She's Likes Seafood by the Seashore

I remember being a little girl driving next to my grandpa in his vintage Mercedes. The smell of leather and Cuban cigars always gently and familiarly wafting in the car. With my little legs kicking up from the warm sheepskin seats, he would roll the windows down...

“Take a deep breath… you smell it?”

I would take a deep inhale and the immediate smell of the sea and salt in the air would wake me up and make me giggle with excitement as it cooled me.

His love for the ocean was the reason I forced down my first squishy bite of calamari, it was the reason my sister, cousin, and I would wake up at 4 in the morning to catch the all-day fishing boat in San Pedro. And with a fishing pole bigger than I was, he taught me the strength, beauty, and mysteries of the sea.

He is the reason, to this day, I know you should only eat seafood in a place where you can see the ocean. (I doubt he would consider the Hudson River a feasible excuse to eat oysters on Grand Banks... but I digress).

In his honor, no matter which beach town I’m visiting from Portugal to Hawaii... I always go on a hunt to find the freshest seafood I can, and this lovely meal was my latest jackpot served up in Esperanza at a local joint called Bili’s. This place was the recommendation of the local friend I had made earlier in the day, and we ordered the calamari, the poke tuna, and the daily paella which came complete with a half lobster.

My love and fascination in finding the most incredible beaches, is always backed by a quest for equally outstanding seafood thanks to my diehard, ocean loving, fisherman for a Grandpa. And I have to say, I think this little pastel ramshackle in southern Vieques would've been right up his alley. 

My Healthy Way to Start the Day

One of my favorite things about being freelance is being able to crawl out of bed, slide into my slippers and robe, heat the tea kettle, light pine-scented candles, play christmas music, and create an indulgent, seance-like breakfast for myself. 

It is by far my favorite meal of the day, as I get to take my time and craft exactly what I’m craving while making it with love, intention, and appreciation for my body, mind, and hard work in the day ahead. 

This morning I had: Greek Yogurt with a ripe banana, topped with saigon cinnamon, dried cranberries, chia seeds, shelled hemp seeds, buckwheat, and a little maple syrup. Had a small cup of berries for my morning antioxidants and ginger tea. 

I sat with my feet on my desk snacked, sipped, and fflipped through my new Conde Nast Traveler for morning inspiration and travel ideas for the year to come. Nothing can replace the 30-45 minutes I give myself every morning to wake up, feel nourished, and calm my thoughts before my crazy day ensues.

When Date Night Turns into Girls Night Out

As a single girl in New York City, Friday nights are typically filled with long club lines, outrageously high heels, hand-crafted “mixology” cocktails, too little men, and not enough real conversation. After countless epic fails, I decided to make this past Friday night… a little more savory. 

One cooking class for two please… 

My best friend and I uncorked one of my fanciest bottles of red wine (acquired on my birthday last year in Napa Valley) listened to jazz and got ready for our date night together. We slipped into festive holiday dresses, touched up our red lipstick, and marched hand-in-hand into an “Italy in Autumn” cooking class at Sur la Table. 

While we were quite literally crashing everyone else’s actual date night, my best friend and I zested, chopped, seared, laughed, and learned all the simple tips needed to create a cozy fall meal at home. To start, we stuffed fresh dates with creamy gorgonzola, then wrapped them in savory prosciutto. We then seared the pork loin (which we had patted dry to then smother in olive oil, salt and pepper) and baked it off to create a juicy and tender main that we dressed with a tart apple-cranberry chutney. Then for the vegetable, we crafted a garlic and lemon zested broccolini (which is interestingly enough, a hybrid between broccoli and kale) that we topped with sharp parmesan cheese. 

The combination of the rustic meat with the acidic chutney, hearty greens, and sweet and savory prosciutto wrapped dates left us in a pure gastronomic state of bliss. 

So the next time you are rolling your eyes at the thought of another wasted Friday night… take a leap of faith, learn something new, and get into the kitchen.

Haunted Halloween Dinner Party

Having a chef for a father and an event planner for a mother, entertaining is quite literally in my blood. So when I found out Halloween was over a weekend, I immediately sprang into action. Fresh off the plane from Iceland and I was in line with oodles of candles, cobwebs, and creepy accessories for a haunted evening.

Hosting dinner parties is one of my favorite ways to get all my friends together to enjoy good food and wine… or in this case a spooky spiked cider. So this year, my sister and I hosted it at my apartment on the Upper West Side and built a centerpiece structure with candles, foam, and cobwebs. The decor also went into the cocktail of the evening which was filled with diced apples, cinnamon sticks, and of course ping pong eyeballs. 
 
The menu was simple with an eye ball caprese (made with small mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, and basil) an incredible cheese and charcuterie plate, and a green spinach pasta in a vodka sauce.  

This Halloween really was magical, with the perfect fall weather in the city, amazing themed events and the company of genuine friends. After two challenging costumes and a full weekend of parties, I think it's safe to say that all Hallows' eve is quickly becoming one of my favorite holidays. 

Breakfast in Dubai

Two days ago my fabulous plans to explore the islands of the Seychelles was swiftly detoured due to a huge storm over the Indian Ocean. I found myself trapped in Dubai after traveling for 17 hours from New York City. After waiting 4 hours, in a dodgy baggage claim center, I finally collected my long lost luggage and heading hopelessly to my hotel. 

Trying to make the most of this unfortunate change of plans, I have unapologetically indulged every morning in the incredible breakfast spread available at the Four Seasons in Jumeirah (where I am currently stationed).

Each morning I skip through the rows of tropical fruit, gathering the daily assortment, with a pitstop at the juice/smoothie station. Today I opted for their fresh papaya, pineapple, melon, berries, and blood orange (which I proceeded to eat like a grapefruit making a complete and chaotic mess ;)  Being a sucker for bananas & potassium, I also tried their fresh banana smoothie which was creamy and delicious. Jet-lag often leaves me feeling lazy and lethargic and I find that fresh fruit helps cleanse my system and refresh my insides.  

My eyes were then drawn to the sexy smoked salmon which of course helped me justify my mini bagel and cream cheese indulgence... all three beautiful things that must be devoured together. I then combed my way through the various meats and cheese from around the world and added them as well as local dates and figs delicately to my full plate. This combined with my tropical fruit assortment left me with a breakfast spread big enough for a family of four. However, I got to take the leftovers to go which will make for a perfect afternoon snack. 

Moral of the story is... when trapped in Dubai, make the little things count... (like the glutinous breakfast options most of the big hotels provide.) While Dubai may be lacking in culture, authenticity, and reality it does offer access to different tastes, flavors, and bites from around the world. 

Xx

Delightful Dining in Zagreb

In Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, I sat outside on the gorgeous outdoor patio of Zinfandel’s Restaurant, conveniently located at the Esplanade Hotel, where I was staying for the night. I ordered a glass of light sparkling wine on the hot August day… luckily not confusing my choice with Prošek (an intense Croatian dessert wine, that’s at least 15% alcohol with a dark amber hue… Woof).

I ordered a caprese salad with a side of watermelon and mint gazpacho. The salad had delicious heirloom tomatoes, fresh arugula spritzed in lemon and vinegar with small mozzarella bites to create a fresh, creamy, and tangy salad that was both light and satisfying. After feeling like I was roasting alive in the mid-summer Croatian heat, the watermelon and mint gazpacho was exactly what I needed. Cool, sweet, zesty and refreshing. It was the perfect portion and complimented the leafy salad effortlessly.

My second course I ordered at Zinfandel's Restaurant was a true Croatian crostini. With fresh olives from Istra, Croatia, sun-dried tomatoes, Dalmatian ham and olive oil with a slice of semi-firm Croatian cheese known as Kashkaval. The combination of the crispy and warm toasted bread, savory smoked ham, and creamy Croatian cheese was enough for me to pass on to gastronomic heaven.  

The cuisine in Croatia is the perfect blend between Mediterranean and Italian with fresh seafood, vegetables and pasta being their dietary staples. Their main condiment’s are similar to that of their close trans-Adriatic neighbor: Olive oil, garlic and fundamental herbs such as basil and rosemary.

One thing I loved about Croatia is that 67% of the wine made in the country is white, which is exceptionally important when dealing with the intense heat all day. After a long day in the sun, I rarely felt like a big glass of Cabernet. Instead I always chose a nice refreshing glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc. My wine choice was a bit ironic however, as Croatia is known as the birthplace of the Zinfandel. 

Whether you are stuffing your face with pasta or remain carb-conscious with a seafood salad, Croatian food is delicious, fresh, and can (depending on what you order) be quite healthy. With a great history in wine-making and tons of great restaurants and menu options… Croatia was a dream to explore gastronomically. 

Photos by The Blonde Vagabond. ©