Twist ~ Vegas

Twist by Pierre Gagnaire was recommended to me by Chef Ryan Rodeno. First lets just say the service is definitely first class. The restaurant was beautiful with a world class view of the strip.
Again we decided to do the Valentine's Day menu which was a successful choice.
I got to finally taste Venison. I have always been reluctant to try as I wanted to make sure it was done right. It was tender and beautiful and I have no future plans of tasting it anywhere else.  We also has the baby veal with an ice cream sauce. Yes a savory ice cream sauce!! When you say Twist this is the true food twist you expect.  The unexpected tasting of the night was the oyster with a banana chip on top. When you close your eyes... it was like being in the south of France on the beach.
Unfortunately I have one complaint about the pastry department.  The eau Claire was hard and burnt. I was really looking forward to what I've tasted in Paris.
Other than that my visit was worth every penny.  ★☆★☆★

Carvino's ~ Vegas

I'm a little torn about reviewing this restaurant only because I'm a huge fan of Batali's food. I love Mozza Pizzeria in Los Angeles and frequent there quite often. I went to Carnevino's over the Valentine's Weekend and the food just did not do it for me. We decided to try the pasta tasting menu which took 3 hours. By the end of the meal I was a little annoyed because I was stuffed and the night was over. Dont get me wrong the service was great but I dont think a tasting menu is meant for Italian food. The wine and the chocolate souffle outshined the pasta. I hate to say this but there was nothing special about any of the ravioli. 

Golden Dragon Restaurant ~ downtown L.A.

Dim Sum... got to love it and all the choices you get. This place is special to me as its the most authentic Chinese dim sum you will get in LA.  I love how the ladies know your favorites and know when to come to your table. :-) I ordered the Chinese broccoli,  noodles, fried whole shrimp, shrimp dim sum, sausage buns (dont know the chinese name for it) and much much more.

Tokyo Shabu Shabu

I was craving shabu shabu and was able to yelp one of my new favorites in Pasadena.  Tokyo shabu shabu is a fun date place and a good place to expose your friends to good food. What I loved about this place is that its clean and bright which gives you an inviting feeling. Since there were no tables available I decided to eat at the bar which was actually better because I was able to interact with the staff and get really good suggestions. Well to be honest our server Jade was awesome.  He knew the menu well and showed us how to set up our station. Normally when I've gone to have Shabu Shabu they only have one option which is the clear broth. What was amazing about this place is that it had over 10 options of broth from Kimchi to Pork to thai flavors which was nice. My favorite was the Kimchi because it was spicy and offered a depth of flavor to our kobe beef!! Yes kobe beef. It also came with a raw egg in which were able to poach in our broth. We also ordered the gyoza which was perfectly crispy on the outside and yummy in the inside. The price was very affordable.  My suggestion is to go during happy hour because the prices are cheaper. Lets just say 2 shabu shabu dishes, dessert,  gyoza and two drinks cost $40 and it was delicious! !

Baco Mercat ~ Downtown Los Angeles

Although I'm not a fan of downtown Los Angeles I had a friend coming to visit from Sacramento which drove me to this yummmmmmy place. After reading countless reviews on yelp and seeing Tyler Florence's list on instagram of the top west coast chef's I was destined to check it out.
We arrived around 7:45 p.m. which was 15 minutes past our reservations.  I was a little nervous as the place was packed. The funny thing is when I left at 10:00 p.m. the place was full with people still waiting to get in.
So then I began to judge. All the food appeared to be like hoitee~toitee Los Angeles cuisine and the ladies sitting next to us kept saying the food was delicious.  Of course I'm like sure.... you probably eat tofu and tell me it taste like steak.
My friend on the other hand is a picky eater unbeknownst to me choosing this place. Well..... I'm glad I did!!! I'll admit this was the first time I judged food by its presentation.  We ordered the blistered okra which was cooked to perfection (matter of fact didn't know you could make okra not so slimy and gritty),  the cauliflower,  bacon wrapped chicken (we had to go simple for my friend) and the pork testa with lentils for me. For dessert we had pistachio cream cheese cake and some kind of chocolate peanut butter cake (it was accidentally given to us).
Honestly I'd recommend everything I ordered. Can't wait to go back and order the other items. We ate everything on our plates as if we'd been starved for days. This place is highly recommended. You definitely need reservations in advance. Call.... don't use Open Table to make reservations. 

The Boiling Crab vs Hot & Juicy Crawfish 1st video blog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQTYZn2QzU

The Henry ~ Las Vegas

So my brother hooked me on to this place. Im so glad that he did. Not only does the name Henry have a special place in our hearts but it was worth trying out as the reviews on yelp gave their breakfast/brunch 4 stars. I decided to have their fresh squeezed (as some would say squooze-lol inside joke) orange juice and their corn beef and hash. Im sorry I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of it. :-( . But...... the corn beef had a really good depth of flavor and you could tell it was cooked for a really long time. It was mixed in with the potatoes (hash), perfectly seared which gave it a perfect outside crunch. Im salivating just thinking of it. I give this place ★★★★1/2 stars. Great for hangovers etc!

Hash House a Go-go Las Vegas

I've always been a huge fan of Hash House a go-go with their banana pancakes but my new favorite is their B.L.T. bloody mary. They have a perfect concoction of the right amount of alcohol and flavor with a perfectly balanced kick to it. Hash House has many locations in Vegas now which is nice but my favorite is still in San Diego. If you are not a glutinous person like me this place isnt for you as the portions are huge! I also tried their corn beef and hash but it wasn't as tasty as The Henry in the Cosmopolitan. 

Laduree cook book

Omgod I shouldn't be sharing this but look what I got for Valentine's Day! All of my favorite recipes from Laduree. Yep the best macaroons in the world. Now I can learn how to make them properly along with Eau Claires.

Liqueur Infused Chocolate Covered Strawberries: Valentine's Day Ideas

I was watching the Wendy Williams Show and fell in love with this idea. Liquer infused chocolate covered strawberries. How romantic!! Cut and paste the link below. http://www.wendyshow.com/2014/02/12/liqueur-infused-strawberries/#.Uvv0Ce3TlMs

The Love Chapter ~ Deux Valentines Day

I know most men like to get out of this holiday but what's wrong with celebrating love? We all need it! It's not about the gift giving but just making each other feel special. I love flowers ranging from $10 and up (Mark's Garden, Mr. B's in Los Angeles, Wholefoods, Trader Joes). As I have professed before Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays next to Thanksgiving. If you haven't secured your reservations yet Good Luck. There is hardly anything available in Los Angeles or Las Vegas. Yes, I've checked. Well, if you're a last minute person such as most people you can always create a romantical dinner at home, surprise your loved one with a trip to Paris (according to tripadvisor tickets are less than $900 each) or celebrate love over the entire weekend. If you're not into cooking order a charcuterie plate with cheeses, meats and sparkly wine accompanied with truffles. I'd even suggest a cold seafood platter (crab, shrimp, oysters). Now that is romantical, isn't it? There's so many things to do without spending money at a restaurant but we ladies loved to be seen in our seductive dresses (well at least I wear one) and the attention from other ladies. It's true we don't just dress to impress our man. If you're alone... it's okay. Two years ago I was alone in Charlotte and under the weather but I invited a few friends over and we drank wine and had chocolates while we all spoke to our significant others on the phone (LOL). One of these days I will spend V-Day in Paris as Paris is the most romantic place on earth to me. How could you not be in love even when you're not in love being there. I've included a picture of me at the "Lock of Love" and The Palace of Versailles.

Lamb Chops

Here is a simple lamb chop or rack of lamb recipe.

1 rack of lamb
3 - 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard with grains
3 cloves minced garlic
3 sprigs of fresh minced rosemary
Sea Salt
Cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients together and spread on lamb.

Wrap in tin foil at room temperature for at least two hours.

Preheat gas grill 425
Sear on each side for 3.5 min

Top Chef Season 11 ~ Why I am done watching

I don't watch whole lot of television because I honestly don't have the time but when I do I love to watch cooking shows to get inspiration on what to cook for my friends and family. Well....... with a whole lot of ...... I decided to watch Season 11 and loved watching Nina surpass her competition without sweating. Then all of a sudden Nick (supposedly the underdog) who never seasoned his food and had a short psycho temper comes out of no where and wins?!!! Beating Shirley and some other talented chefs???!! I was actually annoyed and just done. The previews kept implying that this was the hardest decision that Top Chef has made. What they really should have said was Tom Collichio spent over an hour changing the other judges mind because he did not want Nina to win. Honestly how does Nina and Shirley win almost every competition and Nick is at the bottom the entire season and then all of sudden he wins the entire thing? Was it because he needs the money for a new restaurant. Well I won't be going to his new restaurant especially if you're known for under seasoned food!! I know, I know I have a whole lot of passion about this reality show. Its kind of funny as I write this but I was already on the fence about watching it as I have become bored watching the same judges year in and year out. I say this all in good humor. Was it the editing? I am still perplexed!If Nick was "so good" and deserved to win over $100k then why didn't he win anything during the season? As the young kids say it nowadays, "I'm just saying".

More of me in Paris

More pictures of me in Paris not all food related but just a glimpse of my experience.