About

Fino – Cool Mix of Edgy Clothing and Accessories

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FinoWhen you walk into Fino, you are transported to a fresh and attractive boutique which houses couture, resort wear, ready to wear and accessories from an array of international designers.  The cool mix of edgy labels and well established brands makes Fino a must stop shop while in Los Cabos. Owner, Marsha La Tessa, takes you on a visual voyage travelling the globe from New York, Paris, Italy, Nepal, Mexico and more.  After noticing a large gap in the market here for resort and ready to wear, Marsha set out to close that gap.  Her background was in manufacturing of handbags and jewelry in the early 90’s.  She was also a real estate person who developed luxury condos in Manhattan.  Her love for interior design, beautiful objects and clothes is evident everywhere you look.

Marsha took me on a tour of the store and gave me a little insight into each of the designers and their collections.

Carla Fernandez has gained international recognition for her precise approach to documenting and preserving the rich textile heritage of Mexico’s indigenous communities by transforming it into abstract contemporary clothing and proving tradition is anything but static.  Carla has developed a successful enterprise where the fashion industry and the hand-made crafts of Mexico become compatible. It consists in paying artisans not only for the hand labour but also for intellectual property of their designs. The brand has been recognized simultaneously by two strengths: being at the forefront of design and a business model for its social vision.  Fino carries hand loomed designs from Carla’s collections.

Carla Fernandez from Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Carla Fernandez Courtesy of  Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Sandra Weil is a Peruvian designer who started with bridal and still does weddings but now she has moved to couture and ready to wear.  Sandra Weil Couture was founded in 2008 with a vision to create high quality, beautiful handmade garments with special attention to details and finishes. The designs are classic yet unconventional with impeccable fit, wearable silhouettes, streamlined color palettes, and signature accents. Sandra Weil Couture is based in Mexico City where Sandra can continue to develop creatively and professionally while staying close to her Latin roots. 2015 saw the opening of the first Flagship store in the Cosmopolitan Polanco borough.  www.sandraweil.com

 

Sandra Weil

Sandra Weil

 

Whit is the brainchild of Whitney Pozgay.  Whit is fairly new to the market and has been around for just a couple of seasons.  She designs in New York and the production facility is across the street.  Marsha describes this line as “Urban Girly.”

Whit

Whit

Mona Thalmhier lost her hearing before her first birthday. She relied on her senses of sight and touch to inform her world. Having designed complete collections for many years, Mona has now focused all of her attention on an American classic, the shirt and by extension the shirtdress.  Forever in style and never out of fashion – day or night – shirt happens!

Mona Thalmeir

Mona Thalmheir

Seilenna Swimwear by Annelies de Rouck.

Seilenna (the designer’s name spelled backward, pronounced “say-LEN-na”), founded by De Rouck in 2012, is a swimwear line that emphasizes fit and consistency and combines the world’s most luxurious technical fabrics with innovative design to create flattering silhouettes. The designer and her team devoted much of their time working with what De Rouck calls “the Rolls-Royce of swimwear fabric mills in Italy,” to ensure the delivery of high-quality designs. The fabrics of her swimwear are soft and luxurious, don’t pill or snatch, and retain their color. Seilenna’s focus is fit and she has a secret weapon – her pattern maker worked for years developing lingerie corsetry for Dior. Seilenna offers clean and sophisticated swimwear, cover-ups and accessories for stylish city girls who don’t want to give up their sharp sense of style on the beach. The collection is mix-and-match and all tops and bottoms are sold separately. The pattern making and sampling is done in the South of France and production is in Mauritius. rich solid colors as well as feminine and playful hand-drawn prints created in collaboration with Parisian fashion illustrator Coco. Her motto is: “It is always summer somewhere sometime.” Her suits and cover ups come with travel and makeup bags with the same motif.

Seilenna

Seilenna

Loup Charmant is a collection of diaphanous, feminine pieces for every day, all day wear inspired by the fuss-free appeal of beach dressing, Edwards set out to offer that sensibility to women, year-round. Each Loup Charmant piece has a timeless versatility. Intimates, including bralettes, camisoles and slips provide the seasonless foundations of the line, as perfectly suited for bed and beach as they are for layering under the brand’s tops and dresses. Loup Charmant’s soft pastels are mixed with more saturated, but equally dreamy colors like dusty blues, sunset and desert colors, making the brand’s color palette as covetable as its silhouettes.Loup Charmont

Joseph Carini is one of the best rug makers in the world and he has recently added cashmere shawls to his collection. This tissue weight shawl is made from special ayurvedic botanical dye. Light as air and perfect for a summer day or it can also be used as a warm scarf when bunched up. The emphasis of the company, Carini Lang, is focused on exploring the use of unusual natural dyes., natural fibers, and authentic traditional weaving techniques. The colors used are connected with healing plants and rooted in Ayurvedic science. How color effects our emotional and physical life are questions which have informed his work from the beginning. By preserving traditional processes and fusing them with visionary design, Joe brings the magic from the past into the contemporary world in which we live. Cashmere Shawls

Fino also carries:  Cynthia Rowley wet suits, Flagpole swimwear, Mysso – Alejandra Labrija swimwear, Sleepy Jones sleepwear,  Ishi Jewelry, Christina Lehr tee shirts, basic belts, sunglasses, natural cosmetics and finger nail polish, candles, smokeless incense, bags and hats.

When I first entered the modern and bright new boutique, Fino, my heart skipped a beat – this is the shopping experience that has been missing in Los Cabos.   As I learned more about Marsha and the designers she handpicked, I have real admiration for what she has accomplished. She has a sense of reverence from this group of talented artists.  This is only the beginning as new objects of art and clothing continue to arrive.

Fino is located in the Shoppes at Palmilla, San Jose’ del Cabo

Tel:  624 104 0103

U.S.:  +001 52 624 104 0103

Christmas Lamb for my Husband

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Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb

Slow Roasted Shoulder of Lamb

My husband lived and worked in England for many years where lamb rules for the holidays. He had a craving for a slow roasted shoulder of lamb this Christmas and he knew he had to have mint sauce to go with it.  We have a dear friend who is from England who sourced the lamb for me here in Cabo while I scoured my favorite British recipes.  I felt I couldn’t go wrong using Nigel Slater and Jamie Oliver’s suggestions and the end result had my husband’s glowing approval.

Our plan was to slow roast it in the oven at 320 degrees but when we got up on Christmas morning, we did not have any power.  I had just massaged the herb and garlic rub into the meat and my hands were full of garlic, anchovies and olive oil when I realized that we had no water either.  My husband came to the rescue with a big bowl of water from the pantry that we save in case of hurricanes.  We switched gears from indoor oven to outdoor grill and cranked it up to 500 degrees.  When we put the meat on the grill, we turned down the temperature immediately to 300 and slow roasted it for about 4 hours.  The temperature was slow coming down but the results could not have been better. The aroma that came off the roasting lamb was so tantalizing that I thought my neighbors would be knocking on my door.

Note:  If cooking in the oven, place the lamb in a 500 degree pre-heated oven, turn the heat down immediately to 320.

Ingredients:

2 kg lamb shoulder with bone in – With the tip of a sharp knife, make shallow scores through the outer layer of skin and fat of the lamb shoulder, but not into the meat, cross-hatching the entire surface.

1 whole bulb of garlic – cloves peeled

Fresh rosemary sprigs – I used a large sprig – leaves only

Thyme sprigs – 8-10 – leaves only

8 anchovy filets – you will not be able to taste the anchovies – they melt and give the meat a glorious flavor.  No need for any extra salt.

Olive oil

Pepper

Instructions:

Using a mortar and pestle, crush the peeled garlic cloves with course sea salt until it makes a paste. Chop the rosemary, thyme and the anchovies together and add to the crushed garlic.  (You could use a food processor but there is something wonderful about slowly making the paste with the lovely smells of the garlic and herbs).  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil so that you can easily massage it into the meat.  Get in there with your hands and really massage this paste into the lamb shoulder.

Place the lamb in a roasting pan with high sides, pour water in the bottom of the pan so the pan is covered by 1 to 2 inches using 2 or 3 cups of water.  This makes a wonderful gravy for the Mint Sauce (see below).

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven or on the grill and roast for several hours.  It was interesting that neither Nigel or Jamie would give exact roasting times but 4 to 5 hours should be perfect.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest while you make the mint sauce.  Forget about carving this easy slow-cooked roast – pull the fragrant, tender lamb from the bone, rustic style.

Mint Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon flour

1 large bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked

2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

Sauce in the bottom of the roasting pan – pour away most of the fat

Instructions:

Remove the lamb from the roasting pan and let sit while you make the mint sauce.

Remove as much fat as you can from the juices at the bottom of the roasting pan. Place on medium heat on the stove top and add flour. Stir until it sauce begins to thicken, then add the mint and the red wine vinegar – keep stirring until it reaches your desired thickness.  You don’t need tons of this gravy because it so flavorful.  Spoon over the meat, mashed potatoes and steamed greens for the perfect holiday meal.

Meal Ticket – Handmade, Wholesome, Ready to Eat Food

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Stumble in the door after a long day of holiday shopping, family outings or just plain old hard work and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour making a mess in the kitchen. In a perfect world, dinner would always be pre-planned and pre-prepped, and cooking and eating it would cure the day’s stress – not cause it. Luckily, Julie Marts and Chef Carl have our backs with Meal Ticket and their ready to eat prepared foods which are meticulously organized for the entire week.

Meal Ticket specializes in creating handmade, wholesome, healthy prepared foods.  The food is available for pick up at the Friday Market at The Shoppes at Palmilla between 9am and 1pm (some fresh and some frozen).  Santa Carmela Market (Cerro Colorado) also carries a limited selection of their food in the freezer section.  Note:  the frozen food is always on rotation.

Chef Carl is well versed in the kitchen and is in charge of the production of foods.  He has 30 years experience as a professional chef – 10 yrs as Executive Chef at Hotel Twin Dolphin and 15 years owner/operator of Restaurant  Baan Thai in the historic district of San Jose del Cabo. Julie handles public relations, sales and oversees the development of new products.

Small batch, hand crafted meals that are good enough to serve company has always been important in selecting items for their menu.  They only use the best ingredients, locally grown when possible and in season, with the goal of low sodium/sugar in comparison to most prepared foods. There are never any additives, colors, artificial flavors or preservatives used in any dish. They use handmade stocks for their dishes and soups – never commercially prepared. Meals can be held in the freezer for up to 3 months so it is easy to plan ahead and know that you don’t have to cook on busy days. Many meals serve 2-3 portions but the lasagne & chicken pot pie are family size.  Handmade pickles and relishes are also on offer along with vegetarian, gluten free & vegan options.  This is great value as each serving ranges in price from $3 – 12 usd.

Meal Ticket offers a great solution for families whose different diets consist of vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters.  When you are together for holidays or family vacations, it can be complicated and time consuming to take care of the various needs. With Meal Ticket, each family member can enjoy eating their choice of delicious, interesting, home-cooked meals.

Contact Julie at cabojules@gmail.com with orders before Thursday at 5pm for pick up at the Palmilla Farmers Market on Fridays.  If you are not that organized, you can stop by and see what is available even if you have not pre-ordered in advance.

The longer I live here, the more impressed I am by how many talented people are working and thriving; and, believe me, they are working hard.  I am very excited to write about what Julie and Chef Carl are doing together.  He has a very impressive background and one that is close to my heart.  When Twin Dolphins closed, it was very sad for me – not just the food, but also the history, the old waiters and staff.  Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, so I was also sad when Baan Thai closed.  But, I think Meal Ticket is really on to something – and I really believe there is a market here.

Meal Ticket is perfect for couples, busy families and families on vacation who don’t want to cook or dine out every night.  If washing up plates is too much work, they can arrange to cater your special meal in your home.  They do parties, cocktails or just a dinner. (Note: these services are not available at the same price point. Contact Julie directly for catering or large order delivery cabojules@gmail.com)

Throw a fabulous dinner party  – impress family and friends with your culinary skills – Julie and Chef Carl won’t tell.

Menu for Week of December 11

Menu for Week of December 18

P.S:  Julie will be at the Palmilla Tiendas on Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) this week from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm along with a few other vendors.

pumpkin soup

pumpkin soup

chicken-tikka-masala

chicken-tikka-masala

chicken pot pie

chicken pot pie

Note:  Meal Ticket halts its services May to November.