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Did You REALLY Have to Bring Them with You?

Posted on by RedFlair14

Remember the saying, “Children should be seen and not heard”? Well I believe that for the most part. I also believe there is a time and a place for kids, and with rare exceptions, Las Vegas’ famous (or infamous) Strip at night is NOT one of those places. Before anyone jumps all over my ass about this topic, I want you to know, YES, I do have a child. It is also a fact among anyone who knows me that I really don’t like kids. I only like MY PEOPLE’s kids (I can use friends Dani, Lillian and Dena as references). It is also a fact that while attending a conference in Anaheim, I once walked into a restaurant in Downtown Disney and told the seating hostess that I wanted to be seated where there were no children. (Moment of Truth – Friends Laurie and Jen nearly choked when I said it, but I meant it.) When we planned our 25th Anniversary Party, we had it in a BAR and the invites said “18 and over welcome” and we had no kids at our wedding. When kids are well behaved in public, I go out of my way to tell the parents how fantastic their behavior is, just like I did this past Valentine’s afternoon at Settebello. That being said, there are just some places kids don’t belong. Why in the name of all that is good in this world would you bring your kids to The Strip at night? You want them to see drunks fighting and puking in the street? You want them to see all the card “flippers” touting strippers and call girls? You want them to see drunk girls falling off their too high heels that they can’t walk in? Why would you bring your kids to an event that is partially sponsored by alcohol and wine companies? I can see bringing kids to a winery or brewery for a tour. It’s a learning experience and they usually have a restaurant. But a tasting event? Really people?

Well, that’s what happened this past weekend. Friend Lillian and I went to the Las Vegas Chocolate Festival & Pastry Show at the Venetian. What a fiasco! This event was so poorly planned and organized that all I want to do is drop F-bombs to describe it, the first one beginning with the word “cluster” and ending with “f***”. First of all, we had “VIP” tickets, but apparently everyone else did too. Continuing, the place was overcrowded, there were no water stations that I could find and no glass rinsing stations. The sampling lines were long, dirty dishes were piled on every flat surface, the music too loud, no non-alcoholic drinks to be had and a charcuterie purveyor that I never did get to sample because the line literally snaked out the door all night long because they were the only savory offering. (As much as you know I love it, what charcuterie has to do with chocolate, pastries and wine, I will never know).

As if that wasn’t enough to turn me off, at an event scheduled for the hours 8 pm until midnight, there were people who thought it was a good idea to bring BABIES to this event. I counted no less than 3 strollers, 3 babies worn in baby carriers, 6 toddlers and several preteens. WHY?! There were at least 6 alcohol vendors giving samples, people drinking to get drunk (as tourists in Vegas are wont to do), and as stated before it was over crowded. Both Lillian and I thought that because there would be a good deal of alcohol, that it was an over 21 crowd only. Had we known, we probably would not have gone and we won’t go again next year if this continues to be the policy. We thought we were being overly harsh with our criticism, until we ran into friends Elly and Frank. They agreed with us (whew!). The only pluses for this event are the following: we didn’t pay full price for our tickets (thank you Groupon) and the money went to St. Jude’s (and don’t tell me that’s why the kids were there).

So let’s talk about the food…completely uninspired! I was nearly bored to tears. I had expected more creative combinations. Several pot de crème offerings, a few mousses, bon bons and “pops” – the apparent trend of the moment. There were some lovely displays and sculptures and the purveyors were very accommodating and exceedingly nice. While everything I had was tasty, it was all very boring. I was hoping for chile infusions, candied ginger, mole, bacon, anything to titillate and make me wonder about flavor pairings. It was all pedestrian crap for the children toting masses. The best things I ate all night were mini-cupcakes from the Goodie Girls and Annette Starbuck (winner of Cupcake Wars 2011 – she was VERY nice BTW). There was a Spiced Red Velvet with cayenne and cinnamon and a Strawberry with Balsamic glaze that were both moist, interesting and delicious. And while I loved the flavors of the Blood Orange and Sage Pesto offerings from B & B, the chocolate base was so thick and rich it was nearly impossible to choke it down.

The best parts of the evening were my time with Lillian and the visit to Public House afterwards where I had a very tasty casked beer and Lillian was happily surprised to learn they have Sailor Jerry in house.

I didn’t take a single photo all night. The credit for this gorgeous pic goes to Cory Fields of Fields Photography. Click HERE to see more photos of the event.

But I’m Not on a Diet…

Posted on by RedFlair14

It’s always a challenge for any home cook when there are people in the house observing more than one dietary eating pattern. For example, everyone is a carnivore except one vegetarian (or worse, vegan – no butter or cheese) or vice versa. But what about when one person is following a weight loss reduction plan (like Weight Watchers) and no one else is? Still, it’s a challenge.

I did the WW thing (twice) for a year and I lost weight. It is the ONLY sustainable plan that really works if you stick to it. My problem is that I can’t stick to it. I love to cook and I found that my creative cooking was stifled because everything had to be lowered in fat and I am not a fan of “fake” substitutions (i.e. soy cheese, soyriso, fat free products, margarine, etc.) and choosing the real deal is too many “points”. I want the real deal. I want to use butter with reckless abandon and bathe in cream. I want crispy fried chicken and I want to wrap everything in bacon or pancetta. And let’s face facts people, how many salads is one person supposed to be able to consume in their lifetime? I think I have hit my quota. The things I enjoy eating that actually SATISFY me and fill me up “cost” too much on that program. And let’s not even talk about cocktails and beer… Still, I stuck to it, as did John, and we both lost a LOT of weight, nearly 100 lbs between us.

The other option is to work out like a fiend to burn off the foods you eat. I really admire people who convince themselves they like to work out. Good for them! I have only found three exercises that I actually enjoy: swimming laps, dancing and yoga and each presents a different set of problems logistically (Moment of Truth – I just read that sentence and it looked like “…swimming, lap dancing and yoga”).

So here we are three years later having put back on 2/3 of the weight we lost – both of us. What to do? Well, I decided to be happy at my size, for now. I am not on camera, I am not an over 40 model and I can maintain this weight and eat what I like. John however, is unhappy and has decided that “counting points” is the best option for him. So now, I am cooking our only daily meal together as if I am on the plan with him. “No biggie”, you say. “It will be good for you too”, you say. “Just think how healthy you are going to be”, you say. But what about Valentine’s Day?!

Each year on Valentine’s Day I go all out. I stretch my culinary boundaries and make something I have never made before that we don’t order when dining out. Last year it was Lobster Thermidor (the sauce alone in that dish is an entire day’s caloric intake). Attempting to cook lavishly on a calorie budget has me stymied this year, but I am working on it. One thing I have found I LIKE as a sub is almond milk instead of cream in SOME recipes like THIS creamed spinach recipe. I didn’t even notice it was lower in fat and calories because it tasted so good!

Now I am reading cookbooks again, searching the web and looking at some of the Pinterest pages of my friends who love to cook. I am sure I will come up with something healthy that tastes great and satisfies both of us. All bets are off when it comes to dessert though. Just a warning.

Digging in the Dirt

Posted on by RedFlair14

As I sit here writing this piece, I REALLY want to be outside. The weather here in Vegas is starting to get spring-like and I feel the need to take advantage of it just in case we get another cold snap. (Moment of Truth – we had a bad cold snap this winter and I had a pipe that actually burst because it froze!) I love to be outdoors and I thoroughly enjoy gardening. If you sneak into my backyard on a nice day, you will likely find me with headphones on, dancing around while I rake, dig or plant. It’s especially vibrant dancing in the spring and fall. Perhaps a throwback to a pagan ritual, perhaps just feeling good to have the sun on my body (don’t worry, I wear protective clothing), perhaps a combination of both.

Growing up in upstate NY, we had a garden. A big garden. We grew LOTS of stuff including the dreaded zucchini. I have one sister who still can’t stand it. Here in Vegas, my yard size dictates what I grow and my garden is more free form. I don’t have neat rows of plantings (odd for someone with a touch of OCD). I don’t have designated spots for certain things. There is a fig tree smack in the middle to provide shade to things that require a little sun protection and I have multiple patches of this and that, mainly herbs, throughout.

As I walked through the yard this morning with my tea, I realized the garden needed an overhaul. It’s a hot mess! I see a great deal of digging, planting, and cutting in my future. John already trimmed the fig and peach trees. Now for me to clear, rake and cut back to allow for new growth. Each year is a time for NEW GROWTH and this spring I am feeling it more than ever.

If you have proper irrigation you can grow almost anything here in the desert, but I try to be respectful of the environment. I only plant things I can eat. I don’t waste water on flowers in general. I use drought tolerant varieties when possible and try to choose plants that love the heat as a rule. If you don’t have the space to literally DIG in the dirt, have you thought about planters? I have grown plenty of great things in planters! Currently there is little growing besides a couple of fall planted crops that will result in harvest soon I hope!

So here’s to the humble gardener (or the farmer as the great Dodge commercial from this last weekend stated). Enjoy these pics.

The ever-invasive mint – no matter how much I remove, there is ALWAYS plenty for Mojitos!

Baby beet plants

Leeks – re-seeded from last year

Cilantro – it re-seeds itself if you don’t collect the coriander from the dried flowers.

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.

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!