giving thanks - day three

One of my nephew's had emergency appendectomy surgery late last night. So today, I am thankful that he is alright and on the road to recovery.

giving thanks - day two

Today I am thankful for this guy...

My Choppers. He does right by me (brought home a bottle of you-know-what to have with dinner tonight!), his friends, his family, and anyone fortunate enough to know him. I am incredibly blessed to have him in my life. He is, as they say, a good one. A very good one!

giving thanks - day one

Since the holiday is fast-approaching, it feels like a good time to start giving thanks. So that is what I will do this week. Every day, actually. Just one thing, (okay, maybe two, if it's a really good day) I'm thankful for on a daily basis. Fun!

And today...it's not chardonnay (horrors!), it's not food (though it could be, given the pecan pie leftovers). It's something that comes to me from the "lipstick" portion of my world. As half of the name of this site, you would think I would talk more about. Ah, well. 

So, here goes. Today I am thankful for spouses and/or significant others that pay attention, take notice, and compliment my clients (a.k.a. their wives and/or significant others)!! Is this goofy? To me, it is a sound that is as sweet as sweet can be (to borrow from my lovely Annapolis friend). And it makes my work wonderful!

Some of you lovely readers may know that I rep a specialty skin care line. Tonight, one of my new clients shared with me that not only has she noticed a difference in her skin since her new goodies arrived last Thursday. But her husband said he saw a difference too. Super sweet, no?! I mean, are men supposed to notice these things?

So to all you spouses and/or significant others out there (men especially) - check us out! Speak up! You never know how many people will be grateful for your kind words. Including me.

sunday dinner - rotisserie chicken with fingerling potatoes

There's something so relaxing and routine about Sunday. Lattes and Sunday Morning in the a.m.; maybe a few errands in the afternoon; a good long walk with the dog; and most every Sunday, Choppers and I make a deliberate choice to have a fantastic "Sunday Dinner".  

Today I got a new cookbook - Dinner at My Place, by Tyler Florence. How I love his recipes! Most often scrumptious, and very user-friendly. He's easy on the eyes, and I'm getting the impression there aren't enough "o's" in smooth to describe this chef. The show is cool, the website is cool, and even the music on his web site is cool. Rock on Tyler. Rock. On.

Anyway, back to the cookbook. I am already half-way through reading this one, and there are a stack of drool-inducing recipes and beautiful photos. Tonight it's the rotisserie chicken with lemon, garlic and fresh bay leaves. We are serving this with his lemon roasted fingerling potatoes (and Chardonnay!). Definitely Sunday Dinner worthy.

And the icing on the proverbial cake is dessert - which I am "rehearsing" for Thanksgiving. Chocolate Pecan Pie. God help me.

cold weather and warm meals

Our pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving was a wild success! We had 14 for dinner and fit everyone comfortably. Whew! I set two tables-one for six with black and white transfer ware atop plain white Crate & Barrel plates, accented with chocolate brown and silver; and one for eight with crystal candlewick atop deep red and white transfer ware, also with chocolate brown and silver. Glimmering and gorgeous! But no pictures. So sad.

But the stars of the evening were all the lovely and delicious dishes our friends brought. Highlights include homemade (a la Alton Brown) Green Bean Casserole. Which, in my humble opinion, is the only GBC anyone should ever eat! A dee-lish mushroom-infused dressing to accommodate our vegetarian friend, and the best damn gravy you can imagine. Choppers deep fried two turkeys. Wonderful. Oh, did I mention the pumpkin cheesecake with homemade whipped cream? Heaven.

For my part, I made my soon-to-be famous Spicy/Sweet mixed nuts (thank you Nigella!) and to-die-for caramelized onion chip dip (thank you Ina Garten!).

Last weekend was a perfect kick-off to our cold weather entertaining. There's something about a little chill in the air, just enough to warrant a cozy fire; big snowflakes lazily falling outside; a good meal (like the one in the oven right now), and of course...a bottle of Chardonnay!

Tonight's feature is a yummy Gallo Sonoma Reserve Chardonnay. Make no mistake, this is not your mother's "gallon of Gallo", or "jug of joy". It's quite nice. A good value. And it has all my favorites - oak, vanilla, butter.

The only problem is that we're having a Mexican fiesta tonight. Slow roasted pork studded with garlic and semi-spicy seasonings. I'm sure this is not the "proper" bottle of wine to serve with this meal. But I love it nevertheless.

I am open to suggestions though. Please, do tell...what would you pair with Mexican fiesta?

big meal in a small space

Every Thanksgiving Choppers and I spend a wonderful, gluttonous holiday with our friends. A tradition that good friends began many, many years ago for those of us not originally from our fine city and thus, no family nearby. This year, sadly, things have changed. So many of us will be celebrating in different homes and communities.

And even though we often get together for dinner with friends, it just didn't seem right that we weren't together for THIS dinner. So, in an effort to keep tradition alive, we are hosting a pre-Thanksgiving feast for our friends this weekend. It will be fabulous!

My dilemma. A small-ish house, a table that seats six (with the leaf in), and 14 guests. What to do? I don't need to create a formal, Martha Stewart perfect setting here. But, I would like everyone to be comfortable and able to eat a fantastic meal without spilling gravy in their lap.

Any suggestions, clever ideas, or strokes of pure genius would be greatly appreciated.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday is one of my favorite days. Mainly because it includes Sunday Dinner! And with snowflakes in the air, today is the perfect day for a cozy fire and some comfort food. Tonight it's Fettuccini with Bolognese.

I have to tell you, my house smells scrumptious! A heady mix of garlic, pancetta, and onion simmering away in tomatoes and red wine. Heaven.

If you've ever tried a Bolognese and have been less-than-impressed, give this one a try. It's a keeper. My husband has ordered many a Bolognese at various restaurants just to compare, and has not yet found one as good.

I suppose I should pour a complimentary red tonight...but I'll have to sneak a little oak and vanilla in before we sit down!

Fettuccini Bolognese

Loosely adapted from Tyler Florence

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

1/3 pound Pancetta, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs rosemary

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1-1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 28-once can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand

2 cups dry red wine

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound fettuccini

Freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano, for serving

Reconstitute the mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes until tender. Drain and coarsely chop.

Puree the mushrooms, pancetta, onion, celery stalks, carrots, and garlic in a food processor.

In a heavy bottom pot add the olive oil, bay leaves, and rosemary. Cook gently until fragrant. Remove herbs then add vegetable puree. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes.

Raise the heat a bit and add the ground beef and ground pork. You may need to add it in small batches to ensure you can nicely brown the meat. Brown until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up large clumps with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and simmer until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour in the tomatoes and wine, and season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Slowly simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every now and then until the sauce is thick. Taste again for salt and pepper. When you are ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente. Drain well and either toss with the Bolognese or add sauce to individual serving bowls.

Tyler Florence suggests also topping with a dollop of fresh ricotta cheese, shredded fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in addition to the grated Parmigiano. Delicious! But if you don't have all of those things, you're good to go with just the Parm.

What would you do?

One of my dear friends was, for lack of a better word, mugged the other night. She was leaving her condo (a converted schoolhouse, very cool), walking toward her car AT 7:30 P.M. and as she passed by a regular-looking guy leaning on a BMW he lunged at her and ripped her purse from her arm! Is this a "mugging"? Perhaps a purse snatching. No mind. She, thankfully, was unharmed. Pretty rattled, of course.

What was surprising to us both was her reaction. Her first thought was that he was going to grab HER and throw her in the car. She didn't use any profanity, she didn't chase after him. As he grabbed the purse, she yelled, "What are you doing?". Then she watched her beautiful, fabulously metallic purse shimmer in the street lights as the perp ran down the street. :(

Thankfully, she had her keys in her other hand.

Have you ever rehearsed a similar scenario in your head? Where you use your best kung-fu moves, or a swift kick to the you-know-what to ward off anyone with bad intentions. What do you think you would have done?

I hope to never have to learn what I would have done in such a situation.

Maybe you've had a similar experience though. Did your reaction surprise you? Do tell.

The good news? The purse was found the next day with everything intact - except for the digital camera!