YumSugar

The Sweet Scoop On Dylan Lauren, Candy Connoisseur

YumSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:15:10 -0700

Earlier this week, candy collector Dylan Lauren - the fashionable founder of Dylan's Candy Bar and daughter of designer Ralph Lauren - offered some of her favorite ideas for making weddings a sweet occasion. We caught up with Lauren in person while she was in town at Neiman Marcus promoting her Barbie 50th Anniversary candy line. The candy entrepreneur took some time out of la dolce vita to talk to us about her favorite guilty pleasure and offer more suggestions for bringing candy into the party mix. Find out what they are when you read more.

YumSugar: How did your Barbie candy line come about?
Dylan Lauren: I was approached by Mattel to celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday, since we have the same audience: women ages five to 80, who collect Barbie and collect candy. Mattel had personified Barbie, and decided that she likes to shop at Dylan's Candy Bar.

YS: You've traveled a lot. Do you have favorite candies from other countries?
DL: Actually, in November and December, we'll be featuring candies from around the world: Clodhoppers from Canada, and Australian licorice, which is really chewy, and Kinder and Kinder eggs.

Foreign candy looks pretty, but it doesn't taste as good to me - for example, Japanese candy looks pretty but I don't like the way it tastes. I like Swedish Fish, gumballs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, and strawberry licorice laces. I don't like fancy stuff - I like basic basics.

YS: You've said that you're a visual person. How would you use candy as decoration when hosting and entertaining?
DL: Color-coordinate your house with candy. Now that it's Spring, pastels would be a great color scheme. You can also focus on shapes; there's a candy for everything. Our East Hampton candy store is full of ocean-themed candy. We recently did a fashion party where we featured chocolate high heels. Candy crafts - like making candy jewelry or using candy molds - are great activities, too.

YS: What about candy arrangements?
DL: I love to have a vase of jelly beans that have been layered with different rainbow colors, topped off with candy flowers, or lollipops of different sizes. They make great centerpieces!

Do you have any gift recommendations for Mother's Day?
DL: Barbie is mother-daughter themed, and such a collector's item. I also have my Re-Treat bath and body line. Or chocolate tulips and chocolate butterflies.

YS: What's next for you?
DL: I'm coming out with a candy book in the Summer of 2010. It's about celebrating with candy for all occasions.

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Yummy Links: From Chiles to Girl Scout Cookies

partysugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 06:50:32 -0700

Tips for taming the fiery heat of chilies. - Serious Eats
Anthony Bourdain on food television. - Eat Me Daily
The beers and wines that pair perfectly with stir-fry. - The Kitchn
An insider look at Barbie's 50th birthday bash. - Hostess With the Mostess
Use one bag of beans to make a week's worth of lunches. - Chow
Should Girl Scouts be allowed to sell cookies online? - The Epi-Log

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Celebrity Chef Barbie: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:00:19 -0700

Little girls who look up to Giada De Laurentiis and Rachael Ray can now play kitchen with the I Can Be TV Chef Playset Barbie ($44.90). Barbie is the star of her own cooking show, complete with a state-of-the-art kitchen and workstation. She shows that even while cooking, one should look stylish and fashionable. While I'm sure I would have loved this doll when I was young, I can't help but wonder if the celebrity chef phenomenon has gotten a little out of control. What do you think?

Happy Birthday Barbie Cakes

YumSugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:03:12 -0800

Guess whose favorite American gal turns 48 today? Why it's Barbie! She was launched at the American International Toy Fair on March 9, 1959. You'd never know because she looks great for her age, although I think she may have had some work done...

To celebrate her birthday I went out and hunted down a fantastic gallery of Barbie birthday cakes (bake a cake, stick Barbie in it and decorate!) photos over at Flickr.
There were over 590 photos, so I've narrowed it down to some of my favorites. Some of these are amazing works of art, and some of these are just down right silly. Be sure you check out the hot tub cake and the mud wrestling cake too. To see more Barbie cake images read more

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Source: Flickr (various members)

Out of Hell: Sharon the Barbie Sent Home

partysugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:55:15 -0700

Sharon - who was affectionately called Barbie by her fellow Hell's Kitchen contestants - was this week's eliminated chef. It was a "first time in Hell's Kitchen history" moment when Ramsay kicked Sharon to the curb because she was not up for elimination. Two other girls - Jen and Christina - were on the chopping block, but since Gordon didn't believe in Sharon or her culinary skills, she was the lucky one sent home. To see what Sharon has to say about her time in Hell's Kitchen, read more.

PartySugar: How did it feel to be eliminated when you weren’t up for elimination? What was it like when Gordon said he didn’t believe in you?
Sharon: I was totally shocked. It felt horrible. My heart just dropped to the floor. I felt like the whole time I was there - just because I wore makeup - he didn't trust me.

PS: Is Gordon really as big of a jerk as he seems?
Sharon: In my opinion, yes. Jesus Christ, when he made that comment about my makeup while we were digging out of the trash, I didn't even have any make up on! We woke up really early in the morning and I didn't have time to put any on. After he said that about Hannibal Lector, I will never stick my tongue out again.

PS: What was it like working in the kitchen? Did you ever really feel like you were in Hell?
Sharon: Yeah, absolutely. It was like boot camp. You're not getting enough sleep, you're not eating healthy, you're working 20 hours a day. It was really hard.

PS: Who are you rooting for?
Sharon: I'm rooting for Louross. I think he's a great cook. He's the only one I would really talk to in the house. Nobody really had any relationships with any of the others. Especially the girls. In all honesty, none of us got along great, none of us liked each other.

PS: Any tips for those applying for Season 5?
Sharon: Be aware of what you are getting into. Those people who don't think we know how to cook should try out. You have to know how to cook and it's really hard. Study your risotto!

Photos courtesy of Fox.

Rachael Ray, Ina Garten Nab Daytime Emmys

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:00:22 -0700

Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Ina Garten took home top honors at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmys on Saturday night.

For the second year in a row, Rachael Ray won the outstanding talk-show prize for Rachael Ray, her daytime TV spot. Grill It! With Bobby Flay took home the award for best culinary program, beating out Barefoot Contessa, Giada at Home, Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, and Simply Ming. But Ina Garten had her time to shine, too, prevailing with the award of outstanding lifestyle host for Barefoot, an honor bestowed on Giada De Laurentiis last year for her show, Everyday Italian.

But Giada De Laurentiis didn't go home empty-handed, either. Her newest project, Giada at Home, won for directing in a lifestyle program. Food Network's only Susan Lucci of the bunch? Sandra Lee, who lost both her nods - one in outstanding achievement in hairstyling and the other for makeup - to The View. Judging by her ultrapolished, Barbie-esque look at the awards, however, perhaps the Academy should reassess. Are you surprised to hear who the winners are?

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Reinvent Surf and Turf With Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers

partysugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:50:43 -0700

There's something so satisfying about the combination of briny, salty seafood and hearty, juicy meat. While this marriage - surf and turf - is nothing new, it gets cleverly updated in this simple recipe. The shrimp is tossed in a mixture of garlic, chile powder, and caraway seeds. Although caraway seeds aren't the first ingredient that comes to mind when making a quick marinade for shrimp, they enhance the flavor of the shrimp to better complement the chorizo. When grocery shopping for this dish, look for large shrimp, otherwise they won't fit around the chorizo slices. If you can't find chorizo, substitute linguiça or another spicy, robust sausage. To throw these babies on the barbie, get the recipe and read more.

Spicy Shrimp and Chorizo Kebabs
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

2 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons pure chile powder, such as ancho
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 small chorizo (about 1/2 pound total), sliced 1/2 inch thick

Directions

On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic and salt to a coarse paste. Add the caraway seeds and finely chop them.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the chile powder and olive oil. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chorizo and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Let cool slightly.
Tuck a chorizo slice in the crook of a shrimp and thread onto a skewer; the shrimp should be attached at both ends. Push it to the end of the skewer and repeat with two more shrimp and chorizo slices. Using more skewers, repeat with the remaining shrimp and chorizo.
Grill the kebabs over a hot fire, turning once or twice, until charred and the shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

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Go Tropical With Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:45 -0700

After learning that larger shrimp should be deveined, I decided to throw a couple on the barbie and make a shrimp cocktail Carmen Miranda would be proud of. With the end of Spring bringing a large bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables, I picked up a couple avocados, corn on the cob, and mangoes to create a fruity and refreshing cocktail.

The shrimp rub is spicy, and alone these shrimp might make your mouth burn. But these slightly smoky shrimp are well balanced by the creamy avocado, crunchy roasted corn, and sweet mango mixture. This dish is perfect for parties as everything can be prepared the night before and then quickly assembled just before serving. If you want to give this complex and vibrant dish a try, read more.

Spicy Shrimp With Avocado, Corn, and Mango Cocktail
Inspired by Epicurious

Ingredients

Shrimp
20 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons chile powder, (use less, if desired)
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, (use less, if desired)
1 clove of garlic, finely diced
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Avocado, Corn, Mango Cocktail
2 avocados, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 mangoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 ears of corn, cleaned and shucked
2 limes
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Directions

Rinse the shrimp under cold running water, then blot them dry with paper towels. Soak two to three skewers in water.
Place the chile powders, garlic, coriander, cumin, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the shrimp and toss to coat with the spice rub. Stir in the olive oil. Let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat barbecue to high. Skewer shrimp. Cook the shrimp for 2 to 4 minutes until firm.
With the barbecue still on high, coat the ears of corn with olive oil and place directly on grill. Rotate slowly roasting each side of the corn until slightly blackened. Roast for 15-20 minutes.
Cool corn on the cob. Using a large knife, carefully remove corn from the cob.
Gently combine roasted corn, mangoes and avocado in a large bowl with the juice of two limes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the avocado, mango, corn cocktail into 4 large glasses or serving bowls. Drape 5 of the hot shrimp over the edge of each glass or bowl and serve at once. Or for a cold shrimp cocktail, let the cooked shrimp cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the shrimp, covered, until they are chilled before serving them with the cocktail. The cooked shrimp can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Serves 4.

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Marinate Steak in Beer, Fight Cancer

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:00:51 -0800

Before you get ready to throw your next steak on the barbie, consider adding in an extra step that'll flavor your meat - and possibly improve your health.

According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, marinating steak in beer or red wine reduces the number of cancer-causing compounds in the meat. Cooking food of any kind, and especially frying and grilling meats, increases the level of compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HAs) that cause cancer.

Following the University of Porto study, marinating steak in red wine slashed levels of two types of HAs by up to 90 percent compared to unmarinated steak, and marinating steak in beer reduces levels even more. Have you ever marinated your steak in beer or wine? If not, would this study's results convince you to try it?

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:30:05 -0700

When grilling, don't forget to throw some fruit on the barbie.
In a controversial move, Hershey's swaps cocoa butter for vegetable oil in candy bars.
The campaign trail hits the kitchen: Our votes for the best election-edition edibles.
We were stunned by how these simple cupboard ingredients make such a tasty topping for nachos.
PartySugar gives you foolproof instructions for making paella.
Test your knowledge of scrambles and skillets with our morning meals quiz.
Kick off the season premiere of the hit show Heroes with a viewing party.
What do you really know about M&M's?