YumSugar

Come Party With Me Movie Night - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:28:39 -0800

Deciding what drinks to serve at my French-themed Movie Night was surprisingly trés facile! Besides sparkling and still water, I'll pour one signature cocktail and offer guests a tasting of French wines.

A French martini, made with pineapple juice and chambord, will be served with the baked brie appetizer.

A rich, buttery Chardonnay pairs nicely with the shrimp bisque. With the bacon-wrapped chicken breasts pour a lighter, fruity red like a Pinot Noir. After the movie, finish the night with a glass of champagne and the chocolate soufflé.

For French martini recipe, read more.

French Martini
From David Lawrence

2 ounces of good vodka
1 ounce of Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
4 ounces of pineapple juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, tumble in a handful of ice, and shake vigorously.
Strain into a frosted martini glass.

Serves one.

Print recipe with images | without images

Source

Happy Hour: French Martini

partysugar — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:11:31 -0700

In honor of tomorrow being Bastille Day (France's equivalent to the 4th of July), I say that we all make (or order out at your local French lounge) French Martinis. In France, a French Martini is typically made with Lillet and served as an aperitif, but like most things, the cocktail has been Americanized. The lillet has been replaced by vodka and the result is a very tasty, somewhat girlie drink, in a decadent shade of raspberry. If you've never tried one please do, it's beyond divine. You know you want the recipe, so read more

French Martini
From David Lawrence

2 ounces of good vodka
1 ounce of Chambord (raspberry liqueur)
4 ounces of pineapple juice

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, tumble in a handful of ice, and shake vigorously.
Strain into a frosted martini glass.

Serves one.

Print recipe with images | without images

Image Source

In Season: Heirloom Tomatoes

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:17:30 -0700

Few things excite a summertime farmers market crowd more than a spread of vividly-hued heirloom tomatoes. Unlike mass-produced tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes are breed with unique characteristics that have been passed down for generations. There are countless varieties that differ in color, shape, and size, as well as maturation times.

They range from the hefty, irregularly shaped, explosively juicy cherokee purple to the tiny, tart, and firm green zebra. Because heirloom tomato cultivars come in early-, mid-, and late-season varieties, pay attention to what's available at your local market that day. Generally speaking, select tomatoes that are firm, heavy for their size, and free of any open cracks or wounds. For ideas on how to cook with them, read more.

Enjoy them the way I do most often, which is simply sliced and drizzled with good olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and flaky sea salt. Or highlight their flavor in a variety of dishes:

Slice super thin and serve carpaccio style with an Asian-inspired drizzle.
Use a grater to crush ripe heirlooms into a classic gazpacho.
Cut a thick midsection out of an heirloom to include in a picnic-perfect caprese-inspired tomato and mozzarella sandwich.
Take advantage of small, intensely-flavored varieties to create an unconventional tomato water martini.
Make a flaky, savory heirloom tomato tart reminiscent of the French countryside.
Toss them in a Calabrian bread salad along with basil and olive oil-packed tuna.

What's your favorite way to use an heirloom tomato?

Happy Hour: Modmix Organic Cocktail Mixers

partysugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:00 -0800

Move over Stirrings, there's a new cocktail mixer on the market and it's made with 100 percent organic fruit juice. Meet Modmix ($9.99), the mixer for the luxury spirit. I was lucky enough to speak with one of the founders, Tricia McCracken, at the Fancy Foods Show. She explained that the mixers pair well with all types of liquor, including bubbly. For a non-alcoholic drink, she suggests diluting the mixer with sparkling water. Modmix comes in six flavors: citrus margarita, French martini, lavender lemon drop, mojito, pomegranate cosmopolitan, and wasabi bloody Mary. Unlike most mixers, Modmix is neither too artificial or too sweet - they taste surprisingly like fresh juice. I loved the French martini, a subtle blend of pineapple juice with a vibrant raspberry color, and the wasabi bloody Mary, a thick tomato juice that packs a spicy punch. The best thing about Modmix is that they have a very pure, intense, authentic fruit flavor. Have you tried Modmix? Did you think it was a step above other cocktail mixers?

View 8 Photos ›

Talking Mixology With Dale DeGroff

partysugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:30:52 -0800

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Dale DeGroff. If you've never heard of DeGroff, you'll be surprised to know that he has changed your life. Remember that basil gimlet you enjoyed at the bar last week? You can thank Dale for that. Or what about that perfectly poured martini? Dale's responsible for that, too. Known to food insiders as the King of Cocktails, Dale DeGroff is single-handedly responsible for the renaissance of classic cocktails. Back in 1980s New York, at a time when the majority of bars served drinks made from overly-sweet mixes, Dale was mixing drinks with fresh, seasonal, local ingredients and creating cocktails based on preprohibition recipes. To find out what the master has to say about cocktail trends and to see who he thinks is the best bartender in America today, read more.

Dale was in San Francisco to promote his new book The Essential Cocktail and to run the Pernod Ricard mixology course for bartenders, BarSmarts.

PartySugar: What do you consider yourself? A bartender, bar chef, mixologist?
Dale DeGroff: Retired. Now I am a teacher and an author.

PS: What do you consider your signature drink?
DD: The Ritz cocktail, which was named in tribute to the classic champagne cocktail and featured in Playboy magazine. The whiskey smash, which is currently on menus from London to Australia. Bobby Flay serves it at his restaurants. That one was based on a 19th-century drink, but I changed the name. The Fitzgerald is another one.

PS: What qualities make a good bartender?
DD: Speed, accuracy, friendliness, a certain passion and love affair with life. You have to be confident and a chameleon, and you have to love it.

PS: Who are the best bartenders in America?
DD: The list is long in terms of exclusivity. There's lots of guys who can make amazing, culinary drinks, but Doug at PJ Clarks, handles that crowd with such ease, speed, and accuracy. That bar is packed every night and he makes a good cocktail. He doesn't do special cocktails, but he could learn everything those other guys do in exactly a month.

PS: What's your ultimate hangover remedy?
DD: Don't start drinking or don't stop drinking. Aspirin. Nothing beats a milkshake and a hamburger. Some people say soaking your feet in oatmeal works.

PS: What's the next big thing? In cocktails and spirits?
DD: We are in the middle of the next big thing! The overall idea is that we've taken the cocktail out of the beverage category and turned it into something culinary. Bartenders have to look at their bars like a chef would look at his kitchen. They are looking at their ingredients like a chef looks at his ingredients. You've got to go to the cupboard, go to Whole Foods and buy what is fresh and in season. I'm really into pepper jelly, spices, and herbs. Pisco is going to be big. Anything from South America really. Brown liquors are on the rise. The geeky bartenders are making drinks with bourbon and rye. Rhum agricole. Tequila, anything Latin really. Sherry is popping up in cocktails everywhere.

PS: What's your advice to the home mixologist?
DD: Buy the best, freshest ingredients you can afford from the liquor down to the mint. Follow recipes! Bartending is like baking, there is a science to it. My drinks really work. Make it fun, get your guests involved. Stock your bar with gin, an old-fashioned like Beefeater and a new wave like Plymouth. Vodka, cognac, rum, rhum agricole. Three whiskeys: scotch, bourbon, rye. Tequila: blanco and reposado. Cointreau , good vermouth. Don't buy domestic vermouth, get an Italian red and a French white.

Source

Yummy Links: From Chocolate-Stuffed Bananas to Spy Chefs

partysugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:45:19 -0700

Chocolate-stuffed bananas make a delicious campfire dessert. - Slashfood
Although the district may be gritty, the grub in San Francisco's Tenderloin is delicious. - Chow
Would you drink a pork martini? - Serious Eats
Four chefs reveal their secrets for making the best pizza, pad thai, taco, and burger. - 7x7
Have you ever had a farm fresh egg? - The Epi-Log
Hilary Swank plans to produce a movie based on the book French Women Don't Get Fat. - BuzzSugar
How to make homemade raisins. - Baking Bites
A Wii bowling tournament is a fabulously fun party theme. - Hostess with the Mostess
Ten chefs whose culinary skills make them exceptional spies. - Best Week Ever

Source

TV Dinners: Amélie - Crème Brûlée

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:28:31 -0800

When PartySugar told me she was planning a movie night party based around French films, I was thrilled to see what she came up with. She's put together an amazing meal consisting of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, French martinis, and chocolate soufflés, but there's one little thing she's forgotten: the crème brûlée! Whenever I see the film Amélie, the scene where she cracks the crème brûlée gets me every time. It's such an amazing sound and the scene is so adorable.

To enjoy the sound in your own home, print out the recipe for a delicious ginger-vanilla crème brûlée. Or satiate your sound craving with a video clip of Amélie enjoying one. You can get both of those things when you read more.

Note: The créme brulée scene appears at 2:25. Keep scrolling down for the recipe!

To make this a classic crème brûlée, simply omit the fresh ginger.

Ginger and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
From Bon Appétit, February 1999

For Custard
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brûlée
12 tsp. sugar
Sliced tropical fruit (such as mango, papaya and/or kiwi)

Make Custard:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes in each of two 13-x-9 x-2-in. baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar, and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Make Crème Brûlée:

Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold culinary blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.

** Note: If you don't have access to a culinary blowtorch, you can place the custard dishes on a small baking sheet and broil until sugar begins to caramelize (about 2 minutes) - rotate sheet for even browning.

Print recipe with images | without images

All the News That's Fit to Eat - May 2

YumSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:59:41 -0700

The French technique of sous vide (which means "under vacuum") is catching on in the Bay Area. - San Francisco Chronicle
This week the LA Times celebrates farmer's markets - my favorite bit is about how you can turn excess fruit into drinks. Moonshine anyone!? - LA Times
We've all heard of sweet bread pudding, but how about a savory one? Don't miss this one for asparagus bread pudding. - Sacramento Bee

The folks at the Times sort out which gin produces classic martinis. 4 people, 80 martinis, how do I get myself on their panel for the next one?! - New York Times
When I was growing up, my mom's favorite cake was pineapple upside-down cake. I wonder what she would think of this lemon upside-down cake. I know what I think... yum! - Houston Chronicle
Mexican food authority Rick Bayless takes you on a culinary tour of Chiapas, Mexico's remote highlands. - Chicago Tribune
Everyone's got their own "best" guacamole recipe, but here are a few ways to customize any guacamole recipe and call it your own. - Rocky Mountain News

The True James Bond Martini

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:32:18 -0800

In the new Bond movie, Casino Royale (check out premiere pics over at PopSugar and a fantastic review at BuzzSugar), our favorite spy orders the original Bond martini. I say original because it's exactly what Ian Fleming wrote in the first Bond novel.

"Three measures of Gordon’s [gin], one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet, shake it over ice then add a thin slice of lemon peel."

The twist here lies in the french aperitif wine Lillet (the company has dropped Kina from their name since the book came out). Made from sauvignon blanc, it has a nice aroma and a mild bitter aftertaste and is typically served over ice (with or without soda water). It's not always easy to find, but your well stocked bartender should be able to hook you up. So go out and order a martini Bond style!

Come Party With Me: Winter Dinner - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 06:59:01 -0800

This Saturday I am hosting a winter dinner party for a select group of my close friends. I've chosen midnight blue and forest green as the colors of my party, designed homemade invitations, and am going all out on this one. National Dinner Party day is coming up so I'm celebrating early. I haven't seen a lot of my guests since last year, so I want everything to be super special down to the tiniest, last detail. We have been in the middle of a cold spell, and I plan on serving a warming, comforting, slow-cooked meal. But let's not forget, no dinner party would be complete without exceptional drinks. To see what I'm planning on pouring, read more

I'm serving an antipasto platter as appetizers and so I need a cool cocktail to wash down those nibbles.I wanted to do either a dark green or deep blue cocktail to enhance the winter theme and found this lovely recipe for a Blueprint Martini blueprint martini. Its prettycolor is sure to get my guests in the party mood. With dinner, I'll pour a French red wine (I'm making a French beef dish) most likely a bottle or three of Mommessin 2004 Bourgogne Pinot Noir. This wine has good body and structure and is an elegant companion to red meats. It's under $11, so it's reasonably priced too! For dessert, I'll go over the top and pop open a few bottles of bubbly champagne at a under 10$ price this champange is extremely affordable and I keeping up with my French theme.

I'll serve Marquis de la Tour NV Brut (under $10 a bottle) when I slice the chocolate butterscotch parfait pie. I'll have both sparkling and still waters on hand as well as a bottle of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider for the non drinkers.

Got a delicious drink recipe for a winter cocktail in blue or green? Tell me about it! Tomorrow I'll discuss the decorations and table setting so stay tuned.

Click on the picture below for the cocktail recipe: