What I Did This Weekend

My sister came up from Durham for the weekend.  We shopped, cooked, laughed and just hung out.  On Friday, our friend Gary, the gifted artist of Mather&Smith Designs (whose wonderful work I showed in this entry) came up for lunch and shopping.  I rearranged my sun room and needed a console table.  We first Burlington Coat Factory - nada.  We hit Home Goods #1 - nada. Stopped for noodle soup and coffee, then headed for Home Goods #2 (I live in shopping Mecca), and bingo - we found the console and an adorable little accent table, too!

Saturday - my sis went to our hair stylist - she's nicknamed her the "hair whisperer" and I stayed home to clean out my bedroom closet and hang new curtains in the bedroom.  It's really starting to look to nice now.  The new blinds are ultra-suede Roman shades..(note suitcase always in corner...the road warrior returns).

My new(ish) bed is leather...

We were supposed to go see Bill Maher, but I admit that after carting old hangers and donation clothes out to the garage, I was beat and I sorta fell asleep on the floor. 

Sunday was Family Dinner day.  The kids were coming home early, so we decided to make an early Rosh Hashanah dinner.  Sis and I made brisket, potato pancakes, braised cabbage and noodle kugel.  Ok, we bought the noodle kugel and I was sous chef for most of it, but here goes:

First we prepped and browned the side of beef brisket while preheating the oven to 300 degrees:

(note the chef's tongs expertly moving the brisket around the pan)

Next, we cut carrots and onion to put in the pan with roasting brisket

Then we browned the mushrooms:

and added everything into the pot:

Now, here is where the pain in the ass younger sister (me), complains how my sis trashes the kitchen whilst she cooks:

Her comment? All great chefs make a mess......

We covered the brisket with some veggie broth and crushed tomatoes in the pain (enough to braise), seasoned with salt, lemon pepper and bay leaf, then put it into the oven at 300 degrees and let it cook for about 1 1/2 hours.  At that time, she pulled it out and poured a can of coke *no diet please!!!* over the roast.  Back in for another 2 hours. 

We then set out to make the potato pancakes. We followed Joan Nathan's recipe.

Peeled potatoes:

hard to tell, but I cut my finger on the peeler....

Note my sister's exquisite knife technique - good to know that education went for something.....;-)

We cut up a bunch of scallions, grated the potatoes. Then, while sis was visiting with Mom, I squeezed the liquid out of the potatoes.  Then I grated a LARGE Vidalia onion and mixed it in with the potato.  Next, we whisked two eggs, sprinkled some flour in, salt pepper and scallions.  Sis formed pancakes and set to work.

We heated a healthy dose of canola oil in a pan (NOTE - this is NOT health food).

After we finished the batch of potato pancakes, it was time to take the meat out of the oven.  We made a roux and thickened the juices into a sauce for the meat. 

We had red cabbage braising in the red dutch oven in the rear of the picture. Sis made that in the morning before I got the camera out.   By now, the entire house smelled wonderful and we were all starving!!  Sis plated and .......

VOILA!!!!

It was delicious!  I would show you the aftermath in the kitchen, but Sis threatened to break the camera...