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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - The Look & Music

partysugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:53:41 -0700

Luau parties are fabulous because you can create a festive atmosphere with fresh decorations. Since this is a dinner party, the focal point should be the dining table you set up outdoors. If you are crafty and have plenty of time on your hands, get a gorgeous piece of Hawaiian shirt fabric at the local fabric store and make a tablecloth. Otherwise purchase a bright yellow tablecloth and fuchsia tiki placemats. Square shaped plates with a palm tree print look stylish and elegant when a napkin with a palm tree ring is placed atop. Fill bowls with floating flower shaped candles and create a centerpiece with beautiful hibiscus flowers. Seashells hold place settings with guests' names written in loopy handwriting. Tiki torches add mood lighting and cast a Hawaiian glow to the fete. For music select a playlist of classic surf music like the Beach Boys or the soundtrack from Point Break. Scroll below to see all of the ideas.

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:08:51 -0700

At all of my dinner parties, I offer guests one signature cocktail with appetizers, followed by a couple bottles of wine with dinner. I am a fan of a full open bar and pleasing my friends with whatever drink floats their fancy, but I do this when a small group is coming over for drinks only. At a dinner party, there are other things to worry about - the food, the mingling of new friends with old, etc. - so it's easier to make one big cocktail that fits the theme. Don't make an endless amount, a few pitchers full is sufficient. For this week's tropical themed dinner party, a colorful rum punch is ideal. Fresh raspberries give it a festive look and lime slices act as garnish. Sparkling and still water refreshes guests, and a mixture of fresh lemonade and pineapple juice is refreshing for those who do not consume alcohol. With the mahi mahi main course pour California Chardonnay or an Australian Riesling. If you must have red wine, serve a light bodied Beaujolais. For the raspberry rum punch recipe as pictured at left read more

Raspberry Rum Punch
From Instyle magazine

1 pint raspberries (or 1 pint frozen raspberries)
1 cup simple syrup
4 cups club soda
4 cups dark rum
4 cups fresh lime juice
2/3 cup superfine sugar
Ice
raspberries, lime wedges, optional for garnish

In a punch bowl crush the raspberries and simple syrup.
Add the club soda, rum, lime juice, and sugar.
Ladle into ice-filled glasses; garnish with the raspberries and lime slices.

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Main & Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 10:03:35 -0700

When planning a dinner party, look for simpler recipes that can be made in advance. After the tropical chicken skewer and vegetable spring roll appetizers, invite guests to join you at the table. A macadamia nut crusted mahi mahi bakes in the oven while its sauce waits warm on the stove. Place the sauce in a gravy bowl or small pitcher so guests can serve themselves at the table. Coconut rice will pair nicely on the side.

After dinner gather the guests back in your kitchen and let them caramelize the sugar on their very own Tahitian vanilla creme brulees! Take a look at these tempting tropical recipes, just read more

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi
From David Highlander
Image Source

2-1/2 ounces macadamia nuts
5 ounces plain bread crumbs
8 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
5 ounces butter
2-1/2 ounces shallots, diced
5-1/3 cups chicken stock
5 ounces pineapple, rough chopped
3-1/2 ounces papaya, rough chopped
1/4 pound mango, rough chopped
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon shredded coconut
2-3/4 habanero peppers, seeded
salt and pepper to taste
white sugar to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a food processor or blender, pulse together macadamia nuts and breadcrumbs until finely ground. Pour nut mixture onto a plate, and coat fish fillets on both sides.
Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry fillets on both sides until nuts are golden brown. Remove to a baking pan.
Add shallots to skillet, and cook until translucent. Stir in chicken stock. Mix in pineapple, papaya, mango, coconut, and habanero peppers. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Simmer until sauce is thick, about 30 minutes. Strain to remove peppers, fruit, and shallots. Reserve sauce in a pan over low heat.
Bake mahi mahi in preheated oven about 10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees F. Remove fish, and lightly coat with sauce.

Serves 8.

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Creamy Coconut Rice
From Seasoned Poineer

24fl oz Coconut Milk
1lb 4oz Rice (Ideally Jasmine)
Salt, Two pinches
2 tsp Sugar,
20fl oz Water
10 Cardamom Pods, Green

Heat the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves.
Mix in the rice and cadamom pods. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat, then simmer for 20 minutes untl the rice is cooked (addng a bit more water if required).

Serves 8.

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Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee
From Ming Tsai

1 cup half-and half
1 vanilla bean, preferably Tahitian
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg plus 8 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, cold
4 tablespoons superfine sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 F.
In a small saucepan, combine the half-and-half, vanilla bean, and vanilla extract. Heat over medium heat just until scalded; do not allow the mixture to boil.
Fill a large bowl with water and add ice.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, egg yolks, and granulated sugar and mix. Gradually stir in the scalded half-and-half mixture and place the smaller bowl in the bowl of ice water to cool completely. Stir in the heavy cream and divide among eight 4-ounce ramekins.
Place in a baking dish just large enough to hold them and add enough hot water to the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake until the custard is set but still quivers in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the water and refrigerate to cool completely.
Preheat the broiler, if using.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar on top of each custard, spread over the surface, and tap out any excess. Place the ramekins on a broiling tray and broil until the top is melted and caramelized, about 30 seconds. Watch carefully; the sugar can burn easily. If using a torch pass the flame about 2 inches over the surface of the custards until the sugar is completely caramelized. Serve while still warm.

Serves 8.

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Appetizers

partysugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:03:39 -0700

The best thing about hosting a themed dinner party, is that it's fairly easy to create a menu. Select dishes that you feel confident serving to guests. Instead of offering several sit down courses, have appetizers ready and waiting when the guests arrive. Guests can mingle, sip cocktails, and enjoy hors d'oeurves before sitting down to the dining table. Instantly transport everyone to a sandy island with balmy breezes by serving tropical chicken on sugarcane skewers with peanut-plantain dipping sauce or vegetarian spring rolls. Get these finger licking good recipes, just read more

Tropical Chicken on Sugarcane Skewers with Peanut-Plantain Dipping Sauce
From Martha Stewart
Image Source

1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup store-bought pineapple juice
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, (3 to 4 oranges)
2 scotch bonnet or other small hot fresh chili peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
2 tablespoons packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup peanut oil
1 1/2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 unripe papaya, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 unripe mango, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 unripe pineapple, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
2 firm avocados, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
1 very ripe plantain, sliced

In a medium saucepan, combine rum, allspice, pineapple juice, orange juice, peppers, brown sugar, lemon juice, and peanut oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until mixture has reduced to 1 1/4 cups, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. (The marinade may be kept, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 1 day.) Place half of this marinade in the bowl of a food processor. Divide remaining marinade between 2 nonreactive baking dishes; set aside.
Arrange 1 piece of chicken on a skewer with 2 pieces of fruit, with the exception of the plantain. Alternate papaya, mango, pineapple, and avocado with chicken on skewers, until all ingredients are used. Transfer skewers to the prepared baking dishes, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat a grill pan on the stove over medium heat, or prepare an outdoor grill.
Meanwhile, add plantain to marinade in the food processor. Process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl, and set aside.
Remove skewers from marinade, and place on heated grill, in batches if necessary. Baste with remaining marinade during first half of the cooking process. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve on a platter with the reserved sauce.

Makes 3 dozen.

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Vegetarian Spring Rolls
From Sackville at Recipe Zaar

1 ounce fine cellophane noodles
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 small carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
24 spring roll wrappers

Place the noodles in a bowl and pour over enough boiling water to cover. Let stand for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again. Cut into 2-inch lengths.
Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, beansprouts, cabbage and carrot and fry for a minute.
Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, pepper, cilantro and mint and take off the heat.
Stir in the rice noodles.
Arrange the wrappers on the counter, pointing diagonally. Spoon a bit of the filling onto the bottom corner of the wrapper. Roll the point of the wrapper over the filling, then fold the side points inward over the filling. Continue to roll up the wrapper away from you, using a bit of water to seal the roll if needed.
Brush with oil and bake in a 400 F oven until crispy, about 15-20 minutes. You may want to flip the spring rolls halfway through baking. You can also freeze these unbaked and then bake from frozen. This will take about 25 minutes.

Serves 12-24 depending on the size of the wrappers that you use.

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Come Party With Me: Luau Dinner For 8 - Invites

partysugar — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 07:11:31 -0700

I've been planning so many large bashes these past few weeks, that I decided to do something a little more intimate this week. Dinner parties are my favorite kind of party and they are even easier to host when you have a theme to plan everything around. There is no better theme for summer than a fabulous tropical soirée! Bright flowers, plush textures, soothing waves, and cool cocktails bring you and seven close friends together for a tasty dinner. This party can be held anywhere from a deck with an view of the Pacific, to a teeny apartment with no balcony, just adapt the theme to fit your needs. To get things started, I'm making a gorgeous invitation that will get guests in the mood the second it arrives in the mail. To see step by step instructions on how to make this invite, read more

To make an invitation similar to the one seen here you will need:

computer & printer
scissors
glue stick
envelope
orange cardstock
a fun Hawaiian image
printed or cut out images of tropical flowers (I found mine doing a google image search for tropical flowers, but get creative - you could even find them in a travel magazine!)

To assemble:

Start by dragging the fun Hawaiian cartoon image into a new Word document. Insert a text box as a border and change the color and size of the line to match your image. Write out the details of the dinner in a creative formation around the image. I used Papyrus in size 14 Bold to write:

Grab your leis and join me for a luau themed dinner!
Saturday, August 10, 2007
7:30 pm

PartySugar’s House
-San Francisco
415.555.5555

Tropical attire requested please

Print out a test copy and when satisfied cut down to size.

Mount on cardstock with the glue stick.

Glue your favorite flower image on the back of the invite.

Cut the invite down to size and set aside.

To make the envelope cut out a bunch of tropical flower images.

Glue to the envelope in a creative collage style until the entire envelope (including the inside) is covered in a tropical flower collage and cut down to shape of the envelope.

Write the name and address of each guest on a white sticky label and place on the back of the invite and send.

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PopUK's New Release Roundup!

PopSugarUK — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:00:00 -0800

Welcome to my roundup of this week's new releases! First up, Tropic Thunder comes out on DVD this week, so if you missed it at the cinema you can check out Robert Downey Jr's Oscar-nominated performance as appearance-changing serious Australian actor Kirk Lazurus. Ben Stiller directed, wrote and stars in the movie, Jack Black costars and Tom Cruise has a great cameo as a studio head. Also released is the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, with Matthew Macfadyen.

Lily Allen's "The Fear" is released to download this week, along with Ida Maria's "Oh My God", Fleet Foxes "Mykonos", and Bloc Party's "One Month Off". Franz Ferdinand release their new album Tonight - listen here - and LA based band The Bird and The Bee put out their fab Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future - listen on myspace.

To see what movie releases I'm looking forward to this week, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Cera and Kate Winslet, just read more

Looking forward to Friday's movie releases, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in Revolutionary Road - an adaptation of the fantastic Richard Yates novel. On the slightly more indie side of things, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist also comes out, starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings and telling the story of how Nick and Norah meet, and what plays out over their night in New York.

So which new releases are you checking out this week? Let me know!

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Couples Retreat: Not Exactly a Relaxing Getaway

BuzzSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:30:11 -0700

Everyone loves a vacation, right? Beautiful scenery, tropical drinks, fun in the sun. Add a few of your closest friends and you could have the trip of a lifetime - or a romantic getaway gone horribly awry.

To be fair, the four pairs in Couples Retreat don't realize what they're agreeing to when they head to Eden East, a swanky resort on a remote island. But once the relationship boot camp begins, the friendships quickly break down, and it's often more depressing than hilarious. To see what I mean, just read more.

The movie's couplings range in age, family size, and personality, with Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman at the epicenter. As Dave and Ronnie, they are perhaps the most "normal" of the bunch. Between Dave's demanding job making video games (hello, Guitar Hero product placement) and raising two young sons, Dave and Ronnie don't even realize their problems until they are forced into couples skill-building. Vaughn is his typical wise-cracking character, but a touch of sweetness makes his on-screen relationship with Akerman the most enjoyable to watch. You can actually believe that they love each other and aren't using the trip as a band-aid for a bullet hole.

Jason and Cynthia (played by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell), on the other hand, are a lot harder to relate to as two type-A personalities with an undying love for organization and PowerPoint presentations. Jason and Cynthia present the idea of the group vacation to their friends as a last-ditch effort to save their marriage (promising that the therapy sessions are optional, of course). Bell is her typical adorable self, but Bateman is insufferable. His character is painfully meticulous and overbearing, making the audience feel just as suffocated as Cynthia does.

Joey (Jon Favreau) and Lucy (Kristin Davis) represent the worst of the worst: the couple that's been together so long that they don't even notice each other anymore. The high school sweethearts take the trip not as an opportunity to re-kindle the flame, but to chase skirts (or in this case, bikini bottoms) and muscular yoga instructors. Favreau gets a few laughs with his quest to get to Eden West, the "singles" side of the island, but age-wise, Davis doesn't quite fit in with Bell and Ackerman. It's also hard to laugh at characters that embody one of the biggest fears for young couples, and their ice-cold relationship is almost too realistic to scoff at.

Then there's Shane (Faizon Love), who's newly separated from the wife he still loves, but brings along his 20-year-old girlfriend for the ride instead. As Trudy, Kali Hawk steals a lot of the laughs as she yearns to drink and party all night long while her boyfriend would rather take a nap. One joke that never gets old: Trudy's insistence on calling Shane "Daddy" throughout the entire film.

With such a strong headline cast, it's disappointing that the supporting actors steal the show. I laughed the hardest at Dave and Ronnie's adorable boys (who get very little screen time) and at the motley crew of therapists and other wacky workers at the resort dedicated to making this the trip from hell.

At the end of it all, you'll get a few laughs along with some very beautiful imagery, but you might just want to put your money toward your own vacation instead.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Come Party With Me: My Birthday Party - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:30:38 -0700

I'm pretty traditional when it comes to birthdays and I can't remember celebrating one without a special cake. It may come as a shock, but every year, I make my own birthday cake. Researching cake recipes and going through the process of baking one has become a ritual that I look forward to and enjoy - as much as the senselessly extravagant birthday party. For 28, I've decided on a chocolate truffle cake with ganache topping and rum syrup. Instead of serving regular vanilla ice cream, I'm upping the ante and pairing the cake with a tropical sorbet terrine. It has three (coconut, raspberry, and mango) layers of sorbet that I think will perfectly complement the richness of the cake. To look at these scrumptious dessert recipes, read more.

Tropical Sorbet Terrine
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 pint coconut sorbet, softened
1 pint raspberry sorbet, softened
1 pint mango sorbet, softened

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 6-cup (8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches) loaf pan with a long strip of plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides; set aside.
Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool completely.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted coconut in prepared pan. Dollop coconut sorbet on top, and spread evenly; sprinkle with cup toasted coconut. Repeat with raspberry sorbet and remaining cup toasted coconut, then mango sorbet. Fold plastic overhang over sorbet, and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 2 weeks.
To serve, unfold plastic, and invert pan onto a plate; remove plastic. Slice terrine crosswise with a serrated knife.

Serves 12.

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Chocolate Truffle Cake
From Saveur

Ingredients

For the cake: 
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 
1 1⁄2 cups flour 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,  chopped 
1⁄2 cup confectioners' sugar
 7 eggs, separated 
1⁄2 tsp. salt 
1 cup sugar 
1⁄2 cup dark rum
For the ganache
 24 oz. semisweet chocolate, preferably 54%,  roughly chopped
 3 cups heavy cream 
Chocolate shavings 
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions

Make the cake: Heat oven to 325°. Line bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Grease pan with 1 tbsp. butter. Add 1⁄4 cup flour; shake to evenly coat inside. Invert and tap out excess flour; set pan aside.
Set a medium bowl over a 1-qt.saucepan of simmering water. Add chocolate; melt. Set aside to let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the melted chocolate, butter, and confectioners' sugar with a handheld mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour and salt and mix until just combined; set batter aside.
In a bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Sprinkle in 1⁄4 cup sugar and beat to form stiff, glossy peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the cake batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer to a rack; let cool. Invert and unmold cake. Cut cake horizontally into 3 even layers; set cake layers aside.
Dissolve remaining sugar and 1⁄4 cup water in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until syrup has slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in rum; let cool.
Make the ganache: Place chocolate in bowl of a standing mixer. Bring cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan; pour over chocolate; let sit for 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, combine chocolate and cream. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches room temperature. Chill until ganache has the consistency of peanut butter, 2 hours. Transfer bowl to standing mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip on medium speed, 15–20 seconds.
Place bottom cake layer on a cardboard cake circle. Using a pastry brush, brush cake with one-third of rum syrup. Using a butter knife, spread 1 cup ganache evenly across cake top. Top with second cake layer and one-third of rum syrup; repeat process with remaining cake, rum syrup, and ganache. Spread remaining ganache over cake. Press chocolate shavings onto sides. Shake cocoa powder over cake with a mesh sieve.

Serves 16.

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Leo's Wet and Wild Weekend

PopSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Leonardo DiCaprio continued to enjoy the beaches of Europe this weekend, trading in tropical Ibiza for the French Riviera. He was spotted partying with models and cruising around on a yacht before he flew back to Paris yesterday. This morning he was up early to film Inception with Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page - click through to see all of his many activities.

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Come Party With Me: Technicolor Luau - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:20 -0700

When Fab first asked me to help host her technicolor luau, I envisioned serving a fabulous layered tiki cocktail. However, deep down, I knew there was no way I could offer this kind of cocktail because it's too much work and I would end up spending the entire night behind the bar! To make things easier, I'll serve a tropical rum punch instead. The super-simple recipe can be multiplied for a large crowd. It combines light and dark rum with fresh squeezed orange juice, mango nectar, and pineapple juice. It's a potent, yet refreshing drink, that's sure to get any party started. To look at the recipe, read more.

Rum Punch
From Food and Wine

Ingredients

80 mint leaves, torn or thinly
8 ounces light rum
8 ounces aged rum
8 ounces fresh orange juice
8 ounces mango nectar or juice
4 ounces pineapple juice
Ice
8 pineapple wedges

Directions

In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients except the ice and pineapple wedges and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Stir well and serve over ice in red wine glasses. Garnish each drink with a pineapple wedge.

Serves 8.

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