Mistress of Spices

Posted on October 25, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Mistress of Spices – Aishwarya Rai, Dylan McDermott

Do you know the difference between an herb and a spice? Well here is the short answer. Herbs are the leafy parts of a plant – so basil, parsley, oregano are herbs. Spices are the hard parts of a plant, the roots, nuts, berries and barks – so pepper, ginger, cinnamon are spices. There are some plants that create herbs AND spices at different times – like cilantro and coriander both coming from the same plant.

Almost everything in my “spice” cabinet can be classified one way or the other. But what about Saffron? It is not the leaf, but the stamen of a flower, and it is not a hard part of the plant either. I guess we’ll call it a spice. While it was native to Asia and first cultivated in Greece, saffron is best known for its connection to Spain both as a producer and in cooking. It is easily the most expensive spice in the world, and can cost $200/ounce. It is sold in “threads” which are actually the dried stamens. It infuses beautiful color in dishes, but the fragrance is like NO OTHER! It smells like a sun drenched field full of hay and wild flowers.

Did you know that you taste food first with your eyes, then with your nose and lastly with your tongue? It’s true. For me the smell is the thing that gets my engine revving, and certain smells can bring back amazing Food Memories. Cotton candy always reminds me of my Mom running the concession stand at Lake Taghkanic State Park. Wonton Soup takes me to my sister Nancy’s house as does falafel because she has the best places for both of them right around the corner from her house.

A few weeks ago I smelled something that took me RIGHT BACK to being a poor newlywed living in Spain. Chef Beni Velasquez’ Paella. He cooks it in a tremendous pan, outdoors on a custom frame and propane burner at his restaurant Bar + Bistro. When we lived in Spain, every Thursday was Paella Day in our part of the country (just outside Madrid) and I would walk down the street with my own red, rectangular dish to Pinky’s, our neighborhood bodega, and she would give us a loaf of bread and enough paella for both John and I for about $5. (For the uninformed, Paella is a rice dish containing shellfish, chicken and Spanish chorizo among other things, but without the saffron it is just chicken and rice.) The first time I went to get “take out” Pinky had no idea what I was talking about – this being a small town in Europe in 1988. They sat down to eat. I explained what I wanted, but she didn’t have a container to put the Paella into, so I walked home, got my own container and Pinky started a little take out business for her American clients in the neighborhood.

I had never successfully made Paella until yesterday. I coaxed Beni into loaning me his big pan and custom burner. Further, I wheedled his secret recipes out of him after swearing not to share it – please don’t ask, I won’t break my word. The original plan was for Beni to bring the saffron stock from the restaurant, telling me it was “complicated and has like 15 ingredients”. I assured him I was “no joke in the kitchen” and that I could handle it. And so I did!

After 3 days of shopping and prep work (creating stocks, partially cooking the rice, etc), a few friends who LOVE to cook, and one who loves to help clean up, came over with their spouses and we cooked. Together. Under Chef Beni’s supervision. The rule was Beni wasn’t allowed to actually cook, only facilitate (moment of truth – I yelled at him every time he touched a utensil). I got to be executive chef for the day, coordinating everyone’s tasks, setting up, and getting the ball rolling. It was spectacular!

Of course there was wine, cocktails, homemade beer and much laughter. Wisely, knowing the size of the pan – 3 feet in diameter – I had bought disposable plastic containers for everyone to take home leftovers. I hope we are all having Paella for dinner tonight! We had so much fun that we are thinking of making this a regular deal. A collaborative, creative way for us cooks to spend time together and do something we all love. Perhaps this can be the beginning of a new tradition!

My Food Memories this week are insomnia induced cooking (Tetrazzini, Chicken a la King), New England Clam Chowder with friend Lynn and of course the Paella Cookout. The pics this week are from that event.

Until next week, go out and make your own Food Memories.

San Francisco

Posted on October 17, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

San Francisco – Clark Gable, Jeanette MacDonald and Spencer Tracy – 1936

I went to “the city by the bay” for the first time on a paid, earned trip a few years ago and I fell in LOVE! I could spend all day in China Town alone, eating my way up and down the streets between moon cake bakeries and dim sum houses. The tea vendors make me swoon with the lovely smells, artistic pots and blooming teas.

If you have never been to San Francisco, let me just fill you in on the fact that it is an amazing dining city and you can get great food for very reasonable prices. Of course there are the tourist traps that you HAVE to go to (like Boudin Bakery and Fisherman’s Wharf), but there are also some really great places that tourists rarely venture into.

Thursday evening I was treated to first class service and spectacular food at Chef Hubert Keller’s Fleur de Lys in Nob Hill. Hubby John was speaking for a med event and I ate, solo, in the bar area. Not lonely at all. Because I didn’t have to pretend to be charming, and I didn’t have to make conversation with anyone, the food was nearly a spiritual experience for me. I never thought that dining alone (with my husband in the next room) would be such an epiphany for me. I was able to focus SOLEY on the food and truly smell, feel and taste it without the distraction of another soul. I did have prosecco with dinner and I shouldn’t have. My head screams whenever I drink any kind of wine. I know better, but it was so delicious! Here is the amuse bouche of desserts they brought me after the OTHER food I had consumed

This trip we skipped my favorite dim sum “palace” – the erroneously named City View has no view at all. What it does have is amazing dim sum and I had to search to find it and we were the only Caucasians in the joint. (Moment of truth: I secretly LOVE when I go into any ethnic restaurant and I am the only, or one of a few, Caucasians in the building. To me that means I found something close to authentic.).

Everything we ate was great, and I FINALLY got to visit a place I heard about on NPR’s The Splendid table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It was mentioned on the Road Food segment of the show and it’s called Sam’s Grill. It’s apparently an institution. I suppose that’s why they can get away with their prices for just average food. Or maybe it was what I ordered. I had built this place up so much in my head (and of course ate there AFTER Chef Hubert’s place) that I think maybe anything would have not lived up to the hype. Another go around? Probably.

Also good to try – Nihon sushi and whiskey bar. I never thought whiskey would be a good pairing with sushi, but once again I was wrong. I have seldom seen in one place so much variety in a whiskey collection and the sushi was pretty damn good too.

The icing on this trip was dining with Sisters in Law Bonnie & Gretchen, Nephew Colin, Friend Debbie and Cousin Christine at Bonnie & Gretchen’s. DYNAMITE! FOUR dozen Hog Island oysters, fresh from the farm, plump juicy shrimp with assorted dipping sauces, rare, sliced rib-eye and a gorgeously colored tossed salad. I hadn’t shucked oysters since culinary classes, but once I got in the groove it was a breeze! And let’s not forget the wine. I rarely drink wine because I get screaming headaches from it (see prosecco mention above). I think I found a cure: beer and cider with lunch, Cakebread Rose and Pinot Noir with dinner, eat Zyrtec like candy and finish off the night with Bulleit Rye Whiskey. No hangover or wine headache!

My Food Memories from this week are amply described above and this week’s pics are from the San Francisco weekend.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

State Fair

Posted on October 11, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

As some of you know, I grew up in a rural area in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I have few good memories of my childhood. Because I knew I wanted to be living in a concrete jungle, I was miserable there, surrounded by trees, poison ivy, farms, etc., but there are a few things I remember fondly like Autumn (as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my tribute to Sully) and the COUNTY FAIR. Yes, it’s in capital letters because it was a BIG event. We looked forward to it every year. The Fair was where I saw Chubby Checker and my first demolition derby. There was always entertainment, usually of the country music variety (miserable, remember?) and the High School Queen competition that I don’t remember my High School ever winning, now that I think about it. The 4H always had demonstrations ranging from sheep shearing and wool spinning to horsemanship competitions and of course the baked goods competitions. The most amazing thing for me, as per usual was the food!

What is it about food at fairs, carnivals and amusement parks? What makes that food so special and causes such visceral memories? Why is it every time I walk into an amusement park I want a corn-dog?

Each outdoor venue has special food and Food Memories attached to it. Let’s start with the Fair. Each year I waited in line like hundreds of others for the BEST Italian Sausage and Peppers and Fried Dough (aka Elephant Ears, Zeppoli). Always at the same location on the midway, always the same restaurant doing the cooking. I’d save babysitting money and chore money so I could buy what I wanted and I treasured using MY OWN money for treats. The smell of the grease and feel and look of the powdered sugar coating everything I touched are burned into my brain forever.

While living in San Antonio I went to tons of fiestas! The folks in San Antonio don’t need an excuse, they will make a fiesta out of ANYTHING. One of my favorites happens in April, right before the BIG Fiesta week long event of parades, concerts and galas. It is called NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio) and one of my dearest friends Nanette works for the event. We made it a Girls Night Out once a year and hit all the food booths and entertainment we can stand. They have these amazing drinks made from fruit called “aguas frescas”. Imagine something cold like lemonade, but made with OTHER fruits instead of lemons. My favorites are the watermelon and mango with juicy little bits of fruit floating in a sweet and cold fruit flavored “ade”. One of the more interesting things I ate there is “Calf Fries” and they are, you guessed it, sliced, fried bulls balls. Other than being a little chewy, they were quite tasty! In addition to the “Calf Fries” there are TONS of great food items, smoked turkey legs, brisket sandwiches, bratwurst and cold beer and the ever popular “meat on a stick”. You know, teriyaki, fried chicken, corndogs, etc. Delish!

Since we are on the topic of sticks…Earlier this year I went to Disneyland with some friends. It was a Grown-Ups only, no kids or husbands allowed event. After breakfast we all agreed everything we ate had to be on a stick! Corndogs, Kebabs, caramel apples and ice cream shaped like Mickey’s head all ensued, as did the hilarity and nonsense. We literally walked by food vendors that had nothing on sticks. We even kept sticks so we could pop them into pretzels to stay in theme. It was a great day!

This past weekend my son came home from college for the first time and we went to the Renaissance Faire. This event is not complete for me without three things. I need to see the jousting and I need to eat a Scottish Meat Pie (or 2) and a smoked turkey leg. There is something about being dressed like a serving wench or merchant’s wife and tearing into flesh on the bone that screams medieval times to me!

What are your favorites? What Food Memories are burned into your soul and taste buds that you try to relive and recreate? Go find them and enjoy them!

I hope you noticed that I changed the look of the blog. Please feel free to comment and let me know how you feel about it. I thought it was an easier way for you look back and see some of the other posts and pics. Thoughts?

This week’s pictures: Friend Doreen with meat on a stick, my JUGs (Just Us Girls) with El Rey and my pals at Disney with Mickey shaped ice cream!

This week’s Food Memories include a bizarre dinner with friend Lynn at Rumor, Homemade Mac & Cheese with son Jack and friend Greg, Scottish Meat Pies with my main man and take out fried chicken with Jack on the way home from a cocktail party (his choice of snack).

Until next week go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

State Fair – Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews

Some Like it HOT!

Posted on October 3, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

My friend Jim M has a special section of his pantry just for his hot sauces. Chef Kerry Simon has “Hot Sauce of the Week” and a complete BAR full of them for his “Fix Your Own Bloody Mary Bar”. There is a store in Park City called It’s F-in Hot that sells, you guessed it, hot sauce. What is our fascination with the spicy stuff? There are people out there who seek out the spiciest things they can find and aren’t happy unless they are sweating while they are eating. Ghost Pepper anyone? How about a Habenero?

While Americans are proud of their Spicy Food Prowess, the Thai have it locked up. Apparently Thai is the hottest cuisine out there with more peppers eaten per capita than anywhere else on the globe. That’s something to think about when you consider Ethiopoan, the Latin culture group and all the other Asian food that is quite spicy in its own right. Here is a little factoid, when you go into a Thai restaurant, you are frequently asked on a scale of one to ten, how hot you would like it. If you are not Asian, there is one scale, and another if you are. If you like it REALLY spicy, tell them “Thai 10”. I am not sure if this works in ALL parts of the country, but in Vegas it is a little known rule in the Thai restaurants we patronize.

I frequently joke that Hubby John has an asbestos throat because he over-seasons everything (except in the salt category) and he can take some seriously HOT stuff. The hottest wings he has ever had are at Quaker Steak and Lube in Ohio. As for me, I like my heat to ADD something TO the food, not BE the food. I personally consider heat an added bonus to something wonderful to finish it off, but it shouldn’t be the only thing I taste. So basically, I use Hot Sauce as a condiment and it is used just as judiciously as salad dressing or mayo. Of course my preferred brand is Texas Pete, but I do have a few others that I really like as well (Scorned Woman comes to mind).

We all know about savory foods with heat – chicken, burgers, eggs, ribs, etc. But let’s talk about the OTHER side of hot. Although it may seem a completely disparate pairing, there is something special about sweet and spicy together. We all remember Atomic Fireballs and Cinnamon Red Hots don’t we? One of my all time favorite combinations is chocolate with anything spicy. The Aztecs mixed chocolate with cayenne (or something like it) and the Mexican culture combines chocolate with cinnamon, and mango with chili powder. There is something incredibly sexy, dangerous and thrilling about eating sweet and spicy food. A special party for your taste buds where all of the triggers are hit. While I am often loath to eat hot food just because it is spicy, I am intrigued and drawn to eat spicy desserts. Woe is me, they are few and far between. (Moment of truth – Chocolate covered crystallized ginger makes an excellent gift for me in case you were wondering.) And while we are on the topic of sweet/spicy, what about Ginger? Oh my! Mixed with garlic it takes on one aspect and mixed with sugar a completely different. Ginger snaps, ginger beer, gingerbread and the aforementioned chocolate covered ginger….my mouth is watering.

Some spicy things are definitely seasonal – like mango with chili, and ginger beer in the summer. But for me, most of the spicy stuff tastes best when it is cold outside. Texas Chili with no beans on a cool night is a blessing. Gingerbread is a winter comfort as is Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon.

I have been trying to get my favorite cupcake bakery (Retro Bakery) to make me a Mexican Chocolate or Aztec Chocolate cupcake. On the one hand, it’s really good that Kari doesn’t do it. They are right around the corner from my house and I would be there more often than I am now. On the other hand, I really don’t enjoy making desserts and it would be nice to have something to hit my sweet/spicy trigger whenever I wanted. So for now I keep Vosges chocolates on hand and they make a fabulous variety of sweet/spicy chocolate items. Also worth trying is the Mo’s Chocolate bar. Chocolate and bacon anyone? And before you roll your eyes, yes it really does work!

Enjoy these pics from Sister Nancy’s week long Birthday Celebration here in Vegas and a snap of a few of my hot sauces in my pantry.

This week’s Food Memories are dim sum at Ping Pang Pong and sushi at Island Sushi at the newly renovated Plaza with Nancy and friends, a superb dinner at RM Seafood to celebrate Nancy and Gretch’s birthdays where Top Chef Master Rick Moonen came out to visit and sign books for our crowd and a little cocktail party with snacks for some friends to welcome Nancy and out of town friends to Vegas.

Until next week, go out and make your own Food Memories!

Sister Nancy and I

Autumn In New York

Posted on September 26, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

A tribute to Frank Sullivan. The food connection will not be apparent right off, so stick with me….

While growing up in Upstate New York’s Hudson Valley, I was miserable. As a young girl we had moved from Long Island to “the country” and I hated it. I knew from an early age that I was meant to be surrounded by concrete, not the WILDS of the country. I tried to make the best of it. I learned to ride on horseback, caught poison ivy, was taught to grow things and identify trees, plants and wild herbs. In 1987 I married and 2 days later left the area and have rarely returned since. In our married lives we moved 13 times in the first 21 years for John’s Air Force career. We lived in some exciting places and some truly dreadful (for us) places, but I seldom missed New York. I think growing up someplace where I was unhappy and forced to make the best of it made me that much more willing to let go and explore the locations where I was placed. I bloomed where I was planted. I missed the Chinese restaurant in town (Spring Garden), the pizzeria with the best pie (La Bella’s where I used to work) and the all night Greek diner across the river (Olympia – yeah, one of the shiny aluminum ones that looks like an old rail car). Of course I missed the few friends I left behind, and Mom and sisters, but the only time I actually missed NEW YORK was in Autumn.

Our front window faced the Catskill Mountains, and when September and October rolled around, and the leaves started to change, it was my favorite view. Our back windows faced an open field surrounded by trees and the view was similar in color, narrower in scope and a lot closer. In the eight acre clearing we grew strawberries, pumpkins, squash, beans, tomatoes…basically anything that would grow. After we harvested, the deer would come in and eat the remainder, chewing on still tender leaves and grasses. Morning and evening we’d see them, right up until hunting season when they mystically knew they were in danger.

At Hudson High School I had two favorite teachers – Nancy Russell (biology) and Frank Sullivan (humanities and English). Mr. Sullivan – Sully from here on out – was a joy. Frightening, scathing, tough, sarcastic, dry witted, talented, all knowing and more fun than should have been allowed in a classroom. Each morning during the height of “leaf peeping” season Sully would have us “race to the window children”. Once there, we recited part of Emily Dickinson’s Why:

The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That’s all.

For years while missing October and all it has to offer in Upstate New York – the smells of the apple orchards, burning leaves and the musty smell of pumpkins on a cold morning, the intensely beautiful foliage, the rituals of harvest and the church festivals – I repeated that stanza. It is one of my favorites, and I have never forgotten standing next to Scott Himmel or Lisa Miller or Kim Hover saying these words. Sunday while driving through the Las Vegas Valley and thinking of October, I recited that stanza for maybe the 10,000th time and in front of me was Red Rock Canyon. I almost wrecked Velma the Volvo! All this time I have been living in the desert, missing my beloved fall colors, and they were right here all along! I felt not unlike Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I’m still in a VALLEY and there is ALWAYS “red upon the hill”.

But what, you may ask, does this have to do with FOOD? Apart from the fall reminding me of forgotten smells and harvest rituals, it always reminds me of Sully and he was a GREAT cook! He was the faculty advisor of the Honor Society and organized potlucks for different events with the Honor Society. Rumor had it he went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY (which boasts graduates such as Anthony Bourdain and Rick Moonen). My mother always knew which dish was his and made sure to get a bit of it on her plate, as did I. Right off the top of my head I remember a particularly amazing chicken casserole (remember what I said about casseroles?) and a great cabbage slaw. Sully taught at THE SCHOOL for 30 years and had taught some of my classmates’ parents. I can only imagine how many wonderful Food Memories he created for others during that time.

Because I was gravid with child upon his death, I was unable to attend his funeral. Had I not been pregnant, I would have made the 12 hour drive to be there to honor this man. Now, nearly 20 years later he continues to speak to me. I often wonder what he would think of amateurs like me writing blogs. Would he correct my grammar and send it back? Would he tell me to persevere or hang it up? What would he think of my culinary adventures since he was a culinarian himself? Who would have thought I would have followed in his steps with words (albeit meager and paltry in comparison) and food?

Enjoy Emily Dickinson this week instead of photos:

WHY?

The murmur of a bee
A witchcraft yieldeth me.
If any ask me why,
‘T were easier to die
Than tell.

The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That’s all.

The breaking of the day
Addeth to my degree;
If any ask me how,
Artist, who drew me so,
Must tell!

This week’s Food Memories are DISH Las Vegas with my main squeeze, drinks and dinner with the Partial Posse to celebrate a birthday and a promotion, a perfect BLT with my house smoked bacon and home grown tomatoes and dinner with Sister Nancy and friend Lisa “Wormuth”.

Autumn in New York – Richard Gere and Winona Ryder

Tortilla Soup (yes there’s a recipe)…..

Posted on September 20, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

The weather is changing and giving way to a new season. Frequently that changes not only HOW we cook, but what we cook. We go from outdoor grilling to nesting at home. Is it because that’s what our forebears had to do? Hunker down for the impending winter? Is it because it’s what our Moms did? Simple food that didn’t require a lot of effort because school and work were back in full swing? Is it because we are mourning the end of summer and we require comfort food? Whatever the reason, this time of year soup is what I want. I love to make soup. All kinds of soup.

Once you know how to make a really good chicken stock, beef stock and vegetable broth a whole world of fantasicness opens up to you. My favorites to make are cream of mushroom, turkey with wild rice and beef barley (or Scotch Broth if I have lamb). My Stepmom, Nettie, made the BEST potato soup and she shared that knowledge with me thankfully. Everyone has their faves. My friend Deb is also a soup lover and when we go out to lunch, regardless of the time of year, she orders the soup! There were lots of soups that I didn’t know how to duplicate until I went to culinary school and picked up some skills, and now even with those skills there are a few that I don’t make. Bisque, for example, is one of my faves and I never make that style, but order them when I am out.

The key is to start with a great base (stock) and then add in extras to make the soup you want. I make GALLONS – literally – of chicken stock at a time. I freeze it, so it is there when I need it. Of course there are lots of great books out there with several hundred pages of instructions on how to make good stock. For a simple primer, that is cheeky and simply stately, try Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook. It gives you the basics without the drama, plus you get to read Bourdain, HELLO?! (moment of truth – I am convinced that we are related) . Here is it in a nutshell – don’t cover your stock, don’t BOIL it and skim, skim, skim, and reduce……

As time and techniques evolve, like many other things, recipes are often bastardized, tweaked, simplified or otherwise changed. Some for the good, some not for the good. To that end, here is my non-traditional version of Tortilla Soup – it’s simple for even a novice to do, but ask any Mexican and they will tell you it is NOT authentic, but it still tastes good!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 6 generously

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 or 2 Serrano peppers – slit open from bottom to top, leaving the stem intact
1 yellow onion – diced
2 poblano peppers, seeded, ribs removed and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 cans – 14.5 oz each – diced roasted tomatoes, undrained
6 cups (more or less to taste) low sodium, fat free, chicken or veggie stock
3 corn tortillas cut into strips or squares
1 C – frozen corn
1 C canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 C canned hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken breast cubed or shredded

Garnishes– fresh chopped cilantro, plain Greek yogurt or Sour Cream, crumbled cotija cheese, or shredded cheddar or Jack cheese, diced or sliced avocado, if you desire.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil and then add the Serrano peppers. Cook until they blister and are slightly charred. Add onion and poblano peppers and sauté until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Be careful you don’t brown the garlic.

Deglaze the pan with a cup of stock, reduce heat and cover and simmer until all the vegetables are soft and cooked thru. You may need to add more stock as the vegetables cook down. Keep an eye on it.

Add the tomatoes and 3 cups of stock to the pan, bring it to a boil. Drop in the cut up tortillas. They should start to break apart and you’ll notice the soup start to thicken. If you have a stick blender, you can use it here to smooth out the soup and hasten the thickening process.

Return it to a boil and then add the remaining ingredients. Heat until cooked thru.

Garnish as desired and serve.

This week’s pics are a mix….

This is harvest from my yard, lemongrass, thyme, mint and fig jam

Adam Bouska and John and I – checking out the pics he took for the NOH8 Campaign. The Vegas pics will be posted to the website in about 4 weeks.

The perfect BLT – house smoked bacon, home grown tomatoes….mmmm

Braised beef with Parmesan polenta and sauteed squash – yep – comfort food.

This week’s Food Memories are tapas and salad at Bar + Bistro after having our pic taken by Adam Bouska (see pics), four empty casserole dishes after a Fundraiser dinner, search and destroy with the hubby and comfort food of several kinds.

For those of you who HAVE been paying attention, have you noticed that the titles of the past few blogs are movie titles? Yes, I have an addiction to the movies, new and old, popular and obscure, and to further that addiction I have decided that I will continue in this vein for as long as I write this blog. Some will be well known and others not so much.

The Four Seasons

Posted on September 15, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

WOW!!! Summer was over in a blink of an eye. Just when we started to get into a routine of relaxing by the pool after work and taking it slow and easy, the fall has started and changed the game.

At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, did you ever wonder… about seasonal food? Why is it some things just taste better at certain times of the year? For some foods, that is an easy jump. They are in season; watermelon and tomatoes in the summer, apples, squash and pumpkins in the fall, root vegetables and navel oranges in the winter and asparagus and fiddlehead ferns in the spring.

For others I think it is more contextual. Hot dogs ALWAYS taste better in the summer because they remind me of baseball, cookouts and camping. Strawberries always mean 4th of July for me. For hubby John, ribs mean summer. Turkey reminds me of holidays and waking early to tear bread to make stuffing for my Mom. When I am not feeling up to par in the winter I want chicken & rice soup. John wants oatmeal in the morning in the winter – the hot comforting cereal fits his bill. In the spring I want soft shelled crabs and egg salad. Part of this is FOOD MEMORY and the other part is that it makes me happy to eat what is in season.

Here in Vegas the end of summer is heralded by thunderstorms and rain and it happens almost overnight. Last week the temps hovered near 100 and as I write it is around 70 and it has been raining on and off all day. What do you make during the rainy season? Comfort food of course!

Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Pot Pie, and Casseroles are comfort food of the best kind as far as I am concerned. Starch, fat and meat all combined to perfection. What more could a gal ask for? Chicken and Dumplings (both kinds – the noodle kind and the biscuit kind), King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Breakfast Casseroles and my favorite (don’t make any gasping or choking noises) the ever popular Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole – complete with Cheez Whiz™ (moment of truth – I can’t make this unless I have company or I am cooking for a crowd or I will eat the entire 9×13 pan full – yes, I know it is disgusting and crazy for a Yankee to enjoy it so much when it is a Southern thing). John’s fave for this time of year is Curried Butternut Squash Soup (with caramelized apples if I am in the mood to make them).

To make the most of YOUR seasons, find out where your local Farmers’ Market is. Check into local “pick your own” farms. You will find the freshest ingredients (clearly) and be inspired to try new things. Check into “Farm to Table” restaurants. These places focus on locally grown and sourced produce, herbs, dairy products and often meat too. For me the best part is that the menu changes frequently based on what is available, so even if it is someplace you eat frequently, the menu can still be surprising! We love Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, CA. for their efforts on this front. Arguably the fore runner of this movement is Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. Of course, home cooks had been doing this for ages, before Ms. Waters, but restaurants had gotten into the habit of procuring, at great expense and often little flavor, produce that is out of season. Strawberries in December? (Yes, I had them as filling in my wedding cake in December – only because raspberries would have been even more difficult!) They may be pretty, but they are tasteless. Navel oranges in June? Dried out and nasty. Acorn Squash in March? Seriously?

The winter is a challenge because so many things are out of season and cooking “seasonally” becomes difficult. Do what you can. Did you “put up” fruit, jam or tomatoes with the harvest? Use them! Potatoes and other root veggies are great in the winter. And of course meat and cheese never go out of style. I make a LOT of pasta dishes in the winter, roasts and stews take center stage and I bake bread….lots of bread.

Go stroll around your local markets – there is PLENTY of bounty to be had. Enjoy what is out there. Buy something you have never had before, a kabocha squash maybe, and search online for recipes. Get creative and have some fun.

This week’s pics are from Restaurant Week – part 2. For all of you who dined out to help out – thank you! Every meal counts and raised significant funds for hungry Nevadans. In case you were unaware, September is Hunger Action Month. Go to Feeding America or Three Square Food Bank to learn more about how YOU can help.

Chef Beni Velazquez cooking paella outside at Bar + Bistro @ the Arts Factory

Happy Birthday lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s with the Partial Posse

At Fashion’s Night Out at Donald J Pliner. With me are friend Lynn Moonen, Staffers from Three Square, Melia and Diane and in the center, shoe designer Lisa Pliner.

This week’s Food Memories are: Birthday Lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s, Paella cooked outdoors by Chef Beni Velazquez or Bar + Bistro (the smell took me right back to our neighborhood bodega in Madrid), a gorgeous zucchini salad with a feta dressing and kebobs on the grill.

Until next week – go out and make your own Food Memories.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner….

Posted on September 5, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

Happy Labor Day! I guess this is the “official” end of summer, but here in the desert we still have plenty of great weather on tap!

Living in Vegas is fantastic. World class restaurants, great shows, fun street food and street entertainment, gorgeous hiking and amazing weather! I am just a few short hours’ drive from lots of great destinations if I feel the need to leave my favorite town (maybe to see the ocean, my son or heaven forbid, snow) and everyone wants to come and visit me! John and I moved 13 times in our 21 years as an Active Duty family and never in all of those years did we have as many visitors as we have had here in Vegas. I LOVE IT!

So far this year we have had Mom, Dad & Jeanie, Sis-in-Law Bonnie, Erroin & Susanne, Tom & Sue and those are just the folks who stayed with us! Now, Sister Nancy is coming for a weeklong birthday celebration. I am so excited!

We all do it, put on the best when people come to visit. Throw parties, make great food, find cool things to do, go to fab restaurants, see fantastic shows and basically act like tourists in our own town. I suppose if you live someplace boring, the bloom would be off the rose early, but here in Vegas, there is ALWAYS something to do. Day or night. 24 – 7- 365. Let’s face it, we all like to show off our town a bit. Moment of truth: I like to show off more than most people….there I said it!

Of course when anyone comes to visit, especially for the first time I always ask, “Is there anything you can’t or won’t eat?” If someone is coming that I haven’t cooked for, I often will ask, “Is there something special you want me to make while you are here?” When Dad & Jeanie came the answer was the Redneck Chateaubriand. Of course with Sister Nancy, the question became, “What do you want to eat when you are here?” She already has a list: Secret Recipe Lemon Bars, homemade bacon, Crack & Cheese….and that’s just to start, I am sure the list will grow. I don’t mind! I am flattered that people have their favorites of the food I cook and frankly I find it humbling that people come to visit me and want to eat MY food rather than eat at one of the dozens of Celebrity Chef restaurants here in Vegas. I only wish Nancy were here during Restaurant Week to enjoy the festivities (hurry, it ends on the 11th) – oh, well – we’ll make our own festivities!!

What is it that you make better than anyone else you know? Are you tied to a particular dish? Is it your lasagna? A special dip? A most requested salad? Interestingly, I know most of my friends’ best dishes. Lynn makes a great lasagna, Shelly (TX) & Dani (LV) make amazing guacamole, and Deb P makes this killer chicken casserole! When they come here for a pot luck, that’s what they are asked to make! When I go there to see them, that’s what I want. Although, truth be told, I think Dani is sick of making guac! Years ago, I was on a Social Activities committee and one of my jobs was to facilitate and coordinate pot luck events. I knew everyone’s BEST dishes and basically told them what to bring….in a nice way of course (You make the best ____________can you please bring that?)

If you are planning to come and visit, pack your swimsuit, even in the winter. We’ll fire up the hot tub, heat up the grills and get to work. Let me know what your favorites are and I’ll do what I can to oblige. Don’t be surprised if you are given a job to do when we are cooking! I think it makes the food taste better when everyone chips in (no pun intended on the chips). And yes Nancy, this column is about you.

My Food Memories this week are Helping Out by Dining Out with my Posse, The Shuck & Swallow Oyster Event at First Food & Bar, homemade Indian food from one of hubby’s clients, and fine dining at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole with my main squeeze!

This week’s pics are from week one of Restaurant Week.

Outside Aureole with my main squeeze

The Partial Posse at Morels French Steakhouse at the Palazzo

Team Bar + Bistro, Erica and Melia from Three Square and I at the Shuck & Swallow Chef’s Oyster eating contest.

The Vegas Foodie, Dominic Scali and food writer Al Mancini and I at the Shuck & Swallow Chef’s Oyster eating contest.

Muscovy Duck Breast with Duck Confit and Foie Gras Ravioli at Aureole

Until Next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories.

Table for Two, Please

Posted on September 1, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

As many of you know, John and I took our only child, Jack, to college last weekend. It was so sad, and of course I didn’t want to cry in front of him and be the cliché Mom, so I waited until I got in the car. I miss my kid terribly. Whining you say? No I am not! I just want Jack to know how much he is missed! The most touching thing he said to me when we were dropping him off was, “Mom, I’m really gonna miss your cooking. You know the food on campus isn’t nearly as good.” Yes, I spoiled him….just a little bit. Of course we miss him, but we know it is the best thing in the world for a young man to come into his own and grow to be a stupendous human. Wait a minute….we did a good job raising him, he is already stupendous!

Now that our merry three-top has become a slightly more somber two-top, how do I return to cooking like I did when we were young? I HAVE NO IDEA! I can’t remember back that far. For years I have cooked for at least 3 people, more when there is company, but now it is just me and my main squeeze and we don’t want to gain weight eating just ‘cause the food’s there! Moment of truth: I am a member of the “clean the plate” club, because after all there are starving kids in China that would be happy to have that food….thanks Mom.

Here are the facts:
• Most cookbooks that tout “cooking for two” suck.
• Some recipes don’t work well if you try to cut them in half
• Even the most patient leftover-loving human gets tired of the same food all the time
• Cooking for two is boring for me
• There is a limited amount of space in the freezer that can be devoted to leftovers

What to do? Well, frankly there has been a LOT of dining out. I am beginning to understand when Senior Citizens say, “I don’t cook anymore.” Or when Single Folks say, “I can’t be bothered to cook just for myself.”

I enjoy cooking for a crowd, but let’s face it, I can’t have company every night. While John and I would enjoy everyone’s company, eventually one of us would revolt. We need alone together time to sit on the couch in our PJ’s and watch movies (or Yankee Baseball) without having to be charming and entertaining.

For now, I am in “seek and destroy” mode looking for recipes for two diners OR for recipes that easily are cut in half. I am having moderate success. The best thing for me right now is to just cook less of what I always do. Tonight will be a Chicken Stir Fry with ‘shrooms and broccoli. Tomorrow, who knows!? Parmigiana of some kind? Steak? Easy enough. Veal Marsala? Split Lobsters on the grill with drawn butter? Hey wait a minute! I have a great idea – I can cook all the EXPENSIVE food that we love now that we don’t have a starving, walking, food processing plant living in the house! Brilliant! I just found the silver lining in the cloud of missing my boy.

Another great idea is for all of us to dine out as much as possible the next two weeks! For those of you who live in Las Vegas with me, be sure to support Three Square Food Bank, my charity of choice, by participating in Restaurant Week. More than 100 restaurants across the Las Vegas Valley have specially crafted prix fixe menus available only thru September 11th. Part of the purchase price of each RW menu sold goes straight to Three Square. To learn more check out the following links:

www.helpoutdineoutlv.org
www.ThreeSquare.org

This week’s pics are from last year’s Restaurant Week here in Vegas.
The whole fam in front of Fiamma at the MGM

Three Square Staff member Cheryl and I at KGB for the RW Kickoff

Chef Kerry Simon and I at KGB for the RW Kickoff

The whole fam stuffed with short rib ravioli at Fiamma

This week’s Food Memories are take out Chinese that is ALMOST as good as NY, fried chicken fingers while playing Bingo and yukking it up with my friends at Three Square, Beer & Cheese fondue at Beaver Street Brewing in Flagstaff and a farewell breakfast at La Bellavia (also Flagstaff) before leaving Jackster at NAU.

Until next week – go out and make your OWN Food Memories.

Life is an Adventure – Jump Out!!!

Posted on August 22, 2011 by LeAnne Notabartolo

This past weekend I jumped out of a plane, for the second time. It was just as exhilarating this time as it was the first time. This event was a Three Generation Jump with my son, Jack, and my Dad, J.R. It was actually Dad’s idea since he was so jealous that I had already gotten to skydive and he didn’t. Moment of truth – I think I am an addict! The pure adrenaline rush of free falling is breathtaking, exciting, and makes you feel invincible, like you could win an Oscar, run the NYC marathon and still conquer the world!

The plane is small, you are crammed in with 13 other people plus a pilot and you actually PAY for this pleasure. It’s a tighter fit than a budget airline! Then it is almost time to jump and your pro says, “Put your hands on my knees and jump up here into my lap.” They connect themselves – shoulder to hip – to you, and then settle you down to wait for the door to open and the jumps to start. It is only a matter of seconds and then you are sitting on the edge of the doorway, with your feet wrapped around the bottom of the plane, you are physically pushed out and then you are free. Hurtling thru the air, falling at intense velocity. This time I did barrel rolls thru the air (intentionally with the help of my pro, John) and soared thru the experience like I was a pro myself. Upon landing, I rose to my feet, faintly surprised that I wasn’t floating, that I was actually standing on terra firma. The whole trip is WAY too short and free fall is woefully so, a matter of seconds, but feeling like millennia at the same time.

But, you may be asking yourself, “What does that have to do with FOOD?” Let me tell you. When you do something death defying, everything you eat afterwards tastes WAY better. I am not sure why. Is it because you are high on adrenaline? Is it because you have a deeper appreciation for the mundane? Or, is it simply that you realize that there are a few more important things than eating, thus making all food equally wonderful? Think about the craziest roller coaster you have ever been on. What did you eat afterwards? Was it a corn dog, popcorn, cotton candy? It was probably the BEST thing you ever ate!

The night prior to our big jump we had my Redneck Chateaubriand, homemade scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli. The meat itself could have been better (grill issues), but the anticipation of looking death in the eye, and laughing while doing it, made my overcooked tenderloin taste terrific. On the other hand, the potatoes were creamy and properly cooked (not too hard, not mushy) and broccoli was crisp-tender.

After both dives we went for breakfast. Of course I didn’t eat before jumping. I didn’t want to throw up mid-flight. Both times I went to my favorite place for corned beef hash and eggs. Eggs, my friends, are a funny thing. Done properly they are amazing, done badly they are anathema. More times than not, I have sent my eggs back for being overcooked (I like mine over medium – white cooked, yolks really runny). Both times after skydiving my eggs were overcooked and I frankly didn’t care! I ate them anyway! They tasted GREAT and the corned beef hash at this place, in my humble opinion, is the best in Vegas any day of the week (they make it from scratch in house), but especially delish after feeling like I cheated death by jumping from a plane!

After returning home, naps were in order all the way around and then it was time for dinner. Frozen French Fries and beer braised brats that were then put on the grill to get a little color on them. Sauerkraut, mustard and rolls. No vegetables. Healthy Schmealthy!? We didn’t need them – we were invincible! And it all tasted fantastic! And yes, they were the best brats I ever ate!

This week’s Food Memories, other than those mentioned above are Sunday brunch with family at Bar + Bistro (Chef Beni Velasquez has made me a complete convert to the way of plantains), briefing local restaurants on the upcoming Restaurant Week fundraising for Three Square Food Bank and delicious French Onion Soup at Morels Steakhouse.

This week’s pics are obviously from skydiving!