FABULUSH

Man, Catherine Baba makes biking in heels look effortless.  Pumping her long gamines in some platforms while swaddled in her gypsy kimono layers; only then to dismount nonchalantly  to make her way to a show.  Pretty much guaranteed I’ll break my face if I even attempt this.  One day, one day…

If anyone knows how to throw a party, it’s my Twinkie and best friend, Stephanie. Every year her family graciously hosts and throws an amazing fete in honor of the HP Byron Nelson Championship at TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas.  While I’m definitely not an avid golfer (I’ve thrown out my back on the driving range, and sadly thrown my clubs in a frustrated rage);  I do love a good social scene with my a margarita or mimosa in tow.   The Byron Nelson has been a longtime Texas tradition I’ve been partaking in since high school when I am in town, but it does get increasingly better with age.

The Ramirez’s have a sick house on the 17th tee, thus making the Byron Nelson experience far more enjoyable. This year golden wunderkin Jordan Spieth, a 16-year-old Jesuit junior, made the finals with the veteran old timers. The energy was beyond electric for the young hometown hero.  Even though Spieth didn’t win it all the way, he did finish at 16th place in a seven-way tie, six shots behind winner Jason Day.  You can certainly bet Dallasites will proudly support him for years to come.

After many rounds of double fisting mimosas and margaritas, paparazzi style picture taking between windy gusts, and committing carbocide on some delicious Blue Mesa catering; we moseyed on down to the Pavilion.  Le Freak was doing classic covers of sing-a-long 80s & 90s jams and  we ran into some of the most interesting characters. For example, the matchy match Bachelor party group in white polos and red seersucker shorts, cougars on the prowl, dirty old men, cute guy doing the trash sweeping dance, and everyone in between. Dallas is a friendly place, so with a just a smile, you’ll be sure to make about 20 new friends.

If you’ve never been to the Byron Nelson before there’s a few things you should expect and here’s a few helpful tips:

1. WEAR SUNSCREEN! Try 1002394872384 SPF, and you’ll probably still get burned.
2. Hats will shield you from the intense sun and help cool you from the heat. Nothing will keep you from sweating though.
3. Girls, forget the heels, and yes this is coming from the girl who refuses to wear anything less than 4″ at all times. You may be able to get away with wedges, but I’ve seen some nasty ankle breaking accidents on those hills. You must remember it is in Las Colinas, quite literally meaning “The Hills.”
4. Dress comfortably but please still casual chic. If the golfers can wear put on a collared shirt, then hey Mister, so can you!
5. You will need a pass to walk the grounds and access the Pavilion, that is unless you have a friend that lives on the course or if you are a girl with big boobs. I think the latter trumps the first though, just sayin’.
6. You’ll most likely being drinking from dawn to dusk, so party hardy, but please remember it is a actual tournament and respect the players while they are swinging those sticks.
7. The Pavilion serves both beer and hard alcohol, accepting both cash or credit in exchange for tickets. Buckets of beer is usually the best bet and easy to share with your friends.
8. Lastly, if you do decide to sneak on to the green, do it at night and stay off the painted areas. Even the most talented dry cleaners can’t salvage those threads. Trust me on that one.

You can view the rest of the pictures on Facebook… eventually.  And a very special thanks to Stephanie and the whole Ramirez family for all your hospitality.  Much love.

There’s no doubt that I love being Vietnamese; its rich and vast Asian culture and history with the influence of French fabulousness.  The fusion provides the best of both worlds and lets me appreciate the French without being an asshole.  I kid, I kid…  Anyhow, the sweltering heat lately has made my morning coffee ritual completely unbearable.  Gulping down a hot cup of joe in 100+ degree heat only makes my body an internal sauna, and let’s face it, that’s not how I’d like to start my day.   So what’s a girl to do to beat the heat and still get a morning caffeine kick?  A Cafe Sua Da, the sinfully delicious Vietnamese Iced Coffee, comes to the rescue. Each sweet sip brings me back to the nostalgia of being a little girl watching my Daddy drink a tall glass while eating Pho; all the while trying to keep my sticky fingers out of that sweetened condensed milk.

The history behind it all is that during wartime and with Euro influence, everyone had to tighten up those purse strings and make ingredients last longer.  So chicory root was added to coffee grinds in order to stretch the coffee supply, and today the Chicory Root Coffee blends are very well-known for their distinctive and bolder flavor.  Many swear by using only Cafe du Monde coffee (you’ll see the infamous yellow canister in many Pho shops), but your favorite blend of medium ground coffee will easily hit the spot as well when in a pinch.  Those with a sweet tooth and sugar addiction will easily fall in love with the sweetened condensed milk addition, which sets the Cafe Sua Da apart from the French Cafe Au Lait.

Café Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee) Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment needed:

• 2 Tablespoons of Café Du Monde Chicory Root Coffee (or any good medium ground coffee)
• 2 Tablespoons of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Boiling Water
• Vietnamese Coffee Press, a single cup brewer
• 2 Glasses – 1 filled with ice cubes
• Spoon

In the empty glass, add the sweetened condensed milk to the bottom and if you totally lick the spoon clean, I won’t judge.  Place the Vietnamese Coffee Press atop of the glass with the condensed milk and add the coffee grounds into the press.  Tamp down and screw on the lid tightly to get a slow drip after you add boiling water to the press.  Cover the press and let the brewing magic happen.  Depending on how you like your coffee, the ratio of coffee to condensed milk will differ.  Stronger?  Brew more coffee than milk, and for you sugar fanatics, you’ll have a lighter coloured coffee due to the condensed milk ratio.  When you’ve decided on how much of a caffeine kick you want, remove the press, fold the condensed milk into the coffee and pour over the second glass of ice.  Then sip, smile and thank the French for invading Vietnam and making culinary history.

They say “it’s like riding a bicycle”, you know, you’re suppose to never forget this little old skill you picked up along the way. I’m sorry, but I’m no elephant you see. I recall the first time my training wheels were removed and my Daddy giving me a heave-ho push off as I pedaled my scrawny stems off; right into some thorny rose bushes. Insert hysterical crying here.

Never wanting to give something up, I later in life gave it another go around; however, this time around the old neighborhood with my younger brother. Oh I was in bliss, I could actually ride from here to there! Here to there consisting of a straight shot, and the instant there was a bend around the corner I fell; bike and all. Mind you I was 21 and getting my ass laughed at by my skillful younger brother. I didn’t know what hurt more, my bruised ego or my bruised body.

Alas, my now-ex boyfriend decided he missed his old reckless riding days and some part of me is a glutton for punishment; so we headed to Bikecology in Beverly Hills. Two shiny new Treks later, an uber dorky helmet (hey, you have to protect the goods!), and a LA bike path map in hand; I had a new outlook on life.

No longer do I fall when there’s a break in the road, though I still can’t jump a curb without yelping that I just injured my ladybits. You can catch my long locks blowing in the wind on the Santa Monica bike path; now freed from the prison of the unstylish helmet since I’ve deemed the path safely mastered through profuse practice. Though through the mean streets of LA traffic, you will definitely not want a chance encounter with me. That is unless you want a mess of tears on the hood of your precious BMW, only then to roll off and kick the shit out of your car.

 
Pedestrians, drivers, doggies, et al… Wake Up!  You have been warned!