The Foodie and The Fashionista: An Afternoon with Alison Bruhn

Friendship is like comfort food.  During a recent trip to my childhood home of Birmingham, Alabama, I reconnected with my friend, Alison Bruhn.  We had met in junior high and performed on the Dorians dance team during high school football and basketball games.  Alison was always a fashionista and had a keen sense of style at a young age.  Alison studied at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She works with women of all ages around the country to guide them as they find their own unique style.  On her website, Alison says, “I want to empower you to discover your own beauty as you strive to put forth a truthful version of yourself to the world.”  

The Foodie and The Fashionista

Food and Fashion are expressions of artistry, and the palate and palette connect these two worlds.  The Foodie and Fashionista had a fun chat in Alison’s beautiful kitchen where she shared fashion tips and trends.  Alison is the Dear Abby of Fashion!  You can #AskAlison your fashion questions via her blog.

And on a side note, we both admire Chef Daniel Rose who is originally from Chicago.  Alison recently enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Chef Daniel’s Le CouCou in New York City.  This restaurant is a 2017 James Beard nominee for Best New Restaurant. Five years ago, I celebrated my milestone birthday in Paris and had a culinary adventure at Chef Daniel’s restaurant, Spring.  On this video, I share for the first time my foodie faux pas story about an oyster dish at Spring.

A culinary adventure at Spring, one of Chef Daniel Rose’s restaurants in Paris.

After our kitchen chat, Alison and I shared a meal at Melt, a restaurant located in the trendy neighborhood of Avondale with a menu featuring a modern twist on classic comfort food. This restaurant actually started out as a food truck and is owned by two female restaurateurs, Paget Pizitz and Harriet Reis.  Alison and I enjoyed the Classic Melt, a grilled cheese sandwich on Texas toast with cheddar, monterey jack and american cheese along with a Winter Pear Salad with mixed greens, d’anjou pears, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, shaved red onions, feta cheese with balsamic vinaigrette.  It was as if decades had not passed by so quickly.  Friendship is indeed like comfort food.

Melt, a popular Birmingham restaurant in Avondale neighborhood

Alison’s three fashion tips for your Spring wardrobe:

  1. Pink is the new black.  All shades of pink.
  2. Florals are a big deal this season.
  3. Glam your look from business day to evening dinner with a sparkling necklace

Alison’s husband, Mitch Bruhn loves to fish.  Here’s his recipe for Red Snapper Greek Style. As her husband says, “There’s nothing better than spearing it and then eating it.”

Mitch’s Speared Snapper Greek Style

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

George Sarris’ Fish Market Greek Seasoning (or whatever Greek seasoning you like)

Thinly sliced onions (about 1.4 of one onion)

One lemon

4 1/2 lb red snapper filets

Kalamata olives

Feta cheese (crumbled)

Directions:

Clean and fillet the snapper.  Rub both sides with olive oil.  Shake the Greek seasoning liberally to taste on both sides and rub in.  Put the fillets in a Pyrex type dish.  Place the sliced onions on top.  Squeeze lemon juice over the fillets.  Take about a dozen Calmat olives, flatten them and scatter on top.

Put in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  Take the dish out and sprinkle feta cheese to cover the fish.  Put the dish back in the oven on broil for 5 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

 

What are your favorite food and fashion trends this season?

 

Savor the day!

 

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