September 2007

today we headed up to Snowbird to take part in Oktoberfest. this was a great event at a great venue. there were lots of activities from an alpine slide to bouncy houses for the little ones. today was sadly a little rainy, but it was still so much fun. now of course the food.

i ordered the beef roulade with an herbed stuffing and whole grain mustard. it was served with warm german potato salad and sauerkraut. and it was EXCELLENT. loved it. the salad had a little bit of that raw vinegar taste to it, but it was fine. i also tasted the weisswurst, a spiced veal sausage. and i am so glad.. it was divine. hearty and well seasoned. the meat flavor was mild but still very well balanced. all in all it was a fun way to sample bavarian faire. now i was so happy to have such yummy sauerkraut. i usually am not a fan, but this was served warm with bits of ham.

here i am with a slice of german chocolate cake. it featured a layer of both dark and white chocolate ganache. the cake was moist, but i did find it a little on the overly sweet side.

 

oh… and i met someone. haha.

ps kristen… by your request.. tomorrow i will be posting some fun recipes. i am cooking for my niece’s birthday tomorrow so come back soon for a recipe post.. just for you!

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the highlight of this trip was by far, dinner at Social House. when you walk in, you are greeted by a sign that says “sake-sushi-socialize” and that is what we did. personally… i did not partake in the sake, the sushi and socializing was definitely on our menu. i have been looking forward to eating here for some time. chef joe is a Filipino, and was the executive chef for nobu lv.

what was so special about this evening, was that i was joined by some wonderful friends. some were sushi veterans, and others, who were pretty new to sushi and other adventurous epicurean delights. i was touched to be given the honor to choose the tasting menu for the table. i love my friends dearly.. so to be bestowed the chance to share something i am so passionate about, and to be trusted like this, well.. it was awesome. i chose a variety of items, and then asked that the chef send out his recommendations as well. [something i highly recommend when you are in restaurant of this caliber]

the style of service here, is very much tapas or tasting menu style. items are served when they are ready.. and they are passed around to share. Everything we had was exquisite. the seafood was at the peak of freshness. and although i have enjoyed sushi all over the country, this was by far some of the best that i have had. the yellow tail sashimi with calamasi and fried jalapeno. the fish was light and buttery. no harshness that you sometimes get with raw fish. i also enjoyed the garlic oil seared fluke, a dish that you can also find on the nobu menu.

the tamarind short ribs were fork tender, and braised into until rich and almost marmalade like. the kobe beef mini burgers with tempura onion rings were served with banana catsup, a fun nod to Chef Joe’s Filipino heritage. the chef sent out sweet chili squid, and i am truly impressed with how tender it was. each flavorful piece cut like butter.

if you want to try raw sushi for the first time, this is one of the places i would certainly do so. simply put, what ever you order will be created to perfection… and with the freshest ingredients available. the spicy tuna roll featured beautiful tuna… not the chopped up mass you sometimes find out in the sushi world. the mirugai giant clam was tender and mild, a new favorite. as with all the sushi, the unagi, toro, and various hamachi were simply amazing. it is wonderful how different sushi of this quality really is.

finally, dessert. as you can see… it was a wonderland. i was happy that so many of my friends ended up enjoying my favorite flavor of ice cream… corn and cheese. Everything on the plate was delicious. i even enjoyed the ube. i usually pass on the stuff.. but that is because it is so rare that you get the real deal here in america. In the end, becky and I were last spoons standing.

this evening was much more than just amazing food. it was about sharing.. and friendship. i personally felt like i really bonded with everyone there, on a new level. i love that some of the hubbies got to come out, and that i got to see that part of my friend’s  lives. i love that my friends love me enough to trust me… to just let me run with it when i get all crazy excited about the food. it was an awesome night.. thank you for sharing it with me.

*more photos to come. 

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it is not often that the seemingly mundane can bring you to tears, or something usually regarded as everyday transformed into something that no less than exquisite. what is this i speak of? why it is the burger. but this is not your run of the mill hamburger as we know it. no, it is the pure genius of Hubert Keller and the Burger Bar. [Mandalay Bay Hotel]

the concept is simple. choose your patty [everything from angus beef and

kobe

beef to turkey, lamb, and even veggie] choose your bun [ciabatta, plain, onion…] and then pick your toppings. THIS is where it gets fun. the freshest most fabulous ingredients from cheeses and grilled asparagus to pan seared foie gras and shaved black truffles.

 

for me.. that bite of heaven on a bun was a perfectly cooked medium rare

kobe

beef burger with fois gras and truffles. i was not exaggerating when i say that i was brought to tears. words can not describe just how good this was. the natural juices of the expertly seared foie dirp down into the melt in your mouth

kobe

patty. the firm ciabatta bun soaks up the flavor bite after heavenly bite.

the oninon rings that my dear friend Jessica got crunchy, well seasoned and the onion was cooked just right. far superior to my skinny fries. [though they were fine, just not really memorable.]

burger bar is a must have when you are in the city of sin. i personally can not wait until my next trip. next time I will try the surf & turf burger that features half a lobster as a topping.

the Venetian hotel boasts restaurants from some of the best and well known chefs in the country. Thomas Keller, Emeril, Mario Batali, Wolfgang Puck and David Burke just to name a few. so deciding where to have lunch was far from easy. we decided upon Canaletto. Chef Gianpaolo Putzu takes you to

Venice

on an exquisite culinary adventure. we sat "outdoors" enjoying the atmosphere of the grand canal shops. [we were even delighted by the opera show that comes through the square]

from the moment that the bread basket was dropped on the table, i knew we were in for a treat. the menu offers great variety, making this a good choice when dining with a group. my eyes immediately found the selections of risotto. and without hesitation i ordered the Seppie Nere – Risotto of shrimp, scallops, calamari, brandy and black squid ink. this was by far the best risotto that I have had. the arborio rice was firm but not at all hard, each bite creamy but not overly so. i could taste each individual bite of seafood, yet the dish in its entirety was wonderfully balanced. the flavor of the butter, brandy, and black squid ink was a mouth watering base for the selection of seafood. the shellfish was at the peak of freshness, making this modestly priced dish a real treat. usually i find risotto quite heavy, but the Seppie Nere was rich in flavor while maintaining a lightness about it.

 

this left just enough room for dessert. the dessert selection is reason enough to visit Canaletto. after much deliberation, i finally chose the sabaione gritti [named after the famous hotel that it originated from]. this uncooked egg custard flavored with marsala wine over citrus sorbet and fresh berries was fabulous. often the

marsala

hits your mouth, but in the case of this famous recreation, the flavors were again balanced and never over whelming. it was a light and refreshing dessert, perfect after a rich meal. Canaletto was a quiet and delightful surprise.

burger bar

mandalay bay hotel

dinner with non-alcholic beverage $40 per person

canaletto

the venetian hotel

lunch with dessert and soda $35

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Precurser to the TURDUCKEN.

Romans sometimes roasted a chicken stuffed in a goose stuffed in a turkey stuffed in a pig stuffed in a cow. – source Modern Marvels, the History Channel

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today was my niece’s 6th birthday.. celebrate we went to the Utah County Fair. You have to understand my LOVE of fairs. It is an annual event for me. My family and our dearest friends love to walk around the fair…checking out the various booths. Hopping from one food one a stick to the next.
And though the staples of the fair may seem simple enough… corn dogs, bbq, funnel cakes and such. Not all fair cuisine is made equally.

This tasty corn dog was a

absolute heaven. an all beef dog dipped in the BEST cornbread batter. crisp, not to "doughy" but not to thin or burnt. Perfect. [the wait however was excruciatingly long] and at $2 or 3 for $5, the price is pretty decent as far as fair food goes.

Of course the great stand by, the Pennsylvania Dutch brand Funnel Cake. It is WORTH walking from across the fair to get this particular one. It is light, airy, perfectly crisp… not at all burnt, and surprisingly, not oily. I prefer mine with just powdered sugar and the extra thick real whip cream. (strawberries are yummy, but they make the cake soggy) Now if you have never had one of these decadent desserts… it is a thick batter poured from a funnel into hot grease. A fried Waffle really.

Now one bomb of the fair was the HOT FRIES. Served at a fish and chip stand, they sounded like they would be tasty. They were mediocre fries sprinkled with a mediocre seasoning blend. [which I think is season salt with just a touch of chili powder] Another item I passed on, but will admit I am curious about] was the fried dessert booth. I have had my share of deep fired oreos, twinkies, and snickers. But this booth had "Deep Fried Coke" [coke flavored batter with coke flavored cherry filling] I was not in the mood. Not sure I ever will be… but it is nice to know it is available.

A very "Utah" thing is the Scone. Now there are not the dense, dry, baked goods of English teas. These are yeast dough, rolled thin, and fried. Traditionally slathered in Honey Butter. FRIED BREAD with HONEY BUTTER, need I say more.


Wash this down with a Homemade draft rootbeer for only $1 and saying good-bye to summer has never been sweeter. i hope that you too had a chance to enjoy some fair food this summer.

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