american fashion cookbook - doori chung's recipe

Last Thursday, my copy of the American Fashion Cookbook finally arrived into my virgin cooking hands. After much coaxing, I managed to get Fifi to come over for dinner under the single stipulation that she assist me in my endeavor to poison her whet the world's appetite.



I decided to try Doori Chung's recipe for Tilapia and Olive Risotto, mostly because I'd heard of her dinner parties from a few attendees. Also, it didn't hurt that the recipe called for a few interesting ingredients and had an element of simplicity... or so I thought.




After a 2 hour trip to the market for the proper ingredients, we turned on MTV Hits as we prepared what turned out to be a very long meal. Prepping the fish was extremely simple. Salt+pepper+thyme.




But the risotto was another story. There was a lot of stirring. A LOT of stirring. And most of the time, it looked like congealed mush. NOT appetizing.



But the end product turned out to be more spectacular than expected. It was a beautiful, simply created meal. And to top off our hard worked four hours, Rosa Regale toasted us to a drunken end. I think I'm done cooking for a while. Maybe I'll try again next month.

you do you and i'll do me

In Maureen Dowd's opinion column today in the New York Times...

"As Hugo Black wrote in 1960, “It is plain that anonymity has sometimes been assumed for the most constructive purposes.”

But on the Internet, it’s often less about being constructive and more about being cowardly."

In lieu of all the cyberbullying that's been going on (especially when it comes to the more trafficked blogs like Fashiontoast and Luluandyourmom), I think it's time we bloggers and readers have a serious discussion on the definition of constructive criticism.

It's not to say that I'm not opposed to hearing someone else's difference in opinion; I just believe that since it's ourselves that we [the bloggers] are putting up for critique, we have a right to comments that reflect intelligent suggestion rather than "your a ho" [sic].

the guilt of luxury

Question: Do you ever feel annoyed at the way other people make you feel guilty about your purchases?

being a celebrity don't mean shit to me

Saturdays are the best. Wake up late, grab a late lunch with girlfriends, and spend the rest of the day lounging around in the sun. In a sudden desire to immerse ourselves in structured urban planning, Lillie and I headed to "West Midtown" to mingle with plaid wearing former frat boys. (Not. Also, I put the area in quotes because it's obviously some made-up name urban planners used to market what used to be prime area for hustling and ho-ing.)

We had sandwiches at Star Provisions along with Mexican wedding cookies before wandering around the various boutiques and design houses. I fell in love with the plastic Eames chairs at Room and Board but balked at the price tag. I suppose it would make more sense to pay $250 for chairs than a pair of shoes, but the rationale doesn't quite work out in my head. Maybe that's proof I'm not yet an adult.






t-shirt. French Connection. sweat shorts. DIY Uniqlo. jacket. Zara. shoes. Japanese street market.

i didn't look for trouble, trouble looked for me

So, I wasn't really planning on telling anyone this story because it's really gross and also because I still want to throw up everytime I think about it. Last night, I encountered a roach in my room. But instead of killing it, I flipped out and hid under my covers until it disappeared.

It decided to show its ugly little face again this morning, while I was blowdrying my hair. And the genius I am, I pointed my hairdryer at it. IT FLEW INTO MY HAIR. And as you've seen, my hair at the moment is a giant curly mess. I've been going through horrible scenarios in my head all day of roach eggs being hatched in my scalp. Oh god, what if I wake up a week from now with baby roaches all over my pillow? Blechhhhhhh.




dress. Sea New York. blazer. Express. socks. H&M. shoes. Joan & David.

it's all them changes

I've been a real shit lately, I know. There hasn't been a WIWT post since July; updates are sporadic at best. If it's any excuse, I'm attempting to make some major life changes. For one, I'm moving into my own place come September. This is proving to be a problem, as I don't have any suitable furniture and I'm picky as hell when it comes to furniture design. (An Ikea whore, I am not. I don't know why, but I'm not.)

We're supposed to be approaching fall (changing seasons, season of change, seasonal change, change, change), but the weather is refusing to get any cooler. I hate the heat. So, last night, I decided to search for capes while sitting on my carpet dripping sweat with NO AC (do not ask why I'm so lazy as to not turn on the AC) when I happened to stumble upon the French brand, Sessun. There are no capes in their AW09 collection, but it's got just about everything else.

I'm talking sailor stripes, air force jackets, nautical sweaters... is that a mariner's hat, I see? It's time to salute the uniforms.

calling all shoe addicts [SOLD]

I'm selling a pair of Acne Atacoma wedges in size 37. I bought them, and they're too small. I'm asking only for what I paid, which was $480 + $15 (shipping & handling from Sweden) + $185.50 in U.S. custom & duties taxes. Yeah, that part really sucked.

They're the black leather ones with a silver bottom and sold out everywhere. As much as I love them, I can't bring myself to shove my feet into a pair of shoes that are awesomely too small.

I'll upload pics tomorrow - I only got four hours of sleep last night, and my caffeine intake is making me crash. zZzzZzz.

why you so obsessed with me?

If you've seen my Twitter in the past few days, you know that I've been on an e-bay spree. In my mania, I managed to snap up a pair of the Roberto Cavalli SS08 wedges at a price that will make you gasp with wonder. Yes, girls, the recession is proving to be an extremely helpful tool when it comes to procuring designer goods. (I think all the NY banking girls are finding themselves with the necessity of purging their closets. HA!)

The monster platform is exactly what I'm in the mood for, and the extra heavy hardware holds a previously noted deep fascination with the Wild West. It may take me a few hours to fully master the art of teetering on 5" wooden platforms, but I'm up for the challenge.

going in for the kill & doing it for the thrill

Be like Cleopatra and smack bitches around with these arm bands. Boom shalaka laka.
$969, Dries Van Noten @ Farfetch

fuck weddings

You know you're getting older when you stop getting invitations to birthdays (especially in all their Disney Princess/Spiderman/Care Bear pre-made RSVP glory) and start receiving invitations to weddings instead. Personally, I prefer the birthdays - but only when they have foam castles... or maybe trampolines. Do you remember when the coolest kid in class was the one who had a tree house?

But I digress. Thus far, I've successfully avoided going to every single wedding I've been invited to attend. It's been mostly sheer luck that I have this spotless track record. That is all about to come to a crashing end. I've finally been invited to a wedding I can't avoid: my cousin's. As the first of my family to be hitched (I'm supposedly next - do you hear the scoff in my words?), I plan on performing my inevitable duty at this wedding to be the supportive, indulgent drunk. However, I have one problem. What am I supposed to wear?



As someone who finds all of the above more than perfectly acceptable, if not appropriate, for a wedding guest's attire, I am in dire need of everyone's input. How do you compromise your staunch personal style within a Republican-like conservative, Brooks Brothers-wearing audience?

credits: photos from style bubble