More Shoe-Inn! Give me More!

I'm a bit of a shoe and handbag whore, what can I say! I think I own over 9 pairs of boots of various styles. I won't even mention how many shoes I own, too many, it's embarrassing, really.

After a long day of work yesterday I treated myself by visiting the 12th annual Shoe-Inn Warehouse Sale. Wow! Nuff said! I did the right thing though I walked in with an idea of what I was looking for rather than going in blind and being overwhelmed by the multitude of shoes and boots awaiting me at Gotham Hall. This event space has cathedral ceilings and an open central area with tables of shoes separated by size. There were so many BEAUTIFUL leather styles. The leather boots alone were orgasmic! But I walked away happy with a cute pair of brand new, genuine brown leather and suede ankle booties by "One of  2" brand. The original retail cost was $200, Zappos and Pronto's websites were selling the all black version for about $103.00, my purchase only cost me $50 so I was pretty happy. They have a chunky heel and rounded toe, flexible sole and slit upper (which I call foot cleavage). And by the way, when I heard about this sale I didn't know about the gorgeous leather handbags, holy cow! My plan was to go back again today after work to check out the said handbags but unfortunately I had to work late so I missed today, what would be the last day of the sale.

However, inside sources tell me that this Shoe-Inn Warehouse Sale is on again next week!
Where: Different location: Manhattan Center Studio- Hammerstein Ballroom (311 W. 34th St.)
When: Wed. Jan13th-Fri. Jan.15th, 9-7 daily.
What: They accept cash and credit cards!!! What??? Yeah, for realsies!!!
Why: I'm determined to get a designer handbag on the cheap!

ENK At The Piers

So it's January of a new year and the ever popular Accessorie Circuit/ Intermezzo trade show is here once again. It is the trade show that takes place at Piers 92 and 94 on the westside of New York City. It highlights upcoming fashions in apparel and accessories and allows store owners to parouse the aisles and buy merchandise for their stores and businesses. It's also the perfect place to find great inspiration for new designs. My co-workers and I toured the Accessorie Circuit today looking for some great jewelry. All the popular names we love were there: Lee Angel, Fragments, Alexis Bittar, Erickson Beamon, Gerard Yosca, Elizabeth Cole, et al.

This was the second day of the trade shows and the aisles were not as crowded as they were in the past. Maybe business owners are still chasing the recession like a dog with 2 tails, nonetheless the buyers that were present were indeed buying.

Without giving away too much newness (its good to keep something for surprise) some thoughts for future trends are that there is still alot of charmy, delicate, iconic, spiritual inspired pendants and bracelets, though it was juxtaposed by very large statement jewelry with not much in between. The statement looks were most interesting and they ranged from bold metals with a sort of melted appearances or uneven surface accompanied by paved components, to organic and natural materials like wood, raffia, bone and semi-precious looking beads. Metal plating was mixed across the board- brassy, antiqued and burnished gold, rhodium, hematite and even rose gold. Look for metal baubles accompanied by dark wood beads. Look for multicolored styles with dyecut wood shapes, leather woven through metal like basket weaves. and also woven links made of raffia. also keep your eye out for fringy, charmy and bib like styles. Bone and bone colored beads in multistrands looked great on burnished nickel chains. Leather elements that are embellished with studs and pyramids or chain were still important. Key colors that were present throughout were pale aqua blues ranging to geens, light peach-y corals and pinks, and touches of yellow. Also represented were multiple brights.

Pictured above: One of many jewelry aisles (top), Metal link cropped blazer from Erickson Beamon (bottom).

I Wasn't Pulling Your Leg

Yeah, it's official- Statement Legwear as mentioned in yesterday's blog titled, "For The Sheer Heck Of It", is freshly minted.

Here's a page out of January's InStyle magazine to prove that celebs everywhere are already showing off their patterned legs this year. If you hurry you can get in on the action too.

Blame it on Balenciaga's Fall runway where models traipsed down the aisle wearing draped skirts and velvet dresses layered over black polka dot hose.

Patterened tights are a key accessory but be sure not to over accessorize. Don't mix busy patterned tights with patterned dresses or you'll have a big mess. Subtle is always best. Take your cue from the gals pictured here.

For extra snug support check out Spanx tights with Birdseye pattern at Neiman Marcus, $42. http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtmlitemId=prod63650292&eItemId=prod63650292&cmCat=search&searchType=MAIN&parentId=&icid=&rte=%252Fsearch.jhtml%253FN%253D0%2526Ntt%253Dspanx%252Btights%2526_requestid%253D27130

Shoe-inn 12th Annual Warehouse Sale- NYC

Let's start the New Year off right people! Can I get a "Amen"? Shoe sample sale...

WHO: You...work whatcha mama gave ya!
WHAT: Shoe-Inn 12th Annual Warehouse Sale
WHY: Shoe-Inn’s “12th Annual Warehouse Sale” features over 10,000 pairs of women’s designer shoe and boots by Tory Burch, Cole Haan, Ugg Australia, Marc Jacobs, Chloe, Celine, Donald J. Pliner, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Kors, Juicy Couture, Stella McCartney, Frye, Matt Bernson, Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, Burberry, Pedro Garcia, Zalo, Roberto del Carlo, Pucci, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Puma, Cynthia Rowley, Calvin Klein, Converse, Lilly Pulitzer, D&G, Charles David, Aquatila, Moschino, Steve Madden, Betsey Johnson, Minnetonka, Jack Rodgers, Diane von Furstenberg, Elizabeth and James, Sam Edelman Fitflops, and many others.
All boots $39.99-$199.99, all shoes are $19.99-$99.99. New merchandise is added daily. This event has been named “The Ultimate Shoe Sale” by FOX News (2008).
WHEN: 1/2 - 1/6, Sat-Sun (10-5), M-W (9-7).
WHERE: 1356 Broadway Gotham Hall, (at 36th & Broadway)
HOW: BDFQNRW to 34th St. Station. Exit 35th street & 6th Ave. Walk to 36th and Broadway.

Work it ladies, work it!!!!!!

Artistry in Menswear, Bank or Bust?

While some men can pull off looks like these in ready to wear, most guys whether gay or straight are frightened of bold painterly patterns. They find comfort in the refinement and sophistication of pinstripes. They find strength, ease in checks and the ever-popular plaid. I can't help but wonder to myself if the new artisenal looks will be a hit or miss in men's fashion. Is this too Euro-looking for the American male? Are they ready for Tribal prints? There is somethng sexy about a man who's cool enough to wear this.

Note the designer names include: Philip Lim, Louis Vuitton, Etro, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Bottega Venetta, Alexander McQueen and Dries Van Noten. These are powerful trend setters. It'll be interesting to see how these styles get watered down by brands like Gap, Banana, Kenneth Cole, etc.

For The Sheer Heck Of It

Ooh, it fits like a second skin! Uptown chic paired with some downtown tatters go a long way for Fall's 2010 legwear trend. Keep a look out for them! The design features include rhinestones, studs and intricate patterns on tights and socks.

These make getting dressed so much more fun! Do you dare to try it?

Pictured from top to bottom...

Givenchy's nylon and spandex tights, dress from Trias, Calvin Klein bra, Stuart Weitzman shoes; Ellen Tracy's nylon and spandex studded tights, Leila Shams dress and Stuart Weitzman shoes; Emilio Cavallini's nylon and spandex tights, Camilla and Marc dress.

Quick & Easy Spring-time Flowers

I thought it might be time to talk about a couple of simple floral arrangements that can be done at home, frugally. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, along with orchids and daisies. Tulips are fairly inexpensive and easy to come by. I bought mine at the Food Emporium in my neighborhood, it's one of my local supermarkets that has a nice section of fresh cut flowers. Today I bought 3 bunches for under $20 and I already had vases at home that I could use.

I chose to use the clear vases because tulips have incredibly pretty light green stems and leaves that can become a complimentary part of your arrangement. Add cold water to a clean vase so that it's half to 2/3's full.

Prior to cutting the stems of the tulips, always rinse each bunch off under cool water to loosen any soil that's still stuck within the crevices of the leaves. Once rinsed, pull off the leaves closest to the bottom of the stems. They should be shucked off like shucking ears of corn, rather than torn off so that the stems look smooth and clean without a remainder of leaves stuck on them.

This is the key to a clean tulip arrangement! Removing the lower leaves allows the arrangment to have room within the vase to stand straight up, creating vertical lines of green, which visually elongates the arrangement. The upper leaves can be left on the stems so that your arrangement looks fuller at the top, like the second image above with yellow buds. After removing the lower leaves, cut about 1/2" to 1" off the bottom of the stem at an angle. This allows a larger opening in the stem for water to pass through, up to the bud. You may need to cut off more if you're working with long stems. Make sure you don't cut too much off the stems or your arrangement could end up being too short for your vase. The buds that have straighter stems should be placed in the center of the arrangement and the buds that bend outward should be placed around the perimeter of the bunch.

For a very sleek and modern arrangement you can remove all of the stems and place in a clear vase. This gives it a minimalist feeling and looks great in a modern or contemporary setting. If you choose to remove all the leaves make sure you have enough flowers to create a full but not stuffed arrangement. Also feel free to use assorted colors of tulips.

Another alternative is a shorter arrangement that can be used to add a touch of color to a smaller surface area like an end table, a window ledge or in the powder room. You can achieve this by following the beginning steps above-add cold water to your clean vase, rinse and de-leaf your tulips. From the leaves that you remove, put aside about 3 of the widest ones for later use. Then place each tulip into one hand, arranging them so that the top of the buds are all at the same height. Still holding them in one hand, place them next to your shallow vase so that the base of the buds are 2 inches from the top of vase. Still holding the bunch next to your vase, check to see where the stems are level with the bottom of your vase- this is where you will cut them. Keep holding them in one hand and use your other hand to cut all the stems level.

Using the leaves you put aside, tightly wrap the stems of the tulips in your hand. Use enough leaves to cover all the way around. Then place them into your vase. Once in the vase you can loosen the wrapped leaves so that they touch the inside of the vase. These wrapped leaves help to keep your arrangement close together, like the first image above with red tulip buds.

Stories That Come To Life!

In my search for all things unique I often come across things that can be quite imaginative and beautiful. In this case I was impressed by a brand building campany called Kaspen and the promotional work they did for Anagram Bookshop in Prague.

Everyone knows how important brand awareness is, especially when you're competing in industries that are saturated with like-minded businesses. In today's world that's just about every industry. Book stores, bookshops are no different. Their main objective is to sell books right? Their main target are people that like to read. But how nice it is when they can also attract the non-readers (like myself). People with good imaginations but are stimulated visually (movies, theatre, live performances, etc.) Let me make a correction, it's not that I don't like to read. There's several factors involved. I don't always have time, I'm ruled by impulse and how I'm feeling at the moment and I'm picky about the books I'll read.

Since I reside in New York, the home of the mega bookstores like Barnes & Noble, the identity of a small, privately owned bookshop can get lost. Kaspen took the physical aspect of a book and translated it into art. They essentially found an alternative use for the book by making the images seem to leap off their pages. A flair for the dramatic.

Their company slogan is, "Launch Revolution" and if you check out their website http://www.kaspen.com/, you'll see that their graphics and their mission statement reflect this by using military symbols to give the impression that they have an arsenal of ideas and philosophies that help them fight small revolutions with each promotional campaign they undertake. They do succeed in making people take notice and in this particular case they succeed at creating a noticeable brand identity for Anagram- the type of bookshop where imagination runs free and the stories come to life. They also succeed at creating their own brand identity.

Check out some other artistic and interesting uses of books at http://www.offbeatearth.com/dont-like-reading-other-uses-for-books/

Two Birds with one dress

Apologies for being away so long, but amongst my other time-sensitive things to do, I have wedding planning on the brain. No hired wedding planners for me. No siree, only I can give birth to my evil plan, uh I mean my dream wedding! I am a mad schemer and a vicious dreamer. It's all about research, spending money and picking out pretty and yummy things! It is bedrudgingly detailed work but it will all be worth it in the end.

In my search for a timeless, elegant, beautiful, not so stuffy and different dress with which to accouter my bridesmaids, a was sent a little piece of heaven by a good friend (and maid to be) named Peg. The celestial finding is called Two Birds Bridesmaid. Mucho Kudos to Peg! Essentially it is one dress which can be wrapped and tied in more than 10 different ways, creating limitless styles. There are 2 lengths, calf length with a butterfly hem ($270) and floor length ($290). The Two Birds Bridesmaid salon is located in New York's West Village and is owned and operated by Ariane Goldman, who worked for eight years at American Express in marketing before going into business for herself.

Yes, I already know...Two Birds was not the originator of this idea, it was also done by Butter by Nadia which is sold at Calypso, similar versions were done by Victoria Secret, American Apparel and even Speigel sold a Norma Kamali wrap skirt with the same concept. I'm sure countless others have done this dress or a version of it in the past. In fact, the original dress (or at least one of the first versions) I was able to find was done by a designer in the 70's named Lydia Silvestry, they called it, "The Infinite Dress".

The bottomline is, Two Birds is marketing it the right way. SO WHAT if they didn't come up with it themselves! The Ipod wasn't the first MP3 player, should the Apple Ipod not be supported? Ariane has brought the one size fits all, convertible dress to the fashion spotlight. Butter by Nadia's version is beautiful as well, but unless you shop at Calypso, Dolce Vita or other boutique stores which carry it, you might not know this dress exists. I give props to a woman with a brain and mad marketing skills! My bridesmaids loved trying it on and experimenting with the different tie-ing methods. They said is was comfortable and versatile and in truth I will be borrowing it from one of them sometime in the future!

Ariane and the Two Birds dress were recently featured on The Martha Stewart Show this past february. You can also find them in SELF magazine ( March 08), BRIDES New York (Spring/Summer 08), InStyle Weddings (Winter 08), Daily Candy (October 07) and BFF Bridal (September 07).

See it here.... http://www.twobirdsbridesmaid.com/

Mobile Ring

Sorry folks, I know its been a while since my last blog, but when you're as busy a bee as me, blogging doesn't happen that easily.

Anyway, on with the show...

I saw this ring and thought Geniuuuus. It's a mobile ring and I don't mean the sound that comes from your cellphone when you get an incoming call. This ring is one you wear on your happy little finger. The genius behind it is that the "wings" slide to the left and right so that you can re-arrange the surface design to suit your style. So in essence, you can wear a different looking ring each day of the week. The "form" and "content" of the ring, it's sense and expression, can be easily adapted to the prevailing mood of the person wearing it; sharp and aggressive, smooth and soft, symmetrical and straightlined, chaotic and cheerful...

It also doubles as a sharp poking object to keep your "loved one" in line (wink).

It's available in the following combinations: Gold/Titanium or Silver/Titanium (shown).

designer is Sylvia Goldberger, born in Austria and studied gold-smithing in Vienna. She also studied in Rome, where she mastered the art of the Cloissonne enamel.

See it here: http://www.goldberger.at/

OR here: mobile ring by Sylvia Goldberger - mobile - rings - jewelry Stylehive BM 221334 #:221334

Ruminations On My Domain

Hell's Kitchen....aka Clinton, aka Midtown West, once considered the "underworld," the stomping grounds of Irish-American organized crime. It's ethnic conflicts formed the basis of musicals like West Side Story. Once the bastion of poor and working class Irish-Americans, is now undergoing... gentrification.

For virgin New Yorkers it's referred to as Clinton, while for us native New Yorkers it will always be Hell's Kitchen. It is now largely, the home of theatre actors and musicians and also anyone wishing to live close to midtown Manhattan.

I'm taking this opportunity to give props to our local merchants, who without fail have contributed to the betterment of this neighborhood, before and during the rehabilitation process.

Lopez hardware store: small but efficient, very helpful and friendly staff. Get your keys copied there too.

The Amish Market on 9th Ave: always good, reliable produce, nice variety of cakes and pies for the holidays, well stocked and helpful staff.

Perdition: Quiet and unassuming during the day. Great vibe at night, good local crowd, clean, well stocked bar.

Rice n' Beans: Delicious Brazillian fare. Tiny space but good, hot food and the deliveries are just as good. Try their bobo de camarau (shrimp in sweet sauce)

Laundromat Cafe: Not just your local laundromat, it also features local artist works on their walls and a small section in the front offers hot coffee for patrons. Good drop off service too.

Food Emporium: Reliable supermarket downstairs with just about everything you need, recently revamped their upstairs quarters with ready, to go foods including a deli, pizza, fresh baked bread and assorted soups and sauces.

St. Malachy's Church: along with their Encore Community Program uses their contributions well and gives back to the community by providing low cost housing for seniors. Along with their lively priests and lay people they organize fun broadway trips and really go all out with their fantastic singing choir to bring in the holiday spirit.

Goucho Steak: A new establishment that offers yummy steaks and other meaty portions for reasonably priced local eats. Friendly staff and owner.

Sushi Jun: Opened about 2 years ago. So small, if you're not looking for it you'll walk righ tby it. The corner of 8th and 50th St. Reasonably priced sushi, good and interesting combinations. Mild experimentation with their appetizers and salads. Nice family owned place. Good for friday and saturday night eats.

Tofuyaki: there's no name on the front so it's easy to find! Serves up great japanese desserts, custards, cookies etc and offers a variety of teas, saki's and other beverages to accompany the desserts. Great reviews from Zagat and writes up in the New York Times.

Beer and Cheese: yes, that's what it's called! It's right next door to the wine store and connected to it as well. They pair various beers with the approriate cheese, they offer cheese and meat platters for party orders, some catering and they also host great wine and cheese tasting events.

Dewitt Clinton Park: The forgotten park, somewhat. Houses a great dog park, elevated grounds that overlook the harbor and 12th avenue. Also has a small ballpark where local tri borough baseball teams play. Also the namesake of Hell's Kitchen's renewal.

Decking the Halls...

As the holiday season draws closer, many of you who have not yet completed your holiday shopping will be left scrambling to find gifts that are practical and yet different. Naturally your recipients don't all share the same taste or perhaps they already have everything under the sun otherwise Christmas shopping would be much simpler.

To help you, here's a short list of some items that are not like others and if you hurry, they might still be available. Otherwise, your recipients will have to suffice with rainchecks or I owe you's. This year's theme... food and drink:

Illusion Wine Glasses

Fun drinking glasses that create an optical illusion of a floating wine glass within a pint glass. Bewitching and clever, these modern glasses will give any beverage an unexpected twist of whimsy. Combining inventive design with delightful execution, the wine goblet fills entirely with liquid and seems to float within the surrounding glass, which remains empty. Sold as a set of 4. Priced at $75.00.

Find it here at: ILLUSION WINE GLASSES - SET OF 4 Optical Illusion Floating Wine Glass Within Pint Glass - Fun, Inventive, Clever, Modern Design, Kitchen And Party Gift UncommonGoods - original - modern design - illusion glasses Stylehive BM 247455 #:247455

The Mono Giro Apple Slicer
The Mono Giro Apple Slicer cuts around the apple core, creating beautiful apple spirals for snacks or garnishes. The Giro Apple Slicer was designed by Jessica Battram and Christina Schafer and features stainless steel. Yes, it's a German design! Woohoo! Priced at $34.00.

Find it at: http://www.lumens.com/

One Bottle Tote by Built NY Inc.
The One Bottle Tote by Built NY, is an insulated bottle bag made from neoprene, a durable stretchy wetsuit material. It keeps one bottle of water, wine, champagne, or what ever you want chilled. Protects bottles from breaking. Machine washable.

It's your lucky day because this item is on sale from $11.99 to $17.99 depending on the color at: http://www.lumens.com/lumens/product.asp?s_id=0&pf_id=PAAAIAKGCEGCNOCN. The cost of shipping will probably be more than the gift itself.

Guitar Ice Mold

As seen in Daily Candy...for the hip, yet budget conscious shopper, how about rockin' out the holidays with these guitar shaped ice "cubes." Freeze, stir and chill. 1 tray creates three 3x2x1/4 inch ice cubes with sticks.It’s time to kick back and chill and here’s a cool way to do it! Drop one of these groovy guitars into your drink, and give it a stir. Just the thing for jazzing up your favorite beverage.
expected to ship out 2nd week Dec. Priced at $8.00. Find it at:

http://www.calliopeboutique.com/shopexd.asp?id=681

Portable Chopsticks Set

For those of you who no longer use forks and knives OR for those of you that wish to sharpen your chopstick techniques. Just pop the chic aluminum chopsticks out of their cloth pouch, screw them together, and make quick work of sushi or dim sum, or even chop suey. They're fabulous at that just discovered Malaysian place, on trips to Asia, and at home for takeout ceremonies. Chopsticks and rest easily assemble and dissemble for transport or storage. The set includes a pair of chopsticks, chopstick rest and cloth pouch. Comes in a red box that measures 5.5"L x 2.25"W x 1.25"H. Price is $56.00. Find it at: http://store.unusualthings.biz/pochset.html

Merry Christmas shopping to all and to all a good night!

Red Carpet Massacre

I'll admit it...
I'm a recovering Duranee. There are no support groups for people like us, no 12 step programs. Only fan clubs and sub-cultures. Growing up in the early 80's Duran Duran were THE band to listen to and not surprisingly they are still considered to be icons of fashion, music and culture. Let's not forget that John Taylor's wife is the brains behind Juicy Couture, not to mention that most of the band members sickeningly married models, YUCK! And in their hay-day they were always on the cusp of the latest and greatest trends in hairstyle and clothing and of course, music.

I won't waste time reminiscing on days gone by and how as a pre-adolescent, pre-pubescent teen they influenced my every thought and decision. How at the age of 13, seeing them in concert, LIVE, IN THE FLESH at MSG caused an even greater addiction to them. I think many of you out there can relate, even those of you who are of the Justin Timberlake era can relate to what this is like. I digress....

I'll just mention that I recently fell off the bandwagon. Duran Duran just completed an unprecedented stint on broadway, playing 10 consecutive shows from Nov. 3 through Nov. 13th. Their gig started at the Ethel Barrymore theatre but their last 3 shows were re-scheduled due to local Union Strikes (writers strikes). These shows were moved to Roseland Ballroom. Needless to say seeing them perform was simply "AWESOME!" It didn't really matter what venue they played at or what night of the week it was. The fans ate them up. I would have gladly had Mr. Simon Le Bon for dessert. They debuted songs from their latest CD, entitled Red Carpet Massacre (released Nov. 13th). But they also played their classics like Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf and Save A Prayer showing that they still know what pleases their audience.

During the show I completely regressed into a screaming, frenzied teen. Embarrassing? Perhaps for my fiance, but well worth it for me. One night of un-controlled nuttiness! I can look back and tell my kids I saw them when I was 13 and again when I was 30 something. They still rock! The sad thing is that they are less one original band member, that being Andy Taylor (guitarist). He split from them recently for unknown reasons and will be publishing a book about Duran Duran soon. Can't wait to read the juicy details!

On another note, Sirius Satellite Radio is helping them kick off the release of their CD by allowing them to do a 3-day take over of the Super Shuffle (12) channel. Their Red Carpet Radio premiered on Nov. 13th at 12 pm, but you can still catch them till the 16th. Their program consists of a few band members hosting and highlighting some of their favortie albums and musicians who have influenced them. They'll also be playing some of their favorite songs from various eras including the British punk and post-punk era (Clash, Pistols, Damned). They play a wide variety of music but I mostly enjoyed listening to the post punk bands X-Ray Spex (The Day the World Turned Dayglo), The Only Ones (Another Girl, Another Planet), Richard Hell and the Voidoids (Blank Generation) but also some American classics like Blondie (RIp Her To Shreds).

I've had a good life!

Up coming appearances include:

• American Music Awards, Sunday Nov. 18th from 8-11 on ABC
• Ellen, Tuesday Nov. 20th
• A&E Private Sessions, Nov. 25th, check local listings

Found In Translation?

This week I attended a forum which explored how asian cuisines become a part of the American mainstream. It was presented by the Asian/Pacific/American Insitute at NYU and co-sponsored by the James Beard Foundation. The discussions touched upon many Asian foods, but for simplicity sake it focused on Chinese, Indian and Philippine cuisines to discover how these specifically, have been "translated" into American culture and cuisine.

The forum was comprised of a panel of distinguished culinary masters and cookbook authors including:
Grace Young, an International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) award-winning cookbook author of The Breath of a Wok and The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen;
Amy Besa, owner of Cendrillon, a Philippine restaurant in New York, and an IACP award-winning co-author of Memories of Philippine Kitchens, and
Maya Kaimal, the author of Curried Favors (IACP award winner) and Savoring the Spice Coast of India, and creator of Maya Kaimal Fine Indian Foods.

Most of us have eaten some form of asian food, more popularly Chinese food. It has been around in this country for over a century but is the chinese food we eat today truly Chinese? The trend today is to find"authentic" Chinese food or rather, the dishes that chefs eat behind closed doors. And Filipino food, which some say is posed to be the next asian food to be "discovered", is the ideal cuisine to watch as it slowly becomes part of the AMerican culinary landscape.

In the 1800's chinese immigrants (mainly of Cantonese descent) were brought to the US to work on the railroad and in mines. They struggled to assimilate into American culture because they would not compromise their ancestral customs. They did what they could to earn money including cleaning and cooking for Americans. They had to learn what flavors pleased the American palette and how to cook with ingredients that were locally grown. As their numbers increased, so did their struggle to make money. By opening restaurants that offered inexpensive meals to curious Americans, they were able to make a small living. Thus Chop Suey was born. Dishes like chop suey helped introduce chinese cooking styles to this country and it was a means for the early chinese americans to sustain themselves. Though the taste of chop suey had little to do with authentic Cantonese Chinese cooking, it did offer a quick appetizing meal to the Americans. Afterwards other Chinese foods were born, like eggrolls and pork fried rice, though these were not the foods that the Chinese cooked in their own homes. Americans didn't realize that Chinese cuisine was far more sophisticated. Today, however we can enjoy more sophisticated Chinese dishes like authentic Shanghai soup dumplings, yellow fish stews and shark's fin soups at establishments that rival even the best restaurants in China. It took 2 decades but now there are Chinese restaurants in every city in the U.S.

We've also seen that Indian food has become more fashionable and sophisticated. For years Indian restaurants in the US offered limited dishes on their menus, the usual chicken curry or coconut curry dishes. We've only recently become exposed to regional Gujarat and Kerala foods, breads like Nan and Puri and various Korma's that incorporate nuts and creamy, tomato sauces. India for many decades was not a restaurant culture. Because of its cast system Indians were discouraged from consuming foods that were prepared by someone of a lower cast and therefore eating out at a restaurant meant not knowing who prepared your food. Since Indians were not accustomed to owning restaurants in their home country those who endevored to open restaurants here offered simple dishes that would satisfy the American masses. All of that is changing in India today with their growing prosperity and booming international trade. Their regional cuisines are no longer "foreign" because airlines now offer direct flights there and American businessmen, as well as other travelers are bringing Indian cooking techniques and flavors back home with them. In general politcs and trade have exposed Americans to new cuisines and flavors all over the world.

As a Filipino-American I know that Filipinos are like sponges, absorbing whatever is put in front of us from language and religion to politics and education. It is a 7000 island, diverse archipelago that was ruled by the Spanish for 350 years and by America for 50 years. Our customs reflect influences from both cultures as well as Malaysian and Chinese. Our staple foods are fish, rice and coconut because these can be locally caught and grown, respectively, though our regional cuisines represent local and "borrowed" inlfuences.

So how does a Filipino restaurateur introduce our regional cuisines to America when the main flavors in Filipino cooking are sour and salty-two things that are not generally appealing to Americans? For example, our regional cuisines include dishes like: Sinigang- a pork dish which uses patis (salted fish sauce) and tamarind paste; Adobo-a vinegar based pork and chicken dish; Kare Kare- a beef (more tradionally beef tripe) dish which is served with a condiment called bagoong, an anchovie paste. Though rice dishes, noodle dishes and eggroll does exist in our cuisine, it is almost redundant to offer these because the Chinese practically own these dishes. How do we create curiosity in Amercians with courses that are distinct from the other asian foods already around? Thai food has its peanut sauces, Vietnamese food has it's French influences with basil, Koreans have kim chi and Japanese have sushi and sashimi. If an American has never tasted Filipino food in the first place, what would make them decide to go to a filipino restaurant? Unfortunately most Americans were not curious enough to choose Filipino over Japanese food. So the Philippine culinary dilemma remained for some time.

For as long as I've lived in New York City, I've only known of 3 filipino restaurants; Cendrillon (filipino for Cinderella), Elvee's "turo turo" (meaning "point point" to buffet dishes from behind a glass partition), and lastly Kuma Inn (a play on the word Kumain- meaning "to eat"). There are so few because there hasn't been much of an American demand. Likewise, for years even filipinos have not gone looking for "home-style" restaurants because they would rationalized, " Why should I pay for that? I can make it better", or "my mom/grandma/auntie can make it better."

Elvee's and Kuma Inn have succeeded in providing more tradional and "authentic" filipino courses to both their own and to non- flipinos. The courses at both places are good. However, the down side is that, because filipino fares like this are not in high demand, they will remain small, low priced establishments. While there's nothing wrong with that and I wouldn't trade the filipino food I grew up on for any other cuisine, it is still a dream for filipinos to find finer spots to eat. It is also a dream for Filipino restaurateurs to open more sophisticated and fashionable establishments that will have a stronger customer draw. Restaurants where they can proudly feature their regional dishes to a broader audience in style, serving foods to modern day, cosmopolitan Filipinos while also attracting hip, curious Americans. Fortunately, in the last 10 years the younger generations of Fil-Ams have begun seeking restaurants that serve the cuisine they grew up on, the flavors that they miss and they are more prone to bring with them their American friends, co-workers and significant others. Filipinos are considered to be the second fastest growing Asian population in the U.S. The doors have begun to open.

So as the Chinese and Indians did before, Philippine restaurateurs, like Amy Besa (owner of Cendrillon) have to find creative ways of serving their cultural foods while at the same attracting more Americans. Amy and her husband Romy Dorotan (head chef at Cendrillon) are attempting to do this. There are some Filipinos who feel that the flavoers at Cendrillon are not "authentic" filipino. But there are 2 factors which are the catalists behind these results. Firstly many of the Filipino foods we filipinos are used to are, in fact generational. Recipes that our families used have evolved from their original form, taking and borrowing ingredients from the other cultures we have come in contact with. Since the Philippines was a U.S. colony for 50 years, the Philippines has seen a massive influx of American food products which have become part of daily filipino cooking. Amy herself admits that her great- grandmother's recipe for a pork dish may not be the same as someone else's grandmother's recipe. Secondly, let's face it, every culture that has immigrated here has had to assimilate in some way. As Asian-Americans we attended American schools, listened to American music, ate popular foods and played American sports. It is an important part of adapting to new environments.

So a refreshing feature about Cendrillon is that they always try to incorporate filipino ingredients with ingredients that are locally available, and the recipes are never quite the same. Their menu changes seasonally to make use of new ingredients that are both locally grown and also brought in from remote locations. This past week they flew in Maine Lobsters, Oysters, Clams and Fish from the renowned Brown Trading Company of Portland and invited guest chef Kathy Gunst to cook with them. Courses included Maine Oyster Ceviche, Filipino Clam Soup and Coffee Roasted Hake with Autumn Vegetables. A One night only event entitled, "New England meets the Philippines." Another item on their menu is called "Grace Rice". This combines suman (a steamed, sticky rice, usually served as a sweet dessert) with pork, baby shrimp, cilantro and basil, served as a side dish. They offer rare Chinese teas, they've also created desserts that were featured on Martha Stewart Living.

I am proud of Cendrillon's efforts to reach out to a wider group of people, showing that Filipinos are adaptable and open-minded. But I'm also proud of the smaller venues like Kuma Inn and Elvee's for keeping true to traditional flavors and serving them in an easy, comfortable manner. Mostly, I look forward to seeing and supporting newer restaurants.

Living Wall Decor!

I absolutely love these Fish Pods! I searched for some time through magazines, websites and stores for cool and imaginative gift items for the holidays and nothing really caught my attention the way these fishpods did. They are, in short, living wall decor.

Fish Pods are wall vases with an innovative design. They're made of a clear, domed lucite, they are lightweight and have an outer lip that screws easily into any wall. There's a hole at the top portion of the dome so you can use them as fishbowls. Simply fill them with water and place colorful beta or goldfish and other sea creatures into them. You can also fill them with flowers or layers of different colored sand to create multi-colored strata. Or how about colored pebbles or grains to create interesting textures. You can let your imagination run wild.

Both adults and kids will get a kick out of these and they are sure to stir up lots of conversation.
They have a 9" diameter and are priced at $35.00 per bowl. Find them at http://www.plushpod.com/item_956.php#