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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Brunch - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:31:38 -0800

Create the look for your New Year's Day brunch with a cool, lush palette of white and silver. Keep things casual by serving the brunch buffet-style in your living room. Cover a table with a white tablecloth and festive silver runner. Plate the frittatas on silver platters. Use silver plastic plates and silver paper napkins so you don't have to worry about doing the dishes. Choose a versatile glass that works well for both Bloody Marys and flavored water. Fill vases with silver ornaments and place a beautiful white floral arrangement by the entrance. Toss icy blue pillows onto seats and couches. Don't forget to light candles for
perfect party lighting.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Brunch - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:28:31 -0800

After a long night of New Year's Eve parties, there is only one thing that will make guests feel better: Bloody Marys. Nothing beats the classic hangover drink's power to make a headache disappear. If there is leftover champagne, mix it with orange juice for mimosas. Have lots of sparkling and still water on hand, and make a refreshing nonalcoholic water cocktail with pineapple and rosemary. For these recipes, read more.

Bloody Mary
From Ina Garten

3 large stalks celery from the heart, including leaves, plus extra for serving
36 ounces tomato juice (recommended: Sacramento)
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon grated yellow onion
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
12 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), or to taste
1 1/2 cups vodka

Cut the celery in large dice, including the leaves, and puree in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until finely minced.
In a large pitcher, combine the rest of the ingredients except the vodka.
With the food processor running, pour 1/4 of the tomato juice mixture into the food processor through the feed tube.
Then pour the contents of the food processor into the pitcher with the remaining tomato juice mixture.
Add the vodka and chill.
Serve in tall glasses over ice with a stick of celery.

Serves 6

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Pineapple Rosemary Water
Modified from Everyday With Rachael Ray magazine

4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
sparkling water
Ice cubes

In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil with 3 sprigs rosemary.
Remove from the heat, add the pineapple, sparkling water, and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to meld.
Discard the rosemary sprigs and transfer the drink to a pitcher filled with ice. Garnish with the remaining fresh rosemary sprig.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Brunch - Menu (Savory)

partysugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:19:31 -0800

This year, instead of planning a blowout bash for New Year's Eve, invite everyone over for a New Year's Day brunch. With all of the hustle and bustle from the holidays there was no time to make beautiful invitations! Luckily, we can download, print, and fill out our fabulous New Year's party invite.

As for the menu, hangovers are to be expected, so a scrumptious spread of cheesy eggs and crispy potatoes is a must.

Make and assemble two frittatas the day before the brunch. A roasted red pepper and fresh herb frittata will feed hungry vegetarians, while a bacon and cheese frittata will satiate the carnivores. Oven-roasted home fries pair perfectly with both dishes. To host your own New Year's Day brunch, you'll need the recipes so read more.

Roasted Red Pepper and Fresh Herb Frittata
From Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves
12 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the oil into a 10-inch nonstick skillet and place over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the salt, pepper, parsley, chives, basil and oregano to the eggs and beat well. Pour the egg mixture into the hot skillet, reduce the heat to medium and cook about 3 minutes, occasionally pulling the egg away from the sides of the pan.
Add the red peppers and goat cheese, remove the skillet from the heat and slide it into top half of the oven.
Cook until the center of the frittata is set, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Slide the spatula around the edges of the pan, working underneath the frittata a bit. Shake the pan to loosen the bottom and gently slide onto a serving platter.
Slice into 12 wedges, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Serves 12.

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Bacon and Cheese Frittata
From Rachael Ray

5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°.
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, flipping once, until cooked but not crisp. Drain on a paper towel, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Pour off the bacon fat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion, the bacon, the cheeses and the salt and pepper and stir gently.
In a 9- or 10- inch ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (swirl the oil to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet). Add the egg mixture and cook over medium-low heat until the sides start to set, about 3 minutes.
Bake in the oven until the frittata is firm, 20 to 25 minutes.
Gently run a rubber spatula around the sides of the skillet to loosen the frittata. Place a serving plate over the skillet and carefully flip the pan to release the frittata.

Serves 6.

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Oven-Roasted Home Fries
From Everyday Food magazine

2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
3/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, combine potatoes, onion, bell pepper, rosemary, and oil; season with salt and pepper.
Toss until vegetables are coated with oil; bake until tender, about 1 hour.
Transfer to a serving dish.

Serves 6.

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Come Party With Me: New Year's Day Brunch - Menu (Sweet)

partysugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:01:31 -0800

When planning a New Year's Day brunch, don't forget to include sweet dishes on the menu. At first I thought French toast would be a bad idea - individual pieces of toast can be too much work - but than I remembered it can be baked! A lemon raspberry French toast strata puffs up into a delicious dessert-like dish. Afterwards, give guests slices of chocolate coconut banana bread to take home. Get the recipes when you read more.

Lemon-Raspberry French Toast Strata
From Gourmet magazine

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, plus additional for serving
6 cups 1-inch cubes day-old country-style white bread with crusts (about 12 ounces or 3/4 loaf)
1 pint fresh raspberries or 1 bag of frozen raspberries
6 large eggs
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt

Arrange rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Lightly butter 9- by 13-inch glass baking dish or 14-inch oval gratin dish. Pour in maple syrup; scatter bread cubes and raspberries in dish.
In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, lemon zest, and salt; pour over bread cubes.
Bake strata until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool 5 minutes, then serve warm with additional maple syrup.

Serves 8 to 10.

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Chocolate Banana Coconut Bread
From Australian Country Style magazine

1 large ripe banana, peeled and mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 lb milk chocolate, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
Mix together the mashed banana, vanilla, eggs and milk. Stir in the sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder over the wet ingredients. Add the coconut and gently fold through the mixture, using a large metal spoon.
Fold in the chocolate, being careful not to over-mix.
Spoon into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf.

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Indulge One Last Time With Honey Sticky Buns

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:00:19 -0800

The holidays are a time for serious indulgence, and I like to end my indulgence on a sweet note before I worry about all those pesky New Year's resolutions. If you're hosting a happy New Year brunch or just want to have a few friends over for breakfast, bake up a batch of these honey-drizzled sticky buns. Made with cool-rise dough filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and pecans, these sweet treats will decadently conclude your holiday celebrations and start 2009 on a high note.

My mom whipped up the recipe, which comes from a family friend, as a Christmas morning treat, so if you can't stand to eat another bite this holiday season, just bookmark it for next year. (It would make a great edible gift.) To get the instructions, read more.

Honey Sticky Buns With Sweet Cool-Rise Dough
From Bonnie Smith

Ingredients

For buns
2 packages yeast
2/3 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
6 cups flour
For Filling
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons cinnamon
For topping
1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hold a bowl under running hot water until it is warm. In this warm bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
Combine warm yeast mixture with 1 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup butter, 2 eggs, and 3 cups flour. Beat at medium speed for two minutes.
On a floured surface, combine dough mixture with remaining 3 cups of flour and knead to incorporate for 8 minutes.
Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let dough rest for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough into a 32-inch-by-8-inch rectangle, 1/4 of an inch thick. Brush with 1/4 cup melted butter.
In a bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup raisins, 2/3 cup pecans, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Butter two 8-inch-by-8-inch pans, then sprinkle 1/4 of the raisin/pecan mixture on the bottom of the pans, dividing the 1/4 cup evenly between the pans.
Sprinkle the remaining raisin/pecan mixture onto the buttered dough. Roll up the dough and slice into 1-inch pieces.
Leaving enough room in the pan for rising, arrange the rolls side-by-side in the pans, spirals facing up. Wrap in plastic wrap, and place in fridge or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, combine 1 cup of honey and 1/2 cup melted butter.
Remove sticky buns from oven and cover with honey and butter mixture. Return to oven for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the buns are golden brown and sound hollow when thumped.
Cool in pan, invert, and serve.

Makes about 18 buns.

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Noteworthy Nibbles - Oct. 27-Nov. 3, 2009

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:15 -0700

With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, everyone's in for a fun-filled week. Although every major city's likely to have some sort of costume-heavy celebration this weekend, leave some time (and belly room) for some serious food events. New Yorkers have their annual Chocolate Show, Bostonians can veg out on eco-friendly fare, and San Franciscans will discuss and sample the best of the city's street food.

Where will you be eating and drinking this week? Tell us in the comments below.

Washington, DC: Taste of Success - Oct. 27

San Francisco, CA: Hewitson Wine's Mad Hatter Party - Oct. 29

San Francisco, CA: The Street Food Movement: SF Hearts the Cart - Oct. 29

Grand Rapids, MI: Food, Wine & All That Jazz - Oct. 30

Decatur, GA: National BBQ Festival - Oct. 30-31

New York, NY: Chocolate Show - Oct. 30-Nov. 1

Boston, MA: Boston Vegetarian Food Festival - Oct. 31-Nov. 1

New York, NY: Day of the Dead Brunch - Nov. 1

Chicago, IL: A Tasteful Pursuit Dinner - Nov. 2

Boston, MA: StarChefs Boston Rising Stars Revue - Nov. 3

Source: Flickr User jeffreymcmanus

Do You Like Runny Eggs?

partysugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:45:59 -0800

On New Year's Day, out at brunch, I ordered poached eggs - extra runny. My friend asked for fried eggs, over hard. They messed up our orders: I got the hard eggs and he got the runny eggs. We were both incredibly disappointed, but when he saw the egg ooze golden yolk all over his plate, he totally gagged! He finds runny eggs disgusting, but I happen to love them. Where do you stand?

Off to Market: Hostess Gift

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 13:47:01 -0800

On New Year's Day, after a long night of divine celebration, I will be attending a brunch. The brunch is an annual event at my mother-in-law's best friend's house and has been happening since before my husband was born. As a hostess myself, I understand the importance of being a great guest and that's why I have to bring the most amazing hostess gift for her. She is an incredibly chic woman and her parties are always special down to the very last detail...the only problem is I have no clue what to get her! That's why I'm sending you off to market in search of an immaculate hostess gift. It can't be anything boring like a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates, so get creative!

Once we find the perfect gift I'll place it in this basket, lined with gold fabric so keep it small, usable, and fabulous. Save your finds in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the tag of Hostess Gift. I'll choose the one that I think most suits the hostess and bring that to the brunch on New Year's Day.
Don't know what the Yum Market is? Feeling confused on how to save on TeamSugar? Read geeksugar's fantastic explanation.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 07:01:18 -0800

Happy holidays everyone! It's been quiet in the food world - after all, we've all been pigging out on cookies, hot cocoa and feasts, right? - but just in case you missed anything, here's what went down this week.

New Year's is just around the corner, and to celebrate we've provided everything you need to plan a New Year's Day brunch party.

Just in time for New Year's Eve, here are instructions on how to open a bottle of champagne.
Warm up your weeknight with a hearty minestrone soup.
Don't forget to take pictures of your food and submit them to our Savory Sights group.
If you've got gift cards burning holes in your pockets, maybe you'll find a great self-gift idea in one of our holiday gift guides.
Christmas may be over, but this game is still fun. Can you match the food to the Christmas carol?
Finally, the end of the year is quickly approaching. To help you remember just what happened this year we've been going crazy with our Best of 2007 coverage. This week we looked at:
- The most-talked about newspaper food section stories
- Your favorite food reality contestant and food reality judge
- Our favorite cocktails of the year
- The year's favorite food trends
- The biggest debates in food choices
- The best best food cities
- Your favorite restaurant chain and grocery store
- Our favorite food holiday
- A global adventure via recipes from around the world
- The most emailed stories of the year
- The year's weirdest gadgets
- Our favorite homemade ice cream sandwiches

Come Party With Me: Mother's Day - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:22:16 -0700

I have the best mom ever. Although she doesn't cook, she is unbelievably cool, young beyond her years, and is fabulously patient. I don't want to have kids because I know I could never be as an amazing mom as she is. I like to tell her I love her everyday, but I know sometimes she may feel a little under appreciated. This year I want to do something super special for her and make her a lovely breakfast in bed. She has done so much for me in the last twenty five years (I mean she gave birth to me, that in itself should grant her a lifetime of brunches) and the very least I can do is make her a meal made with 100% love. Since she is the guest of honor - and the only guest - I'll be making her an intimate invitation inspired by the ones you used to make in elementary school. So come party with me: make your mom a handmade card to go along with your homemade meal, read more

Remember when you were little and you made your mom silly little cards and she loved and praised them and placed them on the fridge? Well I wanted to recreate that sentiment in a card with simple text and a photo collage of pictures of me and mom.

To make this card you will need:

cardstock in the color of your choice (I chose a creamy butter)
satin ribbon in an attractive color that matches the cardstock (I chose pale yellow)
single hole punch
scissors
glue
a computer and printer
old photos: I chose one of my mom when she was pregnant with me, one of myself (yes I had a mullet), and one of my mom and me when she was pregnant with my little sister

To assemble this card:

Scan the images into your computer or make color copies of them as you don't want to cut up the original images. Make a collage in photoshop or with scissors and glue. I did mine on photoshop and printed out the image when I was done.

Once you have the collage done, create a new document in word on your computer. Type out a nice note in a fun font (I used Lucida Handwriting in size 12) for your mom. Here's what mine said:

Dearest Mom,
Without your loving care and undying support I would be lost.
To celebrate your absolute wonderfulness I will be making you a special-private mother/daughter brunch.
Please set aside Sunday morning for me.
I love you,
PartySugar

Print out on a plain sheet of paper. If you are statisfied with the layout and wording, print out on the colored cardstock.

Cut the collage down to size with no edge.

Glue to the back of the text. I glued mine at an angle because this is an invite that is not about perfection.
With the single hole punch, punch holes, roughly 1 inch apart.

Thread the satin ribbon between the holes and tie in a bow at the top on the text side.

Voila your invitation is done! I'm going to place it on her pillow so it will surprise her when she goes to bed tonight. What will you do for mom (or the person who you're celebrating) on Mother's Day? Tell me your party plans below!

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