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News From New Moon, JT Jokes About In-Laws, and Oprah Asked to Apologize For Making Dr. Phil Famous

Molly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:47:08 -0700

We've got the latest from New Moon, including sexy Kristen, the soundtrack's new release date, and Summit on Twitter. Plus, check out what Justin TImberlake has to say about his possible future in-laws and how Oprah responded when she was asked to apologize for introducing the world to Dr. Phil. All that and some Sex and the City 2 and Gossip Girl news, too! Watch PopSugar Rush now!

Michelle Dishes on Gossip Girl Romance, Oprah Sued For $1 Trillion, and a Cookie War Heats Up!

Molly — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:24:35 -0700

We got a chance to chat with Michelle Trachtenberg at last night's TCA party - check out the exclusive video below. Also, Wal-Mart takes on the Girl Scouts and Oprah's ridiculous $1 trillion lawsuit! We're also gearing up for Britney's big show on Sunday and have the latest breaking news on Paula's replacements. Watch it now!

TV Dinners: Gossip Girl - Grilled Cheese

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:01:31 -0800

With the writers' strike putting a pause on my favorite television series plot, I've started watching repeats of Gossip Girl. I recently caught the pilot and came across a scene in which Chuck feeds a drunk Serena a grilled cheese sandwich from his hotel's kitchen.

Not your ordinary grilled cheese - it's actually on the New York Palace Hotel's restaurant menu - this sandwich costs $50. So what makes it so divinely delicious and extra expensive? Thick-cut housemade bread, imported Italian Fontina cheese, and fresh shaved black truffles. To take a look at a clip from the episode and check out the recipe, read more.

Gossip Girl's Grilled Cheese Sandwich
From Christopher Lee

8 slices of fresh baked white bread (look for a local bakery)
16 slices of fontina cheese
2 tbsp sweet butter
2 oz fresh shaved black winter truffles
salt and pepper, to taste

Layer 2 slices of fontina cheese between 2 slices of white bread and shave a couple of slices of truffles in the middle of each sandwich; do the same for all four sandwiches.
Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add the butter.
When the butter melts, add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is nice and toasted.
Remove and slice sandwiches in half and place into four plates.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

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Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:07:52 -0700

Every Fall, to honor the return of television's most exciting shows, I like to host an informal premiere party. Two years ago I was all about Ugly Betty and last year I celebrated Heroes. This week I'm turning my attention to one of the CW's hottest shows: Gossip Girl. The third season debuts next Monday and I'm having my sister and best friends over for a dinner/watching party.

Since it's a weeknight, the menu is fairly simple. However, the recipes I plan on using are created by acclaimed chefs from New York City. When the girls arrive, I'll have Daniel Boulud's warm Camembert with wild mushroom fricassee ready and waiting.

For the main course, I'll throw together Mario Batali's spaghetti with shrimp and chiles. On the side, I'll serve a simple mixed green salad. For these scrumptious recipes, read more.

Warm Camembert With Wild Mushroom Fricassee
From Daniel Boulud

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnut pieces
One 8-ounce wheel of ripe Camembert in its wooden box, at room temperature
1 tablespoon walnut oil
3/4 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed, caps thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large sage leaves, minced
Sourdough toasts, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the walnut pieces on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.
Remove the Camembert from the box and unwrap it. Put the cheese back in the bottom half of the box and set it on a baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until soft.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the walnut oil. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 minutes longer. Add the shallot and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in the parsley and sage; season with salt and pepper.
Invert the Camembert onto a platter. Stir the walnuts into the mushrooms and spoon over the cheese. Serve with the toasts.

Serves 4.

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Spaghettini With Shrimp
From Mario Batali

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 fresh Anaheim chiles, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound bay or small gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
10 ounces spaghettini
1 bunch arugula, washed, spun dry, and chopped into ribbons (2 cups)

Directions

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.
In a 12-inch saute pan, saute the garlic in the olive oil over moderate heat until lightly brown, about 1 minute.
Add the chiles and continue cooking about 30 seconds longer. Add the wine and butter and boil over high heat for 3 minutes.
Add the shrimp, stirring until just cooked, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and remove from heat.
Add the spaghettini to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions, until tender but still al dente.
Drain the pasta and add the spaghettini to the saute pan with the shrimp. Place the saute pan back over medium heat. Stir gently until the spaghettini is coated with sauce, then toss in the arugula. Stir quickly until combined and arugula just wilted, about 30 seconds. Check the seasoning and transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:15:55 -0700

You don't need to go all out with crazy decorations for a Gossip Girl season premiere party, but I do recommend cleaning your living room. A neat space will make you and your guests feel more comfortable. Give everyone their own folding tray table and floral-printed serving tray. Stripped dish towels make chic and eco-friendly napkins. Place the appetizer on a large platter, serve the pasta in bowls, and sip the bellini in champagne flutes.

A simple bouquet of red flowers mimics the pattern on the trays and completes the look.

Photo courtesy of The CW

Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:50:55 -0700

No season premiere party is complete without a special drink, especially if the show in question is Gossip Girl, where the characters seem to be constantly guzzling cocktails. All the recipes I'm making next Monday night were created by acclaimed New York City chefs: Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, Eric Ripert - Blair and Serena have surely dined at their respective restaurants.

Not to be forgotten is Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The Frenchman came up with this Champagne-based concoction, an elegant take on the classic bellini. Instead of peach nectar, Jean-Georges uses a combination of cherry puree and yuzu juice.

Don't worry if you can't get your hands on fresh yuzu; Vongerichten recommends a mixture of tangerine and lime juice instead. To look at the recipe, keep reading.

Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:47 -0700

Gossip Girl premieres next week and to celebrate I've invited over some friends to enjoy dinner and watch the show with me. It's a Monday night, so the menu is minimal but delicious and filling. Since Gossip Girl takes place in New York, all the recipes I'm using were crafted by acclaimed NYC chefs. This dessert, a simple raspberry clafouti, is Eric Ripert's recipe. Although the French name makes it seem like the dessert is complicated, it requires nothing more than a wire whisk and can be assembled in minutes. I'll put the clafouti in the oven when the episode starts and half way through we'll be savoring the fruity pastry piping hot. For Ripert's recipe, read more.

Raspberry Clafouti
From Eric Ripert

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar (and a little more for ramekin)
1 large egg
6 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberries
Vanilla ice cream (or a flavor of your choice)

Directions

Heat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 5 1/2-inch oval gratin dishes and dust with sugar.
Whisk egg until frothy and add sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract; mix to combine.
Add the all-purpose flour and whisk very well.
Divide the raspberries into the baking dishes and pour the batter over the berries.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and the middle is set.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Serves 2.

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Simple Tip: Use the Menu to Establish a Theme

partysugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:15:01 -0700

While I hosted a Gossip Girl premiere party, my best friend invited a group of gals over to view the series premiere of Cougar Town. The entire event was cougar-themed and she asked everyone to wear animal print.

She set the tone by printing out a special menu. The title of each dish was changed to be more cougar-like. Instead of a fantastic dinner party it was fangtastic. Strawberries become clawberries. The main course was caprese stalker salad and cougar risotto cakes.

Changing the food's names is a fun and easy way to establish the tone of a party. It's very Martha Stewart and can be applied to any event from Halloween to a child's birthday. The best part? It got guests talking and had us coming up with crazy cougarspeak all night! What's your secret for emphasizing a party's theme?

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:30:19 -0700

I'll never forget the authentic campfire flavor of these homemade s'mores popsicles.
Ring in the return of Gossip Girl with an informal premiere party.
Learn how I prepared for my road trip to the massive Nugget Rib Cook-Off in Sparks, NV.
Velveeta might be lowbrow - but it's also delicious in a nacho cheese dip.
Can you tell the Mario Batali fun facts from the fiction?
What do you recall about this week's French-themed Top Chef?
Don't forget to play Who's the Better Chef? for a chance to win $1,000!

Party Foul: Not Greeting Your Guests

partysugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:30:42 -0700

At female-centric events like baby showers or bachelorette parties, it's easy for cliques to form and cattiness to flourish. Recently, my sister attended a bridal shower where the majority of guests went to the same high school. However some girls, despite knowing my sister, were cold and unfriendly. To make matters worse, the hostess did not say one word to her! While I understand that everyone present may not get along, it's totally unacceptable for the hostess to ignore her guests. It's up to the hostess to ensure that gossip and grudges don't ruin the party. This means that she must put aside any hard feelings and greet everyone equally.

Have you ever been to a party where the hostess made you feel unwelcome? Please share your stories below!

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