Do you ever feel like you are starring in your own "I Love Lucy" episode?
I did.....
last week ...
It was one of those holiday evenings...
The air was crisp...
I was feeling festive as I took the L
to meet T$ at the Merchandise Mart station...
We had free tickets to attend the One of a Kind Show
inside the Merchandise Mart...
My BFF was working a booth for an artist friend of hers
and scored us tickets...
Oh, man...I saw so many beautiful things....
jewelry,
apparel,
sculpture,
ornaments,
little girls dresses almost as cute as Mac and Fitz...
Our friend's booth of jewelry (Anne Chikahisa Studio)
was lovely and busy...
We sipped a glass of seven dollar wine in a plastic cup
and tore at an overpriced baguette
while strolling the carpeted aisles....
It felt so good to be out, in the Loop,
among the employed and citified...
Don't get me wrong...I love working at HEAT,
but sometimes, I'd trade my amiable, scruffy welders
for business casual and a lunch at The Corner Bakery...
After the show, we cabbed over to the Williams Sonoma store
in the 900 North Building on Michigan Avenue...
There was a holiday event there, hosted by our good friend's law firm...
It's always fun to peruse the catalog pages of the Williams Sonoma,
but to wander through the store,
even if it's crowded with a bunch of lawyers, is still heavenly...
There were gorgeous pans, cookbooks galore, special salts, decorating pearls,
even jars of ready made Coq Au Vin...
In the baking corner, there was a set up of all kinds of vanilla,
paste form, large, small, you name it...
I decided to splurge on some good vanilla,
since holiday cookie baking time is here...
I picked up a small bottle
and turned it over to view the price,
not knowing the cap was off....
Two thirds of the vanilla elixir splashed onto my hands,
the display,
the floor....
I was horrified...
My face became hot
and it was not the champagne...
The lovely Williams Sonoma employee graciously assured me
that all was well....
I slunk off, trying to rub the brown stain
from my right hand....
I reeked of vanilla...
Tom kept introducing me to people
and I didn't want to shake my sticky paw with these kind folks...
I felt like the idiot brother
they were forced to bring along...
So, as I avoided shaking further unsuspecting hands, I slipped away and
came across the mother of all foodie ingredients: duck fat...
You see all the hip, overly tattooed chefs
on those food shows frying everything
from french fries to caperberries in the stuff...
So, I bought a jar to find out what the fuss was all about...
When I make something with the duck fat, I'll let ya know...
was full of ups and downs, as well...
Mom came over and made cookies with the kids
and I put together a good old fashioned Sunday dinner...
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Directions
- Heat oven to 425 degrees. Coat beef on all sides with the salt and pepper. Place a skillet with an ovenproof handle over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. When very hot, add meat; sear on all sides until browned. Transfer the pan to oven for 10 minutes. Add shallots to pan; return to oven for 15 to 20 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 135 degrees for medium rare. Remove beef from pan; let rest on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes.
- Place the pan with the shallots over medium-high heat, and deglaze by adding balsamic vinegar, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, and simmer until slightly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in mustards and butter. Keep sauce warm until serving. Cut beef into 1/2-inch-thick slices; top with the sauce, and serve.
Ingredients
- 6 Russet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425.
- Peel one long side of each potato. Thinly slice each crosswise, cutting only three-quarters of the way through, keeping bottoms (unpeeled portions) intact.
- Brush slice portion of potatoes with olive oil. Season with coarse salt.
- Bake on a baking sheet in the lower third of the oven until tender and slightly golden, about 1 hour 5 minutes
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