Mmmm... Dinner tonight!

Julia invited a bunch of friends (John and me included) over for dinner tonight, and then sent me the recipe for the dish she's planning to make. Apparently it is a new spin on the classic "Pasta Fagoli", called "Pasta Fazool" by the fella who invented it. It looked so delicious, I couldn't contain myself, and had to post it on the blog... Just look at those pictures! Yow-zah! 

Since I'm not going to be cooking this dish, I will only be able to report on how it tastes, and not how easy it was to cook, but I've got high hopes for this one!      

        PASTA FAZOOL: 

3″ block of leftover meatloaf, 1/2 lbs Italian sausage, or 4 strips of bacon (optional)

for soffritto
2 medium onions chopped
3 medium stalks celery chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
6 cloves garlic minced

for soup
1/4 C vermouth
1 qt chicken or vegetable stock
2 C chopped tomatoes
3/4 C borlotti beans (cranberry) soaked overnight
Parmesan rind
1/4 C chopped fresh basil
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
salt and pepper to taste

4 oz dried pasta (I used orecchiette)
Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

If you are using uncooked meat such as pancetta or Italian sausage, brown them first, transfer to a plate, then use the fat they release to make the soffritto.

If you are use precooked meat or are making this vegetarian, add a generous splash of olive oil to a stock pot (about 2 Tbs).

Fry the ingredients for the soffritto until soft and about halved in volume. This process deepens the flavour of the soffritto (aka mirepoix) through a Maillard reaction, which causes sugars in the veggies to react with amino acids to form new flavour compounds.

Add the vermouth to the soffritto and cook until there is no liquid left. Add the chicken stock, chopped tomatoes, beans, Parmesan rind, basil, bay leaf and thyme. Allow this to simmer uncovered until the beans are tender (about 1 1/2 hours). If the soup start getting too thick, add a bit of water and continue cooking with a lid.

When the beans are tender, taste for salt and add more if needed. Add the pasta and cook until tender, you may need to add a bit more water if the pasta absorbs too much. Serve with bread and a generous dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

I'll report back tomorrow! 

While you're there, you should consider scrolling around the website "norecipes.com" to see what else he's cooking... There is a recipe for Pork Sugo with Strozzapreti that looks like it would blow your socks off. And the recipe for Five Spice Duck Confit Ragu looks Ka-Ka-Crazy! So much to cook, so little extra space in my waistline! : ) 

One step closer!

Okay folks-- we're about to tuck off to bed-- but I wanted to show off some of our results! The saga of the bathroom renovation continues, and we still have a long way to go until we can cross this off our to-do list, but this weekend we've done most of the floor (still a couple of touch-ups left to do next weekend), installed the new marble saddle, re-hung the door, and got the baseboards primed and installed. To be honest, I'm astounded we got so much finished in just two days. We're exhausted. Totally beat.


For next weekend:

★ Paint the walls and trim
★ Install new towel bars and a toilet roll holder

We've also got to decide if we're going to keep the beige towels I just bought at TJMaxx (shown in the photo at right...) Please forgive that they still have the price tags on... How gauche! I'm just not completely sold on them yet. (I put the cart a little before the horse there, and chose towels to match the bathroom rug before I chose wall paint, so we'll have to see how they look once I figure out the color scheme for the whole room. This is not a method I usually recommend, but I've got an optimistic feeling we're going to get good results...)

Check back soon to see what mischief we get up to during the week... 

Finally-- a FLUSH!

The home-improvement deities have smiled upon us, and we now have a fully functioning toilet in our bathroom again! Remind me to sacrifice a goat, ASAP!

In addition to getting the toilet reinstalled, we also made some major headway on getting the bathroom flooring tile down. I'm not going to lie-- that was a tough job (miserable) and was unbelievably challenging (time consuming, back-breaking, and clearly requiring more skills than we possess.) Both John and I have a GIANT new found respect for professional tilers, and have the aching backs and creaking knees to prove it. At one point during this project, I was definitely heard to say, "If I could walk away from this right now, I would." Sadly, there was a thick coat of thin-set setting on the floor at that moment, so there was no walking away in my future. Someone please remind me, the next time I do this (god forbid that day ever comes), USE SQUARE TILES! Hexagonal tile is a tricky son-of-a-b*#@!

Next steps: John's going to install new baseboards in the bathroom, then we're doing a couple rounds of grout. We chose "bright white" (which looked more likely muted-white to me...) because I didn't want the lines between the tiles to stand out with too much definition. It's an atypical choice, and a bit of a gamble, but I'm hoping it will end up looking just right when all is said and done.

We also have to cut and install our new marble saddle (to join the new tile and the pine floor in the hallway) and then cut down the door so it will swing smoothly over the new tiles. I kind of doubt we're going to get through everything on the list tomorrow, but here's hoping!

After all of that, we get to tackle the "fun" stuff: painting the walls, a couple of new accessories, new towels... I confess, we already got a little jump start on this phase of our project by replacing the toilet seat. I've got to say-- it is SO WORTH IT to replace your toilet seat periodically. Having a bright and shiny new toilet seat can make your whole bathroom look fresh, and for $20.00 odd dollars, what's not to like? (One handy hint: There are a surprisingly large variety of toilet seats available at your average big-box hardware store. I highly recommend taking your old seat with you so you come home the right replacement.)

Okay, now back to work... but more photos will follow! 

Fava Bean Soup, Oh My!

John and I recently made a fantastic Fava Bean Soup, using frozen fava beans (found in the freezer section of our local grocer). It was beyond scrumptious, and I'd highly encourage you to give it a shot, either as a starter course for a dinner party, or as a main dish for you and the fam. When we made this, we skipped the optional addition of bacon, and I'm pretty sure that sans bacon, it is a reasonably healthy recipe, so if you're looking for something delicious and nutritious, this is the recipe for you!

We found the recipe online, from that kook-adoo chef with the crazy hair, Anne Burrell. I tell you, she may have a gravity-defying do, but the lady can cook! 

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds shelled fava beans
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound bacon, cut into lardons, optional (but I highly recommend it) 
• **This is where Ms. Burrell and I part ways. We skipped the bacon, and didn't regret it in the slightest.**
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 ribs celery, cut onto 1/2-inch dice
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 smashed, 1 reserved whole
• 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock *We did 1/2 and 1/2, veggie/chicken stock.
• 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• High quality extra-virgin olive oil *Also optional, depending on how healthy you're determined to be...

Directions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat and set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Add the shelled fava beans to the boiling water. Once the water has come back to a boil, cook the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water and immediately put them into the bowl of salted ice water. Once the beans have cooled completely, strain them from the ice water. Peel the tough, light green outer layer from the beans. You will be left with a delicate, lovely vibrantly green tender fava bean. MMMMMM! Reserve these little lovelies.

Coat a large saucepan over medium-high heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add the bacon (if using, if not just start with the onions and celery) and once the bacon has started to become brown and crispy and is very aromatic, add the diced onions and celery. Season with salt, to taste, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Cook the onions and celery until they become translucent and are very aromatic. Add the smashed garlic cloves and the diced potato, stir to coat with the oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 of the reserved fava beans and 4 cups stock. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if needed. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender enough to slide easily off a fork when cooked, puree the soup in a blender* until smooth. You probably will have to do this in batches. *Alternatively, use an immersion blender, right in the pot, and then you don't have to fuss with the blender bit at all. That's what we did, with lovely, smooth results. Return the soup to the pot, and add the remaining fava beans. If the soup is too thick, add some the remaining stock to adjust the consistency. Taste the soup to check the seasoning and reseason, if needed. Ladle the soup into serving dishes, give them a little sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of big fat finishing oil.

Notes

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Onwards and upwards!

Onwards and upwards is right! With the William drama behind us, John and I are now able to turn our attention back to the bathroom renovation debacle up at Fox Ridge. I stopped and picked up our tiles on Friday morning from the always-wonderful Bella Tile in the East Village, so there's no stoppin' us now!

(If you're ever in need of tiles for your own projects and you live in New York City, Bella offers a terrific selection, great pricing, and you can find fabulous bargains in the sale-room of their warehouse.) 

Check them out: 

Bella Tile Showroom
178 First Ave at 11th Street
New York, NY 10009
Phone: 212-475-2909
Fax: 212-475-2499

                                               

We have the additional incentive of not wanting to spend ANOTHER weekend in the country without a toilet (don't ask... but it involves going into town a lot and peeing on our lawn in times of desperation) so we are determined to make some major headway this weekend. 

This is where we are as of Saturday morning, 8:00 A.M.: 

✓ Toilet removed (see hole in floor shown in photo at left)

✓ Baseboard moldings removed.

✓ Thin-set and Hardi-Backer board installed.

✓ 30 square feet of 1" hexagonal tiles in hand.

✓ 15 trips to Home Depot for assorted missing tools, materials, and hardware. 

✓ Determination to get this project over with (present, and growing!) 

I've promised John he can sleep for another half an hour, and then we're going to get cracking straight away. I'll report back tomorrow morning, but-- fingers crossed- I will never have to visit another Home Depot bathroom again! 

Wish Us Luck Folks, We're Goin' In!! 

Back in Action!

Okay folks! After a very bumpy last two weeks, we're back in action! William spent six very rough nights in the doggie-ER, pumping what seemed to be an endless stream of air out of his chest cavity, but once he sensed that we'd drained the very last of our savings account, he said "Enough's enough!", healed up right quick, and was sent home to us the next day. : )

We can't tell you how happy we are to have him home, even if he is a half-shaved, very-puffy, very-grouchy version of his former self. It really gave me perspective on the things we takes for granted in our everyday lives. We can't imagine a day without his smiling face, and now we don't have to!

Next week, he goes back in to have his surgical staples removed, and then this saga is finally behind us. Thank goodness, as we've got way bigger fish to fry at this point...

Also, a quick but very sincere thanks to all our family and friends who wrote and called while we were in the throes of all of this. It was wonderful having your support and warm thoughts... 

Family in crisis...

Sorry we've been negligent on updates this past week. We have made a lot of headway working on the Fox Ridge bathroom project, but this week has been preoccupied with a family emergency, making blogging a low priority.

Our much-loved dog, William, is currently on Day-2 in the Veterinary Emergency Hospital, after suffering from a "spontaneous pneumothorax" on Sunday afternoon. The gist of a spontaneous pneumothorax is that a blob (called a bulla) on his lung exploded, allowing air from his lungs to escape into his chest cavity, filling his chest cavity with so much air that it began to crush his internal organs. Luckily, we caught this before it became completely impossible for him to breathe, but he's undergoing surgery today to insert chest tubes to hopefully make it easier for him to breathe. He likely has another surgery tomorrow to remove another bulla still intact on his lung, and then hopefully we're through the woods. It's all very scary and the house is terribly quiet without him here, so I hope you'll forgive that our minds our elsewhere for now...

Check back later in the week, when we'll hopefully have lots of good news to report on his progress, and then we can return our focus to more cheerful subjects. Like the grueling process of tiling your own bathroom floor... 

We miss you William!

Words of Encouragement...

So as to not rue the day I had this bright idea, I decided to look up some encouraging photographs of other vintage-style bathrooms, beautifully tiled with similar white hexagonal tile. Let's all look at these images, breathe deeply, and try not to picture the hole in my kitchen ceiling... 

Oooooommmmm....

Albeit, this is a little more airy and light-filled (slash GIGANTIC) in comparison to our bathroom,
but they also have a lovely hexagonal tile floor. Maybe that's where the similarities end. 

Sadly, no amount of new tile will install a claw-foot tub in our bathroom. But this is a fine lookin' floor. 

Minus the dark border, this is probably the most accurate portrayal of what our bathroom floor will look like once all is said and done.

Not to brag, but we also saw our exact same white hexagonal floor tile in the bathrooms at Minetta Tavern last night, which was an encouraging sight. Minetta Tavern, for those who aren't familiar, is a super swank little restaurant in Greenwich Village that John and I tried last night. (Awesome, by the way...) We decided to treat ourselves to a special night out because it was our 10th Anniversary! 

Now, for a little more yoga breathing and we'll get through the next couple of weekends! 

Back to work at Fox Ridge!

Bathroom Floor: BEFORE

This past weekend, John and his dad Michael were tackling PART I of a three-part bathroom renovation project up at Fox Ridge. The downside to working on the house upstate is that we really only have 48 hours for each project before we have to head back into the city for another week of work, so when we're working on something big, like we are for the next couple of weekends, it unfortunately has to be broken up into several phases of implementation. Then, take into account that we end up devoting the better part of Saturday to running errands to pick up supplies and materials, and you're really looking at about 10 hours to get anything done. At that rate, it could turn into a four part venture. 

Slooow-goin'. 

The plan is to install a new 1" glossy white hexagonal tile floor into the bathroom in the country, but of course, there are A LOT of steps to doing that right. 

Bathroom Floor: Sans Molding

First, John and Michael popped out the existing floor moldings and the toilet, so they could be reinstalled above the new tile once its in. I'm not sure anything has ever been "popped out" in an old house like ours, but after a couple of hours, the moldings and toilet were no longer in the bathroom, and neither fella wanted to talk details, so I decided to leave it at that. Then they have to install a 1/4" Hardi-backer board on top of the existing not-so-level pine flooring, which they install with a layer of thin-set to level out the hardi-backer board over those uneven floor boards. This entails a lot of precise measuring, a good deal of cutting, and then some more measuring and cutting. The good thing about the hardi-board is that at 1/4" thick, it's really easy to cut. The bad thing about our bathroom is that is was evidently built by a one-handed, one-eyed carpenter, and there isn't a right angle to be found in there, so it required a lot of measuring and cutting. 

Things might be moving slowly, but they're are moving along great! 

***Right about now is when I walked through the kitchen and heard a "DRIP!" land in a bucket sitting on the floor. Keep in mind, this bucket was coincidently sitting on the floor, and was definitely not there to catch anything, since nothing was meant to be "DRIPPING". I walked over, curious about the source of the drip sound, and said in my least irritating-wife-who-isn't-helping voice, "Hey guys! Is something meant to be dripping? Because something is definitely dripping." There was about an inch of water already sitting in this perfectly positioned bucket. "Hmmmm....", I heard from the bathroom above. A few seconds later, I heard some even less reassuring sounds. Michael swearing. Something along the lines of "Sh--t, sh---t, sh---t." : ) 

Surprise hole in our kitchen ceiling...

It turns out that when John and Michael were removing the toilet, the old pipe that connected the water source to the valve broke right off, probably due to years and years of corrosion. Unfortunately, it broke right off IN THE FLOOR, which meant that we had to cut a hole in the kitchen ceiling to access the pipe. Oy. After some debate, it was determined that a professional plumber was the man best suited to fix this problem, so we turned off the water, called the plumber, and now we're patiently waiting until next weekend to get our precisely cut hardi-backer board installed in the bathroom. 

I think I spoke too soon when I said this was going to be a 4-Part Project. Oy. 

*When looking at the before-and-after photos of our bathroom floor, you might be wondering why I was so insistent on tiling the floor at all. I know it was a pretty color and everybody's a fan of a painted wood floor, but it was misleading... If anyone was taking a shower or bath, they had to be ultra-vigilant not to splash or let water escape from the shower because it would seep right through the wood floor boards and through to the kitchen ceiling. I know because this happened on more than one occasion. The thought of a life-time of hysterical bath mat placement just seemed daunting, and now seemed like as good of a time as any to put an end to that prospect. 

Super-Secret-SoHo-Skirt-Steak!

A few years ago, one of our very best friends (who will remain nameless) gave us the much-coveted, top-secret recipe for the unbelievably delicious wet-rub used on the skirt steak in his father's restaurant (which will also remain nameless). Oddly, it took us this long to get around to attempting this wet-rub ourselves, but TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT FOLKS, so hold onto your hats!  


We made up the wet-rub this morning, and after spreading it onto what looks to be about 2 feet of skirt steak late this afternoon, it is now happily marinating in the refrigerator. Tonight that baby's goin' on the grill, and I AM STOKED! I'm almost hesitant to share the recipe with you guys, because it's really that top-secret, but it's also too good to keep to myself, so if anybody asks you, just say you "found it online". Not exactly a lie. Not exactly incriminating either. Perfect. I hope you try it-- it will blow your socks off. : ) 


Super-Secret-SoHo-Skirt-Steak:
2 T. Garlic, minced
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 T. Paprika
2 T. Fresh, finely chopped Oregano
2 T. Grain Mustard


We used an immersion blender to blend all of these ingredients to a smooth paste, and then spread the mixture on both sides of the steak. This recipe seemed to make A LOT of marinade, so depending on how much of a garlic fan you are, you could probably halve the ingredients and still be in good shape. The "internet" recommends that you only let a skirt steak marinate for a couple of hours, tops, so you only need to plan a little bit in advance of when you'll actually be cooking this. Also-- don't forget to salt & pepper the steak right before it goes onto the grill-- NO SOONER. Another brilliant chef friend told us this is the key to a tender, moist steak. Salting too soon starts to dry out the meat before it even hits the grill. 

Key to a good skirt steak: Cut against the grain to serve. 

The grill should be super-duper hot, as hot as it will go (about 500-700 degrees F) and a regular skirt steak should only take 2-3 minutes, per side, for medium rare. Then take the steak off the grill, place on a (big) cutting board and tent with foil for 5-10 minutes before cutting. After you've waited patiently, even though your house is filling with the overwhelming delicious smell of steak, you can finally cut your steak. Skirt steak is best cut against the grain which will make it even more tender and delicious.   

NOW ENJOY!