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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Dessert

partysugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:15:37 -0800

After a rich menu of caviar toasts and creamy potato-leek soup, serve guests a classic dessert like shortcakes. In this recipe the beloved cake stack gets a Winter makeover. Fresh strawberries are replaced with roasted pears.

An easy, homemade toffee sauce adds a buttery warmth to the dish. Pillows of lightly whipped cream finish off the decadent, not-too-sweet dessert. To look at the simple recipe - it would be a divine finish to any Winter dinner party - read more.

Roasted Pear Shortcakes with Warm Toffee Sauce
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup whipped
6 pears (about 2 1/2 pounds)-peeled, halved, cored and sliced about 1/4 inch thick

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat the flour with 1/4 cup brown sugar, the baking powder and salt. Add 1 1/2 sticks butter and mix on low until crumbly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/2 cup unwhipped heavy cream. Add the liquid to the mixer and mix until just combined.
Pat the dough out until about 1 inch thick on the prepared baking sheet and cut into 6 equal pieces. Place the pieces 1 inch apart and bake until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
Meanwhile, place the pears with the 3 tablespoons brown sugar and the 3 tablespoons butter on a rimmed baking sheet and toss to coat. Cover the pears loosely with foil and roast until tender and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1 stick butter with the remaining 1/2 cup unwhipped heavy cream and the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the toffee sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes.
To serve, slice each shortcake in half and layer the bottom halves with the toffee sauce, roasted pears and whipped cream. Drizzle more toffee sauce over the whipped cream and cover with the shortcake tops.

Makes 6 shortcakes.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Lunch - Menu

partysugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:45:32 -0800

Instead of hosting a crazy party on New Year's Eve, invite friends and family over for a decadent lunch on Jan. 1. Begin the soirée in the early afternoon (around 2:30) to allow late-night partygoers plenty of time to recover. Serve a menu that is rich, satisfying, and luxurious.

Start with caviar on brioche toasts with creme fraiche. Slice smoked salmon and cream cheese frittata into bite-size pieces and serve as appetizers. Have guests sit down to a creamy leek and potato soup paired with a simple salad of mixed greens dressed with champagne vinaigrette.

This menu would also make a delightful first day of the year dinner. To check out the recipes, read more.

Toasted Brioche Rounds With Creme Fraiche and Caviar
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1 one-pound loaf brioche, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 eight-ounce container creme fraiche or sour cream
2 ounces black caviar, or more

Directions

Using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut 36 rounds of brioche from slices.
Place 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch skillet. Melt over medium heat. Add half the rounds; cook until golden, turning once, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining butter and rounds. Let cool on a wire rack or paper towel. Store rounds in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Place a dollop of creme fraiche on each round, and top with caviar.

Makes 36 appetizers.

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Smoked-Salmon and Cream Cheese Frittata
From Gourmet

Ingredients

8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 oz cold cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 oz thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped
thinly sliced red or sweet onion, optional for serving

Directions

Whisk together eggs, milk, chives, basil, pepper, and salt in a bowl.
Preheat broiler.
Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet (if handle is plastic, wrap it in a double layer of foil) over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Pour egg mixture into skillet and scatter cream cheese pieces on top, then cook, lifting up cooked egg around edges using a spatula to let raw egg flow underneath, until frittata is set on bottom and egg is almost set but still moist on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle salmon all over frittata, then press on salmon lightly and shake skillet to allow salmon to settle into top.
Broil frittata about 6 inches from heat until set, slightly puffed, and golden in patches, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then loosen edge with spatula and slide onto a large plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.

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Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
1 baking potato (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Chervil or parsley sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the leeks and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the potato and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, then return it to the pan. Season the soup with salt and pepper, garnish with chervil and serve.

Serves 6.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

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Let's Dish: What Are Your Culinary Routines?

partysugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:00:20 -0700

Every Monday through Friday, at 11:30 in the morning, I like to eat a banana. I've been performing this culinary ritual for at least the past two years. I know I'm not the only one who has a food routine: for as long as I can remember, I've watched DearSugar eat a salad every day for lunch. And my brother enjoys a homemade smoothie each morning. As much as I love trying exciting new dishes, I find my daily banana a necessary comfort. How about you? Do you have a culinary routine? What is it?

Source

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:30:11 -0800

Begin 2009 on a sweet note with sticky honey buns.
Or, if you are avoiding sweets, consider a wholesome, nutritious, and sophisticated Winter salad.
PartySugar plans an elegant New Year's Day lunch fitting for any classy occasion.
Find out what sets Président's new brie log apart from the rest.
From minimalist to intricate, PartySugar's picked out the most stylish Champagne flutes.
In our Best of 2008 series, we reveal our pick for the year's most trendy ingredient.
Tell us what your culinary resolutions are for the new year.

Girl Talk With Top Chef Antonia Lofaso

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

On this week's Top Chef, we saw final-four contestant Antonia Lofaso leave Puerto Rico. When I spoke to her yesterday, she was in New York lunching with fellow finalist Stephanie. The two chefs were in town for Bravo's A-List Awards, and Antonia was nice enough to take a break from her meal of gnocchi and sweetbreads to chat about her time on the show.

Antonia isn't just a Top Chef contestant; she's also a fan who has watched the series since the first season. To hear how her experience compared to what she'd seen on TV and find out what her 8-year-old daughter thought of it all, read more.

YumSugar: How’d you get involved in Top Chef?
Antonia Lofaso: It was actually something that came through my restaurant group. [Production company] Magical Elves did a little scouting, and they made a recommendation. At that point I was just turning 30 and wanted to put myself out there and push myself.

YS: So were you a fan of the show before?
AL: I’m a huge fan of Top Chef. I watched it since season one. It was kind of nerve-wracking watching it: The day before I left, it was the episode of season three where they had to cook on the plane. I thought, oh my goodness, am I really going to do this right now?

YS: Do you think what viewers see is an accurate representation of what really happens?
AL: I think the show is very accurate. Obviously in the long run, there needs to be a story told and people want to see a story. But for the most part, everyone says what they say and looks the way they look and does what they do. Someone could say, "Oh that was misconstrued," but you did say it. I’m waiting for Top Chef to have replays, where you say, “I didn’t do that,” and then you see Padma hit the switch.

YS: How long were you at judges' table? What was going through your mind?
AL: The whole process goes on for hours. By then it was six o'clock in the morning, and we'd been up since 8 a.m. the previous day. It’s like that movie Defending Your Life. You get up there and talk about your concept. They want to understand the story you’re trying to tell, what experience you were trying to get across with your food. And they let us talk for as long as we need to, so that they have all the information they need to make a proper decision.

YS: What would you have done differently in this challenge?
AL: If I could do it again, I don’t think conceptually I would have done anything differently. I felt like I really wanted to take advantage of the ingredients we had and make it more about the island than about doing pork belly the way I’d normally do pork belly. Execution-wise, absolutely I would do it differently. That’s where I fell the most short was on my execution. I pride myself on being a very strong technical chef, so to be called out for that was hard.

YS: You seemed a bit more frazzled in this episode than in past challenges.
AL: I actually felt that. My restaurant just opened eight weeks out from the show, and to tell you the truth, I wasn’t there mentally in any capacity that I should have been. I got off the plane in Puerto Rico, and my head was still in California. Not that that’s any excuse, but it was just disappointing. Of course everyone’s like, you just opened a restaurant, you haven’t seen your daughter. I knew all this, but I still love the fact that I'm able to produce under those circumstances, and unfortunately I didn’t produce. For me that is upsetting.

YS: How is the restaurant going?
AL: The restaurant is going really, really well. I’m blessed. I’ve got a great location, and the restaurant group is full-force ahead. They plan on opening Foxtail at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas next.

YS: You said that your daughter told you to win or not come home. Were you allowed back in the house?
AL: Yes I was. My daughter was very sweet actually. You always teach kids that whether or not you win or lose isn’t important, and when I got home it was very, “Aww, don’t worry mommy, at least you tried.” She liked seeing me on TV, but I think it was more exciting for her friends at school. I’m definitely the cool mom.

YS: So this is probably a silly question, but who do you think should win?
AL: I’m sitting here with Stephanie, so I have to say Stephanie. I really hope that Steph takes it. She has a huge heart and great integrity. I love Richard 100 percent, but of course, we’d love to see a woman win this year. And if it’s not going to be me, it’s going to be her.

Photos courtesy of Bravo

A Chic Coffee Break With Colin Cowie

partysugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:01:31 -0800

Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my idols: the extraordinary event planner Colin Cowie. We met for coffee on a sunny California afternoon and discussed his new book Chic, the do's and don'ts of being a fabulous hostess, and the formula for a successful and memorable party. Colin oozes chicness in everything he does, whether it's working as creative director of a yet-to-be-opened hotel in Hong Kong, planning a wedding for Middle Eastern royalty, or simply making dinner for a few friends in his stylish home.

To see what Colin had to say when we sat down together and to watch a video of our conversation, read more.

Colin is of Zambian descent and began his career in party planning as a caterer when he moved to the States over 20 years ago. He's created events for celebrities and magazines, and makes regular appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He's authored over five lifestyle and entertaining books and his company, Colin Cowie Lifestyle is a leading force in the world of premier events. He spends his time traveling the globe and has homes in New York and Florida. He collects tableware - candles, napkin holders, placemats, etc. - and is incredibly organized. Here is what he had to say:

PartySugar: What trends are emerging in party planning?
Colin Cowie: The uncatered and unproduced look. A seamless elegance. Anything that's expected is boring. You should tell a story, have an element of surprise. Even if it's just a residential party, change things around. Add a sculpture, rearrange furniture, etc.
PS: What was your most memorable party?
CC: The last one is always the most memorable. The one I am most excited about is always the next one. Certainly planning Oprah's Legends Ball was a 72-hour legendary moment. She is amazing, she really gets it. She and I speak the same language because she is the ultimate producer.

PS: What's your advice to the everyday hostess?
CC: The most important thing - when planning any event - is simplicity. Keep it easy and the spirit casual. Design menus that allow you to be with your guests. Make everything in advance and always remember, maintain a level of elegance and chicness.

PS: In your book, you discuss the do's/don'ts of being a proper host/guest. What was the worst host gift you ever received?
CC: The worst host gift is when the fourth person of the party arrives with a huge bouquet of flowers. I have to take time away from the party to find a vase and arrange them. At my parties I already have color coordinated floral arrangements and often times the gifted flowers don't match my color scheme. If you want to give flowers, send them the next day, after the party. The best gifts are always music and cookbooks. I love compilation CDs that my friends make specifically for me.

PS: What did you have for lunch today?
CC: I had the most fabulous lunch. It was a piece of fish cooked in a miso-ginger broth with Japanese mushrooms, baby white asparagus all wrapped in cedarwood. For dessert, I had a hollowed out Clementine filled with Clementine-orange sorbet. My friend made me this lunch and it was absolutely wonderful.

Photos Courtesy of Colin Miller

Come Party With Me: Winter Wonderland Weekend Getaway - Menu

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:59:09 -0800

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean that I am going to stop planning parties. In fact, to beat the post New Year's blues, I've invited (learn about my invitations) a small group of couples to join me and my husband at the family cabin in the mountains. It's going to be a winter wonderland weekend getaway.

Now you may be wary of hosting this type of party because it lasts a few days and involves several meals, but my fool-proof menu allows you to delight your guests with delicious dishes and still have time for fun. You'll have plenty of time to curl up on the couch with a magazine or hit the slopes for some outdoor excursions. To see my weekend menu, read more

Menu:
The first step to creating a menu that lasts all weekend is to figure out how many meals you will be serving. For this weekend I need to plan Friday's dinner, Saturday's breakfast, lunch & dinner and Sunday's breakfast & lunch - a grand total of six meals. Now take a deep breath and don't get overwhelmed, with the help of your friends, the grocery store, and prep ahead recipes, its perfectly possible to accomplish.

Since we will be traveling by car and arriving on Friday night, I will order several take and bake pizzas from my favorite local pizzeria. Be sure to order for both the vegetarians and the meat lovers. Friday morning before I leave I'll make a batch of homemade croutons and I'll pack a cooler with fresh romaine lettuce. While the pizzas cook, I'll assemble a quick Caesar Salad.

On Saturday morning I'll ask one of the couples to bring the ingredients for breakfast: yogurts, fresh fruit, muffins, bagels, lox, and cream cheese. For lunch on Saturday I'll make a batch of classic Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with an assortment of gourmet cheeses and offer kettle chips on the side. Dinner on Saturday will be the main event with a slow cooked, hearty Irish Beef Stew. I'll ask another couple to bring the fixings for a winter green salad to serve alongside the stew. For dessert, keep it easy and make Banana Splits, one for each couple to share.

On Sunday we will go out to breakfast brunch and I'll give my guests Tuna Sandwiches and Ginger Peanut Pasta Salad to savor in their cars on the ride home, with store bought chocolate chip cookies from the local bakery for dessert.

Drinks:
On Friday night I'll serve beer and both red (Barbera or Chianti) and white (Sauvignon Blanc) wines to accompany the pizzas. Saturday morning I'll serve Mimosa for anyone interested and in the afternoon I'll make Irish Coffee and Hot Chocolate spiked with peppermint schnapps (if they want it). Saturday evening with the stew, an Argentine Malbec (red wine) is the only way to go. For a specialty cocktail I'll make a Snow Drop.

Think my menu lacks one of your culinary masterpieces that screams winter wonderland getaway? Tell me about it by adding your recipes to the recipe database.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Come Party With Me when I'll be highlighting my decoration plan for this party.