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Tom Colicchio Makes a Bloody Good Drink

YumSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:00:28 -0700

While I rang in the season premiere of True Blood with a sublime red velvet cookie sandwich, Tom Colicchio was inspiring fans of the show to get in the kitchen as well.

Top Chef's head judge is no newbie to plugging drinks - witness his Diet Coke commercial spot. But on this segment of "The Perspective" with Victoria Davis, he goes above and beyond, making a beverage for fictitious, blood-sucking friends: "I have a few friends that are vampires, and I've had this issue. We go out, and I'm sitting there through appetizer, and entree, and dessert, and they're just kind of nursing a TruBlood," he says. See the video when you read more.

Watch the clip of the celebrated chef below, making a warm "meal in a glass" with sugar snap peas, chicken broth, fennel, favas, spring onions, and beet juice. Would you try making this? Do you find this segment as ridiculous and cheesy as I do?

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A Taste of Rome

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 14:24:56 -0800

Leave it to the folks over at the premium cable channels to come up with another fun marketing campaign. This time HBO has graced 100 Italian restaurants in LA, NY and Chicago with bottles of Rome wine. The cabernet sauvingnon, which is bottled in California, will be offered free to patrons. Each table will have a card that states:

And our house wine tonight is brought to you by HBO. A taste of 'Rome' awaits you. Ask server for details.

I'm not sure what the entire marketing strategy is, but I wonder if it will cause as much buzz as rival Showtime's clever Weeds brownie promotion.

Source: Ad Age

Would You Drink This TruBlood Beverage?

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:50:00 -0700

True Blood fans: If you've ever wanted to know what a TruBlood, well, truly tastes like, you're in luck. At last weekend's Comic-Con, the producers of the show announced the launch of an official beverage, made from - what else? - the juice of blood oranges.

In the HBO series, vampires are accepted into society and coexist with humans - but rather than drink human blood, they imbibe a synthetic supplement, TruBlood. And while Tom Colicchio recently concocted a bloody good substitute, thirsty viewers can now pre-order the real McCoy.

I celebrated the season premiere with festive food of my own, so I can't wait to try the drink just for the novelty of it - although I won't likely be stocking my shelves with it. Would you buy this drink?

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Come Party With Me: Inauguration - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:00:46 -0800

Next week Barack Obama will make history when he is sworn in as president. Naturally, this momentous occasion deserves a party! The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 11:30 a.m. EST. Since most people will be working, I've decided to host my party the Sunday before. HBO is airing a special live program, We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, to kick off the festivities, and I've invited my friends over to watch it with me. While my election night menu featured patriotic dishes, this party will highlight dishes from Barack Obama's old hometown, Chicago.

For appetizers offer guests Garrett Gourmet Popcorn, flown in fresh from the Windy City. Make mini Italian beef sandwiches topped with giardiniera peppers. For the main course, serve two nontraditional (they're square shaped - no special circular pans necessary) deep dish pizzas. A pepperoni, onion, and mushroom pie is perfectly hearty while a spinach-artichoke pizza will satiate the vegetarians in attendance. To check out these tantalizing recipes, read more.

Mini Italian Beef Sandwiches
From Midwest Living

Ingredients

1 17-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked beef roast au jus
2 cups frozen peppers (yellow, green, and red) and onion stir-fry vegetables
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1/2 cup pepperoncini salad peppers, stemmed and chopped, plus 2 tablespoons drained liquid
16 2- to 3-inch rolls, split
giardiniera peppers (optional, for serving)

Directions

Place beef mixture in a medium saucepan, breaking up any large pieces. Add peppers, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper. Heat through just to boiling.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine coleslaw mix, 1/2 cup chopped pepperoncini and liquid, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to divide meat mixture among roll bottoms. Top each with coleslaw mixture; add roll tops.
Serve with giardiniera peppers, if you like.

Makes 16 sandwiches.

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Deep-Dish Pizzas
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

Olive oil, for pans
All-purpose flour, for work surface
2 balls (1 pound each) store-bought pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 1/2 cups jarred tomato sauce
6 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella (1 1/2 pounds)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
For Pepperoni-Onion Topping:
4 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 pound thinly sliced button mushrooms, sauteed (optional)
For Spinach-Artichoke Topping
1 package (10 ounces) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, drained, quartered, and squeezed dry

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of two 13-by-9-inch metal baking pans with oil.
On a lightly floured work surface, stretch each ball of dough into a 10-by-14-inch oval (if dough isn't holding its shape, let rest a few minutes).
Transfer each oval to a prepared pan, pressing to fit into corners, and one inch up sides to form a rim.
Dividing evenly, spread sauce over each oval of dough.
Using 3 cups of cheese per pizza, spread three layers each of cheese and topping, ending with topping (layering with cheese helps to hold each pizza together). Season with salt and pepper. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 day.)
Bake pizzas side by side until cheese and crusts are golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes, rotating once (if refrigerated, add 10 minutes).
Let rest in pans 10 minutes. To serve, use two wide spatulas to transfer pizzas to cutting boards.

Serves 8.

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TV Dinners: Flight of The Conchords - Lasagna For One

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:03:11 -0700

HBO's Flight of the Conchords has to be one of my favorite new shows. Each episode contains several spoof songs, and are always hilarious. The season just ended, but the songs are living on in my head. Recently I couldn't get the song, "I'm Not Cryin'" out of my head. Especially the line where Brett says, "I'm making a lasagna... for one."

All week long my thoughts have been plagued with individual lasagnas. No matter what I did, I couldn't get it out of my head. Over and over and over again, "I'm making a lasagna..." I think the only way I'll be able to get this song out of my head is to make myself a lasagna for one.

To check out the full video clip (lasagna line appears around 1:35), AND get a recipe for an individual sized lasagna, read more

Lasagna For One
Inspired by Flight of the Conchords - From Razzle Dazzle

Editor's Note: This recipe is really straightforward and calls for canned spaghetti sauce. I imagine that's how Jemaine and Bret would make it, although Bret would definitely add additional chopped onions to his.

3 ounces lasagna noodles
dash of oregano
1 - 8 ounce can or 1 cup of spaghetti sauce with meat
1/2 cup cottage cheese
3 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions.
Mix in small bowl, oregano, salt and pepper with spaghetti sauce.
Alternate layers of noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce in small baking pan.
Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

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Happy Hour With Entourage, Part 2

partysugar — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:00:08 -0700

On Friday I introduced you to Kimberly Jackson of Jax Vineyards. YumSugar and I met her at a recent wine tasting, where we were attracted to one bottle in particular: Y3 Chardonnay. We loved the sleek and chic appearance. The wine with its crisp, clean, freshly acidic taste and bright, rich aromas made it highly drinkable and totally food-friendly. The winery is owned and run by Kimberly and it's an exclusive wine seen on many episodes of HBO's Entourage. When Vinnie, E, & Co. are sipping Char while out at one of LA's hottest eateries, it's most likely they are sipping a bottle from the Jax Y3 label. At only $18.00 a bottle this is an affordable must drink-get a bottle today to enjoy while you watch the season premiere tonight! We spoke with Kimberly about how she stumbled upon the Entourage set and what pairs well with her Chardonnay.
To take a look at what she has to say about her wine, read more

P/YSugar: Can you describe the Y3 Chardonnay to readers who haven’t tried it?
KJ: We wanted to create a Chardonnay that would not be overly oaked or overly creamy which is quite common among Napa Valley Chardonnays especially in the low to moderate prices points. Our goal was to create a chardonnay that offered a bright acidity and crispness to it. This ultimately allows the specific fruits ie. green apple, white peach, and a touch of brown sugar to shine through. Often oaky, creamy Chardonnay styles mask the actual fruit in the wine. Additionally a more acidic and brighter wine will not overpower food therefore resulting in a great food pairing wine. To enhance the vibrance and crispness of this Chardonnay, our winemaker, Rob Hunter used light oak barrels and no malolactic fermentation in his winemaking processes.

P/YSugar: What would you pair the Y3 Chardonnay with?
KJ: The Chardonnay pairs well with just about any cheese, fish dishes, and chicken dishes. It would also pair with a lean meat. Ultimately, the acidity can cut through the cream based cheeses and accompany light to moderately heavy dishes without overpowering them. Our Chardonnay is very unique in that it caters to the Chardonnay drinkers who like texture and layers that a Chardonnay offers but the Sauvignon Blanc drinkers enjoy its crispness and acidity.

P/YSugar: How did Y3 come about?
KJ: Our family’s involvement in our winery originally started when my dad purchased a beautiful 38-year old Calistoga vineyard in 1996. Realizing that our dad made an excellent vineyard choice, my brother Trent attempted to produce his own wine by hand picking a second harvest from our Calistoga vineyard. The homemade 1995 vintage created in his San Francisco garage ultimately turned out to be Calistoga vinegar. Undaunted, our family got inspired by Trent’s efforts so we hired a winemaker to produce our first official vintage of Jax Cabernet Sauvignon in 1996.

As our estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Jax) continued to gain momentum, we decided to start additional varietals including our Y3 Chardonnay, Y3 Syrah, and Y3 Sauvignon Blanc. The Y3 name (which is a Jax brand) was inspired by our grandparents who had a cattle ranch where Y3 was a cattle branding symbol. We celebrate three generations of land-tilling entrepreneurs with the Y3 label. This label is for our wines that are sourced from vineyards other than our own. The Jax Cabernet Sauvignon comes solely from our own vineyard.

P/YSugar: Do you use screw tops?
KJ: No. Although screw tops are cost effective, easier to open, and the trend in bottle packaging, we like the traditional ritual of opening the wine. As a high quality winery, we prefer the image of a traditional cork. Also, corks outperform screw caps after three years so we prefer not to risk the accelerated air transmission (resulting in oxidation) that occurs after approximately three years in the screw top.

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What's Yummy This Week: YumSugar Weekly Recap

partysugar — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:02:32 -0700

This week we started things off with some clever ideas to celebrate dad. Treat him to delectable desserts, yummy drinks, or
the perfect gift.
Things in the reality tv world are starting to heat up. Top Chef delivered with a great season 3 premiere, The Next Food Network Star took us back into the kitchen, and is Gordon Ramsay turning into a softy on Hell's Kitchen?

Candy Month is still going strong. We've got some cute candy purses for you to use as inspiration. As well as a classic Pixy Stix Sandwich and some Reese's infused peanut butter cookies. If you want to help participate, check out the submission guidelines.
Whether you're a beginner in the kitchen or a pro with years experience, we've got chicken parmesan two ways.
Do you like cilantro?
This week we learned how to easily dry wine glasses, make perfectly round cookies and what a tasting menu is all about.

Someone introduces me to clairesquares, my waistline will never be the same again.
Looking for a fast and easy dinner? Try triple-mango chicken or black bean tacos.
If you are planning a party any time soon consider making decorations with tomatoes and grapes.

The most exciting moment of the week was when we spoke with Kimberly Jackson of Jax vineyard. She provides all of the wines for HBO's Entourage!

Happy Hour With Entourage

partysugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:00:11 -0700

At a recent wine tasting, YumSugar and I were attracted to one bottle in particular: Y3 Chardonnay. We loved the sleek and chic appearance. The wine with its crisp, clean, freshly acidic taste and bright, rich aromas made it highly drinkable and totally food-friendly. The winery is owned and run by Kimberly Jackson and it's an exclusive wine seen on many episodes of HBO's Entourage. When Vinnie, E, & Co. are sipping Char while out at one of LA's hottest eateries, it's most likely they are sipping a bottle from the Jax Y3 label. At only $18.00 a bottle this is an affordable must drink-get a bottle today to enjoy while you watch. Just in time for the season premiere of the 4th season of Entourage this Sunday, we got an exclusive interview with Kimberly!
To take a look at what Kimberly has to say about her wine and the cast of Entourage, read more

PartySugar/YumSugar: What was it like on the set of Entourage?
Kimberly Jackson: Frankly the set of Entourage was completely a surprise! In other words, I had great luck the day I found myself on the set of Entourage. It happened one year ago, when I was selling my wines to high profile restaurants in Los Angeles. I had an appointment with the sommelier of Dakota Restaurant at the Roosevelt Hotel (a traditional Hollywood celebrity scene) in the mid afternoon. When I arrived at the hotel, the restaurant was blocked off with a sign that indicated a private party was taking place. Undeterred by opportunity to show my wine, I entered the restaurant and found myself front and center on the set. I literally walked onto a scene with the entire cast, dozens of gorgeous extras and dual cameras.

Because the production filled the entire restaurant, I set up my wines next to the set in preparation for the tasting. While waiting, the director kept looking over at me and my wines and I saw him chatting and looking towards my direction several times Shortly thereafter, I find the producer halting the scene and yelling across the room at me to join the next episode and to put those wine labels front and center in the scene as well. Ever since that day, the product placement team has put our wines on the show at least 8 times over the past 2 seasons. Even more exciting is that I have become friends with Adrian Grenier, the director, Gary Goldman, and the product placement team. Trent and I have visited the set and are going back on July 3rd. We are also having some of the crew up to our winery this fall. Of course, we would be thrilled if they film at our vineyards.

P/YSugar: Who’s your favorite Entourage character and which cast member did you like in real life?
KJ: My favorite character on Entourage is Ari Gold. He plays every scene brilliantly and his attitude is just priceless. Not to mention the fact that our wines are displayed in every scene in which he is involved.

However my favorite cast member is Adrian. Adrian and I have become friends. He stocked his new wine cellar in Brooklyn with our wines, and he invited me to come to his biography premiere Shot in the Dark in New York. What I love most about Adrian is that he really tries to stay away from stardom. He wants to hang with real people outside of his industry. He is also very approachable. My mom and I called him last week after watching “shot in the dark” and like always he picked up his phone immediately and talked to us extensively about his experience filming that show. How many stars would do that the night after their premiere?

P/YSugar: What has the Entourage exposure done for your winery?
KJ: Certainly, our business is off the hook nationally. But what is truly exciting is that the placement on the audience of Entourage could not be more perfectly matched. Entourage capitalizes on “edgy, high quality, cult brands that are not easy to come by.” They are like Sex and the City for the male set. Our wines are foremost about quality and to be a premium brand. Beyond making small lot wines that the entire family must stamp with approval, we are focused on a more modern, forward thinking approach. We did not want to be an arrogant, intimidating, stuffy brand that our generation could not relate to. The audience that appreciates Entourage is precisely our demographic!

How fabulous is her story?? Wouldn't it be amazing to have the wines you produce featured on a show like Entourage?? For the rest of Kimberly's exciting interview, check back on Sunday before you watch Entourage!

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