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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Beef Short Ribs Braised with Wild Mushrooms and Tomato – I Sure Hope Youre Having Bad Weather

This video recipe for beef short ribs braised with porcini mushrooms and tomato is so comforting, so satisfying, and so deeply warming that when I make it, Im actually disappointed if its not storming outside.

I mean, why waste a dish like this on a nice day? I havent quite mastered controlling the weather yet (although, from what I hear, many of my old habits have raised the globes temperature a little), but this time of year you can usually count on Mother Nature blessing you with some cold, wet weather in which to enjoy these ribs.

The short ribs are slowly braised with easy-to-find dried porcini mushrooms (for real, ask someone at the fancy grocery store and theyll find them for you!) until they turn into a triumph of fork-tender goodness.

I love these short ribs over mashed potatoes, but the rich tomato and mushroom gravy is fantastic over soft polenta as well. I really hope you give this cool weather wonder a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried porcini mushroom
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef short ribs (about 8-10 pieces)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried rosemary

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Since I Cant Give You the Finger Video Heres a Baked Acorn Squash Tease

Due to certain high tech machinations and assorted Silicon Valley vagaries, it doesnt look like the chicken finger video will be flipped until Monday. In the meantime I thought Id give you a little peak at these baked acorn squash. which will air in a recipe video very soon. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

How I Would Wear It 7 For All Mankind Rachel Bellbottoms

{7 For All Mankind Rachel Bellbottom, petite, $169}

Preface:

I remember watching some story on 20/20 as a kid about how almost every currency bill in circulation is laced with trace amounts of cocaine from all the hands of drug addicts theyve encountered. It got me wondering, what ELSE is on my money? In an effort to appease my OCD hand washing complex, I decided the best thing to do with my money was to get rid of it as fast as I got it. And thus, an addiction to shopping was born.

As much as I love(d) dropping my hard-earned money on a fabulous pair of shoes or a dress so sick it will make you vomit, you might be surprised to know I still struggle with the concept of paying more than $100 for denim. In fact, it was only last year that I bought my first pair of designer jeans: Citizens of Humanity dark wash flare legs for around $170. (I can hear Kyle rolling his eyes in disgust already.)

I dont wear jeans much anymore--my office only allows them on Friday and I refuse to cover my legs in the summer--so it seemed a bit extravagant. AND IF THERES ONE THING IM NOT, ITS EXTRAVAGANT!!!!!

But like I said, I did buy a pair last year that Ive grown to love. The wash is perfectly dark blue and the flare is just enough without conjuring up images of Jan Brady. To make matters worse, theyre actually really comfortable. So I bought them. I bought them hard and I bought them good. What complicated things, though, was the length.

Are you under 58"? Have you ever tried on designer jeans?? Did you find yourself swimming in superfluous yards of fabric, wondering what kind of beanstalk GIANT these things were actually made for??? Did you consider having that surgery where they break your knees and make you 4 inches taller??? If you answered yes to any of these questions, welcome to the club, because thats the very thought process I went through as I tried on pair after pair of designer jeans.

"You can get them hemmed at a tailor," suggested the TALL salesgirl.

"Well, I would," I told the salesgirl, "but if I got them hemmed to fit my short, stubby body, then the leg would no longer be a flare, now would it?!"

After that she stopped being helpful; Ill never figure out why.

ANYWAY, thats a really long-winded way of telling you how excited I was to find that perennial denim favorite, 7 For All Mankind, has started making its Rachel Zoe-inspired Rachel Bellbottom in a petite. Ive been lusting after these for a while with their great dark wash and fitted-through-the-knee giganto flared leg, and now I could actually wear them (with heels OR flats) and feel good about ridding myself of my drug money.

Lets start with the shoe, since, after all, Ive been confined to wearing jeans with heels most of my life, due to my aforementioned height deformity. Clearly the idea is to wear a flat, and though the idea of me in a flat seems almost sacrilege, I love this one by Sam Edelman:

{Sam Edelman Exie Sandals, $120}

Theyre a little bit Rock N Roll, a little bit dangerous weaponry. And since I wont be stepping on the bottom of my jeans, the back of the sandals can finally have their moment of glory.

To bring a punch of color to the look (it is summertime after all), I love this Zara top with the bold orange on the bottom:

{Zara Combination top, $39.90}

As a petite gal, its important to make sure passers-by know that you do, indeed, have a torso. Im suffering from a mild obsession with leopard at the moment, and since I think orange and leopard are practically neutrals when paired together, chances are quite good that Id tuck the front of the top into the jeans. This one is perfect for all of the above reasons:

{7 Hill Belt, $32}

With such a simple neckline, this look is crying out for a fabulous necklace. This one has just the right combination of color, making it perfect for a casual look like this, and just as easy to dress up with a slutty nighttime outfit:

{Tinley Road Necklace, $38}

With a statement necklace, belt, and shoes, you may feel as though Id be done, but Im not!!! For a touch of whimsy, I love these crab earrings by Betsey Johnson (and not just because theyre my zodiac sign):

{Betsey Johnson Crab Studded Earrings, $30}

Speaking of zodiac signs, I got a birthday coming up. Mightnt these make a nice present, KYLE?!?!?!

I feel pretty good about this look and what it says to the world.

"SUCK IT, TALL BITCHES," is what its saying, by the way.

Are there any other shorties with this designer denim problem? Have you figured out a way to remove the extra length without destroying the shape of the leg?? Do you plan on wearing those crab earrings and telling people "I got crabs!" like I do???

Sunday, February 9, 2014

So You Can Use Real Food to Lose Weight Without Dieting – I Knew It!

I’ll probably never write a book on healthy eating (I know, you’re shocked), but if I did, I’d like to think it would be similar to “Foodist,” the new book by my friend, and favorite neuroscientist, Darya Pino Rose. I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Ms. Summer Tomato, but have always believed that delicious food is the solution, not the problem; and that relying solely on willpower to change behavior never works, for anything.

Genetically predisposed appearances to the contrary, I live a relatively healthy lifestyle (or “healthstyle” as it’s referred to in the book). I’m quite active, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and generally stay away from processed foods. At this advanced age, I know what makes my body and mind feel good, and I try to eat as many of those foods as possible.

Of course, I’ve based most of my personal eating theories on intuition and anecdotal evidence, so it was nice having someone who actually understands all this stuff explain the science behind it. Besides learning why all those diets you tried didn’t work (spoiler alert: it wasn’t your fault), the smartly organized book is chock full of great tips and techniques, presented in an entertaining, often irreverent style.

I really did enjoy the book, and despite my complete lack of objectivity, I would enthusiastically recommend it to others. For more information, you can follow this link to Amazon, where the book is getting rave reviews (by people who actually paid for it). Enjoy!