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Do You Trial Run Recipes Before Serving Them at a Party?

partysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:50:46 -0800

5 Fabulous Gifts For the Do-It-Herself Hostess

partysugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:50:27 -0800

She's the girl who makes snake cakes in her sleep. The gal who sends twenty-five handmade birthday invitations to a four course sit-down dinner that she cooks. She's already obsessing about her Thanksgiving menu and testing out Christmas cocktails. You know who I'm talking about, she's the hostess who does it all and she's giving Martha Stewart a run for her money. Always on top of things, this fun-loving gal is easy to shop for. Here are my holiday gifting suggestions for the party-princess in your life.

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Yummy Links: From Gail Simmons to Team Rainbow

partysugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:15:12 -0800

Ever wonder what Top Chef Gail Simmons cooks at home? Here's 10 of her favorite recipes. - Food and Wine
Foodies show off their food tattoos. - Chow
Six supermarket turkeys are put to the test. - Epicurious
How to handle annoying party guests. - Lemondrop
Which roasting pan is the best for holiday cooking? - The Kitchn
Beautiful inspiration for a modern Thanksgiving dinner. - Hostess With the Mostess
Get the official Top Chef Team Rainbow shirt. - Serious Eats

Source

What Would You Do?

partysugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:20:11 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's this week's scenario:

To get to know your best friend's new boyfriend, you decide to host a dinner party with them and some other couples. You serve the food buffet-style to keep the atmosphere relaxed and promote conversation. When the new guy gets in the buffet line, he takes his plate, walks over to the sink, and starts rinsing it with water. Your friends behind him in line stop and stare. What would you do?

To see what I would do in this situation - true story, it happened to a friend! - read more.

I would walk right up to the new guest and ask him what he's doing. It turns out he was warming his plate - which is a little odd for a dinner party - so I would offer to warm his and any other plate in the oven.

How about you? What would you do? Have you ever tried to warm your plate at someone else's house?
Source

Cupcake of the Week: 'Wich Cupcakes

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:40:13 -0800

The other day I ended up at the San Francisco outpost of Tom Colicchio's 'Wichcraft. While there were plenty of delicious-looking sandwiches on the menu, my eyes gravitated to their cupcakes. They're similar to the old-school Hostess cupcakes: rich chocolate with a white creamy filling, chocolate ganache, and a bit of white frosting drizzled on top. They clock in at $2.75, and they have nothing to do with sandwiches, but don't they look tasty?

Five Questions About the Sno Ball

YumSugar — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 11:38:39 -0800

The bright pink signature Hostess Sno Balls is turning 60 this year. It was introduced in 1947 and has become an icon of American pop culture. You may know what it looks like, but do you know anything about it? Test your knowledge with our quiz. Source

Take the quiz

Host/Hostess Gifts: What To Bring To A Dinner Party

partysugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 06:01:38 -0700

So you've been invited to a dinner party and the inevitable question looms: Gift for the host, yes or no? You may be thinking, it's only a dinner party, so why should I bother to bring something for the hostess? Well, simply put, you should because it's common courtesy! If a friend or relative has taken the time to invite you into their dining room for a homemade meal, you must return their efforts and express your thanks. For an informal dinner party, an extravagant gift is not necessary, don't spend more than $20. An interesting bottle of wine, a fragrant jarred candle, or a fun salt and pepper serving plate are exceptional gifts that will delight and please any hostess. For close friends, splurge on an animal print serving tray. Baked goods, like a coffee cake that the hostess can enjoy the morning after the dinner, or a small bag of crisp and delicious cookies show your host that you appreciate the invitation to dine. Lastly, my all time favorite gift is a large, beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers from a friend's garden. Likewise if you have ripe fruit trees or an abundance of fresh mint, give the home grown produce to your hostess. Do you have any great host/hostess gift ideas? Share them with us in the comments!

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Will You Eat Banana Creme Twinkies?

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:57:31 -0700

As a kid I was crazy for processed treats like Twinkies and Ho-Hos. However, once I got to college, I made a vow to eat as few as I possibly could. So tell me, why am I so intrigued by the new Banana flavored Twinkies? Does it have something to do with banana being the original Twinkie flavor and how it's the first time since WWII that Hostess has featured it as a "regular" flavor? I'm not really sure, but I strangely want to try them. How about you, will you hunt down Banana Twinkies?

Note: It has actually been a limited edition flavor several times since WWII, most recently for the release of the King Kong DVD.

Source: PR Newswire

Do You Make Cocktails At Home?

partysugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 06:00:08 -0700

What Not To Party: Showing Up Early

partysugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:58:31 -0700

An important part of being a great hostess is understanding what it's like to be a great guest. The first step towards becoming an excellent guest is knowing when to arrive at the party. When hosting a dinner or an event, there is nothing I hate more than people whom show up early unannounced. Invitations are sent with a specific starting time for a reason and if your hostess is anything like myself she is running around adding finishing touches to her sauces, plating bite sized appetizers, polishing wine glasses, and lighting candles. (My aunt came 30 minutes early for a dinner once and the appetizers were still in the oven, I wasn't dressed and had curlers in my hair-you can imagine my complete and total mortification). Coming before the space and hostess is transformed into party ready is a complete and total no-no. Just don't do it. Unless personally asked by the hostess, do not come early and if for some crazy reason you end up getting off the freeway twenty minutes before the specified time call her to let her know there was no traffic and you will be arriving early so she can at least put on her party outfit and set out a bowl of olives.