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TV Dinners: Atonement - Chocolate Martini

partysugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:28:31 -0800

While food doesn't necessarily come to mind when thinking of the Oscar-nominated film Atonement, a cocktail might. The cocktail featured is a chocolate concoction created by a minor character named Paul Marshall. A chocolate magnate and friend of older brother Leon, Paul attempts to wow the Tallis family with his chocolate cocktail. He's incredibly unsuccessful; it's impossibly hot and humid and a chocolate martini is hardly a pool-side drink. However, when served in a more suitable atmosphere, a chocolate cocktail is tasty and delicious.

For a recipe that is much tastier than Paul Marshall's and a look at an extended trailer of the film, read more.

Chocolate Martini
From Drinks Mixer

1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Valentine's Day Happy Hour: Chocolate & Pink Passion Martinis

partysugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:57:19 -0800

What better way to get your Valentine's Day kicked off than with a cocktail concocted especially for the evening? My brother sent me a list of three special Valentine's Day cocktails (Mikey if you're reading: thanks!) that I have to share with you. These drinks look so tasty it's difficult to decide which to make myself tonight. So I stocked up my bar with the ingredients to make all three! Last week I gave you the recipe for a scrumptious Strawberry Kiss and if you want to see how to make a Valentine's Day Chocolate or Pink Passion Martini, please read more

Valentines Day Chocolate Martini
From Inside SCV

2 oz. base spirit (vodka, light rum or brandy)
1/2 oz chocolate liqueur
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
chocolate syrup to coat rim of martini glass

Coat rim of martini glass with syrup.
Mix all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Pink Passion Martini
From Inside SCV

3 oz Asti Spumante
3 oz sparkling pink lemonade
1 dash of sweet and sour

Shake in a martini shaker and serve in a martini glass.
Garnish with a raspberry or pink edible rose pedal.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Ready Made Martinis: Love It or Hate It?

partysugar — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 08:28:12 -0800

Geeksugar forwarded me some interesting information about a new concoction: a ready made cocktail that comes in a handy dandy recyclable martini glass. According to the company's flashy website:

The Metropolitan Martini Company is the first ready-to-drink cocktail in a chic acrylic martini glass. Made with all natural flavors and premium vodka, Metropolitan Martinis are perfect for all occasions. Just chill, peel, and enjoy!

Hmm, I know that pre-made alcohols and mixers are all the rage today, but I'm feeling really skeptical about this product. To a die-hard martini drinker like myself, a portable martini for a picnic or a day at the race track sounds like a wonderful idea. But my practical side wonders if the drinks, which come in 4 flavors: vodka martini, cosmopolitan, green apple, and chocolate, taste processed and fake. Does the peel-able top leave any leftover residue on the chic acrylic glass? If anyone has sampled these to-go martinis please tell me about it below.

What do you guys think, ready made martinis: love it or hate it?

Happy Hour: Chocolate Martini

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:01:04 -0800

Since today is National Chocolate day I decided to overdose on all things chocolate. If I don't have a drink before dinner or a glass of wine during, I like to treat myself to a dessert cocktail. Yes, you know what I'm talking about...a chocolate martini! It's like heaven in liquid form. Drinking these consecutively is definitely not a good idea (and a sure bet for a hangover the following morning) but here's what makes them so worthwhile: you can have one for dessert and allow yourself to enjoy it to the absolute fullest. To make this divine drinkable dessert, read more.

Chocolate Martini
From Drinks Mixer

1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Happy Hour: Raspberry-Chocolate Kiss Cocktail

partysugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:00:18 -0800

I consider myself a party chameleon; I can have fabulous fun at any party from a hippie hangout in the Berkeley hills to a swanky soirée on a Manhattan rooftop. I apply the same open-minded mentality to cocktails. While there is a time and place for a whiskey-laced Sazerac, there is also a suitable occasion for this frilly pink concoction. It's served in a rimmed martini glass and known as a raspberry-chocolate kiss.

Valentine's Day is the opportune time for this sort of sweet, girlie drink. It has a chocolate wafer-cookie rim and fresh raspberry flavor. A simple syrup infused with mint provides a delicate herbal essence to the delightfully fruity mixture. If you enjoy cosmopolitans, you'll love this drink.

I sipped the spirit-lifting libation after a long day and trust me - it's the perfect cure to the single girl Valentine's Day blues. To look at the recipe, read more.

Raspberry-Chocolate Kiss Cocktail
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1/4 cup Mint-Infused Simple Syrup, plus more for rim (recipe below)
3 chocolate cookies, finely crushed, such as Nabisco Famous Wafers
10 raspberries
1/4 cup vodka
2 tablespoons cranberry juice
Ice cubes

Directions

Fill a shallow dish with enough simple syrup to just cover the bottom. Place crushed cookies into another shallow dish. Invert a martini glass into simple syrup and then immediately into crushed cookies to coat the rim of the glass.
Place raspberries in a cocktail shaker; crush with a muddler.
Add simple syrup and muddle again.
Add vodka and cranberry juice; fill shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain into prepared martini glass. Serve immediately.

Makes 1 drink.

Mint-Infused Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Stems from 1 bunch of fresh mint

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, 1 cup water, and mint stems. Place over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat; let cool. Strain through a sieve. Syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Feb. 4, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:00:39 -0800

Few things are simpler, less expensive, and more satisfying than homemade shortbread. - Los Angeles Times
Restaurants, facing dire consequences, are now willing to bend over backwards for customers. - New York Times
How has the classic martini transformed itself over the years? - Washington Post
Coconut comes in different varieties; pick the sweetness and texture that suits your palate. - The Oregonian
This Winter welcome the earthy, bittersweet flavors of radicchio into your kitchen. - San Francisco Chronicle
Did you know that avocados are better sipped than dipped? - Chicago Tribune
This Valentine's Day, give in to the allure of complex chocolate desserts. - Boston Globe

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Yummy Links: From Chocolate-Stuffed Bananas to Spy Chefs

partysugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:45:19 -0700

Chocolate-stuffed bananas make a delicious campfire dessert. - Slashfood
Although the district may be gritty, the grub in San Francisco's Tenderloin is delicious. - Chow
Would you drink a pork martini? - Serious Eats
Four chefs reveal their secrets for making the best pizza, pad thai, taco, and burger. - 7x7
Have you ever had a farm fresh egg? - The Epi-Log
Hilary Swank plans to produce a movie based on the book French Women Don't Get Fat. - BuzzSugar
How to make homemade raisins. - Baking Bites
A Wii bowling tournament is a fabulously fun party theme. - Hostess with the Mostess
Ten chefs whose culinary skills make them exceptional spies. - Best Week Ever

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Dove Chocolatier: The Next Avon Lady?

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 07:45:19 -0700

You've heard of the door-to-door Avon lady, and been to Tupperware parties. But have you ever been to a Dove Chocolate party?

Now you can. Two weeks ago, candy giant Mars launched its newest venture, a direct-selling company called Dove Chocolate Discoveries.

The company is targeting women and men who want to start an at-home business to become independent sales consultants. These "chocolatiers" then throw "tasting parties" where they teach friends how to make everything from chocolate martinis to chocolate truffles. The goal? To convince guests to buy chocolate rimmers, cupcake baking kits, and chocolate-covered graham crackers, among other things.

With Halloween around the corner, everyone has candy on the brain, so the prospects could be bright. Sales consultants make at least 25 percent of everything they sell, so it could also be lucrative. What do you think of the concept? Would you buy lots of Mars products at a chocolate party?

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Must-Read: Giada's Kitchen

partysugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:30:08 -0700

Last week Giada De Laurentiis fourth cookbook, Giada's Kitchen ($32) hit bookshelves. The book release coincided with the relaunch of her website, Giadadelaurentiis.com. I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the glossy hardback with Tiffany-blue interior. Yesterday I spent some time reading the book - which is full of pretty pictures and delicious-sounding recipes - to see what I thought of it, read more.

Pros:

The book is loaded with clear, tantalizing pictures. Most recipes include a picture.
At the back of the book, there's a section devoted to menu ideas. There's a bunch of different themes (Aprés-Ski, Italian Picnic, Elegant Vegetarian Dinner, etc.) with dishes from the book. The menus are carefully thought out and make me want to host one of the parties.
This is the first book where De Laurentiis devotes a chapter to (not) just-for-kids food. Many of the recipes look scrumptious!

Cons:

The recipes are written in paragraph form, without any steps, making them harder to follow. It seems more like a showy book you would read, rather than actually cook with.
The aforementioned menus section does not include page numbers. So if you want to make the Tuscan Mushrooms for a Game Day viewing party, you have to look in the index to find out what page the recipe is on.
Many of the recipes have appeared on Giada's Food Network series, so a lot of them - like this orange ricotta pound cake or this chocolate and brie panini - can be found on the Internet.

Recipes: The recipes are classic Giada with the most delicious-sounding ones being her California-Italian-style dishes. The recipes listed below are on my must-make list:

Appetizers and Cocktails - pecorino crackers, apple and thyme martini, crostata with mushrooms and pancetta
Salads and Vegetables - parmesan potato pancake, artichoke gratinata
Meat - chicken scallopini with saffron cream sauce
Desserts - hazelnut crunch cake with mascarpone and chocolate

Imagery: The pictures are beautiful. The double page snapshots of Giada performing several steps of a certain recipe are especially helpful because they demonstrate the recipe's techniques.

Overall Rating: Mixed. While I'm a huge fan of Giada and I love her recipes, the fact that many can be found online makes me wonder what is the point of a cookbook? If you collect cookbooks, I suggest you get your hands on a copy. But if you can't afford the splurge, check out Giada's recipes on FoodNetwork.com.

Have you checked out Giada's Kitchen? What did you think?

Come Party With Me: My Birthday - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:15:51 -0700

I'm hosting my birthday party at a chic city bar, but I'll be bringing my own decorations to create a unifying theme for the bash. I'll use pink accessories to go with the invitations, including pink votive holders, flamingo toothpicks for the finger food, pink lilies, and handmade pink pom poms hung from the ceiling.

On the tables, I'll lay out placemats and pretty matchbooks for the guests to take home as favors. These curved saucer martini glasses will be perfect for both the featured cocktail and a champagne toast. And of course, I can't forget an elegant dessert dish for the yummy chocolate cake.