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All the News That's Fit to Eat - Mar. 25, 2009

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:50:44 -0700

The new Yankee Stadium will serve up sushi by Morimoto and specialties from Le Cirque. - New York Times
A few creative ways to make the most of leftover wine. - Washington Post
Learn how one pizza fanatic constructed a hand-built firebrick oven at home for $15. - Los Angeles Times
Find out which store-bought grapefruit juice fared best. - San Francisco Chronicle
Meet the "tween" salad: hearty, warm medleys that smooth the transition between Winter and Spring. - Chicago Tribune
Do women reach for different food than men? - Boston Globe
Lebanon's winemaking dates back to biblical times, but it's the region's modern wine that's garnering worldwide attention. - Wall Street Journal

Come Party With Me: Bedazzle Bonanza - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:50:11 -0700

There's only one thing to drink at a party that revolves around attaching rhinestones to fabric and that's sparkling wine. Although we haven't decided which sparkling to pour (favorites as of late are Sofia, anything by Ayala, and Pommery Gold) FabSugar and I will have plenty of bubbly chilling on ice. We'll also offer guests a specialty champagne cocktail. While grapefruit is a polarizing ingredient, its elegant jewel-tone color fits in perfectly with our theme. The drink is a combination of fresh-squeezed ruby grapefruit juice and sparkling wine. When making a cocktail that involves sparkling wine, don't be afraid to select a more affordable bottle. For the recipe, read more.

Ruby Champagne Cocktail
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 Ruby Red pink grapefruits
1/4 cup sugar
1 750-ml bottle brut Champagne, well chilled

Directions

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel from 1 grapefruit; place in bowl.
Cut both grapefruits in half; squeeze enough juice to measure 3/4 cup. Mix juice and sugar in bowl with peel. Let stand 5 minutes. Strain into small bowl, pressing on solids.
Pour 2 tablespoons syrup into each of four 6-ounce flutes. Fill each with 2/3 cup Champagne.

Serves 4.

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Grapefruit: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:50:08 -0700

Some people are nearly fanatical about grapefruit, while others won't even drink it if it's mixed into a delicious cocktail. Since this polarizing but healthy citrus fruit is in season right now, I'm wondering how you feel about it.

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Yummy Links: From Indoor Grilling to Lentil Salad

partysugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:15:40 -0800

Winter is an opportune time to bring the grilling indoors. - Serious Eats
A pro-life group is upset over Krispy Kreme's free inauguration doughnuts. - Eat Me Daily
Six ways to use citrus as cocktail garnishes. - The Kitchn
Speaking of citrus, broiled grapefruit is a simple, healthy dessert. - The Epi-Log
Looking back at George W. Bush's top 10 food moments. - Endless Simmer
Lentil salad with goat cheese crostini is a gourmet, on-the-go lunch. - Chow

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Happy Hour: Salty Dog

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:15:25 -0800

On New Years, I discovered a new favorite cocktail called the salty dog. No, it's not a strange concoction with hot dogs, but the cousin to the classic greyhound! Both the greyhound and salty dog combine fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with vodka. However, the salty dog is served in a salt-rimmed glass similar to a margarita. With citrus in season, I rolled up my sleeves and pulled out my old-fashioned glass juicer. Although manual juicing is time consuming, the refreshingly rewarding, tangy drink is worth it.

To start sipping your own salty dog, read more.

Salty Dog
Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

3 ounces vodka or gin
6 ounces grapefruit juice, fresh squeezed preferable
Salt to rim the glass
lemon wedges

Directions

Rub the lemon along the rim of the glass, then salt rim.
Combine vodka and grapefruit in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Pour grapefruit and vodka mixture in the glass. Can be served on the rocks or up. Enjoy.

Serves 2.

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Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Patch Picnic - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:30:09 -0700

Like the menu and dessert, when selecting a cocktail for a picnic, choose one that can be made in a large batch in advance. This rosemary ruby cocktail is refreshing and delicious. It combines a rosemary simple syrup with vodka and grapefruit juice. To make a nonalcoholic version, substitute sparkling water for the vodka. Fill a cooler with seasonal ale, water, and single-serving juices. Don't forget to pack extra ice for the cocktails. Get this tantalizing cocktail recipe when you read more.

Rosemary Ruby Cocktails
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
12 sprigs rosemary
3 cups ruby-red grapefruit juice
1 1/2 cups vodka
3/4 teaspoon bitters
Ice cubes

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water, the sugar, and 6 rosemary sprigs to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is clear, about 5 minutes. Let cool; discard the rosemary.
In a pitcher, combine the grapefruit juice, vodka, bitters, and 3/4 cup rosemary-sugar syrup.
Pour into 6 rocks glasses filled with ice cubes and garnish each with a rosemary sprig.

Makes 6 cocktails.

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Happy Hour: Greyhound

partysugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:03:57 -0800

The other day, while I was at one of my favorite bars - Cantina - I had a delicious and refreshing drink made with fresh grapefruit juice. A variation on the classic caipirinha, the cocktail was on the menu for that night only. I wanted to run home and re-create the delightful concoction, but I couldn't remember the list of ingredients. Since the grapefruit juice is what stood out the most, I settled on making a greyhound.

The close cousin of a screwdriver, a greyhound is a sublime blend of vodka and fresh grapefruit juice. To enjoy this cocktail now - grapefruits are in season - get the recipe and read more.

Greyhound
From Epicurious

2 ounces vodka
5 ounces grapefruit juice

In a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes, combine the vodka and grapefruit juice. Stir well.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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Chic Gratin For Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 16:01:43 -0800

I am crazy about gratins. It's actually starting to drive my father crazy, the incessant dad let's have zucchini gratin for dinner and non stop dad I found the best tomato gratin recipe. I've been doing a lot of outside the box thinking about gratins lately (plain old potatoes is just oh-so-boring) and got to wondering, could you make a sweet variation for dessert? I did some research and BINGO! found the most amazing recipe for a grapefruit sabayon gratin. Sounds divinely sophisticated doesn't it? A sabayon (or zabaglione if you are Italian) is a light frothy egg-based dessert sauce flavored with wine. Toss in a few slices of tart ruby red grapefruit and you are in for one heavenly treat. To take a look at the recipe, read more

Grapefruit Sabayon Gratin
From Gourmet magazine

2 ruby red grapefruit at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sweet dessert wine such as Orange Muscat
Special equipment: 4 shallow (5- to 6-oz) individual gratin dishes or a 1-qt shallow flameproof dish; an instant-read thermometer

Preheat broiler.
Cut peel, including all white pith, from grapefruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments from membranes and divide segments among gratin dishes.
Combine yolks, sugar, and wine in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water and beat with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until mixture registers 140°F on thermometer, about 4 minutes.
Continue beating over heat until mixture has tripled in volume and forms a thick ribbon when mixer is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove bowl from heat.
Spoon sabayon over grapefruit segments and broil 4 to 6 inches from heat just until sabayon is browned, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Perfect Pickins: Grapefruit

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 08:02:58 -0800

With its delicate, tart flavor, grapefruit is one of those light and refreshing fruits that I tend to associate with summer. However, like most citrus, grapefruit is at its peak right now. To find the perfect grapefruit follow these tips:

It should be round and smooth. Avoid ones with puffy or soft skin.
Try to find one that is heavy for its size. The heavier it is, the juicier it will be.
The skin should have a slight give when pressed gently.
The skin should also appear slightly shiny. A dull skin means it's not as fresh.

Once you get your grapefruit home, store them at room temperature for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks. Serve them at room temperature for a juicier delight.

Must Read: Sips & Apps

partysugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:14 -0700

Thanks to shows like Mad Men, it's clear that the ritual of the cocktail hour - a time in the late afternoon where potent drinks are sipped and savory snacks are nibbled - is poised to make a comeback. A recent book, Sips & Apps ($19.95) by Kathy Casey, further promotes the idea by providing happy homemakers with a plethora of modern and classic cocktails, and a handful of incredibly tasty-sounding bar snacks. To learn more about this bartending guide keep reading.