Category Archives: Cooking

Challenge Me!

Posted on by RedFlair14

I have always loved to eat, and I learned to cook to support that habit. I’ve picked up tips & tricksfrom lots of sources; parents, step parents, old bosses, friends…Like most people who love to cook I started in my youth. For most of us, we learn to cook what we like to eat so we can cook it whenever we want. For kids that means making baked goods. In Jr. High Home Economics, they didn’t teach much more than baked goods in the cooking segment (Moment of Truth – sewing is the only class I have ever completely FAILED. I still can’t sew and I have to hire people to replace a button). As I aged and my life changed, I developed ways to impress dates by feeding them; spaghetti and meat sauce was a triumph. As a married woman putting dinner on the table every night was a personal victory. I really didn’t know how to make that many dishes, but we had to eat every night, so I learned. Not everything was a success, and my poor hubby has had to eat a lot of “dogs”. I am a firm believer in the adage “if you can read, you can cook.”

One of our wedding gifts was this cookbook. You’ll notice I have 2 copies, I asked John to get me another copy since the pages were falling out of my original. This was my first cookbook as a married person, and I now have well over 100, but no where near as many as my friend Pam.

I have a competitive nature…I can’t help it. After I had mastered basic dinner, I decided that I needed to be a better cook than any of my friends. I wanted to be the best at SOMETHING. Lord knows I can’t sing, play an instrument, sew or play sports better than anyone else, so I set out to be the best cook. I went to Basic Cookery at the local Community College’s Culinary Program, and I learned that I had been holding the knife wrong for 30 years. At that point it became my mission, as the oldest person in the class, to be # 1 in the class (I succeeded…).

So, in short cooking inspired me to reach beyond myself, to try new things and get competitive. What started out as a way to feed myself and then impress people and then feed myself again became a mild obsession. Now? Now? I find things to challenge me to beat myself. That’s why I started smoking my own bacon. That’s why I learned how to roll my own sushi. That is why I learned to make my own pancetta. That is why this weekend I made my first batch of spicy Italian sausage. It came out great!

What’s next on the challenge list? Who knows? It will definitely be something that maybe scares me, none of my other friends do and something I LOVE to eat. Maybe pates, terrines or sweetbreads…

This week’s Food Memories include my spicy sausage, The First Ever Vegas Foodie Fest (the best thing I ate all day was Truffled Mac & Cheese with Venison), brunch buffet with my main squeeze and the first corn on the cob of the season.

Food from Mangia Mangia – the profiteroles were comped. Lobster Ravioli, Spinach Ravioli and a Chicken Parm sandwich.

Me and that amazing Venison Mac & Cheese from the Vizzi Truck out of LA.

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

The Incredible Edible Egg

Posted on by RedFlair14

Lately I have been obsessed with eggs and anything that goes with them. I have literally gone thru almost 5 dozen eggs in the past 3 weeks with quiches, salads, baking. I am not sure if it has to do with a rite of spring, but it seems that eggs are all I am interested in right now.

The thing about cooking eggs is that everyone THINKS it is supposed to be fast and done! Alas, they are wrong. Eggs are supposed to be cooked low and slow – like good BBQ Brisket. And I guess that in comparison to some other things eggs are really a “fast food”. If you cook scrambled eggs too fast they brown and get tough, fried eggs cooked on high become rubbery and hard boiled eggs get that icky green rim around the edge of the yolk. But poached eggs are my main obsession right now.

For years I have been trying to make the perfect poached egg. It seems so simple. How hard could it be? You crack an egg into hot water and wait, right? WRONG! I watched “how to” videos online, listened to Bobby Flay on his brunch show, took Garde Manger class and still I was over cooking the yolk. I wanted a lovely, runny yolk with a tender white. I finally threw out everything I had learned and started with the basics and NOW I can proudly say that I can make the perfect poached egg!

I know a poached egg doesn’t sound that exciting, but what you DO with that egg makes all the difference. Chef Brian Howard at Comme Ca does a beautiful salad of bitter greens and other tasty comestibles topped with a poached egg that becomes incorporated into the dressing, once the yolk is pierced and the salad is tossed. Eggs Benedict? Hello? My favorite thing is Linguini Carbonara – yes, I’ll give you the recipe at the end. I am so enamored of this that I have eaten it 4 times in the past 3 weeks, and I am probably going to eat it again today to take video for this blog…I know. Gluttony is one of the 7 deadly sins. I know there are several versions of Carbonara and I am not saying mine is authentic, it’s just the one I like (you’ll notice there are no peas in mine). To make matters even more decadent I have been using my own house cured and smoked bacon. Yes, I really cure and smoke my own bacon.

Here are a couple of tips about eggs:
• When poaching, or for just about any use, get the freshest possible – check the dates in the grocer’s case. When poaching and frying they will spread out a whole lot less and the yolks will sit up and be beautiful.
• When hard boiling, the older the egg, the easier it is to peel because an air pocket develops between the white (albumen), the inner membrane and the shell. If you think about it, buy the eggs at least a few days in advance or take your eggs out of the fridge the day before and let them sit on the counter over night. Put eggs in COLD water, bring to a slow boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 13-15 minutes depending on how many eggs are in the pan and if the eggs were room temp or cold to start with. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water or shock them with ice water.

There are no pics this week – just a short video. I ate the Carbonara before I remembered to take the pics….story of my life. In such hurry to eat that I forget about art!

So here is a primer on how to make the perfect poached egg:

You’ll need a slotted spoon, a skillet or deep sauté pan, FRESH eggs and a little white vinegar.

Poaching Eggs – a video how to – Click HERE to see the video – the clicking you hear in the back is my dog (sorry – forgot to put them out) and Thanks to Friend Lynn who ran the camera in exchange for eating the Carbonara.

To make my Carbonara:

Heat heavily salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a boil and prepare to cook pasta according to pkg directions (use about ½ lb). Cook the pasta, drain and set aside.

You should begin poaching your eggs when you drop the pasta into the water.

Cut 3 slices of bacon crosswise into lardons and cook in a large sauté pan until almost crisp. Add about ½ – ¾ cup of heavy cream and a generous handful (about ½ cup) of grated parmesan cheese (don’t use the stuff in the green can – grate it yourself). Add cooked pasta and stir until coated. At this point you can add a little additional cream if you think it is a too dry (how saucy do you want it?).

Portion the pasta into 2 bowls and make a small well in the center of the pasta. Carefully place the poached egg in the well.

To enjoy, break the yolk and stir the egg into the pasta and you will see the sauce thicken and taken on a more luscious texture. Top with extra cheese and crushed red pepper if desired!

My Food Memories for the week are checking out a new burger place with Friend Lynn (not worth mentioning), Sushi lunch with the Main Squeeze, catering a lunch for some business associates and playing with my new made to order rolling pins.

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

Ode to Joy

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

First off I want to thank you all for continuing to read and share my musings. Each week the number of people I reach is bigger and bigger. THANK YOU! You have no idea how much that excites me. Did you know you can SUBSCRIBE to my blog so you never miss it? Well you can!

As Valentine’s Day approaches I am researching and seeking out a special meal for my beloved. I know, you are asking yourself, “Why don’t they just go out to eat?” Well, here’s the answer.

Several years ago while living in San Antonio, John planned a special V-Day evening out for us. He arranged a sitter, made dinner and hotel reservations on the Riverwalk and even sought out entertainment options for the evening. He did all of this WELL in advance, and NOTHING went as planned! The hotel was fine, but the restaurant in the hotel where he had made the dinner reservations had changed its set up and it was NOT what we were expecting, so we went somewhere else. As was to be expected, we had to wait 2 hours for a table because we didn’t have reservations, but we drank and snacked at the bar while we waited. After dinner we took a cab to see a drag show (Moment of Truth – I LOVE a good drag show), only to find out that the regular show was cancelled because of V-Day – I guess the Girls were all getting their happy love on. We won’t even go into what happened at the hotel upon our return, let’s just say rude neighbors, and leave it at that. We can chuckle about it now, but at the time, it wasn’t funny because John really did try to pull out all the stops.

Some people call New Year’s Eve “Amateur Night”, but John and I think of Valentine’s Day as the REAL Amateur Night. This is the night where folks who almost NEVER go out to eat, decide to try out their dining chops and make my evening miserable. When I was a waitress, I knew I would get screwed on tips because infrequent diners always thought 10% was acceptable (probably because they spent more than expected on dinner and that was what was left). And of course there is always the one person who snaps his fingers at you and shouts, “Garçon!”, like he is in some movie. and for the record folks, I have never yet met a waitperson who likes being “snapped” at. As a fellow diner I receive poor service because I tend to be polite (having walked in those shoes) and sometimes the “squeaky wheels” get the grease in the form of service and attention just to shut them up. All that said, I now cook at home for my loves.

When I do V-Day, I go BIG! I try things I have never tried before. I stretch that ever growing comfort zone. I spend the entire day shopping, crafting and tasting. I use expensive ingredients. I set a lovely table, complete with flowers and I pull out all my culinary tricks. And sometimes I try to make it a favorite of the men in my house, but also something I love as well. A past breakfast has included pannetone French toast stuffed with almond paste. Dinners have been a mixed grill, stuffed colossal shrimp (I know it’s an oxymoron), my very own “redneck” Chateaubriand and on and on. This is my first Vday alone with my hubby in 18 years. With Jack in college our eating has changed a bit. This year I am doing something I have NEVER attempted. Good or bad, you will hear about it after the event. I won’t tell you what it is, because I want it to be a surprise for John and yes, he does read and share this every week. I will give you a couple of hints:
• It’s “old school” to quote chef and friend Beni Velazquez
• It involves food from the sea
• It costs a small fortune when eaten out because it is labor intensive
Feel free to comment with your guesses! I will only publish WRONG answers so it is still a surprise for John and you’ll help him weed through guesses.

Oh, and a little more personal Valentine’s Day info – we moved into our “forever” house 4 years ago on Valentine’s Day. It was so hectic, it was take-out pizza week surrounded by friends and boxes of belongings. John said, “I forgot to get you a gift. Do you want anything special?” My reply was, “You bought me a house. Don’t you think that is enough?” That same month I met a new friend Kari – she owns and runs Retro Bakery with hubby Brian – check out her blog here

This week’s Food Memories are discovering I love Greek Yogurt with agave syrup, my first experience with Bountiful Baskets Food Co-Op, doing Restaurant Week Briefings for three of my favorite dining establishments, homemade Indian dinner with friends at home and bar dining at rm Seafood with friend Lynn. Note: Lynn and I were hit by a drunk driver on the way home from that dinner – PLEASE PEOPLE – have a Designated Driver when you go out! We are fine, but it could have been SOOOO much worse!
The pick up area for my location for Bountiful Baskets!

The Starkus Brothers at rm Seafood – read a nice write up about them from Seven Magazine here

Lovely Gin based Cocktail at rm Seafood – handcrafted by JR Starkus

New addition to the rm Seafood Menu – Clams Casino – a blast from my past!

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

Walking in a Cookie Wonderland – and yes, there’s a recipe!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

This is the post I began last week, when I got derailed by my “pet peeves”.

As I write my kitchen is a veritable Santa’s Bake Shoppe. There are no less than 8 pounds of butter softening on the counter and boxes and bags of cookies that are already completed.

Each year since 1997 I have sent a “cookie tray” to John’s co-workers. Kind of a small “thank you” to them for putting up with him all year long (hahaha). The first time I did it one of the guys asked “Where did the cookies come from?” And when John answered that I had made them the guy thought I assembled the platter and had bought the cookies. That was the instant I knew I was sitting at the “grown ups’ table”. It started with simple drop cookies, and as I aged (and my son aged and needed less supervision) and I became more adept at baking, I added more labor intensive cookies like Checkerboards (moment of truth – I secretly hate those cookies, they are my nemesis. They play with my OCD – I actually use a ruler….). Apparently they have become a thing of legend because coworkers from John’s past STILL talk about them.

Each person has their favorite type of cookies. I range between really chewy and melt in your mouth. John likes crispy, crunchy cookies and anything lemon, and please no nuts in his cookies – he says it ruins the texture. Whatever! On the holiday tray John’s faves are the Secret Recipe Lemon Bars (and before you ask, no, I am not ready to share the recipe – see the note at the bottom) and mine are the Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies.

Years ago when I was a hard working waitress, the Chef told me he hated baking, but loved cooking (and he was a fine Chef, but a lousy human being). I never understood that until a few years ago. There IS a difference. COOKING allows you to experiment, get creative and work “on the fly”. BAKING is like science – the ingredients have to be measured correctly and in proper proportion or they don’t work. Of course there is room for experimentation, but while getting to an edible product you may toss several batches. With cooking, even an experiment is usually edible.

So here are a few things I know about baking in quantity:
• Have all of your ingredients OUT and ready to use (and yes, those really are my canisters)

• Have all of your equipment OUT and ready to use – those ARE Pampered Chef stoneware baking sheets

• MEASURE carefully – spoon your flour into the measuring cup, don’t scoop or pack it in (your cookies will be tough and hard).
• Make Bar Cookies whenever possible – they are EASY and cut up into LOTS of servings. These are friend Laurie’s faves.

• AVOID like the plague anything that has to be decorated – like gingerbread boys or cut out cookies – too much work. Friend Pam really doesn’t adhere to this rule….
• Use chocolate whenever possible 😉
• Buy the best ingredients you can afford.

These are last year’s trays – no pics of this year’s yet – they aren’t done….

If you don’t have a good arsenal of recipes try Martha Stewart’s Cookies book – it’s one of my faves. Also the internet is an excellent source of thousands of recipes.

Note: I fear if I share my Secret Recipe Lemon Bars that no one will need me to bake them anymore….

This year I was invited to friend Sharon’s for a Cookie Swap and she asked that each participant type and print out the recipe 20 times for the other guests to take home. Well, guess what – the typing would have taken me longer than the baking. So Sister Nancy came to the rescue! I snapped a pic of the recipe with my phone, sent it to her and she had it typed up, with notes delivered verbally, in LITERALLY 1 minute! Thanks Nancy for the typing assist!

Chocolate Dipped Italian Butter Cookies
Makes: 60
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon corn oil
½ cup finely chopped pistachios (you may use pecans, or other nuts, sprinkles, or any other decoration you like)

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in flour just until blended.
3. Place the dough into a cookie press. Press cookies directly onto cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 minutes, or until cookies feel firm (they should NOT brown). Remove cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool.
5. While cookies bake, put chocolate chips and oil in a small glass bowl. Put bowl over hot water and stir. When chocolate is melted and cookies are cool, dip half of cookies first into chocolate then into the nuts. Place on wax paper and allow chocolate to set.

This week’s Food Memories include a completely screwed up baked brie (don’t ask), a fantastic dinner at Comme Ca with friend Lynn (the sweetbreads were delish), and having my darling son home for dinner since he is home from college!

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

Mistress of Spices

Posted on 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.

Some Like it HOT!

Posted on 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

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

Posted on 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 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.

Table for Two, Please

Posted on 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.

Mind If I smoke? A love affair with Bacon.

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Anyone who knows me, or has known me for any length of time, knows that I have had a nearly lifelong love affair with smoking. I began smoking at 15, pilfered, unfiltered Pall Malls to start with. But now, I have graduated to a whole new level of smoking!

In the hunter-gatherer days, the mighty hunters, whose lives literally depended on a good hunt and fire, hung the meats near the fire to keep OTHER animals from getting a taste. The fire scared the wild ones away and the hunters were able to keep an eagle eye on their precious commodities. What they didn’t realize until much later was that the smoke generated from the fire preserved the meat and they were able to keep it stored, and safe to eat, for much longer. While we all presumably have a fridge at our disposal, these forbears of culinary science did not and storage WAS a problem. Once it was understood that “smoking” the meat was what kept it safe for storage, all kinds of cool things started to happen food-wise. Thus ham, bacon and lox were born….years later of course. And yes, I just put the Kosher and non-Kosher foods together.

Thanks to the folks at Texas Pete, Chef Tim Grandinetti and The Big Green Egg Company I am smoking all kinds of things. In case you didn’t know, I do a little freelance work for Texas Pete via Chef Tim (a friend from High School and an uber-talented Chef of heroic proportions – you can see him in ads for Texas Pete Hot Sauce in Bon Appetit Magazine from time to time). After my last stint with the guys I was gifted with a gorgeous Big Green Egg ceramic grill. It is a thing of beauty and ingenious design. Of course you can grill on it, with natural lump charcoal only thank you very much, but for my more interesting backyard cookery, I am primarily using it as a smoker.

While taking a class in Garde Manger (all the salads, apps, cold sauces, etc.), I found myself really excited about the charcuterie section of the class and was romanced by the idea of making my own bacon. Yes people, you CAN make your own bacon. So I did, with a great deal of trepidation I sought out pork belly, cured it with the appropriate salt mixture and fired up the grill. It took a couple of tries for me to get it JUST right, but I now have it nailed! Well, then I said, “Why stop there?” I have smoked chickens, chops and most recently trout. This week there will be smoked tomatoes and spicy peppers for a sauce I have in mind. Additionally, I learned how to make cured and UNsmoked meats – like pancetta (it’s like Italian bacon – cured with the appropriate salt mixture and dried, not smoked). You can do this too, with enough space, time and desire. And with pork belly at roughly $3/pound and pancetta at $14, I think I’ll make my own.

Some people take classes at their local college to earn a degree and further themselves on a specific career path and I applaud that. I, on the other hand, take classes for personal enjoyment, gratification and to keep my mind spinning in new and fun ways. I only take culinary classes. Well, I was taking classes at the local Community College, but they cut the charcuterie class because it is simply too expensive to do (it’s all meat, remember?). So I am left with a few choices. Hunt down a class at Le Cordon Bleu (and pay a small fortune for one class), go to the Art Institute, a 45 minute drive for a not GREAT program, or teach myself. Guess which one I chose to do? Yep, you guessed it. Like most things I have learned to do in the kitchen, I am self teaching until I can find a class that is worth the taking. In the meantime I am enjoying Chef Michael Symon’s cookbook – Live to Cook – and I eagerly await his next missive, reportedly all about MEAT (my departed friend Kevin would be so proud).

When I tell people I make my own bacon they look at me a little strangely (except friend and radio personality Gonzo, he thinks it is cool). I am not sure if they think it is weird to create your own, or if they think it is bizarre that a woman, clearly someone’s Mom, has the time, patience and desire to do it. What will people say and think when I start making my own sausages? Of course you know that is the next natural progression. And yes, I do have a grinder and sausage stuffing machine that has yet to make its virgin attempt.

As I write I am preparing for a visit from my Dad, a carnivore from WAY back and he LOVES his bacon. Here’s to hoping that I get it right for his visit. Hell, I may even let him “help” me with the smoking….as long as he doesn’t try to take over. It is MY EGG afterall.

This week’s food memories include my first attempt at canning (peaches), a moist and succulent smoked trout, and Sunday Brunch at Simon at Palms Place with sister-in-law Bonnie (David Cho – Sulu in the latest Star Trek – was sitting at the next table).

This week’s pic is my beautiful Big Green Egg.