Las Vegas: Bellagio Hotel

Le Vichyssois

Le Vichyssois, French Restaurant : 220 West Route 120, Lakemore IL

AMAZING!!!!!!

Shrimp Pasta VS. Fettucini Alfredo

Shrimp Pasta: A personal favorite often requested on my good friends Birthday. The basis for the recipe was stolen from Giada. This pasta dish is filling (obviously) but lighter than its competitor Fettucini. The shrimp, Tomatoes, herbs, and wine give this dish more complexity.

Fettucini Alfredo: made at least once a month for the Big Man, is an all around favorite. known to be EXTREMELY filling. This recipe was passed down to me from my grandmother. I have tried Fettucini in many restaurants and I have yet to find one that comes close to the deliciousness of this one.

Not all things are as good as they look ....

I read in a blog that I follow that this panini was a must try!!! The panini, has fresh apricots, mozzarella, sourdough and sprinkled cinnamon. As appealing as this sounded, it was NOT all that! I don't know if its the fact that I really dis-like apricots, but it was so blah that I only ate half..... and I never let a half a panini go to waste!! This was a definite thumbs down!!!

My Favorite Summer Salad!!!

My favorite Summer salad includes: Spinach, Avocados, Strawberry's, Poppy seeds, candied Walnuts or pecans, and Newmans light Raspberry walnut Vinaigrette.

Optional add on: Feta

SOOOOOOOO YUMMY!

Breakfast Burriots

My love for breakfast burritos started when I was in college. I would constantly buy ingredients for them and make burritos for breakfast after a long night of drinking. It would only be a mater of time before my roommates would start giving me A LOT of shit for this. But for some reason they never got old….. the ingredients were cheap and I could constantly put new fruits, vegetables, cheese and meats into these yummy tortillas.
Now here I am four years later and still a huge fan of the breakfast burrito, I am one of the few people who really does not like breakfast food. Don’t get me wrong I eat it from time to time, but I ALWAYS prefer lunch food. The closest traditional breakfast food to lunch is ultimately the breakfast burrito. This has resulted in me tasting breakfast burritos all over the city of Chicago. My top three pick’s are: Flo’s breakfast burrito @ Flos on Chicago, The breakfast burrito @ Feast on Damen and, the #1 BEST burrito is found at the one and only Bongo room on Milwaukee. This breakfast burrito rains supreme, because it’s amazing. The burrito that I am referring to is a special and is not always on their menu. What sets this burrito apart from the rest is its sweet potato hash that is mixed in with the eggs. It is so tasty and highly recommended, if you are able to go to the Bongo room on a morning that they are serving it.
Breakfast Burritos are so simple and yet so delicious! All you need are the 2 staples, eggs and a tortilla, the rest is up to you. No matter the time of day a breakfast burrito is always satisfying, and is served at most breakfast joints or can simply be made in your kitchen!

Blackbird

Leg of Lamb

The other night my good friend Stacy came over. He had been talking about this leg of lamb that he bought and was just dying to cook. I have a really amazing grill with a rotisserie attached and told Stacy he could bring it over and we could cook it together. We decided to create this feast a Wednesday after work. I picked up a sack of potatoes and some fresh asparagus. We both rushed to meet at my house at 4:30 right after we got off. I started the grill and he went to town seasoning. Stacy works for an Australian Meat company, so anytime we BBQ he is always interested in playing a key role, he loves seasoning, grilling and will try just about anything! He raided my spice cabinet and packed the 4 pound leg of lamb with, dry mustard, oregano, basil, garlic, Cajun spices, and some blackberry jam. We loaded the leg onto the grill and allowed it to cook for just over an hour. When we took the lamb off, we grilled off the asparagus and mashed out the potatoes. I walked around the corner and picked up a decent, inexpensive bottle of Pinot Noir to go with the lamb. As I arrived home the lamb was ready to be sliced. When we cut into the meat the juices were flowing. The meal was ready and it looked amazing! As Stacy, my dad and I sat down to eat and enjoy some wine, we were overwhelmed! The Meat was Fabulous!! The crust that formed on the outside of the lamb was perfection as was the combination of the Pinot Noir with the meat! I am very much looking forward to or next BBQ!

A Birthday at BOKA

For my Birthday my incredibly generous parents offered to take me out to dinner. Knowing that I was desperately wanting to try BOKA, I asked them if they were interested and they immediately said yes! I had been looking forward to this dinner for a few weeks, as I had heard nothing but amazing reviews about it! When we arrived for our 7:30 reservation we were greeted and seated right away. from the start the service was amazing , the restaurant was the perfect size for an intimate gathering without feeling like you were sitting on top of each other. Each table was set with a single rose and a candle. As the waitress came around and we ordered drinks, we were taken back by all the different flavor combinations on the menu. The one item that immediately jumped out at me was the Broccoli Soup, four year aged Cheddr, Truffle raviolo. I knew that I was going to try this as my first course, and was debating between the Herb crusted whitefish, lobster agnolotti, trumpet royale, boniato, kohlrabi, aji foam and the Grilled Mahi mahi, orange gnocci, braised fennel, maitke mushrooms, carrot and chamomile broth. I decided on the crusted white fish and my friend Emily decided on the other. The Soup was Out of this world and so were the entrees! The portions were just right so that you were able to taste the freshness of the ingredients, feel full but not stuffed. We were also overwhelmed with sides such as the Mac and cheese with edamame, roasted root vegetables, maple bourbon syrup, and confit fingerling potatoes. It truly was a wonderful birthday dinner.

This restaurant is amazing, the staff the food, the ambiance are all note worthy. I would strongly recommend going at some time. It is more on the pricey side, so make it somewhere you want to go for a special occasion or a nice night out.

*The head chef of BOKA is Giuseppi Tentori , he started BOKA in March 2007 after working as chef de cuisine at Charlie Trotters. Originally from Milan he helped with his grandmother’s farm were he learned a strong connection with nature. This would be a very important aspect he would carry with him the rest of his career especially at BOKA. BOKA is best known for his unique style and progressive American cuisine. The menu here is constantly changing due to the seasons and what is fresh. He tries to use local ingredients and spends a great deal of time at the farmers markets. Boka is located at 1729 N. Halsted in Chicago.

Duck, duck,…..delicious!

My first encounter with duck was about two years ago. I was in culinary school and my upcoming 3 week class was meat fabrication. Being an on again off again meat eater I was not looking forward to this class, but new it was necessary! Day after day we would learn the different cuts of different animals. The day came when the duck was placed in front of me…. I remembered this animal specifically in culinary school because it was one of the only animals that came with all of its intestines. When you received your duck you had to turn it upside down and watch the liver, spine, heart and other such goodies pour out. Let’s just say after this I was very skeptical to eat what I was working with, but I was branching out and willing to try. I am very glad that I did, I learned very specific ways to cook duck in ways that enhance the flavor and make any dish served with this tasty bird a true crowd pleaser! I have always had wonderful reviews on duck dishes, and I am learning more and more just how versatile this animal is. Last weekend Jen and I used smoked duck breast in an appetizer that we made and it was a hit. With that on my mind and my mom asking me what I was going be making for Easter dinner, I thought why not make duck part of our Easter tradition!
I wanted to do something different than what we had done the week prior…. I still extra wonton wrappers and a variety of fresh peppers. I decided I would make a wonton crisp with duck confit* and avocado corn salsa. In the process I realized that although very beautiful, with the ingredients spread on top of the wonton, they might be easier to eat of they were inside the wonton, and so it was. A delicious wonton filled with duck confit and avocado corn salsa. They were quick to go and a nice compliment to our Easter spread.
(A great place to pick up specialty meats in Chicago is, Paulina Meat Market, located at 3501 N. Lincoln)
*Duck Confit is a French dish made from the leg of the duck. The leg is usually cured in salt and poached or cooked in its own fat at a low heat for a long time, creating very tender juicy meat.

Chef In the City: Tasting/ Dinner Party

This past weekend, Chef Jen and I put on an amazing tasting in North Barrington. When asked to create a menu of our choice we went with it. The two of us were able to sit down and feed off of each other on different ideas. After careful consideration we were able to come up with this delicious menu:
*Pan seared Sea Scallops with Celery Root puree and Arugela
*Smoked Duck Salad on Sourdough Crostini (picture attached)
*BBQ mini sliders: Pulled Pork with Red Cabbage slaw and Wingless Buffalo with Blue Cheese dipping sauce
*Tortilla crisp topped with White Fish Ceviche
*Gazpacho cucumber shooters with Baby Octopus
*Bruscetta Skewers with Fresh Mozzarella, Pear Tomato, Sourdough Croutons, and Pesto
*Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with warm Pita Bread and Vegetables
*Crispy Banana Wonton dusted with Cinnamon and drizzled with Caramel
*Oatmeal Cookie sandwiches with homemade Chai Ice Cream
*Flourless Chocolate Cake filled with Blackberry Mousse
The food was great, the guests were curious, and the outcome was a success! The greatest part about cooking for others, is watching people enjoy your hard work! We were able to talk and interact with the guests as they asked questions, and wanted to know what we were doing, and why were doing it! Many of the guests were trying foods, they had never had before. I would hear people say, “I don’t like duck”, or “I would never try Bison”, but the truth is, the dishes I knew they would enjoy the most were the ones they were most hesitant to try….. and they did!! Our smoked duck salad was a hit, the bison burgers were gone, and a woman who swears to never eat scallops loved them! Sometimes you just have to let a chef do what they are good at! If you go into a restaurant and change the menu around, “take out this” “add this”, you take away form the creativity of the chef. There is a reason for the duck and not chicken, a reason we add octopus or slaw, not to turn you away but to enhance. The best meals I have ever had have been at a restaurant when I ask, “What does the chef recommend?” Try it sometime, you will be amazed! Take yourself out of your comfort and try something new!
After a long day of prepping, cooking and cleaning Jen and I came to the conclusion that we rocked! We had so much fun and truly enjoyed being creative, an aspect of the industry that is limited when you are working for other people! We are looking forward to getting out there and doing more dinner parties, if you’re interested hit me up!!!

Some emails we received after:
I am enjoying my hummus and cake this morning ... LOVE the fresh flavors ... wish I had more of that blue cheese sauce today ... would love to do it again, I could eat like that everyday ... you have ignited my taste buds and they LOVE your flavors :)- Adelle
The food was really good and I had to try just about everything!!! The girls were too cute together, what a treat!!- Jeannie
Ashley and Jen, Thank you so much for letting Ed and I enjoy your delicious food. You two put together a very interesting menu (many things I haven't tried before) that looked and smelled as great as it tasted. It was a fun evening being "in the kitchen" of a couple of great chefs. We were talking all the way home about each food and trying to pick out our favorite. Best of luck to you ! We would like to hire you to do something similar at our home. Also, thank you for the lovely planters and seed packets. Zerelda & Ed

Chef In The City: NEW YORK CITY

I spent the past weekend in New York City. This was my second visit, I stayed with a best friend from college. The restaurant I am blogging is MESA GRILL, located at 102 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for about..... 3 years, so I was super excited when my friend and her roommate had agreed to go! I must say it was worth the wait!! Being young and poor we decided to go for the brunch and save a little, and had no complaints, the meal was amazing!

Mesa Grill is probably most recognizable because of its head chef, the food network star, Bobby Flay. Booby is known for his southwestern flair, grilling techniques and dashing good looks! MESA was everything I expected and more, the atmosphere is spacious, social and colorful, with an open kitchen (0ne of my favorite things).

Now to the good stuff..... when we sat down a basket of the most amazing baked goods was placed in front of us, consisting of mini cranberry scones and jalapeno corn muffins. To kick our hangover from the night before we ordered bloodies and Mimosas. The Bloody Mary was a little spicy for me, but my friend Loved it, and lets be honest you cant go wrong with a Mimosa!! When our waitress arrived we asked what do you suggest? (and I asked is Bobby here? She said no, he was here earlier..... I think they are programed to say that) anyway she said, the Spicy Chicken + Sweet Potato hash (picture above) and Scrambled Eggs Chilaquiles are the most popular dishes. We ordered both plus an appetizer, Crispy Bacon + hash brown Quesadilla. It was Delicious, the eggs poached perfectly, the Hollandaise was the right consistency, the flavor combinations just dazzled in my mouth! Next time I go I would love to try dinner at MESA, or perhaps the Cornmeal crusted Chile Relleno!!

With that said I 100% recomend MESA!!! Do try it next time you are in New York.... or if you already live there make sure to stop in, well make a reservation :)

Check out: mesagrill.com

Quote

"...to maintain passion for the everyday routine and the endless repeated act to derive deep gratification from the mundane"- Thomas Keller -
My ultimate goal!!!!!