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It's Getting Haute Chocolate in Here

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:01:11 -0800

If you thought the Serpentine Goblets were pricey, then let me introduce you to the world's most expensive dessert: Frrrozen Haute Chocolate. Created by the folks at the Serendipity 3 restaurant in NY, the Frrrozen Haute Chocolate - which is an expensive version of their famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate - rings up at $25,000. Yes, that is a five figure price tag on a single dessert.

The dessert itself is a mix of cocoa and milk, frozen to a slush-like drink. Five grams of 24-carat gold is mixed in and then it's topped with more gold and garnished with a $250 chocolate truffle that is flown in from France.

The dessert has just gone on sale and actually needs a two week lead time (they also fly the gold in from Switzerland). So far they haven't sold any, but I'm sure that's just a matter of time.

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Yummy Links: From Top Chef's Finale to Spanish Chorizo

partysugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:50:08 -0800

The finale of Top Chef Vegas was recently filmed in Napa Valley. - Eater
The New Yorker get to know Los Angeles restaurant critic Jonathan Gold. - Grub Street NY
Ubuntu, Napa's vegetarian darling of a restaurant, may start serving meat. - SF Foodie
Thirteen individuals who are making waves in the food industry. - Chow
One Houston restaurant critic has dropped his anonymity. - Eat Me Daily
What your beer says about you. - Serious Eats
Spanish chorizo adds a richness and flavor to everything it touches. - The Epi-Log

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:50:06 -0800

If you've got both vegetarians and meat lovers joining you for Thanksgiving, consider serving an almost meatless meal. The only meat dish on the menu is the turkey, but the appetizers and supporting dishes are all veg-friendly. Start with baked brie and toasted walnuts. It's a luxurious way to begin any party and the salty cheese-nut combo will whet guests' palettes.

When you move to the table, serve a sherried kabocha soup with spiced pepitas as the first course. A bay and lemon brined turkey is the main event, while scalloped yukon gold and sweet potato gratin, Brussels sprouts with vinegar-glazed red onions, shiitake mushroom and herb stuffing, and roasted cranberry sauce are the scrumptious sides. To get a look at these savory and seasonal recipes, please keep reading

Gold Barbeque: Love It Or Hate It?

partysugar — Sat, 26 May 2007 04:01:19 -0700

Just in time for BBQ season, BeefEater has announced the arrival of their gold plated grill. With a price tag of $12,500 - each piece is individually plated in 24 carat gold - this BBQ reminds me of something you would see at a rapper's house on MTV's Cribs. It's a one of a kind barbeque that has six high output burners, a wok burner, a roasting hood complete with viewing window and warming rack, a quartz ignition, a vaporizer grid, and a reflector system (can anybody tell me the exact use of those last three?). I love it, but what do you think, is it too much? Gold barbeque: love it or hate it?

Source: Born Rich

Starbucks' Holiday Strategy: Deep Discounts, Loyalty Programs

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:15:00 -0700

Amid slipping sales, Starbucks Coffee has unveiled several plans to boost holiday consumer spending.

This year, the coffee titan will sell five $20 gift cards for the discounted price of $80 - the first time ever that Starbucks has offered a gift card for less than face value. These gift cards, available only at discount retailer Costco, have been flying off shelves. In the promotion's first month, the company has sold nearly 1 million gift cards.

Starbucks is also rolling out its new gold-card loyalty program. The gold card, which can be purchased for $25, allows cardholders 10 percent off most items except gift cards and digital downloads. The company anticipates that millions of gold cards will be sold to customers who are existing cardholders of the regular Starbucks card, as it will save them more money.

Holiday gifts will also be at a lower price point this year. Many stores will also have $10 or less gift tables, and some items, such as CDs and coffee samplers, will retail at a price that is roughly 13 percent lower than similar items last year.

Do you think these promotions will increase sales, or is Starbucks trying too many different things at once? Will you be signing up for the gold card, or racing to Costco for the discounted gift cards?

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LA's Taco Trucks Told to Hit the Road, Literally

YumSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:45:15 -0700

I love taco trucks. At my old job, there was one I would flock to at any given chance. It seems my taco truck - aka "roach coach" - love puts me in great company. Los Angeles-based food critic Jonathan Gold - the only food critic to have received a Pulitzer Prize - is also a big fan of the taco truck. However unlike myself, who knows where her favorite taco truck is at all times, Gold may now have to hunt down his faves. Starting May 15, the city of Los Angeles is enacting a new law that will prohibit taco trucks from staying in one spot for longer than one hour at a time. The law carries a fine of up to $1,000, or six months in jail. And considering that LA actually jailed a hot dog vendor for breaking one of their new food laws, it wouldn't be a surprise if they set an example by cracking down on a taco truck as well.

So why have they written the new law? The ordinance started due to complaints from other businesses. They claim the taco trucks deliberately choose popular restaurants and park in front of them, causing the restaurants to lose business. While this may be the case for some, I can't imagine it's the case for all. Some of these taco trucks - like Tacos El Galuzo - actually pay rent to the businesses they're parked in front of.

To fight the new law, more than 150 taco truck owners are vowing a "taco resistance" and plan to stay parked exactly where they are. If you're interested in learning more on how you can help visit SaveOurTacoTrucks.org.

Would you save the taco trucks? Or should they pack their tacos and go?

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Happy Hour: Firefly Mint Tea Vodka

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:00:38 -0700

Last week, Party and I attended a tasting showcasing winners of this year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The high moment of the day occurred when I got a taste of something I've been dying to try: sweet tea-flavored vodka made by South Carolina-based Firefly Distillery. I'm a fiend for Southern cuisine, and that includes sweet tea, a drink so ubiquitous that it's just referred to as "tea." Southerners also love to spike their tea, so it seems natural that someone would come up with tea-flavored vodka. That genius would be Jim Irvin, a distiller based in Wadmalaw Island, SC. Irvin, also a winemaker, distills the vodka four times, imbues it with tea grown from a plantation five miles away, and sweetens the finished product with sugarcane from Louisiana.

We tried one of the distillery's newest vodka flavors, Mint Tea, which won a Double Gold Medal in the competition. It has a natural minty finish that tastes both soothing and refreshing. It was so easy to drink alone that I'm almost certain I could enjoy an entire pitcher before realizing the product's full effects. I can't wait to buy a bottle for myself!

Have you tried Firefly's tea-flavored vodkas? What did you think of them?

Dolce & Gabbana Gold Restaurant: Love It Or Hate?

partysugar — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:19:51 -0700

While 64% of you would not like a kitchen designed by a fashion designer, would you consider eating in a fashion designer's restaurant? The restaurant I'm talking about here is Dolce & Gabbana's Gold which opened last October in Milan. Italian powerhouse duo Dolce & Gabbana are known for their overly sexy signature leopard-printed look which carried over into the ornately decorated dining spot. Mirrors, metallics, marble, and lots of gold details make up the watering hole's interior which consists of an upscale restaurant, informal bistro, coffee room, and lounge bar. The menu offers Italian cuisine classically made in traditional Mediterranean style with only the most superior of ingredients. Food to go is available and packed in chic little gold doggie bags and boxes. I don't know about you guys but I may have to check this place out the next time I'm in Milan, after all I could just go for an espresso or cocktail. What about you, Dolce & Gabbana Gold restaurant: love it or hate?

Yummy Links: From Kim Cattrall to White Gold

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 06:31:19 -0700

This year's James Beard Awards will be hosted by Kim Cattrall. If you're wondering why, I should mention that her boyfriend is chef Alan Wyse, so maybe it's not such a crazy stretch? - Eater
Bypass the supermarket and buy your meat direct. - Chow
Clean up your act with this recipe for homemade silver polish. - CasaSugar
Who Cooked it Better? Rachael Ray or Giada De Laurentiis? - Endless Simmer
Get tips on eco-friendly entertaining. - GlamDish
Discover new drinks to try this summer. - iVillage
Discover a simple and healthy cappuccino dessert. - FitSugar
Meet White Gold, the band in the the latest wacky milk ads. - Serious Eats

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Michael Phelps Will Shine Again in Subway's Spotlight

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:51:11 -0700

Subway's ready to test the waters again with spokesperson Michael Phelps: This past Sunday during the US national swimming championships, the sandwichmaker began airing commercial spots starring the Olympic gold medalist. Phelps' year got off to a rocky start when a photo surfaced in February of him smoking marijuana out of a bong.

Within days, USA Swimming had suspended the Olympian from the sport for three months, and Kellogg's decided not to renew its contract with Phelps. Amidst the scandal, the swimming champion was able to hang onto his other major endorsement, Subway - by a thread.

The sandwich chain maintained it was sticking by Phelps, but removed all semblance of Phelps from its website as well as delayed his TV campaign slated for the beginning of the year. The commercials are to reveal that the swimmer - who, at the peak of training, eats as much as 10,000 calories a day - is a fan of Subway's meatball sandwich with jalapeños.

Do you think it's a smart move on Subway's part to hang onto Michael Phelps as a spokesperson?