¡Feliz Cinco De Mayo, todos los guapos y guapas! What a perfectly timed celebration. Nothing makes people feel more festive than a long awaited Spring. Finally we can show a bit of skin, feel the warm breeze on our faces, enjoy a patio, let fresh air reinvigorate and inspire us.
East Van native and life-long Vegetarian Caitlin Das is an avocado enthusiast. She shares her seasonally appropriate killer-guacamole recipe with us, and also gives us 24-hours worth of reasons to shake ourselves free from the daze of a long hibernation. It's time to wake up and reacquaint ourselves with this fair city!
Photographer Yoshi Tanaka, a regular on Vibrant, and the exquisite Miss Caitlin captured the delicate balance of sexiness and whimsy of 1950's pin-up photography for this photo shoot.
The result is completely charming.
V: Why avocados?CD: I love avocados because of their creamy texture, versatility and cultural ambiguity. They are definitely a staple in my diet.
V: You are a rare breed having been born and raised in Vancouver. Do you still love it here?
CD: Like most Canadians, I often have a love/hate relationship with my hometown.
I find the night life here is sometimes lacking as Vancouver struggles to find its identity, somewhere between "large Canadian town" and "world class city". Despite that, there are some diamonds in the rough. If you are willing to do the detective work, you can always find something to do any night of the week.
One of the reasons why I absolutely love Vancouver however is the long list of fantastic vegetarian-friendly restaurants. I have a tonne of childhood memories at Cafe Deux Soleil, which is still one of my favourite haunts even though I live in the West End now. I could eat my way across this city and back!
V: I'd love to see what that would look like.
CD: I thought you'd never ask.
24 HOURS IN VANCOUVER: A JOURNEY FROM WEST TO EAST
Breakfast, Monday morning: Melriches Coffee / Panini & Americanos / horoscopes, friendly service, lively communal tables.
Jaunt on the Seawall!
Lunch: Yuko Maki on Davie Street / Yam, Avocado & Cream Cheese maki rolls, deep fried! /clean, excellent service, creative makis.
Beach!
Dinner: The Templeton / $5 dollar milk shakes / Juke boxes, cheeky service and comfort food.
Dancing: The Ice Cream Social / The Waldorf / Sock Hop inspired music, poodle skirts, and bourbon filled root beer floats. An evening filled with fun people & youthful vigour.
Breakfast, Tuesday Morning: Cafe Deux Soleil / Teriyaki Tofu Scramble / inexpensive & hefty breakfasts, Commercial Drive charm.
*Vibrant Chef, Caitlin Das and any establishment mentioned above completely absolve themselves of any responsibility for weight gained over the course of this journey. But please note that it is absolutely worth it!
Featured on Caitlin are locally made & designed clothes: a Kimono Top by WE3 and Reversable High Waisted Bottoms by Clementine Clothing, both available at Twigg & Hottie on Main street.
The Twigg & Hottie boutique is yet another reason to love Vancouver's Main Street and provides a pretty strong incentive to shop locally. Part owner of the boutique, the WE3 line, as well as chief designer for Clementine Jess Vaira was instrumental in choosing an outfit that is both retro and fresh. The styles featured below are available now in a variety of hot Spring colours. Going local has never been more chic!
GUACAMOLE PICANTE3 avocados, cubed or mashed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roma tomato, diced
2 sprigs green onion
1 lime, juiced
1 pinch sea salt
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t pepper
1/4- 1 whole jalapeño minced
Use more or less jalapeño depending on desired heat. You can remove the seeds to get flavour without full spicy intensity.
Smash it up, chica!
Photography: Yoshinori Tanaka
Wardrobe provided by: Twigg & Hottie
Special Thanks: Shauna Eve
2 comments:
Dear Vibrant Chef
I am a super freak of the avocado, as i suppose one msut be to leave a comment here
I am reaching out to you to tell you the unbriodeld power of the avacodo as it is found here in the veggie markets of Rio de Janeiro
I have often picked up an avocado in the market here and been nearly knocked over by its intenseness. This is an avocado that by its size (and price) you don't actually believe it is an avocado. Its so big that the nut or core of the avocado is nearly the size of a tennis ball. Its so big that when you hold it in your hand, incredibly bizarre things come to mind of what you could do with this avocado given the right circumstances. "I could make eat for days" "I could knock somebody out with this thing" "What the frack does this plant look like" "is this really an avacado" ... "who am i kidding, i could knock the shmack out of primary school football team with this thing (you know... in a good way).
My latest dirty deed with the avocado which is worth mentioning now that i have gone this far, and was actually handed down to me from visiting Van man goes as follows
Once the avo is soft but still firm enough, you slice her like a loaf a bread, like a centimeter thick, due to the size of the giant NUT in the centre, this .... slice of avo can be used to frame the perfect fried egg. Fried avo egg on toast, pop that yolk and get nasty on it
So there you have it!
I promise to spell check, but not change a thing
Boa noite
Love the work Mish, stay fresh
MC
forgive the weak spell check ... dam
Post a Comment