White House Holiday Recipes!

With the first of December on the horizon, I'm sure all of you are anticipating some great Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanza (how is that even celebrated?) parties, complete with delicious cocktails, great recipes, and Holiday sweaters that are so ugly they rock. However, I'm sure like me, a lot of you love to dine exquisitely but are unsure of how to create some holiday culinary masterpieces of your own. Take Michelle Obama's word for it; these White House Holiday recipes will be sure to have your party guests buzzing (even if the domestic life isn't typically your thing):

Smoked Salmon With Peppercorn Crust and Tarragon Mustard Appetizer -- Serves 8

1 side of fresh salmon, filleted kosher salt Tarragon Mustard Sauce: 2 oz. Dijon mustard 6 oz. lowfat sour cream 1 bunch fresh tarragon, chopped; *mix all ingredients, season to taste, let stand to blend flavors Pepper Melange: 1 Tbs. each rough, cracked peppercorns using black, white, pink and szechuan peppers Outside charcoal grill with lid Double handful of wood chips, soaked in water

Light charcoal in outside grill. Allow to burn down to glowing coals while preparing salmon. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly season both sides of filet with kosher salt. Using cracked peppercorns, coat both sides of salmon pressing pepper into filet well. In a large non-stick pan, heat a little vegetable oil and sear filet on both sides for about 2 minutes each. (Cut filet in half if necessary.) Place salmon on wire rack of grill. Into a small, aluminum foil lined pan, place 3 to 4 hot coals. Place some of the soaked wood chips on top of hot coals to create smoke. Place this pan inside grill on wire rack with fish. Close grill. When smoke subsides, repeat smoking process. After second time, remove salmon to baking dish and place into 325 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes until just flaky. Remove from heat and cool. Cut into bite sized squares and serve on platter with sauce on the side.

Butternut Squash Salsa Good with Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing and as an accompaniment with turkey or chicken. Makes 1 cup.

1 tsp. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 c. butternut squash, diced 1/2 c. carrots, diced 1/4 c. fresh tomatoes 1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. jalepeno chile, diced 1-2 Tbs. chopped cilantro lime juice and sugar to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in small pan and saute garlic until soft but not brown. Add squash and carrots. Cover and steam until just tender. Cool and add tomatoes. In a small bowl, mix rice wine vinegar, olive oil, cumin, jalepeno chile and cilantro. Add a little lime juice and a pinch of sugar to taste. Pour mixture over cooled vegetables and toss to mix. Serve at room tempreature. Best made ahead so flavors can blend. Store any leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing Makes 4 Servings

2 tsp. olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 c. butternut squash, diced 1/4 c. carrots, diced 1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, diced 1/4 c. Chorizo sausage, cooked, drained, and crumbled  2 tsp. ground cumin 2 Tbs. white bread crumbs 1/2 c. stale cornbread, crumbled 1 egg, beaten 1-2 oz. turkey or chicken stock Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in pan. Saute garlic until soft. Add squash and carrots, sauteing until tender. Add cumin, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and warm but do not overcook. Set aside to cool. Combine cornbread, bread crumbs and Chorizo in a bowl. Add vegetable mixture and, using two forks, toss together. Add egg. Toss to mix. Add small amounts of stock, tossing mixture to achieve stuffing consistency. Bake in covered dish in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Optional preparation: Spread stuffing onto turkey scallopini and roll up, tucking edge under roll. Roast in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Slice and serve.

A Kim Kardashian Khristmas...

Dear Santa,

It's been a year of ups and downs for me. While I needed to use spell check and Lamar Odom (which isn't much help, let's be honest) to make sure that my letter to you was correct, I wanted to be sure that I gave you a list of everything I wanted this year. And, no Santa, no Birkins this year; I already have fifteen of those! This year, I would like:

1. A year's worth of extensions... you think that those Victoria Secret Angel waves are actually mine?!
2. One million extra Twitter followers so that I can beat out Paris Hilton's number. You know I'm addicted to Twitter, Santa... #KUWTK, #KKTNY... These acronyms are, like, the next LOL.
3. This time, no half-assed man. And by half-assed, I mean half black. Breaking up with my Reggie Bush was the biggest mistake of my life. 
4. More Spanx. Let's be honest; my body type warrants them (did I really just use the word 'warrant!?).
5. Anything way tight that accentuates my booty, which is all natural and even had it X-rayed on national television to shut up the haters.
6. Another facelift for my step dad Bruce.
7. More Botox. Hello, I started at age twenty!
8. Electrolysis. Let's face it Santa, I am half Armenian, after all. 

I've been very good, aside from divorcing after 72 days and not giving back my million dollar engagement ring OR gifts....

Love,

Kimmie K

Cava Mezze...Because us Greeks do it Better!

Yes, I did it. I left the District. I moved over the bridge into- gasp!- Alexandria, Virginia. And while I've always been one to never leave my beloved Northwest corridor when it came to going out for dinner, my new status as a Virginian has forced me to be more open minded when it has come to trying the restaurants in Arlington and Alexandria. The past week, I decided to take a stab at Cava Mezze, a Greek locale in Clarendon that I've heard mixed reviews on and was slightly apprehensive to try initially. My advice? DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING NEGATIVE YOU HEAR. This place truly gives Zaytinya a run for its money, and has Greek food that channels my very own Yiayia's culinary masterpieces that I grew up with. Make a reservation, because, I don't know about the Rockville location, but the Arlington one is definitely going to book up early, but if you don't, no stress; the bar area is adorable and has some great mixologists present. Furthermore, the sultry hardwood-on-hardwood atmosphere and dim lighting makes this place perfect if you're looking to have a romantical night out, but the tapas-style menu also makes it totally appropriate if you're just looking for a fun night out with girlfriends (which is what I did). Menu items that you can't miss? Saganaki (or "cheese on fire", as my non-Greeks call it), Avgolemono (a delicious chicken, lemon, and basil soup that is perfect for a cold winter evening) and the Lollipop Chicken, with a honey-Faia sauce that is truly out of this world. Better still, the prices aren't ridiculous, and won't break the bank should you choose to check it out. So bring your inner opa! and an appetite, and check out Cava Mezze on Clarendon Boulevard in Arlington, because, yes, there are good restaurants over the bridge, too.

Thanksgiving Eve Parties!!

Because who said New Year's Eve was the biggest going out night of the year? Find your designated driver, put on your sexiest Pleasure Doing Business Skirt, clip in your extensions, and hit up one of these fabulous Thanksgiving Eve parties if you won't be venturing out of town for this Thursday's festivities:

• Spot: In the heart of down town DC, check out a straight up house and hip hop party with lots of bottle service and beats spun by DJ DynaMix. When it comes to Night Life Agency promoting  party, you just can't go wrong (At Spot, ask for Aykut Yekeler, he'll hook you up).
• M.I.A.: Though I have yet to chek out this new venue, what was formerly known as Sesto Senso (and a million other places) was recently transformed into this adorable lounge with a mostly house music scene. Also hosted by Night Life Agency, bounce back and forth between Spot and M.I.A. FYI, these places are right off of Dupont Circle should you not be familiar...
• Opera: Hosted by nightlife afficionado Dawoud Al-Khabbaz, Opera is intending to offer up the public a great party tomorrow night, but get on the guest list quickly! With DJ Ed the Bruce spinning, it's sure to sell out quickly. Plus, I love this place, because it reminds me of this lub I went to in Morrocco.
• Underground: Looking to check out a party and do something good at the same time? L.E.D. is hosting a canned food drive for those who are hungry this Thanksgiving, and will allow half-price admission to those who contribute. You can't beat that!
• Current/Rosebar: Is a party ever a party without Mike Branson? Another favored regular on the DC club scene is hosting a fabulous bash at Rosebar, the newly renovated bar in the back on Current, complete with Oriental Rugs and rose-adorned walls (very Oya-esque, I might add). I'm biased to Current, but nevertheless, if Mike's throwing it, it should be a good time.

Don't be a loser this Thanksgiving Eve; get sexxxed up and hit the town by storm!

Why Pilgrims are Sexy

Everyone always gives the Native Americans (dare I say Indians) more credit. Disney made Pocahontas. Lego made its Teepee collection. And Free People somehow made dressing like a Navajo fashion forward. But on the brink of the Thanksgiving holiday approaching this Thursday, I was thinking; Modest is hottest, and pilgrims are kind of sexy if you think about it:

• Blacks and greys are always the most slimming of colors. Plus, the women probably didn't have a lot of food on the Mayflower, so had a very emmaciated, Kate Moss-esque look going on.
• They read the Bible frequently, and everyone loves a good Christian.
• They had families with up to ten children, which means that they were frisky once those borderline-burqas came off.
• In the Disney movie Pocahontas, John Smith was the hottest cartoon I've ever seen in my life. Done.
• Turkey, nuts, and cranberry sauce were a large part of their diets; all of that Omega-B, protein, and antioxidents suggest that they probably had great skin and nails.
• They wore loafer pumps on a daily basis, which, if you've opened an InStyle magazine in the past six months, know that they're a huge trend for fall.
• They all spoke in British accents. Hello, Jude Law, Hugh Grant, and Kate Winslet?! Nothing is sexier than that.
• They made peace with the Indians. And that is the sexiest part of it al.

So next time you choose to be on Team Sacajawea instead of Team Prudence Smith, think again; the pilgrims are way sexier than you can imagine!

Jersey Boys ROCKED the District!

Even if you're not that much a musical theater person (which, for the record, I am), I was lucky enough to have been invited to see Jersey Boys tonight at the National Theater; aesthetically pleasing to both of the eyes and (duhh) the ears. The National Theater set as a perfect landscape to over 50 virtual images as sets, live images of The Four Seasons, and amazing costumes tat will have you wanting to be retro-fabulous in no time. Though I lost the playbill, this show has a retro-Italian, New Jersey feel that will make you feel like you're at the Cafe Dolce Vita in Providence (I was inspired to decorate my new apartment with all of the art decor stuff), and you'll have tons of "oh-my-God-I-know-that-song!" moments. While you may have just heard about The Four Seasons, this show is a standout when it comes to Broadway musicals, and I'm sure will continue to receive lots and lots of Tony awards. Learn that Lauryn Hill wasn't the originator of "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You", the song from the Nair commercial is actually a remake, and that The Four Seasons totally revolutionized American rock-n-roll music.

Eyelash Extensions in Arlington at BellaLuxe

I am the eyelash QUEEN. I wear falsies on a daily basis, and have leveraged several different methodologies in my time to bat the most beautiful lashes possible. And, to my surprise, in the city that is NAAAATTT known for it's beauty procedures or salons, actually has an entire salon dedicated to one of the only parts of the body that should be adorned with hair. Yes, right over the bridge in Arlington, you'll find Bellaluxe, a gorgeous, pink-on-white salon devoted entirely to highend eyelash extensions made strictly from human hair. Operated by Mitzi Hale, a cosmetology professional and known stylist in the area with over three years of experience, this is not your typical eyelash extension that usually ends in some sort of unattractive stye or infection. For $275 and 3 hours time, Mitzi and her stylists will individually place up to 125 eyelash strands into your already there lash line; definitely not a quick procedure, but the results are Kardashian-esque! Lasting for a month, the client is then able to return on a monthly basis for $85 to receive fill-in's. Now, I'm going to be honest; on my budget, I'm definitely not in a place to be spending $100 a month on eyelashes, but if I was making a six figure salary, would definitely be there in a second. Check out Bella Luxe at www.bellaluxe.com, and if nothing else, get excited that cosmetology-forward enhancements are actually making their way to the District of Columbia!

Last night, I flew from by beloved Rhode Island into DC around 8 pm at night. Rather than taking plebey Southwest airlines in BWI, I found a great deal on Delta, and for the first time in a long time, flew into DCA, sat on the left side of the plane, and amidst all of the cars and traffic lights and clouds; WOW! Now I'm not a person wh typically gets nostalgic. I'm a realist, I don't save momentos, I don't rememeber special days (though I'm starting to try to), but I couldn't help becoming that way when I looked out of the plane and saw the White House, Capital Building, Washington Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial all lit up, looking like fake little Playmobiles that were miles away. Even more importantly, it made me think, that while I love the parties and the galas and the awesome restaurants and adorable Georgetown boutiques, DO YOU REALIZE WHERE WE LIVE, FELLOW WASHINGTONIANS?! Believe it or not, agree with it or not, but in Washington, DC, we're living in the center of the world. With the US as a power player and considered the land of the free to some and the land of controversy to others, the US is a country that's on everyone's radar, good, bad or otherwise. And, living in DC, we are in the center of where some of the biggest power plays for the wolrd are going down; Obama is our neighbor, Sasha and Malia love Baked & Wired just as much as the rest of us, and you know that Michelle can't resist a good meal at Blue Duck Tavern. Whether you're down with politics or not, we are eating, playing and breathing the air of some of the most powerful people in the entire world, and not for nothing, but isn't that a crazy, beautiful, insane thing?