I'm back, baby! Unfortunately I had to take a break from blogging for the past few weeks because of some family happenings. We lost my beloved grandfather a couple weeks ago; he was 84-years-old. As sad as it was to lose him, those events always have a weird bright side. He's at peace after a tough sickness, plus I got to reconnect with lots of family and learn things about my grandfather I hadn't known before. 

Take a look at him in his Mad Men days as an executive at Xerox. Also, peep this photo of him and my grandmother as newlyweds in their early 20's... this would have been the late 1940s/early 1950s. I actually got to read through a letter she left him in their senior high school yearbook from 1948. It was so sweet and so crazy to imagine my grandparents wooing one another as teens.

He was a jazz-loving dude with a serious sweet tooth. Whenever we visited, there was lots of ice cream and apple pie to go around. He traveled a ton and always humbly shied away when I'd ask him to tell me about canoeing down the Amazon or exploring Vienna. He was also the funniest person I've ever met; I can't tell you a joke or routine he had. His humor was simple including little more than a perfectly-timed head cock or raised eyebrow. I'll miss him a lot.

While my sisters were all still in town, I had them over for a feast that was made up of these short ribs and this creamy polenta. I actually recreated the pavlovas for dessert too! My original plan was to go fancy with some osso bucco, but DAMN that stuff is expensive. Also, I'm never sure if I'm OK with veal, so I went with short ribs instead. Oh boy were they greasy and yummy and rich and the best.

Serve 'em up with a Shirley Temple (or kiddie cocktail as grandpa Jack called 'em), or for the adults, a whiskey sour in his honor. Anyway, hug the ones you love and make 'em yummy food. xx!