Fish Frenzy: Salsa Verde

by
Foodie Fish

I’m using the upcoming Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo as my excuse for all these blog posts on Mexican food. Although I will admit the talk of Mexican cuisine will probably never end (especially since a Mexican grill is replacing Ricky’s candy store in Princeton)! I forgot to mention that almost no Mexican dish works without the right salsa to go with it. Mexican food is all about the condiments, whether it is hot sauce or mole. My favorite thing on Mexican dishes is of course salsa! Here is a salsa Bill taught my to make that works with almost everything.

Simple Salsa Verde

Ingredients

· Tomatillos

· Garlic

· Lime juice

· Cilantro

· Sea salt

· Black pepper

· Roasted green peppers

Directions

First, pulverize the garlic in the food processor—but not all the way. Add the tomatillos and blend that together. Put all other ingredients into the food processor and season to taste. The secret to a great salsa verde is simply in the amount of garlic you put in. The tomatillos themselves have a mild taste yet creamy texture, so feel free to experiment with other spices and herbs!

Fish Frenzy: Bill's Tacos

by
Foodie Fish

This place may also be referred as “heaven”, for me or any other lovers of Mexican food. This place is a huge supermarket geared towards Mexicans, sort of like the Asian food market except it was created by a white man trying to make money. The point is, this place is great and it made me feel like a kid in a candy store! It was the perfect place to collect fresh ingredients for Mexican cuisine.

I was introduced to this wonderful place by my mom’s friend’s boyfriend Bill in Arizona. He was even more passionate about Mexican food than anyone I have ever known (including myself!) He would eat and cook Mexican morning, noon, and night if he had the choice. While we stayed at my mom’s friend’s house, Bill wanted to impress his guests by making his famous tacos (or what he calls the best tacos ever.)

BILL’s TACOS

These tacos are easy to make and they are perfect to prepare for a crowd.

Taco Filling

Ingredients

• High quality ground pork
• Canned black beans, strained and rinsed (or dried black beans that have been soaked overnight)
• Chipotle peppers, sliced
• Taco seasoning

Directions

1. Heat up a skillet on the stove, then put it on medium heat. Place the high quality ground pork on the skillet until browned, but not yet cooked all the way
2. Fill the skillet up with water to cover the pork
3. Add beans and peppers
4. Season the mix with roasted ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, and plenty of garlic powder. You could also season with store bought taco seasoning then add spices to your taste
5. Put the heat on low and let the mixture simmer for about half an hour

Preparation for Tacos

1. Slice tomatoes, roasted peppers, and avocado to put into your tacos
2. Shred Cojita cheese (which is almost like queso fresca
3. Pick leaves of fresh cilantro off of the stem
4. Heat up soft tortillas in wrapped in wax paper in the microwave or crispy taco shells on a piece of paper towel
5. Place all the vegetables and cheese in separate bowls
6. Put the taco filling in a separate bowl
7. Lay out the heated shells and you are done with a make-it-yourself taco bar!
   

Alien-inspired hair

Remember how I posted about Star Wars-inspired hair a while ago? Well, I'm back with more sci-fi hair, this time inspired by the big-headed aliens from Indiana Jones 4. What do you think?

All I did was gather some hair from the crown, as if making a thin partial ponytail, then clip it out of the way while I made a high bun with the rest of my hair (make a high ponytail, twist it around into a bun, pin with all pins facing in). Next, I took that top piece and pulled it down over the bun, securing it on top of the bun with a pin. I then looped the remaining hair around the bun, securing it in place with more pins (and the usual gallon of hairspray). And voila! Katy Perry's not the only E.T. out there.

~mode mare

I'm Back! With loot from Hong Kong

So I got sent to a conference in Hong Kong at the last minute last week, and what did I do in my spare time? SHOPPING. They say that Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise, and that's certainly true if you're into luxury goods. Most of the luxury stores were brimming with Chinese tourists, since the goods cost half in Hong Kong what they do in China (because of taxes). There was actually a long line outside the Chanel store. Can you imagine? People standing outside for an hour or more to spend $4000 on a handbag.

People in Hong Kong, like people in China, are very much into luxury brands, although it's more because of status than quality or style. I saw some EGREGIOUS examples of luxury abuse. People who walked around, for example, wearing a Burberry printed dress with an LV belt carrying a giant Gucci bag, all emblazoned with brand logos. They looked like neon advertisements.

I steered clear of the full-priced luxury stores and instead took the trek out to Citygate Outlets, where I promptly found the Burberry outlet. Originally, I planned to get a classic khaki trench, but after wandering and hemming and hawing for ages, I found that my heart was set on a white one instead. What can I say. I'm a rebel.

I also went to the Chanel cosmetics counter and stocked up on make-up. I find that Chanel eyeshadow really stands out from other brands, even other luxury brands. The powder just glistens more and blends better. Especially when used with the flesh-toned base, which adds some extra sparkle and makes the shadow last longer. In addition, I picked up some eyeliner, blush, and mascara. And just to complete the set, I got a lipstick from the Rouge Coco selection. I'm sure you've already heard amazing things about Rouge Coco- how smooth it is, how it actually stays on, how rich the colors are. It's all true. To the left, you can see the damage from my first day in Hong Kong.

I had already spent about a month's rent on the first day's purchases, so I was determined not to buy any more. However, my trip to the airport was so hellish and upsetting that I ended up engaging in a little retail therapy at one of the luxury perfume stores....

~mode mare

Spring color combo: coral, white, and royal purple

Beijing finally decided that it was spring and therefore time to bring out the sun! And I found the perfect color combo to herald the coming of sunnier times: coral, white, and royal purple! Ok, ok, so it's really just a fancy way of saying "purple and pink."

As you can probably tell, I'm headed for the office. There's not much of a dress code where I work, but sometimes I still want to look the part of an office lady, y'know? But to put my own spin on things, I replaced the customary black pencil skirt with this royal purple mini and added a scarf to give my rigid white blazer some flare.

~mode mare

The Angelfish

The lady who cuts my family's hair is always delighted to see me and Angelfish... she loves to go on about how awesome it is that our hair is so different. Mine is sleek and stick-straight; hers is voluminous and curly. Well, today I decided to see what it's like to have HER hair for a change! That's right. I copied my little sister's hair.


All I had to do was divide my wet hair into 4 sections, twist each until it curled up onto itself, secure it into place, and sleep on it. The next morning, I let them out and then used a big brush to tease them out. And there ya go! The Angelfish.


~mode mare

Weekly Lunch Recipe

by
Foodie Fish

Well at times there is nothing better than your classic sandwich. You know—bread, cheese, meat? So I was in the mood for the old fashioned sandwich, but I still want great flavor. All the flavor of this sandwich comes from the meat component, so I would suggest using some sort of roasted meat with color on the edges. That usually means it was covered with spices. The meat I used was spicy, sweet, and sharp:

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Peppercorn roasted turkey
• Romaine Lettuce
• Multigrain bread

Simple and delicious. Serve with a pickle for the full effect.