catsuarez

[catsuarez]

Ana de Armas showing us a master class on how to flirt with Chris Evans in Portuguese.

[catsuarez]

ANA DE ARMAS as PALOMA No Time to Die (2021) Dir. Cary Joji Fukunaga

[catsuarez]

who  —  @emelinecormier​.

where  —  holy spirits.

when  —  sunday, february 13th.

     With the soiree coming to a close, Catalina had begun making her exit. All in all, she’d consider this a good night. These themed parties were always a favorite and there was something mysterious and sexy about the masked aspect. It seemed, even without the moonshine, the inhibitions were lowered to some degree. Catalina had a few cocktails, danced to the 20′s jazz, and mingled with a few familiar faces along with a few new ones. When she spotted Emeline, the alcohol had made her chuckle a little  —  it figured that she hadn’t seen the woman all night, and had maybe even assumed that she hadn’t attended, but would come across her as they were leaving. So maybe the night wasn’t going to go off without a hitch. A smile decorated her expression and she turned herself to Emmy, who she knew had spotted her  —  Catalina was more on the side of a lightweight, so the moonshine made her a little bolder than usual. “I didn’t know you were here. Had I, I might’ve asked you to dance.”

[catsuarez]

who  —  @roni-garcia​.

where  —  holy spirits.

when  —  sunday, february 13th.

     “I feel like we’re drink buddies now,” Catalina admitted, hopeful that she was recognizing the masked woman correctly. They had met over coffee weeks ago but the leggy brunette was unforgettable. There was a spice to her that she admired, as feisty women were always a favorite. She had just stepped away from the bar, her second moonshine cocktail in her hand as she stood and surveyed the soiree when she realized who she had happened upon. “We should toast, to all these beautiful people here tonight  —  are any one of them your date?” The alcohol made Catalina a little bolder and a bit more flirty, so she figured it was best to find out sooner rather than later if Veronica was alone or spoken for. “You look amazing,” she complimented, clinking her class with Roni’s, “like you’re ready to break some hearts tonight.” 

[catsuarez]

who  —  @leilabarak​.

where  —  holy spirits.

when  —  sunday, february 13th.

     Despite still being something of a newbie to Providence Peak, Catalina was still hoping to spot or sun into some familiar faces. With the masks on of course that was going to be a bit more challenging, but when she caught sight of the gorgeous woman she’d met at the market and assisted with her recipe, Catalina made her way over to her. It was those pale blue eyes, they were unmistakeable. “Hey,” she greeted and moved in a bit close to be heard over the music, “I don’t know if you remember me. That recipe we met over in front of the spices?” A smile shaped her painted red lips and a hopeful look filled her eyes as she waited to see if there was any recognition. Catalina had already had one of those moonshine cocktails and given that she was something of a lightweight with harder alcohols, she had a slight buzz. “I just noticed you from across the room and had to come say hi,” alcohol made her bolder, “you look stunning.”

[catsuarez]

who  —  @reddvandaal​.

where  —  holy spirits.

when  —  sunday, february 13th.

     The dress and mask were something Catalina had to put together last minute, but given that she was a big fan of themed parties tracking down a masquerade mask and getting it overnight had become a successful mission. The dress was a bit low-cut but thankfully it fit the bill otherwise. As Catalina made her way to the bar to finally get her hands and tastebuds on the specialty cocktail she adjusted her mask. Having only been in Providence Peak since September she was still getting to know the lay of the land and the residents that called it home. She figured that could be a good opportunity to get to know some people, with the mask on. When she finally got a spot at the bar and made her order, Catalina gave a friendly nod and smile to tall male standing there. “Good music, huh?” One of her favorite clubs in New York was a jazz club, so this hit her with a little bit of longing, but she was still hoping to dance at some point. With the cocktail in front of her, she took a sip of the moonshine drink and winced, pulling a face, as it burned going down. “Oh, my god  —  okay, I don’t think it’s smart to have too many of these.”

[catsuarez]

ANA DE ARMAS

[catsuarez]

» leila barak.

Watching with a furrowed brow of interest as the other woman picked a number of spices off the shelf, Leila tried to piece together what she was meant to do with them all. Outside of a few recipes that had been passed down from her mother, Leila didn’t have much experience with blending spices together to make something actually good. “Oh, man, nothing as good as my mom, but I make pretty good köfte, it’s like a meatball. That I can spice fine, but anything outside of a Turkish meatball I’m…pretty bad.” Leila wouldn’t say she was terrible, but she certainly wouldn’t be winning anyone over with her cooking any time soon. Her lips lifted into a bit of a smile at the positivity the other woman was exuding, the confidence boost something that Leila probably needed more than she realized. “I’ll be honest, noodles I just usually end up buying a sauce off the shelf and calling it a day there. So, you know, it’s edible, but not amazing,” she admitted with a sheepish smile. Her sub-par cooking was probably why she ended up just eating out more often than not, the food from any restaurant much more flavorful than half the stuff she could make herself. Happily handing the recipe over, Leila watched as the woman made a few edits, admittedly rather curious about it all. “You’re pretty good at this, huh?” she commented with a slight chuckle as she took the recipe back, tucking it away in her pocket for safe keeping so they could walk over towards the dairy aisle. “Fresh cheese also not something I have a lot of experience with. If it’s not pre-sliced or pre-grated I’ve probably never used it.”

—

     Quickly Catalina was learning the likelihood of this woman surviving on takeout food, and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing if it came from a restaurant rather than some version of fast food. There was a moment where she almost offered up cooking lessons but she hesitated figuring it was a little pretentious and too soon. “Köfte? That sounds good.” Now she was longing for flavors far away from the midwest of America. “The thing with seasonings, they’re fun to play with, but I guess the best thing to remember is that you can always add more but you can’t take away. It’s something that takes time and consistent practice to get used to, and to be honest, even the most experienced chefs get it wrong sometimes.” What she wanted to convey was that she was being too hard on herself, that she was letting the stress get to her  —  which was completely understandable. Being in the kitchen should be fun, and perhaps that was why she eventually turned away from being a chef. The Hell’s Kitchen experience and making it so far was the most stressful and intense experience she’d ever had, and she’d worked in Michelin starred kitchens before then. “Nothing wrong with that,” she commented on the use of store bought, pre-made sauces, “you can always play around with them. Add some meat or chopped veggies.” That, in Catalina’s opinion, was a good start to finding comfort with cooking and developing a hand at it. Once she handed the marked up recipe back to the brunette, she smiled and nodded. “I used to be a professional chef,” Catalina admitted. “Now I’m a food blogger and critic. And, umm, if you ever want some hands on help, I’d be happy to sometime.” A shrug casually dropped from her shoulders, making the offer in a non-committal way because maybe this woman didn’t want lessons or anything like that. As they made their way over to the dairy section, finding themselves in front of the assortment of cheeses, Catalina bit her bottom lip and suppressed a grin. “I mean, those will do, definitely. You’ve gotta work with what you can sometimes.” One thing she personally could never do was processed cheese. But, Catalina was something of a cheese snob. Admittedly. She then picked up a wedge of fresh parmesean and held it in the palm of her hand. “The taste difference would surprise you.”

[catsuarez]

» verda durmaz.

location: spruce mountain ski lodge and resort

character: @providencepeakstarters​ ( capping at three )

Adventure was something lost on Verda and the schedule that just didn’t allow much time outside of the bakery and Zeppelin. With everything just about completed and ready for opening day, she’d opted for time to herself in the form of the sky lodge that she hadn’t spent much time at over the holidays. “I already tried the chairlift once. I made it all the way to the top and wanted to come down the mountain on a snowboard because it seemed easier than skis and I freaked myself out and did neither.” By the end of the day, she wanted to at least try to come back down the mountain, even if it meant getting picked up halfway down because she couldn’t finish. “If you don’t have plans, you could always join me? I could use the company anyway.”

—

     When it came to snowy mountain tops Catalina loved the looks of them but wasn’t really a fan of the cold or the potential to get hurt coming down the side of one on a pair of skis. Somehow she’d convinced herself that she needed to try at least once now that the lodge was open. It wasn’t that she couldn’t ski, she’d done so a few times, but it had been a couple of years since and Catalina wasn’t exactly excited to be sore the next day. After checking out the resort a little bit, she decided to grab something to warm her up before she hit the slopes. “Are you afraid of heights?” Catalina wasn’t all that fond of them and that was her biggest excuse for moving slow to get to the activity. “I’ve never tried snowboarding, I can’t get past that your feet are strapped to one board and you have to go down sideways,” she said with a small smile and shake of her head. “Yeah, that actually sounds better than attempting a solo run,” Catalina agreed, appreciative of the company.

[catsuarez]

where  —  a bookstore.

who  —  @draslihanxfahri-bailey​

     On the hunt for her latest reads, Catalina entered the bookstore with some thrillers in mind and maybe a historical book. Mostly her preference was fiction, she loved to escape into a story and try her best to solve a mystery, but sometimes reality and the things that shaped the world were important. Also very interesting. As she made her way around the stacks, so far collecting two books into the crook of her arm, she thought she recognized a familiar face. The woman she’d met at the holiday market who’d recently had surgery and gave her a few pointers about town  —  it immediately put a smile on her face and she took advantage of the chance opportunity to see how Aslihan was doing. When she rounded a corner, Catalina gave a small wave with her free hand and offered a friendly smile. “Hey, remember me,” she greeted, “how have you been doing? Looks like you might be getting around better.”

[catsuarez]

Ana de Armas for VOGUE España, October 2017

[catsuarez]

» seyhan gultekin.

where: local cafe

who: @catsuarez​

Seyhan was going to go insane; or maybe she already was there. When she had say yes helping plan her brother’s bachelorette party she hadn’t thought out what that actually meant meant and had accepted blindly. At the end of the day how could it be? At least this had been her train thought till she realized that the event was actually three weeks away and the only thing she had was the venue. Which had all been pure luck because she had been able to schedule the airbnb during one of her lunch breaks, and by she she meant her assistant that had taken this duty as if it was her own. Not to mentioned that she had done a fantastic job at that. The place was to die for, Seyhan was thinking about booking it for a weekend getaway later down in the road. So there she was pen in hand in the middle of the cafe as she crossed off another name off when it came to catering the food. Dropping her pen beside her, she groaned softly allowing her head to hit the table in defeat. Now her brother was really going to dislike her — and she had just made amends with him. Yet with work drowning her and her personal life being a black hole she had forgotten this. Looking up, her chin rested on the table and she looked across her, “Any chance you know someone that is willing to cook for 50 males that are basically frat males in two weeks?” 

—

     At the question, Catalina blinked, unsure if that were a legitimate inquiry. Aside from herself, a former chef, there was also her friend that was working on opening their own restaurant. Though, it wasn’t likely they had the time for an endeavor like this one presented to her. Another thing Catalina possessed was an impressive rolodex filled with chefs and cooks all around the word  —  on a chance request this woman had hit the jackpot. “What’s the occasion?” The more she thought of it, the more Catalina began to internally answer her own question. 50 men? Sounded like a massive bachelor party. Which generally wouldn’t be fun for a woman to cook for on the chance that she’d have to attend and deal with what was described as ‘frat males’. “Honestly though, sounds easy enough, toss some hotdogs on a bun and put out a cooler of some Banquets and you’d be good to go.” A small laugh fell from her lips. “I do know some people though if you’re looking for a fully catered meal. Or even a mobile barbecue.”

[catsuarez]

» julian falcao.

location: the burger joint

tagged: @catsuarez​

“Who would have thought mac n cheese and a burger would go well together.” Julian couldn’t give two shits if this was a heart attack waiting to happen. The mac n cheese settled perfectly in between the bun and hamburger meat. Seriously - this was euphoria in his mouth. After he demolished a few bites, his eyes turned to look at the person a table over. “What, don’t tell me you’re some PETA fanatic because I will more then happily eat this thing in slow motion just for that judgement.” Oh, Julian and his commentary. A good potion of the time he loved the way he spoke. More so then most he assumed what others thought but that was half the fun.

—

     “No, not PETA,” she informed with a chuckle and shake of her head. “Just curious how many bites it would take you to finish that with the way you’re attacking it, and also a little surprised you haven’t seen a mac n cheese burger before.” They were a specialty across the states in similar establishments such as this one. Catalina had never tried one herself, they were too big and way too heavy for her and that always felt a bit like a waste. “It’s the salt and savory mix, the cheese and meat  —  the starch doesn’t hurt either, especially with the bread.” The former chef shrugged, she was here having their jalapeno burger for her latest review and blog post. “But I think a burger is pretty much something you can put just about anything in it...”

[catsuarez]

» emeline cormier.

All Emmy had thought about since Ver showed up in Providence Peak not even a year ago was how badly, and publicly, she managed to mess things up, so when Catalina also showed up in town, it didn’t even occur to her that the woman could be there for anything other than to throw a wrench in her already fucked life. From the reaction she managed to get, the look of confusion and exasperation made clear on the woman’s expression, she started to feel like maybe she had nothing to do with the other showing up in town at all and them both being here at the same time was nothing more than some sick and twist irony. Somehow she thought this city was going to be her escape, the place where she could start a new life, and instead it seemed to be some sort of meeting spot for anyone she had ever had a history with. 

“You know I like a girl with a lot of power.” Catalina’s comment caused her to snort into the drink she took, mumbling in response. A response she immediately backtracked on when she realized just how easily it had slipped from her mouth. “I… didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Her heart beat just a little quicker and she cleared her throat to continue with business. “I didn’t think you came here to… rekindle anything, but it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s showed up just to throw a wrench in someone else’s life. I have a restaurant here, a life. I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but it’s gotta be some insane irony if you showed up here for something that has nothing to do with me.”

—

     The comment Catalina was sure Emeline hadn’t intended to make made her lips twitch, a smirk was threatening to form at the surprise tease. It was a flashback to years ago, when they had connected under intense stress  —  they had a knack for making the mood a little lighter for each other. Before she could reply with her own witty remark, Emeline made sure to downplay it, and that left her own comment to die on her tongue. “It was always that easy, wasn’t it?” Turning her green eyes away for a brief moment, Catalina stared ahead as she took a few sips of the drink she’d ordered. “Do you have a reason not to say that out loud this time?” It wasn’t so much of fishing for information, trying to find out if she had attachments or entanglements, but to satiate a curiosity.

     “Do you think coincidences are a thing?” A brow arched, wondering if Emmy had considered that possibility. A small, mostly quiet laugh spilled past her lips. Catalina tilted her chin down, hoping the sound would get lost before it found the ears of the woman beside her. “I hate to break it to you, but my life and what I do and where I go doesn’t revolve around you. Me being here wasn’t to fulfill some quest to find you.” Gently, her shoulders shrugged. It was a bare truth, not meant to hurt any feelings. “I had no idea you were here. A friend of mine is opening a restaurant and I’m kind of helping out  —  what’s your restaurant?” Somehow it was surprising that Emeline had gone ahead and opened her own, not that she wasn’t talented enough, but because of the way she’d left the show.

[catsuarez]

» leila barak.

There was a visible sense of relief from Leila when the woman confirmed that she knew her way around the kitchen. Even if it was someone that just knew a few things, that felt like a step up from Leila’s mediocre talents in the kitchen. “Oh, good because I…really do not,” Leila admitted with a slight laugh. There were a few dishes she could produce a rock solid version of, mostly Turkish staples that her mother had always made for her growing up. Outside of those few dishes, though, it just all seemed to go to hell when she tried to put flavors and ingredients together. “So, not a lot would probably be the correct answer to that. I ah - well, I can make a really good pot of boiled noodles. Um, I’m pretty good at throwing peanut butter and jam on bread. And then I can cook a few Turkish dishes that my mom taught me, but those are still mediocre at best.” Any help that she could get would be welcome, if Leila was being honest. Cooking just seemed to escape her, probably from a lack of interest. She got distracted, let things sit for too long, or just didn’t have the patience to sit and give food the attention it really needed. “Yeah, so uh - yeah. I would welcome any tips that you have.”

—

     One thing that Catalina had learned over the years was that cooking could be stressful and anxiety inducing for some. Despite her talents as a chef, it wasn’t something she considered to be a fault because of the way people’s skills and talents varied. As the pretty brunette answered, Catalina nearly got lost in the pureness of her blue eyes  —  eventually snapping out of it just in time to grab a few dried spices from the shelf and gently drop them into the woman’s basket. “What Turkish dishes can you make? I went to Turkey two summers ago and the cuisine was amazing.” The use of spices were so rich there and Catalina loved bold, full-bodied flavors. “Noodles is actually a really good base. There’s so many things you can add to them, so many ways to dress them up  —  I think you’re on the right track.” With a smile, she was hoping to give the other some positive reinforcement. “I actually have some tips that might make this recipe a bit better and easier to follow, it’ll allow you to cut a few steps,” Catalina said with a nod of her head, then went rooting through her purse for a pen. A couple of minutes later she handed the recipe back over. “Also, you’re gonna want to pick out a really nice, fresh cheese for this. C’mon, I can show you,” she waved for her to follow as she led the way over to the dairy section.

[catsuarez]

» leila barak.

location; frontier foods tagged; @catsuarez

Even if Leila had long ago accepted that she wasn’t ever going to be the best cook in the world, she still tried to make herself a decent meal every so often. Most nights were something simple, but every few weeks she got inspired by some cooking show that was on in the background as she worked. With a recipe printed out in front of her, Leila was wandering around the general store to pick up a few ingredients that she needed. Pausing in front of one of the aisles, Leila’s lips pursed together in confusion as she tried to figure out what, exactly, the recipe was telling her to buy. She was probably standing there for a good five minutes staring at the wall of spices before she finally worked up the nerve to ask the next person that walked by for help. “Hey, um, do you…know anything at all about cooking? I’m trying to figure out what this stuff is and I don’t…have any clue,” Leila asked, cringing slightly as she held the recipe she’d printed out for the woman to look at.

—

     It happened fairly often, where Catalina would get the urge to create and experiment and since she’d just published her most recent blog post she had the time to play around in her apartment kitchen. Since her good friend was making progress on the restaurant they were in the hopes of opening in this new year, they had talked about the menu a little. It was all up to her friend but her input was requested so with an idea for a soup in mind, Catalina headed to the market to pick up a few things. The small basket in hand was half full of fresh veggies and some smoked sausage when a voice near her grabbed her attention. When she turned to the brunette Catalina smiled and nodded, noting that she had seen her lingering around the spices for a short while. “Yeah, I know my way around a kitchen,” she answered and gently took the recipe the other was handing over. “Oh, nice,” Catalina commented as she looked it over, glancing up to offer a smile, “this should be fun. You say you don’t have a clue but how much experience do you have?” It was entirely possible that she could cook and just didn’t have a clue or felt overwhelmed by the recipe or its ingredients. “I can give you some tips if you want?”

[catsuarez]

» emeline cormier.

location: bar inside grove mountain ski lodge and resort. status: closed for @catsuarez​

Emmy never, not in a million years, ever expected to be the one approaching Cat, not after what actually felt like a million years since their joint stint on the popular reality cooking show. But since their last meeting left her a little less than satisfied, she found herself searching for answers that may or may not even be there. “I’ll have whatever she’s having,” Her voice called out to the bartender before dropping her coat onto the empty barstool beside her and turning her attention toward the woman, accepting the freshly poured drink from the bartender without a glance. “Thanks for meeting me. Considering how our last meeting went, I wasn’t sure you’d agree to it.” She took a sip of the drink in her hands before continuing. “I just need to know what you’re doing here, Cat, because my life is already an entire tsunami of a mess and I’m not sure if I can deal with you coming here to purposefully make my life an even bigger mess.”

—

     Maybe the memory Catalina had of Emmy was different than reality, years passing had possibly distorted the connection she had thought she had mutually made with her former fellow constant. As she had sat in wait for Emmy to arrive, she questioned what she was doing there waiting for the woman at the bar of the lodge. Their encounter days prior hadn’t sat well with her and even though she spent at least a few hours wracking her brain for the reasons to why, this meeting seemed a good opportunity to get answers. Except when Emmy sat and ordered a drink, and what came out of her mouth furrowed Catalina’s brow. “I wasn’t sure I was going to either...” Which should’ve been answer enough to what Emmy seemed to be implying. “So, you’re thinking I looked you up somehow and came running here to rekindle... a flirtation?” A scoff lightly scratched in her throat and following a slight shake of her head, Catalina sipped her own drink. “You’re giving me a lot of power, Em.” How could she possibly ruin her life?