Music Monday

This is my #1 favorite Toni Braxton song. It conjures memories of 1996 when all things gay were new to me. :-)



This is my #2 favorite Toni Braxton song. I love that Toni called Robin Givens up and said, "Hey, gurl, need a job?"


"He Wasn't Man Enough"

Music Monday

La Meme Histoire by Feist

Here's the curtain call at the end of Paris, je t'aime. It doesn't give anything away.It's WAY better than New York, I Love You.

Music Monday

LOVE this remix that has recently come to my attention.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sade singing "By Your Side" (Neptunes Remix)

If anyone finds the actual video of her singing the remix, let me know.

Class of '89

This was almost my class song. It got voted down for Kenny Rogers' "Through the Years". Not my personal choice.

New Music Sunday (for me)

Florence + The Machine - "Dog Days are Over"

Time's Up

It's time to go back to work.

Yuck!

I'm looking forward to lunch with friends afterward though.

Boeuf Bourguignon ala Julia ala Breezy

This is Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon, but I made a few changes.

Cook the --Regular not pearl. Pearl onions take too long to peal. Cut roughly.--onions, mushrooms (pre-cut), and carrots (baby carrots) separately AND before you cook the meat. Let them sit while you take care of the beef and the bacon.

REMEMBER, dry the beef before you cook it so it will brown. It makes it so much more tastier.

My favorite moment of this cooking process is when you add the wine and slightly cover the beef. The aroma that floats up as the steam leaves the pot is unforgettable. Don't overdo it with the wine because it will taste too winey (?) if you can imagine tasting that.

DON'T worry about the tomato paste. It tastes great without it.

Finally, while butter makes just about everything taste fantastic, try using cooking spray. You'll have less fat to skim as you go along. Really.

Happy cooking!

• 
  
• 1 6-ounce chunk of bacon
• 1 9- to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 slotted spoon
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups of a full-bodied young red wine such as one of those suggested for serving or a Chianti
• 2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• a crumbled bay leaf
• the blanched bacon rind
• 18-24 small white onions (brown-braised in stock)
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter
• parsley sprigs

Directions

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, Bourdeaux-St. Emilion or Burgundy.

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Remove rind and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2-inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Saute the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you saute the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Saute it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sauteing fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 21/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.

(*) Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

FOR IMMEDIATE SERVING

Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

FOR LATER SERVING

When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Aveeno

May I recommend something? Alright, I'd like to recommend a face wash that will leave your face feeling clean, but it doesn't feel like you are scouring your face with sand.I'd like to introduce you to the Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Facial Cleanser:

What I find great about it is that it doesn't overly dry your skin and it reduces redness. Try it and see. I bet you'll like it.