Tuesday
09Oct
Getting Back in It
Tuesday, October 9, 2007 at 10:02PM 
Well, here I am - yes, I apologize for being away for so long. I don't have much of an excuse really, just not feeling myself lately. Actually, it's a matter of the heart that's had me distracted and rather uninspired. I could go into it, but I won't because if I started to document the heartache I've endured over the years this website would turn into a book. A book. Hmmm.
I wish I could be fabulous, carefree, and light of being all of the time, but it cannot always be so. Such a person would surely be incredibly boring, don't you think? It is a nice notion though. As Simone de Beauvoir said:
“I would myself become an imaginary character, endowed with beauty, desirability, and a sort of shimmering transparent loveliness.”
Yes, where do I find my shimmering transparent loveliness? It must be standard issue among imaginary characters. If only things could be so simple; as anyone who knows anything about exitentialism or Simone de Beauvoir, things weren't always a picnic for her heart either.
Yes, even Ms. P&C gets the blues, and when it happens the only thing to do is go to a party, flirt, have a cocktail, hang out with friends, and lighten up in general. Or, as my grandmother always said: "If you're feeling bad about yourself, go do something nice for someone else." So that's just what I did.
Last week I grabbed a friend of mine and went to the GQ party at the Saks Mens Store. I wore this fabulous Vince dress that is my new favorite thing. There's nothing that makes you feel better faster than splurging on something great to wear to a fun party. I also went over to Ooma where my friend Kate Logan found me the perfect little patent leather handbag by Hobo International. (I have to say, this bag is the bomb - I'm going to wear it a lot this fall & winter and the wrist strap makes it incredibly easy to keep the hands free for cocktails, or the occasional stroking of a handsome face. Anyways, I digress.) The party was good fun - great people watching, and I even ran into a few guys I knew in high school. Such a mix of people! Some really elegant, really beautiful couples, all chic and pulled together. But then there were the skanky younger mistresses with fake boobs getting followed around by drooling sextogenarians. Good times. The after-party over at Slide was even better. Too bad the slide wasn't actually open, but the DJ was tops and I definitely plan on going back. As I told Trevor "Mr. Mixed Elements" Hewitt: "Slide is my (other) new favorite thing."
Getting people together on a Monday is actually easy!The next thing I did was make dinner for a group of friends. Fall brings with it not only the best fashion but also some of the best food. As the heirloom tomatoes and grilled chicken start to taper off they get replaced by hearty squashes and slow-braised meats. Things get cozy and more flavorful all around. I've been thinking about Boeuf Bourguignon for a number of weeks now, and I was finally able to get the gang together and feed them a steaming bowl of beefy goodness.
I always go back to the Julia Child recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and while both these names may be a little daunting, the recipe is actually very simple - it just takes a long time, as most good things do. Actually, the most time consuming aspect of the entire thing is the peeling and braising of all of the tiny little pearl onions. It's an essential step though - they make the whole thing look so authentic... The best part about Boeuf Bourguignon is that you can make it ahead of time - I made mine on Sunday afternoon and had very little to do on Monday evening before everyone showed up at my place. Overall, the menu was simple and delicious: Boeuf Bourguignon, spinach salad with gorgonzola & mandarin oranges, and fresh sourdough bread.
Favorite composer..."Fat Mike"?For dessert I made Nigella Lawson's chocolate brownies from How to be a Domestic Goddess - oh, made with Scharffenberger chocolate, of course. This is truly the easiest baking recipe ever - it takes ten minutes to get into the oven and the results are scrumptiously rich. I paired these little devils with some raspberry sorbet to balance them out. As an added inducement for the dessert course, my friend Brian (who knows a thing or two about the dessert course) brought a New York cheesecake to help things along too. Yum!
So, some fall flowers, a few bottles of wine, a few Proust questionnaires, and voila! A little gathering to chase the blues away. Let's just say...it worked. I feel much better now and I have my friends to thank for it. Totally ready to get out and enjoy the autumn party season. After all, where doors close windows always open - right?
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