ajax.js

var config = require('./config');
var _ = require('underscore');
var url = require('url');

require('backbone').ajax = function(options) {
	var deferred = require('q').defer();

	_.extend(options, {
		json : true,
		url  : url.resolve(config.API_URL, options.url)
	});

	require('request')(options, function(error, result) {
		if (error) {
			if (_.has(options, 'failure')) options.failure(error);
			deferred.reject(new Error(error));
		} else {
			if (_.has(options, 'success'))options.success(result.body);
			deferred.resolve(result.body, result);
		}
	});

	return deferred.promise;
};

view.js

var backbone = require('backbone');
var cheerio = require('cheerio');

Backbone.View.prototype.setElement = function($cheerio) {
	this._$ = $cheerio;
	this.$el = $cheerio("*");
	return this;
},

Backbone.View.prototype._createElement = function(tagName) {
	return cheerio.load('<' + tagName + '>');
};

Backbone.View.prototype.toHTML = function() {
	return this._$.html();
};