Spare Ribs, Asian Style

By Sandy Hu

In our house, “spare ribs” in the summer means succulent meaty bones on the grill with a spicy rub or barbecue sauce. But come fall and winter, when we don’t grill as much, “spare ribs” is something marinated, then slow-roasted in the oven.

Chinese spare ribs are cut across the bone so you can pick up the pieces with chopsticks. You can find this type of spare ribs in a Chinese butcher shop or get your supermarket butcher to cut them for you. Chinese spare ribs always seem to be pork ribs, the better to add some sweet-tart flavors to complement the richness of the pork.

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Raising the Ice Bar

By Karie Barreira

While my cravings for winter ice cream may be a bit unconventional, it’s clear I’m not the only one who likes to embrace the cold weather. Seasonal watering holes have been popping up all over the country; like Igloo Bar, a temporal Eskimo den situated rinkside at Rockefeller Center and serving “ice melter” cocktails to skaters and spectators.

On a recent visit to Toronto, Canada, I visited the Drake Hotel’s “climate-defiant” rooftop bar, complete with live campfire and cozy blankets to snuggle while sipping your Scorched Marshmallow and Frangelico Hot Chocolate.

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