FabSugar

Best of 2008: And the Fab Face of the Year Is . . .

FabSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 02:00:22 PST

While Coco is your pick - and so adorable - we are smitten by new Dutch model Lara Stone. Those cheekbones, those gapped teeth, those legs. I first took notice of her and her under cleavage - it's hard to forget that. Then we gave her a full Fab Face tribute. Her raw sexuality and daring demeanor intrigued us yet again in November's i-D magazine. This blonde is having a lot of fun, cheers to you Lara!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Arrive in Bosnia Holding Hands

Lauren Turner — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:17:18 PST

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie continued their travels today with a stop in Sarajevo, where Angelina is attending a press conference and a screening of In the Land of Blood and Honey. Angelina has received plenty of recognition for her directorial debut, and she was honored with a Cinema for Peace award just last night. Brad was by her side at the show after he attended Sunday's BAFTAs solo. Blood and Honey is also currently in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where Angelina and Brad posed for the cameras together over the weekend. The red carpet fun will continue at the Oscars later this month since Brad is nominated for best actor and Angelina will be presenting. Be sure to fill out BuzzSugar's Oscars ballot before the big show for a chance to win an iPad 2 and a Prada case!

A Double Chocolate Soufflé Challenge

Camilla Salem — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:10:02 PST

I mentioned that I was going to attack one of my culinary fears head-on in the near future. Well, attack it I did and what's more, I came out alive, and covered in chocolate.

I found a recipe from Emeril that seemed straightforward and simple, bought the ingredients, and said a little prayer. Surprisingly, this recipe came together very quickly, and with almost no problems at all. The only hitch was that I wasn't sure how much the soufflé batter this would make, so the ramekins I used were far too large and the soufflé didn't puff up over the edges like I'd hoped it would. It would have been better to use four smaller ramekins or two large ones.

This recipe calls for Grand Marnier, which adds a nice bright orange flavor to the rich chocolate dessert. And when I say rich, I mean it. One spoon too many of this fluffy soufflé and you may find yourself with a chocolate headache - we've all been there.

Egg whites that have been whipped into air account for the soft texture of a soufflé, and must be folded in carefully to the chocolate batter so as not to deflate them.

Keep reading for much more, plus the recipe.

A Few of My Favorite Things: New Orleans and Beyond

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:07:26 PST

Get ready for your mouth to water. Food Orleans invites us to share some of her favorite iPhone food photos from New Orleans and beyond.

I've been cleaning out my iPhone photo roll and came across some great shots that made me swoon, laugh, and shake my head at how good this stuff was. This year I got to go to my first LSU game in Baton Rouge, and although I probably lost a small percentage of my hearing, I had a great time. And the jambalaya was great! We're also enjoying some shucking-good oysters these days. Come visit!

Creole Creamery: knock your flip-flops off good!

a fried-potato omelette from Camellia Grill (Riverbend). I think this should be on everyone's to-eat list.

For more, keep reading.

Buy Some Bubbly: How to Pick a Sparkling Wine

YumSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:51:15 PST

In this YumSugarTV special, Jeff Porter, wine director of LA's Osteria Mozza, offers some of the best bubbly suggestions for any celebration. Keep watching to find out what affordable choices there are in the world of sparkling wines and his favorite picks for bubbly from Italy.

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
From Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake

Ingredients

For the cupcakes 1 1/4 cups flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (or another good-quality cocoa powder) For the ganache frosting 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; or other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup. Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined. Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated. Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For the ganache frosting: Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving. (If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.)

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Engagement Chicken For Your Valentine, Fashion Week Highlights, and Lady Gaga's Booty Workout: The Best of PopSugarTV This Week!

Lindsay Miller — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:08:13 PST

This week in PopSugarTV, Yum got in the Valentine's Day spirit by sharing the recipe for engagement chicken. Meanwhile, in NYC, Fab went behind the scenes at Fashion Week, getting Jenni Kayne's styling tips and sharing an interview with Max Azria of BCBG. Fit showed us how to get Lady Gaga's booty with her trainer Harley Pasternak and Bella found the best long-wearing lipstick. Check out all the videos at the links above and visit PopSugarTV for even more!

Angelina Jolie Glows in Gold Next to Brad Pitt at the Berlin Film Festival

Lauren Turner — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:37:44 PST

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt shared a laugh while walking the carpet at the Berlin Film Festival premiere of In the Land of Blood and Honey today. Angelina wore a glamorous gold Jenny Packham wrap gown while Brad stuck with a simple black suit and tie. Angelina's been busy since the couple and their six kids arrived in Germany earlier this week. She took Maddox, Pax, and Shiloh to Legoland, had tea with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, and chatted during a press conference earlier today, when she revealed that her next project will be Disney's Maleficent.

Brad and Angelina have even more red carpets in their future since they'll be attending the Oscars, where Angelina is a presenter and Brad is nominated for best actor. Make sure to fill out BuzzSugar's Oscars ballot before the big show on Feb. 26 for a chance to win an iPad in a Prada case!

Video: Chelsea Handler Talks Friendship With Reese - "She'd Never Ask Me to Babysit!"

Lauren Bradshaw — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:14:26 PST

Reese Witherspoon had some handsome company at the LA premiere for This Means War. Reese stepped out in a pretty, strapless Miu Miu dress along with her male costars Tom Hardy and Chris Pine and friend Chelsea Handler. Chelsea plays Reese's best friend in the movie and a mom, which she told us was a bit of a stretch, given that Reese would never ask her to babysit her kids! See our chat with Chelsea on the red carpet and find out about Reese's sexy lingerie scene in PopSugar Rush.