Fridays with Frankie D: Volume 12
‘Sup party people?
We’ve made it through another week — and what a week it was! Surprise visitors. Dinner parties. Champagne toasts. Old friends. New plants. Real Talk. Getting even. Living room dance parties. Good intentions. A few poor decisions…

Caught red-handed.
Yes, I went to a Rangers game. The world must officially be ending. It was nice knowing all of you.
(Don’t disown me, family! I was only there for the beer.)
I hope you all have an absolutely magnificent MDW wherever you choose to spend it. Have fun, be safe, and eat a hot dog for me!
Hot off the press, I give you FWFD: Volume 12.
PS. Special shout out to Bull, who sent me my favorite email this week:

Happy first real Friday of summer!
First off, I’m writing this post on my phone and, in a freak accident, I just deleted half of it. You can’t even begin to imagine how I feel inside right now.

I’m going to keep this post short and sweet because I’m writing it from Matty Deez’s kitchen table in Cape Cod. The Villanova men are back up here for our annual MDW man-trip and I couldn’t be happier about it. A beautiful and delicious breakfast quiche just came out of the oven compliments of Mama DelVecchio, and the boys are all just waking up. I’m diving real deep into an oversized coffee and some homemade blueberry buckle, which is one of the main reasons I come back every year. Although the weather doesn’t look promising, I don’t think it will be too difficult to pass the time. Our buddy Tommy just said: ”I imagine us having a few too many beers, putting on our bathing suits, and just running out in the rain.” This will definitely happen, and pictures will follow.
This post has been marinating in my mind since last weekend when I invited a bunch of close friends over for dinner on Tuesday. I originally sat down to write on Wednesday night but, after a few too many scotches and some leftovers on the couch, Alyssa and I just ended up playing the drums on our coffee table to Phillip Phillips’ “Gone Gone Gone.” Although I typically don’t trust a man with two first names — especially one with two of the exact same name — I have to admit that I’m a big fan of this song. But seriously, imagine if my name was Frank Frank. Would people call me Frankie Frank? ”Frankie F” doesn’t really have a great ring to it. I think we’ve gone over this before.
I went out to dinner with KP and Tom last Saturday and we had a super tasty “Smoked Pork Ragu” that I literally couldn’t stop talking about, so I had to do my own rendition of it this week. I made a trip to Sobsey’s after work on Monday and picked up a super lean piece of Pork Tenderloin. I stayed up late marinating it with almost everything in my kitchen. I’ll include the marinade ingredients below but, honestly, anything sweet and salty will do. I know we’ve done a post with pork tenderloin already, but this is completely different (and I think I might like this one better). I went a little crazy and used pork belly to make the ragu, and then I threw a couple nice pieces of seared tenderloin on top of pappardelle. In addition to the pork ragu, I tossed together a little appetizer to start the meal off right. It seemed to go over pretty well with the crowd.

In typical FWFD fashion, there was bacon, there was cheese, and there were food comas.
I was fortunate enough to share this meal with a bunch of close friends — including the one and only Jimmy Knowles, who made a surprise celeb appearance at the last minute. I also have to give a little shout out to Kay for gracing us with her presence, and for bringing a delicious chocolate cake — which we are now calling “Nutella Surprise.”

Although I’m pretty positive I used every dish, utensil, pot, pan, and paper towel in our kitchen, I think the meal was an overall success.

Keep an eye out for next week’s post, which will feature a tradition unlike any other: Cape Cod Lobster Fest 2013.
I hope you have an awesome MDW filled with great friends, good food, and all things American. Here’s to the red-white-and-blue, starting (and keeping) traditions, and to the beginning of a glorious summer.
Keep that belly full and just EAT.

Pork Belly Ragu with Pappardelle
Wine Pairing: Robert Mondavi
Musical Pairing: Wake Me Up by Avicci feat. Aloe Blacc
Appetizer Ingredients:
3-4 large apples
Garlic and herb cheese
Shallot
Honey
Arugula
Bacon
Lemon
Black pepper

The Process:
Cut apples into thin round slices. Dip the slices into lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Top each slice with a smear of garlic and herb cheese, one small sliver of shallot, honey, bacon, black pepper, and arugula.
2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
1 lb pork belly (Ventreche)
2 celery stalks, diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 can San Marzano tomatoes, diced
1 large Spanish onion, diced
Fresh basil
Shaved Pecorino Romano
4 cloves garlic
Collard greens, sliced into 2 inch thick pieces
Red pepper flakes, cinnamon, smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt), cracked black pepper
EVOO
Unsalted chicken stock
Worcestershire sauce
Dry white wine
Seeded semolina Italian bread
Marinade Ingredients:
EVOO
Worcestershire Sauce
Red wine vinegar
Sliced onion
Garlic, both minced and whole cloves
Fresh thyme
Fresh bay leaves
Honey
Soy sauce
Red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder
Lemon, both zest and juice
Smoked sea salt
Dry thyme, fennel, rosemary, paprika

The Process:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Pour yourself a tall glass of wine. Not tall like Starbucks tall. Tall like a big-ass glass of wine.
3. Take your marinated pork out of the fridge to bring to room temperature.
4. Combine diced pork belly with 2 tablespoons of butter in large sauté pan. (No, this isn’t healthy. But it’s delicious.)
5. Cook the pork belly on high heat, stirring occasionally so that it doesn’t burn and so all of the fat starts to melt away.
6. Add minced onion, celery, carrot and enough dry white wine to cover everything.
7. Let the alcohol from the wine simmer off. Then, add chicken stock and diced tomatoes.
8. Add 2 tablespoons of the Worcestershire sauce.
9. Add red and black pepper to taste.
10. In a separate pan, get a little EVOO super hot (almost to the point of smoking) and then sear your marinated pork tenderloin. Quickly turn the pork to get a nice sear on all sides.
11. Then, put the entire pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the pork is fully cooked on the inside.

12. Admire the tenderloin.

13. Boil the Pappardelle until about halfway cooked. (Times vary depending on type of Pappardelle.)
14. Toss the drained pasta into the sauté pan and stir in the collard greens until the pasta is completely cooked.
15. Serve immediately with a few nice pieces of pork tenderloin, fresh basil, shaved Pecorino Romano, red and black pepper, and toasted semolina breadcrumbs on top.
Summer in the City
Also…
Jimmy: ”I found roommates on Craigslist! And they aren’t murderers!”
Me: ”That’s great! How do you know?”
Jimmy: ”Well, I don’t really.”
I promise to take good care of your harvested organs, Jimbo.
When Birds Attack, Part 2
They can run, but they can’t hide from the Faux Hawk.
“AIN’T NOBODY F&@%!NG WITH MY CLIQUE.”

Unpictured: Our brand new ultrasonic animal repeller — a motion censored device which produces some crazy, high-pitched noise when it’s activated. Apparently, the noise is strong enough to paralyze birds.
Full Disclosure: We are still unsure just how powerful this thing is. If all of the cats/dogs/armadillos in midtown Hoboken suddenly pass away, please don’t turn us in.
Back in the Good Ol’ US-of-A
As much as I love to travel, I will always love coming home more. My apartment. My bed. My people. My daily $1 coffee from the dirty bodega down the street. Yep — being home is wonderful. I don’t even miss hotel room service! (You wouldn’t either if you had a roommate who wakes you up from naps by shoving this in your face.)

My little brother graduated from college this weekend! Danny BOYYYY! You made it! 2 Chainz! Gettin’ on dat DEAN’S LIST doe. I’m one proud big sister and I can’t believe that my parents don’t ever have to worry about college again. God bless them both for making it out alive. I know we were cutting it close there for a while.
Oh, and here is a lovely family portrait that I wasn’t invited to partake in. It’s fine. I’m not bitter. I accepted that I was the ugly step-child a long time ago.
At least they all look happy.

What else…
Frank and I were LA-ZY this weekend. I’m not even kidding you, I don’t think I’ve ever done LESS in my life. We watched more television in 48 hours than we have in the past year* combined. (Did anyone else cry at Stefon’s farewell?)
*SPEAKING OF WHICH HOW COULD I FAIL TO MENTION THAT WE JUST CELEBRATED THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FRANK MOVING IN (MEMORIESSSSS) AND IT’S BEEN THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE AND I HOPE HE NEVER LEAVES ME ALTHOUGH I KNOW HE IS GOING TO EVENTUALLY BUT I’M PRETENDING THAT HE ISN’T.
(This is Frank wishing he had a straw so he could take his laziness to a whole new level.)

Oh, and look what came in the mail yesterday!

It’s real! It’s real! It’s happening.
I’ve got nothing else for you today, so I’ll leave you with this little laugh that my mom texted to me yesterday.

That is all.
Bye.
Life is But a Dream
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

I’ll be honest — when I first heard that we were headed to Manila, I turned straight to Google. I had no idea where in the world we were actually headed or what to expect upon arrival.
Now, after spending a short (but sweet) four days there, I am embarrassed for not knowing more about such a fascinating Filipino city. Sure, the world may seem small at times but DANG there is so much out there. So much to see, to do, to learn; I don’t think I will ever even begin to scratch the surface of it all. Not in this lifetime, anyway. I’m blessed to have been given the opportunity to spend time in such a unique place, and to have met friends who took us under their wings and showed us a real, RAW version of the city that they call home. Salamat po, dear friends, for your hospitality! We adore you.

If I could write a book about my life, this trip would surely take up at least two chapters of it. Most of my Manila memories will be tucked away in my heart rather than shared on this blog, but I do want to highlight some special moments.

On our first night in Manila, we were fortunate enough to meet some new friends outside of our hotel. After only an hour of chatting (and discovering a whole WORLD of common interests), they made it their personal mission to show us their hometown in all its glory.
The next day, our new friends brought us to this wonderful fresh fish market called DAMPA. (They came bearing gifts — and thank goodness! The humidity out there is no joke. My hair will vouch for that.)

The market at DAMPA was fascinating. First, you peruse the aisles and pick out your own seafood (while getting attacked by the vendors trying to make a sale). They have every kind of meat/fish/crustacean you could ever possibly imagine.

They also had some dead alley cats, but we’re just going to go ahead and forget about that. (Don’t worry. The cat pictured below is 100% alive. I’m not that cruel.)

After you’ve purchased the “meat” of your meal, you pick a restaurant at the market to dine at. The chefs will then take your selections and prepare them for you in whatever way your heart desires.

It should come as no surprise that we used this as an opportunity to feast, even though we had a full evening of work ahead of us. When in Manila, right?

Totally worth it. Thank you, Hong Kong Master Cook!
The good food didn’t end there. On our last night, we dined at a family-owned restaurant called Milky Way. In a stroke of luck, we actually met the owner (Malou) earlier in the day and she invited us to come share a meal with her. It was such a kind gesture and an incredible example of the strong, tight-knit communities in the Philippines.
Malou is the reason I gained 5 pounds in 3 days. ”Just drink some hot water,” she advised. ”It will help you make more room in there!”
Malou fed us decadent Filipino dishes; each one better than the last. Perhaps the most interesting thing we tried that evening was a dessert called “Halo Halo” or, in English, “Mix Mix!” It is made from a combination of shaved ice, evaporated milk, boiled sweet beans, and fruity jello — all served in a tall glass.

(I know that may sound scary but, I promise, it was phenomenal. Even Anthony Bourdain agrees.)
We got home around midnight that evening and, in anticipation of our 3:00am car pick-up, we decided to forego sleep; a decision I may be regretting today.
Again, totally worth it.
I hope I never lose my desire to learn more about the world or the opportunity to get out there and explore. I always feel more grounded and peaceful after experiences like this. Perspective is a beautiful thing.

Where have you traveled recently? What trip or place has been the most meaningful to you?
Stacy + Jake
A few weeks ago, my most adorable friend Stacy came to me with big news.

Big, SECRET news that no one else yet knew about.

Well, the secret is out and now I can FINALLY fill you all in:
SHE IS GETTING MARRIED!

When Stacy and Jake got engaged, they decided not to tell anyone (except their parents) and just send out surprise Save the Date cards. How fun is that?
When she asked me if I’d be a part of the big reveal, I could not have said “YES” any faster. I was SO honored, and beyond excited to shoot some photos of the happy couple.

Seriously, could they be any cuter?

The answer is no.

I knew Stacy for about two years before I ever met her. (That sounds so creepy. I promise it’s not.) We both worked for the same company on different coasts, so we would “talk business” every single day.
(By “talk business” I really mean “complain about how broke and miserable we were.”)
Thank goodness those days are behind us.

When my dad met Stacy for the first time, he said:
“I know why you’re friends with her. She looks like Lady Gaga.”

Stace, don’t worry. You are MUCH prettier.

This past weekend, I had the honor of meeting Jake for the first time. He was every bit as lovely as Stacy promised he would be. It was a thrill to be in the presence of two people who were so genuinely in love.

They gave me hope that — one day — I, too, will find my counterpart.

Even if he happens to be a Rangers fan. True love conquers all, no?

“To love is nothing.

To be loved is something.

To love AND be loved is everything.”

Stacy and Jake, thank you so much for letting me be a part of something so true and special. I could not be happier for you! I’m wishing you a lifetime full of love and happiness.
(Let’s go Giants. Sorry Jake.)

In Case You Missed It:
Jet Setting, Once Again
Hello from beautiful and humid MANILA!

I’m running on very little sleep and, to be honest, I’m not really even sure what day it is. All I know is that I’m amazed by the beauty of the Philippines and that this 12 hour time difference is absolutely brutal.
See you all back in the states!
I Love You Because…
Every time I travel, you stay awake until I land safely — even if it’s 4:00 in the morning.
You bought me a tiara on my 25th birthday so that I’d feel like a princess.
You send me care packages when I’m sick.
It’s officially May and your ringback tone is still a Christmas carol.
When I’m heartbroken, sad, lonely or confused — which has basically been 97.6% of the year 2013 — you’re the only one who can always make me feel better.
You don’t care that I call you 5 times a day.
You sat through every terrible school play I was ever in (and there were a lot).
You think about me every single second of every single day.
You always stock the fridge with all of my favorite foods when you know I’m coming home.
You gave me two of my best friends — well, three if you count daddy.

Celebrating you today and every day.
I love you, momma!
Lyss


















