Miscellaneous Thoughts on Food and Life

Back from Phoenix and to current time for a moment….

I know that it’s St. Patrick’s day and that I should be making something Irish and I had thoughts of that in mind earlier in the week but even earlier I had been thinking about Ribs done Osso Buco style and that craving won out.   In a bit I’ll post the recipe, but right now I just want to say that my house smells soooooo yummy!  Oh my gosh!  I still have an hour to an hour and a half to go and it’s going to drive me crazy!

"What are ribs done Osso Buco style?"  you ask? 
Well, let me tell you.   When I was getting ready for the Lombardy Dinner Club meeting and had selected Osso Buco as my main dish, I got a little worried since it had been quite some time since I had braised anything, I had never made Osso Buco and the veal shanks were $10/lb when purchased from my favorite butchers in Pike Place Market, Don and Joe’s.  At $10/lb ($50+ for the dinner) I didn’t want a "do-over" so I decided to sort of test it all out prior to the Dinner Club meeting. 

I took my Osso Buco recipe and modified it a bit, based on what I had in the house at the time.  One of the things that I happened to have on hand was a rack of baby-back ribs.  They were leftover from a couple of tapas parties I’d had during the summer.  Well, I loved those ribs!  (And when I did the real version of Osso Buco, it turned out mahvalously, too.)  I’m not sure why but a couple weeks ago I started thinking about those lovely, melt-in-your-mouth, meat-falling-off-the-bone ribs and today was a good day to make them.  So I am. 

I just spent the last hour or so sitting on my deck enjoying another unseasonably, lovely Seattle day.  I had a little glass of wine (okay, maybe it was sort of large) and sat on my deck wondering at this amazing weather and what it was doing to my yard.  My lilacs are starting to bloom, for heaven’s sake!  Normally, I plan on them being perfect the first weekend in May.  (Great to know when you are planning to entertain outside.)  But they are going to be totally gone by then!  The purple plant has flowers that are starting to open and the white plant is completely covered in buds.  I’m sure I’ll see the first little blooms in the next week. 

Both Butch and Spike had curled up beside me and I was thinking about what a wonderful life I have (even if I am still looking for work) and how much I’m loving this unusual Spring, even though I know Summer is going to be bad.   And then I walked in the house and that braising rib perfume hit me like a truck and I thought life is really perfect and I’d better tell you about it!  :-)