The Real Deal

Cocktail Recipe.

I usually only order a Mai Tai if I am someplace tropical, but I had no idea that the fruity drink I was being served with pineapple juice and grenadine was actually an imposter. The real Mai Tai that was created by Victor Bergeron Jr. of Trader Vic fame in the 1930’s has finally been released.

This seems like the perfect “wow” factor for a summer get together. It will take a little pre-planning since some of the ingredients are a bit out of the ordinary. The secret ingredient is Orgeat which is an almond-sugar syrup made from whole blanched almonds. The nut oil according to Vic gives the syrup a richness that can’t be duplicated with a cheap syrup made with almond flavoring and sugar. The two websites that I found that carry this product are small hand foods and Trader Tiki’s. After you track down this ingredient the rest is pretty straight forward and the drink itself is super easy to combine.

I have ordered my Orgeat and will be taste testing the real Mai Tai before the summer’s end. I do have one question though, if the Mai Tai is from Trader Vic’s than why were the Werewolves of London drinking Pina Colada’s? Oh well, at least their hair was perfect.



The Original Mai Tai Recipe

2 ounces aged rum
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice, juiced lime half reserved
½ ounce orange curacao
¼ ounce simple syrup
¼ ounce orgeat
1 cup crushed ice
1 mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

Combine all ingredients except the mint sprig in a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and pour the entire contents into a double Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with the juiced lime and a mint sprig.

Boxman Studios

Pop-up Party.

The word pop-up is pretty hot right now in NYC. I get emails constantly telling me about a pop up restaurant that will be around for the weekend or high end designers having a pop up store in random locations for sample sales. So, why not have a pop up party?



Boxman Studios will deliver a 500 sq. ft. solar powered storage container complete with bamboo floors, a bar and lounge furniture that has you ready to party in 20 minutes. If only I had a grassy knoll somewhere.

Bacon Marmalade Sandwich

Food.

Oh how I wish that I had thought of the Food Network. I can sit mesmerized for hours just staring at the ridiculously delicious food being prepared. One show that I'm starting to love is "The Best Thing I Ever Ate". Fantastic chefs giving the scoop on their favorite foods is surely a recipe for success in my book.

Ever since I saw the episode of the best items "between bread", I cannot stop thinking about the Bacon Marmalade Sandwich from Prune in NYC. All of the others sound delish, but this one I think I can replicate now that I no longer call Manhattan home.



One thing to note on a sandwich this simple is that you must use the best ingredients. It makes all the difference between a simple dish being only ok or great. Here's the skinnny...

Bacon Marmalade Sandwich
2 slices of fresh pumpernickel bread, lightly toasted
2 pats of butter
1 tbsp Polaner Orange Marmalade
5 strips Applewood Center Cut Smoked Bacon, roasted (see below)

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Be sure to get complete coverage. Spread the marmalade on one of the pieces of toast (it will act as a glue to keep the bacon in place). Top with bacon and then second slice of toast. Cut in half and enjoy!

Roasted Bacon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until really crispy. Dry on paper towels.

Could you eat this?

Fascinating Food.



A farmer in the Hebei Province in China has perfected the Buddha shaped pear by inserting the pears into moulds when they are young. The pears sell for the equivalent of $7.32 per pear. While I find this fascinating, I don’t believe I could actually bring myself to eat it. First of all it’s like a work of art and second, Are you suppose to eat a Buddha? What are your thoughts?

Target Teaser

Home Goods.

There's a very special little place on 2nd Street in Manhattan that I absolutely adore. The John Derian Store. The quaint store has stacks and stacks of their signature decoupage glass plates and platters, paper weights, and coasters...along with the most charming and cheeky collection of furniture, lighting, and tableware. These pieces are special and unique...as well as an investment. And I love it.



So when I opened my Lucky magazine this weekend and saw a 2 page ad announcing the release of a John Derian collection for Target, I vigorously tore out the ad and started searching the web. The only problem is Target's website doesn't have a single picture of what to expect. And because of my excited page tearing, I couldn't even scan the picture to show you the pieces on the ad. But it doesn't matter. John Derian = gorgeous stuff.

According to the ad, the pieces are available as of September 5th and are priced starting at $1.49. Amazing!! I've marked my calendar for a Target trip. I missed out on JD's Target Collection in 2008...and I won't let that happen again. Happy shopping, all!

Link Love.

Tuesday Inspiration.

The Cinderella Project
Looks like Harry Potter was here.



Lolliblog
This almost makes me want to get into a tent.



Mint
Blackberry and Lime miniature tarts…delicious.



Lushlee
This site is chock full of packaging inspiration.

Ecojot Winners

Contest.

What a way to start the week. We have the pleasure of announcing the five randomly chosen winners of our Ecojot Contest!

Our five winners are:

Rachelle
Mrs in May
Megan
Kari Alison
Sebrina S.

If you are listed above, please send an email to us at amber@hiphostessny.com. Thanks to all for entering and stay tuned for future contests!

Water Wake-up

Gift Idea.

One of my cousins is preparing to be a Freshman in college this year, and I'm secretly a little jealous. What isn't to love about college? It's your first true taste of independence (kind of), you move to a new place, meet new people, and basically live an awesome existence for four years. Yeah...I'm jealous.

As a graduation/entering college gift, my husband and I put together a dorm-life survival pack. I only wish that I had seen this product before putting our package together.



Yes these alarm clocks by Bedol What's Next are cute and bright and cheery...but you know what makes them totally genius? They run purely on energy powered by tap water. Crazy, huh?

I think this is an amazing gift idea for anyone, but particularly new college students. It's cheap ($29). It's cute (love that it's shaped like a water drop). And tons of celebrities love it too (Leo, P. Diddy, and Jessica Alba to name a few). And come on...it runs on water!!! For up to 3 months without having to refill it. Too cool.

And if you aren't feelin' the water drop design, look what's being released in September. The "Smiley" is $10 more and comes in a variety of colors...my favorite is this charcoal grey. I repeat...great gift.

SongVote

Music Voting Site.

You know what my least favorite part of planning a party is? The music.

I will sit and agonize over my vast collection of random music and stress about whether the group of guests that I have invited will understand it makes total sense to me to play Roxy Music and follow it up with Snoop Dogg.

Which is why the day before a party, my husband usually finds me muttering to myself and looking like this...



Thank god someone was a freakin' genius and came up with the fantastic site SongVote. This 100% free service allows you to have your guests create the playlist. It's as easy as this:

1. Create a profile.

2. Create a "Contest".

3. Set your parameters - Event Date, Description/Genre, Number of Votes allowed, End Date for entries

4. Invite your guests to view the "Contest".

5. Your guests go to your "contest" and make suggestions of what to play...as well as vote to increase rank of what other guests have picked.

Voila! Instant playlist.

Since I know that our readers will want to give this a try, I've created a little contest for you to participate in. I want to hear your suggestions for my Afternoon Blogging Songlist. The VIP Code is hhblog and your password is 992.

I'm anxious to see what you all suggest!!

She's So Creative

Etsy Find.

Have you ever been invited to a party and wanted to bring something a little more special than a bottle of wine or flowers. Well I have the answer for you. She’s So Creative makes clever aprons that are packaged in cute containers. A couple of my favorites are the “Salad Dressing” apron that literally sports a carrot, tomato and lettuce putting on their lingerie, pantyhose and evening wear. I also love the “Pasta Bowl” which shows Farfalle, Rigatoni and Rotini bowling. These clever aprons are sure to get a laugh from your hostess and they have matching notepads to boot.

You can check them out on etsy.