let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

never living outside of southern california it always makes me laugh when we get a sprinkle because the news outlets immediately label it "storm watch 2016" or whatever year we are storm watching. i know how bad "real" weather can be. i've traveled enough to have been in it. hearing of last week's storm jonas's imminent arrival, i called my dear friend and pr director, sara, who lives in d.c. with her husband and beautiful new baby. as we spoke of their preparedness, as well as prayers for the homeless and less fortunate, we counted our blessings. with many storms to come i'm sure, we formulated the best way to get thru one given you are fortuitous enough to have the means.

xo,

gaye.

as winter storm jonas was forecasted to hit the northeast this past weekend with over 2 to 3 feet of snow in most areas affected, and knowing that we were likely to be snowed in for a few days, we decided to turn lemons into lemonade and take advantage of some fun family time and special culinary experiences together. my husband is an outstanding chef and charted out recipes for every single meal of our snowcation celebration. while our friends were stocking up on milk, potato chips, and toilet paper, we took to the grocery store for pork shoulder, fresh oysters, and kimchi. all in all, we had an amazing snowcation weekend that makes me look forward to the next one! it was filled with an abundance of delicious food, movie & sports watching, and family treks through the beautiful snow-covered streets. the most memorable culinary dish was a bo ssam dish from the famous momofuku restaurant in new york city. it is to die for! i am not a big pork eater, besides the occasional slice of bacon; however this dish is incredibly flavorful and definitely highly recommended. here is the recipe below, courtesy of the ny times.

ingredients:
for the pork:
1 whole bone-in pork butt or picnic ham (8 to 10 pounds)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons brown sugar

ginger scallion sauce:
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions, both green and white parts
1/2 cup peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 scant teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

ssam sauce:
2 tablespoons fermented bean-and-chili paste (ssamjang, available in many asian markets, and online)
1 tablespoon chili paste (kochujang, available in many asain markets, and online)
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup neutral oil (like grapeseed)

accompaniments:
2 cups plain white rice, cooked
3 heads bibb lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
1 dozen or more fresh oysters (optional)
kimchi (available in many asian markets, and online)

preparation:
step 1: place the pork in a large, shallow bowl. mix the white sugar and 1 cup of the salt together in another bowl, then rub the mixture all over the meat. cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

step 2: when you're ready to cook, heat oven to 300. remove pork from refrigerator and discard any juices. place the pork in a roasting ban and set in the oven to cook for approximately 6 hours, or until it collapses, yielding easily to the tines of a fork. (after the first hour, baste hourly with pan juices.) at this point, you may remove the meat from the oven and allow it to rest for up to an hour.

step 3: meanwhile, make the ginger-scallion sauce. in a large bowl, combine the scallions with the rest of the ingredients. mix well and taste, adding salt if needed.

step 4: make the ssam sauce. in a medium bowl, combine the chili pastes with the vinegar and oil, and mix well.

step 5: prepare rice, wash lettuce, and if using, shuck the oysters. put kimchi and sauces into serving bowls.

step 6: when your accompaniments are prepared and you are ready to serve the food, turn oven to 500. in a small bowl, stir together the remaining tablespoon of salt with the brown sugar. rub this mixure all over the cooked pork. place in oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until a dark caramel crust has developed on the meat. serve hot, with the accompaniments.

enjoy and stay warm!
xo,
sara.