Blog Posts by Glamour Magazine

My mom's meals always had a bay leaf or two. Growing up, I just accepted this as a given without much thought as to why. It wasn't until I started cooking on my own as an adult that I really understood the bay leaf's incredible culinary value. Now, it's a must in almost every dish I make, from short ribs braised in beer to my mom's chicken adobo.

I find that bay leaves add a slightly bitter yet fragrant complexity to dishes that are already packed with flavor. And, wherever there's a hint of sweet in a savory dish, I often use bay leaves as a counterpoint. (When I make short ribs braised in beer, for example, the bay leaf complements the sweet carmelized onions). Try out my mom's Filipino-style chicken adobo...

Ingredients
4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 head of garlic, crushed
1 large Spanish onion, cut in small wedges
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1/3 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of vinegar
2 tbsp of sugar
3 bay leaves
1

You probably already know that one of the easiest ways to transform a dresser is by changing the hardware. This fantastic company, F is for Frank, has a completely adorable selection of handmade drawer pulls and doorknobs. We're partial to Bella, Albert, Lucy, and Sherman (above), but they have scores to choose from.

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During the morning rush the last thing we want is to be leashed to the bathroom by a twisted, tangled cord. Naturally, we were delighted to find the new BarBar 1800 cordless flat iron. We love that it allows us complete freedom to move around while prepping for the busy day ahead. It fires up to a whopping 390 degrees in just three seconds, and holds the heat for up to five minutes at a time. By placing it back on its console to rest, re-charging is effortless and completed by the time you grab a new section of hair. You might just call this your magic wand.

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I can't help myself - when I see a great bag I have to ask "Where did you get that?" I met a very cool girl at a birthday party and she was carrying the weekend bag of my dreams. She told me the name of it (Fossil's Sutter Crossbody in camel) and of course I made a note and bought it the next day. The best part? It was $98 and now it's mine - YAY! I can't deal with shoulder bags on the weekends - they make me feel like I'm at work. Do you switch from work bag to weekend bag?

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I've hesitated to post on this, since I don't support the photo-stalking of celebrity children. But I think it's an interesting beauty topic, and I've had some debates with friends recently about it: Should Madonna's 11-year-old, Lourdes, get her brows done?

My instinct is no; I have a lot of respect for Madonna for letting Lourdes continue to be a child and not worry about looking perfect. Sure beats the psycho showbiz moms who introduce concepts like highlights and bronzer before their girls even hit puberty. But one of my friends, who is Indian, points out that hair removal begins at a very young age in many cultures, like her own. She argues that it would be better for Lourdes' well-being to lose the unibrow, so she doesn't get teased for it (or ridiculed on the Internet). Where do you stand? At what age do you think girls should begin plucking, shaving or waxing?

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This is my absolute favorite obsession for summer: vintage canvas-and-leather bags. They are just so cool-looking-part old-school professor, part Ralph Fiennes in The English Patient, part French lady from the '70s. I love that you could wear them with wide-leg jeans and a tank or a really ladylike shirtdress and they'll look equally good. Here are some of my top picks today: a beat-up-just-enough Ghurka clutch, this gorgeous piece from Valentino Garavani, a sunny-preppy purse from Etienne Aigner, and-oh my, if I had the money-this outstanding/ridiculous Hermès style.


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There are a number of gnarled, natural looking furniture pieces popping up everywhere from the most luxurious depots to mass market stores. Though I encourage you to place these pieces sparingly, it is exciting that the serpentine artistry of an entwined root is no longer relegated to the outdoors and that nothing has to be chopped down to indulge an al fresco aesthetic. I have a particular penchant for the Vivaterra multi-tiered receptacle. Vivaterra salvages the roots, trunks and limbs from fallen trees (actually, they vow that they never cut trees down for any of their wooden pieces) and that their select artisans hand-construct these stands to receive jackets, purses, scarfs and hats. Applying an all-natural, burnt finish, the twists and turns are rich and imaginative and, surely, they will spruce up just about any foyer. And if you fancy some driftwood elsewhere in your home, Vivaterra also offers a corresponding bookcase, table, stool, and framed mirror (keep in mind the

Spring spring spring spring summer, achoo. The weather changes, and then it is time for being sick, which seems deeply unfair. Being sick should be entirely the province of the cold months, with the bundling up and the huddling under the covers. Unfortunately, germs wait for no woman, illness is pan-seasonal, and homemade chicken soup is still the most comforting cure of all. Hot soup on a hot day is almost as much a travesty as being sick in the sun? I know! But what about hot chicken soup that tastes fresh, a little sweet, and a little spicy to cut right though all the nasty stuff? Elana from Elana's Pantry makes a mean (organic, gluten-free) Thai chicken soup that seems so incredibly simple you can make it even when you're hopped up on cold medicine, and looks so pretty and delicious, I bet it's curing me right through the computer screen.


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