YumSugar

Diddy's Tips For Hosting the Ultimate Party

partysugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:00:25 -0800

From his annual white party to his recent 40th birthday bash, Diddy is a celebrity who's known for his extravagant entertaining. Even Martha Stewart is excited to receive a coveted invitation to one of his events.

While ordinary people like you and me can only dream of attending a blowout bash hosted by Diddy, when I spoke with him last week he shared his tips for hosting a Diddy-style soiree. Find out what they are after the break.

A Conversation With Diddy

partysugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:00:03 -0800

Rapper and mogul Diddy was in San Francisco last week promoting Cîroc, his vodka brand. I was lucky enough to sit down with the musician, and we chatted about entertaining. Not surprisingly, he consumes a lot of Cîroc and his signature drink is a Cîroc and lemonade - say it fast and it sounds like a lyric in one of his songs, "ci-rocking lemonade." To find out what the Diddy had to say, read more.

PartySugar: What’s new with Cîroc?
Diddy: The newest thing with Cîroc is our success. Our success and our appeal. The sales went up 1,000 percent and just the appeal is becoming more recognizable to the consumer.

PS: Aren't you coming out with some new flavors?
D: Yeah. In the world of Cîroc, one of the biggest differences is the flavors. Red Berry and coconut. Now most flavors, to be honest, in the vodka industry, most flavors just haven’t been done right. They taste like cough syrup. I went down with the innovation team, and I was like, whatever we do I want to make sure that this doesn’t taste like cough syrup.
And then also make something that really tastes like what it says. If it says coconut, let’s make sure it tastes like coconut. If it says red berry, let’s make sure it tastes like red berry.

PS: Do you ever cook?
D: I cook breakfast.

PS: What music do you recommend for cooking?
D: Music for cooking? Marvin Gaye’s always good for cooking.

PS: What are your guilty pleasure foods?
D: I would probably say jello. Strawberry jello.

PS: If you had to drink one type of alcohol for the rest of your life what would it be?
D: Vodka. Cîroc.

PS: Besides yourself, who are some celebrities that know how to entertain/host a good party?
D: I never seen anybody do it how I do.

PS: What was the first alcoholic drink you ever drank?
D: Peach schnapps and orange juice, before I was enabled.

PS: What do you think will be the next big thing in cocktails?
D: Jello shots.

Stay tuned for Diddy's tips for hosting the ultimate party!

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

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

Does Your Family Make the Same Dishes Every Thanksgiving?

partysugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:16 -0800

Happy Halloween!

partysugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:06 -0700

Hope you are enjoying this spooky Saturday! If you are hosting a vampire party or blowout Halloween bash tonight, be sure to take a bunch of pictures. Then you can share them in my Super Special Occasions group in the YumSugar Community! I snapped this picture at my annual pumpkin carving party. Can you guess which pumpkin's mine?

Cat Cora's Party Pointers

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:50:06 -0700

In addition to a simple recipe for barbecued beans, Iron Chef Cat Cora - who has her own barbecue joint, CCQ - also happens to have plenty of party advice. Whether you're hosting a Come Together dinner for charity or simply throwing a backyard bash, there are a number of steps you can take to make your party more festive and easier on yourself! Here are a few key pointers to keep in mind, courtesy of Cat.

Source: WireImage

View Slideshow ›

Ming's Tips For Hosting - and Enjoying! - Your Own Party

YumSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:58 -0700

Last week, I caught up with East-West cooking authority Ming Tsai. He hosted an event at Macy's to encourage home cooks to get involved in their Come Together campaign, a fundraising effort that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. The concept: host a dinner party, but in lieu of accepting gifts, ask guests to make a donation.

Chef Ming is a huge supporter of the idea. "Not every corporation's doing this, especially during these economic times," he says. In addition to dishing on his pantry essentials, he also shared tips on throwing a worry-free dinner party at your place. Want to stress less at your own soirées? Then keep reading.

Let's Dish: What Are Your Party Planning Pet Peeves?

partysugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:50:51 -0700

To celebrate my birthday, I invited everyone I know to join me for happy hour. I took the time to make and send a special invite. However, I was shocked by how many friends didn't read it. One person thought the party was the day I sent the invite, another went to the wrong bar, and two people showed up four hours after the specified time. Not reading an invitation is my biggest party planning pet peeve. I made it a point to provide all the necessary details, so why can't my guests take five seconds to read the text? Since we all host parties in some form or another, I'm sure you have party planning pet peeves, too.

So whether it's a guest that shows up empty handed or your roommate's uninvited friends crashing, do tell: When planning a party, what behavior bugs you?

Carrying Food From Kitchen to Kitchen? Label Everything

partysugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:15:16 -0700

When preparing for my birthday dinner last week, I started cooking the food on Thursday, but planned to transport it to my grandfather's house (the site of the party) on Friday. To ensure that I wouldn't forget a crucial ingredient, I labeled everything I needed to take with a purple Post-it. Sure, it was a little obsessive compulsive, but when I opened my crowded fridge, it was easy for me to see what items were supposed to be packed. Also, it made sure my mission was accomplished: I didn't end up forgetting anything! What is your secret for remembering ingredients?

Yummy Links: From Ted Allen to Heart-Shaped Watermelons

partysugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:30:08 -0700

Ted Allen chats about Chopped. - Endless Simmer
Check out photographer Dominic Episcipo United States of Meat series. - Eat Me Daily
What to do when a party starts to die. - Chow
Anthony Bourdain admits he is a bad New Yorker. - Grub Street
Shake Shack - the beloved New York City burger joint, has plans to expand in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. - Eater
How to impress guests with squash. - The Atlantic
Do you enjoy chicken on pizza? - The Epi-Log
In Japan, you can now purchase heart-shaped watermelon. - Serious Eats