CasaSugar

A Maple Manhattan Is Perfect For the Season

Susannah Chen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:05:06 PST

When the weather is frightfully cold, there's nothing quite like a potent and flavorful cocktail to warm the soul. Here, Jason Schiffer, the owner of 320 Main in Seal Beach, shows us how to make the Maple Manhattan, a combination of whiskey, maple syrup, and punt e mes.

Happy Hour: Manhattan on the Rocks

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:38:54 PST

There's just something about drinking a classic cocktail that puts you in the right state of mind, don't you think? I prefer my Manhattan on the rocks because the clinking of the ice feels old world and romantic to me. But truthfully, the cold, booze-soaked maraschino cherry is my favorite part! This cocktail goes particularly well with salty, rich dishes, making it the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving menu. But be careful: a couple of these babies and you could be dancing on tables this holiday season. Keep reading to stir up one of your own.

Get the Look: Diego and Laura Garcia's Luxe Upper East Side Pad

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:30:00 PDT

About five years ago or so, I met Diego Garcia, the lead singer of the band Elefant, at some shows in New Orleans. In full rock star style, he was taking tequila shots in his tour bus with an array of pretty young things and walking barefoot in front of the Decatur Street House of Blues; I got the feeling that he couldn't put up this act for much longer. It turns out that the band called it quits it last year, and now Garcia devotes his musical talents to an eponymous solo act - his new album is due out April 5.

Further proof that the musician has settled down is a new Vogue.com tour of Garcia's luxurious Upper East Side Manhattan apartment, which he shares with his bombshell Brazilian fashion designer wife Laura, their adorable baby girl Georgiana, and their French bulldog Alaïa. Instead of collecting bar stamps, it seems the singer has picked up a passion for curating a personal art collection. His home's interiors are impeccably outfitted with Milo Baughman chairs, Karl Springer poufs, a Hope Atherton painting, a Donald Baechler piece, and miles of art books. It's restrained, eclectic, worldly, and absolutely envy inducing.

Since it's so grandly minimal, recreating the look of the cool couple's living room might require a second mortgage, but it can't hurt to try. Click to learn how to get the look!

Tour the Urban Glass House, Featured on Tonight's Episode of Selling New York!

Elka Karl — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 08:00:50 PST

While I doubt that I'll ever choose to buy real estate in Manhattan (I'm a West Coaster for life), I do enjoy checking out the high-end real estate that the borough has to offer, which is why I'll be tuning in tonight to catch the second season of Selling New York. The first episode, which premieres at 9 tonight on HGTV, follows the brokers from CORE as they attempt to sell a unit in the Urban Glass House, one of the last projects from architect Philip Johnson.

The 1,457-square-foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo loft at the Urban Glass House is listed at $1.795 million. What do you get for all of that money? Well, you can peek out at Statue of Liberty and Hudson River views every morning (though, as development increases in the area views may become more limited). Inside, interiors by Annabelle Selldorf are also sure to please (and also contribute toward the price point).

Keep reading for the details and a photo tour.

Happy Hour: Mulled Manhattan

Susannah Chen — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:43 PST

Mulled wine is one of the season's healthier hot beverages, but not everybody's crazy about it. If you find the notion of drinking hot wine off-putting, consider a cold drink infused with the same holiday spices as an alternative.

This bourbon-and-concord mixture, crafted by Christopher Tunnah at the Bedford Post in Bedford, NY, was designed to be a sort of mulled wine 2.0, with the same heartwarming spice notes, medicinal aftertaste not included. It's sure to win over even the biggest mulled wine loather. Read on for the recipe.

Coveted Crib: A Crisp Three-Bedroom by Ashe + Leandro

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 10:00:55 PST

I recently discovered New York City-based architecture and interior design firm Ashe + Leandro and spent a good half hour clicking through all of their inspiring design projects. The one thing that always draws me to an interior space is a feeling of crispness - clean lines, uncluttered accessorizing, polish, elements of white - and Ashe + Leandro has that down to a T. But their interiors aren't too minimal, sterile, or modern. Each room seems to blend beautiful contemporary furniture with warm, worn, antiques or traditional pieces like Persian rugs, burlap throw pillows, or French arm chairs.I absolutely covet one particular project, a three-bedroom apartment on the west side of Manhattan, so I had to share. From the living room built-ins filled with yellow book spines to the oversize pendant shade above the dining table, there's a surprising, eye-catching element in each space. While the common spaces are painted white, two of the bedrooms are personalized with color: one features three of the most perfect shades of turquoise and looks like a breath of fresh air, and another is layered with deep hues of dusty brown and hunter green to create a truly nocturnal space. Such a dream! Take the full tour, and you'll be thinking of hiring the team to redesign your own home!

View 10 Photos ›

Burning Question: French vs. Italian Vermouth

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:00:53 PDT

A well-stocked home bar should have two versions of vermouth, and trust me: you don't want to confuse the two. Dry vermouth, also called French vermouth (pictured), is light in color and often found in similarly shaded cocktails.

Dry vermouth mixes into a classic dry martini, as well as some of my favorite finds, including the Corkscrew and El Presidente cocktails.

Not surprisingly, Italian (aka sweet) vermouth shows up in the classic Italian cocktail the Negroni, as well as the all-American Manhattan. Some drinks use equal parts of dry/white and red/sweet vermouth and are often dubbed "perfect," as in a Perfect Manhattan. Once you've cracked open a bottle of either type of vermouth, it's best stored in the fridge. What are your vermouth cocktails of choice?

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Source: Flickr User erin.kkr

Guess What Store Has a Fab Gallery Wall?

CasaSugar — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 05:00:00 PDT

There's a new men's clothing store in Manhattan with gorgeous wood paneling and a beautiful salon-style gallery wall that I want to simply copy and paste into my home! From the shape of the shop's dapper black leather armchairs to the vase filled with branches, lust-worthy design elements abound. In other words . . . the space would be my dream closet! Can you guess what store it is?

Lovely Little Vignettes: Little Manhattan

Casa Community — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:00:00 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member MMS01 from the Lovely Little Vignettes group:

I love this little vignette I created on my bedroom windowsill looking over Manhattan. The large windows and view make my tiny apt feel much bigger! I got the Foo Dog bookends at Home Goods and the Shell Ashtray from Urban Outfitters.

Be sure to share photos of your own home décor arrangements in the Lovely Little Vignettes group!

Happy Hour: The Big Cherry

YumSugar — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:00:51 PST

Though I made cherry bounce as one of this year's edible gifts, I was sure to save a bottle for myself. Delicious on its own, this old-school cordial is also great mixed into classic cocktails.

After sipping a superb cherry bounce old-fashioned, I decided to create a cherry version of the Manhattan, which, in the spirit of the Big Apple, I dubbed the Big Cherry.

It has the same ingredients as the old-fashioned, but in different proportions. For a special touch, try using brandied cherries instead of the usual maraschino. To get the recipe,

The Big Cherry
Original Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 oz. cherry bounce
2 oz. bourbon
2-3 Angostura bitters
Ice

Directions

Combine first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice.
Give the cocktail shaker two or three vigorous shakes.
Strain into martini glass and garnish with cherry.

Makes 1 cocktail.

Print recipe with images | without images