Cosy Rainy Day Recipe

Friends,
It's been a while since I've posted a recipe and, frankly, the reason is that I've been so busy doing so much actual cooking - what with the holiday season and all - that I haven't had time to write about it!
But the last couple of days were either bitterly cold here in New York (Split Pea Soup flavored with Smoked Turkey) or rainy AND cold like today. So, here's one of my favorite comfort foods to share with you:

Asian Inspired Roast Chicken Quarters

Ingredients:

One impossibly large package of chicken thigh quarters 

(I use dark meat in this recipe for a couple reasons. One, I prefer dark meat. And, two, because of the high temperature of roasting, the dark meat is more flavorful when it's all said and done.)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Onion powder (NOT onion salt)

Garlic powder (see above)

Fresh ginger

Red pepper flakes

Sesame oil

Good quality soy sauce

sesame seeds

Xiao Xing Rice wine (or a good dry sherry if you don't have the wine)

Two roasting potatoes peeled and quartered lengthwise

1. Coat your largest roasting pan with nonstick spray and preheat your oven to 400 degrees
2. Remove as much of the fat from the chicken as humanly possible and place in pan
3. Beginning with the skin side down, prepare the meat by generously seasoning with the first six dry ingredients preferably using a micro plane for the ginger (although, in a pinch, dry ground ginger will work too)
4. Place the chicken quarters skin side up in the pan and season the top (skin) side generously
5. Arrange the potatoes around the edge of the pan 
6. Drizzle the sesame oil sparingly over the chicken - a little goes a long way for flavor and aroma
7. Add the soy sauce - not more than a quarter cup and you can definitely do with less
8. Put your thumb over the mouth of the wine (or sherry) bottle and shake little rivulets over the meat
9. Then, generously sprinkle sesame seeds over the whole darn thing
10. Bake at 400 degrees basting with the accumulating juices every 20 minutes - don't freak out if there's not a lot of liquid after the first 20 minutes...just do your best with what you've got and there will be lots of liquid before the next 20 minutes is up.

I usually serve this with some roasted vegetables - for some reason it goes AMAZINGLY well with quartered brussels sprouts that have been salted, peppered and tossed with some olive oil. Put those in the oven in a casserole dish for the last 20 minutes and you will have a feast. The skin and the sesame seeds get crackly and the potatoes are perfectly browned on the outside and smooth and buttery on the inside!

Share this or not - your choice - but I will say that for those of you who like cold chicken this is amazing.

I hope you'll try this and let me know what you think! Meanwhile, stay warm!

-SSG

Shoestrings Aren't Just For Shoes Anymore

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am proud to share with you a newly completed project. This one was sort of a "pro bono" effort that I decided to do for a friend who hasn't had his own apartment in almost two decades. He also works out of his home as a coach and accompanist so this new studio had to serve double duty as his home and his workplace.
His budget was minimal to say the least but his taste is anything but cheap - sort of, as my mom was fond of saying, "Champagne taste and beer pocket."
I took on this challenge and managed to find some wonderful pieces that were donated to the cause and he re-purposed some salvaged objects in some very creative and beautiful ways and, in the end, I think we came up with a very comfortable design that serves every need and makes for a supremely comfortable and pleasantly bright and cozy home.

Here are some before and after shots of this upper west side studio...

 

A very organic and warm combination of greens were what we chose for the walls with accents of wood tones and black for contrast.

In the little alcove off the main room of the studio you can see one of three tall door panels that were literally found on the street. One had a mirrored insert so it got a coat of black paint on the trim and the darker of the greens as an accent near the bottom. Flanked by vases filled with coffee beans and orchid stems on small floating shelves complete a simple but beautiful view from the main room and since this alcove is used as a dressing room, the full length mirror not only reflects light but is practical as well.

The main area of the apartment, as I said, has to act as bedroom, office, living room, music room and dining area and all of those things have been addressed without the room feeling cramped or stuffy.

Because the apartment is on the fourth floor it gets a lot of light during a lot of the day and in the spring, summer and fall months there are trees to enjoy outside the large windows. Phase two of the design plan will include some richly textured draperies.

The client wanted a fireplace and a comfortable seating area and that's just what we provided, keeping everything light or on legs to keep the space from feeling too heavy and cramped. Not shown in these photos is a pair of chrome and black leather directors chairs on either side of the fireplace.

Over the sofa is the second of the three door panels hung vertically with black and white photos mounted behind the glass so that the green wall color shows through almost as if it were a matte.

The "foyer" of this apartment is painted a beautifully rich chocolate brown with the two closet doors and trim painted out in a crisp clean white. By the front door there is a antique reproduction, drop leafed round table with cabriole legs that can double as an intimate dining table when not holding a beautiful brass sphere lamp with a large black shade -  both pieces donated to the cause of style and comfort.

For this man who hasn't had an apartment of his own here in New York, this comfortable, efficient, luxe and handsome home is just the thing he has been missing. I believe he will be very happy in this space as it grows around him.

My Review of Prelit Clear Light 7.5 Foot Ashby Pine Christmas Tree

Originally submitted at ChristmasTreesGalore.com

This slim pine Christmas tree is strung with 550 clear lights. Hinged branches are easy to assemble and add to its charm.

Prelit Clear Light 7.5 Foot Ashby Pine Christmas Tree

Perfect tree

By Interiors by Daddy's Home, Inc. from New York, NY on 1/6/2011

 

5out of 5

Pros: Great size, Festive, Attractive, Well packaged, Durable

Cons: Not enough lights

Best Uses: Christmas

Describe Yourself: Budget Shopper

I looked around a lot for an affordable, tall tree that didn't take up too much floor space - important in New York City apartments. This one was ideal.

(legalese)

FaLaLaLaLa...LaLa...Bye Bye!

Tis the season to be merrily taking down the decorations and putting them away for one more year. Unless, of course, you decide to throw a Christmas In July party which does hold its own allure.
My schedule this year is such that I couldn't wait until after the twelve days were over and I spent a good part of January 2nd dismantling the tree, wreath, etc.
I also have an odd habit of trawling the after-holiday sales on festive decor and packing whatever I find away with this year's ornaments and lights so that come next November, when the decorations make their yearly appearance again, there are things in those boxes that I don't remember purchasing! It makes it seem almost like...well...um...Christmas!

This holiday season was great. Jae and I got our greeting cards out before Valentine's Day, we had another couple over for dinner on Christmas Day, we had our annual Holiday Open House on New Year's Day and it was wonderful seeing so many friends come by to share the festivities.

Yes. It was all marvelous. But am I glad it's OVER!!!

Don't get me wrong. I'm no Ebeneezer Scrooge and I'm just as excited to celebrate as the next reveler, but you have to admit, the holidays are exhausting! You have your normal life and then all the other stuff layered on top of that. I love it, but I'm just as happy going back to routine and calm and cooking regular meals and having a clean house and the poor cats not freaking out because their favorite sleeping spot is occupied by some stranger's butt or coat or bag.

So, happy new year and let's get down to the work at hand. The storage challenge.
This year we were lucky enough to purchase the perfect artificial tree. Tall but narrow so as not to take up valuable floor space. It also came in a box that is strong and actually big enough to get the tree BACK INTO without damage or excessive bending. Not only that but it was also big enough to pack the lights and lighted garland in as well...great space saver.
I also did something this year that I had never thought to do before (I have no idea why not, knowing who I am). I decided to take everything off the tree and pack it in separate piles before combining it all in the bigger boxes. It was sort of like a 3D jigsaw puzzle but I managed to get it all (including my new sale items) in one less box! Cool, huh? A great boon to New York apartment dwellers with limited storage space.

Tomorrow, everything goes into the long-term storage closet from which I will chose the "Three Wise Sacrifices". These are three, usually bulky, items whose time has come and gone in our home and have been in the long term closet for over a year. I know already that one of the TWS's is going to be a huge fax machine in its original box that we have never used and kept "just in case". In case of what?! In case we ever get a landline? In case we forget how to use email? Out it goes!

It's sort of a New Year's resolution and sort of spring cleaning run amok and WAY ahead of schedule but it works and I highly recommend the feeling of comfort and joy it affords!

Meanwhile, dear readers, I will continue to try to offer you suggestions and ideas and maybe a laugh or two during, what I hope will prove to be, a spectacular 2011.

-SSG