Food blogger interview: Mavi de Armas

I was looking forward for this blog post since I saw the amazing recipes and pictures of my good friend Mavi de Armas (isn’t she absolutely gorgeous?!) and her blog «Avant Garde Pty». We met a very long time ago in Venezuela and we clicked right away; she was funny and witty and we always had fun when we saw each other (yaaaas).

So there I was one day scrolling down her Instagram feed loving her amazing and stylish blog pics and I thought it would be a fun idea for her to join us in an interview here at The Golden Limoncello and let us know a bit more about her amazing blog.

1) What motivated you to start your blog?

My love for food…The story is that I had tons of food pictures in my phone, so one day I thought… why not share? Avant Garde was born because I wanted to find the most beautiful products and create beautiful compositions so I discovered that not only I am a cook, I’m a food stylist.

2) How did you pick your blog’s name Avant Garde Pty?  

Well «avant-garde» is a term that is used mostly for art…and for me, food is art, it is beauty, The most simple way of describing food styling is by saying that it is the combination between art and gastronomy. Avant Garde is a compilation of food styling, food experiences, tricks, travels and more.

3) What do you enjoy most about blogging?

I need to be truly sincere, it’s an obsession! I want to share everything with my followers, it’s a lifestyle! I always think about what I’m going to photograph, what recipe to cook, and it’s very exciting eating at restaurants and sharing my experiences.

4) If you had to pick, which would be your favorite recipe post of your blog? My famous Fudgy- sweet salty brownies! They are insane!  My husband and friends just love them!

5) Sweet or salty?

Both!  In the same preparation! I think that is my favorite flavor, I love the combination of caramel and sea salt! It’s a vice.

6) Who is your biggest inspiration? 

In the kitchen, my husband is my main inspiration! He is a great chef, I’m very proud of him and I just love the way he cooks!

7) All your photos look amazing! What is the most important thing for you when you are taking photos for the blog? 

I want to make food more beautiful that it is. I love to prepare the food  for the eye, for the camera. Food has to speak for itself.

8) Let’s pretend I come over for dinner, what would you cook? 

Well first that would be awesome! I love to make dinner parties in my home, if you come over for dinner I’ll start with some Cozze Bianco (one of my favorite dishes),  Tagliatelle with truffle butter and lobster and for dessert Crêpes à la crème.

9) Can you give us a trick that never fails in the kitchen? 

After cooking the green vegetables , place them in a bowl with water and ice. It activates the greenery.

10) Last but not least, can you share a quick, easy recipe that you love? 

Of course! You have to try this delicious shake…

All photos credit to © Maria Victoria de Armas

 

 

Summer bucket list

Ah, the breezy Summer feeling. I spent most of Winter thinking about it and now that it is here I am über excited. Two years ago I shared a similar post when I was living in Venezuela, last year I posted my Summer pics and this year I have four simple things on my bucket list.

I have been working out more than usual and trying to eat as healthy as possible to keep my migraines at bay so I hope it pays off when I try on my bikini (I can’t stop hearing Britney’s words in my head going «you better work b*tch).

1. Trip to Greece with my sister. Stefi is moving to Greece and I am helping her with all the unpacking and settling in. By helping her I also mean taking her out for drinks and casual shopping.
2. Swim like nobody’s business. I am going to be soaking in the water like a lentil for hours.
3. Allow myself some Summer cocktails. Lately, I rarely drink but this Summer I am having my «cheat» drink from time to time.
4. Finally wearing my jean shorts. I say finally because last year I bought some shorts and didn’t get to wear them confidently. This year I am dusting them off and rocking the hell out of them (thank you crossfit).

What are you doing this Summer? 🙂

Some chocolate please: hair make-over

I used to be a big fan of ANTM make-overs; the truth is that was the only episode I was looking forward to. Make-overs have a magical air of new beginnings and hopeful promises to something exciting and new.

After my birthday I was feeling a little braver than normal and decided to go chocolate-brunette. I have had this color before and I really like it because my hair looks healthier. Don’t get me wrong, I still really love the blonde ombre look and in a near future I will go back to my usual self but meanwhile I am loving the change.

My sister got a make-over herself and went from long medium blond to short caramel. She looks gorgeous! My little munchkin is a grown woman now. Time passes so fast (which means I am getting old 🙂 )

 

Low-carb: Cauliflower Mashed «Potatoes»

You know those recipes that are extremely healthy but taste like…well…like sand in your mouth? This is not one of them. This recipe is really yummy and has actually no potatoes in it. I love to use it as a side with roasted chicken or a steak and best of all, I can eat this at dinner time.

Cauliflower is very versatile, remember this cauliflower pizza crust and the paleo flatbread?

Ingredients (serves 2 hungry people or 3 not so hungry ones  🙂 )

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1 whole leek (green part included)
• 1 garlic head
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oven to broil. Chop the cauliflower, the leek and the garlic heads. Boil the cauliflower until tender. Set aside and let cool. In a pan pour 2 tbsp. olive oil and sauté your chopped leek with the garlic until semi-golden. Set aside to cool.

Pour your egg , egg whites, almond milk, sautéed leek with garlic and the remaining olive oil in your blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend lightly for 1 min. Don’t over-blend because then it gets very liquid. Pour your mix in a Pyrex and cook in the oven until the top gets golden.

🙂 I like to sprinkle it with some paprika.

DIY: cactus in a cup

Recently I bought a very ugly cup in thrift store out of pure oh-this-costs-only-a-euro euphoria. The color was terrible but I saw some potential in it. So with a coat of white and two coats of baby blue I have now a very cute cactus in a cup.

After you spray it, be sure to let it dry (I say this since I am an anxious person and didn’t let my cup sit overnight) what happened is that the soil stuck in different parts of the cup. Not cute at all.)

This can definitely be a nice idea for a gift too 🙂

The last 20’s: Happy Birthday to me

Tarata-tan… My birthday was this past Sunday! You guys know my excitement when it comes to my b-day (I don’t know if the excitement is going to last till I am 50) but meanwhile, I still get all bubbly and happy on June 5th.

My sister is staying with us so she and Jimmy made sure I had a wonderful time. We had pre-party drinks at home with friends (with two cakes y’all) and then went dancing.

This year is going to be my last 20’s year so……… I am going to make the best of it!

My petit pois is in Madrid!

Our usual pose: me smooching Jimmy

Gifts from Jimmy, Stefi, Ivan, Maria Teresa and Juan

My cute succulent from Laura and Alejandro 🙂

My gree tea, gluten-free, lactose-free cake brought by my lovely friends Maria Teresa and Juan 🙂 Isn’t this the prettiest cake you have ever seen?

 

My self-tanning routine

I try to avoid sun bathing as much as possible and that is why I did my best to find my go-to products for a home self-tan.

I must warn you though; there is a fine (microscopic) line between looking like you spent 2 days in Barbados and resembling Julio-Iglesias-rolled-up-in-Doritos tan. So be careful which products you use and follow carefully the steps to a nice self-tan.

(Last Summer I went and got spray tanned professionally and I must say I did love it. It lasted for ten days and I was really happy with the result.)

Steps

1. Shave / wax a day before (I say a day before because when I wax the same day my pores tend to soak up all the tanning lotion and the polka dot look is not cute at all)
2. Exfoliate the areas you want to tan (DIY idea: 1 cup sugar + 1 cup honey + 1/2 cup water) Do not use any kind of oil-based products because it will ruin the tan process)
3. I use a tan applicator mitt to apply the product all over. Be very careful with your elbows and knees because those are dry areas and they tend to soak up a lot of product. (Tip: put a little moisturizer in those areas before tanning.) My all time favorite self-tan products are St. Tropez but the St. Moriz ones works absolutely fine as well (they are cheaper but the tan doesn’t last as much though).
4. I normally do this at night and let the product sit while I sleep and take a shower in the morning. Be sure to use black loose clothes if you don’t want to stain your sheets. Don’t be alarmed by how crazy the tan looks while it sits on your skip, after a shower it regulates to a nice glow.
5. For the next couple of days use moisturizer every day. Do not to use very hot water and do not scrub because it will scrub away your tan.

I also tried the Lancaster self-tanning gel but I prefer to use it after two days of the other tanners for a small touch up to keep my tan going a little bit more.

If you don’t like the long commitment idea of a complete self-tan then you can use the ones that wash away after one use. The Sally Hansen airbrushed legs ones work marvels: you just spray the area and it is an instant tan for a night out.

🙂