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Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:30:25 -0800

For a large dinner party select a specialty cocktail that can be made in advance and in a large batch. This recipe for a white wine sangria gets an Asian twist with the addition of canned lychees and sake. It will pair perfectly with spring rolls and Chinese noodles.

To make it a truly festive celebration stock up on Asian beer (Tsingtao is a nice option) and good sipping sake (I like Sake One's selection). To check out the recipe for the shinsei sangria, read more.

Shinsei Sangria
From Food and Wine Cocktails 2008

Ingredients

3 pears, sliced
3 oranges, sliced
6 Granny Smith apples, sliced
24 canned lychees, drained
1 1/2 pineapples, peeled and cut into large chunks
One 750-milliliter bottle vodka
One 750-milliliter bottle Sauvignon Blanc or other dry, citrusy white wine
One 750-milliliter bottle sake
Ice

Directions

In an airtight container or large bowl covered with plastic wrap, combine all of the ingredients except the ice and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Strain the mixture into a punch bowl, discarding all of the fruit except for the lychees.
Add enough ice to chill the sangria to serving temperature. Serve in ice-filled white wine glasses.

Makes 18 drinks.

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Homemade Grenadine

partysugar — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:00:10 -0800

With its bright red color, there is a common misconception that grenadine, the syrup used to flavor many cocktails, is made with cherries. The thick, sweet liquid is actually made with pomegranate juice (the word grenadine is derived from the French word for pomegranate, grenade).

When I realized that the sweetener was very simple to make, I decided to whip up a batch and present it to my sister, who enjoys the occasional "cherry" coke. Homemade grenadine is a great hostess gift, especially for someone who is into mixology. To look at the incredibly easy recipe, read more.

Homemade Grenadine
From Food and Wine Cocktails 2008

Ingredients

1 quart pomegranate juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon orange flower water

Directions

In a medium saucepan, simmer the pomegranate juice over moderate heat until reduced by half.
Add the sugar and the orange flower water and stir until dissolved. Let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

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Happy Hour: Sueño

partysugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:00:16 -0700

Cucumber haters beware. This tart yet refreshing cocktail might make you rethink your distaste. When muddled with rosemary, lime juice, and simple syrup, the flavor of the cucumber is subdued, and what remains is the essence of the cool vegetable - well, technically a fruit, but you know what I mean.

I usually associate vodka with this sort of herbaceous, earthy concoction, but tequila makes a surprisingly sublime match for the woody herb and crunchy cuke. A tonic float adds a bubbly, carbonated finish. To think outside the bartending box, make this drink and read more.

Sueño
From Food and Wine Cocktails 2008

Ingredients

10 rosemary leaves, plus 1 sprig for garnish
6 thinly sliced unpeeled cucumber wheels
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
ice
2 ounces blanco tequila
1 ounce chilled tonic water

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the rosemary leaves with 3 of the cucumber wheels, the lime juice, and the simple syrup. Add ice and the tequila and shake well.
In a highball glass layer the remaining three cucumber wheels with ice. Strain the drink into the prepared highball glass, gently stir in tonic water and garnish with rosemary sprig.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Happy Hour: Guavarita

partysugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:15:56 -0700

Meet the guavarita, the rosy-hued cousin of the classic margarita. Made with a splash of guava nectar, this cocktail is refreshing and slightly sweet. If you find margaritas too potent, give this variation a shake.

The guava juice balances the sometimes overwhelming flavor of tequila. Since the tequila was subdued, I found the salted rim unnecessary. When I made round two, I left the rim alone.

To look at the recipe, read more.

Guavarita
From Food and Wine Cocktails 2008

Ingredients

1 lemon wedge and salt
ice
2 ounces blanco tequila
1/2 ounce triple sec or Cointreau
1 ounce guava nectar
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup

Directions

If desired, moisten half of the outer rim of a martini glass with the lemon wedge and coat lightly with salt.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add all of the remaining ingredients and shake well.
Strain into prepared glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Must-Read: Food and Wine Cocktails 2008

partysugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:13 -0700

As bartenders raise the bar on the quality of cocktails, it's no wonder I've become interested in doing the same at home. At happy hour, I no longer want to make a simple rum and coke, instead I prefer to experiment with exciting combinations and fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Recently I purchased Food and Wine Cocktails 2008, an informative, paperback full of classic and modern recipes from the nation's hippest bars and restaurants. From wine spritzers to whiskey drinks to party punches to bar snacks, nothing is overlooked or forgotten. To see what I think of the book, read more.

Pros:

The book is small, so it sits perfectly on a bar.
It's packed with everything you need to know about the art of cocktail making. There's a glossary of spirits, mixers, and other important ingredients, a diagram of glasses, and over 150 recipes.
A brief description of the bars and restaurants, along with the details on where each is located, accompanies the recipes making this book a nightlife guide as well!

Cons: Many of the spirits used in the recipes are expensive and or hard to find. If you aren't interested in creating the perfectly-stocked home bar, perhaps this isn't the best cocktail book for you.

Recipes: The recipes are straight forward and simple to follow. The book covers everything from:

The building blocks - simple syrup, homemade grenadine
The basics - dark and stormy, sazerac, etc.
The exotic - blackberry Cabernet caipirinha, Thai boxer
Party friendly - kill-devil punch, Boston tea party

Imagery: There are glossy, color photos of many of the drinks. Beautifully photographed, these images look delicious and refreshing.

Overall Rating: This is one of my newest, most favorite cookbooks!

Melissa d'Arabian's Helpful Hints For Feasting on a Budget

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:31 -0800

Of all the year's celebrations, Thanksgiving often is the most expensive. In 2008, roughly a quarter of you said you were spending $150 or more. This year, to help you stay well within your budget, we've enlisted the help of Melissa d'Arabian, winner of the Next Food Network Star and host of Ten Dollar Dinners With Melissa d'Arabian.

On her Food Network show, Melissa makes dinner for four for under $10 - and her Thanksgiving is no different. She's partnered with Walmart to come up with a turkey day feast that's only $20, and plans to serve it to her own family this holiday. "My family is really getting the $20 thanksgiving!" she says. Regardless of how much you've got in your wallet, she has some pointers to help you stay under budget. See them when you read more.

Come Party With Me: Olympics Viewing - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:15:54 -0700

When guests arrive at your Olympic viewing, surprise them at the door with a chilled shot of Canton Ginger Liqueur. The shot will loosen up shy friends and get the conversation flowing. Next offer guests a glass of strawberry-lychee punch. Muddled with fresh strawberries, China's most cherished fruit sweetens this delicious rum cocktail.

Also have beer, wine, and sparkling water on hand. To learn how to make this cool, refreshing strawberry-lychee concoction, read more.

Strawberry-Lychee Punch
From Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients

3 small strawberries, hulled
1/4 ounce Simple Syrup
1 canned lychee plus 1/4 ounce syrup
2 ounces light rum
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Ice

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the strawberries, Simple Syrup, lychee and lychee syrup
Add the rum, lime juice, and ice, shake well, and pour into an ice-filled red wine glass.

Makes 1 drink.

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Our Favorite Interviews

YumSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:30:27 -0800

Although our greatest joys are cooking and entertaining, they're simply not as fun without inspiration from the outside world. I'm often spurred to mix up new flavor combinations or cooking techniques by the likes of cooking shows, restaurateurs, bartenders, and, of course, great restaurant chefs.

In 2008, we had the privilege of speaking with cutting-edge faces in the food industry and leaders who have had longtime influence on us. We were impressed by their humility, devotion to hard work, and advice for everyday cooks. These interviews are our top 10 favorites this year:

Photo Courtesy of Colin Miller