Feb. 05
Foodie Friday: Opposites Attract: A Hadley Kitchen and Super Ribs for the Super Bowl
By Lynn Byrne. OK already, I admit it. I just have Albert Hadley on the brain this week. Today’s kitchen is not from yesterday’s house, but is located in a New York City apartment. I only have one shot of the kitchen (wish I had more), but it is enough for the Hadley flair to shine through. Look at the mirror backsplash. Awesome for increasing the sense of light and space in what is usually a cramped and dark area even in “luxury” apartments. I also like the composite material countertop. It is quartz with recycled glass sprinkled in. 
For good measure, I will toss in a snappy of the apartment’s dining room since it is so awesome. Those groovy chairs were repurposed from a previous residence. There, they were slipcovered, but to show off that fantastic shape Mr. Hadley “undressed” them. Definitely the way to go. Love how the lampshades match the chairs.
Finally, a lovely tablescape. I will now be hunting for a porcelain cabbage. Who knew I needed one?
Now after the elegance of Albert Hadley, I am going to give you a great recipe for a Super Bowl snack. Want to get away from the standard chili and wings? These ribs sure do the trick. The recipe is from the book by Lidia Bastianich entitled Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. When I am serving the ribs as a meal and not finger food, I also roast little potatoes, carrots and parsnips, as shown in the photo.
Spare Ribs Roasted with Vinegar and Red Pepper
Ingredients
1 rack, about 3 1/2 pounds pork spare ribs, cut into single ribs (the butcher can do this for you)
Sea or Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled
4 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 cup (or as needed, start with 1/2 cup) canned reduced-sodium chicken broth (Of course if you are a truly dedicated cook, homemade chicken or meat stock can be used as well.)
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed hot red pepper to taste, pulverized or chopped fine (I just sprinke straight from the spice bottle)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Pat the spare ribs dry and season them with salt and pepper. Toss them in a roasting pan into which they fit comfortably with the olive oil, garlic and bay leaves. (I use the biggest roasting pan I have. The ribs should not be crowded. They will brown better.) Pour in the stock (I start with 1/2 cup stock) and roast, turning occasionally, until the liquid is almost completely evaporated and the ribs are golden brown, 45 minutes to an hour (add a bit more stock if you see that the ribs dry out well before they are done).
Meanwhile, stir the wine, vinegar, honey and crushed red pepper together in a small bowl until the honey is dissolved.
Brush all sides of the ribs with some of the vinegar glaze, then pour the remaining glaze into the roasting pan. Continue baking, turning every few minutes, until the glaze is syrupy and the ribs are mahogany brown and sticky to the touch, about 20 minutes.
Serves 6
See you Monday. My boys say the Colts are going to win. Let’s see.
Kitchen and dining room photos from housebeautiful.com.
