Did I already tell you about this? RUN!

WARNING: If you don't want to get caught up in 

an expensive trap of delicious smells, 

do not read this posting. 

One of perils of working with my clients is that every once in a while, you bump into something they have that you want. Most of the time, reality keeps those hankerings in check (no amount of yearning is going to buy me a $2,000.00 Mitchell Gold sofa...) but sometimes, sense and cents get the better of me and I end up ensnared in a web of luxury that's totally inappropriate to my income. 

William also has no remorse about this splurge purchase. 

Most recently, it was Jonathan Adler's Orange Mystique Duvet & Shams, which I first bought for a client's daughter's room, and then fell so in love with, I bought them for myself (on sale, with the designer discount...) That said, I was thrilled with it as soon as I bought it, and have surprisingly little buyer's remorse considering the price tag. I'm still fighting off the temptation to buy his Blue Syrie Bedding, which was also purchased for the same daughter. The blues are perfect for our apartment, and when you see this stuff in person, it can just throw your self-control right out the window. 

However, this is not the trap I was referring to at the beginning of this posting. I'm giving you one more chance not to read this before I go on... I don't want you caught in the same vicious, delicious smelling web that I am in... 

Caldrea Liquid Hand Soap in the Sea Salt and Neroli Scent

This stuff is the crack of hand soap. Why, you ask? I have no idea. I didn't even know what a neroli was, I had to look it up. Evidently, it's some kind of fancy-pants bitter orange. BUT, there is something about this soap-- once you use it, there is no going back. I now have four friends hooked on the junk from using it in my bathroom. I got hooked using it in another client's house. Two visits and I was a goner. I headed to her local grocery and picked up a baker's dozen. A male friend of mine was over last week, came out of the bathroom, sat down next to John and actually complimented John on how good he smelled... Until they realized it was their hands that smelled so intoxicating! (This was also a very strange conversation to witness, mind you. There was a lot of smelling of arm pits and body parts before the hands were isolated as the source.)  

I'm not kidding around here people. Once you buy this soap, you'll find yourself coming up with new and creative reasons to wash your hands. Opened a door today? Wash 'em? Woke up today? Wash 'em. Listening to the radio? Wash 'em! God forbid you put this at your kitchen sink and you'll be through it in a weekend. I just looked on the Caldrea website to give you the link above, and now I think I'm going to buy the Sea Salt & Neroli dish soap. I didn't even know that EXISTED! I'm done for. 

Get out while you still can! 

Vignettes At Home...

Merriam-Webster says that a vignette is: "A running ornament (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter; also : a small decorative design or picture so placed." 


I would like to think that our home is full of vignettes; little collections of ornamentation, placed just so to introduce a room, or more specifically, the people who inhabit the room. This weekend, I put together two new little vignettes, which I thought I should share, so you guys don't think I've completely given up design in favor of perpetual cooking. In this context, maybe "vignette" is just a romantic way to say "purposefully-positioned junk", but let's be honest, vignette has a much nicer ring to it, so I vote we stick with that term. 

(For you photo buffs, I hope you'll appreciate that I used iPhoto's "vignette" setting to
create the old-world-foggy-in-the-corners-effect. Just runnin' with a theme here! )

This set up is now in our newly-painted bedroom up at Fox Ridge. I was lying in bed one night over the weekend, and seconds before I fell asleep, I looked up at the shelf over the little desk, and said to John (who was already snoring most likely), "Remind me to move all the haeger pottery up here. It would look terrific on that shelf." 

Miraculously, I remembered this realization the next morning and enacted my plan tout de suite. Needless to say, John did not remember this plan, but pottery isn't really his area of interest so that's not a shock. The haeger pottery (all those white vases and pots) have particular meaning to us because they were collected for our wedding to be used as part of the floral centerpieces on the dining tables. They're a lovely reminder of a wonderful day, making this vignette all the more special. (See--- in this case, it isn't just purposefully-positioned-junk, it's sentimental too!) 

The second vignette is now set up in our dining room in the city... Inexplicably, I have a collection of beautiful old samsonite luggage pieces, which were sitting in a stack in the country in their former life. I suddenly realized that they'd be far more terrific over the closets in the dining room in the city, another opportune location for some strategically positioned junk. You might also spy John's big-ben costume from last Halloween up above the closets. Once again-- the addition of a nostalgic object makes this vignette that much more meaningful. Even if it is just clutter...  : )


We've got some other big D-I-Y projects brewing in the next few weeks, so don't give up on us yet, even if there are a lot of recipes sprinkled in there too! 

More eating, less designing...

Somehow, I got it into my head that we had to make potato-leek soup this weekend... I think I bought so many potatoes for the french fries that we had a major surplus at the end of that adventure, so then I went out and bought two big bunches of leeks... But then we ate those remaining potatoes (thinly-sliced, roasted in olive oil and salt, oh my god) last night for dinner, so now we've got tons of leeks and no potatoes... Oops. 

What's not to like there?

However, the craving hasn't diminished, so John has gallantly offered to go out and buy more potatoes, and we're going to take David Lebovitz's recipe for a spin.

John's rival

It's possible that when I saw this recipe, I said- out loud- "I would trust David Lebovitz with my life." Granted, I've never met the man, but I think he holds dear many of my same believes: 1.) Eating well is one of life's greatest pleasures, not to be squandered in the face of smaller pants, larger wallets, or fear of the unknown. 2.) Living in Paris and living in New York are the two greatest luxuries and necessities of life. 3.) Assuming you can't live in Paris or New York, you should try to go to both destinations as frequently as possible, even if it means sacrificing smaller pants, larger wallets, and occasionally, encountering the wrath of family and friends. (My words, not his, but I suspect he would agree with my synopsis of his ideology. Maybe we should start a club.)

With no further ado, here's Mr. Lebovitz's Potato-Leek Soup recipe:

Potato Leek Soup

6-8 Servings

2-3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
4 leeks, washed and sliced
salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; optional
1/4 teaspoon chile powder
6 cups (1.5l) water
1 1/4-pounds (600 g) potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground white pepper

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter or olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add the slices leeks and season with salt. Cook the leeks over moderate heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they’re completely soft and wilted.

3. Add the thyme, if using, and chile powder, and stir for about 30 seconds, cooking them with the leeks to release their flavor flavors.

4. Pour in the water, and add the potatoes and bay leaf.

5. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender when poked with a sharp knife. Depending on which potatoes you used, it could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

6. Pluck out the bay leaves and puree the soup with the white pepper, seasoning with more salt if necessary. I use an immersion (stick) blender, but if you use a standard blender, be sure not to fill it more than half-full and secure the lid, and cover it with a tea towel when blending, to avoid hot soup or steam for causing problems. Don’t use a food processor as that will make the potato purée gummy.

If the soup is too thick, add a bit more water, until it’s the desired consistency.

Mr. Lebovitz recommends that you toss in a couple of wintry greens and a dollop of creme fraiche to garnish this soup. I'll let you know whether that's necessary or if it is delicious enough to stand alone. 

Check back for my full report! 

Yow! French fries at home! Can it be true?

Late Tuesday night, I had a major hankering for the classic french dish, Moules Frites (mussels in white wine broth with french fries) but we had plans for friends to come over to our place for dinner, so I knew I wasn't headed out to our local french spot to quench that craving last night. However-- never one to be deterred-- I decided that WE would make the moules frites! The mussels aren't such a big undertaking. They sound fancy, but honestly they're a cinch to make. The french fries, on the other hand, are the real challenge. I'm pretty sure I've never had a good home-made french fry before, however every time I have a good restaurant french fry, it makes me want to go out and buy an industrial deep-fat fryer.

Against my better judgement, I decided to "google search it" to see whether there was a way around "oven-baked potato strips" which simply wouldn't be as good. I know they're healthier.... and they're nice.... and they're easy... but really. Let's be serious. They're just a disappointing non-fry. Let's call a spade a spade. And I wasn't interested in non-fries. I wanted FRY-FRIES. 


I found this recipe on epicurious, which I thought held a lot of promise. Because John's a good sport and I'm a good whiner, I was in charge of making the mussels and he was in charge of making the fries. He still kind of smells like a McDonald's employee this morning :)

  Classic French Fries:

ingredien

• 3 to 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 2 pounds Idaho or russet baking potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and dried
• Sea Salt, to taste

preparation

1. Pour enough oil into a deep fryer to reach at least halfway up the sides of the pan but not more than three-quarters. Heat the oil to 325°F.

2. Using a chef’s knife or a mandoline, cut the potatoes into sticks 1/4 inch wide and about 3 inches long. Dry the potatoes thoroughly with clean paper towels. Divide the potatoes into batches of about 1 cup each.

3. Fry the potatoes until lightly colored but not brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

4. Heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the potatoes in 1-cup batches until they are golden brown and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on fresh paper towels. Repeat with remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. 

The key to success here is twice-frying the french fries. So you do all of them once, and then send everybody back in for a second dip. Another tip, we used our mandolin to slice them, which made for beautiful, uniform, restaurant-looking fries in a flash. (Okay-- John used our mandolin to slice them. I'm scared of our mandolin because I think I'm going to cut off a finger.) The results of this experiment were surprisingly delicious and extremely close to restaurant-esque. On the whole, a success!

Highly recommended! 

For the mussels, I did a winging-it concoction of white wine, saffron, sweet onion, thinly sliced fennel, garlic, a little diced tomato, and store-bought seafood stock, but you can follow your dreams with the mussel broth. Just make sure there is enough liquid to steam the mussels open (5-8 minutes in a covered, simmering pot) and enough liquid to sop it up with crusty french bread or homemade fries! 

Below are a couple of recipes to check out, but like I mentioned, I encourage you to edit to your taste preference. One note: Most of these recipes recommend ONE pound of mussels per person. This is a CA-CA-crazy amount of mussels for a single person, man or woman, to eat in one sitting. I bought 2-1/4 lbs. to split between three of us, and we still had six or seven leftover that we literally COULD NOT BRING OURSELVES to eat, we were so full. My advice: Err toward 3/4 lb. per person, depending on your audience.

*Mussels with Cream, Fennel, and White Wine
*Steamed Mussels in White Wine
*Mussels in Saffron and White Wine Broth 


I think I took my cues from the last recipe, the mussels in a saffron and white wine broth, but based on name alone, I think you'll be in good hands with any of those recipes. I highly encourage you to track down some french music, light some candles, and have a delicious parisian meal tonight. You won't regret it.

(Although your house might smell a little greasy in the morning. : ) The cost of wonderful living!)

Check this one off the list!

Another victory for the After-Dinner Design home team. With much flourish and flurry, John and I finished spackling, sanding, painting, and re-decorating the two little bedrooms up at Fox Ridge. (Unfortunately, due to flourish and flurry, it was already rather dark when the rooms were photo-ready, so these aren't the best pictures I've taken... Blame mother nature.)

I'm thrilled with both colors-- the new "Quiet Moments" in our bedroom, and a refreshed version of "White Marigold" which was already in the guest bedroom, in need of some brightening up.

While we were at it, we decided to splash out for a couple of frivolities at Home Depot. By frivolities (which isn't easy to spell by the way) what I mean is we bought new curtain rods to match the brass bedsteads, and cool vintage-looking light bulbs to replace the dowdy looking glass globes on the sconces. I was particularly chuffed with the vintage looking light bulbs! If you're not familiar with these bulbs, they are made of clear glass so that you can see the filament inside. They're all the rage in Brooklyn, and you can buy those bad boys in Williamsburg for $20.00-- PER BULB! And now Home Depot is selling them for $6.00-$9.00, depending on size. Nice.

The curtain rods reminded me that sometimes the real beauty is in the little details-- by adding an extra $12.00 to this project, the curtain hardware now has an intentional quality that was entirely lacking before. Sometimes it's just worth it to spend the extra couple of dollars to get a more "finished" result. 

File that away in your Do-It-Yourself memory bank people! 

Okay, this doesn't really show you much-- but what a pretty picture. I couldn't resist including it. 

If by chance, you'd like to grow your own little narcissus in a pot (the daffodils shown above) they're currently on super-sale over at Restoration Hardware... AND they come with a cute little zinc urn to pot them in. 

Check them out!

Double-y Delicious!

The verdict is in on the recipe we tried last weekend, Mark Bittman's Winter Risotto with Parsnips & Greens, found first in the New York Times. This dish is delicious, and will win you much favor from your dinner guests.

What we have to say is: MMMMmmmm!!!!

A couple of quick notes, because we're nit-picking foodies-- these would be my changes. However, you may have noticed that my name IS NOT Mark Bittman, and I do not have an ever-running article in the New York Times and a jillion published cookbooks, so I'll understand if you're not inclined to implement my changes. : )

1.) I would recommend adding a little minced garlic (maybe 2-3 cloves) after the onions have "sweat" for a few minutes. I happen to love subtly garlicky risotto, so that's Tip #1. This is obviously a taste preference, but hey-- you like me. Give it a shot.

2.) I know I have a slightly thorny (previously mentioned) relationship with the parsnip, but I actually felt like they were a little too sweet. The tip here is to really stick to the recipe exactly. (I got a little overly-enthusiastic and bought maybe 3 more than we needed. Lesson learned.) So Tip #2, don't add too many parsnips.

3.) Make double! Yes-- double-- because then you can take the leftovers, stir in sauteed spinach, and eat it again. This is so good. Something miraculous happens to risotto after it has sat in your refrigerator for a night or two, and it becomes TWICE AS GOOD. It's like it fuses or something, I don't know, and becomes RADICALLY DELICIOUS.

Hopefully, you don't have dinner plans for tomorrow night, 

because this is what you should be cooking! 

Busy Bees! Buzzzzz....

As promised, John and I are tackling the task of repainting/repairing the two bedrooms up at Fox Ridge. It's no small undertaking-- there was a fair amount of plastering to be done in one bedroom (the blessings of an old-and-fluctuating-in-humidity-angled-roofed-house and a weird "access panel" that was a vestige from a frozen-pipe-flood before we bought the house) and then a whole lot of painting and edging in the other bedroom. Admittedly, there are also plenty of nail holes to fill in; I am an unabashed mover-and-rehanger-of-art, leaving a trail of hole-y woe in my wake.

We decided to divide and conquer-- John working on the scraping and spackling in one bedroom while I worked on the painting in the other room. In the picture below, you can see our bedroom in the midst.

Encroaching from the left, you can see the new color, the ever-lovely "Quiet Moments" by Benjamin Moore (1563). On the right, the color disappearing is an oldie but a goodie, Benjamin Moore's "Cameo White" (915).  We actually moved all of the furniture around last weekend, so at least I know where everything is going once we're finished, but right now, the upstairs is in a state of utter anarchy, and we've resigned ourselves to a night on the sofa bed in the living room. Which, I confess, is kind of fun. I love an adventure!

Onward and upward, eh?! Luckily, there is so much snow up here, there's really nothing else to do but paint. So hopefully we'll have these rooms squared away by tomorrow night!

P.S. I'll try and hunt down some "before" photos, and we can do a little "before-and-after" montage tomorrow.  

Double P.S. Yes, for those of you who noticed, we did just paint our bathroom in the city the same "Quiet Moments" that we're painting up here now. What can I tell you? I am driven by both economy and aesthetics in this instance, because I'm absolutely BONKERS for this color, but also because we still had almost a full gallon leftover once John finished in the bathroom. So- there you go! 

Star-Struck!

So last night was John's television writing debut! If you're a good and diligent reader of After-Dinner Design, you know that because you tuned in to watch and show your support.

I'm going to confess, at our viewing party, we all went a little bananas when John's name showed up on the big screen! 

Pretty exciting! 

In one last act of unabashed husband promotion, I'm now going to ask you to click on this link, and "Like" his episode on facebook. Or better yet, you can click on this link and vote for the show on TV Fanatic. (Look for the stars on the upper right side of the page... Vote 5 stars by clicking on the fifth star, if you loved it!)

Thanks guys! 

You didn't know it, but this is what you're doing TONIGHT!

Tonight at 10pm, CBS is airing a brand new episode of "Blue Bloods", the hit cop-drama starring Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg and Bridget Moynahan.  What makes this Friday's episode particularly special is that it was written by my incredible husband, John Moskowitz.  That's right, you're being invited to witness John's television debut.  And you can see a sneak peek of it right here!

http://www.cbs.com/shows/blue_bloods/video/2185001034/blue-bloods-the-uniform

So whatever your plans were, I strongly suggest that you cancel them. This is far more important. : ) And tell your friends and family members to tune in too. This is a win-win situation here: A great hour of TV for you and a bump in the ratings for John's show.  And if you're absolutely unable to watch the show, set your DVRs or least turn on the TV before you leave the house.  

I hope you enjoy the show and we both thank you very much for your support.  All the best.

BLUE BLOODS, "The Uniform" - Friday, January 13th @ 10pm on CBS

Heavenly risotto-- we hope!

John and I are going to make this heavenly looking risotto this weekend... I spotted the recipe last week in the NY Times, and I am beyond excited. Just look at that picture! Doesn't it just make you salivate? Am I the only one who feel this way about risotto? Surely not.

Holy buckets!

Here's the scoop: 

RISOTTO WITH PARSNIPS AND GREENS *

Time: About 40 minutes

Yield: 6 generous servings

½ pound parsnips, not too large

Salt and black pepper

Olive oil

½ pound kale, broccoli rabe or mustard greens

1 large onion, finely diced

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth

4 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth, or more if necessary

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 sage leaves, roughly chopped

Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, for grating

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the parsnips, quarter them lengthwise, and remove the tough core with a paring knife. Cut into ½-inch random shapes, put in a roasting pan, season with salt and coat with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Roast until tender and lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.

2. Remove the stems from the greens and cut them into ½-inch-wide ribbons. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, add salt and cook very briefly. Drain, cool and squeeze dry. Set aside.

3. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a heavy bottomed soup pot or large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook till softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir together with the onions until the onions are barely brown, about 2 minutes. Add the white wine or vermouth and cook until it evaporates. Add 2 cups broth and adjust the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon every minute or so. When the broth is absorbed, add 1 cup more and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the last cup of broth and cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked, but the grains are still firm. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding another splash of broth if necessary. Turn off the heat.

Again! Look at the picture above-- also courtesy of the NY Times! I mean good grief-- even the ingredients make my mouth water! 

4. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and the butter in a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sage and let sizzle without browning, about 1 minute. Add the roasted parsnips and chopped greens, season lightly with salt and pepper, and stir to coat and heat through, about 2 minutes more.

5. Transfer the risotto to a warm serving dish. Spoon the vegetables over and fold them gently into the rice. Serve with grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese.

* I know, I know, I know. I promised my brother that I would hate parsnips forever and ever and ever, but this recipe looks too good to resist. I can't wait to show Julia too-- she is CA-CA-CRAZY for KALE! I'll report back once we've made the recipe, but I have high hopes!

Brooklyn's On the Cutting Edge!

While in the dreaded D & D yesterday (not Dungeons & Dragons, but almost: the Decorator & Designer building) I spotted a great treat and a wonderful surprise! Centered in one of Lee Jofa's staged living rooms was this gorgeous wooden model staircase! Are we on top of things or what?!

In case you've forgotten, I bought one of these incredible staircases as a birthday present to myself last fall- at a little book store in Paris. It was one of the most expensive things I've ever bought for my own enjoyment, but possibly one of the cheapest miniature staircases to grace the planet based on the ones I've seen subsequently. I don't even want to know how much the one in the D & D sells for. I bet the kleenex is expensive in there! 

Never the less, it is always a pleasure to see beautiful things, and seeing the one in the D & D brought a smile to my face. And make me yearn to go home. : ) 

I'll be back soon with lots of new projects! Don't despair! 

Neglected in Brooklyn!

Sorry folks-- I really fell off the bandwagon this time. As usual, I've been bogged down with work, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening, only that I don't have anything to show for it yet. We've actually been busy with lots of little projects, I just forgot to take photos, so our progress is presently undocumented. (A cardinal sin in the blogging world! My apologies!)

-My office in Brooklyn has slightly expanded and significantly improved, due to the mysterious actions of my landlord... (He oddly decided to move the entrance door to my office, making my office larger and the outside hallway smaller... for free. Hmmm. Pretty weird.) So after a little wall and floor paint, and a newly-framed very old french ad poster went up, things are looking pretty sharp over there! I just have to put up the new surprise light fixture and then I promise I'll take photos... Sorry for my neglect!


-In other news, John and I are also giving Fox Ridge a big shake up. We've moved the bedrooms around, and next weekend, we're planning to re-paint them, and then the second floor will be a land transformed as well! I promise I'll provide photos of that too, before, during, and after. : ) 

Thanks for your patience folks! I promise I'll be back with camera in hand ASAP!

Yikes: Money doesn't buy you taste!

The New York Times just did this funny piece in the Home & Garden section, featuring all of the houses of the current republican presidential contenders. It's a good thing politicians aren't elected for their aesthetic preferences, or Michelle Bachman would be completely unelectable. 

That environmental/suburban nightmare was purchased for a mere $760,000. Jiminy cricket! That was not money well spent. She has more roofs than my block in Brooklyn, and seemingly no windows on the second story of the house. Yish!

If we were voting based on aesthetics alone (can we all promise not to bring politics into this please?) I'm inclined to think Mitt Romney might be the winner in this republican house tour, with his antiquated shingle-clad oasis in New Hampshire. Not bad really, though I'm not sure if owning four houses spread across the United States is considered to be environmentally friendly either. 

Jon Huntsman Jr. has pretty nice digs too... A stately brick townhouse in Washington, D.C. Not too shabby. And apparently it comes with a famous culinary background to boot. 

I confess-- I think my favorite might be Obama's family home in Chicago, which is a lovely victorian brick house. Maybe it's just my aesthetic bias, but I'm inclined to pronounce him the official winner! 

Fingers crossed! 

Julia's Parmesan Broth Soup: A Show-Down

Okay--so here's Julia's parmesan broth recipe. She spoke very highly of the flavor and ease of the recipe, and with far more enthusiasm than I could muster for my recipe, so if that's any indicator, I have a suspicion this is the recipe to use. She emphasized the importance of including the cannellini beans, which originally she was inclined to skip, so fight the urge to veer from the recipe. They seem to know what they're talking about... 

As soon as I've stock-piled another cache of parmesan rinds, I'll give it a crack and report back, but in the meantime, I'd love to hear feedback if anybody gives either recipe a try.


Cowgirl Parmesan Broth w/ Swiss Chard & Cannellini Beans

Serves 4 to 6

8 cups vegetable stock

5-8 ounces of Parmesan rinds (I only had 8 Parm rinds which weighed 5 ounces)
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
4 cups loosely packed Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into ribbons
2 cups cannellini beans (I used 2-15 oz. cans, which I strained and then rinsed with water several times)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
The juice of half a lemon
Toasted country bread, optional for serving
Shaved Parmesan for garnish

Rather than throw away the Parmesan rinds, toss them in a bag and store it in the freezer. You can toss in a parmesan rind to enhance the flavor of any soup or use all of them to make this Parmesan broth.

Over low heat, steep 8 cups stock of your choice with 5-8 ounces Parmesan rinds for about 45 minutes, until the rinds are soft. Strain the liquid and reserve. The rinds can be thrown away.

While the broth is cooking, clean the Swiss chard well, remove the stems and cut into ribbons. In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, sauté 1 smashed garlic clove in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat just until the garlic begins to color. Add 1 dried red chili, crumbled and 4 cups loosely packed Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves cut into ribbons. Stir to coat. 

Add the warm, strained stock and 2 cups canned cannellini beans and bring to a simmer. Allow the flavors to meld and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add a teaspoon lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup over a slice of toasted country bread, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top and a dash of Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bon Appetit! 

Wow, Wow, Wow: Big Movements in Brooklyn!

It's only been four days since my last post-- but so much has happened since then: 

1.) It's a whole new year! (Wooooooo 2012!!!! Happy New Year Everyone!) 

2.) John turned thirty (Woooooooo Happy Birthday John!!!!) 

3.) Julia and I have tested our respective parmesan soup recipes, and concluded that both of our recipes, while delicious, were slightly flawed. I will include her (now revised) recipe in the next posting, and will also highlight the changes to my recipe in my previous posting on parmesan broth soup.

4.) Somehow in the middle of all that, I also managed to con John into painting the bathroom. Not on his birthday mind you. I'm not completely heartless. : ) The bathroom was just not doin' it for me. Although I was completely in love with the color, Healing Aloe paint (Benjamin Moore 1562) it just didn't POP enough-- it didn't have enough contrast against the flecked-white wall tiles we're stuck with (yay- rental!) BUT! I also didn't want to make it too dark or too colorful in there, since it has a lovely sort of spa-like quality with all of those mirrors and the chandelier.

After brief contemplation, I opted for Benjamin Moore's aptly-named Quiet Moments (1563), just one shade darker than the Healing Aloe, but with just the right amount of definition to stand out in the bathroom. It is still a beautiful glassy green-blue-grey, but just slightly more saturated in color. Perfect! (It should be noted, another major perk to choosing a color one-shade-darker is that the towels and bath mats still work perfectly, so the bathroom got a noticeable face lift without spending a noticeable amount of money. Perfect X 2!) 

Not bad for four days, right? I'm impressed. (And slightly astonished, to be honest.) 

Off to a good start in 2012! Onward and upward!