Posts for January 2013

Cocktails

Brandy Alexander: Try This Sweet Nightcap Straight Out of Mad Men

Happy Brandy Alexander Day!

Happy Brandy Alexander Day! Celebrate by serving up this after-dinner drink that's a throwback to the days of Mad Men. With brandy, creme de cacao, and Winter spices, this milky drink offers buzz without too much bite. If you're looking for a sweet treat to end the day, host Brandi Milloy offers a dessert version of the drink, too. Watch the video to see both versions, then print out the recipe.

party planning

Master 9 Essential Bartending Techniques

If you resolved to master your home bar in 2013, look no further; take cocktails from basic to brilliant with indispensable bartending techniques that go beyond shaking and stirring.

If you resolved to master your home bar in 2013, look no further; take cocktails from basic to brilliant with indispensable bartending techniques that go beyond shaking and stirring. From rimming glasses with salt or sugar to dry-shaking egg whites to add to light and frothy cocktails, these nine skills will add flair and flavor to cocktail hour.

Appetizers

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers: A No-Fuss Snack For Game Day!

Bacon-wrapped anything is delicious, so it goes without saying that these jalapeño poppers — which are stuffed with herbs and cheese, then wrapped with an entire slice of bacon each — are over the top.

Bacon-wrapped anything is delicious, so it goes without saying that these jalapeño poppers — which are stuffed with herbs and cheese, then wrapped with an entire slice of bacon each — are over the top. Despite sounding indulgent, they're incredibly easy to make and perfect for a game-day party. Learn the tricks to prepping them, like how to keep the heat in check and avoid messy oven explosions, when you watch the video.

Food News

Link Time: Dig Into Fried Avocado Tacos

Game-day must make: fried avocado tacos — HuffPost Taste Keith McNally's UK outpost of Balthazar opens next week — Zagat Why In-N-Out is way better than Five Guys — BuzzFeed It was surprising that the US didn't do better at the Bocuse d'Or — Eater 8 ways to use leftovers, from buttermilk to stale cookies — The FN Dish You'll never guess who got sent home on this week's Top Chef — Grub Street New York Bright idea: popcorn as a soup topping — Tasting Table Source: Food52

Source: Food52
must have

POPSUGAR Must Have January Box — Revealed!

The beginning of 2013 means getting a fresh start on that fitness resolution while still finding time to indulge in some warm treats.

The beginning of 2013 means getting a fresh start on that fitness resolution while still finding time to indulge in some warm treats. We shared an easy at-home workout, which can keep you out of the January gym madness. Plus, we wanted you to keep track of the minutes you spent feeling the burn with a cute watch. Indulge your lips, which are still feeling the Winter weather, with a luxurious balm. We have our favorite way to spruce up your iPhone, and try a guilt-free snack, too.

Check it out and sign up now for POPSUGAR Must Have to receive our monthly subscription box!

party planning

Bourbon 101: The Regulations, Varieties, and Ways to Imbibe

Source: Flickr user grepsy Bourbon is experiencing a resurgence as of late.


Bourbon is experiencing a resurgence as of late. The American-made whiskey isn't just for cowboys or businessmen anymore. If you're curious as to what makes bourbon bourbon, here's the 411 for your 101:


  • During the late 18th century, European settlers in America started making whiskey using corn as the main grain (since it was so readily available). These early producers aged the corn whiskey in oak barrels, keeping in line with traditional whiskey making. Because corn is a sweet grain, bourbon tends to be a sweet whiskey with oak, toast, vanilla, and toffee flavors.
  • The American-made corn whiskey became known as "bourbon," because it was first made in the original Bourbon County of Virginia (present-day Kentucky). Even though bourbon technically can be made anywhere in the US, the Kentucky area is hailed for its incredibly pure, limestone-filtered water, which naturally removes any metals and minerals that could affect the way the bourbon tastes. About 97 percent of bourbons are made near Bardstown, KY.
  • To this day, the US government regulates that bourbon must be made in America from at least 51 percent corn. The rest is malted barley and a flavoring grain — either wheat or rye. It has to be distilled at no higher than 160 proof and must be aged in new, charred-oak barrels for at least two years (to be considered "straight" bourbon). No additives are allowed (not even to change the color), except for pure water to bring down the proof; the bourbon has to be bottled at least 80 proof.
  • Lately, bourbon makers are offering small batch or single barrel bourbons for a heftier sum. Small batch bourbons (a term coined by Jim Beam in the '80s) are made by mixing bourbon from several different barrels (though from the same batch) before bottling. For larger distilleries, this could equate to hundreds of barrels. Single barrel bourbon is made from bottling one single cask (aka barrel) of bourbon. The bottle of the bourbon will have the barrel number on the label to distinguish it.

Keep reading for the different varieties.

Vegetarian

8 Layers of Gold: Mediterranean Layered Dip

This may sound blasphemous, but I've never been quite able to get behind classic seven-layer dip.

This may sound blasphemous, but I've never been quite able to get behind classic seven-layer dip. Don't get me wrong: I understand the appeal and then some. Heck, I wish I were as smitten with it as its many ardent fans are, but it's just not my cup of tea. So when I stumbled across this Mediterranean take on the iconic Super Bowl treat on one of my favorite blogs, I knew it was high time I got my offset spatula at the ready.

What I didn't anticipate was just how much I would adore this tangy, garlic-heavy appetizer. I'm only a hair embarrassed to say that I managed to polish off half the platter in one sitting. Each bite's ever-so-slightly different makeup makes it easy to keep coming back for just one more bite, and do so I did . . .

Keep reading for the dangerously good recipe.

Cocktails

Cocktails: Can You Drink Your Fill?

Since we're tackling the essentials of home bartending this week, I thought I'd whet your appetite for a stiff drink by testing your cocktail know-how.

Since we're tackling the essentials of home bartending this week, I thought I'd whet your appetite for a stiff drink by testing your cocktail know-how.

Here's how it's going to work: I'll name a bar beverage, and you'll match it to the right glassware. How well you do might have something to do with how many you've toasted with in your lifetime. Ready to raise a (proper) glass? Then let's get started.

Take the Quiz
savory sights

Savory Sight: Tiramisu Macarons

Do you ever wish tiramisu and macarons had a bilingual baby?

Do you ever wish tiramisu and macarons had a bilingual baby? You're in luck! PooLovesBoo's enticing interpretation of the perennially popular espresso-flavored dessert into the trendy French pâtisserie treat combines the best of both worlds.

These macarons have a deliciously crisp outer shell infused with espresso flavor and are filled with mascarpone cream. They're perfect with tea or coffee.

For more, check out her blog, and then be sure to share your food photos in the YumSugar Community or by starting your own blog. If you're on Instagram, then chime in on the conversation with the hashtag #savorysight.