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Celebrate the 4th With Red, White, or Blue Recipes

partysugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:50:20 -0700

The 4th of July is this weekend, and that means it's time to get festive! Show your patriotic pride by cooking with red, white, and blue ingredients. Many of the season's most delicious offerings - strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and blueberries - fit the color scheme, so don't be afraid to get creative. Here are 10 dishes to inspire your all-American celebration.

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Happy Hour: Red 2005

partysugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:15:26 -0800

Worried about what wine to pour for Valentine's Day? Have I got the perfect bottle for you!

St. Francis Winery's 2005 Red blend is a spectacular wine at a shocking price. When I served this smooth-bodied wine to a girlfriend on Monday night, she guessed it was at least $25 a bottle. However, this succulent blend of five varietals - Merlot (58 percent), Syrah (25 percent), Cabernet Franc (9 percent), Cabernet Sauvignon (6 percent), and Zinfandel (2 percent) - is only $10. Produced in the Sonoma Valley, Red has a ripe fruit flavor, a spicy undertone, and robust aroma. It's wonderfully easy to drink and, since it's a table wine, it pairs with most foods from pizza to pasta to steak.

The modern, stylish labels (there are actually 12 different designs) were created by Jeffrey Caldewey, a renowned wine label designer. If you are looking or a great value wine, I highly recommend Red. Has anyone else tried it?

Seeing Red

partysugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 08:09:41 -0800

Although Valentine's Day may be over, it doesn't mean you have to get rid of all the red. In fact, red is fab year round! The kitchen supplies in the Yum Market on TeamSugar demonstrate that red is modern, fresh, and vibrant. Like black or white, it's a classic decorating color that matches granite, stainless steel, or wood. Incorporate red into your kitchen with table linens or kitchen tools. I love these shiny red colanders from the Martha Stewart collection at Macy's. Ehaizlip bookmarked this kitchen essential that is totally functional, but super stylish at the same time. For more radiant red, scroll to the right below.

Make Red, White, & Blue Popsicles For the 4th

partysugar — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:03:01 -0700

To me the best popsicles are fresh ones with chunks of real fruit. Although I've never frozen a homemade version, it's really not that hard to do. With the right kitchen tools - a food processor, fine mesh strainer - and a few cheap super market add ons - dixie cups and popsicle sticks - you can have a tasty and refreshingly cool summer treat. Not a fan of watermelon? Substitute your favorite red fruit - such as strawberries or raspberries - for the melon. This recipe is not difficult, it's just time consuming, so be sure you are not in a rush when you go to make these red, white, and blue treats. It also makes for a great project with children! To add the recipe to your favorites read more

Red, White, & Blue Popsicles
From Bon Appetit magazine

Watermelon ice
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes seeded watermelon (from 2-pound piece)
1/4 cup sugar
Lemon ice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberry ice
2 cups fresh blueberries (from three 1/2-pint containers)
1 cup water
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 5-ounce disposable paper cups
8 ice pop sticks or wooden coffee stirrers

For watermelon ice: blend watermelon and sugar in processor until smooth. Strain puree into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible.
Place cups in shallow baking pan. Spoon watermelon puree into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Freeze until mixture is almost frozen, about 2 hours. Cover cups with rounds of foil, sealing tightly at edges. Using tip of small knife, make 1/4-inch slit in center of each foil cover. Push ice pop stick through slit and securely into watermelon ice without hitting bottom of cup. Freeze until watermelon ice is solid, about 1 hour longer.
For lemon ice: bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon lemonade into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until lemonade layer is solid, about 2 hours.
For blueberry ice:
stir blueberries, 1 cup water, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until berries are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Mix in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.
Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon blueberry mixture into cups, dividing equally (generous 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until pops are frozen solid, about 8 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
Remove foil, then tear or use scissors to cut cup off each pop; return ice pops to pan and freeze until ready to serve.

Serves 8.

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Happy Hour: Kono Marlborough Pinot Noir

partysugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 12:35:56 -0800

When YumSugar and I were trend watching at the Fancy Food Show earlier this week, I was really into tasting all of the wines and liquors. Ok I was really into tasting just about everything, but I was paying special attention to anything that would make my next party super duper fabulous (yummy international wines, infused and organic vodkas, martini glasses shrunken to the size of a shot glass, etc). While there, I was lucky enough to meet John, a handsome fellow with sandy colored hair who was pouring tastings of his Kono Marlborough Pinot Noir from New Zealand. It was love at first sight. With the wine that is, not with John (who was disappointingly not even from New Zealand). He imports the wine in from the Marlborough region of the country. Think "Marlborough is to New Zealand as Napa is to California", the premium wine location.

The Pinot Noir was so incredibly smooth that it would pair well with anything from sausage pizza to roast leg of lamb. It had a savory ripe plum, smoky oak and dark spice aroma with a long elegant finish. The wine slipped down my throat like silk and all I wanted to do was ask John to pour me a full serving so I could leisurely walk through the cheese and salami aisles enjoying the Pinot to its fullest. Unfortunately I only had one sip left and I was saving it for YumSugar to taste, so my fantasy of savoring the wine was put on hold. Until this afternoon when I went to pick up my very own bottle (Trader Joe's for the moderate price of $12.99).

If olive oil can be called liquid gold than Pinot Noir should be named liquid rubies. Now if I only I could find a good-looking sandy haired guy from New Zealand to share my bottle with...

For more information on John and his Pinot Noir (including their interesting indigenous story surrounding the company) visit Kono New Zealand's website.

Burning Question: What Causes Red Wine Headaches?

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:45:40 -0700

Red wine headache, or RWH, has long been a subject of contention. Contrary to popular belief, it isn't caused by sulfites (both sweet white wines and dried fruits contain more sulfites than red wine), but rather compounds found in grape skins. Still, no single chemical has conclusively proven to be the culprit.

Some believe the cause is a group of chemicals, which include tyramine, histamine, and others. Red wine contains higher levels of these, because it's produced using the grape's skin and juice. Other scientists theorize that tannins, another byproduct of grape skins, could be at fault. Still others point to lipid compounds. These potential culprits vary among red wines. If you aren't ready to give up red wine just yet, experts suggest trying a small glass of different brands and varietals - like less-tannic Burgundies, Riojas, and Pinot Noir - then noting whether they cause a headache, which would likely appear within 15 minutes.

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Shrimp and Ginger Stir-Fry

partysugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:20 -0800

As much as I love talking and thinking about Thanksgiving, sometimes it's nice to take a quick break from the all-American feast and enjoy a simple Asian-inspired meal.

In this recipe, shrimp is combined with a gingery soy sauce, chunks of red pepper, and slivers of green onions. Served on a bed of rice, it makes for a light and flavorful alternative to the season's plethora of comfort foods.

Remember a recipe is merely a guide, and many vegetables, from red onions to broccolini, can be used in place of the ones listed in the ingredients. To learn the method, read more.

Shrimp and Ginger Stir-Fry
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp, tails removed
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
8 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, white and green parts separated
white rice, for serving

Directions

To make ginger juice, place finely grated ginger in a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl.With a spoon, press down firmly until juices are released. Discard the solids; whisk in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 cup water; set sauce aside.
Season shrimp with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the shrimp, turning once, until just opaque, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon oil; repeat with remaining shrimp. Set shrimp aside.
Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan; cook bell peppers and white parts of scallions over medium-high heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Whisk reserved sauce; pour into pan, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute. Add shrimp and green parts of scallions; stir until coated with sauce, 30 seconds more. Serve immediately with rice.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pork Chops With White Beans

partysugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:50:05 -0800

With so much energy going toward Thanksgiving, it's easy to overlook the meals leading up to the big day.

Tonight fix up a simple and delicious dinner that's a cinch to put together. Canned white beans simmered with onions and red peppers serves as a bed for succulent and juicy bone-in pork chops.

It's a hearty, comforting, uncomplicated, and adaptable recipe, so learn how to prepare it and read more.

Pork Chops With White Beans
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15 1/2 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 well-trimmed bone-in pork rib chops (about 2 pounds; each 1 inch thick)

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and rosemary; season generously with salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together broth and tomato paste. Pour mixture into skillet; stir in beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are coated evenly and sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, generously season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook pork (in 2 batches, if necessary) until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve on top of bean mixture.

Serves 4.

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Southern (Indian) Thanksgiving

Yum Community — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:42 -0800

This story was written by member courtneyd and comes from the Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community.

For a few years now I've wanted to try to marry the traditional Southern Indian food my husband grew up enjoying with Thanksgiving as I know it (Southern girl with a love of spice and heat). So this year I did a trial run of a tandoori-style turkey made in the oven.

By next year I hope to build my own tandoor, or at least grill this guy, because it needs a little more heat to crisp up properly. Even so, the meal turned out great! Tandoori turkey, tamarind gravy, creamed saag, masala mashed potatoes, and Whole Foods' naan, which has a slight dinner roll texture, so it works out perfectly for this blended meal. The tamarind gravy was an original creation (that I cannot believe turned out properly, it was sooooo good), and the other recipes were either inspired by or taken directly from The Food of India from Whitecap Books. I love their "food of" series, and my husband is impressed with the Indian recipes.

For the turkey, I followed the instructions from November's Martha Stewart Living to spatchcock a turkey and cooked according to their instructions after marinating for about 7 hours. Not including the marinade time, this meal came together in about 2 hours on a Friday night. Also, we discovered New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc complements Indian food perfectly.

To get her recipes for this Southern Indian feast, keep reading.

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!