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Happy Hour: Papa Doblé Daiquiri

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:01:17 -0700

At Spruce, an upscale bar and restaurant in San Francisco, I came across the papa doblé daiquiri on the bar menu and knew I had to order it. I love this drink for several reasons, and one of them is the legendary story behind it. The papa doblé was the signature drink of prolific writer Ernest Hemingway. Back in the '30s and '40s, he frequently ordered it at the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba. The cocktail isn't cloying - in fact, it isn't sweet at all - but it's smooth and easy to drink. Beware of impostor recipes, which will use cherry syrup in lieu of true, colorless, maraschino cherry liqueur. To learn how to make this famous concoction, read more.

Papa Doblé Daiquiri
From El Floridita in Havana, Cuba

Ingredients

2 oz. white rum
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
1 1/2 to 2 cups shaved ice

Directions

Combine all items in a blender and frappe until the drink is foaming.
Serve in a large cocktail glass, champagne saucer, or goblet.
Garnish with a slice of lime.

Serves 1.

Print recipe with images | without images

Spring Is in the Air!

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:43:19 -0700

The weather has been getting warmer here in San Francisco, and there's no doubt about it, Spring is just around the corner. In fact it starts this Thursday, Mar. 20.

To ring it in, and to celebrate that Easter is also this week, I've rounded up a bunch of Spring finds. From butterfly-shaped egg platters to flower-farm measuring cups, I've got 32 Spring finds for you to check out. Just scroll through the list below.

notNeutral NotNeutral Season Ceramic Snack Set - $30.00	Lenox "Butterfly Meadow" Egg Platter - $58.00
Villeroy & Boch "Aureus" Blossom Salad Plate, 8.5" - $30.00	Susie Serving Plate - $12.95
Laurie Gates Anna Rectangular Platter, 18"x10" - $29.00	notNeutral - Flower Trivet - $9.00
Martha Stewart Collection Cupcake Liners/Toppers - $9.99	Butterfly Meadow Cups and Saucers by Lenox - $5.99
Patchwork Flower Dishtowel - $18.00	Rosette Irons - $4.95
Flower Farm Measuring Cups - $28.00	Villeroy & Boch "Golden Garden" Flowers Mug - $44.00
Mikasa® Studio Nova Floradora Pink Bowl - $5.99	Spring Dot Deviled Egg Dish - $21.00
Spring Ruffle Ceramics, Sets of 4 - $39.50	Spring Herb Italian Ceramic Bakers - $39.95
Copper Flower Cookie Cutter Set, 5-Piece - $15.95	Seconds Teapot, Oriole - $88.00
Water Bottles & Commuter Mugs - $10.00	Basket Ramekin - $3.95
Nostalgic Easter Ramekins, Set of 4 - $39.00	Easter Eggs Book - $14.95
Chicks Dishtowels - $11.95	Butterfly Hostess Apron - $38.00
Nostalgic Easter Rectangular Serving Platter - $29.00	Spring Chicken Egg Cup - $6.00
Spring Cupcake Stencils - $4.95	Easter Fabric Place Mats - $32.00
Easter Egg Candles, Set of 4 - $15.00	Vintage Bunny Towels, Set of 2 - $22.00
Easter Bunny Napkins, Set of 4 - $26.00	Missoni Margherita Tea Cup with Saucer - $71.00

Happy Hour: Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum

partysugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:15:51 -0700

In my continuing quest to think outside the spirit box, I have developed not only an appreciation for gin, but also one for rum. Well not just any rum, Jamaica's finest Appleton Estate rum. Earlier this week I was invited to an tasting at Spruce restaurant in San Francisco, and I got to sample the rich caramel-colored liquor neat in four different cocktails.

Appleton is Jamaica's oldest producer of rum and they've got rum-making down to a science. The sugar cane is environmentally estate grown and distilled and blended in small batches by Joy Spence, the industry's first female master rum blender. Spence describes Appleton as a "playful, but serious rum" that "should never see the inside of a blender." Instead we were instructed to "sip it up!" Spence, who was on hand at the tasting, guided us through the four steps to properly enjoy fine rum. To find out what they are, keep reading.

Do You Buy Wine Online?

YumSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:45:46 -0700

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, wine columnists and founders of Open That Bottle Night, recently assessed the world of online wine, only to find it came up short.

"Some really fine stores out there haven't spruced up their sites since dirt was invented," they lamented. They did, however, manage to find a handful of wine sites that do online wine sales right.

I've purchased hard-to-locate bottles of wine online for a couple of special occasions, and never had a problem. Still, if I ordered wine online all the time, I'd be screwed on a couple of last-minute hostess gifts, and stuck with quite a hefty shipping bill. How about you?

Source

Reader Tip: Add a Splash of Lime To Your Water

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 02:03:31 -0700

TeamSugar member aistea311 recently posted one of my favorite tips. I live by this one every day and definitely think it's worth mentioning.

To spruce up an ordinary bottle of water, add fresh squeezed lime juice. For extra kick, do like aistea311 and add a few packets of Splenda and a splash of club soda.

While it is a super simple tip, it's definitely one worth keeping in your repertoire. If you don't have fresh lemons or limes on hand, you should consider keeping a bottle of 100% lime or lemon juice on hand. I personally have both, and find that it's a nice treat to be able to spruce up my water. Plus, guests are usually wowed when they ask for water and you say, "plain, with lemon, or with lime?"

Put Your Kitchen Into a Time Machine

YumSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:15:55 -0700

These days there are probably just as many stay-at-home dads as there are moms. And while gender roles need not be a throwback to the '50s, it doesn't mean your kitchen can't be! Recently one of our awesome summer interns threw together this retro-chic look and now I want to share it with you. Whether you're adding to your wedding registry or just looking to spruce up your abode, there's bound to be some atomic cool for you. To check out our intern's '50s-chic finds, scroll through below.

Let's Dish: Hell's Kitchen 4.8

partysugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:15:45 -0700

What did you think of last night's episode of Hell's Kitchen? It was extremely interesting to watch the blue team's dynamic change as they learned how to work with Jen. It was fun to finally see Gordon Ramsay kick the red team out of the kitchen. The 20 ingredient challenge was exciting, the photo shoot awkward, and the dinner service dramatic. To discuss in more depth, read more.

Don't all of the contestants look super tired and incredibly worn out?
Was it a smart move for Jen to move to the blue team?
What did you think when Matt chopped off his finger?
Based on the presentation, were you surprised Ramsay loved both Christina and Petrozza's dishes?
Would you be excited to have your picture in InTouch magazine?
Were the food critics really food critics or just actors?
Is Corey the best of the females?
Do you think any of the seven contestants are worthy of winning?

On to my favorite part of the show: Ramsay and his bad boy attitude! Here are a few of his most fabulous quotes:

On one of the girls joining the blue team: Any volunteers? What, no volunteers? Ugh Jen why? So you are sniffing out your competition? Gentleman are you happy with that? Jen you go to the blue!
On Matt cutting his finger: Finger pancetta!? Try to keep that thumb out of the way and, listen, you still have nine left.
On Rosann's appearance at the photo shoot: Rosann! I didn't know you could spruce up so well.
On Petrozza cutting his steak immediately after searing it: Petrozza why did you cut the beef now? That's called flavor! What are we going to do? Serve that to the customer? That's called flavor! I hope this wasn't for the critic.
On Christina's crappy performance in the kitchen: If you cant do two things at once, you should not be here, Christina. I want it now. Hurry up madam! Finally you lazy calf! Tonight is not your night, yeah?

Photos courtesy of Fox.

What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 21:23:20 -0700

This week we said farewell to soup, learned more about the Top Chef contestants, got ready for Easter and spruced up some grilled cheese. We also had a lot of fun and a lot of good eats. If you missed anything then check out the week that was, just click "Start Slideshow" below.

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Announcing the 2008 James Beard Award "Long List"

YumSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:15:51 -0800

The first round of nominees for the 2008 James Beard Awards have just been announced. Well not really, the judges were sent the "long list" earlier today, and the folks at Grub Street managed to get their grubby little hands on a copy.

The list is the best of the best in the US, and features quite a broad range. The categories are Restaurateur, Best Regional Chef (separate categories for each region), Pastry Chef, Rising Star Chef, Chef, Restaurant, Service, Wine Service, Wine & Spirits Professional, and Best New Restaurant.

It's interesting to me that New York City gets its own category, but since it's such a hot bed of culinary delights, I guess it's only fair to the rest of the Northeast. The lists definitely run the gamut of flavors and styles. There are some obvious names - like Mario Batali, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Wolfgang Puck - but there are some newcomers as well. Here at Sugar HQ, we're excited by the inclusion of several of our new fave eateries (SPQR and Spruce in San Francisco).

If you're curious, check out the entire long list of nominees. It's interesting to note that the cookbooks, newspaper articles, webcasts/radio, and restaurant design are not on this list. Those will surely be announced in the weeks to come, and when they do, we'll definitely let you know!

So, were any of your favorite chefs or restaurants on the long list? Do you feel that your region is well represented?

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10 Fonts That Will Make You Hungry

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:43:31 -0800

There are a lot of interesting fonts available for people to download or purchase, but I bet you would be surprised to discover how many of them are food related. If you're looking for something to spruce up your next party invite, then look no further. I've hunted down 10 food-related fonts that will definitely get folks talking.

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Eiffel Tower Breakfast Collection, Plate - $43.50	Monogrammed Martini Glasses, Set of 4 - $44.00
Monogrammed Stainless-Steel Cocktail Shaker - $32.00	Cambridge® Silversmiths Jubilee Red 20-Piece Flatware Set - $19.99
Red 60-Minute Timer - $10.95	FrancisFrancis! - francisfrancis! X1 espresso machines - $899.99
Ice Cream Topping Carousel - $39.95	Elastomoule Madeleines - $26.00
Nordic Ware® Anniversary Bundt Pan - $34.00	KitchenAid 9-Speed Hand Mixer, Pink - $89.95
Le Creuset® Dijon Rectangular Baker - $44.95	Infinity Instruments Retro Silver 9 1/2" Metal Wall Clock - $29.99
Emma Gravy Boat & Butter Dish - $22.00