Screw Up Some Recipes

It can be incredibly daunting to try new things, including recipes, because there is an excellent chance that your results won't be perfect on your first attempt. I've had to learn this the hard way, trying out ideas and recipes for this show. We eat them whether or not they come out perfectly, unless they're just inedible. Sometimes they look like real "Pinterest fails." That's okay. Every attempt gets me closer to something I'm proud to share and I would never use a recipe on the show if I didn't think it was really good. That ugly duckling stage is a necessary part of the journey, so don't be afraid to mess up! You're not failing, you're doing research and development!

Test Kitsch-en

Make Someone's Day!

Yesterday may have been about the haters, but today is about the love! We were fortunate to receive a couple of really nice messages from folks yesterday, telling us how much they like the show, and it made our day! It got me thinking about how we don't really know what's going on with other people. We might just assume that they know their show (or business or cooking or books or whatever they do) is great, so we don't say anything. However, they could be having a bad day, or they may just feel unnoticed and unappreciated, and a kind word from you could be all it takes to completely shift their day from grim to great!  So, if you really love someone's work, don't hold back! Let them know and I'll bet you get some real appreciation in return!

And don't forget to reward yourself for your kindness with a little something special, like a lovely libation! Here's a pretty blue one for you to try - click to make the image larger!

  

You Can't Please Everyone

One of the biggest challenges I've faced on my journey to creating my Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en media empire is knowing that not everyone adores me. Shocking, right? It's in my DNA to be nice to people and I always approach any new person in my life wanting to have a fabulous relationship, whether personal or professional, but sometimes it just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes folks hate you on sight. Sometimes there are professional rivalries, imagined slights or you just resemble someone's abusive boss or cheating wife. There's not much you can do about other people and what they think. All you can do is be kind, be yourself, do the work you want to do and live your life in a way that makes you proud. If someone doesn't like you or what you represent, that's their problem!

At Vidcon last year I attended many panels featuring creators of wildly successful food and lifestyle shows on YouTube and some of their stories were shocking. The abuse and vitriol that even the most popular ones endure is pretty amazing to someone like me, who wants to love everyone. But I took a valuable piece of advice away from more than one panel, which is that you're no one without haters. If you don't have haters, it means you're not putting yourself out there in the world. So thank a hater! Their asinine comments are evidence that your message is being heard!

Here's a little cocktail to enjoy as you build your business, life or just navigate the crazies who are determined to hate everything:

Don't Obsess, Just Drink!

My friend Jennifer shared a great article by wine expert Ryan Opaz (click here to read it), the gist of which is that wine should be enjoyed, not a source of shame for imbibers who aren't sure whether or not they're drinking the right wine or a wine that's "good enough." All I can say is "Amen!" I've been privy to a depressing number of discussions on liquor, beer, food and the like which seem to devolve into arguments about whether or not a particular product is worthy and become, rather than a chance to share information on new products or something that someone tried and particularly liked, more of a competition over who has the most educated palate and is therefore more of an "expert" on cocktails (or beer or coffee or artisanal bread). It reminds me of teenagers raging that any band that isn't among their favorites "sucks." However, what's cute, if asinine, in a kid is just mean and sad in an adult. By all means, folks should drink whatever makes them happy! But if someone likes Yellow Tail wine or Myers's rum, they should be able to drink it in peace, without shaming from the peanut gallery. It's so refreshing to see an expert who agrees. Thank you, Ryan Opaz!

Power Outage? Fondue Party!

Hopefully you’re not about to be impacted by the blizzard the east coast has been promised this weekend but, if you are, fondue is a good way to have a hot meal if the power goes out!  At its most basic, fondue is simply melted cheese, chocolate or hot oil into which you dip bites of food for cooking. Keep garlic cloves, white wine (or broth, for a non-alcoholic version) and shredded cheese on hand, along with bread for dipping (slightly stale bread works best) and you will eat like a king!  For the most basic of cheese fondues, all you do is rub the bottom of your fondue pot with a clove or two of garlic, add wine (or broth) and bring to a simmer, then add your cheese a handful at a time and stir until it’s melted! Adding about a tablespoon of cornstarch that has been combined with an equal amount of water or liquor will help to smooth it out and of course you can add any spices, liqueurs (kirsch is popular) and cheese loving foods you like! One of my favorite recipes involves adding lump crabmeat. Cooked shrimp would also be great.  Use your imagination, keep the appropriate fuel for your fondue pot on hand and stay safe if you find yourself surrounded by the fluffy white stuff!

Here are a couple of fun fondue recipes from 1969's The Fondue Cookbook, compiled and edited by Beth Merriman, along with a little info about heaters for fondue pots. Bon appetit!

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

We don't eat much meat around here, partly because it can be really expensive for anything that's decent quality. A couple of times recently I've roasted a whole chicken, since, pound for pound, it's a good deal and we can use it in meals for days. Today I'm trying it in the crock pot. There are hundreds of crock pot chicken recipes online, but I don't think you even really need one. All you do is wash and pat dry the chicken (be sure to remove the giblets!), place herbs, onions, a lemon or anything else you like inside the chicken, season inside and out however you like (definitely salt and pepper, along with anything else that sounds good to you),  add a little liquid to the pot (I used chicken broth, since we have a ton from the last chicken), then finally the chicken. Mine is five pounds, so I'm cooking for five hours on the high setting. I'm also trying a tip I saw on several sites, which involved making a "rack" for the chicken out of balls of foil - just wad up pieces of foil into balls, place in the bottom of the pot and set the chicken on them. It's supposed to keep it from burning on the bottom.

I also made a "gravy" I'm very happy with, since it tastes great and I absolutely cheated while making it. Most gravy recipes involve about 37 steps and they don't result in a better gravy than mine. I've named it Cheating Gravy and I plan to make it often!

Cheating Gravy

The giblets from one chicken

About 2 TBSP bourbon

About 1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes to taste

About 2 TBSP flour

Combine all ingredients except the flour and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the giblets and chop, then add back the liver and heart if you like (it's fine if you leave them out). Return to a simmer. Combine flour with enough cold water to make a paste, add to the pot and stir until it thickens (this happens quickly). Voila - cheating gravy!

A Lovely Smile And A Lovely Libation

It seemed as though the whole world was cranky today, or at least the whole of NYC. From the woman who berated a man for blowing his nose on my morning train to the gal who was snippy to me on the PATH train to the dozens of folks whose faces seem to have frozen into scowls in this bone chilling cold, most of the city was in a bad mood. Most, that is, except for a woman on the B train who actually smiled at me! It took me a moment to process the fact that she was, in fact, not crazy - just friendly. That simple facial motion melted so much of the morning's deep freeze (and I don't mean the air temperature). I was struck by the power of a simple smile. They say it takes more muscles to frown than to smile, so take the lazy way and smile! You'll certainly look better and you'll definitely stand out!

Of course, a lovely libation also makes the day seem brighter! Like many folks, I am no fan of cold weather, especially when it's accompanied by heavy winds, but I'm about to administer my favorite antidote: bourbon! Try this the next time you get home after a bitterly cold day. It thaws you right out!

Cozy Fire

2 oz bourbon

1/2 oz elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz pomegranate juice

1/4 oz fresh lime juice

Isn't that better?