hurricane

If you're hosting a Mardi Gras brunch, there's only one drink to serve, and no, it's not a bloody Mary, it's a Ramos gin fizz. However, if your soirée is after dark, you've got to make a huge round of hurricanes! This classic recipe comes from Dale DeGroff and features two kinds of rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and passion fruit nectar. To batch it, multiply the ingredient amounts by the number of people who will attend your party. For those who don't have time to make a libation from scratch, I recommend ordering hurricane mixer from Pat O'Brien's; it's the bar in New Orleans that made the hurricane famous.

To see my favorite recipe, keep reading.

As Hurricane Irene moves up the East Coast, stay safe and aware with live updates on the storm's progress. Download, bookmark, or follow these media resources for up-to-the-minute news, maps, and video throughout the weekend.

• New York Times Irene Twitter List — With real-time Twitter updates from a variety of media sources, government officials, and organizations like the Red Cross, watch this list for the most up-to-date details on storm advisories.
• Coastal Tracking Map — Many major media outlets have created hurricane tracking maps to view the storm's movement up the Eastern seaboard. The New York Times and ABC News both have easy-to-use map options.
• Hurricane Software App — Available for iOS and Android platforms, this free app provides interactive satellite maps, the storm's distance from current location in miles, and email update alerts.
• National Weather Service website — Get the latest on official advisories and video briefings directly from the government organization's National Hurricane Center.

Source: NASA

Hurricane Irene is barreling up the East Coast as we speak, and while you should definitely heed local authorities' warnings about preparing your home (or getting the heck out of the way), our tech can also use some TLC before the storm hits. Gadgets may be the last thing on your mind when a hurricane, twister, or big electrical storm blows through, but if you want them to stand the test of time, heed some of these tips before taking shelter.

• Unplug your hardware during an electrical storm — Make sure that your laptops, hard drives, gaming consoles, and other electronic equipment are unplugged during severe weather. If lightning does strike, you could experience a power surge that could knock out and/or fry your gadgets from the inside out.
• Use surge protectors, and replace them every few years — Don't just plug your expensive equipment into any ol' power brick! Make sure your extension cords and power adapters have surge protection to ensure that any power spikes won't destroy your machines.
• Back up your data! — It should totally be in your head by now that routinely backing up your data is the best way to ensure you don't lose any important information or documents in the event that your laptops and computers suffer water damage, power surges, fire, or any other disaster. Keeping your backup hard drive in an airtight fireproof safe is probably your safest bet, but storing it in a waterproof container can help it stay dry in case of flooding.