Category — food

Lana Del Rey Carmen “It’s alarming truly how disarming you can be…”

I’m kind of obsessed with the video montage for Lana Del Rey’s Carmen.  When I used to have long stays in LA, I would play it on repeat instead of watching the depressing news.  On a brighter culinary note, there’s a Spanish tapas revival in Toronto of late.  This bodes well with my other obsession, channelling my inner senorita. Ole!

My favourite Spanish tapas are in no particular order:

1. Tortilla Espanola – a thick egg and potatoe omelet
2. Patatas Bravas – bite size potatoes (my favourite type are fried, obviously!) with a tomatoe and garlic sauce
3. Croquetas – Croquettes flavoured with béchamel combined with ham, shrimp or cheese
4. Manchego – A cheese made from sheep milk originating from the La Mancha region of Spain. Reminds me of lazy afternoons having wine with the locals in Marbella. Le sigh!

For a casual option, try the restaurant of the same name Carmen (922 Queen St. West) or for a more ritzy experience, try Patria (480 King St. West).  I’m going to go out on a limb and say, “Patria has the best Patatas Bravas in town.”

Free People Tier Maxi: You know how I feel about maxi-dresses of the hippie-dippy variety. They are perfect for dancing in the street.

Cabo San Lucas, Lover's Rock. Reminds me of that Sade album that I played on repeat "Won't pretend, that I intend to stop living..."

never happened!!  (ba-dum-pum)  This is especially true if you go to Cabo San Lucas to soak up the sun and take an extended siesta all day on the beach, then repose by the pool, gorge on salsa and tortilla chips only to siesta in your room and tuck in early to catch Kourtney & Kim Take Miami on E! Latino.  But if I was in Cabo with my girlfriends at 21, I would be that girl drinking pina coladas in the infinity pool, doing the hotel dance and waking up my neighbours at 4am from a late night dance session to latin house.  How can I judge the kids on Spring Break?  I was that girl.

Cabo San Lucas is a resort town on the southern tip of the Baja California.  Nestled amid the scenic mountains are million dollar mansions and a marina filled with bright white yachts.  This charming town has restaurants, bars and a few outdoor shops.  Perch yourself on the pier at La Casa Country, enjoy a plate of fish tacos, a major pina colada and people watch until the sun sets. Or indulge in some retail therapy at Ondade Mar for vibrant Columbian swimwear or uniquely latin caftans.

Much like an observer of street trends, I thought I would share some insights straight off the beach…

• Day Glow Neon – Perhaps you feel you’ve already done neon but it was huge on the beach.  To avoid neon overkill, many gals paired their bright bandeau with a black bottom or toned down the fluorescence by wearing a print accented with neon.  For the less fashionistah adventuress, muted neons in coral, pink and chartreuse are the way to go. 

Free People Yellow Neon Bikini with your matching straw fedora. Fedorable!

Fun fact: There were less string bikinis and more hipster bottoms. Mix it up with your J. Crew Neon Swirl Bikini

• Stacked Bracelets – Oh, you can never wear too many at once! The look is a mashup of skinny bangles, round beads, braided leather or string friendship bracelets.  To elevate the look add a few simple gold bangles, charm bracelets or a skinny watch.

Try this at home! Alexis Bittar and Cara bracelets c/o Nordstrom

• Haute Hippie Headwrap – Perhaps the beach is the best place for fashion risk-taking.  Swim turbans and headwraps abound!  Function meets fashion!  Not only are you shading your pretty little head from the sun, you are also making a MAJOR statement. 

This is my favourite way to wear a silk scarf on the beach. Take a rectangular scarf and tie at the crown of your head. Secure with bobby pins. Secret Garden Head Wrap

• Return of the Crop Top – Oh yes, 90′s resurgence. Save the fitted crop top for the teens and the 20-somethings.  Go oversize for that Flashdance/Let’s Get Physical, off the shoulder, laisser-faire, I’m casual vibe.

Nothing's better than a super oversize soft cotton tee. Roxy Sea Crop Top

Marie Antoinette loved her macaron! Kiki Dunst in the fashionable Sofia Coppola film of the same name

French bon vivant (literally “one who lives well, good ‘liver’ (living person)”), from bon (“good”) + vivant (“person who is living”), agent noun of vivre (“to live”).  A person who enjoys the good things in life, especially good food and drink; a gal about town.  We are lucky, non?

I subsist on a diet of salad, vegetables, fish and when I’m feeling very naughty, gluten-free hummus chips.  When I indulge in food and drink on the weekends, I love to try new restaurants, share a dessert, let my foodie friends feed me multi-course meals, have a glass of champie here, maybe a cocktail over there. 

Here are my foodie & drink obsessions au moment:

• Fro-yooooo:  There is a frozen yoguort resurgence of late.  Remember when the only choice we had was Yogen-Fruz? Soooo boring!  My cravings started in LA where the DIY fro-yo craze has a shop on every corner.  Lately, I have noticed the Yogurty’s chain popping up like dandelions.  I love dispensing my own red velvet, dulce de leche, swirled with pumpkin, stacked with strawberries, nuts and a dash of Reese bits.  Tummy ache!

Control issues over the fro-yo dispenser much? Swirl to your heart's desire and negate the low calories by piling on the toppings. Cheesecake bits? Sweeeet!

• Lobster-Mania – Lately, I’ve been craving lobster ALL the time.  They make a delicious lobster ravioli at Brassaii (461 King St. West).  I feel like lobster might get all trendy like poutine.  That would be fan-tastic!

Rob Pattinson stays warm in cable knit and takes comfort eating his feelings - a generous helping of lobster and corn on the cobb.

• It’s A-OK to drink at 11:01Am - If you asked for a morning cocktail at 10:59am, well the disgrace on your waiter’s face.  In the summer, I think a morning champagne spritzer or prosecco is quite delightful when lunching al fresco.  There are some lovely patios hidden like secret gardens that you could enjoy one of these refreshing afternoon drinkie-drinks such as Hacienda (640 Queen St. West) or The Harbord Room (89 Harbord St.)

Bellini time! Just muddle some raspberries and pop 'em in some champie. But promise me, you'll NEVER ever mix the Moet or Veuve with juice! Drink the good stuff straight.

We drove into NYC as the July 4th fireworks lit the city skyline. Le sigh!

This blog post is alternatively titled “WWCD,” the acryonym broken down as ‘What Would Carrie Do?’ Get that on your very retro, 90′s throwback, nameplate gold necklace, why dontcha?  I love New York.  Do you love New York?  If you don’t, you should!  There is a frenetic energy that underscores the city, a dash of glamour punctuated with personality, heart and grit. 

Classic Carrie: Did you have a nameplate necklace too? I need to find mine...

OMG, do payphones still exist??! Carrie Bradshaw uses a payphone after throwing her cell into the ocean (rage shame spiral) SATC movie

All of my travels to New York are filled with wild adventure and enough sketchy tall tales to fill a screenplay in which incriminating names and places have been changed to protect the innocent. (Ahem, said film would be directed by Wes Anderson, young me played by Vanessa Hudgens, older me Thandie Newton).  While I would love to share all my secrets, my hair would deflate. 

Here are some fun places to see and be seen, that both Carrie and I quite enjoy….

The iconic Manolo Blahnik shoe. Love this blush satin version of the ones that Carrie left in her walk-in closet.

 Manolo Blahnik (31 West 54th Street) –  My friend C dragged me to the store in search of perfect wedding shoes.  Surprisingly, the store is in a tiny brick building (blink and you’ll miss it) with Manolo’s strewn about on ledges and divans like an Upper East side apartment of an aging socialite.  Apparently, the ladies of Manolo need to take a siesta between 2-3pm.  So make sure you go post-haste, guzzle your brunch Mimosa before they shoo-shoo you out of there.  If you are going to spend a wild fortune on shoes, you should languish in a chaise, take your time and try on high heels a la Cinderella.

BOHEMIAN: Free People gives me crochet and tassles for Summer 2012! I'll have a second helping of that.

Shopping in SoHo – I think this neighbourhood (SOuth of HOuston) in Lower Manhattan has such character with its cobblestone streets, funky boutiques, artsy galleries and cafes.  It is a tourist mecca on the weekends but more casual and chilled out on a weekday.  You can get your boho on at Free People or Madewell, max your credit card at the Bloomingdales shoe department, rock leather and lace at All Saints, run into Clinton & Stacy at Scoop NYC or stalk your fave Kardashian at DASH (mine is Khloe for laughs, Kourtney for clothes).

Madewell: Good enough for It/Hipster Poster Girl Alexa Chung.

Buddakan (75 9th Avenue) – This Chelsea supper club was in the engagement dinner scene of the SATC movie.  The Asian fusion menu is tapas style, perfect for sharing and reasonably priced…until your waiter starts free pouring the Grey Goose.  But it’s ok, you’ve had dinner so the hangover won’t be that bad.

Hottt guy alert in the kitchen: "Since when did breakfast become clothing optional?" I'm a Zade shipper. BTW, you should be watching Hart of Dixie. Trust.

Lord, help meaaah!  I’m not good with heat but I will take a scorcher to a blizzard any day.  Keeping one’s cool is definitely the goal during these warm summer nights.  I take Summer very seriously – like make the most of it, be prepared for any social situation and take advantage of the warm weather to change multiple times in a day. 

Remember, I’m the girl whose Resort attire disproportionately rivals her work/casual.  Haha.  Laughing at my own joke.  I do that. 

• Never Leave Home Without Your Bikini – As in my mother once said…  Actually, she never said that but I always bring a bikini in my purse or wear one under my maxidress on a hot day.  You never know if someone is going to invite you to an impromptu pool party, ask to meet you by the beach or you accidentally stumble upon a hottt tub.  Think like a Girl Guide.

Flowers, Bandeau & Ruffles??!!! Three of my favourite things in one Ella Moss Bandeau Bikini

• Return of the bustier – In an effort to maintain my youthful karma reverting to dressing like a 20 yr old, I am bringing back the bustier, and her cousin the bandeau.  My favourite are sweetheart necklines which accentuate your form.  These are great for less curvy girls as they add some extra shape.  The bandeau is lovely paired with a flowy chiffon maxi skirt — I support this look for ladies with great abs (do it for the rest of us).

The cousin of the bustier, the bandeau. If you feel more modest, you can layer with a loose fitting cotton tank top. Free People Lace Bandeau in Limoncello. Citrus-y!

• 3pm is Smoothie time – Now that it’s Summer and we’re wearing less clothes, let’s detox and shape up.  A seasonal change is the best time to get your cute @ss back to the gym and start eating healthy.  They say that it is essential to eat at 3pm to stave off hunger and reduce that dreaded sugar high-low.  A refreshing treat is a seasonal fruit smoothie which is filling, nutricious and delicious!  Note: I did not say Frappucino with extra whip and caramel.

Say yes to DIY smoothies: You make them even healthier by incorporating bananas (high in potassium), blueberries (anti-oxidants), coconut water (hydrating) and of course your favourite fruits!

My heart belongs somewhere in Andalucia and I have an affinity for anything related to Spanish culture – the food, the people, music and fashion.  While the celebration of Cinco de Mayo is based on a historical event (the battle of Pueblo Mexico), I thought it would be fun to give you a few creative ideas to celebrate. 

Forget Vicky Christina Barcelona. This is quintessential Penelope Cruz in Volver. You must. You REALLY must.

Ole! Wear something bright and preferably ruffled. Vanessa Hugens in a striking canary yellow gown at the Journey 2 premiere. Chiffon always makes one look & feel like a goddess.

Rise of the Espadrille! Loving the rope detail and the softest pastel blue of this Dolce Vita wedge sandal.

If you ever happen to find yourself in Spain, you must check out the distinctively national fashions of Almatrichi. Combining opulent fabrics, inspired by flamenco and tropical living, this line has the most beautiful dresses and flowy skirts.

Book a trip to Cabo San Lucas. I've been to Mexico a few times and I love the turquoise water, daytripping and the delicious food. I support your desire for travel!

And last but not least, perhaps you want to enjoy some Spanish cuisine whilst wishing upon that Super Moon – check out some Mexican dining options via BlogTO.