Cibus Corner: Week Night Dinner Party

After a month-long hiatus, Cibus Corner is back. This time, Chef Babs reveals the secrets to a successful week night dinner party.

Chef Babs, age 4

I used to watch Emeril and Mario on The Food Network and try to emulate their intricate recipes. But that was when I was in graduate school and college and had a lot more free time on my hands. Now, when faced with a complicated recipe, I think: “I guess I’ll order a pizza.” With the demands of working full-time, family, and other obligations, few of us have time to cook gourmet meals nightly. Sometimes, recipes that require a lot of ingredients or take an hour or more to cook seem undoable in our fast paced, schedule driven lives. This, of course, is what made shows like 30 Minute Meals, and Everyday Italian so popular. People require recipes that are good, quick and simple, otherwise, they resort to take out.

Recently, my favorite couple was in town. Although they were only in town during the week, I was still determined to make a good meal. It is our tradition that we always celebrate getting together by throwing a dinner party. I must say, it turned out fantastic, and, it did not take much preparation. This dinner party was a huge hit, and all of the dishes were delicious and simple to make.

Pork Loin with Mr. Yoshida’s Sauce

A family favorite for grilling is Mr Yoshida’s sauce. It used to be available at Sam’s, but is now available online HERE. While I do not normally purchase food online, this marinade is the exception. It really is that good. I have also heard that Jack Daniel’s purchased the brand and it now sells in grocery stores under the label “Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauce", but they appear to have tampered with the recipe and it's just not the same. Moreover, when you order online, you can get 63 oz. for under $15 -- and trust me, you'll be using this a lot, so it's best to buy in bulk.

3 lb. Pork Tenderloin (1/2 lb. per person)
2 cups Mr. Yoshida’s sauce
1/2 stick butter, melted
salt and pepper to taste

First, prick the pork tenderloin all over with a fork. This allows for the marinade to sink into the pork. Next, place the tenderloin in a zip lock bag and pour in the Mr Yoshida’s sauce and the melted butter. Place in the refrigerator until ready to grill. You can even do this in the morning before work and leave it to marinate all day. Allow to marinate at least 1-2 hours. After it has marinated, place the tenderloin on the grill, and cook until done. Cooking time will depend on the hotness of the grill and the size of the tenderloin. For a 3 pound tenderloin, cook at least 20-25 minutes. Place the remaining sauce in a saucepan on the stove top. Boil for 10 minutes and serve as a reduction sauce for the cooked pork tenderloin.

Chocolate Marsala Cake

Ingredients:

scant 1/3 cup unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up

4 large eggs

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup self-rising cake flour, sifted 3 times

3 tbsp Marsala wine

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave and set aside to cool. Beat eggs and sugar together until thick and tripled in volume. Gently fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture. Fold butter and chocolate very carefully into the cake mixture. Pour into 8-inch springform pan [Note: We just used a regular 8-inch pan and had no trouble getting it out.], greased and floured [Note: We used cocoa powder, which ensures no white mess on your lovely cake!]. Cook for 35 minutes. Cool on the rack for 5 minutes and then pour Marsala over the cake. Let cool completely before releasing from the pan.

Icing:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1 tbsp Marsala

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Melt the chocolate, Marsala and cream in a saucepan over gentle heat. Remove from heat and whisk until smooth and thick (but not solid). Pour over cake and serve.

This cake was easy, required few ingredients and was a hit with the people at the party (even my boyfriend P.W., who isn’t even that crazy about chocolate). It's also not a fussy cake and I assembled it while chatting with my guests. Again, it is a recipe from Nigella Lawson’s How To Be a Domestic Goddess. The cake is similar to a torte, and the chocolate ganache provides the finishing touch. Due to the richness of this cake, it would also be great to serve at a shower or around the holidays. It appears simple and elegant, and everyone will be surprised at how little time it took you to make. As I've noted before though, I highly recommend the book as so many of the recipes in it are absolutely fantastic. It is also a great gift!

To say the Marsala chocolate cake was a hit would be a gross understatement. We were left fighting for the last bite and scraping the ganache off the plate.

Whiskey Sours

We finished the evening off with whiskey sours, courtesy of Ina Garten. Whiskey sours are an excellent cocktail to serve at dinner parties because men and women both tend to like them. Men like that you serve them whiskey, and women are pleased that they are still sweet. Ina Garten's recipe for whiskey sours is the best one I have found. She made them on her show entitled “Jeffrey’s Treat,” because they are her husband’s favorite drink. Go HERE for the recipe. I am also a huge fan of amaretto sours, but the whiskey sours definitely appeal to a broader audience, so I tend to save the amaretto sours for girls’ nights.

Michelle Obama's Fashion Jewelry Style

Over the past few years, we've watched as now First Lady Michelle Obama has undergone a style evolution. From her super-chic sheaths to floral printed dresses, she's upped the style quotient in the White House at every appearance she makes. Not to be forgotten are her look-at-me accessories that define her signature look and pull her outfits together. From bubble-gum size pearls to big brooches and hoop earrings, we examine some of the most memorable pieces she's worn and try to keep up with this fashion-forward all-American mom as she makes history.



Pearls, pearls, pearls – Michelle Obama favors these classic stones, but she adds her own contemporary twist by wearing oversize faux pearl necklaces and gorgeous strands of color in gold and brown.



Pendants – Ever the fashion icon, Michelle pushes the envelope by wearing multiples of classic necklaces. One of her most memorable pendant choices was a peace symbol and hope dog tag necklace, that she has casually sported on several occasions.



Classic shaped earrings – On election night, the new First Lady of Fashion chose a pair of double oval hoop earrings. The silver tone set a beautiful compliment to her black and red dress. She's also opted for gold hoop earrings as a simple accessory to accent colorful pieces.



Color – Michelle is not afraid of adding a pop of color here and there, and that includes her jewelry. She loves look-at-me beads, like the chunky double-stranded blue choker she wore to a speaking engagement. More recently, she wore a layered necklace look with canary and turquoise colored beads to contrast an all-black ensemble.

Mrs. Obama certainly keeps up with – or is responsible for setting – some of the most favored fashion jewelry trends to date. We can only wait in anticipation to see what she pulls out of her hat next.

Read related articles:
How to Wear Earrings

How to tell if your pearl necklace or earing is real or fake
PEARL JEWELRY-TRADITION OR FASHION
MICHELLE OBAMA'S DRESS-MICHELLE OBAMA'S INAUGURATION DRESS

Turquoise & Silver

Here’s a Southwest beauty handcrafted from Turquoise nugget chip gemstones with a touch of copper glass square beads; highlighting a Chinese Turquoise pendant in silver. Dangle hoop earrings with matching stones complete the look.

Check out Timeless Designs for more Southwest designs in Turquoise, Coral and Magnesite.

Inspired by Elizabeth Martin

The cover shot in this month's Elle Decor (shown above) is from the Washington, D.C., home of George Stephanopolous and his wife, actress/author Alexandra Wentworth (perhaps best known for her guest appearance as Jerry Seinfeld's girlfriend (Schmoopie) on the infamous "Soup Nazi" episode). Decorated by Wentworth's childhood friend, designer Elizabeth Martin, the house is a charming example of a classic Colonial Revival home done up in a decidedly more modern way, with an eclectic mix of traditional antiques and artwork, bohemian eclecticism, beach house chic, and assorted curiosities primarily inherited from Wentworth's grandmother.

Going through Elizabeth Martin's online portfolio, I'm struck by how timeless her work is, despite being incredibly "of the moment" since one of the major trends for accessories this summer is nautical and seaside motifs (for some excellent examples, see Thomas Paul, Williams-Sonoma Home, and West Elm), which she employs with some gusto. In my opinion, Martin hits a home run for successfully incorporating Wentworth's gigantic collection of antique corals and shells into a very traditional (and not at all cottage-y) interior.

My two favorite rooms in the spread were the dining room (pictured immediately above and below) and the study. You can peruse the entire spread online HERE and see more pictures of the home not included in Elle Decor's story at Martin's portfolio HERE. In all of the rooms, Martin paints the backs of the built-in bookshelves (of which I am completely envious) a more saturated and, in some instances, contrasting shade, which not only highlights the shelves as an architectural detail, but spotlights the many wonderful books and objects that fill them. The pops of orange in the dining room are also brilliant, especially against the cool gray walls. Normally I dislike trim painted out in the same color as the walls, but in this room I think it works as it modernizes and simplifies very traditional and ornate trim work and moldings.

I love the orange curtains here. With the light streaming through them, they almost glow. The matching settee is also a great touch.

The moody grey-brown-green walls (what would you call that color anyway?) of the study really cozy up this large room. I think the furniture arrangement is particularly well done here as Martin created two intimate conversation areas separated by a low wicker bench/console table. By dividing such a long space into two distinct areas, Martin ensures that entire room is usable space. And by placing the larger furniture pieces (i.e., the sofas) on this side of the room, Martin creates a visual anchor underneath the large windows that can stand up to the fireplace and built-ins on the opposite wall. Despite the formal paneling and salon-style art installation, the room still manages to feel relaxed and livable thanks to comfortable sofas and chairs that boast overstuffed cushions and more modern lines.

The insides of those bookshelves make my heart skip a beat. The brown velvet armchair and ottoman tie in with the brown velvet sofas in the seating area on the opposite side of the room. I also love the giant Chinese figurines on either side of the fireplace (my guess is that they're representative of George and Alexandra's Chinese zodiac animals as my parents have smaller bookends that look remarkably similar of an ox and a dog that represent their birth years as well).

For fun, I thought I might put together a mood board for a living room inspired by Elizabeth Martin's work at the Stephanopolous-Wentworth house. For wall color, I'd go with Benjamin Moore's Nantucket Fog, a mid-tone blue-gray whose name seems particularly appropriate given the nautical motif. Like Martin, I'd paint the trim to match.

Taking my cue from the dining room, I decided to use coral as my primary accent color, which gets picked up in the traditional side chair, Moroccan-style pouf, and some of the accessories. Hints of blue-grey would be found not just on the walls, but on a throw pillow and some seaside-inspired artwork. The bisque velvet sofa is comfortable, but has a contemporary shape that blends modern with traditional. For a coffee table, I'd go with table that looks like an antique trunk while the wooden side table has an organic and sculptural quality that is decidedly more modern. The zebra rug (which Martin uses in several rooms throughout the home) would keep the room interesting, but still grounds the space in neutral tones.

Sources:

1. Colin Chair, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams ($1445, as shown)

2. Zebra Rug, Pottery Barn (5' x 8', $349)

3. Taka Trunk, Crate&Barrel ($499)

4. Orange Pouf, John Derian ($269)

5. Decorate Spheres, Williams-Sonoma Home ($48/set of 6)

6. Faux Coral, ZGallerie ($19.95-$44.95)

7. Twist Stool, ZGallerie ($119.95)

8. Seabury Sofa in Bisque velvet, Pottery Barn ($2099, as shown). Pillows (from left): Bristol Pillow in Mist and Ventura Pillow in Sunset, Crate&Barrel ($39.95 each); Octopus embroidered pillow cover, Pottery Barn ($49)

9. Breezing Up by Larry Miller, Artassance ($89-$498, depending on size)

10. Nina by Alicia Grau, Artassance ($136-$1057, depending on size)

Jewelry like Jennifer Lopez - Fashion Style

Jennifer Lopez has been on our style radar for some time now, shocking us with daring choices and dazzling jewelry that is fabulously frivolous and over the top. Though most of us probably can't afford to spring for Jennifer Lopez size gems, we can take some tips from her to create jewelry looks that add glamour to our own wardrobe.

Jennifer Lopez makes her own rules, as she chooses combinations including both gold and silver. On a recent promotional experience she wore a large silver chain link bracelet with a jumbo size pair of hoop earrings and a handful of rings. She favors hoop earrings, often choosing oversize textured pairs to compliment a flowing hair style.

Mrs. Mark Anthony also likes to pile on the bangles, wearing wristfuls of sterling silver thin bracelets as a casual accessory. She also stacks large wooden bangles, sporting several at a time, plus big earrings to complete an outfit.

Jennifer Lopez's jewelry style is versatile and fashion, as she switches back and forth from pop rocker to glam goddess. Onstage, she needs to be the center of attention, rocking piles of accessories. But lately, her red-carpet look has leaned more toward tailored and posh, consisting more of classic pieces like humongous diamond studs, which shine with an elegant up-do. Other faves include romantic art deco drop earrings with matching bezel-set bracelet. Often the gowns she wears are decadent unto themselves, so she's careful to choose jewelry that doesn't overpower. Instead, it adds just the right touch of sparkle.

To get her look, try opting for costume jewelry with glitzy gems in fun colors like canary yellow or baby pink. Also, dare to wear gold and silver at the same time if the designs are similar. Just remember that your signature style doesn't necessarily have to follow a certain set of style rules. You can play with jewelry and mix it up, just like Jennifer Lopez.

Coral Designs

Coral is a very nice gemstone and when I do design with it the jewelry pieces are gone as quickly as they are created!

This beauty is handcrafted with white Magnesite that has great brown and black veins; intermixed are pieces of Coral and a nice large hunk of Coral incased in silver. I’ve added a 2” extender and dangle earrings using the Magnesite and Coral to accent the necklace.

This pieces are all about the Coral and both handcrafted with all Coral gemstones; one has two different shapes of Coral with the other in graduating peanut shaped Coral gemstones where the red runs from bright to deep dark; both have matching earrings.

Gemstone jewelry in hot, bold designs exclusively designed for the personality you want to reflect…..pick out a gift for Graduation, Mother’s Day, Anniversary or Birthday! Every purchase comes with a nice gift box; all you have to do is add the card! Visit Timeless Designs to pick our your one-of-kind jewelry gift!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

These are our two cats, Subito (Latin for "suddenly", age 6) and Clio (named for the Greek Muse of History, age 2.5). While they may look innocent, don't be fooled by the sweet picture. In fact, in recent weeks they've conspired to wreck havoc on my house and turn it in to one giant scratching post. What's more frustrating is that they both have excellent taste. Mats and posts specifically designed for their scratching pleasure are deliberately ignored in favor of the really good stuff: the sofa, the chair I just got recovered, the good Oriental rug. Weekly nail clippings have only encouraged them to resharpen freshly clipped claws as quickly as possible to resume their destructive behaivor.

I'm at my wits' end and now turn to you, gentle readers, for advice. Any ideas short of declawing (which is particularly cruel at their ages, I think)? How do you keep your pets off furniture and your cats from scratching your house to bits? Please help!