Taco Hunt: Chavela's | Crown Heights, Brooklyn

On Presidents Day my good friend Brittany and I decided we would go explore Brooklyn. After a few Google searches, we settled on visiting The Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Park. Two subway rides and a freezing walk later we finally arrived – only to discover the city-run museum was closed due to the national holiday. Well, shit. On to the next best thing: tacos, of course! Another Google search and a 15 minute walk led us to Chavela's, a traditional Mexican restaurant in Crown Heights.

Recipe: Coctel de Camaron

My mom grew up in Ensenada, Baja California so she is a huge seafood fan and even better cook. Every summer when the kitchen gets too hot to want to cook anything warm, my mom would whip up some delicious coctel de camaron: a savory shrimp cocktail – think virgin bloody mary meets pico de gallo but better. After my sister sent me a picture saying, "Look what we had for dinner," I couldn't resist but to make some of my own.

Tips for Surviving Your First East Coast Winter

It has been almost a year since I moved to New York and have experienced so many new things, including my first East Coast winter. Having been born and raised in California, winter meant a totally different thing to me. Snow, slush, and single-digit weather? Clearly I had no clue what I had signed up for. However, I've come to realize that its not all bad. With the right attire and a positive attitude winter can be a little more bearable.