Seems like somebody has finally gotten the hint about sending me photos of his vacation! Today I’d like to share some pictures The Boy took of a really fantastic meal we had during his stay. The restaurant is called Animal, and boy… does it live up to its name! Here’s what we ate:

Course 1: Pig ear with chili, lime, and a fried egg. Kind of hard to see the pig ear under that beautifully cooked egg, but it actually looked like…. well, like those pig ear treats that you give your dog. And it was darn delicious. Crispy, chewy, and covered in creamy yellow yolk with just the right amount of acid and heat.

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I hate lasagna. Seriously, I love ricotta, but not like that. Not all clumpy, and stringy, and tasteless. Blech. But then I saw this and I realized there are others out there like me. Smitten Kitchen’s lasagna just looked so delicate, and yet simultaneously so hearty, it got stuck in my head and starting plaguing me for weeks. And then I signed my first real grown up lease and I thought: it is time to treat yourself.

Warning: this is an all day affair.  The original recipe recommends doing this over the course of two days. I’m MAD and I say it’s doable in one, but I wouldn’t do what I did and laze around all morning and finally get started at 1 pm, unless you want to have a very hungry man grumping about asking when dinner will be ready. I know this looks incredibly labor intensive, and it kind of is, but so, so worth it. This lasagna is a real contender for the last meal I want to have on Earth (up there with one perfectly ripe tomato with salt and pepper, a perfectly crisped duck, and coq au vin made by Julia Child herself). It supposedly serves 12-15, but we’ve already eaten half of it between two people in under 24 hours. By the way, this bolognese sauce will shatter your conceptions of what bolognese can be, so feel free to use it for all other kinds of pasta or, you know, just eat it with a spoon.

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Yet another cold and rainy day in January, my friends. I’m a giant wuss about the cold, and the only way I manage to get through winter at all is hunker down, eat lots of soup, drink lots of tea and dark beer, and buy many, many (too many) pretty winter coats. So I’ve got two perfect recipes for keeping your toes warm on these bleary, dreary days: homemade chicken noodle soup and an updated version of hot buttered rum.

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I’ve been a bad blogger of late. I’m sorry for blowing you guys off last week, but I had some really important things to do like try on Monique Lhuillier wedding dresses (!!), play dress up in The Boy’s mother’s awesome vintage closet, and set fire to steel wool (more on that later). But today I’m back! And I’ve got a hearty winter meal that involves two of my all time favorite things: cheese and beer. Both of these things are incredibly easy to make, don’t be daunted by the list of ingredients! I pulled the whole thing together in under and hour, and I’m an exceptionally slow cook. The soup is loosely adapted from Epicurious, and my darling roommate Paul taught me how to make the kale chips. Enjoy!

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Good gosh it’s getting cold outside! The only solution I can think of for the nippy weather is some delicious, stick-to-your-ribs hibernation fare, hot cider, and a rich, dark winter lager. I came up with this recipe all on my own, and its still a little rough around the edges but the results are magnificent: warm, seasonal flavors and chicken so moist it’s almost obscene. The best part is it will seem impressive to your dining companions, but it’s incredibly easy on the budget. In fact, this would make an excellent substitute for turkey if you’re planning to host a low-key Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

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