YumSugar

Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:06 -0800

Kick-start your Thanksgiving meal with a refreshing sangria-style glass of white wine. Made a day in advance, this wine is infused with oranges, Grand Marnier, and Pernod. Bay leaves and whole cloves give it an herbaceous, aromatic appeal that's sure to pair perfectly with baked brie and walnuts.

For the main course, select a versatile wine varietal that can support a lot of flavors. An affordable Chardonnay or light red are great options. Chat with your local wine shop owner for more suggestions. Tell him what you plan on serving and your budget, and he's sure to provide you with lots of ideas. For the orange wine recipe - this would also make a great Thanksgiving hostess gift! - read more.

Spiced Orange Wine
From Gourmet

Ingredients

2 (750-ml) bottles dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
1/4 cup Pernod
2 whole cloves
4 Turkish or 2 California bay leaves
2 navel oranges

Directions

Bring all ingredients except oranges to a boil (reserve wine bottles and corks), stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Remove zest from oranges in a continuous spiral using a vegetable peeler and cut off any white pith with a paring knife. Reserve oranges for another use and divide zest between empty wine bottles.
Fill bottles with orange wine and cool, uncorked, 1 hour.
Cork bottles, then chill at least 4 hours.

Makes 2 (750-ml) bottles.

Print recipe with images | without images

Cranberries Move From Sauce to Sorbet

YumSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:28:15 -0800

Although Thanksgiving is all about tradition, I love to take a quintessential holiday ingredient and add a new twist to it. Cranberry sauce is essential to turkey day, but it's time to move this berry over to dessert - with a white wine and ginger infused cranberry sorbet. Normally sorbet is served between courses to cleanse the palate. However, I like to offer it after the feast for guests who prefer something lighter and more refreshing than pumpkin pie. If you're interested in moving your cranberries from the dinner table to the dessert table, keep reading.

Can You Match the Wine to Its Region of Origin?

partysugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:50:17 -0700

Last week while attending Wine & Spirits Top 100 tasting, I realized that there are tons of wines out there that I'm not all that familiar with.

Since I figured you might feel the same way, I thought it would be fun to put together a quiz. I'll list a varietal and you tell me where it's from. Ready, go!

Take the quiz

Come Party With Me: Harvest Party - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:50:24 -0700

In wine making, the harvest is one of the most crucial times of year. It's when the vintners pick the grapes and usually occurs between August and October. Since the harvest is such an important season, many wineries celebrate with a lunch or dinner.

I think the tradition is the perfect excuse to plan a party! Just because you don't live in wine country doesn't mean you can't commemorate the harvest. Invite friends over for a meal that honors the wonderful world of wine. Every dish on the menu has wine on the ingredient list.

Start by displaying an assortment of charcuterie, olives, crackers, and goat cheese mousse with red-wine caramel. For the main course, offer chicken braised in white wine with shallots, pancetta, and fennel. Plate the chicken with a simple risotto alla Milanese - made with white wine and Parmesan cheese. These recipes are welcome at any dinner party, be it harvest-themed or a special birthday. To check them out, keep reading.

Happy Hour: 2005 Prinz Von Hessen Riesling

partysugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:15:11 -0700

I love trying new wine, but sometimes it's intimidating and expensive to pick out a random bottle at the store. One great way to learn about wine is to order interesting varietals while dining out. If you enjoy the wine, make note of the name and label, then look for it at your local wine shop. That's exactly how I came across this smooth, deliciously-drinkable 2005 Prinz Von Hessen Riesling ($11). My sister enjoyed it with a sandwich at 'wichcraft and later she spotted the same bottle at Bi-Rite market. She thought it was so good, she gave it to me and said, "Drink this. You'll want to write about it."

She was right! It's the perfect Riesling - it's tart and acidic with notes of citrus and melon. It has a nice buttery color and lingering finish. It's not sweet at all, but it's slightly off-dry meaning it would pair wonderfully with sweet or spicy Asian-inspired dishes. Have you ever purchased a bottle of wine that you first sipped at a restaurant?

Happy Hour: Basil Sangria

partysugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:50 -0700

From wine spritzers to cabernet caipirinhas, this Summer, I've been all about sipping wine-based cocktails. The one I'm most infatuated with is sangria. I've experimented with tropical fruit sangria and floral liquor sangria. However, before I made this version, I had never enjoyed a sangria with fresh herbs. The star of this sangria is basil. It infuses the wine with an aromatic earthiness. Fresh-squeezed orange juice further flavors the sangria and club soda provides a subtle effervescence. To enjoy this refreshing drink, that's perfect for sipping on the deck, get the recipe and read more.

Basil Sangria
From Food & Wine

I was unable to find Thai-basil at my grocery store, so I simply used regular basil.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 Thai basil sprigs
Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in 3-inch strips
Zest of 1 orange, peeled in 3-inch strips
2 bottles chilled Pinot Grigio
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup fresh orange juice, strained
Ice
Chilled club soda
12 thin orange slices, for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the basil sprigs and lemon and orange zests. Let the syrup stand, stirring often, until cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Discard the basil sprigs and zest strips.
In a large pitcher, combine the basil syrup with the wine, brandy and orange juice.
Pour the sangria into ice-filled glasses, top with club soda and garnish each drink with an orange slice.

Serves 12.

Print recipe with images | without images

Fast & Easy Dinner: Steamed Mussels in Tomato Broth

partysugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:50:36 -0700

If you think mussels are a fancy and complicated dish only to be enjoyed at French-style bistro restaurants, this recipe will have you thinking again. Mussels are actually incredibly simple and quick to make. All you have to do is simmer them in a fragrant liquid - here it's a combination of garlic, ripe tomatoes, and white wine - until the shells pop open. Serve with a mixed green salad and chunks of crusty bread for mopping all the savory, briny juices. To experiment with this rewarding meal, which comes together in minutes, get the recipe and read more.

Steamed Mussels in Tomato Broth
From Eating Well

Ingredients

3 pounds mussels
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
6 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped 
1 cup dry white wine  
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

To clean mussels, scrub them with a stiff brush under cold running water. Scrape off any barnacles using the shell of another mussel. Pull off the “beard” from each one. Set aside.
Warm oil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, increase the heat to high and stir for 1 minute more. Pour in wine and bring to a boil.
Add mussels, cover and steam, occasionally giving the pan a vigorous shake, until all the mussels have opened, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Transfer the mussels to a serving bowl. Spoon the broth over the mussels and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

Sole Inspired by Julia

partysugar — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:30:30 -0700

Whenever I chat with someone about the film Julie & Julia, it seems the famous recipe for beef Borgignonne enters the conversation. However, when I watched the movie it wasn't this dish that stood out in my mind. It was the sole meuniere - the life-changing fish that Julia enjoyed upon her arrival in France - that I long to taste. Since I have a copy of my grandmother's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I went home and looked for Julia's recipe.Unfortunately it's not in the book, so I hit the Internet in search of a buttery white-fish recipe. Although it's not necessarily a classic sole meuniere, I experimented with this sole and herbed white wine lemon sauce. The final result wasn't a culinary revelation, but it was decidedly delicious. If you're looking for a light, filling meal with fresh flavors, why not channel Child? For the recipe, keep reading.

Do You Drink Wine Spritzers?

partysugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:50:22 -0700

I've become obsessed with drinking wine spritzers. They're refreshing and light on alcohol. Sometimes I'll open a bottle of wine on Monday and not be home again until Thursday. Thus, to use up the old wine, I make a wine spritzer. Normally I combine white wine with sparkling water, but basically any carbonated drink - like the hibiscus soda seen here - works. Do you enjoy them?

Happy Hour: Peach and Mango Sangria

partysugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:00:02 -0700

Recently my parents hosted an impromptu barbecue. When I asked if I could make the specialty cocktail, my dad said, "nah, that's too much work." Then I politely reminded him that a specialty cocktail doesn't always involve muddling and exotic spirits. It can be as simple as a chilled sangria. Since sangria is my classic fall-back cocktail, he caved and let me experiment with a new mango-peach variation. Although the recipe doesn't require the sangria to be made in advance, I threw it together a few hours before the party to allow time for the flavors to blend. Choose peaches and mangoes that aren't too ripe, you want them to hold their shape when sliced. Beware: this sangria is wildly crowd-pleasing. I doubled the recipe, but ended up making four more batches throughout the night! To check it out, read more.

Mango-Peach Sangria
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup Grand Marnier
1 bottle Viognier
1 mango, chopped
2 peaches, cut into thin wedges
1/4 cup mint

Directions

In a saucepan, cook the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cold.
Stir in the Grand Marnier, Viognier, mango, peaches and mint and serve over ice.

Serves 4.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 4 Photos ›