Guess Who's Coming to Dinner....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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