Author Archives: RedFlair14

Melrose Place?

Posted on by RedFlair14

As I have mentioned before, when I visit a city, I like to park the car and walk around. You see and meet the most interesting people (like Michael Voltaggio’s gal Jamie and her little French Bulldog Kimchi) and you see some great things. Last week’s blog was all about our fine dining experience in LA, but that is NOT the only thing we did. If you listen to the Travel Channel or the travel guides you don’t get the whole picture of the cool places and things there are to do in any place. I found this particular post difficult to write because it started to sound more like a travelogue of what we did instead of evoking how those experiences made me feel. I never do ANY research when we travel, I let the spirit move me, whereas John has to make a complete itinerary. This time we had a partial itinerary, but I found myself wishing I had done some research. I had no idea we’d be so close to Ink. I didn’t know we were literally down the street from Charm City Cakes West.
The cinnamon bun at Charm City Cakes

Since we were staying in West Hollywood, conveniently located near everything we wanted to see and do, we took advantage of fantastic weather and walked EVERYWHERE we could. Part of the appeal of walking is soaking up the atmosphere of the area, interacting with locals and seeing what they see every day. A lot of the time I find that if I only go where the tourists go, I miss out on a great deal of the flavor. I miss out on the little things that make a neighborhood unique. When we walked down Melrose we saw graffiti art and even a Banksy tribute piece (we THOUGHT it was a REAL Banksy – but upon some research I found it was not). When you walk down Melrose you can see the neighborhood change from toney, to edgy and back again simply by looking at the shops and people.

Friends Drew & Dena live (and work) in Studio City, so we took a little trip over to Drew’s workplace and headed to a brewery from there. While the beer was good, I was a little put off by a primarily vegetarian menu. I don’t have anything against vegetarians, but I really think my beer should be alongside an ashtray (as if that would happen in Cali) AND MEAT. To make matters worse, I didn’t ask the right questions about the burger I ordered and they put Thousand Island dressing on it (gross). Totally my fault, so I scraped it (and most of the cheese) off and skipped the bun half the offending condiment had soaked into. We continued our Studio City visit with a stop at Laurel Tavern with the Lucases. The Chorizo Fondue was amazing as was the beer and our fellow diners. At the next table over was Channing Tatum, yes really – Magic Mike. He had his back to the room for the better part of the evening, so clearly he was trying to be unnoticed, so I didn’t bother him for a pic. I love the fact that at a real locals’ spot, a real local, who happens to be a celeb, was there hanging with his buds. It just made the whole experience more “Hollywood” for me.

Beer at Laurel Tavern

At Golden Road Brewing

Saturday morning brought us gorgeous weather and a trip to The Hudson – we had to go because of the name (Moment of Truth – I graduated from Hudson High School). There, we experienced one of the most exquisitely crafted cocktails EVER! It was a cousin to a Rye Manhattan. The secret ingredient is small batch bitters containing candy cap mushrooms. Aromatic and breathtakingly delicious. And the food wasn’t bad either and the bar staff was outstanding.

Midwest Monk – that amazing cocktail

Pulled Pork Tacos

Crab cake Benedict

Of course walking around and taking pics makes for thirsty work, with each bar calling out to us, we had no choice but to stop and visit for a while. At The Village Idiot we met “Johnny Walker Red” – that’s not his real name, that’s just what we called him. He’s a local personality and bar denizen. Always wearing a tux and hat, he is intimately involved in the bar and entertainment scene if we could believe everything he said. Very fun and personable. We did so much and visited with so many people, both from my past (Hudson friends Dave T and Scott H) and from our present (the Lucas Family). There just isn’t enough time to do everything justice in this blog, so enjoy the pics. I drank 2 pink cocktails for heaven’s sake!

I find that I could visit LA every single weekend. There is so much to do and see and 3 days is not enough. Maybe renting a place for a month long walk-about…

Life’s a Bazaar

Posted on by RedFlair14

LeAnne-uary continues! As I have mentioned before I don’t think birthday celebrations should be limited to just one day. I celebrate the entire month of January and then celebrate Febu-Laurie and Lillian-uary in February. John has embraced this idea and organized a getaway weekend in LA for me, and it was super special.

One of the things we try really hard to do is shop, eat and stay local whenever we can and John has made it a personal mission to try and find indie hotels and cool Mom & Pop boutique hotels whenever possible. He found amazing places in New Orleans and Palm Springs in the past, but this time he out did himself. The Charlie used to be owned by Charlie Chaplin and the owner has restored the space and tried to keep as much of the original architecture and appointments as possible, while updating the property to make it contemporary. No easy feat, but well done here. There is a cobbled parking area with designated spaces for each of the 14 apartment style units, mullioned leaded windows and lovely gardens. The staff was very helpful and our stay was ultra-relaxing. It’s situated between Melrose and Santa Monica in West Hollywood and was walking distance to almost everything we wanted to do. Perfect! A word of caution – this place is expensive ($500-$750/night) so look for it on Groupon or Living Social for a steal of a deal. For the record, we stayed in the “Ruth” suite complete with a photo of Ruth Gordon getting her Oscar for Rosemary’s Baby.

The door to our “room/suite”.

The gorgeous gardens.

The Master Suite

Accommodations acquired, we set out to walk about the area, take a tour of Paramount Studios with Dave & Gil (thank you again!), and take a Disco Nap* before dinner with Dena & Drew. And what a dinner it was! I have never really been a fan of molecular gastronomy, maybe because I never had it done RIGHT! Jose Andreas completely changed my mind on this and Bazaar in the SLS Hotel is the perfect place to cut your teeth on this type of meal. Everything from the “Liquid Olives” to the “Philly Cheesesteak” to the deconstructed (sort of) Hendrick’s and Tonic was the stuff of dreams for someone who embraces new experiences. Thank you again Drew & Dena – this was a spectacular continuance of LeAnne-uary!

Enjoy these lovely photos and be prepared for part 2 of my LA weekend next week. Some places, like Seattle and LA clearly need more than one week.

That amazing Gin & Tonic, and yes, I ate the nasturtium

Liquid Olives

Left to Right, Jamon Serrano, Jamon Iberico, Acorn fed Jamon Iberico -SUBLIME!!! Charcuterie Whore HEAVEN!

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

Stuffed ‘Shrooms – which were better at room temp than they were hot.

Paper thin jicama purses filled with guacamole

The legendary Philly Cheesesteaks – the little baguettes were filled with melted cheese and topped with capaccio…yes, really!

Food Memories this past week include a lunch with Erica T at Nosh & Swig, LA bites and food and drinks with friends old and new. Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

*Disco Nap – for those of you not old enough to remember…it’s a late afternoon nap that allows you to keep looking and feeling great until the wee hours of the morning.

“Easy” vs “Good”

Posted on by RedFlair14

For the record, I have never had an original thought about cooking (as is witnessed by the fact that I still don’t have a TV show of my own), but I do believe in cooking from scratch whenever possible. I make my own chicken stock, beef stock, and veggie stock. I have been known to make my own bread and pizza dough. I shred my own cheese. Like everyone, I am constantly in search of something new to make for dinner so I turn to the web from time to time. I have never seen so many crescent roll recipes in my life (and that includes the fact that I have been a Pampered Chef sales director for 15 years – and we all know how PC feels about speed scratch* cooking)! I realize that Martha sometimes makes things MUCH more difficult than they need to be, but isn’t there a happy medium between the Sandra Lee (Semi-Homemade) garbage and Martha Stewart?

Like most of America I am enchanted with Pinterest. A digital bulletin board where I can store all the links I find that I like? Cool beans! And like most users I have a “recipe” board that I use to keep track of the recipes I want to try. In an effort to seek out new things to try, I visit other people’s boards, like everyone else, but I am mostly appalled by what I see. I simply cannot believe that people cook and eat some of the crap that I see on blogs, recipe sites and food sites. Most of the recipes I am finding are more like frat party food than anything a home maker would serve to her family, but yet some of these recipes are on the boards of home makers. There was one mother of four that had 5 different recipes for Philly Cheesesteak Rolls – yes, really. And the recipes read like an advertisement for the many packaged food products contained in the ingredient list.

I have a Sandra Lee cookbook that a friend gifted me with several years ago. At first I thought, “Oh, it’s like Pampered Chef recipes on steroids.” Lots of pre-made, store bought items tossed together in an uncharted way to create something new to eat. After reading thru the recipes in this book, there is only one that I have ever made and I tweak that one to be less “speed scratch” and more LeAnne style. The food is revolting and people gobble it up? WHY? Because it is easy that’s why. Here is something to think about: Easy doesn’t always mean GOOD! When I started with The Pampered Chef 15 years ago nearly ALL of the recipes included crescent rolls (yes, really) and as I did recipe trials getting ready for my demos, John asked, “Do all of these recipes include crescent rolls?” “So far, yes. Why?” “Because I hate crescent rolls.” I had been married to the man for 10 years and this was the first I was hearing of this. It became my mission to seek out PC recipes that DIDN’T include crescent rolls. It is much easier now (Moment of Truth – I love the products I sell, I dislike most of the recipes) since PC has developed recipes using fresh ingredients whenever possible. But that doesn’t alleviate the maelstrom of crap food on the internet.

Now before you start screaming that I am a snob, let me clarify a few things. I find nothing wrong with canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. They make a great base for loads of things, although I DO believe in doctoring the sauces. I find nothing wrong with canned chicken stock in a pinch. But canned pizza dough? Grated Parmesan cheese in a green tube? Grated cheese in a bag? Soup in a can? Why? All of these things can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge or in the case of soup, frozen for later use. And don’t tell me you don’t have the time! It takes less than 5 minutes to grate an 8 oz block of cheddar and put it in a container in the fridge, and FYI it’s about 1/3 cheaper too! Why would you intentionally fill your belly with crap that you MAKE? I have publicly admitted to being a junk food junkie and I have been known to slide through the drive thru for convenience’s sake, but I can’t imagine eating like that AT HOME…all the time!

You can do some fantastic things that are easy AND good. Here are a few things to get you started on the right track:
• Grate your own cheese – it’s cheaper and it will melt better because freshly grated cheese isn’t coated with “cellulose fiber to prevent caking”. Read the label on pre-grated cheese. Sometimes there is more than just CHEESE in the package.
• Make your own chicken stock and freeze it – having it on hand for loads of different recipes from risotto to gravy will make you happy. Bonus – you can use a whole chicken or chicken parts, buy what’s on sale. Anthony Bourdain has a great primer on stock in his book The Les Halles Cookbook.
• When choosing prepared foods, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn’t be eating it.
• When choosing prepared foods, if you don’t know what the ingredients are, you shouldn’t be eating it.
• Learn to make your own pizza dough – you’ll thank me later – here’s my fave recipe.

On a completely tasty note – my Food Memories of last week revolved around my birthday. Lunch with friends at Honey Salt and getting spoiled for dinner at Nove Italiano by Chef Geno Bernardo (he is moving on to the David Burke group in NYC) with Al Mancini and his lovely wife Sue.

Chef Geno Bernardo and me.

Birthday Cake at Honey Salt

Clams with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe at Nove

The best Grilled Octopus at Nove

Butternut Squash Ravioli at Nove

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

*Speed Scratch = using store bought prepared foods and adding a few fresh ingredients, like chopped herbs, boneless skinless chicken breasts, onions and garlic, to create a dish that says, “I made it at home, so it’s homemade”. Sandra Lee is the queen of this crap.

Gifting for the Foodie in Your Life

Posted on by RedFlair14

Do you have a Foodie on your gift list? Do you find that during the holidays and other gift giving times you are at a loss on what to give? I know that it seems that this blog MAY be a bit late, but now that the BIG RUSH is over you have time to plan for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and any other gift giving opportunities. I am happy to help by providing you with a list of things, small and large, that most Foodies will love. Some of these are for COOKS on your list and others are just for folks who love to eat. Enjoy!
• Maldon Salt – the unique pyramid shape of these crystals make them sought after by chefs, cooks and Foodies far and wide. It isn’t a cooking salt like a good Kosher salt, it is a finishing salt. Maldon adds a beautiful finish to any dish. Just sprinkle and enjoy.

• Truffles (prices vary) – not the chocolate kind, the fungus kind. This is an extravagant gift for someone near and dear to your heart. These are the little darlings that The Truffle Pig from grade school books was seeking out. They are fungi that grow beneath the surface of the earth and are highly prized for their aroma and flavor. A little goes a long way! White truffles are significantly more expensive than black ones. Be sure to include a truffle slicer as well!

• Le Creuset cookware – if you have a budding Julia Child in your midst, a beautiful glazed cast iron Dutch Oven is sure to please! This is one of those investment pieces and again priced for someone near and dear to your heart.

• A GOOD citrus press – Great for lemons and limes, it’s like a giant garlic press for your citrus. Look for one that is NOT plain metal. The plain metal ones can transfer a metallic taste to your juices. Find one that is coated with ceramic, like this one from The Pampered Chef ($19). This is also a fine gift for the cocktail enthusiast on your list.

* A cookbook from their fave Celeb Chef ($15 – $50) – right now, tops on my list is Carnivore by Michael Symon. There is a vast selection to choose from once you do a little research into their likes and dislikes. Wanna make it extra special? Get it autographed by the author! Thanks Jack for my copy of Carnivore!

• If your Foodie lives in Vegas, a copy of Eating Las Vegas is essential! ($14) It is a list of the 50 essential dining establishments in Vegas. Again, get it autographed if you can. Best part of the book? The “Veto Section”!

* Great smelling hand soap – anything that helps get rid of garlic, onion and other cooking odors is much appreciated! Thanks Dani for the Rosemary Mint soap!

Food Memories this week include a great beer selection in an unlikely place, hot soup to nurse my cold and eating leftovers so I didn’t cook much.

Happy Birthday to me! Today is my birthday and rather than celebrate just the one day, I have changed the name of this month to “LeAnne-uary” and I celebrate from beginning to end! I took a page out of my friend Deb’s book on this one. Her birthday is in “Deb-tober” and whenever we’d go to lunch during that month, she’d tell the wait person, “We’re celebrating my birthday!” They never asked for proof and they always brought a dessert for her. Well, why the hell not? I encourage you to do the same thing.

Until next time go out and make your OWN Food Memories.

Make Your Own Rules

Posted on by RedFlair14

Happy New Year!

For the past week I have played host to literally 100 people. Several were from out of town and the remaining folks were in town guests. What would prompt ANYONE to host that many people during the holiday season? It was our 25th Wedding Anniversary! And so far as I can tell, a good time was had by all in attendance. If you were unable to make it, you were missed!

When we were married in 1987 there were certain expectations for the ceremony, reception and surrounding events. Customs used to be more rigid, but as times have changed, the expectations have flexed with current mores and customs. Back then in NY, marrying into an Italian family (and custom in my family as well) meant open bar, sit down dinner, dancing and of course the cake. We were told what we HAD to do and what we COULDN’T do. John and I like to push boundaries and step outside of the norm. Even in 1987 I knew what I wanted was not the classic expected or accepted norm. But in an effort to keep everyone happy, I did the expected things. I often felt like my wedding ran away with me instead of the other way around. The one thing we couldn’t do, but wanted to do, was have a rehearsal dinner. We were married on the 26th so everyone was having Xmas dinner with their families. My poor mother in law always wanted to host a rehearsal dinner and never got to do it.

When you plan an event the only thing you want people to remember is that you and they had a good time. If the planning is so stressful that it takes the joy out of it, what’s the point? The day after my wedding John’s Aunt Mary, who hates everyone and everything, said to me, “I have been to my fair share of weddings in my day and that was a FUN wedding. And the food was the best I have ever had at a wedding.” Ok, I guess I did something right! No one knew that because I changed the date, I lost my band, caterer and reception venue and the day of the wedding, the cake almost landed on the floor – yes really. Let’s forget it was so cold and windy that there are pics of me with my head piece flying off my head (Moment of Truth – I wanted to be Sister Bertrille when I was a kid. She could FLY!). A good time was had, people laughed, danced, ate and enjoyed the event.

Flash forward to 2012 and our Silver Anniversary. We have been planning this event since March. I wanted no hiccups. Of course you know that didn’t happen! Let’s just say that all I want people to remember is that they had a great time and so did we. The kicker was this: WE GOT TO MAKE OUR OWN RULES! Unlike when you get married, for a 25th Anniversary Party there are no real guidelines as to what we could or could not do, no rules about what we should or should not do, so we made our plan and allowed it to morph into what suited us NOW. There was no sit down dinner; everything was served tapas style in honor of our newlywed years in Spain. There was no cake, but there were fantastic little desserts you could pick up and walk around with. There was no champagne toast, but there was an open bar. There was dancing and of course a vow renewal. We had a Reggae band, a photo booth, fire dancers and a juggler – yes, really. No one told us we couldn’t have a juggler, so we had a juggler. And the favors were pounded iron bottle openers, custom made for us by an honest to goodness American Blacksmith – yes, really (and don’t ask them to make them for you – they won’t). This 4 day extravaganza reflected who we are NOW, shunning any expected customs.

Some things remain a constant, regardless of time. Old friends meeting new friends. Family reconnecting. Friends meeting family for the first time, all of whom know you differently. Old friends visiting with family. All of these things happened on December 27th and so much more. One other constant is that the hosts don’t get to eat much, or take many pictures. That was true for our wedding as well as the anniversary, so all of the pics you will see were taken by someone else and I thank those of you who shared your photos with us. Oddly there is only one food pic so far, and that is from RM Seafood.

One of our dear friends said that the party had a “circus-like atmosphere”. He said everywhere he looked there was something fun happening. I am taking that as a compliment because I felt like the ring leader in a three ring circus.

My Dad with his daughters and all of our ‘staches…

Mom and her daughters

Hubby with our son

High School friends and one of my sisters on the patio

Dinner with the family at RM Seafood

If no one hemmed you in with THEIR expectations of what was acceptable, how would YOU plan an event? What would you do? Of course you would have food and drink, but would you have odd ball entertainment? Would you bow to expectations or would you let your imagination run free? Would you follow the rules, break the rules or make your own rules?

My wishes for you this New Year are these:
• Choose to MAKE your own rules.
• Step out of your comfort zone and experience something new
• Do something unexpected
• Eat something you have never tried before
• Be happy and healthy

Food Memories this week all centered around the Anniversary Party – Xmas dinner with Dad & Jeanie at Emeril’s Fish House, Chinese food for the family at our home, paella and lechon at Bar + Bistro for 100 friends & family, and dinner at RM Seafood for the immediate family.

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

My Own Worst Enemy – and there is a recipe

Posted on by RedFlair14

I am baking…again. At this point I am not sure why I do it. It makes me a little crazy. It all started as a small thank you for John’s co-workers and has grown from there. It takes me literally HOURS across several days to get it all accomplished. I make tons of dough and freeze it. I make even more dough and refrigerate it (mostly slice and bake cookies). Then of course there is the ACTUAL baking and assembling of the platters. This year I am making 15 platters with 16 varieties of cookies for neighbors, friends and John’s coworkers.

Why do I do it? I am not sure any more. When I was young Mom used to make the ever popular “thumbprint” cookies and we all chipped in and loved it. Then of course there were the “candy cane” cookies (twisted ropes of 2 colored dough that look like candy canes when baked that are a pain in the ass to make) and a few others. We all ate them. It was fun. Now in my house I bake and no one is allowed to eat any of them, unless they break and then they can be eaten for quality control.

Why do I do it if it makes me so crazy? I start out saying, “Oh, it won’t be so bad.” “I can get it done quickly this year.” “It’ll be fun, Jack will be home and he can help.” Then I start looking thru my numerous books for “easy” recipes. The ones that will revolutionize the baking process, saving me time and frustration. Before you know it, I have added three new varieties to the ones I was already planning on making. Most people only bake one or two types and that’s it. By the time the actual baking starts I am frazzled and wondering, “What the hell was I thinking?” And if I get invited to a cookie exchange I make even more (Moment of Truth – I almost NEVER bring cookies HOME from the exchange)! The question remains, “Why do I do this to myself?” And another question, “Do Hispanic families that make their holiday tamales feel the same way?”

I COULD say that I do it because it brings a lot of joy to me. I could say that I love to see the looks on people’s faces when they see my handiwork. I could say that I am the best baker in the world and that my cookies are the best ever (choke, cough…). The real reason I do it is because other people look forward to it. People start talking to me about the cookies as soon as the weather starts to change to cooler temps. I know I look forward to the home made tamales that magically appear in my freezer from John’s co-workers, so I can only hope they are as excited about the cookies that I bring in.

To make matters worse, or more challenging, depending on how you look at it, I am also in the crunch time of planning our 25th wedding anniversary party (I was a child bride) for 100 of our dearest friends. Including goodies bags, thank you gifts, charter buses, and a gazillion other little details. Thank goodness for friends & family who take direction well and want to chip in!

So here I am, hair in a chef’s skull cap, in my pajamas, dipping cookies into chocolate and nuts and getting ready to bake the premade dough I have prepped. Tomorrow will be assembly and deliveries Thursday and Friday. I know everyone will enjoy them – everything tastes better when someone else makes it. But next year, maybe I will have lunch catered for John’s office and everyone will get See’s Candy instead? Nah…not gonna happen.

This week’s Food Memories involve baking, The Vertical Epic Dinner at Aces & Ales, volunteering for Three Square with KXTE, cooking for my college student and finding a decent pizza (and no, they won’t deliver to my house…)

These pics are from the Vertical Epic Dinner

Until next time – go out and make your OWN Food Memories. Happy Holidays – no posting next week unless I get really ambitious. Enjoy the time with your families and friends.

Enjoy this chocolatey goodness – it’s a bar cookie, so it’s easy!

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cookie Bars

2-1/4 C All purpose flour
¼ C Dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 C + 2 T unsalted butter at room temp
1 C packed brown sugar
½ C granulated sugar
½ cup melted bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs

2 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet, bittersweet or white)

Preheat oven to 350

Combine dry ingredients, whisk together and set aside.

On medium high speed, cream butter with the sugars until light and fluffy; add all remaining ingredients, in order, except the chocolate chips. Reduce speed on mixer and add flour mixture JUST until combined. Add chips.

Spread batter evenly into a bar pan or sheet cake pan (about 15 x 8 inches). Bake about 22 minutes until set.

Cool completely and cut into bars.

This is the mixer that makes my life a whole lot easier!
Makes about 36, depending on how you cut it.

I Knew You Were Coming…

Posted on by RedFlair14

I am taking a break from cookie making to finish this post. Just so you know, I always thought Martha Stewart’s Cookies Book was the best volume for baking. I have a new favorite! The King Arthur Cookie Companion is now my new best friend! For YEARS I have been making checkerboard cookies the way Martha said, rolling and slicing strips of dough. Measuring and stacking to make sure they came out correctly. It always put my OCD on edge. King Arthur has a much simpler method complete with pics that has literally revolutionized the way I feel about the dreaded checkerboards! It’s so much easier that I am making MORE batches of them!

In approximately 2 weeks I will have almost 50 out of town guests arriving to help John and I celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. Because I try to be a good hostess, I want everyone to feel welcome and I want to spend as much time as possible with everyone. But what do I do with/for them when we can’t be together? Yes, I know Vegas is easy enough to find things to do on your own without a tour guide, but what SHOULD every visitor see/do if they only have a few days or maybe have never been here before? Does anyone know how interesting our “Old Vegas” downtown (which is really uptown) has become? Well, I’ve got it covered…I hope.

Google Maps is for more than looking at your house (or a friend’s) from the sky! You can make your OWN map of the things to see and do in any area. So that’s what I did! Because most of my guests are staying in the downtown area, I created a little map to point out what they should see and do while in the downtown area. Here is a partial list of things on the Strip they should check out:
• See the Fountains at the Bellagio – dancing waters to LOUD music – it’s free
• The Conservatory at the Bellagio always has a gorgeous seasonal display – free
• Check out the HUGE chandelier at the Cosmopolitan and have a cocktail at one of the bars surrounding and within it
• Yes, the volcano at the Mirage still operates! Free
• Wander the casinos and malls and check out the decorations – they are really stunning!
• Play the slots!
• See a Cirque du Soleil show – we only have about a half dozen to choose from
• Go Ice Skating at the Marquee Pool at the Cosmopolitan or the fake ice rink at the Venetian
• Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum at the Venetian – kinda corny, but fun
• Ride the roller coaster at New York, New York
• Ride the Big Shot at the Stratosphere
• There is plenty of shopping
• If you MUST eat at a buffet go to The Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan
• Have Happy Hour Oysters at PJ Clarke’s at The Forum Shops
• And for goodness sake – eat something you have never tried before! Some of the best dining in the country is at your feet!

I am really looking forward to this particular Holiday Season. This will be the first time in 25 years that I am surrounded by most of my friends and family. If you are coming to visit, YIPPEE! If you couldn’t make that happen, you will be missed.

Food Memories this week include the first of the Holiday Parties at my home and Friends Sam & Jim’s home, fast food on the run (don’t judge) and working with Three Square on their FaVE program to teach kids about Fruits and Veggies (I learned about Passion Fruit this week!).

NO time for pics this week…Yeah, I know…I’m a slacker!

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

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Posted on by RedFlair14

Well…not for everyone. We all feel a little overwhelmed by the holidays. The expectations are high and oftentimes the hype doesn’t live up to the reality. I know people try to plan the “perfect dinner” and there is always something that goes wrong. The gravy is lumpy, Aunt Martha gets drunk, Uncle Seymour starts a fight, etc. I need to remember that! I am a little bit of a control freak – yes I admit it publicly – not about everything mind you. Rest assured if you put me in charge of something YOU ARE PUTTING ME IN CHARGE. I frequently make myself crazy with my attempts to “herd cats” and create perfect events. Guess what? It never is (or will be) perfect and it still manages to be a good time, every time.

To help take some of the stress off you this holiday season I have created a great list for you of what to buy the foodies on your list. Here are a couple of things to remember when shopping:
• We don’t like “Uni-taksers” – things that only do one job – unless they are super cool
• We are called foodies because we like to cook AND eat – gifts of food are good choices
• Always provide a gift receipt just in case we already have what you graciously gave
• Don’t buy a woman anything with an electrical cord attached unless she ASKED for it as a holiday gift.
• If it requires batteries or fuel, be sure to get that too! We’ll want to use it/play with it right away!

Keeping those tips in mind, here are a few great ideas for Holiday Gift Giving for the Foodies on your list:
• Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender – great value for the dollar. I really like this one because the stainless steel head is detachable and can go in the dishwasher (no accidental cross contamination due to improperly cleaned blades). Bonus! It comes in fun colors – mine is lemon yellow.

• Fantastic Charcuterie – look for something locally made if possible. If not, then try any of the myriad of online purveyors. I like Boccalone and Aux Delices des Bois.
• Gift Certificates to locally owned restaurants.
• Organic produce baskets – check with local farmers for the best selection
• Homemade preserves, jams, chutneys, etc. These were some of my fave gifts last year!
• Professional weight baking pans – they DO make a difference

• Grow your own mushroom garden from Back to the Roots – perfect for Foodies of all ages.

• Origin specific food baskets – choose all Spanish, Italian or French food items. Try Fab.com for a good selection.
• A butane torch – get it from the hardware store! It’s cheaper, tougher and will last a lot longer than the foo-foo ones from the kitchen stores. This one is $27 and the one in the kitchen store is $40

• A great, easy to use wine opener – I love the one from The Pampered Chef – it’s so simple a novice can look like a pro!

Happy Shopping!

This week’s Food Memories are a great breakfast with friend Cheryl B at eat downtown – the Shrimp & Grits were really good, burgers and beer with Texas friends Ronnie & Sherry, and pre-shopping Pho with Lynn.

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

Traditionally…

Posted on by RedFlair14

This year marked the 25th Anniversary of the “Island of Lost Toys” Thanksgiving. It is something we have done for years. It started when we lived in Spain. Most of us could not afford to fly to The States for Thanksgiving, so we invited all the “Dorm Rats” to our house (we did it for Xmas too – but have stopped that). We had no dining room table and the world’s smallest oven (Moment of Truth – to roast the turkey we had to wrap the entire thing in foil and shove it into the oven DIAGONALLY and rotate it every half hour). People came and sat on the floor, the couch, any place that was available and we had a BLAST. Now of course with John having retired from military service, we don’t have the “Dorm Rats”, but we do have friends in Vegas who have no family here (Or don’t want to spend the whole day with their family for whatever reason) and we all come together to enjoy food and spirits.

In all of my married years I have never had Thanksgiving with my Mom. I have had five Thanksgiving holidays with my Dad. We lived closer to one another and he and Nettie drove to be with me and my family. I have only had one Thanksgiving with any of my siblings. Our military life required that we live where John’s assignment was and we simply could not afford to fly all over the place on the busiest travel weekend of the year. So we have always done our own thing and made meals with our “chosen family” of dear friends.

That ONE tradition of joining together with friends continues

During a phone call with Friend John M, he said, “I thought we weren’t going to make it this year. I hate to break with tradition, so I am glad plans changed.” It never occurred to me that Thanksgiving with the Morrises was a TRADITION until he said that. It was just a meal we had with friends. I think this was the 8th Thanksgiving we have spent with the Morrises! That ONE tradition of joining together with friends continues, but components of the menu change every year and the people have changed throughout the years. We now fry our turkeys (yes plural). I make Southern dishes because I like them better than Yankee dishes (don’t judge) and this year will be the first year that I actually have a dining room table. Now that we are permanently in one place our guest list includes The Usual Suspects and new people as we meet them. It’s an eclectic mix of artists, teachers, military members, health care professionals, cooks and non cooks.

I just read an article in Bon Appetit about traditions. The writer says his mom didn’t have traditions that she passed down to her family and that he and his gal are making their own traditions. John and I have done that too. While both of our Moms handed down traditions, we thought it was important to keep some of those and toss others out and make our own as we went along (like dinner at home for Valentine’s Day, dinner out for Xmas, shopping on our Anniversary and eating Chinese food for lunch on Boxing Day).

If the people, food and setting aren’t the same from year to year, can it really be called a “tradition”? I think so. What makes it a tradition is the communal meal, regardless of who is there and what is being served. It is a family gathering of sorts, but instead of blood relatives, it is the family we have chosen to be part of our lives. Would I like a “traditional” Thanksgiving dinner with all the family? Sure! But let’s face it, that’s probably never going to happen. In the meantime I will continue with the TRADITIONS we have created.

Holly, Anna, Laurie

Bells

The laden table

Small Business Saturday Bazaar at the El Cortez

Food Memories this week include dinner and drinks with friends all day long on Thanksgiving, Black Friday Mexican food with assorted Moonens (so glad I got to meet them), Small Biz Saturday dining and shopping with my two guys, leftovers and Turkey Tetrazzini for my favorite college student.

The famous Tetrazzini…

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

Setting the Table

Posted on by RedFlair14

As a waitress I set countless tables. I learned a lot about the “proper” way to do it and I always know which plate is MY bread plate and which glass is MY water glass a tightly set table (see below for a hint). I learned that the tip of your thumb makes a great measure mark on the edge of the table to make sure the flatware is all aligned. Like niece Erica, I know several ways to fold napkins. I CAN set a gorgeous table, but I only make the effort on Valentine’s Day.

My friend Sam is THE consummate host. She loves to have people over and gets all worked up about it. Frequently she has to “Go to the Bunker” to pull out dishes, glassware or specific serving pieces. She sets the table days in advance and tweaks it right up until the day of the event. For Holiday meals she sets up buffet tables in a long line and pulls out all the stops. And while I admire her table and all of its loveliness and majesty, that just isn’t my style. Even after all the “official functions” I have attended and all the swank dinners in a bazillion restaurants, I still feel a little awkward when I sit down at an ornately set table. And if I feel awkward, I am sure my guests will too. I’d rather everyone be relaxed for the Holiday so I opt for a buffet.

This is the PRE-set. All the dishes laid out to make sure I have enough space on the table and enough vessels and serve ware.

Now don’t assume because I opt for a buffet style meal that anything is half assed! It’s casual, but not sloppy. I set the buffet table up several days in advance with all of the serving dishes – most are stoneware casseroles – with little sticky notes so I can look and make sure I have a vessel for each dish and room enough on the table to hold it all. I wrap the flatware in linen napkins and set them in a trifle bowl for service and the bar is self serve. If you are really nice and it is your first time with us, John will even go to the garage and pour you a home brew off the taps out there. If you are a regular, he hands you the glass so you can get your own. Relaxed, casual and unstuffy – that’s my style. And this is the first year with an actual dining room table!

Because Thanksgiving has all kinds of Food Memories associated with it for many people, if you want a job, all you have to do is ask, and I will give you one. Anything except making the gravy as Friend John M learned early on. This year, Friend Laurie is helping assemble the antipasto, John M is doing the mashed potatoes, and everyone who wants to help will be given a job as soon as they ask. I am like a general in the kitchen as Chef Beni learned last year.

The most important things for my table setting are the people around it. Believe it or not, the food is incidental. My Holiday meal wouldn’t be complete without my only child in attendance and I know I have a limited number of years for that. He will move out, get married and make his own Thanksgiving and maybe I’ll be invited. A perfectly set table for me is one where people are laughing and smiling, joking and making yummy sounds, enjoying each other and coming together to give thanks! And there is always room for a few more.

I wish you all a fantastic Holiday meal full of friends, laughter and yummy sounds, whether your table is big or small, fancy or not, I am sure it will be amazing.

Here’s a hint so you never go wrong: using both of your hands, make the “OK” signal (Moment of Truth – the “OK” signal also means asshole in American Sign Language when positioned properly). Turn both hands so you can see the table thru the “O” and your pinkies are resting on the table, then bring your other three fingers together in a straight line. Your left should look like a lower case “B” and the right should look like a lower case “D”. “B” for bread, “D” for drink.

This past week’s Food Memories include wonderful sushi at Blue Ribbon Sushi, Dinner with my Dad at Culinary Dropout and the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau!

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