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Come Party With Me: Father's Day - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:45:37 -0700

For the no-fuss father, keep the decor of your Father's Day celebration minimal and outdoorsy. Since the majority of the menu is grilled, a Weber barbecue is a must. Whenever we have big parties, my dad always fills a bucket or cooler with ice and beverages. The fridge is normally full of food, so having another vessel for chilling beverages is a good idea. Place an everyday vinyl tablecloth on the table. Cover a metal platter with rock salt and serve the barbecued oysters on top. Plastic plates ensure that nothing breaks, and dark-colored cloth napkins are necessary for enjoying sticky ribs. Pour the gin and tonics into classic glass tumblers.

My dad's prone to mosquito bites, so we always light several citronella candles when eating on the deck. Finally, instead of a bouquet of flowers, give Dad a money tree. While it doesn't grow cash, it does wish prosperity on those who possess it.

Come Party With Me: Father's Day - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:30:28 -0700

For your Father's Day celebration, skip the froufrou-fruity cocktails and serve a potent classic instead. Since the only libation my dad drinks is a Tanqueray and tonic, this is what we'll be mixing.

To make it more special than his everyday drink, I'm adding fresh herbs. They'll give the drink an extra layer of flavor. We'll also stock up on beer, wine, and soda. Look at the jazzed-up gin and tonic recipe when you read more.

Summer Gin and Tonic
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

Ice
2 1/2 ounces gin
2 finely chopped tarragon sprigs
4 ounces chilled tonic water

Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin and tarragon sprigs and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and top with the tonic water.

Makes 1 drink.

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Come Party With Me: Father's Day - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:30:46 -0700

While planning a Father's Day menu, the most important thing to do is ask dad what he wants. The day will be more special if you involve him in the process. Since my dad is a fan of no-fuss classic cuisine, I originally thought to serve him homemade vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge sauce for dessert.

Then I came across this recipe for vanilla chocolate popsicles and knew I had to make them! When I was little, my dad and I would often share Klondike bars, so making this variation will recreate the memories. While it's simple, the recipe requires time: get started on Friday at the latest. To look at the technique, read more.

Snowy Peak Pops
From Martha Stewart Kids

Ingredients

2 pints vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
9 ounces semi- or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup white nonpareils
Styrofoam block or floral foam

Directions

Fill eight 2-ounce pop molds with the ice cream. Insert a wooden pop stick into each. Transfer to freezer, and freeze until hard; overnight is best.
Place a heatproof bowl, or the top of a double boiler, over a pan of simmering water. Add the chocolate, and stir with a rubber spatula until almost melted.
Remove bowl from heat, and continue to stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Continue to stir occasionally until the melted chocolate is cool to the touch but still fluid, about 8 minutes.
Pour nonpareils into a wide bowl. Unmold the pops one at a time, and dip in the room-temperature chocolate once or twice to coat. Let excess chocolate drip off over bowl, then quickly dip the pop in the nonpareils. Press lightly to adhere.
Set pops upright by inserting their sticks into Styrofoam block. Return to freezer to set, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Uncoated pops will keep in their molds for 2 weeks. Once dipped, the pops will keep in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Makes 8.

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YumSugar Gift Guide: Father's Day Edition

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:00:08 -0700

Even if you don't walk away with an over-the-top Williams-Sonoma steak and wine package to give away this Father's Day, you've still got many opportunities to shower Dad with gifts that are fit for a king. He'll have an easier time in the kitchen with a system to keep his knives razor sharp. Or appeal to his appreciation for quality meats with a charcuterie book and a sampler of Aidells artisanal sausages. Scroll below for more ideas.

Happy Hour: Fireman's Brew

partysugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:15:33 -0700

This Father's Day, why not surprise dad with a flight of beers? Then have an impromptu tasting where you both enjoy the beers together. Be sure to select a beer that your dad has never tasted.

Recently, I did just this with my father. He's a retired fire chief, so when I heard of Fireman's Brew, a line of microbrewed beers created by two Los Angeles firefighters, I knew it would be perfect for a tasting. There are three beers to the collection: a blonde, brewnette, and redhead. The blonde is an easy drinking, light, pilsner style-lager that's crisp and refreshing; it really quenches on a hot day. The brewnette is a darker dopplebock with a heady fragrance and strong hoppy flavor. The red is an amber ale with a rich, bold, smooth flavor without any bitterness. It's the most distinct tasting and would be a nice complement to smoky barbecue.

Overall we enjoyed all three, but our favorite was the delightful blonde. What brewskies do you and your dad sip together?

Manly Meals For Dad's Day

YumSugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 05:30:59 -0700

There are plenty of vegetarian dads in this world, but most people seem to associate Father's Day (this Sunday!) with manly, meat-centric meals. I have to admit that I am one of those people. But since it's the middle of Summer, I've rounded up some lighter versions of dad-tastic dishes that you can enjoy with the men in your life.

View Slideshow ›

Great Grilling Gifts For Dad

partysugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:15:57 -0700

A guy can never have too many grilling accessories, so this Father's Day treat dad to a new barbecue toy. Whether it's mesquite chips for smoking or an injector for marinating, I found the perfect BBQ essentials for every type of guy.

Since my father and I usually eat dinner on Spanish time - by that I mean later than 9 p.m. - I'm surprising him with this magnetic grill light. It can attach to a variety of barbecue tools and lights the grill without attracting bugs. The light is compact and easy to transport to and from the vacation house.

To check out the entire collection, scroll to the right below. What grilling gift will you give your dad?

Happy Father's Day!

partysugar — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 01:30:24 -0700

On behalf of YumSugar and I we would like to wish all of the doting dads out there a very Happy Father's Day! To our own fathers we appreciate all of the love and support you have unconditionally provided us over the years. I personally have to thank my father for teaching me how to cook! One of my earliest memories is making brownies with Dad. He told me to put my blanket away because it might get chocolate-y. Being the rebellious 3 year old that I was, I didn't listen and ended up getting chocolate all over my blanket proving to me at an early age that dads are seldom wrong! How about you? What fond food memories do you have of your father? What dish do you enjoy sharing with dad? Did your dad cook??

Come Party With Me: Father's Day - The Look & Music

partysugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:00:00 -0700

For my Father's Day picnic at the Nascar races I'm keeping the decor simple with a theme based on the invitation inspired by classic racing red, black, and white. I'll put the food on a plastic folding table and cover it with a black and white checkered tablecloth. The drinks will be in a collapsible red cooler. To ensure that the guests can find us I'll tie a few balloons to the table ends and place one beautiful bouquet of white flowers on the table. Since this is a sporting event music doesn't really play an incredibly important role. Instead of bringing a portable stereo, I'll make cds of BuzzSugar's Father's Day playlist to hand out as party favors.

Gifts For The Foodie Dads

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:01:18 -0700

If your dad is the king of the kitchen, then undoubtedly you've got some great foodie gifts lined up for him for Father's Day. If not, then you're in luck, because we've come up with some great ideas for you. First there's this fun King Dad platter that your dad can proudly display his cooked wares on. Next up is See Dad Cook, a book for the dad who needs a little more help in the kitchen, as well as a laser/probe thermometer so he'll never burn anything again. There's also the ultimate pig decadence combo for the pops that loves bacon, a reversible manly apron and classic monogrammed beer mugs. To check out the selections, use the scroll bar below.

Mesquite Smoking Chips - $6.00	Chimney Charcoal Starter - $15.00
Touch Screen Probe Thermometer-Timer - $29.95	Non-Stick Hamburger Grilling Basket - $14.99
Cajun Grill Planks, S/2 - $19.00	Non-stick Circle Kabob Skewers (Set of 4) - $9.99
Magnetic Grill Light - $25.00	Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Beer Can Chicken Roaster - $19.99
Stainless Steel 18-Piece Barbecue Set - $29.99	Barbecue Grill Topper - $14.99
Steven Raichlen Best of the Barbecue Marinade Turbocharger - $19.99	Stainless Steel Meat Markers (Set of 5) - $4.99
Two-Toned Bamboo Handle Sausage Basket for the Barbecue - $4.99