Another window display under my belt!

I was given the opportunity to design two more window displays at the Broadway Carpet Showroom on 3rd Avenue and 68th Street, and of course, I jumped at the chance! I happened to have this terrific original (valuable) wassily chair sitting in my barn upstate (let's not talk about it... hoarding is a sensitive subject around this house...) and thought this was the perfect moment to justify having such an iconic chair gathering dust in my barn.

(Oy. Guilt.)

I combined it with this great chrome stool I already had (yes, also sitting without purpose in the barn) and recovered the seat in a bright blue fabric to make it "pop" a little. Then I coerced Mummy into making me a matching blue throw pillow to up the "pop" a little further.

Because I was given a (somewhat) generous budget for this window, I was also able to pick up some fun & furry throw pillows and a cozy throw blanket from Restoration Hardware during their fall sale, as well as a terrific chrome pendant light from Lowes, and added all of those elements to my display.

The idea here was to take a cold modern aesthetic (the chrome & leather of mid-century design) and couple it with something more playful and wintery-- a leopard print carpet, a fluffy flokati rug, and the furry throw and pillows from Restoration Hardware.

Add a dash of color, and presto! Modern meets the winter holidays!

Pork-o-Buco or Osso-Buco, depending on your budget...

I'm whipping up a terrific recipe for a dinner party tonight-- a porky version of Osso Buco, which I tried out first a couple of weeks ago, to A + reviews.  Mummy sent me the recipe from a website called "The Reluctant Gourmet", which seems to have all sorts of promising recommendations. To be further explored!

There's really no reason this recipe can't be made with veal instead of pork if that's your preference, I'm motivated purely by the economy of making it "porko-buco" style instead of the traditional veal version. (Pork shank, cut into 2.5" thick slices is about 1/3 of the price of veal shank prepared for osso buco. Multiply that by 6 people, and it adds up to a considerable savings, which can then be put toward the wine budget!!) Either way, the recipe is a cinch, and well worth a little advanced planning. *To Be Noted: Not all grocery stores have pork shank sliced and ready-to-go on their shelves, so you might want to go the day before you prepare this (or better yet, call ahead!) You want them to slice the shank width-wise, so you get 2- 2.5" thick discs from each shank bone, depending on the size of the shank. Take a look at the picture above to get a more clear idea of what you're shopping for...

Pork Osso Buco Recipe

Prep Time: .5 hr

Cook Time: 2.5 hrs

Total Time: 3 hrs

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1-tablespoon olive oil
• 4 pork shanks
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, chopped
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic
• 3 anchovy fillets or 3 teaspoons anchovy paste (optional)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1-cup chicken stock (have some on reserve in case you need a little more)
• One 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
• Bouquet Garni (peel of 1 lemon, ¼ cup parsley sprigs, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325º F. While the oven is heating up, prep your ingredients and then season the shanks with a little salt and pepper.

Once seasoned, heat the oil and brown the shanks in a large, ovenproof casserole pan or roasting pan. You can always brown them in a smaller fry pan, two at a time, and then transfer them to a bigger pan, ideally a dutch oven if you've got one...

When the shanks are browned, remove them and add the vegetables to the pan. Sauté the vegetables for just a few minutes until they start to brown a little. They will continue to cook with the meat while braising. If the vegetables appear dry, add a touch more olive oil. You can add the anchovy at this point if you are using it.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan of all the brown bits of meat and vegetables that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook down until most of it is cooked off. Add the chicken stock and diced tomato (with juice) and bring to a boil.

As soon as you come to a boil, turn off the heat, add the pork shanks and Bouquet Garni, cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Let this cook for about 2 hours. When the meat is tender and falling off the bone, it's done.

The Sauce:

When the meat is done, carefully remove the shanks from the pot trying not to let all the meat fall off the bone. Also remove and discard the Bouquet Garni. Using a hand blender if you have one, puree the sauce until smooth. If you don't have one, use your regular blender or food processor. You can also use a food mill too if you have one.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Served With...

Polenta! Roasted Veggies! You could also (deliciously) serve this over mashed potatoes or pasta depending on your audience... I've opted for parmesan-y polenta, french green beans, and a starter salad of roasted parsnips and kale. Yum! This is an inexpensive, as good as it gets meal for this time of year. I highly recommend you give it a try.

Great Art! Penguins! Cheap!

I found this wonderful "Counting Penguins 6 + 8" screen print on the Tiny Showcase website months ago, and thought it would be a terrific addition to our baby-having-household. However, when I contacted the people at Tiny Showcase, the print was sold-out and back-ordered, so I put aside my shattered dreams, and proceeded to buy an excessive amount of other baby-appropriate art work which most of you have seen by now... (Click here and here to revisit those galleries.)

Well! What do ya know!?! I got an email from the Tiny Showcase people a couple of weeks ago saying that they had a new version of the 6 + 8 print in stock which they thought I might like to see.

Fast forward two weeks, and I am now the proud owner of three 6 + 8 screen prints (a bright red & blue one for myself, and two of the blue & white editions, previously thought to be sold out, which they evidently found under someone's bed or something...)

Fast forward again to this morning, when Emily (my assistant/hero) went to IKEA and bought the perfect black RIBBA frame for my red & blue print.

Such a successful venture! $20.00 for the screen print, and another $15.00 for the frame, and now we've got a fun new child-inspired, but not too childish, piece of art hanging in our dining room. There is something about the chalky-color-saturated quality of this new penguin piece that works particularly nicely with my NYC vs. PARIS prints... Combined with almost identical frames and similar ivory mattes, they almost read like a triptych on the dining room wall.

Excellent! 

If you're going to go, go all the way!

After two days of turkey, stuffing, gravy, assorted sides, and loads of pie, we figured we'd take it easy today and eat our body weight in chili. Yes-- CHILI-- people!

John's dad whipped up a rad recipe of chili which he found in the Silver Palette cookbook. Apparently he made a couple of additions, but I can only report what I know from the internet's version of the recipe. (I'll find out what else he changed and make revisions to this post as needed...) He served it with a delicious rice dish, guacamole, tortilla chips, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese, and we were one happy crowd! Such a hit!! I think we've got a new Thanksgiving tradition in the making... Fingers crossed, John's dad agrees! 

Silver Palate's Chili For A Crowd

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound yellow onions coarsely chopped
1 pound sweet Italian sausage removed from casings 
4 pounds beef chuck ground 
1 can tomato paste - (12 oz)
1½ tablespoons minced garlic
⅓ cup ground cumin 
½ cup chili powder
¼ cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dried basil 
2 tablespoons dried oregano 
1½ tablespoons salt or to taste 
1½ tablespoons freshly-ground black pepper
3 cans Italian plum tomatoes - (28 oz ea) drained
¼ cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 cans dark-red kidney beans - (16 oz ea) drained
2 cans pitted black olives - (5½ oz ea) drained (optional)

Preparation: 

Heat the olive oil in a very large pot. Add the onions and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and ground chuck; cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the meats are well browned. Spoon off any excess fat and discard.

Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chili powder, mustard, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, wine, lemon juice, dill, parsley and kidney beans. Stir well and simmer, uncovered, for another 15 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Add olives; simmer for 5 minutes more to heat through. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 20 servings.

Thanksgiving Marathon!

Sorry I haven't posted since Monday folks-- but I've been so busy eating/cooking, I haven't had a free hand to type. We've cooked up loads of dishes (some successsful, some less so) and have eaten SO much more, it's hard to know where to start. First off, let me say:

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

Second: I think I'll cut straight to John's crowning achievement of the weekend; a truly scrumptious Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie. This wasn't a one-step-easy-cookin' kind of pie, but it was well worth the effort in the long run. We were turned onto the Smitten Kitchen website by a friend, and once John saw the enchanting photograph of the Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie, he was sold. I mean look at that photo! Could you resist?

I think not.

Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie

3/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9-inch tart shell

1. Par-bake pie crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pie refrigerated pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights and bake 15 to 18 minutes longer or until golden. If shell puffs during baking, press it down with back of spoon. Cool on wire rack. Lower temperature to 300 degrees.

2. Prepare filling: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce maple syrup by a quarter, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Whisking constantly, slowly add cream mixture to eggs. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a cup or bowl with pouring spout. Stir in salt, nutmeg and vanilla.

4. Pour filling into crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pie is firm to touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

A little more baby time!

Can one eat too many biscotti?

Yes.

Can one bake too many biscotti?

Definitely yes.

I am living proof. I have baked too many and I have eaten too many. And this latest recipe, Chocolate & Pistachio biscotti from the Food & Wine website, is the straw that broke the camel's back...

It is really good-- delicious actually-- and it produces 78 BISCOTTI. Sweet ba-jesus. That's a whole lot of chocolate pistachio biscotti. Now I'm just going to have to work my way through them... Someone's going to have to bear the burden, right?

Chocolate & Pistachio Biscotti

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4. Pinch of salt
5. 3 large eggs
6. 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
7. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8. 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
9. 1 teaspoon pure coffee extract
10. 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
11. 7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
12. 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (6 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs at low speed until a crumbly dough forms.
2. In another bowl, beat the brown sugar with the butter and the vanilla, coffee and almond extracts until combined. Scrape the mixture into the crumbly dough and beat at medium speed until a soft, sticky dough forms. Add the chopped chocolate and shelled pistachios and beat at low speed just until evenly distributed.
3. Divide the dough into 4 clumps and transfer 2 of the clumps to each baking sheet. Form each clump into an 8-inch-long rope; pat the ropes until they're about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Bake for about 22 minutes, until the logs are puffed and springy to the touch; rotate the pans halfway through baking. Carefully transfer the logs to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 200°.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the logs crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-thick slices; each log will yield about 20. Return the slices to the baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes longer, flipping the biscotti once after 15 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to racks to cool.

NOTES Gift Prep Pack 10 biscotti in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 1 week.

Cheap & Cheerful Art Day!

Yesterday was a day of art-spiration, and $49.00 later, I have three cool new pieces hanging in our apartment. Now for the grand tour...

A couple of weeks ago, Mummy picked up this terrific ABC wrapping paper ($1.00!) at a local shop in Williamsburg. It's the English-speaking counterpart to the french ABC wrapping paper that I picked up earlier this fall. It seemed only fitting to hang them together, so we can teach Jules both the English and French alphabet when we're walking around the apartment... I used another one of those awesome IKEA "Ribba" frames-- I just can't get enough of those! Only $20.00! Ka-zah!

 Second piece: I picked up these faux parking tickets at the 109 Gallery in Williamsburg. They are a play on genuine NYC parking tickets made by "The Concerned New Yorkers", asking their audience to grade the NYPD on their conduct and policies. They're really very funny if you take a closer look at them, but as a New Yorker, I also felt like there is something pretty hilarious about framing parking tickets in general, since they're such a huge part of our lives here... (Oy.) I tracked down a perfect square frame for these too-- another version of the IKEA "Ribba" frame for only $19.99! WHAT?!?!

Last but not least-- the third piece: John and I stayed in the city this weekend, and while John toiled away in the office, I hit the "Renegade Art Fair" in Williamsburg with a couple of friends. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I bumped into the people from Coral & Tusk, selling their beautiful embroidered cards and textiles there! If you remember rightly, I've already shelled out a small fortune for three of their embroidered fox cards for Jules' bedroom, so to say that I'm a fan is an understatement.

The good news is that they were having a sample sale of their wares, so I was able to get one of their "Fingers Crossed" cards for only $8.00 instead of their usual $24.00 price tag. I popped it into a vintage frame I already had, and voila-- $8.00 later, I had another fun piece to add to the dining room sideboard.

Great all around! Very inspired! Very $49.00! 

Pursuit of the perfect biscotti continues...

I made another tasty biscotti recipe for last night's dinner, to varied reviews. Personally, I think the almond version outshines the hazelnut, but John's younger brother voted that the consistency and flavor of the hazelnut was far superior-- so who knows. To each, their own, even with biscotti evidently.

The hazelnut recipe is also a cinch, but requires a couple more steps than the almond (including a food processor)... Once again, best when served with gelato and coffee after an enormous dinner. Highly recommended!

• INGREDIENTS: 
  1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (7 ounces)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups self-rising cake flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PREPARATION: 

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast hazelnuts in a shallow baking pan until lightly colored and skins are blistered, 10 to 15 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam 1 minute, then rub off any loose skins in towel while nuts are still warm (don't worry about skins that don't come off). Cool nuts completely, then very coarsely chop. 

• Pulse together sugar and 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl of mixer along with flour and beat at medium speed until combined well. Add eggs and vanilla and beat just until a dough forms. Reduce speed to low, then add remaining chopped hazelnuts and mix until incorporated. Turn off mixer and knead in any loose hazelnuts with your hands.

• Halve dough and, with dampened hands, form each half into a roughly 10- by 2- by 1-inch log on lined baking sheet, arranging logs 3 inches apart.

• Bake until golden and set but still soft to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave oven on.) Cool logs on baking sheet on a rack 10 minutes. Transfer logs to a cutting board, discarding parchment, and cut logs with a serrated knife on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

• Arrange slices, cut sides down, in 1 layer on unlined baking sheet. Bake slices, turning over once, until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool biscotti completely on sheet on rack, about 30 minutes.

Cooks' note: Biscotti keep in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks.

Did somebody say, "Meatloaf!"?

Whipping up another hearty dinner tonight, inspired by the chilly nights we've recently had in Brooklyn! This recipe is tried and true-- and something Mummy used to feed us in high school-- so while I wouldn't exactly call it high concept, it is down right delicious. There are, like, nine people on earth who don't like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and I'm fairly confident none of the people attending our dinner party tonight fall into that camp, so hopefully we won't have to face the temptation of leftovers tomorrow. (A meatloaf sandwich is like my kryptonite. I can blast through an astonishing amount of meatloaf sandwiches for a person my size. Be warned.)

I have a very vague recollection of blogging this recipe a while ago, but it's a goodie, so what's the harm in a refresher, right? Thanks again to the less than obvious source, fashion designer Bill Blass. Kudos sir! However, if you're in the mood for a different meatloaf recipe, the NY Times has a dozen other suggestions to experiment with...

Bill Blass's Meatloaf

ADAPTED FROM ''NEW YORK COOKBOOK''

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds ground beef sirloin
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Heinz chili sauce
• 3 slices bacon

1.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl and cool.

2.

When the onions are cool enough to handle, add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper to the skillet. Whisk the egg with the Worcestershire sauce and add to the mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, combine the mixture and mold into the shape of a loaf.

3.

Place the meatloaf in the prepared pan. Top with the chili sauce and bacon slices. Bake until firm and nicely browned, about 1 hour.

It's possible that I may also experiment with another biscotti recipe for our little shin-dig tonight. So far I've made Martha Stewart's Almond Biscotti recipe twice, to rave reviews, so my confidence has been bolstered and I think I'm going to try another recipe involving hazelnuts. (I happen to have an unopened bag of hazelnuts in our pantry, so that's pretty much the extent of my inspiration.)

I'll follow up with a recipe for Hazelnut Biscotti once I've taken it for a spin. 

More good publicity...!

One of my projects with ElevenTwoEleven Design was just included on the Elle Decor Designer Registry website!

Another dash of good, free publicity! I'd strongly encourage you to head over to the Elle Decor website and "like" my project. (Click the "like" button below my image on their site...) I need all the reinforcement I can get! : )

Thanks again team! 

AWESOME TEAM WORK!

Hey readers! 

Thanks for visiting my posting on Project Nursery! My rating has sky-rocketed, and we've already had over 700 views of Julian's nursery.

AWESOME! 

If you haven't had a chance to check it out, pop over and see Julian's nursery project on their website... You can also see loads of other nurseries featured if you're shopping for ideas. It's incredible how many creative nurseries people have designed. Truly a fun site to visit for the baby-crazy... : )

And thanks to the people at Project Nursery for including me on their website! Always an honor and a pleasure to participate!

Project Nursery Posting!

Hey team! 

To all of my dedicated readers: I just sent photos of Julian's nursery over to the people at Project Nursery, and his project is up and running already! The more people that view the project, the better; and the more people who give me a high rating, the better; so head on over there, check out my posting, and then click on the stars to give us a score! (Literally, you click on the 5th star for 5 stars, the 4th star for 4 stars, and so on, right next to the word "Rate:")

And of course, feel free to share the love (and link) with anyone you know who might be interested! 

Thanks for your support guys! 
(wink, wink...)  

Sold on biscotti: Morning, Noon, and Night.

We had a bunch of people over for dinner last week, and I whipped up a batch of Martha Stewart's Almond Biscotti for dessert. These are silly easy to make, and produce a whopping 40-odd biscotti, so with minimal effort, you've got biscotti to last you the rest of the week. The good news about biscotti is that you can eat them with coffee for breakfast, with coffee for an afternoon snack, or you can spruce them up with a scoop of ice cream and have them for dessert. At that pace, I was able to successfully clear through 40-odd biscotti in no time at all.

"These Italian cookies are made without butter or oil and are twice baked to crisp perfection. Mix up the flavor with ingredient swaps and feel good about eating more than one."

• (Or in my case, a dozen...) 

  
  

  Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add almonds and beat until combined.
2. Divide dough in half and transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Form each half into a 2 1/2-inch-wide, 3/4-inch-tall log. Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack, 20 minutes.
3. With a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/4-inch slices on the diagonal and arrange, cut side down, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until biscotti are crisp and golden, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets and flipping biscotti halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Cook's Note

The dough can be sticky, so lightly flour your hands or coat them with cooking spray before shaping it into logs. Making the logs as uniform as possible ensures even baking.

Store biscotti in an airtight container, up to 2 days, or freeze, up to 3 months.

*Note: The reviews for these biscotti on the website were a little mixed, but I'm telling you, they were a roaring success at our house, so don't listen to the masses, listen to me! They're delicious! 

Sprucing up the bathroom...

...and saving money doing it!

I recently decided that I wanted to brighten things up in the bathroom in Brooklyn, so when I spied these Coyuchi bath towels, hand towels, and matching bath mat on the One King's Lane website, I decided, "What the heck!" and took the plunge.

Imagine my pleasant surprise when I bumped into them again, featured in this month's Elle Decor, shown at more than twice what I paid for them on One King's Lane. Not only a good deal, but evidently, also a good find!

On request...

I've been getting a lot of grief for not posting enough photographs of Julian. Evidently people (grandparents...) are more interested in him than rib recipes. Shocking... : )

It should be noted, both are great! However, ribs are not remotely as cute as this kid.

I mean seriously. Look at those boots. Look at that bear suit. Yow-zah. 

He was feeling particularly enthusiastic when I took this picture... 

Heavenly Rib Recipe-- The Sequel.

While Mummy was in town, we decided to try out a new "BBQ-free" rib recipe. Anytime we find a tantalizing sounding recipe that involves meat but doesn't require a barbecue, John and I jump at the chance to give it a shot, because living in the city really limits the amount of grilling we can do...

I found the recipe on the Tasting Table website (well-- really-- it found me, because they email out recipes a couple of times a week if you're on their mailing list...) The recipe turned out to be incredibly easy, fairly inexpensive, and utterly delicious. I think it's the perfect weekend dinner party recipe because the majority of the "work" is about putting them in the oven for a very long time, so you can set them cooking, and then go about your day... SO GOOD! 

Fennel-Glazed St. Louis Ribs Recipe adapted from Michael Oliver, The Library at The Public, NYC

Yield: Serves 4 as an appetizer (double the recipe to serve as a main course) INGREDIENTS 1 rack St. Louis-style pork ribs (about 2½ pounds) 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, divided ¾ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup sherry vinegar 1 cup granulated sugar, divided 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 250°. Place the ribs on a long piece of aluminum foil (slightly longer than the rack of ribs) and season with ½ tablespoon salt and ½ tablespoon pepper. Fold the aluminum foil around the ribs so all the meat is covered. Place on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake until a paring knife easily slides into the meat, about 3 hours. Reduce the heat to 225°, and continue to cook the ribs until they are very tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours. 2. When the ribs are nearly done cooking, start the fennel glaze: In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the red wine vinegar and the sherry vinegar. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. 3. While the vinegar reduces, caramelize the sugar: In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, evenly sprinkle ⅓ cup of the sugar. Cook the sugar without stirring until it begins to melt, then slowly sprinkle in the remaining sugar, cooking without stirring, until all of the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar begins to turn golden, swirl the pan as needed to cook the sugar evenly until a uniformly golden caramel forms, about 7 minutes. Slowly pour in the reduced vinegar mixture (the caramel will hiss and bubble) and stir to combine. Stir in the ground fennel seed, ½ tablespoon black pepper, the red pepper flakes, lemon juice and 1½ tablespoons of salt. Remove the fennel glaze from the heat. 4. Remove the ribs from the oven, carefully open the foil and transfer the ribs to a baking sheet (pour any juices from the foil into the fennel glaze). 5. Increase the oven temperature to 400°. Use a pastry brush to coat both sides of the ribs with some of the fennel glaze, and place the ribs in the oven to warm the glaze, about 5 minutes. Remove the ribs from the oven and brush with additional glaze. Slice the rack into individual ribs and serve.

Today Is The Day People!

Just an enthusiastic reminder for everyone to GET OUT THERE AND VOTE TODAY. Even if you have to haul yourself halfway across town, wait on a long line, and skip lunch to do it, 

GO VOTE! 

It is your right and your duty as a citizen to participate in the electoral process-- so go and make yourself heard! 

Note Jules's patriotic stars-and-stripes attire... Perfect for election day!

Even Julian hit the voting booths today! If he can, you can! 

Perfecting the art of the throw blanket...

A time consuming task, as it turns out.

I've always kept a throw blanket on our sofa, primarily to off-set the dog-on-fabric ratio between William and our slick new-to-us Room & Board sofa. However, until I recently saw the image below in the November issue of House Beautiful, I was never really sure what to do with a throw on the couch. I'm really digging the way they positioned their throw and think this is a pretty fine suggestion...

Now that I'd identified this stylish approach to the throw blanket, I attempted to recreate it in our living room. Granted, we're a little light on the grand portraiture paintings and the gold gilt frames, but there's no reason our throw blanket can't convey a posh air, by gad! 

Except, as it turns out, it actually takes a surprisingly long time to get a throw blanket positioned "just so", and god forbid a dog or person sits in the vicinity of the throw, and you might have to start all over again!