was skeptical, the wine's spicy start, nice body, and layered fruity flavors impressed me — it was actually good and delightfully drinkable. Even super-taster FabSugar (whose picky about her wine) enjoyed a glass.

Perfect for entertaining a large crowd, the $40 tube holds 24 glasses of wine (about four bottles) that stays fresh up to four weeks after opening. The grapes are sourced from Paso Robles, Monterey, and Lodi, CA. The elimination of glass, corks, and foils reduce the wine's carbon footprint by 50 percent, making the wine tube an excellent choice for the eco-conscious wine drinker.

So what do you think about this green-friendly wine? Would you drink wine from a tube?

The best dessert for a holiday cocktail party? Something indulgent and chocolatey that can be made in advance.

This brownie recipe is perfect because it incorporates the festive flavor of mint and can be made the night before a party. To make the celebration even more sweet, I'll fill bowls with red and green M&Ms.

For the brownie recipe, read more

When dealing with Thanksgiving leftovers, sandwiches are an obvious choice — and believe me, I consumed my fair share of turkey and stuffing on wheat bread last week. But in a more unexpected repurposing, I also used the breadcrumb mixture leftover from my New Orleans-style baked oyster dish to make this twist on a grilled cheese.

In this case, the "bread" is actually sliced eggplant coated with breadcrumbs, and the cheese is provolone (though mozzarella would also be good with a marinara dipping sauce on the side). I can't say this recipe is any healthier than a typical grilled cheese, since the bread crumb mixture is made with butter, but it is a creative take on a classic for all you grilled cheese fans.

What's cool is that the golden-browned breadcrumbs take on both the look and flavor of grilled, buttered bread, and the skins of the eggplant slices resemble bread crust. The breadcrumb mixture is easy to make, even for a weeknight supper. To get the recipe and step-by-step photos, read more

• Whether it's 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., bacon has a place on the table. — Los Angeles Times
• The art of perfecting the English scone. — Houston Chronicle
• A roundup of all the new food video games that make suitable gifts for the gourmet gamer. — Washington Post
• The illustrious Ferran Adria talks on what's next in the food revolution. — Boston Globe
• There's a cocktail movement sweeping the nation, with several philosophies that differ in approach. — New York Times
• This recipe demonstrates that fruitcake can be delicious. — Chicago Tribune
• Sales for Beaujolais nouveau may be down, but quality of taste has gone up. — Wall Street Journal
• Despite filing for bankruptcy, Copia wine center may reopen in as early as a week. — San Francisco Chronicle

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One of my closest friends is an absolute beer fiend. From the moment he took a beer-tasting class in college on a whim, he's been hooked on microbrews.

I've got so many ideas for him this holiday that I don't know what to choose! I know he'll love this flight set for at-home tastings, or a beer of the month club membership. But I'm tempted to get him this beer game just so I can outsmart him!

Want more gift ideas? Browse the selection below or check out all the gift guides on HolidaySugar.

I love recipes that take simple, classic ingredients — in this case ham and cheese — and recreate them into something sophisticated and elegant. This recipe also uses a technique normally reserved for sweets (jam-filled thumbprint cookies) and applies it to savory components. The end result is an appetizer that is scrumptious, innovative, and delightfully balanced. It's crisp on the outside, light and puffy on the inside, delicately cheesy, and subtly porky. Don't be intimidated by the dough, it's incredibly easy to make. I opted not to pipe mine and instead made circular mounds. Once you have the mastered the procedure, the recipe is highly versatile. I plan on experimenting with several variations: substituting herbs for the ham and pepper jack cheese for the gruyere. To look at the basic recipe, read more

This year instead of hosting a swanky (and expensive) holiday cocktail party, consider throwing an ugly sweater party! The theme is informal and fun, yet totally festive. It's an ideal party for introducing new groups of friends because the ugly sweaters break the ice and create easy conversation. To help you get your holiday party on, we've created a free downloadable, ugly sweater party invite! All you have to do is download, print, fill out, and send. Voila — instant holiday party. Don't forget to carry the kitschy theme to the menu by serving cheese balls, Chex mix, and slippery Santa shots. Happy hosting!