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A Marble Floor Made of . . . Salami?

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:15:09 -0700

I was checking out one of my favorite websites when I came across some gasp-worthy food art. Belgian contemporary artist Wim Delvoye has created a marble floor with salami. Upon first sight of the piece, I was simultaneously wowed by the Delvoye's creativity and . . . hungry.

I already consider food art, but this installation made me consider art as food. Alas, it turns out the patterns are actually made of C prints of the meat (not actual meat) so it couldn't be eaten anyway. What do you think of it? Would you want an inedible marble salami floor?

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Let's Dish: What's Your Favorite Halloween Candy?

partysugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:50:18 -0700

Half the fun of trick-or-treating is the bartering that takes place after you've gone door to door. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor with my siblings or friends and saying, "I'll trade you my Snickers for your Milky Ways." Besides Milky Way, I was especially fond of Nerds, Junior Mints, and Airheads. Now that I'm too old for trick-or-treating, I like to stock my Halloween candy bowl with my all-time favorite, Reese's Pieces. How about you? What Halloween candy did you enjoy as a child and what do you prefer now?

Would You Obey This Honor Code?

YumSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:16:43 -0700

Today in San Francisco, a new bar opens - and a social experiment begins. Honor Bar will have an honor-based billing system. While the wine list suggests prices ranging from $8 to $15 per glass, how much you slide into the provided money slot is entirely up to you and your conscience. The bar will also provide instructions (and a pour-it-yourself area) for a daily champagne cocktail. If this method of payment proves successful, it may spark a whole slew of bars based on the honor code. The appeal? Restaurants save themselves the cost of a bartender.

What do you think of this concept? I'd love to get your two cents (don't cheat me out of it!) Would you pony up the actual amount, or slide in a little less? Fear not; your answers are completely anonymous.

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Padma Lakshmi Brings Fashion and Food Together

partysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:15:44 -0700

Last night as a part of Fashion's Night Out, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's event to stimulate the economy, Bergdorf Goodman threw a Top Chef style cookoff in its seventh floor restaurant. Fashion designers Cynthia Rowley, Edward Bess, Gilles Mendel, Lela Rose, Naeem Kahn, and Peter Som created recipes, and Padma Lakshmi, clad in a leather minidress, hosted the event. Although the place was packed, the gorgeous Padma kept the chatty crowd under control. The designer's dishes - Som's fried oysters with blood orange gastrique and tartar sauce sounds divine! - were passed around for partygoers to try.

We've gotten our hands on their recipes, so to check them out, read more.

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Find a printer-friendly version of the recipes here.

Happy Hour: Casa Noble Tequila and Cheese Tasting

partysugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:00:38 -0700

In my quest to become more educated on the world of spirits, I've taken a liking to high-end tequilas. Beyond Patron, there's a huge variety of wonderfully complex tequilas that are perfect for sipping solo or shaking into a classic margarita. One brand, Casa Noble, produces an amazing collection of authentic tequilas. Packaged in a traditional yet sexy bottle, Casa Noble's tequilas are uniquely modern because they're triple-distilled and naturally produced in French wine barrels. Recently I attended a tequila tasting hosted by the founding partner of Casa Noble, David Ravandi. To illustrate the fact that his tequilas are distinct from anything else on the market, Ravandi paired them with cheese. To find out what I thought of the unexpected combination of cheese and tequila, read more.

Although the idea of tequila and cheese together is shocking, I was pleasantly surprised by the duo. Ravandi paired Casa Noble Crystal (the brand's easy-drinking, award-winning silver) with a creamy goat cheese. The lingering finish of the cheese eliminated the usual bite of tequila.

The delicate Casa Noble Reposado (aged for 364 days in French oak barrels) was my favorite of the three tequilas. Fruity and floral, it has a peppery finish. Paired with roquefort, the reposado was rich, layered, and smooth.

The third pairing - the Casa Noble Anejo and stilton - was the least pleasing to my palate. While I enjoyed both alone, together the powerful spirit and pungent cheese canceled one another out.

After the cheese tequila tasting was finished, Ravandi invited me to sample Casa Noble Crystal in a vibrantly hued cocktail. Created by the bartender at the Fifth Floor, the tequila mockingbird was an interesting, almost salad-like concoction of celery juice, lime juice, and bitters. Rimmed with a mixture of cayenne and celery salt, the drink was refreshing, and the tequila blended flawlessly with the other ingredients. I enjoyed my experience with Casa Noble so much, I plan on adding a bottle of the reposado to my liquor cabinet.

How about you? Do you enjoy tequila? What's your favorite premium offering?

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Come Party With Me: Engagement Party - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 09:15:01 -0700

Theme parties are my favorite to decorate because it's so easy to create a festive look. For Ronda and James's Latin-themed engagement party, complete with salsa dancing class, the look will be fun and fabulous.

Set a folding table or console in an area that is far away from the dance floor. Run a printed table runner down the middle. Place the empanadas and chicken with mango salsa on dark blue serving platters. Serve the Mexican seafood cocktail in stemless martini glasses.

Stack red cocktail napkins near the pitchers of mojitos and arrange the glasses next to them. Geometric candles cast an inviting glow and a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers adds a pop of color.

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Healthy Indulgences

Sponsor — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:50:49 -0700

We all know that healthy eating and exercise go hand in hand. We also know that sometimes it's hard to do both. Reebok EasyTone shoes will help you tone your leg muscles, but the healthy cooking is up to you.

So how do you stick to a healthy diet? We want to know the recipe for your favorite healthy meal. Be sure to check back to see all the other healthy recipes that were shared!

After sharing your recipe, don't forget enter the Reebok EasyTone contest and share with us how you take the gym with you. You may be the lucky winner of a fantastic prize pack from Reebok!

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Party Foul: Mandatory Coat Check

YumSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:00:04 -0700

A few weeks ago, I found myself with a large party at a Manhattan restaurant. As soon as we sat down, our hostess pointed us to the mandatory coat check. The restaurant and bar was by no means formal, and we weren't out at a club with a dance floor, so in this case, I really didn't see the point of it being requirement. Add to that the dilemma of tipping at a coat check. But the worst part of it all? It was the dead of Winter, and the restaurant was bone-chillingly cold, so all of us were shivering at the table.

As I sat there covered in goose bumps, I worried whether I would catch a cold, and wondered how this could be legal. After all, it's no different from built-in tips!

Have you ever been forced to give up your coat and tip on a mandatory coat check? Do share your thoughts and stories below.

Obama Calls Spiaggia's Tony Mantuano His "Favorite Chef"

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:00:16 -0800

Since Barack Obama was elected as president, we've learned a fair amount about the commander in chief's food preferences. He enjoys johnnycakes and peach cobbler, and prefers his burger medium-well with salad on the side. The newest item to add to his list of loves? Tony Mantuano, executive chef of Spiaggia.

Spiaggia, one of the Windy City's premier restaurants, has always been a special occasion favorite for the president and first lady. When the Levy Restaurant group - which owns Spiaggia and handles special catering for the Washington, DC's Verizon Center - learned the president would be at the Bulls-Wizards game last Friday, it flew Mantuano to the nation's capital to surprise Obama with dinner. Mantuano recalls:

When Obama walked out and saw me there, he did a classic double take and said, "What are you doing here?" It was hilarious. He called the photographer over and said, "Take a picture of me with my favorite chef." He said "favorite chef." I've got witnesses!

For dinner, the executive chef cooked Obama his favorite dish from Spiaggia, scallops made in a wood-fired oven, adding that the president "always orders them."

With its cheese cave, floor-to-ceiling views, and 700-bottle wine list, Spiaggia's on my list of Chicago destinations. Hearing how much Obama loves the chef has me coveting a table there even more - and I'll surely try the wood-fired scallops. Those of you who've been to Spiaggia: Are you a fan of Tony Mantuano's cooking?

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Michelle Obama Gives White House Kitchen Tour

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:00:13 -0800

Yesterday, before the National Governors Association Dinner - President Barack Obama's first official dinner at the White House - First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford opened up the White House kitchen to reporters from the New York Times and top students from L'Academie de Cuisine, a culinary school in nearby Gaithersburg, MD. Along with First Lady Obama, Comerford, Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, and former Obama private chef Sam Kass gave the community an opportunity to see what goes on behind the scenes in the White House kitchen before a large event, and even sampled dishes, from citrus salad with watermelon radishes to Chesapeake crab agnolotti. Then the first lady opened up the floor for questions, asking the first: "Actually, how do you become executive chef of the White House?" she inquired. To watch the video and get a glimpse into the White House kitchen, read more.

Obama also spoke more about the White House kitchen's focus on local produce - as well as the first family's White House dining preferences. For instance, the Nantucket scallops are the president's favorite, while the first lady prefers the "mean waffles and grits." After watching the video, I'm impressed by Michelle Obama's community-outreach efforts as well as her down-to-earth sensibility. Do you agree?

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