Holiday Food: Applewood Smoked Ribs

Smoking ribs and corn on Labor Day 2012

It's becoming a tradition for me to cook something special on the holidays:  New Year's is always a standing rib roast.  Christmas is a turkey... you know. The usual.  Warm weather holidays have increasingly found me smoking ribs, or brisket. today no exception.  RIBS.

Perfect.  Smoke ring, tender, delicious without a sauce.

I started with St. Louis style pork ribs.  I use a simple rub and smoke for 5-6 hours.  Recipe below!

Standing at attention: two racks, split and smoked upright.

APPLEWOOD SMOKED PORK RIBS

2 racks St. Louis style pork ribs split in half

RUB:

3 TBS  each: garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika (I use Hot Hungarian smoked paprika), black pepper and sea salt. 
2 TSP ground chipotle pepper (watch this:  smoky and delicious but too much just over whelms the palate)

PROCESS:

Split the racks in half.  Pat dry and rub all over with the rub.  I like to let them rest a while (an hour or so is fine) at room temperature.  I use an upright rib rack placed mid-way up in the smoker.  Fire up the smoker - mine is a propane based upright smoker. I use plain water in the water pan, but beer is good too.  I use applewood chips and keep the temp down to no more than 225 degrees.  These ribs went for 5 hours today while I finished the trim in my powder room and did a fwe other chores.  Open only the bottom to replenish the chips in the first two hours.  Over smoking makes a bitter taste. Likewise if you make the chips burn you get a sooty, burned, acrid flavor. Not nice.

These are by no means strict rules.  I just wing it as much as anyone else does and these came our great.  They are going to be paired with some smoked corn on the cob and a sourcream-dill potato salad.  Yep. Not for the faint of heart, but delicious once in awhile.  Enjoy!

Shoe Love: Crockett & Jones

I admit it: I am a shoe addict.  Pure and simple.  And nice shoes aren't cheap. A decent pair of men's dress shoes will set you back anywhere from $400-$1500.  And we aren't even talking bespoke (the likes of John Lobb, et al.)

My closet is full of nice shoes. Some I have had for over 15 years.  That air of crocodile loafers you said I was an idiot for spending $750 on?  Yep. 15 years. Amortize that.

My latest discovery is Crockett & Jones.  I got a pair of "Drummond"; a brogue oxford shoe with wingtip design and light punching detail. Made from the finest calf leather and suede with single leather soles for the Crockett & Jones Men's Main Collection

These are English shoes. Fabulous construction. Not s costly as some, but not cheap by any means.  Check out this video from the C&J website - it's really amazing.  Afterward, try to hold off from immediately running out and buying a pair. They are hard to find unless you are in NY - Barney's or the C&J store (the only retail location int he US).

Healthier Eats: Chocolate Chip Cookies

We are all trying to help out a little with regard to dietary restraint, right?  But hey, I like a cookie now and then.  So as a compromise, I adapted this recipe from egglesscooking.com.  These are not eggless - there was one adaptation.  I didn't use wheat. I wanted to experiment with other natural grains and these were the result.  The texture is a little different, a little more "grainy" but the flavor is delicious, and healthier than the usual variety.

Oat & Brown Rice Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Prep time: 15 Mins     Cook time: 10 Mins

Yields: Approximately 30 cookies

 

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/4 cups Oat Flour
• 1 and 1/4 cups Brown Rice Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 cups Brown Sugar (I used Spelda Brown Sugar Blend)
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Canola Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 large egg
  

Assemble!

1. Preheat the oven to 375F/190C. Grease (use shortening/butter/non-stick spray) the baking sheet (I use a Silpat silicone sheet on a half sheet pan myself);
2. Beat the egg;
3. In a large bowl combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix well;
4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned.
5. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the sheet before removing to a cooling rack (this is why I use two sheet pans at a time).

Shared Vision: Hooked on Houses/Stephen Saint-Onge

One of my new favorite blogs, "Hooked On Houses" had a before and after feature that I think is outstanding. It is exactly my taste - I could live in this room exactly as Stephen Saint-Onge designed it (his blog is "Designer Dad"). All photos from Stephen Saint-Onge!

Before & After: Designer Stephen Saint-Onge Turns a Little-Used Dining Room Into a Family Room

Reblogged from hookedonhouses on July 30, 2012

Before:

After:

Check out Stephen’s blog Designer Dad to see the rest of the pics and get all the details about the transformation.

You might also like his book, No Place Like Home.

Eat This: Stilton Pecan Cocktail Crackers

Photo: Courtesy Gourmet or Gourmand

These Stilton Pecan Cocktail Crackers were adapted from a recipe from Ina Garten.  I edited this recipe, adding some other distinct flavors and these are a favorite!  Served with cocktails or just as a snack cracker, they are addictive and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8 ounces Stilton cheese (or other fragrant blue cheese), crumbled (about 12 ounces with rind), at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of Chipotle powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I use a KitchenAid stand mixer), cream the butter and Stilton together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and pepper, chopped pecans and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined. You may need to adjust the water depending on your situation and humidity.

Place the dough onto a floured surface (I use my quartz countertops because they stay so cool), press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the log 3/8ths-inch thick with a small, sharp knife and place the crackers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (I use a Silpat half sheet pan myself). Brush with the egg wash. Bake for 22 minutes until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

Fresh: Bedroom Update

I have been in my home for 5 years now.  The bedroom was basically unchanged, so I thought a little update, a little refresher.  This was the BEFORE:

I added some draperies made from canvas painter's drop cloths (from Lowe's).  I washed them and dried them, so forgive me, they aren't yet ironed. Photos below taken with a Nikon D5100 DSLR in automatic mode.

This is the AFTER:

The chaise in my bedroom is a very comfy place to sit and read, or watch TV, or just relax. The big, waxed pine entertainment center came with me from Florida.  I bought it at Rooms To Go and think that for something like this, it was a great purchase.

I raised the drapery rod up as high as possible to give the 8.5 foot ceiling some visual "height".  I used a dark brown "Aged Coffee" colored rod and clip rings.  I got the rod and rings from Overstock.com.  The tortoiseshell shade was from Lowe's too.

Those lithographs on the wall were previously hanging over the nightstand lamps.  They came from a garage sale in Dallas in the early '80's. I decided I wanted mirrors behind the lamps.  I bought this pair for less than $100 for both at HomeGoods!  I like the effect.

I relocated the prints to either side of the window.  

This is a Victorian, faux bamboo sewing box that belonged to my great grandmother.  I use it as an accent table at the entry to the bedroom.

I wish I knew something about these ceramics.  They were in  my grandmother's house for as long as I remember.  They are a granite colored ceramic with these BRIGHT red roses on top.

Milo, fresh from the groomer, almost is invisible on the bed.  My friends say that I got Milo because he was color "neutral".

Friday Inspiration: House Beautiful

When was the last time you cracked the cover of a House Beautiful magazine?  Me either, until it became an online resource.  I am sitting in LAX, surfing through some sites and snagged these inspirational photos. Each one has something I really like. Each one brings something to the table.  Might just be one table, or a chair, or the overall saturation of color and texture.  Something.  Enjoy!

All photos courtesy of House Beautiful.

Delicious: Peach, Blackberry and Raspberry Cobbler

Once in awhile I just get the urge for something decadent, satisfying and seasonally appropriate.  Thus tonight's cobbler. It is so good, you will have to really resist the urge to immediately dig in when it comes out of the oven.  But wait.  15 minutes won't kill you and it's worth the wait.  Serve it up with some frozen vanilla yogurt or vanilla ice cream.. delicious.

Peach, Blackberry and Raspberry Cobbler
(adapted from Cooking Light 2008)

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• Cooking spray
• 2 fresh peaches peeled and diced into "berry sized" piece
• 6oz. fresh blackberries (one container)
• 6oz. fresh raspberries (one container)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk 
•  

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1/4c melted butter into the bottom of a 2-3 quart dish coated with cooking spray. Combine peaches, blackberries, raspberries, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1 tablespoon flour in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup sugar and toss to combine. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; mix with a whisk. Add remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter and milk, stirring with a whisk. Pour batter evenly over fruit mixture. Bake at 350° for about an hour until golden brown. Let sit for 15 minutes before you dig in.

Stay: The Standard, NY

Overlooking the waters edge

I recently stayed in NY at The Standard Hotel in the Meat Packing district.  Sounds grimy and gritty, right?  No.  Diane Von Furstenberg, Hugo Boss, many upscale designers call the area home.  It is filled with unbelievably beautiful people and I was surprised.  The Concierge told me that it was a haven for models, euro visitors and well heeled US visitors as well.  And at prices that are palatable for me, $375 a night for a postage stamp sized room was OK!  The larger suites are commensurately more expensive running around $1000 a night.

Looks a bit like an alien spaceship has landed

 One note: the staff were all well under 30 as was most of the clientele.  I remarked to my travel companion that I had luggage older than most of the people we encountered there.

I didn't get a suite like this

The view from my room

 The Diane von Furstenberg glass penthouse atop the building housing her showroom was unbelieveable.

The glass dome is the DVF building.

View across to NJ

Interesting carpet in the hallways.

Let's Do Lunch: Merchant's, Nashville

At lunch, ask to sit in the downstairs.

I had lunch today with my boss and a client in downtown Nashville.  Merchant's restaurant is one of those old Nashville institutions that you have to try.  I've snagged a few pics below for flavor (the one above is mine).  All of them are from the website. The menu is worth a try.  I had a special pulled pork BBQ with 'Bama WHite Sauce.  And LORD, it was good.

Here's some history from the website and a few photos. Do yourself a favor and give it a try when you are in Nashville.  401 Broadway.

I sat in the booth all the way at the front. It's an awesome view.

Merchant’s Restaurant opened in 1988 in the old Merchant’s Hotel, which was constructed in 1892. The original structure was a three-story building built circa 1870 which housed a pharmacy on the 1st floor, a hardware manufacturing company on the 2nd floor, and a wholesale drug company on the 3rd floor that was famous for producing the alcohol and opium based “Blood Medicine” which can still be seen advertised on the brick walls today. The Merchant’s Hotel in 1892 offered the European Plan which was 25 cents a day for lodging and another 25 cents for a meal. Each room had a bed and a fireplace, and privacy was not guaranteed.

Many notable Nashville legends stayed at the old Merchant’s Hotel, including Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Porter Waggoner, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Roy Acuff to name a few. When you walk through the building you can see the vestiges of the original hotel rooms with fireplaces. Downstairs original marble counters and tile are still maintained and every effort has been made to hold on to the unique history and architecture of this renowned Nashville establishment.