Heart Beating Like a Hammer

I'm off to the airport to head back to NYC today--but first, a big family brunch and this blog post. These pictures were taken last week when the weather was a bit warmer than it apparently is now (remember that weird pre-Thanksgiving spurt of springtime?). But still, the Madeleine Thompson dress I'm wearing is cashmere and ankle-skimming, providing more warmth than expected, and the vintage fox fur vest is so thick and luxurious that it may as well be electronically heated. All I'd really need to add to make it weather-appropriate for right now would be a pair of long, knit, fingerless gloves to cover up my arms.

I'm facing the figurative guillotine as soon as I get off the plane in New York--armloads of work to do for all of our amazing clients at CA Creative (the digital consulting agency I started with my business partner/best friend Alexandra Weiss), press deadlines to meet, and one eager puppy to catch up with, along with nightly holiday events to attend, but I'm oddly excited for it all--none of the usual sense of foreboding that comes along with a to-do list that could span the length of Manhattan. There's only so much lounging one can do, after all. See you in NY!

I'm wearing a Madeleine Thompson dress, vintage fox fur vest, Topshop hat, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, Alexander Wang Diego bag. All photos by the talented Mark Iantosca. xoxo

From Hawaii with Love

I've got one more day of beach-going, mom's-food-eating, novel-reading bliss before I'm scheduled to get on a plane back to NYC. Over the weekend, I polished off four novels--Tinkers, by Paul Harding, Great House, by Nicole Krauss, a guilty beach read that is about as chick-lit as one can get (you'll never get me to disclose the title), and An Object of Beauty, by Steve Martin. That's what I do when I get an ounce of free time--I stick my head in a book and rarely come up for air. Between that and my my stubborn refusal to budge from my spot on the sandy beach for the past 72 hours, I can say that I am now thoroughly rested and recuperated. Not that I'm quite ready to face the subzero snowy weather that is reportedly awaiting me back in New York.

I hope everyone else had as great of a holiday weekend as I did. xoxo

Libby's Pumpkin Pie

I'm spending this Thanksgiving at home in Hawaii with my family, and I could not be happier. Yesterday was a lazy day filled with family bonding time, tons and tons of food, and one afternoon showing of Burlesque with mom. Perfect. It's 80 degrees and sunny here and I'm about to head to the North Shore for some beach time with my brother and little niece, but I thought I'd post this recipe for the pumpkin pie I've eaten for the last two days before I go.

It's a super simple, old-fashioned recipe that was adapted from the one printed on the back of Libby's pumpkin cans (oftentimes, the recipes you find on the backs of packages are great--those people tend to know what they're talking about). Try it and let me know how it goes. Happy belated Thanksgiving! xo

Libby's Pumpkin Pie
From Saveur magazine
Ingredients:

For the Pie Dough:
3 cups flour
1 1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 1⁄4 cups vegetable shortening, preferably Crisco, cut into small pieces
1⁄2 cup cold milk
 
For the Filling:
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 29-oz. can pumpkin
2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk

Directions:
For the pie dough: Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or 2 table knives, work shortening into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle cold milk over dough and mix with your hands until it holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap each in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll 1 of the dough disks out on a lightly floured surface into a 12" round, then fit dough into a 9" pie dish and crimp the edges. Repeat process with remaining dough. Prick dough all over with a fork and transfer pie shells to the refrigerator to let chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°. Mix sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt together in a small bowl. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then add pumpkin and the sugar–spice mixture, stirring until mixed well. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk.

Divide filling evenly between the pie shells. Put pies into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake until filling is just set in center of each pie when pies are jiggled slightly, 45–60 minutes. Let pies cool for at least 2 hours before serving.

James Beard's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

I'm going to go ahead and say something: I don't understand people who say they like white meat more than dark. Or to an even higher degree, people who don't like dark meat at all. To me, in comparison to dark meat, white meat is so dry and flavorless, it may as well be cardboard. Really, what kind of person chooses a breast over a drumstick?! Well. Aside from a healthy one, that is.

Anyway, health matters notwithstanding, in my view the legs are by far the tastiest part of any bird (chicken, turkey, duck, you name it). That's why when I come across a recipe that calls exclusively for thighs or drumsticks, chances are I'm making it. Such was the case this weekend when I was perusing the poultry section of The New York Times Essential Cookbook and came across this beauty of a recipe. The famed James Beard loved it--apparently he used to teach it in a lot of his classes--and after I tasted it, I could see exactly why. The chicken comes out of the oven incredibly juicy and tender and fragrant. It practically falls off the bone. One bite, and I was sold. This is an easy one-pot meal that I'll be making over and over again. Go ahead and try it--it'll be worth your while. xo


James Beard's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
From The New York Times Essential Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
4 stalks celery, cut into long strips
2 medium onions
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled
6 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
2/3 cup olive oil
16 chicken legs--any mix of drumsticks and thighs
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup dry vermouth
Sliced French bread, warmed or toasted

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cover the bottom of a heavy 8-quart casserole with one-third of the celery, onions, garlic, parsley, and tarragon. Place the oil in a shallow dish. Dip one-third of the chicken pieces into the oil, coating all sides evenly, and place in the casserole. Sprinkle with one-third of the salt and pepper and a few gratings of the nutmeg. Repeat to make 2 more layers. Pour the vermouth over the chicken.

Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and fit the lid over the foil to create and airtight seal. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, without removing the cover. Check the chicken for doneness; return the casserole to the oven if the chicken seems underdone.

Serve the chicken along with the pan juices, the garlic, and thin slices of French bread to be spread with garlic squeezed from the root ends of the cloves.

I'll Write You a Harmony in C

While I was rummaging around in my closet the other day, I found two ages-old things that I had just about forgotten entirely: a tiny little Chanel camera bag and a smoky grey leather Topshop jacket covered in fringes. I picked them up, looked both pieces over inspecting them closely, and suddenly, even though I haven't worn either in years, they looked brand new. It was kind of amazing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no stranger to recycling. In fact, I'm pretty good at it--in all senses of the word. I'm a firm believer in holding onto good pieces (they'll always come back into style), I always separate my papers and plastics, and I've had the (very) occasional moment of weakness (a.k.a. moments of insanity) when I thought resurrecting an ex-boyfriend was a great idea. (For the record, that one's not quite as advisable as other forms of recycling.)

The point is, if something's good enough, I'll always be willing to take it for another spin around the block. The trick is being able to tell. I think the Chanel and Topshop finds did pretty well, though, don't you think?

I'm wearing a Topshop jacket, Charlotte Ronson top, Kimberly Ovitz shorts, Club Monaco tights, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, Chanel bag. All photos by Mark Iantosca. xoxo

Chorizos Revueltos (Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo)

This breakfast reminds me so much of the ones my mother so often made me when we ended up moving to Hawaii. Eggs scrambled with some sort of spicy sausage (often Portuguese sausage) and a side of steaming hot rice are standard fare there--even McDonald's has it on the menu for your drive-through convenience. Little did I know that in addition to being a local Hawaiian favorite, it is also a much-loved Spanish breakfast (albeit made with chorizo).

When I stumbled upon a recipe for it in my nearly-constant perusal of The New York Times Essential Cookbook, I was so excited that I made it the very next morning and the morning after that. It's a supremely satisfying and unbelievably quick breakfast to make, and one that will easily impress anyone you whip it up for on a random lazy Sunday, even if it's for dinner. The trick is to crack open the eggs in a bowl and NOT beat them--instead pour them directly into the pan over high heat and break them up in there to get the swirls and threads of white yolk you see in the picture above. So much better than plain scrambled eggs and toast, wouldn't you say? Try it, trust me. xo

Chorizos Revueltos
From The New York Times Essential Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounces mild Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced, cut crosswise into half moons
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 large eggs, cracked into a bowl
Coarse sea salt

Directions:
Spread the sliced chorizo over the bottom of a large nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat. When the chorizo begins to sizzle, add the olive oil to the pan. Pour in the eggs, then, using a wooden spoon, very quickly stir the eggs, breaking the yolks and turning the eggs over and over again, until just barely cooked, lifting the pan off the heat halfway through. It will take less than a minute.

Pour onto a serving dish, sprinkle with sea salt, and serve.

Caramelized Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

I grew up in the kitchen watching my mother cook. She is the ultimate home cook, turning out dish after steaming dish filled with from-scratch specialties like fried fantail shrimp, beef stew, foil-baked salmon, and her signature meatloaf. Somehow, she always made it look incredibly easy, never referring to a single recipe, claiming that everything was safely stored in her head. When I was a little kid, those mysteries of the stove always fascinated me--I never thought that I would ever live up to my mother's brilliant home (and professional) cooking. Not that I wouldn't try.

The first thing we ever made together was that classic kid-friendly concoction, Rice Krispies Treats. I remember stirring the rice cereal into the gooey marshmallow mixture in a big no-stick pot, my mother's hand placed firmly over mine as she helped guide my arm in the right direction. I was probably around 9 or 10 years old, and that afternoon, standing on a step-stool in her warm kitchen hunched intently over the stove with a flood of early afternoon sunlight streaming in--that afternoon was probably the very beginning of my love affair with food.

I found this recipe for a crispier, more refined, grown-up version of Rice Krispies Treats in Amanda Hesser's The Essential New York Times Cookbook and wasted no time making it. With all the holiday parties coming up, I figured you all need a special something to bring along with you to whichever soirees you have on your calendars. This one is almost as easy as the childhood original, and much more impressive. xo


Caramelized Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats
Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter
One 10 1/2-ounce bag marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
One 12-ounce box Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
Line an 11-by-17 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a large pot, over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden, and finally start to brown and smell nutty. Watch closely and stir often.

When the butter is evenly browned, stir in the marshmallows and the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the marshmallows melt and the mixture turns pale brown, then stir constantly until lightly browned but not dark, 3 to 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, add the cereal, and mix well, preferably with a silicone spoon or a spatula. Scrape into the prepared pan and press down lightly. If necessary, butter your hands to press the mixture flat. Let cool, and cut into squares or bars.

StyledOn Features Milk & Mode!

One of my very favorite style sites, StyledOn, just published a feature on Milk & Mode as part of a series of articles on bloggers who love both fashion and food. I was thrilled with how it turned out--reading it was a great way to start my day this morning. Check it out HERE. xoxo

Boeuf Bourguignon 1

I realize that this is utterly, embarrassingly cliched, but ever since I saw the movie Julie and Julia last year, I have wanted to make boeuf bourguignon. But not just any boeuf bourguignon. I wanted to make a perfect, boozy, rich boeuf bourguignon that did the iconic dish proud; one that would turn out exactly the way Julie's would've had she not fallen asleep while it burnt to a crisp in the oven. I've dreamed of it, I've pored over countless recipes for it, I've watched videos of various chefs creating their own versions of it. But I didn't get up the courage or the gall to attempt it until last weekend. Armed with Amanda Hesser's tome, The Essential New York Times Cookbook, and a soup pot, I went at it with full concentration. And you know what? It wasn't as difficult as I had imagined all these months. It was actually, dare I say....quite simple.

The recipe I chose is the Boeuf Bourguignon 1 that Craig Claiborne first published back in 1960. It is the easier of the two versions in the book, and according to Hesser, the better one as well. All it takes is a lot of chopping and slicing and dicing and then layering the ingredients in your pot or casserole (the recipe called for a casserole, but lacking one, I used my trusty old soup pot) with a good half bottle of Burgundy poured over it and a bit of brandy thrown in for good measure. And then you just let it bubble away. I even took Suz Monster for a walk around the block while it was simmering.

The end result was a seriously luscious, oniony broth filled with fork tender chunks of beef that just gets better as the days go by. I am now on Day 4 and it's the best it's been so far. As the weather steadily gets cooler, the days shorter, and my hibernation instincts stronger, it's exactly what I want to eat: good, simple, comforting food that will warm my insides and make me smile with satisfaction. Definitely a keeper for my winter recipe arsenal. Try it and let me know what you think. xo

P.S. It turns out boeuf bourguignon is ridiculously hard to photograph--rest assured that the finished dish tastes at least twice as good as the photos make it look.


Boeuf Bourguignon 1
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola oil)
2 large slices of bacon (I used Niman Ranch)
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
One 2-pound boneless chuck cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
1/2 bottle (750-ml bottle) Burgundy or pinot noir (get the best you can afford, it makes a difference)
1/3 cup Cognac (or good brandy)

Directions:
Pour the oil into a large casserole and add 3 slices bacon. Add the diced carrots and cover them with 1/3 of the sliced beef in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the meat with half the onions, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms. Cover with a layer of half the remaining beef and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Add the remaining onions, garlic, shallots, and mushrooms and cover with a final layer of the remaining beef. Top with the remaining 3 slices of bacon. Pour the Burgundy and Cognac over all. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Place the casserole over high heat, and when it begins to simmer, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender when tested with a fork.

Cook's Note: Don't worry if the booze doesn't seem to quite cover all the ingredients at first. The meat and veggies will "relax" after a few minutes and the liquid will be just enough to cover. 

You Wrote the Song I Wanna Play

I'm right in the middle of another crazy early winter week. On the agenda: client events galore, trying to figure out travel arrangements to go home to Hawaii for Thanksgiving next week, black tie benefits, a wedding, selecting the perfect turkey and stuffing recipes, and.....oh yes....lots and lots of work to get done. With all the nighttime activities, my closet is rapidly being run dry and I not-so-secretly can't wait to get home for the holiday to the land of bikinis and flip-flops where no one gives a damn about labels or dress codes. But until then! I have a few more nights to get through. I've had the Halston dress I'm wearing above for a little while now but I think it's timeless enough that I could probably get away with it. Thoughts?

I'm wearing a Halston dress, Christian Louboutin shoes, and a Litter SF headpiece. All photos by Mark Iantosca. xoxo

Arugula, Pear, and Gorgonzola Salad

I've had The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser, for a few weeks now but it wasn't until this weekend that I had the time to really delve into it. And then once I got started, I couldn't put it down. I have the peculiar inclination of reading cookbooks the way most people read novels--that is, from front to back without skipping any parts in between. This one is bigger than most--about 900 pages long--with over 1,400 recipes included, so I couldn't exactly read it the way I usually do with cookbooks, but I did get through entire categories without blinking, mainly because of Hesser's witty, entertaining and addictive voice.

I also picked three recipes from the book to make over the weekend, wanting to test the waters and see if the recipes were as great as their reputations claimed. Let's just say, I wasn't disappointed. This is the first of the recipes and one I thought was particularly appropriate for Monday morning--a tasty salad to whip up quickly sometime this week for an easy weeknight dinner that is just as satisfying as it is simple. The combination of the slight bitterness of the fresh arugula, the tang of the vinaigrette and Gorgonzola, and the sweetness of the pear is absolutely perfect.

I used Satur Farms wild arugula purchased from Whole Foods and bought raw pinenuts that I then toasted in a skillet over medium heat, shaking often. If you get a pear with red skin like the Red Bartlett, and opt not to peel it, then your salad will benefit from the gorgeous bursts of color it will provide--but by no means feel that you need to. I used a golden Bosc pear and it was delicious. If you want to make it meatier, you should crumble some good bacon into it as well.

Arugula, Pear, and Gorgonzola Salad
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook, by Amanda Hesser
Ingredients:
1 large bunch arugula
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons Gorgonzola dolce (crumble it if necessary to measure)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 ripe pear

Directions:
Wash the arugula and remove the tough stems; dry.

Whisk together the vinegar, oil, and sugar in a serving bowl. Whisk or crumble (depending on its texture) in the Gorgonzola. Stir in the pine nuts. Peel the pear and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the pear and arugula to the bowl and toss to dress well.

Organize Our Lives and Lose the Key

Happy Friday! It's been a long, event-filled week and I plan on doing absolutely nothing this weekend but cooking, cleaning my messy apartment, doing laundry, watching movies (Morning Glory, anyone?), hanging with Suz Monster, and generally organizing my life. I'm definitely about due for a little stretch of "me" time. What are you guys planning on doing this weekend?

And in other news, after a year and a half in my apartment, I've finally put up some wall art! You can see a bit of it behind me in that last picture. What do you think?

I'm wearing a Lucien Pellat-Finet cardigan (my favorite big knit for winter), Topshop slip skirt, Jeffrey Campbell shoes. All photos by Mark Iantosca. xo

Ralph Lauren 4D Lightshow

Last night, I trekked uptown to Ralph Lauren's new store at 888 Madison Avenue to have a glass of champagne and watch the innovative company's first-ever 4D light show. Although there was a definite chill in the air, it was hard to focus on anything else when there was a 4-story, mind-blowing, gorgeous image and light spectacle playing out against the facade of the store. Crowds of fashion editors, passersby, and Mr. Lauren himself were gathered outside cheering and clapping throughout the presentation, while everything from polo players on horses to models dressed in full Ralph Lauren regalia made their way towards you, larger than life. You really just have to see it to believe it. Video above--watch. xo

Pan-Fried Noodles with Beef and Snow Peas

Some of my favorite restaurants in NYC aren't necessarily foodie, Michelin-starred destinations...they're often tiny little mom-and-pop-owned places serving honest, good, satisfying food that doesn't cost a fortune. Which, incidentally, describes most Chinatown restaurants to a tee. Seriously, sometimes there's just nothing better than sitting at a small Formica table and shamelessly digging into heaping servings of crisp salt-baked shrimp, crunchy pan-fried noodles and finishing off the feast clutching a steaming cup of cleansing hot tea.

That said, if I ate pan-fried noodles as many times as I wanted to, I'd probably be about 20 lbs heavier with a clogged artery problem. As good as they taste at Great NY Noodletown (one of my favorite Chinatown restaurants), the healthfulness of the dish is dubious at best. And so, I decided to try making it myself. At least then, I mused, I can control how much oil and salt are going into the thing. And I can rest assured that MSG isn't even a remote possibility. I'd never attempted Chinese cooking before, but the results were delicious and surprisingly simple. Try it and let me know how you do. xo

Pan-Fried Noodles with Beef and Snow Peas
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2009
Ingredients:
1 package dried Chinese noodles (I bought China Bowl Select at Whole Foods)
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup water
5 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain in a colander.

Stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and water until smooth.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add noodles to skillet, pressing them with a rubber spatula to form a cake, and cook until underside is golden and crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes. Flip cake over and drizzle 1 tablespoon oil around sides of cake, then cook until underside is golden, another 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer noodle cake to a cutting board and cut into quarters.

Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok or 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Stir-fry snow peas with a pinch of salt until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Add 2 tablespoons oil to wok and stir-fry scallions and ginger with 1/4 teaspoon salt 30 seconds. Add half of beef and cook, undisturbed, 45 seconds, then stir-fry until beef is just browned, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to plate with snow peas. Add remaining tablespoon oil and cook remaining beef in same manner.

Stir sauce mixture again, then add to skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in beef and snow peas, then serve spooned on top of noodle cake.

On the Fence Together

I have a slight obsession for a line called The Kooples that has chic little minimalistic stores all over the fair city of Paris and not one here in NYC. Or anywhere else for that matter (except London, where they apparently just opened their first brick-and-mortar). It was introduced to me during a lovely Parisian afternoon when none other than Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller herself (who, incidentally, used to be my intern and is still my soulmate/life partner) enthusiastically dragged me through the Marais going into shop after shop during a particularly torrid downpour. I'm telling you, the girl has retail stamina. Anyway, one of said shops happened to be The Kooples, where I immediately fell in love with everything in the tiny space. And so, thus began a buy-out-The-Kooples-on-every-trip-to-Paris tradition that I definitely succeeded in staying true to in September during fashion week. Two of my purchases are above (black shoulder-padded top with leather sleeves and camel skirt).

I've actually already gotten emails from several of you guys inquiring about The Kooples and where to buy it and for those of you residing in NYC, good news! There are plans to expand and open up here in 2011. Keep ya posted.

All pictures by Mark Iantosca. xo

Homemade Kit Kat Bars

Perhaps it's a post-Halloween candy craving, but for the past week or so, I've taken to guiltily snatching up a Kit-Kat bar from Duane Reade just as I'm checking out and sneaking it into my toilet paper/toothpaste/body scrub selections (pesky impulse purchases). I grew up with a sweet tooth and an indulgent mother, so candy bars were pretty much a constant in my childhood existence, and therefore a pretty hard life-long habit to break. Basically, I love me some Kit-Kat bars.

So when I came across Paula Deen's recipe for a homemade version, I was all over it. It's not as easy as the recipe makes it seem--it takes a while to break the graham crackers into fine crumbs by hand and the caramel-like goop you have to spread between layers is super sticky and messes up your neatly laid out crackers, not to mention the fact that I went to three different grocery stores before conceding defeat to the fact that Keebler's Club crackers simply do not exist in lower Manhattan. By the time my bars were cooling in the fridge, I was grumpy and exhausted. But! Now, two days later, with a pan full of perfect little chocolatey, peanut-buttery, caramely bars of goodness stocked and ready to be eaten, I have to say I'm happy to have them. Plus, they're a no-bake dessert. Which I know a lot of you out there are fans of. Happy no-baking. xo

P.S. Side note: these treats are more of a cross between Kit-Kat bars, Twix bars and Mrs. Field's peanut butter dream bars, rather than a straight up Kit-Kat interpretation.


Homemade Kit-Kat Bars
Ingredients:
75 club crackers (I used Social Tea crackers--they were all I could find)
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used Honey Maid graham crackers)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup whole milk
⅓ cup white sugar
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
Line an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan with 1 layer of crackers, cutting to fit.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk, and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour half of the butter mixture over crackers. Place another layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch chips. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over crackers. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and store into refrigerator.

Open Up and Spend the Night

All I can say is....thank god it's Friday. At this point, I'm so exhausted I could potentially keel over at my desk right now and sleep 'til Sunday. Last night, I braved the rain and cold to make it to the annual ArtWalk gala to benefit Coalition for the Homeless (my favorite charity), and then took a speeding cab all the way uptown to the Guggenheim for the Hugo Boss awards. It was a fun night filled with friends, good art (and a lively auction) and a few too many glasses of champagne, but this morning I looked in the mirror and seriously gasped in horror. Who is this scary-looking person channeling Courtney Love after a bender?? I thought to myself. Well...yeah. It was me. Time for an event/party/alcohol sabbatical. So, I plan to do nothing this weekend but read, sleep, cook, watch movies with the boyfriend, break in a face mask or two, and hang out in cozy clothes (like my most favorite sweatshirt sweater from The Kooples above). What are you guys up to this weekend?

I'm wearing a sweater and shorts from The Kooples, JNBY camel military jacket, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, Madewell socks, Prada bag. All pictures by Mark Iantosca. xoxo

P.S. I'm strangely into sweaters with buttons down the back lately. They're kind of like cardigans worn backwards and the girls in Paris all had them on while I was there last month. Micro trend?