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Come Party With Me: Cinco De Mayo - Drinks

partysugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 05:53:29 -0700

Cinco de Mayo falls on a Saturday this year making it a wonderful reason to throw a Mexican fiesta. I'm jetting down to San Diego to help my sister and her Kappa Kappa Gamma sisters host a philanthropic barbeque. I'm very excited about the event and maybe a teeny tiny bit nervous about having to man the grill.

Slowly but surely the pieces are falling into place. The invitation is a colorful flyer that the girls are passing out on campus and the menu is Mexican themed. Since we'll be out in the sun all day, watching a charity soccer tournament, cool drinks are a necessary part of the puzzle. Large coolers will hold an assortment of sodas (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, etc) and bottled waters (still and sparkling) those of drinking age can choose from a variety of Mexican beers and sip on classic margaritas. Pitchers of berry lemonade will be on hand to quench thirst. To see what beers I'll be pouring and for the recipes, read more

My favorite Mexican beer is Pacifico and around Cinco de Mayo one can usually find it for a reasonable price. Corona, Tecate, and Negro Modelo are other good picks. I will also cut up a massive amount of lime wedges to garnish the beers.

As much as I love experimenting with other flavors (raspberry, beer, blood orange, non-alcoholic) to enhance and change a cocktail sometimes nothing beats the original recipe. Traditionally a Margarita calls for three simple ingredients: tequila, cointreau (or triple sec), and fresh squeezed lime juice. Frozen berries give a vibrant festive color.

Margarita
From Rick Bayless

1 750-milliliter bottle silver tequila (in this margarita, the better the tequila, the better the drink. Try Herradura, El Tesoro, El Viejito, Patron, or practically any of the 100% agave tequilas that are available in the market)
1 to 2 cups (1/3 to 2/3 of a 750-milliliter bottle) triple sec or Cointreau
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus several tablespoons extra for rimming the glasses
Several tablespoons coarse (kosher-type) salt, for rimming the glasses
About a gallon of ice cubes

Just before serving, in a half-gallon pitcher combine the tequila, the minimum amount of triple sec or Cointreau, and the lime juice. Taste and add more of the orange liqueur if you think your margaritas need more sweet oranginess to balance the other flavors. Remember, you're tasting it warm and undiluted: when chilled and diluted, the flavors will be mellower and the lime's tartness will be more compelling (tangy, warm champagne is not nearly as inviting as ice-cold).
Pour several tablespoons of lime juice onto one small plate, several tablespoons coarse salt onto another. Have martini glasses at hand (for an extra special touch, you can chill them). I like the 5-ounce size, since that size drink will stay cold from first sip to last. As your guests ask for their margaritas, invert a glass into the plate with the lime juice to moisten the rim, then lightly dip into the plate with the salt.
For each drink measure 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of the margarita mixture into a cocktail shaker. If you have a 2-ounce ladle that you can keep in the pitcher, measuring goes much faster. Add ice cubes (5 cubes for 1, 8 for 2, and 10 for 3). Secure the lid and top and shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain into the salt-crusted glasses and hand off to the lucky recipients.

Serves 20-24.

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Berry Lemonade
Modified from Bella Online

1 bag frozen berries - pureed in a blender or food processor
2-1/2 quarts water, divided
1 cup lemon juice
1-1/4 cups sugar

Cook the pureed berries and 1 cup water in a saucepan, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
Strain the berry juice through a strainer or a food mill to remove the seeds.
Pour the berry juice into the saucepan again; add the sugar and cook for a few more minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cool, then pour into a large pitcher. Stir in the remaining water and the lemon juice. Chill, then pour over ice to serve.

Serves 8-10

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What will you be drinking on Cinco de Mayo?? Be sure to check back mañana for more of this Mexican fiesta.

A Conversation With P. Diddy

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Rapper and mogul P. Diddy was in San Francisco last week promoting Cîroc, his vodka brand. I was lucky enough to sit down with the musician, and we chatted about entertaining. Not surprisingly, he consumes a lot of Cîroc and his signature drink is a Cîroc and lemonade - say it fast and it sounds like a lyric in one of his songs, "ci-rocking lemonade." To find out what the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy had to say, read more.

PartySugar: What’s new with Cîroc?
P.Diddy: The newest thing with Cîroc is our success. Our success and our appeal. The sales went up 1,000% and just the appeal is becoming more recognizable to the consumer.

PS: Aren't you coming out with some new flavors?
PD: Yeah. In the world of Cîroc, one of the biggest differences is the flavors. Red Berry and coconut. Now most flavors, to be honest, in the vodka industry, most flavors just haven’t been done right. They taste like cough syrup. I went down with the innovation team, and I was like, whatever we do I want to make sure that this doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
And then also make something that really tastes like what it says. If it says coconut, let’s make sure it tastes like coconut. If it says red berry, let’s make sure it tastes like red berry.

PS: Do you ever cook?
PD: I cook breakfast.

PS: What music do you recommend for cooking?
PD: Music for cooking? Marvin Gaye’s always good for cooking.

PS: What are your guilty pleasure foods?
PD: I would probably say jello. Strawberry jello.

PS: If you had to drink one type of alcohol for the rest of your life what would it be?
PD: Vodka. Cîroc.

PS: Besides yourself, who are some celebrities that know how to entertain/host a good party?
PD: I never seen anybody do it how I do.

PS: What was the first alcoholic drink you ever drank?
PD: Peach schnapps and orange juice, before I was enabled.

PS: What do you think will be the next big thing in cocktails?
PD: Jello shots.

Stay tuned for Diddy's tips for hosting the ultimate party!

Fast & Easy Dinner: Ginger Pork Chops With Spinach Salad

partysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:46:34 -0700

Savor the last of Summer's strawberries with this flavor-packed meal. The berries add a delightful sweetness to both the salad and sauce. The pork chops are seasoned with fresh ginger, and the scrumptious sauce combines juicy ginger with the plump berries.

An unexpected ingredient, frozen lemonade concentrate, brings a syrupy tartness to the sauce. Served atop a bed of spinach, this meal is balanced and filling, so get the recipe and read more.

Ginger Pork Chops With Spinach Salad
From Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 thick boneless pork loin chops
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 pint strawberries, sliced
6 ounces (half of a 12-ounce can) frozen lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons ground ginger
One 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Rub both sides of each pork chop with salt, pepper, and the fresh ginger. Add to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, then cover, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes.
Flip the chops, cover and cook until brown, 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Reserve the skillet.
Set aside 1 cup strawberries for the salad.
Add the remaining strawberries, lemonade concentrate, ground ginger, and 3/4 cup water to the skillet and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring, and smashing the berries, until the sauce is thick and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
Divide the spinach among 4 plates and top with the goat cheese and reserved strawberries. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a pork chop on each plate and top with the strawberry-lemonade sauce.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Graduation - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:15:54 -0700

At a graduation party make things feel festive and celebratory by setting up a small bar buffet that allows guests to mix their own drinks. Since the graduate is underage, the bar will have no alcohol. Instead stock the buffet with the fixings for jazzed-up Arnold Palmers! Pitchers of lemonade and iced tea, lemon wedges, sparkling water, grenadine, and fresh berries will sit next to an ice bucket and rows of glasses.

For the adults fill coolers with beer, white wine, and water. To check out the lemonade and iced tea recipes, read more.

Lemonade
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 cups lemon or lime juice, about 20 lemons or 25 limes freshly squeezed
2 cups superfine sugar
4 cups cold water
4 cups ice
2 lemons or limes, thinly sliced for garnish

Directions

Into a large serving container, strain the citrus juice, mix it with sugar, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add 4 cups cold water and stir again until well combined. Add ice to fill and a few lemon or lime slices.

Makes 10 cups.

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Iced Tea
Modified from Tassimo

Ingredients

4-5 bags your favorite tea
Lemon juice (optional)
Sugar (optional)
Ice cubes

Directions

Prepare tea by brewing the bags in boiling water. Add lemon juice and sugar to taste; cool completely. Or, refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pour over ice cubes in two tall glasses. Sit back and relax on a hot day.

Makes half a pitcher.

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