
I was checking out the posts on TeamSugar when I came across haute77's post about her Halibut alla Fiorentina. I must admit, my jaw nearly hit the ground. This dish looks so delicious — her hubby takes great pics! — and sounds absolutely executable. According to haute, it's fun delicious and fast. To check out more tasty pics and find out which recipe she's using, read more
Posts for February 15th 2008
Yummy Reads: Colin Cowie Chic
If you consider yourself the hostess with the mostess, you better get yourself a copy of party-planning guru Colin Cowie's latest book, Colin Cowie Chic. Although he's written several tomes, this one is a lifestyle guide that teaches you how to create an inviting home, entertain stylishly, and travel comfortably. The book is filled with tons of recipes and pictures of Colin's actual homes. A spectacular host, Colin goes above and beyond to make his guests feel welcome.
Some of his fabulous tips include secretly pulling back the covers to a houseguest's bed and always keeping puff pastry sausage rolls in the freezer for any impromptu events. He suggests serving South African and Australian wines because they are wonderfully affordable. Not into hosting parties? This book makes a great hostess gift.
Yummy Link: Chocolate Petits Fours
As much as I love to eat them, I've never really had a desire to make petits fours. Then I saw this recipe for mascarpone brownie petits fours with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, and now I have to make them! These bite-sized chocolate treats look divino! — For the Love of Food
Enter the Oscars Party Giveaway!
The contest ends this Sunday, be sure to enter now!
Just in time for the Oscars, we've partnered with our pals at Social Couture to come up with a fab prize. We're giving away Hollywood Glam Sets ($135 each) to five lucky winners! The sets include everything you need to create a lush Hollywood inspired party in your home.
To enter to win this fab prize, YOU MUST LOG IN and take the Oscars Afterparty quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member and log in before you take the quiz. If you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Don't forget to log in before you take the quiz in order for it to count!
Apologies to all of our international readers: This contest is open to U.S. residents only. Winners will be chosen randomly from among the quiz-takers. The contest ends on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 5:00 p.m. PST. For more info read the official rules.
Good luck and don't forget to tell all your friends and family so that they have a chance too!
Take the QuizDo You Know What's Cooking This Week?
This week we celebrated Valentine's Day and took a further look into the Governors Ball! Have you been paying attention? If so, then take our weekly quiz! All of the answers can be found in this past week's posts, so let's find out how well you fare! Ready to start?
Happy Hour: Greyhound
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 read more
Come Party With Me: Valentine's Day Single Gal Soirée — The Look
As cheesy as it sounds red and pink decorations — with lots of hearts — are fun for any Valentine's Day party. Start by covering the table with a vibrant red tablecloth. Scatter heart confetti across the cloth. Set up the fondue pots and arrange large platters with the dippers around the pots. Stack appetizer plates and cocktail napkins on the ends of the table. Instead of using regular fondue picks use metallic heart picks. Fill vases with lush red tulip arrangements. For a super-festive atmosphere hang a Valentine's Day garland or banner, light-pink Christmas lights, and pink candles. Oh and the best part is, if you're hosting your party this weekend like I am, you may be able to pick up a lot of these decorations at half price!
Making the Most Fabulous Fondue
While it may seem incredibly easy to throw a bunch of cheese into a pot and melt it, crafting a super-creamy fondue takes a little skill. In the February issue of Vogue, Jeffrey Steingarten acknowledges that the perfect fondue is hard to find. He said:
Fondues as smooth and suave as this are rare; more often the cheese separates and settles on the bottom of the pan in stringy clumps and lonely curds whose flavor is as fine as the cheese they're made from, but that congeal in the mouth into tough and chewy balls not unlike chaws of bubble gum.
No one would want to serve a chunky fondue like the one Steingarten describes. To ensure that you never make a bad fondue again, check out my tips for creating silky fondue, just read more
And the Oscar Goes to... Sherry Yard!
You've seen the food, and you've seen the decorations, heck, I even showed you what wine they'll be drinking at the upcoming Governors Ball. However, it's now time for the thing I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for: the desserts!
This year, Sherry Yard, the executive pastry chef and author of several cookbooks, including Desserts by the Yard, is concentrating on wonderful little bites. There are solid dark chocolate Oscar statues, almond-apricot petit fours, edible bubbles — yes, bubbles! — shortbread Oscar-shaped cookies, chocolate truffles and more.
We recently got to chat with Sherry — who is quite delightful in real life — and she told us all about the dessert menu and prep. To check out the video, and see loads more pics, read more
Yummy Links: From Oreo Kisses to Bacon Candy
- Create your own adorable Oreo Kisses. — Bakerella
- In South America, Kraft is creating a line to help fight intestinal worms. — Slashfood
- Learn how to make felt fortune cookies filled with treats. — CasaSugar
- Did you see this list of unlovable Valentine's Day Sweets? — Serious Eats
- Find new ways to satisfy your chocolate cravings. — iVIllage
- Flavor your food with something other than salt. — FitSugar
- Learn how to broil a steak in the oven. — The Kitchn
- Discover how to turn leftover wine into vinegar. — Chow
- Let's all make a batch of bacon candy! — Al Dente