Missoni Melee or My Most Excellent Hubby!

This morning my most excellent husband woke up at dawn, downed a coffee and headed over to the largest Target on the North Shore of Long Island to get me a Missoni for Target bicycle.  This is the story of the Missoni melee that ensued.

Husband wakes up at 5:30AM.  Big Boss Wife (aka Juliana Cairone aka me) demands he gets there early so Big Boss Wife can get a Missoni bicycle with basket.  The wife HAS TO HAVE  the bicycle.  She also demands the stack of cappucino cups with Missoni print and a few things for their daughter Arabella.  

Location: Target.  Westbury, Long Island.  And he is the first on line!  Excellent!

Terror ensues:  The nice ladies behind my husband in line tell him the bicycle is only available on line!   Husband thinks WTF?!!

Fortunately with powers of a Superhero, said husband whips out his I Pad, the stars align and he is somehow able to get on line and actually order the bicycle from target.com.  

Ladies in line, bat eyelashes and he gallantly lets them order away too from target.com on his I Pad.

Tragedy:  Above mentioned ladies were awake at midnight trying to order without success.  A girlfriend of mine was up at 4AM trying to order the bicycle.  No luck.  Target.com crashes after above missions were somehow miraculously done.  I have my confirmation from Target that the copper print bicycle was ordered and will be mine.

The Melee:  The doors open at 8AM.  The crowd walking quickly, then jogging, then sprinting makes a run for anything they can their hands on.  There is yelling, fighting, grabbing.  Husband, very shocked, jogs quickly over to the Missoni home collection.  There are two - exactly two - sets of the cappucino cups.  One woman has them both.  Husband thinks WTF! knowing Big Boss Wife really really wanted those cups.  He bats his eyelashes.  Mission accomplished.  He gets one set of the cups.

Exactly 14 minutes later the shelves and the store is completely out of the Missoni collection.  Husband overhears one of the employees saying that it was worse then Black Friday. 

and 14 minutes later the cupboards were bare:

Summertime Means

A warm sandy beach.  A stack of Vogue magazines: American Vogue, Vogue Italia, French Vogue, Vogue Japan and I could go on and on... A good book.  (Why are most fashion books so enormous?  None make for good beach books).   Perfect hair after a swim in the sea.  A bikini and a tan.  And a sunblock of 30 or is it 60 or even 90.  Musn't forget the hat and the umbrella.  It was so much easier in the 1970s - just some baby oil and you were good to fry.  Did you see the photos of Nigella Lawson in a birkini?  Is this what suntanning has come to??  Summer means Sardinia and Missoni.  A boys tank top and a long Missoni skirt and flat sandals.  Gold bangles.  Summertime.

Missoni skirt.  Will fit a 4/6

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The Hautest of the Haute Hippies

The name Missoni is well known and loved for its vivid striped and zigzagged knitware.  

I love Missoni because it is always charming and eclectic.  They are also real clothes for everyday life.  Like this 1970s Missoni dress with its gently draped collar.  The line is long and lean - which is perfectly on trend for this season.  You just need a great flat sandal - something you had made in Capri by Les Rondini perhaps and a -well, I am torn, is it a studded Alexander Wang Lia Crossbody Bag, Proenza Schouler PS11 bag or a vintage Chanel... hmmm...  vintage Chanel of course I think!

You can also wear it with this incredible sort of kimono - it is a Missoni fantasy - just a rectangular panel, folded over to create sleeves which creates a wonderful soft kimono shape.  Or you can wear this as a beach cover up or you can wear it with a tank and jeans for a little shopping at the Maibu Country Mart.

1970s Missoni caftan and dress.  Sold separately.

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Knit Wit

The humble knit as ingeniously interpreted by the masters of knit, the Missoni clan.  This uber thin pullover with a gently draped turtleneck is in the same cloud and sky colors as our previously posted caftan.  It is a bit of fluff to throw on with the Olsen's Elizabeth and James Joni jeans (the BEST jeans by the way) for walking barefoot on the beach at sunset.

1970s Missoni knit.  Size 8

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M is for Missoni and Mmmmm...

It has been unseasonally beautiful and springlike here in New York and at sunset last night the sky was the exact shade of this late 1970s Missoni caftan: a shimmering shade of palest pink, sky blue and fluffy cloud. 

The Missonis are masters of knitware and think of themselves more as craftsman then fashion designers.  Ottavio painted watercolors that inspired the collections and Rosita designed the intricate knits.  This caftan which is really a rectangular shaped knit one fourth of which has been folded over and sewn which creates a sleeve - brilliantly simple!  is threaded with lurex which creates a gentle shimmer. Beautiful and bohemian and luxurious for day or night.

M is not just for Missoni but for Mmmm too.  Rosiata Missoni is also famously a well known cook. There is no depressing talk of diets or carbs just making good food, drinking good wine and enjoying life.  So here is Rosita's recipe for  Missoni style braised veal shank.  I am going to try making it this weekend and will let you know how it turns out.  And I will be wearing a similar caftan that I kept for myself ☺ After all, one must wear Missoni making a Missoni recipe!

Stinco di vitello alla Missoni (Braised veal shank Missoni-style) 

2 shins of veal, each 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds, 
prepared as described in Step No. 1 
Salt  and Freshly ground black pepper 
Sprinkling of fresh or dried rosemary 
1/2cup olive oil 
 1 cup dry white wine as needed
Hot water, as needed.

1.  The shin, or shank, of veal is the piece used for osso buco, but for that dish it is sliced all the way through. In the original stinco, or braised shin, it is cooked whole and, after being braised, it is sliced with the grain of the meat. This is a combination of the two methods. Have the butcher saw through the bone, cutting slices about one-and-one-half-inches thick. There should be four or five pieces to each shin. But the meat should not be cut all the way through the bottom. Have the butcher tie the shin together snugly so slices are close together and the marrow will not slip out. 

2.   Let the meat warm to room temperature before beginning to cook. Rub all sides with salt and pepper. If you use fresh rosemary, tuck five or six small sprigs under the string at various intervals. If using dried rosemary, sprinkle a little on the surface of the meat. 

3.   Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

4.   Pour olive oil into a heavy casserole into which the two shanks will fit closely but not too tightly. Enameled cast iron, copper or flameproof earthenware can be used. There should be a film of oil covering the bottom of the casserole. 

5.   Heat on the range. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add one shank and brown on all sides, using the cord to turn the meat. Do not poke holes into it with a fork. When golden brown on all sides, remove and reserve. Brown the second piece of veal. 

6.   Place both pieces of browned veal in the casserole with the wide end of one next to the thin end of the other, as when packing shoes (love that!  Cooking as seen through fashion!). Pour in white wine and let boil until half evaporated. Pan juices should be thick and shiny. 

7.   Cover and place in preheated oven for about two hours, or until meat is thoroughly tender and loosens from the center bone. Do not overcook until bone slips out or meat is too crumbly to cut into slices. Every 25 minutes, turn meat and, if pan juices are evaporating too rapidly, add a little hot water - just enough to make a sort of thick, soupy liquid at the bottom of the casserole. 

8 .  Let veal stand for 15 minutes in the casserole in a warm place, out of the oven, before carving. 

9.   To serve, remove strings and cut through the bottom of each slice. If gravy is too thin, reduce it over a high flame. If there is not enough of it, add a little hot water and let simmer for a minute or two, stirring in coagulated pan juices. There should be just a little golden-brown, almost clear, gravy to spoon over each slice of meat. Marrow spoons are not needed as any sharp pointed knife will extract the marrow from the bones. 

Yield: Six to eight servings. 


Update:  The Stinco Missoni style was delicious!  And not difficult to make.  Though the veal was a tad expensive. Rosita Missoni must have a professional butcher grade meat saw at home to slice through the bone before serving so I would recommend buying regular Osso Buco and then tie them together very well and do it that way.  Makes life a lot easier and everyone can get some of the yummy marrow.