That Travel Meal :: Chèvre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza

[trip style = food + wine]

Editor's Note: In the spirit of squeezing the last bit of sun out of summer, we are taking a 10-day August break to dip into the Oregon Coast's beaches and Western Canada's lake life, as well as finish a few jetset projects we're launching in September. Catch us on Instagram for regular Trip Styling updates. 

I taste a bounty of out-of-this-world food and drinks while I'm traveling and attending food festivals around the globe—a palatable perk-of-the-job my stomach and I never take for granted.

When a dish sends my taste buds into Flash Dance territory, I make an effort to get the recipe or attempt to recreate it at home because replaying a culinary gem is one of the best—if not THE best—travel souvenirs in the world. {And, it doesn't take up any space in your suitcase!}

I've been toying with a "that travel meal" series since I started trip styling, and a few nights ago I was re-inspired when I made a pizza {for the 50th time!} that Mr. Trip Styler and I first tasted at Morris East Restaurant and Wine Bar in Halifax four years ago.

As a favorite of ours and every guest who samples its sweet and salty goodness, here's our rendition of the Morris East's summer pizza {that effortlessly slots into any season with a few modifications to the ingredient list}.    

Chèvre-Prosciutto-Pear-Arugula Pizza {serves 4}
- *Pizza dough {I like this make-ahead, no-knead recipe from Bon Appetit}
- 298 grams of soft goat cheese, aka, "chèvre"
- 100 grams of prosciutto
- 1 large pear, sliced {substitute peach, nectarine or apple depending on what's in-season}
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/3 cup balsamic {for a reduction}

*Note: Bon Appetit pizza dough recipe yields 5-6, 10" thin-crust pizza shells. What you don't use you can refrigerate or freeze for another night. Also, when mixing the dough, you may need a touch more water than the recipe calls for. 

Instructions
Follow instructions for Bon Appetit's no-knead pizza dough. Once pizza is rolled onto a floured surface and transferred to a cornmeal-topped pan, spread goat cheese across two large or four small pizzas {depending on the size of your trays and oven}. Layer thin slices of prosciutto and pear on top. Bake at 500 degrees F for 5 minutes, the broil for 2 minutes {until top is blistered and bottom is crispy}, and at the same time reduce balsamic on med-low heat for 15 minutes. Remove pizza from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes. Top with arugula and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Slice, serve and enjoy Halifax' culinary cool. 

Trip Styler Tip: turn baking sheets upside down to avoid wrestling with the pan's lip when transferring the pizza to the cutting board.  

[photos via @tripstyler]

Dog Styler: Have Pup Will Travel

[trip style = glamping + luxe + urban + weekend getaway]

In my mini family of 2.5, the .5 is my furry wonderdog, Mr. Nacho King, whom Mr. Trip Styler and I adopted from a Washington State county animal shelter seven years ago. When I found him online I knew we had to be together. When I met him face-to-face it was kismet: I cried and he peed his fur-pants {pictured below}.

I don't talk about "Dog Styler" much on TS, yet he deserves more lip service—just don't get too close, his breath smells like the beach at low tide—as he's one of the most trip styled pups on the block. Case in point: he has more Instagram followers than I do! 

As an important member of the Trip Styler clan, Mr. Nacho King does not stay at home every time we escape the roost. Au contraire; he accompanies us on all local getaways, though he leaves the jumbo jet travel to his parents because he'd rather eat spinach drenched in lemon juice than fly. 

Like a true trip stylin' sidekick, Nacho lives the dream traveling once every two weeks. And while his human owners love a styled stay complete with a cushy bed and a panoramic vista, he prefers a cool bathroom floor to sleep on—Carrara marble, preferably—and hotel staff who dole out dog treats when he glances their way. Bonus points go to dog-friendly accommodations with a bacon or salmon scent wafting toward his nose.   

For some dog-sight into how we've fairly effortlessly incorporated Nacho into our nearby jaunts without sacrificing our regular repertoire of cool hotels, it restaurants and boutique shopping, check out the recent article I wrote in the Expedia Viewfinder chronicling some have-pup-will-travel tips, and our recent road trip to San Francisco.  

PS: Later this week Nacho's tagging along on a beach trek we're taking down the Oregon Coast. Follow along via Instagram: Trip Styler // Mr. Nacho King. 

Nacho's Five-Paw Review Hotels
{penned from his POV}

The Wickaninnish Inn {Tofino, BC}: Because I got my own welcome email, my own après-beach shower station and a resort amenity kit worth its weight in treats.

Four Seasons Resort Whistler: Because the staff—shout-out to my homeboy, Paul {pictured above}—gave me treats every time I walked in their direction.

Painted Boat Resort {Sunshine Coast, BC}: Because it smells like a cocktail of forest and sea, and they let me go stand-up paddleboarding with the humans.

The Alexis Hotel {Seattle, WA}: Because dogs are welcome at the nightly human wine hour, and my presence was announced on a welcome board in the lobby.

Rolling Huts {Mazama, WA}: Because dogs dig glamping. 

Ace Hotel Portland: Because I can eat kibble and sample my parents' Stumptown coffees {I like mochas} in the lobby. That, and my fur really pops against the industrial backdrop.

[photos by @tripstyler]

My Brush with Bachelor in Paradise

[trip style = beach + sun + glamping]

I'm not head over heels for ABC's The Bachelor franchise—full disclosure, I did watch one season circa 10 years ago—but when I was glamping in Tulum in June, half my resort was shut down for what turned out to be the sultry and saucy six-episode Bachelor in Paradise, which debuted on ABC, this past Monday, August 3rd, 2014.

When I tried to book the Papaya Playa Resort {a hotel I just featured in my Roam+Board hotel series and where Bachelor in Paradise was filmed} in the Spring, I noticed zero rooms were available for a five-week period in May/June. I thought this was really strange for low season in Mexico, so I emailed the hotel asking if this was correct, or a glitch in the reservation system. They confirmed they had a tentative property buy-out. I thought it might be major corporation planning tropical team-building, or an intense yoga retreat, though the duration did seem long. 

Absolutely JETSET on staying at Papaya Playa, a hotel I've longed to visit since it opened in 2011, I kept checking if they'd released any rooms, or if the room buy-out would miraculously disappear. Suddenly, a few bungalows came available and I snapped one up immediately. 

When I arrived, check-in was as usual {ie - no mention of resort closures, high profile guests, etc..). We got to our thatched-roof beach perch, slipped on our bathing suits and hit the beach like any sun-deprived souls. The property sits on 900 meters of coastline, so, naturally, we started strolling the near kilometer-length swath of sand.

Suddenly, a gentleman dressed in all black started chasing us, and asked us to stop in our tracks. He told us that half the resort was shut down, and that included the beach. I told him this was ludicrous, and we were not advised of this significant closure at check-in. He said he was under orders not to let anybody cross an imaginary line his superiors had created "in the sand." Jokingly, I quipped, "we can't just go on a normal beach walk? It's not like there's a 24-hour camera rolling" to which he replied, "actually, there is."

This tiny tidbit of info sent me into an internet research tizzy, and after some digging Trip Styler Sis connected the dots: I was there while Bachelor in Paradise was filming. Hence the secrecy. Hence the oh-so-slow internet. Hence the apparent Instagram ban. Hence limited access to the hotel and the beach. 

While the filming was not too visible, I did notice castaways of a rose ceremony at the opposite end of the beach making out in the waves, and dates in town, one of which took place at Casa Jaguar, a romance-steeped secret garden-style restaurant I recommend in my Tour de Tulum. 

Aside from the Bachelor in Paradise production staff who took up most of the other rooms, hung out at the bar every night and traded in beach accessories with walkie-talkies, the resort was pretty quiet—on my side of the beach—and tranquil due to 90% of the guests working.... or canoodling. 

A glimpse of Bachelor in Paradise filming on the beach at Papaya Playa Resort. Note the camera on the shore filming the couple in the water.

Did I recognize any of the love-struck Bach alumni in town? No. Did I walk by any of them at the resort? No. The imaginary lines between hotel customer and contestant were surprisingly strong, and causing a scene isn't my style. 

While I'm not sure I can handle two hours a week of drama-tempered storms courtesy of Bachelor babes, bodies and boozing, I will update this post weekly given my brush with the filming and my knowledge of Mexico's hippie-chic beachfront stretch. You're welcome.

August 3rd Episode Insights
Clare and Robert head to the Tulum Ruins, located about 2 kms from the resort. Access to the historical site, where it's so hot you sweat just standing still, costs 59 pesos per person and is only payable in cash. If you thought it was a strange TV coincidence the two potential love birds were swimming at the foot of the temples at a national historial site, think again, this is one tourist attraction you are encouraged to BYO bathing suit and hit the sea. But don't get too many ideas, contrary to their pow-wow at the top of the seaside temple, you can't climb the Mayan relics, that was a special Bach-fandangled circumstance, so was the lack of crowds.

[top photo via Bachelor in Paradise, other photos my own]

Jetset Style :: Shape Up and Ship Out

[trip style = any]

Sporty clothes are having a moment. Sneakers, ball caps, windbreakers, stylish sweats—items that were once activity dependent are now mainstream thanks to modern cuts and fabrics. This is great news for avid travelers on the hunt for stylish and comfortable pieces that go the extra mile...literally.

The fashion buzzword for the trend—"athleisure"—perfectly and ridiculously describes the intersection of athletic and leisure clothing. We want attractive workout wear that doubles in the program as perfect plane, train and automobile wear. We want items appropriate for cycling through Copenhagen while also popping into chic boutiques. We want to make 10 pieces stretch into 20 outfits when we're packing carry-on luggage.

Fashion and function haven't always agreed, but brands and retailers have started paying attention to the growing athleisure market. What started with Stella McCartney for Adidas and Heidi Klum for New Balance has grown to even include director David Lynch for Live The Process. Aritzia, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Loft, Lululemon Lab and Net-a-Porter have thrown their {moisture-wicking} hats into the ring.

We've rounded up the latest and greatest workout wear that will keep you looking good on a run and the runway.

Women
{top row} Live The Process floral print stretch jersey sports bra, Ballet Beautiful belle wrap top, Covee quilted hat, Nike roshe run print shoe {second row} Zoe Karssen jersey track pants, K-Way x Maje mabelle oversized parka, Zimmerman perforated crepe top and stretch sports bra set, Aritzia community rasa bra {third row} Adidas by Stella McCartney florisuga ballerina flats, Adidas by Stella McCartney women's run printed crop jacket, Nike leg-a-see leopard print leggings

Men
{bottom row} Nike roshe run mesh sneakers, Reigning Champ ss tee, Nike x Undercover gyakusou dri-fit hooded running jacket, J.Crew the un-sweatpant, Levi's Vintage Clothing 1950s cotton fleece crew neck sweatshirt

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

[graphic assembled by @heatherlovesit]