Book review Rosa Mexicano cookbook

Rosa Mexicano is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in New York (they have locations in other cities too). The cuisine manages to be innovative and authentic at the same time. Rosa Mexicano is an upscale Mexican restaurant, the food served here is not the one found in the normal Mexican restaurants that are everywhere.

The food at Rosa Mexicano is definitely Mexican and flavors are well balanced. The cookbook has many of the recipes on the menu and a lot of explanations of chilies and other Mexican ingredients. I found the information on Mexican cuisine ingredients very helpful as well as the tips on making tortillas and quesadillas. The recipes in this book require ingredients that are not so easy to get in many parts of the country.

Rosa Mexicano is famous for its guacamole, which is made at the table in front of the diners. I like their guacamole and I was happy to see the recipe in the book. This is a really good guacamole, and really Mexican without mayonnaise and garlic which are American versions of the dish.

I only have one recommendation on making tortillas. The author recommends to use supermarket plastic bags to line the tortilla press. It is important to understand that the grocery bags are made from the cheapest plastic that is not food-grade (in other words it is not designed to come in direct contact with food and often contains nasty chemicals and additives that should not be ingested). You will be better off using a a sandwich bag (a normal Ziploc bag) that is made from a higher quality plastic.

Sex & The City movie trailer

Sex and the City is not just a movie that we all want to watch. Those of us who were addicted to the show actually enjoyed it for the insights we got into romantic relationships, friendships, the things that go through a man's head when he is avoiding commitment, and of course, the style ideas that we got from Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall in particular -- Sex & The City fashion is one of its kinds. That is why watching the movie is not just for entertainment but also for educating ourselves about fashion and relationships.

Sex and the City fashion

For those of us who are fans of New York City, its energetic lifestyle, fashion, and entertainment options, watching Sex & The City was a window to discovering even more. Yes, the plot was interesting and the bold and so was fashions. That is why I cannot wait for the movie to come.

The shooting for the film has already begun and as you will see from the photos below, the fashion is going to better than ever. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristen Davis, Kim Catrall, and Cynthia Nixon are all going to give us some very new ideas on fashion.

Drinking chocolate in SOHO at Vosges

During the weekend I indulged myself with a cold chocolate drink at Vosges, the popular chain of chocolate stores. I tried the chilled Aztec Elixir Couture Cocoa. It was delicious.

If you are in SOHO and love people watching, this store has some (not a lot) seating options in very pretty surroundings. I was lucky enough to sit next to the window and had a great view of the street. It is a great place to take a short break, whatever time of the year.

Although I liked the cold cocoa at Vosges, I prefer the decadent rich flavor of pure chocolate at Mariebelle, a chocolate store a few blocks away (and I am clearly not going back to Max Brenner Chocolate). Mariebelle does not have the excellent views and the atmosphere is more stuffy, but the decoration is very nice in both shops. Vosges' personnel is also very friendly.

Both Mariebelle and Vosges sell their products on their websites. In winter my favorite drinking chocolate (not cocoa) at home is from Trader Joe's, their own brand (plus I enjoy chocolate fondue). For about $4 a box, you get a lot of servings of pure indulgence and its quality is comparable to much more expensive brands. When I am in NYC, I often choose between Vosges and Maribelle, depending on how close I am to one of these shops.

Helen Wang boutique in New York City

One of my favorite boutiques in SOHO (New York) is called Helen Wang. Helen Wang's clothes have been featured in national magazines, Vanessa Minnillo loves them, they were used on "Sex and the City." When I first went to the boutique, I did not know anything about the clothing line, but I loved the clothes that I saw in the window that were on sale. This line has beautiful clothes, mainly dresses, for both day and evening wear.

The clothes are moderately priced and very high quality (big contrast from Dear by Amanda Bynes and Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker and typical street fashion in New York). They are also made from the finest materials (the dresses that I looked at were all made from 100% silk) and were very nicely cut and sewn. Some of the dresses reminded me of BCBG, but at similar prices, Helen Wang’s dresses look more expensive and exclusive.

The boutique also is very nice and the salespeople are attentive, polite, and courteous, but not intrusive or pushy. They also sell children's clothes, that are really cute. The prices for a dress are about $300 (though they were much cheaper when on sale); children's clothes are cheaper, of course. There is a very small collection of men's shirts but I doubt if you should shop for them there.

Unfortunately, their website is not regularly updated and it does not have the current collections, so you cannot really buy the latest designs online. But if you go to NYC, take a look at their boutique located on 69 Mercer Street (in SOHO). The website indicates that her clothes are also sold in some other stores such as Barney’s New York, Neiman Marcus, and others.

Summer street fashion in New York City

There are few cities as fashionable as New York in the USA. Right now New Yorkers are enjoying summer and fashion reflects the ease of the season. But that does not mean shorts and T-shirts; there are a lot of retro 60s inspired clothing, large geometrical designs, baby doll dresses, capris, tights, and loose tops.

It is not intimidating or complicated fashion; it is easy to wear and comfortable. Manhattan is not a place to wear a lot of makeup and in summer it is even less. The look of the season is feminine, colorful and playful. Let's see how the fall fashions play out on the streets. I will keep you posted.