When you're celebrating the onset of 2009 tonight, don't fall short on chilled bubbly. If you've got a warm bottle of Champagne and very little time to make it cold, we've got a fast solution for you.
Place your sparkler into an ice bucket (or another tall plastic container). Add ice to the bottom and sprinkle the layer with a few tablespoons of salt. Continue to repeat layering ice and salt until the combination reaches the neck of your bottle; add water (the colder the better) until it reaches ice level.
In a mere ten minutes, your bottle will be chilled. This method of chilling works much faster than simply sitting the bubbly in ice. Adding water increases the chilly surface area, and salt speeds the drop in water temperature (along with ice), making your sparkling wine frigid much faster.
Have your own secret tip for chilling Champagne? If so, I'd love to hear it below.
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It's the last day of 2008, so treat yourself to a decadent seafood dinner. Although this dish is rich and indulgent, it doesn't take a lot of time to prepare. Newburg is a classic sauce for seafood made with cream and sherry.
This recipe calls for shrimp, scallops, and crab, but feel free to change it up according to your culinary needs. Pair with a green salad and a glass of Champagne for the ultimate end of the year meal. Get the recipe and read more
Blackeyeds, as they're affectionately called, originally hail from Africa, but it's hard to imagine that these pale-colored beans with prominent black spots aren't native to the Southeastern United States. That's because Southerners have lovingly eaten them for centuries on New Year's Day, when they're customarily devoured in order to bring good luck and prosperous fortune in the year to come. Here are some of our favorite recipes, both traditional and contemporary.
Last week, McDonald's made headlines when roughly 15,000 Osaka residents lined up for the opening of the Midosuji Suomachi Quarter Pounder only store in Chuo-ku, Osaka. But now, the number one fast food chain is admitting that around 1,000 people were hired and compensated to line up outside of the store.
"We didn't ask the company to make the people line up," explained a spokesperson for McDonald's Japan. "We didn't intentionally do it."
McDonald's maintains that it hired the marketing company to conduct research on the hamburger, and that the marketing company requested part-time workers from a staffing company, describing the duties as "Easy work, just waiting in line to buy a new product and eating it."
The so-called customers included the first 20 to 30 people in line who waited for the store to open beginning at midnight the night before, and these hires were paid 1,000 yen, or approximately $11 an hour, to wait in line.
All things considered, the Quarter Pounder store did exceedingly well. Excluding those paid to queue for the burger, the shop managed to draw in 14,000 customers on opening day. Does this marketing effort seem outrageous to you?
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Champagne is chic, so why shouldn't your glassware be? Ring in the New Year with a champagne flute that puts a contemporary twist on the traditional look. These modern, sleek designs can capably contain your bubbly while looking surprising and sophisticated.
From the minimalist MOYA Champagne Flute ($27.50) to stylishly simple offerings from fashion designers Monique Lhuillier and Calvin Klein, these glasses add punch to any New Year's party — as if you needed help. Check out my favorite finds below.
Tom Tailor
Alexander Wang
McQ by Alexander McQueen