YumSugar

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Are Great, But Why Not Chocolate-Infused Strawberries?

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 12:18:31 -0800

A lot of you agreed that we didn't really need a grape-apple hybrid. However, what do you think of a strawberry-chocolate hybrid? Tokyo-based Fresh Functional Food Composite (FCOM) is using infusion technology to create white-chocolate strawberries and chocolate currants. They first freeze dry the fruit, thus removing any water, and infuse it with chocolate. The company has also previously tested out the technology by infusing apples with red wine.

It all sounds pretty crazy to me - can't I just have strawberries and chocolate? - yet I know I'd give it a try if I saw them on the shelves.

If you're skeptical about the whole thing I should also mention that the company is considering using the technology to infuse food with various nutrients and vitamins.

Now the real question is, will these ever hit the American market?

Source

Hybrid Produce: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 06:50:21 -0700

After returning from the farmers market with pluots and apriums aplenty, Party, another coworker, and I got into a debate over hybrid fruits and vegetables. Personally, I love pluots, especially juicy, green Flavor Queens that possess none of the tartness of a typical plum. But Party begged to differ. "I like the way a peach tastes. I like the way a plum tastes. I don't want to taste them together," she bemoaned. Where do you stand?

Source: Flickr User clayirving

Taste Test: Cheesecake Factory Cheesecakes

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:50:57 -0700

I must admit: I'm not the world's biggest fan of cheesecake, it's always seemed a bit too rich. But I'm obsessed with red velvet cake, and was intrigued when I first heard about red velvet cheesecake. I put it on my list of things to make and before I could get to it, The Cheesecake Factory came out with a version and sent one our way - along with a couple others. Was it the perfect hybrid of Southern red velvet and smooth cheesecake decadence? How was the cheesecake on a whole? Find out when you read more

Do We Really Need a Grape/Apple Hybrid?

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:48:39 -0800

I've seen Grapples - grape-flavored apples - in the store for a few years, and FitSugar actually wrote about them last year, but I'd never actually tried one before. I've kinda been snobby about it and thought they were ridiculous. However, recently, a friend of mine became addicted to them. She swears they're fantastic, so I figured it was time to file away my skepticism and give it a try.

Grapples are created by infusing Washington Extra-Fancy Fuji apples in concentrated grape juice, natural and artificial, but let me tell you it smells awfully artificial - like grape flavoring and water. Old reviews say that it's done by soaking, however the Grapple website now says it's a complex patent-pending process. When you take them out of their plastic packages, you can smell them from a mile away, and it's actually quite distracting. The smell is overly sweet, like wet-grape candy.

So how do they taste? They're actually not bad, but that's mostly because they taste like apples. The grape flavor is there, however it's overly sweet and reminds me of grape candy more than actual Concord grapes. They're also quite pricey for what they are - four apples were around $5. The good part about them is that since they do taste like candy, it felt more like a dessert or a treat, and definitely curbed my need for something sweet in the evening. The best part was that, like other apples, they're only around 80 calories each.

Would I buy them again? Probably not, although I can see where folks might really like them - after all this started because I know someone who is hooked on them. Also, I really am wondering what a baked good made with them would taste like. Grapple pie anyone?

In Europe, It's War of the Rosés

YumSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:15:42 -0700

Everything is not coming up roses for French producers of rosé wine. Winemakers have been up in arms over proposed EU Commission legislation that would allow rosé wine to be made from the mixing of red and white wines.

Rosé is traditionally produced by leaving the skins of red-wine grapes in along with the white juice for several hours, a method that tints the wine to a blush color. The European Commission, however, believes that relaxing its rosé guidelines will allow France, Italy, and Spain to increase exports to burgeoning markets like China. To producers of classic blush wine, allowing red wine mixed with white wine to be called rosé could be considered heresy.

Classic rosé makers have won the right to carry a special designation indicating their wines are made by "traditional" methods but see the concession as insufficient. Said Anjou wine growers association president Olivier Lecomte:

We have worked very hard to improve the quality of our wines and to prove that a genuine rosé is not just a mongrel or hybrid, but a different and excellent wine in its own right. In recent years, our sales have been rising rapidly. It is not surprising that others want to jump on the bandwagon. Now, abruptly, we are told that rosé wine can be concocted any old way, to an industrial formula, a money-driven formula.

Judgment day comes on April 27, when the commission will vote on the proposed legislation. In my opinion, the new law chooses commercial interests over deeply rooted, venerable quality standards. How do you feel about this debate: should mixed wine be allowed to be called rosé?

Miller Kangaroo Sweatshirt: Love It or Hate It?

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 06:45:54 -0700

Now that football season has begun, Miller Brewing has come up with a new way for you to hold your beer while tailgating: a sweatshirt/beer koozie hybrid.

I'm not exactly sure the item's been developed with patent-worthy innovation, but I would definitely use it to keep my fingers warm during chilly nighttime football games.

Would you be willing to wear a High Life hoodie if it meant boozing hands-free?

Source

Taste Test: TeaZazz Sparkling Teas

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:05:33 -0700

Lately we've been receiving a lot of tea to try at the office. We've also been witnessing a lot of beverage companies swapping the high-fructose corn syrup in their drinks for pure cane sugar. So it comes as no surprise that the latest rising beverage on the market is TeaZazz, a carbonated tea made with sugar that markets itself as a healthier hybrid soft drink.

TeaZazz comes in four different flavors: original, green tea mint, green tea lemon, and peach. Curious, I tried the first two. To hear what I thought, read more.

When I opened the sparkling teas, they made a fizzy release noise. They were definitely carbonated but tasted about 50 percent less carbonated than a standard can of soda. As for the soda's taste, I liked the flavor of the original tea; it had an authentic black tea taste. I didn't care at all for the green tea mint, however. Carbonated mint tea just didn't go over well with me - I almost felt as though I was drinking fizzy, diluted mouthwash. The drink is made from sugar syrup, but it also contains sucralose, an artificial sweetener, and that too had a discernible taste. Those who loathe diet drinks won't like TeaZazz, either.

Have you seen or tried TeaZazz? I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it.

Flowers 101: Calla Lily

partysugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:58:31 -0700

Since so many of you expressed your unabashed love for calla lilies I thought it would be a fantastic flower to feature as the flower of the week. A very versatile flower, the calla lily is scientifically known as zantedeschia - a genus of 28 floral species native to South Africa that derives its name from a 19th century Italian botanist named Giovanni Zantedeschi. It consists of a funnel shape colored leaf that surrounds tiny flowers. The leaves are broad and narrow shaped and attach to the stem at the base of the plant.
Thought of as a weed in many parts of the world, calla lilies grow continuously for long periods of time when watered and fed regularly. They can also thrive in many soils and habitats and can survive minor frosts. For planting they require full sun to partial shade and wet soil moisture. They bloom in the summer, but need a winter rest period for successful re-bloom. Traditionally calla lilies are white although they have been hybridized to come in a variety of colors. The white were originally considered a funeral flower, but in pinks, yellow, lavenders, and golds, they are perfect for weddings - they are also known to be quite hearty and have long lasting bloom.

Fabulous Floramor

partysugar — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:57:37 -0700

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk to one of San Francisco's top floral designers, Laura Little of Floramor Studios, about flowers, weddings, and upcoming trends. Laura has a rich passion for the beauty of nature and a grand respect for fine arts that is reflected in all of her arrangements. Established in 1984, Laura and her team have been working with brides non-stop for the past 22 years and have orchestrated the design concept for over 3000 events. Her designs have been featured in countless books about wedding style, magazines from Town & Country to Elegant Bride, and she has a working relationship with all of the major hotels in San Francisco.

On the day I walked into her beautiful studio with brightly colored lime green walls and a checker-print black and white floor at 9 am, Laura had already been up since 2 am. According to Little, the life of a floral designer is far from glamorous with gigantic arrangements having to be ready before dawn to give the illusion that the flowers came out of nowhere. She took me through the steps that she would normally take a bride through explaining that at the first meeting it's customary to spend about an hour going through photos of past weddings until she has an idea of what the bride generally wants. All of her brides get to see a sample version of their centerpieces months before the wedding to ensure that they get to see their own vision brought to life before the big day. For more on floral wedding trends and to read my interview, read more

PartySugar: What colors are popular this year?
Laura Little: Lots of color. Very colorful strong palettes are in. Not multi colors but two strong bold contrasting colors.

PS: Do the colors generally change with the season?
LL: San Francisco gets everything and there are virtually no limitations. However in spring, lilacs and peonies in purples and pinks are beautiful.

PS: What trends are emerging in arrangements and centerpieces?
LL: Although it depends, arrangements are more clean and modern - traditional with a twist. Paired down and contemporary with no fluff or frill. Before 9/11 people were going over the top with flowing flowers and wanted centerpieces, aisle arrangements, chair ends, room decor, wall draping, lamp coverings, any and everything visual. Then after 9/11 everyone went minimal focusing the wedding more on the celebration and the family element rather than lavish decor. Now that six years have almost passed, people are starting to spend more money on flowers and incorporate the extras into their weddings.

PS: What flowers are in?
LL: Calla lilies are excellent because they have been hybridized to come in every color, they last forever, and have long stems. Roses are always in.

PS: What's in season now?
LL: Everything: tulips, iris, ranunculus, narcissus, hyacinth.

PS: Do you know what trends are emerging on the east coast?
LL: Style is driven by San Francisco because LA keeps a steady glamorous Hollywood look and the older cities like Chicago and New York are more inclined to be traditional and not do anything new and exciting artistically with a twist.

PS: Is there a huge difference between the east coast bride and the west coast
bride?
LL: The east coast bride generally has a sense of urgency, a faster pace, more precise, know what they want and make quick decisions. The west coast bride generally takes their time and approaches the wedding planning with a more laid back demeanor.

PS: Do the majority of brides know what they want or are they looking for
someone to guide them?
LL: It really depends on the bride. I've been working for so long that I can guide and direct them if they don't know what they want and help them to find what they do want.

Laura suggested that the bride get in contact with her florist at least 8-9 months in advance and suggested that she check out bridal shows and floral expos to learn more about trends and her personal preferences as a bride.