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Yum's January Must Haves

partysugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:30:48 -0800

Happy New Year! After the excitement of the holidays, January is a tough month for me - instead of partying, everyone is detoxing. That's why I'm going to focus on becoming a better home cook. Here you'll find six must-have items to maximize time in the kitchen.

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Hot Chocolate Topping: Whipped Cream or Marshmallows?

partysugar — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:30:07 -0800

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12 Days of Edible Gifts: Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix

YumSugar — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:30:00 -0800

During Winter, nothing epitomizes warmth more than a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. This holiday, why not package that feeling for your loved ones by making inexpensive and thoughtful homemade hot cocoa?

Unlike store-bought mix, which often tastes chalky and watered-down, this edible gift is velvety in texture and pure chocolate in flavor. This year, I'm making a large batch and distributing individually decorated packages of mix to members of my extended family. To make your own version of this luscious-tasting gift, read more.

Vanilla Hot Chocolate Mix
From Epicurious

Ingredients

4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split crosswise
1 1/2 pounds high-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process

Directions

Place sugar in large bowl. Split half vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape seeds into sugar, and add pod. Work seeds in with your fingers. Cover snugly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
In food processor fitted with metal blade, process semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate until finely ground, using 4-second pulses. (Process in two batches if necessary.)
Remove pod from sugar. Add ground chocolate and cocoa powder to sugar and whisk to blend.
To gift, carefully transfer mix to decorative jars or bags. Add instruction labels for recipents: "For each serving, heat 8 ounces milk in small saucepan over medium heat until scalded (or microwave 2 1/2 minutes at full power). Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup mix. Serve with unsweetened softly whipped cream or marshmallows. Mix keeps airtight at room temperature for up to six months."

Makes 10 cups of mix (24 to 36 servings).

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Taste Test: New Starbucks Items

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:30:28 -0700

In an attempt to boost sales during tough economic times, coffee giant Starbucks has just unveiled a line of smoothies, rolled out a healthy morning menu, expanded its breakfast sandwich assortment, and revealed a new collection of gourmet hot chocolates. Since we've been deluged with a new range of options, we decided to put the food to the test. To see how Starbucks fared, click start.

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Come Party With Me: Snow Picnic - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:28:31 -0800

Since the snow picnic is a lunch, a signature cocktail is not necessary. Instead offer guests beer, water, and wine. Place beer directly in the snow to keep it icy cold and serve the wine in plastic glasses. An Italian Chianti pairs nicely with the soup, salad, and sandwiches, while a buttery California Chardonnay is a nice white option. I plan on making a birthday toast with a bottle of bubbly during dessert.

After the snowball fight, invite guests back to your house for a glass of hot cocoa. Set up a hot chocolate bar before you leave for the picnic. Allow guests to stir in their own hot chocolate accompaniments. To check out the hot chocolate bar recipe, read more.

Hot Chocolate Bar
From Giada De Laurentiis

Hot Chocolate:
4 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
Garnishes:
Espresso shots
1 toffee candy bar, crumbled (recommended: Heath Bar)
Mini marshmallows
whipped cream
nutmeg
mini bottles of liquor: Peppermint Schnapps, Kahlua, Baileys, Frangelico, Cinnamon Schnapps
Cinnamon-Sugar, recipe follows

Make the hot chocolate: in a medium saucepan, heat 4 cups of the milk over low heat, being very careful not to let the milk boil.
In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa, sugar, and the remaining 1/2 cup milk.
Add the cocoa mixture to the warm milk, and continue to warm the cocoa until hot.
Pour into 4 mugs and serve along with the garnishes.
For the hot chocolate bar: on a large serving tray or buffet table, arrange the mugs of hot chocolate, a small pitcher of espresso shots, a bowl of crumbled toffee candy bar, a bowl of mini-marshmallows, a bowl of whipped cream, a bowl of nutmeg, a selection of liquor, and a bowl of Cinnamon-Sugar. Invite your guests to flavor and garnish their hot chocolate as they desire.

Serves 4.

Cinnamon-Sugar:
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Cut the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise. Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean to collect the seeds. Scrape vanilla bean seeds into a small bowl.
Add sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside in a small serving bowl.

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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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Happy Hour: Ski Lift

partysugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:58:11 -0800

If you looked out the window today and saw gray skies, cold winds, hard rains, or soft snowflakes, man do I have a special treat for you. It's in the form of a decadent hot cocktail spiked with sunny tropical flavors that will warm you while giving you a blissful buzz. I love spiked hot chocolate and usually make a minty, dark chocolate concoction but this recipe pairs hot cocoa with peach and coconut flavors. Top it with whipped cream and pair with a fireplace, movie, and blanket for a leisurely evening in. Or if you're one of those adventurous outdoorsy types fill a thermos and enjoy this steaming drink while you sit back for the long ride back up the mountain on the chair lift. Take a look at the recipe and read more

Ski Lift
From Badger West

1 oz peach schnapps
1 oz coconut rum
Hot Chocolate
whipped cream
shredded coconut

Pour the schnapps and rum into an Irish coffee glass.
Fill the glass with hot chocolate.
Top with whipped cream.
Sprinkle coconut flakes on top of the cream.

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TV Dinners: Chocolat - Mayan Hot Chocolate

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 07:58:19 -0800

I'll be honest with you, I'm actually not really into romantic movies. So when I set out to find the perfect "TV Dinner" for Valentine's Day, I hit a wall immediately. Then suddenly, in a moment of clarity, I remembered the film Chocolat. After all, what could possibly say romance better than a film starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Binoche and a whole lot of chocolate?! My only problem is that thanks to all the chocolate, I had a hard time coming up with one scene that summed it all up. However I did recall that the shop was called Chocolaterie Maya and that the hot cocoa (you know, that one that melts even Judi Dench's old heart) contained a bit of a kick. To learn the secret recipe that is as close to the movie as possible, read more

Mayan Hot Chocolate recipe
Inspired by the film Chocolat

1 chile pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
5 cups light cream, or whole milk or nonfat milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 tbsp granulated sugar or honey or to taste
1 tbsp almonds or hazelnuts, ground extra fine

Add chile pepper to 2 cups boiling water. Cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Remove chile pepper; strain for stray seeds, and set aside.

In a medium-size saucepan, combine cream or milk, vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. Heat over medium flame until bubbles appear around the edge. Reduce heat to low; add chocolate and sugar or honey; whisk occasionally until chocolate is melted and sugar dissolves.

Turn off heat; remove vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, stir in ground almonds or hazelnuts. Add chile pepper infusion, a little at a time, making sure the flavor isn't too strong. If chocolate is too thick, thin with a little more milk.

Serves 6.

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Come Party With Me: Vampire Party - Desserts

partysugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:45:41 -0700

Since vampires are so hot right now, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and throwing a fangtastic Halloween party. The savory menu consists of fun finger foods, so to ensure that no extra plates and utensils are necessary, I'm serving a portable, pop-in-your mouth dessert. No vampire travels without a coffin - unless he has a special ring like the Salvatore Brothers - that's why these almond brownie coffins fit the theme perfectly. The brownies are chocolate with chunks of dark chocolate covered almonds with a marzipan coffin topping. To check out the recipe, read more.

Almond Brownie Coffins
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for marbling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
8 ounces dark-chocolate-covered almonds, chopped
3 ounces marzipan
Royal Icing and Fleurs-de-lis

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square pan, and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Butter and flour parchment, tapping out excess.
Combine flour and salt in a small bowl.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Sift cocoa powder on top of butter, and whisk to combine. Let cool 3 minutes.
Gently whisk in vanilla and eggs, then stir in sugars and flour mixture until just combined. Fold in almonds, then spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
Bake until the top is firm and set, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove brownies from pan using parchment overhang, and let cool on wire rack. (Brownies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Using the large coffin template, cut out brownies.
Dust marzipan lightly with cocoa powder, and mix until marbled dark brown. Roll out marzipan to 1/4-inch thickness. Using the small coffin template, cut out 1 marzipan coffin for each brownie. Gently press a coffin on top of each brownie.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with the smallest plain round tip with royal icing. Decorate marzipan with small dots around the edges, and apply 1 fleur-de-lis to each coffin with a small offset spatula, securing each with a dot of royal icing.

Makes 12 coffins.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Sept. 15-22, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:30:31 -0700

Love lobster, chocolate, and wine? If the answer's yes, then it's time to indulge your wildest food dreams this week.

Drop by the Port of Los Angeles to get fresh-steamed, butter-laden lobster, eat chocolate bonbons to your heart's content near the Texas capital, or discover central California's hidden wine gems at the Lodi Grape Festival.

Personally, I can't wait to taste Asian fusion at its best when celebrity chef Ming Tsai hosts a dinner to benefit the San Francisco Food Bank. What events will you be eating your way through this week? Let us know in the comments below!

San Diego, CA: San Diego Restaurant Week - Sept. 15-18
New York, NY: A Taste of the Village - Sept. 16
San Francisco, CA: Come Together Dinner with Ming Tsai - Sept. 16
Lodi, CA: Lodi Grape Festival - Sept. 17-20
Hot Springs, AR: Smoke on the Water BBQ Championship - Sept. 18-19
Austin, TX: Austin Chocolate Festival - Sept. 18-19
Naperville, IL: Naperville Wine Festival - Sept. 18-19
San Pedro, CA: Port of Los Angeles Lobsterfest - Sept. 18-20
Lowville, NY: Cream Cheese Festival - Sept. 19
New York, NY: StarChefs New York Rising Stars Revue - Sept. 22

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