Food 101: Slippery Shrimp

So if you have ever been to Los Angeles, and you were with me, you have been to the famous Yang Chow restaurant in Chinatown. This place always has a line to get a table (even at 2 in the afternoon) and has the most amazing dishes. The one item that is on EVERY table--the Slippery Shrimp. It's a Yang Chow specialty! Think lightly fried shrimp tossed with a sweet, spicy, sticky goodness of a sauce. Every person that I have seen taste it is instantly addicted! Of course I don't live in L.A. anymore, but last night I was craving some Slippery Shrimp and I found the recipe! It tasted JUST like it!!! So here it is...

Yang Chow's World Famous Slippery Shrimp recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups peanut oil for frying
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon white wine
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon ketchup
5 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
5 green onions, sliced

Directions

1. Heat peanut oil in a wok to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Toss the shrimp with 1/4 cup of cornstarch to coat, then drop into the hot oil, and quickly fry until golden brown, about 45 seconds. Keep them in a little longer to keep them crunchy

3. When done, drain shrimp, and set aside.
4. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the wok, then stir in the garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper.

5. Cook and stir until the garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 30 seconds.

6. Pour in the wine, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, salt, and 1/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

7. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, stir into the boiling sauce, and boil until thickened, about 1 minute.

8. Stir the shrimp and green onions into the sauce until coated.

9. (optional) for extra spice, sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top at the very end :)

Serve with white rice or fried rice (the best kind to buy is on the Asian food isle in the grocery store)

*recipe found at allrecipes.com

Enjoy!

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: No More Skinnys!

Now as a woman, you know that one of the hardest things to shop for is jeans, right? We must check the fit on the waist, the hip, the thigh, and of course the derrière...then throw in wash and length and you are literally pulling your hair out! There never seems to be a perfect pair that fits like they were made for us...(unless you are one of the few who are lucky)

One thing to consider for a true perfect fit is getting alterations. If you find a pair that fit your ASSets but don't fit your waist, get them taken in. Or if everything looks good but they bunch up at your feet--have them hemmed. The general rule is to buy the size that fits the widest part of your body. Be sure to sit down and move around to see how they shift when you shift. Seems simple enough right? Another idea is to try multiple designers and find a designer that fits your body type the best--some labels are made for flatter figures (Chip & Pepper, Seven) where others are cut for the curvy chic (Gap curvy, Citizens, Joe's)...


Now while we are on the topic of jeans, another thing I am finding myself wearing less and less (like the smoky eye I mentioned here) are low rise cuts and skinny jeans! I am drawn to the refreshing high waisted, wide leg trouser as of lately (among others) and I suspect these will be on the rise this spring. Thought I'd share some of my favorites:

TheGap.com Pintucked Wide Leg Trouser $79.50

TheGap.com 1969 Curvy Jeans $69.50

CitizensofHumanity.com Citizens of Humanity Lennox Tapered Loose Fit

Happy hunting (and goodbye muffin top)!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: Please Pass the Bread

One of my favorite flavors is when I go to an Italian restaurant and they pour a little olive oil out onto a saucer and add a house blend of seasonings to dip your bread in.

It gives your bread a little pizzazz and is a much healthier alternative to butter! I have created my own version and it tastes amazing, so I thought I'd share.

This is a quick and easy recipe that is great for entertaining, dinner parties, cozy soirees with girlfriends, or just for a snack! Try it out!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of Italian blend dry seasoning (mixture of oregano, basil, rosemary)

1 teaspoon of McCormick's Spicy Montreal Steak seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I like it a tad spicy!)

1 tablespoon parmesian cheese for a buttery cruch (and to replace the salt)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (or one quick squirt!)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 roll of French bread, sliced in 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well

2. Pour extra virgin olive oil onto a small saucer

3. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dry mixture to the olive oil (1 tablespoon of dry mix to every 3- 4 tablespoons of olive oil)

4. Add lemon juice and mix a bit

5. Dip sliced bread in mixture.

6. ENJOY!

*Another variation is to add 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar for a tangy twist*

As you run out, add more dry mix and more olive oil. I promise, you will have your friends practically begging for the secret!

Happy eating!

Love,

Rose

Beauty: The Bold/Statement Lip

So I am back from my holiday hiatus, and I have had tons of things that I mentally blogged, so I will have to fill you in!

For now, on my mind is my shift from loving smoky eyes and nude lips to loving BOLD LIPS with jet black eyeliner and/or mascara. Simple yet statement worthy. Add gloss on top if that tickles your fancy! Whatever color you are drawn to--try it!

Here are my 6 favorite color lipsticks from MAC which retail for about $14.50 with free shipping when you use the code "Mickey" for at least the next 24 hours on maccosmetics.com:

MAC Red - The original

Underworld - Intense brownish burgundy

Lady Danger - Vivid bright coral-red matte

Girl About Town - Fabulous fuchsia (amplified creme)

Hot Sass - Bright orange (dazzle)

Gulabi - Bright fuchsia

Don't limit yourself with color. It doesn't have to be bright or trendy to be bold. Dark colors are super sexy, and classic reds are timelessly chic.

MUAH!

Love,

Rose

Beauty: The Peppermint Pedicure

Ooooh it is that time of year! Holiday music, Christmas shopping, Christmas songs and holiday cheer! Well, my sister does a segment on ABC Columbia called Wrinkle Free Wednesdays, and last week when I was in town to visit for Thanksgiving, I saw this segment on making your own peppermint scrub at home. What a great way to get into the holiday spirit--and what a wonderful activity for your girlfriends/sisters/mom on a Saturday in December! I can feel my pores opening up just thinking about it!

Here is the segment:



and the recipe:

Peppermint pedicure scrub:

1 cup granulated sugar

6 candy canes finely chopped into a powdered form

mix the 2 together and add...

½ cup olive oil

6 drops essential peppermint oil

gently massage into legs and feet

wrap with a hot towel

Leave on for 5 minutes

wipe it off, add your favorite nail color and voila!

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, you can catch my sis Alicia Barnes weekdays at 6 & 11 on ABC.

Keep those toes happy!

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: Mad Men Style

Guess what? I had a birthday! When asked what I wanted to do, I really didn't want to do anything special. BUT, as fate would have it, I went to visit a new luxury lanes/lounge in the area known as High Rollers and was blown away by the decor and ambiance alone! I was instantly smitten as it is one of the most gorgeous venues I have ever seen! 35,000 square feet of luxurious, old Hollywood glamour dripping form every corner!

I was so inspired, that I did want to celebrate and THIS was the place! I instantly thought of one of my favorite shows Mad Men (a show about advertising execs in the 60s), and how a Mad Men themed party would be perfect! So my friends and I dressed up for the theme, ate, drank, bowled and we had a blast!

To pull of my 60s inspired look, I used a bold print on a very conservatively cut shift dress, added vintage earrings, bright lipstick to match my nails, BIG HAIR (with an updo), and a sassy attitude!

Here is a sample look I created on Polyvore:

Stella by erinrose29@gmail.com featuring platform pumps shoes

Double Breasted Long Jacket
$75 - yesstyle.com
Double breasted jacket »

NW3 by Hobbs Silk Frill Skirt, Marine Blue
32 GBP - johnlewis.com
Silk skirt »

Petite Mustard Textured Neckband Top
20 GBP - debenhams.com
Minuet Petite »

Steve Madden Women's Darrina Platform Pump: Shoes
$100 - amazon.com
Platform pumps shoes »

Navy 'Monet' buckle strap shoulder bag
22 GBP - debenhams.com
Patent shoulder bag »

Dimgray Scorpion Brooch
5.49 GBP - avalaya.com
Crystal jewelry »

Classic Lightweight Scarf
$14 - abercrombie.com
Silk shawl »

OPI Off With Her Red
$2.97 - amazon.com

Since the 60s are coming back as a strong trend, I thought this would be the perfect Fashion Friday.

Here are some pictures of the venue and the party!

Joan - a character on Mad Men

Hope you enjoyed!

Love,
Rose

Culture: Do YOU know how to use a Rabbit?

A Rabbit corkscrew that is (wine bottle opener)...

The Rabbit is perhaps the simplest way to open a bottle of wine. It looks fancy and will have you looking like a pro in front of your company--when in fact it only requires some basic instruction. I'll tell you a personal story. My parents had a Rabbit corkscrew when I went home to visit a couple years ago and I decided to take a stab even though they weren't around to help me. Well....I ended up pushing the cork all the way INTO the bottle of wine. Oops!

Luckily a close friend of mine got us one as a gift and after learning how to do it right--it is so easy that I actually want to be the one to open the wine now (before I didn't feel like manually screwing the opener into the cork... yadda yadda yadda). I found a video to show you how to on You Tube (by TheWineEnthusiast)...

Rabbit corkscrews retail for as little as about $19 bucks, but you get what you pay for, so you may want to invest in a good quality, so it will last you a long time. If you want to learn more about wine check out the blog I did about it here. Be sure to SHARE with friends...

Cheers!

Love,

Rose