"CELEBRITY CHEF CONNECTION"
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by Barbara J. Nosek, barbara@writesource.net
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July 28, 2010
This week . . .Wine Weekend, Restaurant Week, Riesling Week, Champagne discovery, classic cocktail evolution, pro note on upcoming Expo
Wine extravaganza at a multi-star
restaurant. What a great combo! Or as the
creators call it, "l luxurious resort and casino * 3 days * 2 nights * 7 events
* dozens of wines * many friends * thousands of glasses."
And what could be a
more appropriate venue than a restaurant that greets guests
with a wine "cellar" that's actually a soaring glass tower . . .
That would be celeb chef [at left] Charlie Palmer's award-laden Aureole at Mandalay Bay
here in Las Vegas, staging its "Wine Weekend 2010" Aug 13-15. And a
full weekend it is, setting the first table on Friday afternoon with a sauvignon
blanc blending competition and a crudo and ceviche demo featuring international
techniques by Aureole Executive Chef Vincent Pouessel. A Tuscany-inspired, wine-paired
dinner follows in the evening.
Then up and at'em 9a Sat for a Champagne and
scrambled eggs breakfast where you "bring your apron and spatula into the
kitchen." Bide a while till the early afternoon BBQ demo on the beauteous patio,
along with a spicy red blend competition and a tasting of worldview Rhone blends.
That night's dinner of six courses and sixteen vintage selections emerges "from
the classic houses of Chateauneuf du Pape to the country style of Gigondas and
Vacqueyras."
Dress for church Sunday am for "non-denominational, all wine worshipers welcome" readings from the Gospel of Bordeaux, where "wines of consequence" will be paired with a discussion and also cuisine of all styles.
Then for a truly spectacular grand finale, Aureole's wine director, Master Sommelier William Sherer, and Palmer's Executive Pastry Chef, the mega-talented Megan Romano, conspire on a 7-tier chocolate and sparkling wine pairing, and that would be the same Megan that has her very own line of ultra-premium chocolates. Find cost details online. www.charliepalmer.com, www.mandalaybay.com
Did you see this? Our local paper carried a story from AP about divers discovering "what is thought to be the world's oldest drinkable champagne in a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea." Their speculation is that the 30 bottles are from the 1780s. After hauling it up from 200 feet down, they popped the cork and found that "It tasted fantastic." One expert believes if this all pans out, each bottle could fetch $68,000. The divers said they just brought the bottle up to be able to establish how old the wreck was. [yeah, sure]. Learn more about bubbly at www.champagne.us
here comes that magical week in las
vegas
It's the foodie
extravaganza known as Restaurant Week, taking place this year Aug 30-Sept 5.
Participating eateries will offer a three-course lunch or dinner at one or more
of the following prices: $20.10, $30.10, $50.10.
Just look at some of these examples. Dinner for $30.10 or $50.10 at Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys or Michael Mina's Stripsteak or at Aureole, all in Mandalay Bay. Dinner at Shibuya or its famed teriyaki dinner for $50.10. Lunch for $20.10 at Sushi Roku or BOA Steakhouse, both in the Forum Shops at Caesars, and the list goes on and on.
When would you ever have such a chance to dine like this and at the same time do worlds of good for the Three Square organization. Click on Events to see participants and prices, and then on each restaurant to view the respective menus under "Events," and also check elsewhere on the site learn more about this worthy organization at www.threesquare.org.
A toast to the past . . . and future. NYC mixologists, and probably those elsewhere too, are building on the recent revival of classic cocktails with interesting, flavor-festive variations, as reported in Star Chefs online newsletter. After extensive research [work, work, work] they have found evolved forms of negronis, milk punches, sours, and old fashioneds, plus an update of an oldie called "Dark & Stormy" [wonder if that was born at the Round Table], and another that looks to the past in other parts of the world by mixing in birch juice. Really. www.starchefs.com.
Riesling fest, right now!
Through Aug 1, star chef Andre Rochat's
Michelin-awarded Alizé at the top of the Palms is celebrating that white wonder
grape with a special three-course dinner. The repast showcases different
food-friendly Riesling
styles from different countries.
Just look at some of the possibilities: smoked salmon and ratatouille roulade or phyllo wrapped anjou pear and roquefort cheese salad paired with a Riesling from Austria. Then either sautéed arctic char with king crab ravioli, red lentils and creamed leeks or roast chicken breast with crispy potato croquant, leeks, smoked bacon wrapped coq a vin paired with a 2004 Riesling from the Alsace region in France. And for the big finish, Peach Melba Soufflé perfectly-paired with a German Riesling.
What a great opp to experience Chef Rochat's legendary French cuisine in his gorgeous restaurant. And as if the stylish interior is not beauty enough, great window walls deliver an unparalleled view. Call for reservations at 702.951.7000.
Riesling week details and full menu
Pro Note . . . This year's Western Foodservce & Hospitality Expo takes place Aug 14-16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to a stuffed-full roster of presentations on the full spectrum of today's issues, some extra highlights include the interactive Solutions Center, the Ultimate Barista Challenge, the new product gallery, the Expo Comida Latina, and special focus pavilions. www.westernfoodexpo.com.
[NO post July 21, 2010]
July 14, 2010
This week . . . Chef Stratta adds even more delectables, pop rocks "fundae," Carnival of Cuisine,
Mac magic, Mmmm cooking demos/buffet
So good and now even better.
The great thing about Stratta at Wynn Las Vegas is that it gives folks a chance
to experience
the wondrous dishes of a marquee chef in a casual and relaxed
venue. Alessandro "Alex" Stratta's cozy little establishment on the cusp of Wynn
and Encore is an Eden of easy fare, though the menu does make room for hearty
entrees as well.
And that menu is in the news right now for its
inspired additions, including one that is so emblematic of this chef's
culinary thinking in terms of both perfectly marrying components and adding that extra
touch.
That would be his warm goat cheese salad with arugula, fire roasted
mushrooms, avocado and corn. Aiyyy.
Some other highlights: beef carpaccio with [more evidence of those "wedding" talents] marinated artichokes, ricotta salata, crispy eggplant toasts, and garlic anchovy aioli - plus super thin crust wood-fired pizza, a Fra Diavolo that graces the pasta with not just shrimp sauté but also Maine lobster, and braised short ribs [one of his specialties] with Barolo wine, Port wine, and glazed shallots, and also the osso bucco shown here. Click on the first link below to access a page where you can download the whole lovely menu.
What's also quite nice is that you can enjoy the Stratta bounty in "bonus" hours too. In addition to dinner nightly from 5:30p, the restaurant also serves a "Starlight menu" every night from 11p-6a, and as well lunch Fri-Sun.
www.wynnlasvegas.com/#dining/Stratta/
Oh, this is fun. In celebration of National Ice Cream Month, the sweet Serendipity 3 at Caesars Palace has concocted a red, white and blue three-scooper [strawberry, vanilla, blue bubblegum] topped with the "fireworks" of pop rock candy. The All American Pop Rock Sundae, $13. www.caesarspalace.com.
Don't miss this one. If you're anywhere near Las Vegas on Aug 7 take your palate and appetite to the Ballroom at the Venetian for the third annual Carnival of Cuisine food festival. From 1p-4p the event will showcase the award-winning cuisine of the restaurants of The Venetian and The Palazzo.
Guests will enjoy cooking demos, tastings from more
than 20 eateries including five
James Beard Award winners, and live entertainment. There's also the
chance to win prizes including signed cookbooks,
restaurant gift certificates and show tickets.
Participating restaurants include: B&B Ristorante,
Bouchon, Café Presse, Canaletto, CarneVino, CUT
,
Dos Caminos, Enoteca
San Marco, FIRST Food & Bar, Grand Lux Café, Lagasse’s Stadium, LAVO, Morels
French Steakhouse & Bistro, Pinot Brasserie, Postrio, SUSHISAMBA, Table 10, TAO
Asian Bistro,
Valentino and ZINE. In addition, Sweet Surrender, The Palazzo’s cupcake
and candy shop and home to the $750 cupcake, is a new addition this year.
And that lineup means the cuisine of such culinary stars as Thomas Keller, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck, Scott Linquist, Emeril Lagasse, Luciano Pellegrini, and Ralph Scamardella. Tix $50 [VIP $75 for noon admission and a gift] at any Venetian or Palazzo box office, by phone at 702.414.7469, or online. www.venetian.com or www.palazzolasvegas.com
"CCC" Guest buzz . . .
Mac is at it again. Comedy magician Mac King, that is, once again finding a
creative way to get magic out to kids and right where they live. This time it's
Lunchbox-o-Magic, containing more
than 50 funny and easy tricks,
illustrated in the included instruction book and DVD.
As the Campfire Magic kit tapped into items found at campgrounds, this
one turns lunchroom items into ready props. Priced at $16.99, it's available at Barnes
& Noble across the U.S. and at his online shop. And be sure to see his hilarious
act live onstage at Harrah's
Las Vegas at 1p and 3p in the Showroom Theatre. Tickets are $24.95 plus
tax. .
www.mackingshop.com,
www.mackingshow.com.
Ongoing cooking demos . . . with a
big perk. Surely one of the best buffets
in Las Vegas is Studio B at the M Resort, an array that defies you to do it
justice no matter how much faith you have in your capacity, because everything is just so good. What
dishes would I recommend? See above - everything is just so good.
What inspires the name for the buffet is the adjacent room, set up much like a TV studio, where Chef Tina Martini stages cooking demos Thur-Sun at noon and 4p. And, oh my, they are fun as well as instructive. The energetic chef delivers a running commentary, along the way tucking in platterful of cooking tips. And then there's the recipes, and also the tastings of all the dishes she prepares and quite likely some of the ingredients as well.
As if that weren't treat enough, the $39.95 ticket for the show includes the wondrous buffet and what's more, reserved seating. And whether it's lunch or dinner, beer and wine are part of the package. This is just a great add-on to any visit to the stylish M Resort on the far south Boulevard.
In the class I attended one of the dishes Chef Tina Martini created was a portobello Napoleon, and in the clip immediately below we tune in as she is making the component of the dish that she calls "virtual eggs" . . .
Here's a "taste" of Chef Martini's cooking demo
http://www.themresort.com/cheftina/about-the-show.html
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July 7, 2010
This week - Emeril event, AC food fest, Margaritaville, new foodie feature, job news
Swinging with Emeril.
Plan now to have a great time and do a lot of good in the process by playing in
the Emeril
Lagasse
Golf Classic this September at the Newport Country Club in Newport RI. Emeril
crafted this annual tourney as a way of giving back to his Alma Mater, Johnson &
Wales University, by endowing a scholarship fund.
The 2-day event tees off on Sept 20 with a special
dinner to honor the 2010 scholarship
winners, with the Golf Classic following on the 21st. Last year's tournament
funded four $10,000 scholarships.
In other Emeril news . . . not too surprisingly the celeb chef whose heart is as big as his culinary talents recently served specialty cocktails in his New Orleans restaurants based on the "fruits" of the local waters which not only kept the spotlight on some of the best bounty of those Gulf seas but also in the process raised almost $18,000 to benefit area shrimpers and fishermen. The effort was coordinated through Second Harvest Food Bank.
http://giving.jwu.edu/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=604 [register for Golf Classic]
Nosh with the biggies in AC. The 2nd Annual Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival sets up shop July 29-Aug 1 at Caesars, Bally's, Harrah's, and Showboat. Foodies can join in on Paula Deen's Boardwalk Party, the Wine Down Art Show with Ted Allen, Guy Fieri's Cheesesteak Battle, The Neelys Down Home Gospel Brunch, Sweet & Stylish with Sandra Lee and Chefs on Stage. Other notables are also part of the fest as is The Grand Market, a "village" of over 200 stations featuring food, spirits and demos. www.harrahs.com/acfoodandwine/events_all.html.
Jimmy Buffett has a new restaurant. But it's not
called Margaritaville - instead, that name is on the sign of the hotel that's
"attached" to the restaurant. The very first Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville
Hotel has now opened in
Pensacola
FL and with much the same beach vibe we've come to know and love at his
restaurants. Here the eatery is called Frank and Lola Love Pensacola, and
parrotheads can easily parse that one. The food is described as a
"coastal-influenced menu [offering] Apalachicola oysters, local fresh seafood
and great
steaks. With its massive windows overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the restaurant
will be appealing to both hotel guests and local residents."
A more casual menu is served on the beach pavilion,
tagged Land Shark Landing, which also features live music and beach ping pong
tables. And
actually a genuine Margaritaville Restaurant is part of the future plans here as
is a water park.
Meanwhile, the existing 162 rooms, including 24 suites, all overlook the bay or the gulf and are outfitted with flat screen TVs and comp high speed 'net, among other amenities. Guests can also tap into the resort's shoreside pool, poolside bar, business center, health/fitness room, and group/meeting facilities for smaller biz or social events.
http://www.ci.pensacola.fl.us/live/
Love this kind of news. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants expect to add 428,000 jobs this summer. Yay! And they also say that job growth in the industry has been positive for the first five months of this year. That all fits quite nicely with our previously noted trend in increased dining-out traffic this year over last year. Many thanks to "Nation's Restaurant News" for bringing us this uplifting item. www.nrn.com, www.restaurant.org.
Brand New Feature.
Here's the first of many alerts about
some of the best (in our humble opinion) foodie websites. Not
too
surprisingly our inaugural one comes from Nancy Rogers' awesome recipe newsletter.
As you can see here, the pix on this "Mennonite Girls" site will have you trying to pull the dishes right out
of the 'puter screen. To the left is a raspberry custard pie with
raspberry glaze, and to the
right filled homemade French bread [the site shows a couple of suggested fillings].
The real treasure trove here, though, is the Archives
listing that all but adds up to a total
cookbook. And just look at some of the entries: drumstick cheesecake [based on
the ice cream cone], BBQ casserole in foil packets, burrito bowl, ziploc
omelette, peppermint cookies and chewy
sandwich cookies. What I find particularly intriguing about the food creations
here is that they represent such a great mix of downhome cooking with truly
inspired touches and innovative twists.
The site also tells a bit about the founders and some of their favorite connections. One look and I think you'll want to be clicking that "favorites" button.
http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com/
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June 30, 2010
This week . . . NYC foodie opp, sweet cookbook, so-easy super dessert, yay sales, tea today
Boulud's Bounty.
If you're going to be in New York on July 21, lucky you. Because that means you
can attend celeb chef [shown] Daniel Boulud's
"Summer
Harvest Tasting Festival" at his ever-celebrated Daniel. What makes this
dinner extra special is that it showcases Chef Jean François Bruel's "favorite
East coast purveyors who supply the exquisite produce, poultry, meat, fish and
cheeses that make this world renowned destination a 2010 James Beard Award
winner for "Outstanding Restaurant." In the spotlight: bounty from
farms, gardens, and makers in New York, Pennsylvania and
Maine.
More about that Beard award, which is based on consistent quality and excellence in food, atmosphere and service. Here's how prestigious it is . . . each year it is presented to only one restaurant in the United States. Meanwhile the Boulud trophy case also had to recently make room for its 8th place ranking in Restaurant Magazine's "World's 50 Best Restaurants."
So, if it fits your social and geographic agendas, mark your date book for Wed., July 21. Reception at 7p, dinner at 7:45. The $295 tariff covers the cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception, five-course dinner with wine pairings,, beverages, tax, gratuity and gourmet gifts.
Guest Buzz . . . Megan Romano's confectionary creds as exec pastry chef at Aureole in Mandalay Bay and Charlie Palmer Steak at Four Seasons, and creator of an eponymous line of decadent chocolates, now also include her new delectable tome, "It's a Sweet Life," filled with a generous serving of her prized recipes and pix, pix, pix galore. Watch the "Celebrity Chef Connection Blog" for a chat session with Megan. www.chefmeganromano.com, www.charliepalmer.com.
Easy, tasty, crowd-pleasing dessert.
For a recent get-together at my home I made a
dessert that was not only all of the
preceding . . . but pretty
too! As you'll see I can't actually take credit for the food part, per se, but
rather just for the selections and "assembly."
On kabob skewers I speared a brownie bite [they come
cut in squares from the store], a half of a chocolate/peanut butter TastyKake, a
third of a Twinkie, a powdered sugar donut hole, a half
of an Oreo Cakester, a half of a butterscotch TastyKake, and then a big
beautiful whole strawberry covering the end of the skewer.
I made a dozen in all which works out very nicely in
dividing the packaged goods. For presentation, I fanned eight of them on a large
round
platter and then placed the remaining four atop those with the open stick parts
filling in the bottom end of the "fan." I prepared these a couple of hours
before guests arrived and covered the platter with foil.
Of course there are lots of other items that could work just as well, including cubed or mini cupcakes or muffins, macaroons, marshmallows, other fruit, and so on. Just be ready when you pull back the foil . . . because there will be an ooh and aah chorus. [Photo from Florida Strawberry Growers Association site, www.flastrawberry.com.]
More good news. A recent issue of Nation's Restaurant News reports that "New data from market research firm NPD Group reveals an increase in same-store sales trends at quick-service and family-style restaurants for the first time in 11 months . . . Americans' view of dining out is getting more positive . . . Consumers are starting to spend." The results also showed that versus last year, price is less of a concern, fewer are choosing less expensive restaurants, and fewer are looking for good deals more often. Yay. www.nrn.com.
Looking good.
The World Tea Expo, convening this month once again
in Las Vegas, saw record breaking attendance and welcomed 60 new exhibitors.
This is where international members of the industry come to showcase and/or
learn
about
new products and emerging trends.
A key presentation by Frank Jaksch of ChromaDex introduced a leading edge topic with, "Energy drinks and functional beverages have exploded out of the gate in the last decade, promising consumers exotic ingredients with extraordinary health claims." To separate the beneficial from the bogus, so to speak, Jaksch announced his company's tea product standards program, encompassing nearly all aspects such as "the identity of the raw tea material, the verification that no unwanted contaminants are present and (confirmation of) the amount of catechin, theaflavin, xanthine alkaloids and polyphenols . . ."
Acceptable products can then display the ChromaDex
Verification Mark. The company establishes similar standards throughout the
dietary supplement, food, beverage, neutraceutical and cosmetic industries.
Among this year's competition winners, Art of Tea for its Petal Pedal and Passion Fruit Jasmine blends and Adiago Tea for its Anteadote organic oolong iced tea. Included in the new product award winners - Takeya USA and Benaya Axicon for Best Tea Ware and Tea Squeeze for Best Accessory [full lists on website].
Also
noted during the conference - there's opportunity for partnerships and
acquisitions of local companies to utilize their distribution advantages
[Indonesia was cited], supermarkets are huge carriers of tea compared to private
retailers, and Russia is set to become the top tea market in value sales by
2014.
The 2011 World Tea Expo returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center June 24-26. And the co-locator will once again be the Natural Marketplace. www.worldteaexpo.com.
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June 23, 2010
Wine week!!! . . . Pahrump bounty, pairing with burgers, home wine bar [plus celeb chef news]
Wine surprise in Pahrump.
Though I guess it really isn't a surprise if you
happen to have been to the Pahrump Valley Winery in the last
several years. And if you have you know
that, thanks to current proprietors Bill and Gretchen Loken, this is now home to
some mighty, mighty fine wines, priced from $9.95 to $75 with most in the
$12-$15 range. And many - many! - are winners of
very impressive awards. Pay a
visit to the tasting room/gift shop and your palate will know why.
Better yet, or in addition, settle into the on-site
and serene dining room and set those glasses next to plates filled by super
talented Chef Richie. Stop by at lunch or dinner for his gourmet take on lots of
seafood dishes, plus steaks, ribs, chicken, sandwiches and some Italian-
esque
dishes including the intriguing open faced mushroom ravioli.
The first audio feature below was recorded during a private tasting that actually lasted quite a bit longer than this clip might indicate. But as time went on, as did the pourings, the revelry made it a wee difficult to clearly hear the different voices. Go figure . . .
Tune in for some tricks of the trade and more [audio, 5:25 min]
Our dinnertime chat with Chef Richie [audio, 3:18 min]
Friendly rivals. After competing big time on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, celeb cookers Rick Moonen and Marcus Samuelsson recently joined forces at Moonen's critically acclaimed rm seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to stage an evening of cooking demos, cocktail reception and five-course dinner, all for the benefit of the highly regarded Three Square Food Bank. www.rmseafood.com, www.chefmarcussamuelsson.com, www.mandalaybay.com.
Patties & Pinot [etc.].
Leave to Las Vegas chef and wine show radio host Les Kincaid to craft perfect
wine pairings for - yes! - hamburgers. All kinds of hamburgers. So pull up a patio,
fire up the grill, and pop those corks . . .
- Classic Beef Burger (with or without cheese): 2006 Ravenswood Napa Valley Zinfandel
- Mini-Burgers with onion rings: 2007 Newton Vineyard Red Label Chardonnay
- Lamb/Beef Burgers: 2008 Maipo Malbec
- Turkey Burgers: 2007 King Estate Signature Pinot Gris or 2008 Mulderbosch Rosé or 2006 Carmel Road Monterey Pinot Noir
- Beef Short Rib and Brisket Burger: 2006 Colosi Rosso
- BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing: 2007 Joseph Carr Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- Moroccan Lamb Burgers with Mint-Yogurt Sauce: 2007 Oxford Landing South Australia Shiraz www.leskincaid.com
Congrats to Claude Le Tohic on his big win as Best Chef: Southwest, an honor conferred by the prestigious James Beard Foundation. He helms the kitchen at Joël Robuchon at the MGM Grand which is no stranger to top awards, and his win marks the second time in a row for Las Vegas chefs taking that title as last year it went to the awesome Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta at Wynn Las Vegas. www.mgmgrand.com www.wynnlasvegas.com
Octavin rules.
More and more winemakers are using this new environmentally-friendly,
vino-sparing. eight-sided 3L
cask that is also just so convenient. Called the Octavin Home Wine Bar™
it dispenses an ever-growing selection of reds and whites with a twist of wrist,
and as I can attest fits very nicely in a wine refrigerator.
And now this delivery system has been tapped, so to speak, by "a collection of super-premium, artisan wines, representing some of the world's best wine regions . . . sourced from Monterey County, California Central Coast, Marlborough (New Zealand), Spain and Hungary" says Adam Richardson of Underdog Wine Merchants. Some of the name gracing the Octavin are Monthaven, Silver Birch, Boho, Big House, and Seven. www.octavinwinebar.com, www.underdogwinemerchants.com.
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