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Yummy Links: From Sandra Lee to TV Dinners

partysugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:50:59 -0700

Semi homemade be gone: Sandra Lee gets a seasonal fresh-ingredient makeover. - Eat Me Daily
Mustard manufacturer Grey Poupon wants Obama to pardon Dijon lovers. - Grubstreet
Ten food moments from The Office. - Chow
Be inspired: An adorable owl is a fun theme for a baby shower. - Hostess With the Mostess
Thomas Keller's casual Napa Valley eatery, Ad Hoc, is now serving breakfast. - Eater SF
Lemon and basil make a healthy and delicious pasta salad. - Serious Eats
Menus and party plans inspired by your favorite television shows. - The Epi-Log

Happy Hour: Tom Collins

YumSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:55 -0700

In a memorable scene from last night's episode of AMC's Mad Men, advertising copywriter (and main character) Don Draper, who's known to drink on the job, instructs his 6-year-old daughter Sally how to prepare a Tom Collins for guests.

This gin sour drink, first created in the late 1800s, was a popular Summer sipper in the '50s and '60s, when it was known as "the king of cooling drinks." While it's currently fallen out of favor, perhaps the scene makes a suggestion that it's time to bring back this maraschino-topped crowd-pleaser. To get the classic recipe, read more.

Tom Collins
From Chow

Ingredients

2 ounces gin
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon superfine sugar or Simple Syrup
4 ounces cold club soda
Slice of orange and a maraschino cherry

Directions

Shake gin, lemon juice, and sugar with ice, then pour into a chilled collins glass filled with ice.
Add club soda and garnish with orange slice and maraschino cherry.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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TV Dinners: La Vie En Rose - Tournedos Rossini

partysugar — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:18:31 -0800

While on the first date with the love of her life, Édith Piaf - one of France's most beloved popstars - demands that her date, Marcel Cerdan, take her to a fancy restaurant. The boxer hopes to dine on pastrami sandwiches while Piaf- a diva in her own time - is hungry for tournedos rossini. A decadent dish that includes a thick slab of steak, foie gras, truffles, and a red-wine sauce, tournedos rossini are not for every day. They do however, make a wonderfully romantic and elegant meal. To see the recipe and check out a clip from La Vie En Rose - the movie that got Marion Cotillard a best actress nomination - read more.

Tournedos Rossini
From Just France

50g/2oz Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 slices of White Bread, crusts removed
4 tournedos of Beef Filet Mignon (tournedos)
Salt and Black Pepper
4 50g/2oz slices of Raw Foie Gras
2 tbsp Port
1 tbsp Brandy
1 tbsp Madeira
2 fresh Black Truffles, thinly sliced
190ml/6fl.oz. Beef or Veal Stock

Preheat the oven to warm, 250°F.
Cut the slices of bread into circles a little larger than the circumference of the beef tournedos then heat half the butter and a little of the oil in a frying pan on medium low heat, add the bread and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on kitchen paper and place on a heatproof serving platter.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining butter and oil in another large frying pan. Season the beef with salt and pepper then add to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan with tongs, place each on top of the fried bread and place in the oven to keep warm.
Add the foie gras to the pan and sauté for 1 minute on each side, depending on the thickness. Remove from the pan with tongs, place once slice on each tournedos and return to the oven to keep warm.
Add the port, brandy and Madeira to the pan and bring to the boil, scraping up any bits in the bottom of the pan then boil until reduced by half.
Add the stock and sliced truffles, bring back to the boil and continue to boil rapidly for about 5 minutes to reduce.
To serve – pour the sauce over the top of the tournedos.

Serves 4.

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TV Dinners: There Will Be Blood - Blood Orange Milkshake

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:31:51 -0800

I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!

Chances are, you've heard about the milkshake line from the Oscar-nominated film There Will Be Blood - don't forget to fill out your Oscar ballot! - and even though the milkshake in the movie is just a metaphor, I still can't help but crave one each time I hear the line. To cool down your Oscar party, I suggest you whip up a batch of milkshakes. You could go any flavor, but why not keep up a theme with blood orange milkshakes? Whatever you do, just be sure to have really long straws.

And in case you haven't seen the infamous milkshake scene, I've found it for you. You can find it, plus a recipe for a blood orange milkshake, when you read more.

Blood Orange Milkshake
Adapted from Roger's Trinbago and inspired by There Will Be Blood

2 cups milk
6 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 blood orange peeled, seeded and divided into segments

Pour the milk into the blender.
Add ice cream and blend for three minutes.
Add orange segments. Blend for two minutes.
Pour into a large glass.
Garnish with a really long straw.

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TV Dinners: Atonement - Chocolate Martini

partysugar — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:28:31 -0800

While food doesn't necessarily come to mind when thinking of the Oscar-nominated film Atonement, a cocktail might. The cocktail featured is a chocolate concoction created by a minor character named Paul Marshall. A chocolate magnate and friend of older brother Leon, Paul attempts to wow the Tallis family with his chocolate cocktail. He's incredibly unsuccessful; it's impossibly hot and humid and a chocolate martini is hardly a pool-side drink. However, when served in a more suitable atmosphere, a chocolate cocktail is tasty and delicious.

For a recipe that is much tastier than Paul Marshall's and a look at an extended trailer of the film, read more.

Chocolate Martini
From Drinks Mixer

1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake and pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Makes 1 cocktail.

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TV Dinners: Gossip Girl - Grilled Cheese

partysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:01:31 -0800

With the writers' strike putting a pause on my favorite television series plot, I've started watching repeats of Gossip Girl. I recently caught the pilot and came across a scene in which Chuck feeds a drunk Serena a grilled cheese sandwich from his hotel's kitchen.

Not your ordinary grilled cheese - it's actually on the New York Palace Hotel's restaurant menu - this sandwich costs $50. So what makes it so divinely delicious and extra expensive? Thick-cut housemade bread, imported Italian Fontina cheese, and fresh shaved black truffles. To take a look at a clip from the episode and check out the recipe, read more.

Gossip Girl's Grilled Cheese Sandwich
From Christopher Lee

8 slices of fresh baked white bread (look for a local bakery)
16 slices of fontina cheese
2 tbsp sweet butter
2 oz fresh shaved black winter truffles
salt and pepper, to taste

Layer 2 slices of fontina cheese between 2 slices of white bread and shave a couple of slices of truffles in the middle of each sandwich; do the same for all four sandwiches.
Heat a large fry pan over medium heat and add the butter.
When the butter melts, add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is nice and toasted.
Remove and slice sandwiches in half and place into four plates.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

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TV Dinners: Amélie - Crème Brûlée

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:28:31 -0800

When PartySugar told me she was planning a movie night party based around French films, I was thrilled to see what she came up with. She's put together an amazing meal consisting of bacon-wrapped chicken breasts, French martinis, and chocolate soufflés, but there's one little thing she's forgotten: the crème brûlée! Whenever I see the film Amélie, the scene where she cracks the crème brûlée gets me every time. It's such an amazing sound and the scene is so adorable.

To enjoy the sound in your own home, print out the recipe for a delicious ginger-vanilla crème brûlée. Or satiate your sound craving with a video clip of Amélie enjoying one. You can get both of those things when you read more.

Note: The créme brulée scene appears at 2:25. Keep scrolling down for the recipe!

To make this a classic crème brûlée, simply omit the fresh ginger.

Ginger and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
From Bon Appétit, February 1999

For Custard
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
5 large egg yolks

For Crème Brûlée
12 tsp. sugar
Sliced tropical fruit (such as mango, papaya and/or kiwi)

Make Custard:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place three 4-inch-diameter fluted flan dishes in each of two 13-x-9 x-2-in. baking pans or place six 3/4-cup ramekins in 1 pan. Mix cream, sugar, and ginger in heavy medium saucepan. Using small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean. Add seeds and bean to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer. Cover pan, reduce heat to very low and simmer gently 10 minutes to infuse flavors. Strain into large measuring cup.
Whisk yolks in medium bowl until well blended. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture just to blend. Return custard to measuring cup; divide among dishes. Pour enough hot water into pans to come halfway up sides of dishes. Carefully transfer pans to oven.
Bake custards until almost set in center when pans are gently shaken, about 30 minutes for fluted flan dishes and 35 minutes for ramekins. Using metal spatula, transfer custards in dishes to work surface; cool 30 minutes. Chill at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

Make Crème Brûlée:

Sprinkle 2 tsp. sugar evenly over each custard. Working with 1 custard at a time, hold culinary blowtorch** so that flame is 2 inches above surface. Direct flame so that sugar melts and browns, about 2 minutes.
Refrigerate until custards are firm again but topping is still brittle, at least 2 hours but no longer than 4 hours so that topping doesn't soften. Garnish crème brûlées with fruit.

** Note: If you don't have access to a culinary blowtorch, you can place the custard dishes on a small baking sheet and broil until sugar begins to caramelize (about 2 minutes) - rotate sheet for even browning.

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TV Dinners: Absolutely Fabulous - Food Things

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:27:18 -0800

To celebrate the New Year, I thought it would be fun to hunt down a New Year's related food clip. I wasn't sure what I was going to find, but I landed on a gem. If you remember the British show Absolutely Fabulous, then you'll recall the long-running joke about how Patsy never eats. Well in a shocking New Year's twist, she actually eats something solid! It's hard to see what this "Food Thing" is, but I've got a list of things it could be!

To check out the video clip where Patsy actually eats something, as well as a list of "Food Things" you can serve at your next party, read more.

"Food Things" You Can Serve at Your Next Party

Chips, Rice Cakes, Rice Chips, Crackers
Cheese Chips
Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans, etc.
Savory Bacon Bites
Olives
Stuffed Mushrooms With Marsala Wine
Endives With Blue Cheese, Grapes and Walnuts
Peach and Mozzarella on Walnut Bread
Pickles, Roasted Veggies
Dates Stuffed With Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Black Pepper

So do you have any great "Food Things" you would serve?

TV Drinks: 30 Rock - Nancy Drew AKA Hardy Boy

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:28:31 -0800

A few weeks ago, there was a great moment on 30 Rock that made me laugh out loud. Alec Baldwin's character, Jack Donaghy, says to the bartender, "I'll have a white rum with diet ginger ale and a splash of lime." Fast forward a few seconds later and the bartender presents him with his drink, "The Nancy Drew." Naturally, a man as masculine as Jack cannot be seen ordering a Nancy Drew, and therefore corrects the bartender by saying, "For men, it's called a Hardy Boy."

Sadly, there isn't actually a drink called a Nancy Drew - or a Hardy Boy for that matter - however that doesn't mean we can't make one. After all dark rum and ginger beer is perfect in a Dark and Stormy, so a lightened up version featuring ginger ale and light rum must also be delicious! To get the recipe and see the hysterical clip for yourself, read more

Nancy Drew AKA Hardy Boy
Inspired by 30 Rock

1 1/2 oz. white rum
diet ginger ale
splash of lime

Pour rum into an old-fashioned glass over ice cubes.
Fill with diet ginger ale and a splash of lime.
Garnish with lime wedge.

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TV Dinners: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:11:33 -0800

As a child, one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving - besides the turkey, pie, and Macy's parade - was the annual viewing of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I love the way that Snoopy and the gang had their own Thanksgiving without adults. Even though Peppermint Patty freaks out over the lack of turkey and pumpkin pie, I always thought it looked like a lot of fun. What child wouldn't want a a smorgasbord of treats - two pieces of buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn, and jelly beans - while sitting around ping-pong table? Looking back on it now, I see part of the message is that it doesn't matter what you're eating, as long as it was made with love. So despite how your feast turns out - be it fantastic or forgettable - remember to take a deep breath and enjoy the day.

To see a clip of Snoopy and the gang prepping for their Thanksgiving feast, read more

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