smitten in the kitchen

By now you are well aware of my passion for the fashion industry... but today, I reveal to you one of my other obsessions. food.


I'm not just talking about eating desserts, snacking on tapas nor the typical girlie-whirly baking parties of foufy cupcakes... I'm speaking of extravagant, diverse cuisines, exotic spices, and fine dining - a cultured sense of pleasing the palette. I wouldn't go all out and say that I'm a foodie, though I wish I was. Being on the post-grad budget, weekend dinner outings are pretty limited, but someday in the future, my appetite will finally be satiated.

This fancy for escargot, seared rack of New Zealand lamb with a chipotle cherry compote and a saffron mash or my undying love for foie gras -- all of it I owe it to my mother. When she was preggers, that woman ate everything. holy guacamole, thank goodness... Her "you must clean your plate" 'tude helped refine my taste, and now I'm proud to say that I'm a fine dining enthusiast. (note I didn't use foodie, just yet! haha)

Beyond simply eating, I also enjoy the preparation of these beautiful dishes. I cook? By no means am I an Executive Chef with 3 Michelin stars, but I do make a pretty darn good turkey chili. Recently, I've began cooking out of my comfort zone - trying dishes that my mother makes and pretending I'm a contestant on Master Chef, Top Chef, Food Network Star, Chopped... etc. (the list could go on forever). My proud, shining glory moment thus far? Eggplant and artichoke fritters with a side of roasted beets topped with a creamy goat cheese from Normandy, France on a bed of arugula and green olives. yum.


To me, there's nothing better than dancing around my kitchen and cooking a little dish here and there as I sing along with Frank Sinatara. Cooking relaxes me, yet sparks my creativity.


Along with cooking and eating... the most obvious part-time hobby of mine.. pinning recipes onto my Pinterest boards.

Oh... and here's a special treat. I thought I'd share my dinner with you:

for my appetizer: crispy red potato rounds with a cool, light yogurt and basil dressing

up close and personal with my potatoes.

the main course: seared rosemary and garlic lamb with a side of lightly roasted eggplant, sauteed ribbons of summer squash and onions, all drizzled with fig balsamic and a little crumble of imported goat cheese from Normandy, France

i love my meat a little pink

look, the squash became a flower!

I would have shared pictures of my dessert, but it was melting... and it was gone before I knew it. Woops!

Now, that I've revealed one of my other hobbies/passions in life... this probably won't be the last cooking/food post. Best believe, I will be sharing with you my gastronomic adventures. Bon Appetit.

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