Today brings an interesting convergence of events. Not only is it the day before Halloween (All Hallows Eve Eve?) but it is also National Candy Corn Day AND etiquette maven Emily Post’s birthday. And a Friday to boot. Wow. Have a seat and a sip of water, that’s a lot to take in.

Let’s address them in reverse order.

4) Friday – yay!

3) This will be an unpopular view but I wish that more people practiced etiquette. But not the stuffy, rules-bound behavioral dictates from years gone by, more ‘golden rule’ and doing unto others. When given a choice, opt for kindness. Pro tip: There's almost always a choice. Happy Birthday to Emily Post, a lady of taste and style who used dry humor to write about employing good manners in polite society. She died in 1960 at the age of 87, but her legacy lives on.
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2) Ah, candy corn … my nemesis. We meet again. I am a woman of many weaknesses, and as such am not permitted to be within sniffing distance of an open bag of candy corn or else …. nom nom nom snarf nom, something comes over me all wolfman-like. Sugary goodness, awooooooooo! So Happy National Candy Corn Day to one and all, but please eat it way over there, where I can neither see nor smell it. 

Continue to the next page (click Read More below) for the #1 event of the day AND an awesome spooky playlist courtesy of (and in honor and memory of) my sister-in-law Leslie. 

The Supper Club is a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Our friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for the group’s origin story and past themes.

Previously: Into the Woods, Part 1 

I love this picture because it shows what our little group is all about -- lots of laughs around the dinner table, something tasty on our plates and in the glasses (Forest Brownie and tawny port in this case), and we're all a little bit fuzzy around the edges at this point in a long and decadent evening.  

The first Into the Woods Supper Club post whetted our appetites with a focus on the drinks and appetizer course at our recent dinner. Today we’ll pig out with details, recipes and photos of the main course and dessert, pun most definitely intended. 

The Menu: 

Drinks: Ilise and Ann - Cocktails: The Tawny Forest; Green Gimlet; Wines: Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Meredith Estate 2008; Landmark Chardonnay Overlook 2012; a Stag's Leap Viognier; and a Renwood Old Vines Zinfandel

Appetizer: Ellyn - Little Nosh of Cheese, Bread and Smoked Whitefish Salad; Mushroom-Leek Soup with Thyme Cream

Main Course: Greg and Dan

• Braised Wild Boar in Red Wine
• Mushroom-Chestnut Pappardelle 
• Steamed Cranberry Beans

Dessert: Kathleen and Karen

• Forest Brownie – A Woodland Landscape (with Salted Caramel Bittersweet Brownies as the base)

Click Read More below for more of the story, photos, recipes and another playlist for frolicking in the forest. 

• Hazelnut Ganache Tart with Sea Salt – from Real Simple
• Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake – from Smitten Kitchen
• Double Chocolate Pudding with Caramelized Cocoa Nibs – from David Lebovitz
• German Chocolate Cake – from Saveur
• Kahlua Brownies  – from Simply Recipes
• Outrageous Chocolate Cookies – from Martha Stewart
• Peppermint Pretzel Marshmallow Fudge – from Joy the Baker

What’s your favorite chocolate something? Share a bite in the comments! 

Sunday was National Mother-in-Law Day and although I dislike the maudlin made-up holidays (unless they can serve as a vehicle for me to push recipes on my blog, ahem) I cannot let this one go past without a shout-out to my Mommy Dearest, as she likes to sign the Hanukkah cards that she sends for my birthday. Yes, she's quirky like that.

Ina is everyone’s favorite mother other than their own, earning the distinction by being sweet and welcoming and inclusive to the nth degree. You can tell her anything, she won’t be shocked, and she’ll help out as best she can. Many of Ilise’s friends from grade school to college right on through to the present day consider Ina to be a dear, close girlfriend and she loves them right back.

With me, Ina has always been more than warm and welcoming – insisting, in fact, that I make myself at home in this wonderfully chaotic Goldberg-Lev-Cantor-Buchbinder clan that I’ve been lucky to become part of when I fell in love and made my life with Ilise. My own family has always been an ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ bunch. It’s taken me some time (read: 25 years and counting) to become accustomed to the exuberance with which these lovely people gain energy and purpose from spending time with each other. Aw, who am I kidding, there’s no ‘getting used to’, the family get-togethers are still meshuga even after all these years!

And so, Ina, in honor of National Mother-In-Law Day and because you deserve to hear it every day, “Thank You and I Love You” for always being supportive and kind to your moody, not quite ready for family life daughter-in-law. You’re the best.

And in case I made this fun-loving lady sound like a happy little homebody (not that there’s anything wrong with that) I should point out that she’s a world traveler, a patron of the arts, an active volunteer and a champion in the art of flirtation. She works the ‘cute little me’ angle for all its worth, as witnessed here in a picture from our Paris vacation last year with hunky, young tour guide Paul. 

Ina, you go girl!

We did not, in fact, paint the kitchen black (thanks just the same, Mick), it’s a variation of off-white instead. After testing several different tints, we finally settled on a color called Feather Down. It’s neutral but not too neutral, if you know what I mean.

There was plaster work done in the dining room, powder room and a small hallway earlier in the project so they’re being repainted now too. Colors: Dune Grass for the DR, Bone for the hall/bath. And since the crew is already here, we’ve added a few extras to the To Do list, namely a fresh coat of paint for the entry area and stairwell. It’s going to take another week before the painting is complete. They’re slow but meticulous. Totally worth it.

Another exciting recent development: Pendant lights above the peninsula. Lovely amber drops of radiance. 
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Continue below for photos and more updates. We’ll show you the cool features inside some of the cabinets. They’ve got beauty AND smarts!

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind.

Dancing Fun Fact:

In 2008, the world’s first “sustainable” dance floor opened at Club Watt in Rotterdam, Sweden. The floor’s tiles each sit on springs hooked up to generators. The harder people dance, the more the springs are compressed and this converts into energy, which runs the LED lights in the floor.

Source: Kaplan International


Now it’s time for you to get to movin’ with the Groove Playlist, after the jump (click Read More). 

​Way back in the days when MTV was still youthful, vibrant and chock full of music videos, one of my favorites was this trippy little number from Tom Petty frolicking in an Alice in Wonderland fantasia. Dig the use of flamingos as cello bows! Both the song and the video still have a place in my Tom Petty Top Ten. How about you?

I have always loved this long-haired, beanpole lean, ‘nothing fancy but compelling anyway’ roots rocker from Gainesville, Florida. Let’s all sing The Birthday Song to Thomas Earl Petty as he celebrates his 65th birthday on Tuesday, October 20th. And then let’s sing along with this awesome Petty Playlist. I’m pretty sure you know all the words. 

The Supper Club is a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Our friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for the group’s origin story and past themes.

Dan and Greg gave us a wonderful theme to work with, quite seasonally appropriate too. There are so many possible interpretations for Into the Woods, and among the 7 of us we hit upon quite a lot of them. From items that were cooked and/or aged in wood, to things with wood in their names, to flora and fauna that live in the woods -- the only thing missing was a straight-up homage to the great Stephen Sondheim musical "Into the Woods".

Ilise and I did consider that angle for our drinks assignment and spent a little time trying to figure out what would be in The Meryl/Wicked Witch or The Anna Kendrick/Cinderella. Ilise wanted to create a cocktail in honor of Milky White, the cow. I’m not unhappy that one never left the drawing board.

The Menu:

Drinks: Ilise and Ann

• Cocktails: The Tawny Forest; Green Gimlet
• Wines: Merry Edwards Pinot Noir Meredith Estate 2008 – not theme-related but an excellent wine which paired well with the main course; Also Stag's Leap Viognier and a Renwood Old Vines Zinfandel. We had a few others at the ready but, surprisingly, did not drink them all.

Appetizer: Ellyn

• A little nosh of cheese, bread and smoked whitefish salad
• Mushroom and Leek Soup with Thyme Cream

Main Course: Greg and Dan

• Wild Boar Braised in Madeira
• Fresh Pasta with Chestnuts and Mushrooms
• Steamed Cranberry Beans

Dessert: Kathleen and Karen

• Woodland Landscape made of Brownies and various delicious items

All of the dishes were autumnal in nature and umami-rich thanks to oodles of mushrooms which appeared in the soup, the pasta and in the gravy for the oh-so-rich wild boar was slightly gamy in a good way after braising for hours in fortified red wine. Oh my yum!
 
Today’s post is all about the Drinks and Appetizers. Click Read More below for photos and recipes and a woodsy playlist. A future post will dig into the Main Course and Dessert.

In honoring the marvelously talented actress Angela Lansbury who has enjoyed such a long and storied career, I feel bad that my go-to reference is of her character Jessica Fletcher, the slightly dowdy professional writer, nosy neighbor and amateur sleuth of a certain age living Down East in Cabot Cove, Maine. But I truly adored the TV series, Murder, She Wrote, which aired from 1984 through 1996, anchoring CBS’s Sunday night programming along with Matlock, perennial favorite among the gray-haired set.

Jessica was so clever, with an acerbic wit and a keen eye for detail, presenting her findings in a schoolmarm-y way as she solved crimes ranging from fraud to robbery to murder most foul, all within a tidy 60 minute time frame (really 47 with commercial breaks).

But Dame Angela Lansbury deserves better recognition than that. Star of stage and screen, some of her most famous roles include:

• The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
• Mame (1966)
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
• Sweeney Todd (1979)
• Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Please click through to the next page to enjoy some video clips showcasing a few of Angela’s many talents and then join me in wishing her a very Happy Birthday. There’s no mystery about it – Mrs. Fletcher rules my heart.

This week’s musical accompaniment is a classic psychedelic rock number selected because the fumes from the super-strong varnish used to finish the hardwood floor induced more than a few spacey head-trips.* Breathe deep the gathering gloom and expand your mind. Far out, man!

As to the headline, we’re flooring it because now the Renovation Finish Line is in sight, just another lap around the track. Step on the gas and start waving that checkered flag! 

I don’t want to jinx anything but we’re probably only 2 weeks from completion, at least as far as the contractors are concerned. (Window treatments and bar stools are another matter.) The new hardwood floor was sanded, stained and finished this week, and the painter will do his thing next week. Then a few more punch list items and we’ll be back to cooking in no time. If we can stand to dirty up our pretty new kitchen, that is.

* Check out the alternate musical selection as well as this week’s photos after the jump.

How many years? 74 of them for singer-songwriter Paul Simon, as he celebrates another birthday on Tuesday, October 13th.

His early career as half of the folk duo Simon & Garfunkel is well known and much respected, although the alleged bad blood between Paul and Art still runs strong. As a solo artist Paul has recorded 11 albums and received 12 Grammy awards among many other honors including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 – before George Harrison [2004], Miles Davis [2006], and KISS [2014], believe it or not.

He’s also tried his hand writing musical theater (The Capeman opened and closed on Broadway after only 68 performances) and dabbled as an actor (a small role in Annie Hall is memorable) and a regular guest on Saturday Night Live. Check out the sketch below.

​That was fun and he seems like a really good sport, but overall I think that Paul should stick with his day job. It’s worked out pretty well for him – and for us music fans – all these years. Happy Birthday, Paul!
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Isn't that a great photo of Paul Simon? Check out the photographer's other work -- www.chrisboland.com

​In honor of National Gumbo Day today, and in memory of the pioneering Louisiana Creole Chef Paul Prudhomme who passed away last Thursday, October 8, let’s head to New Orleans and dive headfirst into some mighty fine gumbo.

We've got recipes, a video and some tunes that'll get your backfield in motion, yessir, this is a multi-media presentation for all y’all.

Chef Paul’s recipe for Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo may be found here. The recipe references several of his proprietary spice blends – I recommend you make your own version.

And if you’re in the mood for seafood in your gumbo instead, try Chef John Besh’s version with blue shell crabs, shrimp and other delights. Here’s the recipe. There’s a long ingredient list and shortcuts would be counterproductive, as it’s the careful layering of flavors that makes gumbo worth waiting for.

Let’s wrap things up with a Gumbo Playlist featuring good-time music from the Big Easy. Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Backsplash, that is. After lots of research, we picked light blue/gray subway tiles with a crackle finish but were still unsure if it would be just too darn much blue in the room.

Good news: It’s just the right amount!

Bad news: This week we turned into the clients from hell for a short while. The issue was grout. When selecting the color we went neutral, alabaster to be precise, a nice, safe choice. Too safe. We realized (after Daniel the tile man had already grouted 2 out of 3 areas) that the alabaster color was fine but we much preferred the dark outlines around the tiles on the wall that had not yet been grouted. It just looked more modern.

We debated – should we let it ride with the off-white color since it looked okay and he’d already done the work? Or risk pissing everyone off and ask for what we really wanted, a re-do with a darker color to make the backsplash tiles pop rather than blend? I think you know how that debate ended.

I have to say, Kelly at KBUI and the tile guy were remarkably cool about our past-last-minute change, even though it meant that Daniel had to quickly un-do his day’s work before everything dried and then do it all over again, in DeLorean gray this time. Everyone’s bottom line was – you need to love it. And now we do – thanks, you guys!

Continue reading, view pictures, and preview next week’s activities after the jump.

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. 

According to Urban Dictionary:

​The Swagger Dance (noun) – This phrase is a combination of the words swagger and dance. Swagger refers to one's comfortability aka confidence, pride, etc., with oneself, meanwhile dance is just a form of self-expression through movement.

​Therefore the person that does the swagger dance exhibits swagger and the ability to simultaneously dance thus meaning that this person is dancing in a cool manner. The person doing the swagger dance is usually in other environments a reserved individual.

Got it? Okay. I recommend that you get on up and strut your stuff to the Swagger Playlist on the next page. ​

Great new song from a brother-sister duo with roots in the Chicago suburbs. Brother Elliott was a founder of the Afrobeat collective NOMO, and when sister Natalie starting adding vocal tracks the two branched off and formed Wild Belle, which draws on musical influences from psychedelic pop, ska, funk and reggae. 

I dig this. Do you? Let me know in the comments.

It has been autumn for a couple weeks now, with leaves on the lawn and football on the TV, but here in Chicago the temperatures are still alternating between cool and humid/warm-ish. Not the ideal weather for cooking soup or potpies (darn, we missed Nat’l Potpie Day on Sept 23rd) and other fall favorites.

Unless there’s a brisk nip in the air, a wisp of wood smoke and the crisp clear sunshine that goes with apple-picking, pumpkin patches, and leaf-raking weekends, I just won’t be in the mood to cook the hearty dishes that evoke autumn warmth and coziness.  ​

• Roasted Vegetable Soup with Herb Dumplings – from The Kitchn
• Not Too Virtuous Salad with Caramelized Apple Vinaigrette – from wonderash at Food52 – This one I’ve made before and it is frickin’ awesome! Do not pass Go, make this salad.
• Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette – from Smitten Kitchen
• Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast – from Simply Recipes – Not necessarily fast or easy, but looks like an amazing dinner party main course
• Cider-Braised Chicken with Apples, Bacon and Sage – from Serious Eats
• Vegan Shepherd Pie – from Jamie Oliver
• Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie – from Joy the Baker
• Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie – from Bon Appetit – Maybe pumpkin pie isn’t just for Thanksgiving anymore?! This looks awesome.

Yes, Ray Kroc, the businessman and opportunist who turned McDonalds into the ubiquitous fast-food presence that it is today, would be celebrating a birthday on Monday were he still alive. I have no particular beef with the massive fast food chain and in fact have been known to crave their delicious fries and the occasional Big Mac. (I crave more often than I indulge, just to be clear.)

But I know darn well that there are many superior burgers out there, and the best ones are those you make yourself. Follow the links below for a few great recipes:

• Minetta Burger – from Minetta Tavern in NYC, featured in Food & Wine
• Fake Shake Shack Burger – from Smitten Kitchen, via Epicurious
• Inside-Out Cheeseburgers with Chipotle Mayo – from Steve Raichlen’s Primal Grill series
• Turkey Burger with Gruyere and Scallions – from Martha Stewart

​So on your special day, Ghost of Ray Kroc, we have just one question … do you want fries with that? Think it over while you give a listen to the Burgers McPlaylist below.

The countertops were installed on Thursday and now the kitchen is REALLY coming together. The material is quartzite, a natural stone similar to granite, and the light beige color we selected is called Taj Mahal. (Ahhh, now the musical selection begins to make sense!)

This week got off to a slow start compared to past action-packed weeks. Not that we’re complaining. The mud room floor was stripped of its dingy old linoleum and refitted with new ceramic tiles. The father and son duo of electricians added outlets and cleaned up the electrical panel while perfecting their comic banter all the while. 

And then things got interesting when the countertops arrived. What a big difference! The plumber returned today to hook up the water and gas lines to the sink and appliances. Our kitchen is technically operational! Not really though, there’s lots left to do.

Click Read More below to continue for photos and a preview of next week’s work.

​From the wonderful movie Victor/Victoria, which raised a few eyebrows at the time despite a long history of theatrical male/female gender-bending, this is one of my favorite Julie jewels. I hope you like it too.