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Campaign-Themed Food: Our Top Votes

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:30:43 -0700

With the presidential election less than two months away, the whole country's been talking, breathing, and sleeping campaign politics. It's only natural, then, that we've been eating up campaign politics, too - and boy, is it tasty. We had some tough choices to make, but these treats get our top votes.

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Yummy Links: From Dungeness Crab to Turkey Cookies

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:50:32 -0800

San Franciscans get excited: it's dungeness crab season! - SFoodie
This holiday season, why not bake a beautifully festive cake or cupcakes? - Hostess With the Mostess
Eating dark chocolate may help you handle stress. - The Epi-Log
The FDA has withdrawn the ban on the sale of Gulf Coast raw oysters during warm months. - Eater
Introducing: people talking on bananas. - People Talking on Bananas
Could Jose Garces be the next Iron Chef? - Grub Street Philadelphia
Rachael Ray on the Martha Stewart Show makes for some uncomfortable television. - Eat Me Daily
Learn how to fight wine snobbery. - Chow
Turn Keebler Fudge striped cookies into Thanksgiving turkeys. - Serious Eats

5 Fabulous Gifts For the Do-It-Herself Hostess

partysugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:50:27 -0800

She's the girl who makes snake cakes in her sleep. The gal who sends twenty-five handmade birthday invitations to a four course sit-down dinner that she cooks. She's already obsessing about her Thanksgiving menu and testing out Christmas cocktails. You know who I'm talking about, she's the hostess who does it all and she's giving Martha Stewart a run for her money. Always on top of things, this fun-loving gal is easy to shop for. Here are my holiday gifting suggestions for the party-princess in your life.

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Will You Eat Banana Creme Twinkies?

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:57:31 -0700

As a kid I was crazy for processed treats like Twinkies and Ho-Hos. However, once I got to college, I made a vow to eat as few as I possibly could. So tell me, why am I so intrigued by the new Banana flavored Twinkies? Does it have something to do with banana being the original Twinkie flavor and how it's the first time since WWII that Hostess has featured it as a "regular" flavor? I'm not really sure, but I strangely want to try them. How about you, will you hunt down Banana Twinkies?

Note: It has actually been a limited edition flavor several times since WWII, most recently for the release of the King Kong DVD.

Source: PR Newswire

Hostess-Inspired German Chocolate Cupcakes

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:15:40 -0700

For my uncle's birthday, I always bake him a German chocolate cake. However, this year I was bored with the regular old recipe and decided to try something new. Inspired by the classic Hostess Cupcakes, I created a rich German chocolate variation. First, I baked a moist chocolate cupcake. Next, I filled it with a coconut-pecan mixture. Finally, I topped it with a luscious layer of chocolate ganache.

Although the cake, ganache, and filling are simple to make, assembling the cupcake is more difficult. I tried using a pastry bag to stuff the center of the cupcakes, but quickly realized the pecans were too large and clogged the tip. Determined to fill the cakes, I used my finger to create a small cavity on the bottom of each cupcake and gently placed the filling inside. Any minor cracks were covered with thick a layer of ganache, so luckily, none of my guests noticed! To make your own scrumptious Hostess-inspired German chocolate cupcakes, read more.

German Chocolate Cupcakes
Adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

Cake
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cold strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound imported semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
Nut Filling
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup evaporated whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup coarsely shredded sweetened coconut (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 4 ounces), toasted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Toast pecan pieces at 350°F for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Keep a close watch and occasionally toss the pecans to ensure that they don't burn.
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a muffin pan. In a bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, and vanilla.
Beat the coffee mixture into the dry ingredients in 2 batches with an electric mixer on low speed. Beat in the butter. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool in the pan on a rack.
Meanwhile, make the ganache: In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over moderately high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate.
Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Transfer the ganache to a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until chilled and thickened, about 2 hours.
Make the nut filling: In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the evaporated milk and then the butter. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and lightly coats a spoon, about 10 minutes; do not let it boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
To fill the center of the cupcakes with nut filling, turn each cake upside down. Using your finger or a small spoon, carefully scoop out some of the cake to create a small hole. Gently insert the nut filling. Turn right side up.
Place on a cooling rack with either a pan underneath or wax paper to catch the extra ganache. If ganache is too hard, let it stand at room temperature and stir it briefly. Use a spoon to drizzle the ganache until the entire cupcake is covered. Place in a refrigerator or freezer to allow the ganache to set.
Top each cupcake with a dollop of nut filling. Enjoy.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Print recipe with images | without images

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Yummy Links: From Edible Gardens to Cakes

partysugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:50:23 -0700

Following in the footsteps of Michelle Obama, California's first lady, Maria Shriver, plans her own edible garden. - Serious Eats
Hop on the garden bandwagon by growing your own herbs indoors. - Chow
Instead of hosting a baby shower, wait until the baby is born and host a sip and see. - Hostess With the Mostess
The best novels with recipes. - The Epi-Log
What do you think of the Bobby Flay promo for The Next Food Network Star? - Eat Me Daily
When cooking poultry, don't forget to season underneath the skin. - The Kitchn
Hosting a birthday party? Here are 20 delicious cake recipes. - Bon Appétit

Source

Must-Read: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 03:30:04 -0800

Party recently polled you about dessert preferences, and it came as no surprise that most of you love dessert in any form. Many of you, however, singled out gooey, sticky sweets as your preference. Naturally, I had this in mind when I came across Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth ($15.61) by pastry chef Jill O'Connor. To find out what I thought of this collection of puddings, cookies, cakes, and sweet pies, read more.

Pros:

Helpful primer explains everything from the differences between types of cocoa powder to the best bristles for a pastry brush.
Desserts strive to be complex, with innovative, sophisticated flavor pairings.
Whimsical, vintage-inspired graphic design makes for an aesthetically pleasing book.
O'Connell adds plenty of personal flourish, telling amusing anecdotes, explaining the story behind every recipe, and sprinkling poignant quips about desserts along the way.

Cons:

Some recipes, like Cap-n Crunch Crispy Treats, are basic, but others - such as a three-page recipe for Coconut Cream Puffs - are tricky and complex.
Unless you're cooking for a party of eight, you may need to cut the recipes in half.
As pretty as the typography is, the ingredient list is written in such small font that it can be difficult to read quickly.
Rather than being easily numbered, the steps are written in paragraph form.

Recipes: The recipes cover just about everything. A few that left my mouth watering:

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots With Shortbread Spoons
Coconut Milk-Cream Cheese Flan
Milky Way Tempura-on-a-Stick
White Trash Panini
Gingersnap Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches
Dark Chocolate Soup With Cinnamon-Toasted Pound Cake Croutons
Double-Crumble Hot Apple Pies
Sweet Pink Grapefruit-Tangerine Mousse With Phyllo Ruffles

Imagery: Although only a third of the recipes have pictures, the photographs are vivid, lush, and beautifully arranged.

Overall Rating: If you're a dessert fanatic looking to experiment with creative recipes, this would be the perfect cookbook to turn to. It would also make a gracious hostess gift.

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What's Cooking at Slashfood

YumSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:30:14 -0700

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's favorite finds:

What's a hostess to do when invitees fail to RSVP?
Vitamin Water goes lo-cal. Can you taste the difference?
Connect with other oenophiles on the web's best interactive wine websites.
Agricultural activist Michael Pollan has put out a request for readers' best food mottos.
Follow a few basics, and making ice cream cake couldn't be easier.
Behold Scanwiches, the latest wonder of the food blogging world.

Source

Host/Hostess Gifts: What To Bring To A Dinner Party

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 06:01:38 -0700

So you've been invited to a dinner party and the inevitable question looms: Gift for the host, yes or no? You may be thinking, it's only a dinner party, so why should I bother to bring something for the hostess? Well, simply put, you should because it's common courtesy! If a friend or relative has taken the time to invite you into their dining room for a homemade meal, you must return their efforts and express your thanks. For an informal dinner party, an extravagant gift is not necessary, don't spend more than $20. An interesting bottle of wine, a fragrant jarred candle, or a fun salt and pepper serving plate are exceptional gifts that will delight and please any hostess. For close friends, splurge on an animal print serving tray. Baked goods, like a coffee cake that the hostess can enjoy the morning after the dinner, or a small bag of crisp and delicious cookies show your host that you appreciate the invitation to dine. Lastly, my all time favorite gift is a large, beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers from a friend's garden. Likewise if you have ripe fruit trees or an abundance of fresh mint, give the home grown produce to your hostess. Do you have any great host/hostess gift ideas? Share them with us in the comments!

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Yummy Links: From 12-Layer Cake to Mario and Tony

partysugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:45:35 -0800

I'm trying to work up the courage to make this gorgeous 12-layer mocha cake for Christmas. Wish me luck! - Gourmet
Twelve delicious cranberry recipes. - The Kitchn
What do recession dining and goat meat have in common? They're top food trends of 2008. - Time
At a time when everyone is craving comfort food, retro cookbooks are making a strong comeback. - The Epi-Log
A look back at the year in food. - Chow
Vote for your favorite finalist in the Inspire Me! Holiday Entertaining Contest. - Hostess With the Mostess
Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain discuss fatherhood. - Serious Eats

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