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Skittles Ups the Ante With New Website

YumSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:32:30 -0800

As the recession has affected consumer buying behaviors, the candy business is seeking to adapt. Mars-owned Skittles is no exception. In an attempt to reach out to the social media set, the fruity candy has completely rebranded its homepage.

Visitors to Skittles' main page are redirected to a search of the word "Skittles" on the microblogging service Twitter. The videos point to wacky Skittles commercials posted on YouTube; a "friends" section connects users to a fan page on social media giant Facebook; an image section leads to Skittles pictures on photo-sharing site Flickr; and those looking for information on Skittles products are connected to user-contributed online encyclopedia Wikipedia.

"Skittles lives in a world that is unexpected," said Carole Walker, VP of integrated marketing communications for Skittles. "We are leveraging what we think are the key consumer social media touch points."

The Skittles site requires users to enter their date of birth, as it doesn't advertise to users under the age of 12. Do you think this strategy to target older audiences will prove to be successful? Or is it too risky to depend on user-generated content? Does it change the way you view Skittles?

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Happy Hour: Wikipedia's Bloody Mary

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:29:51 -0700

Last week, I was headed to the grocery store and drove past one of the best Bloody Mary spots in the city. I saw the line of people and knew I had to have one. So while at the store, I picked up some tomato juice, celery, and olives - I was positive I had everything else at home - and rushed straight home.

When I asked YumJimmy which recipe I should make, he told me to try Wikipedia. He said, "Well if it's on Wikipedia it must be the 'classic' one right?" I couldn't really argue with this, so I decided to go for it. It ended up being a delicious - and yes "classic" - version. I opted to add a bit more spice - more cracked pepper and a dash or two more of Tabasco - but flavor it to suit your needs. If you want to see what goes into the Wiki version of a Bloody Mary, just read more.

Wikipedia's Bloody Mary
From the New York School of Bartending via Wikipedia

Ingredients

1 oz. to 1 1/2 oz.vodka
tomato juice
1 dash celery salt
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash Tabasco
2-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed)
Dash of lemon juice
celery stalk
olives

Directions

Add vodka to a Highball glass filled with ice.
Fill glass with tomato juice.
Add celery salt, ground black pepper, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon juice.
Shake or stir lazily, your choice.
Garnish with any or all of the following: celery stalk, a skewer of olives, pickles, carrots, mushrooms, or other vegetables; or even meat or fish (salami, shrimp, etc.) and cheese (see photos).

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The Kitchen Goddesses Can Teach You How to Cook

partysugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:50:54 -0700

The Kitchen Goddess group in the YumSugar Community isn't just a place for browsing and sharing recipes. It's also your one-stop shop for any and every culinary question.

Reader RubyDreams was wondering how to make herbs de Provence. She questioned the goddesses by writing a quick and simple post and over the next couple of days five people responded.

FinnLover replied with wikipedia's definition, Fuzzles suggested purchasing the spice blend at Penzeys, and NotMeAnymore shared Cooking Light's recipe for homemade herbs de Provence.

Whether you're wondering what to do with extra cheesecake batter or need ideas for an around the world themed birthday party, remember the kitchen goddesses are here for you!

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Father of The Vine?

partysugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:38:31 -0700

If he were still alive, today would be the 195th birthday of Agoston Haraszthy de Mokcsa (pictured, left). A Hungarian immigrant, Haraszthy was invited to the United States in 1840 by a group of Democrats that included Daniel Webster. Believed by some to be the father of the California wine industry, Haraszthy did much to promote and enhance the agriculture and viticulture of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1857 he purchased a large plot of land in Sonoma and began planting grapevines sent from in Europe. At one point many people accredited Haraszthy with the introduction of the Zinfandel vine, however it is now an honor thought to be shared by several different pioneers. Still, Haraszthy's major contributions to the wine world were cemented earlier this year when he was inducted in the Vintners Hall of Fame. Happy Birthday ol' Haraszthy!

Source: Wikipedia
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Fragrant Beef Dinner From Indonesia

YumSugar — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:01:38 -0700

The first destination in this week's travel week is Indonesia. With over 300 ethnic groups, the food in Indonesia has been influenced by Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian, Pacific Island and European cultures. With such a diverse food heritage, you can better believe that this country produces some seriously good eats. For today's dinner I thought we could all make a delicious beef curry. To check out the recipe for this wonderfully fragrant meal, read more

Indonesian Beef Curry
From The Star Online - Recipe by Amy Beh
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Note: If you cannot find galangal, substitute with more ginger. If you cannot find fresh turmeric leaves, substitute with powder or omit. Finally, if you cannot find candlenuts substitute with raw Brazil or Macadamia nuts.

600g beef, cubed
6 cups water
1 thumb-sized piece old ginger, smashed
1 thumb-sized piece galangal, smashed
1/2 a piece fresh turmeric leaf, shredded and knotted
1 stalk lemongrass, smashed
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
1 tomato, halved
1 fresh red chilli, halved and seeded
1 lime, squeezed for juice
4 tbsp oil

Ground ingredients (combined)
14–15 dried chillies, soaked and seeded
10 shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cm piece ginger
5 candlenuts
1 star anise
3 cloves
3cm cinnamon stick

Seasoning
1 tsp sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp fish sauce

Put beef in a heavy-based saucepan. Add ginger and water. Bring to a low simmering boil, then cook over a gentle heat until meat is cooked.
Heat oil in a wok and fry ground ingredients, star anise, cloves and cinnamon stick until oil rises.
Add tomato, chilli, galangal and lemon grass. Fry until fragrant.
Pour cooked sauce ingredients into beef. Add turmeric leaf and continue to cook, stirring frequently until sauce thickens.
Squeeze in lime juice and add seasoning and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to a boil and dish out and serve.

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Source: Wikipedia

Wienermobiles: Cruising Around For 71 Years

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:38:39 -0700

Today's random piece of trivia comes to us from cold cut company, Oscar Mayer. I have never personally seen the - what can only be described as awesome - Wienermobile, but today it turns 71. Invented in 1936 by Oscar Meyer's nephew Carl, the Wienermobile is an automobile shaped like a hot dog and bun. Used as promotional stunts, the fleet of six wienermobiles are road legal (all registered in Wisconsin) and tour the country handing out Wienerwhistles (toy whistles shaped like the Wienermobile). They also sport vanity plates such as YUMMY, OUR DOG, BIG BUN and BOLOGNA.

Have you ever seen the Wienermobile?

Source: 440 International and Wikipedia
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