June 2019

Fifteen years ago I was introduced to my first artisanal doughnut.  Since then, my appreciation grew and I have challenged myself to sample and compare doughnuts during my travels.  In my opinion, the gourmet donut craze has caused some shops to go overboard morphing these classics into a hot mess.  Although not all of my […]

Friday, December 5th from 5:30 pm to close, the Washington Duke Inn has a lovely event titled Bubbles : Sip into the Season. This event will feature a flight of four sparkling wines including a‪ ‎Brut, ‪Cava, ‪Rosé and a ‪Lambrusco. I embrace all fine wine, bubbles and cocktails so I was more than excited to participate in this event.   Prior […]

I met my friend Marianela in Buenos Aires, Argentina while I was on an international assignment for my day job. We worked on the same floor and we quickly became the best of friends, because according to both of us, “We are Taruses”. Since my international assignment, I have returned to the state of North […]

In order to cope with this weekend’s inclement weather, I had to brighten up my day with one of my  favorite non-alcoholic beverages – cantaloupe agua fresca.  You will need ½ – 1 cup sugar, 500 – 1000 ml water, 1-2 cantaloupes, a blender, a pitcher, a strainer and container or pitcher to capture the […]

My Peanut Butter Double White Chocolate Cookies have become my most popular and most requested cookie among friends and family.  I initially created this recipe to satiate the craving of both peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie fans.  My original recipe calls for milk chocolate chips, however, I modified the recipe to please my white […]

I am obsessed with fashion.  If I had the chance to relive my college years, I would forgo a traditional education and would have studied fashion and had a career in that industry.   I believe you can have different passions in your lifetime and at this moment mine include travel, cooking and fashion.   I try […]

‪‎Tupelo Honey Café, located on 425 Oberlin in Raleigh, is a great addition to the beautiful Cameron Village which is home to one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants and cafes.  Although, I have not had the pleasure of visiting any of the other Tupelo locations, I was quite impressed by the décor used in the restaurant which nicely […]

 Rent the Runway (RTR).  I quickly googled RTR and as I had imagined, it is a service where you can rent designer dresses for either four or eight days.  Their website provides various search engines to help you find the perfect dress for your occasion.  Once I logged on to their website, the first thing I did was search   fee was 1/11th of the retail […]

When I first walked into Mother Earth Brewing, my first thought was that I was in Seattle or Brooklyn – not in Kinston.   The brewery’s bar was naturally sexy, modern and hip, without the pretension.  The bar has an eclectic display of artwork created by their staff and plenty of seating and room to roam around […]

What do Peru, Morrisville & rotisserie chicken have in common? Mami Nora’s Peruvian Restaurant located in Morrisville, North Carolina, of course! It all started with the Palma family, husband Julio of Peru, and wife Nora of El Salvador, after whom the business was named. Prior to calling The Triangle home, the couple and their family […]

Dollywood is a theme park located in the Knoxville-Smoky Mountains metroplex in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  The 150-acre theme park is host to thrilling rides, Splash Country water park, traditional crafts, live entertainment, delicious food, DreamMore Resort and Spa and more. I recently spent a little over 24 hours in Dollywood to experience a food-centric media […]

Isn’t wonderful when you find a treasure in your own backyard?  On 152 Morrisville Square  Way, sits Taste Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant, an unassuming, yet, surprising delight. As a start to the delectable journey, I ordered the tofu shrimp wrap rolls (Tàu Hủ Ky Cuộn). Rice paper houses a grilled shrimp patty, lettuce, mint, carrots, cucumbers and crispy […]

My favorite cafe con leche is from Café Paris in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.  Customers often affectionately referred to it as “café lechero”.  That said, it was one of the most popular items on the menu and you did not walk into Café Paris without ordering one these coffees. Cafe con leche is a staple in most Latin American countries consisting […]

Nuts…what can I say?  They are a great ‪protein source and they pair perfectly with ‪salads, ‪desserts and ‪‎beer!  All you need for this recipe is one egg white, two tsp vanilla extract, 3 1/2 cups pecans, 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, one tbsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp powdered ginger, 1/4 tsp salt and a pinch […]