A Different Kind of Fish Story

That beautiful fish in the picture above has a funny little story to it. Back in August of 2005, Dan was going to be in Vegas for a work shin-dig. This little shin-dig was being held at the newly opened Wynn Resort and I was going out to spend the weekend. They offered people discounted room prices if they wanted to stay on for a few days, so we decided to take advantage. Our friend Alicia and her ex decided to join us for the weekend and they were fortunate to get a wonderful room rate too.
We had recently received a Wine Spectator magazine that had a large write up about the Wynn and it's restaurants and I decided we had to eat at Bartolotta Ristorante Di Mare. Paul Bartolotta had the reputation of being a very good chef/owner and I wanted to try this place out. We had reservations for dinner on August 25, 2005 and we had a wonderful, if somewhat surprising, evening.
The restaurant is a large and open space, with this incredible stairway that takes you down into the dining area. We had a nice table with a great view of lake. I imagine that most tables have a great view of the water, because of all the windows. We were promptly greeted by our server, who was very attentive and had a great personality. He brought out a tray of fresh fish and explained each one as far as texture and taste. He told us that the fish were flown in daily from the Mediterranean and were caught that day! There was even a spiny little lobster walking around the tray that really tried to make an escape.
We ordered our food and pretty much decided to go family style. Our waiter explained that most people did it that way and we would all be able to try out different dishes. Since we had decided to order a whole fish, I wanted a steak, just in case I did not like the fish. I don't remember any of the food being bad, in fact it was all quite wonderful. The only bad thing was my piece of fish had bones in it(this always happens to me) and I almost swallowed a bone.
We ordered a bottle each of Pelligrino and Panna water for $7. We had 2 bottles of Pieropan Soa Seppia (I had read about how good it was) at $44 a piece. One of our appetizers was a special ($19) and I believe it was calamari? We also ordered the Cocotte di Parmigiano-Reggiano ($16.50). It was a wonderful warm custard made with the aforementioned cheeses and topped with wild mushrooms. Paul ordered the Zuppa Pesce ($42) and I believe he ate the entire thing by himself.
We had a bowl of Tagliatelle con Pocini ($16.00), with home made noodles and mushrooms. The beautiful and melt-in-your-mouth Costata di Manzo al Sangiovese ($47), which was an 18 ounce ribeye. The fish arrived and was cut up tableside just like they do it in Italy. The fish was called Urbina, a type of Sea Bass if I remember correctly. We finished the meal with a couple of desserts, one a gelato and the other a budino, an Italian pudding.
You would think by the way we were ordering food that we had not eaten in awhile and that money was no object. Sometimes you just get carried away in these situations and when the food and service are outstanding you just go with the flow. Our waiter brought us our bill and we all about fell out of our seats. The total was $507.00 and that was without a tip! It seemes that our fish was quite expensive, coming in at $170.00!! That fish must have flown first-class.
It was a wonderful evening and one that none of us will ever forget. Nor will any of us likely order like that again!!
The restaurant is located in the Wynn Resort at 3131 Las Vegas Blvd S. Las Vegas NV 89109.

Mushroom and Sausage Risotto

Saturday night, our friend Stacey came over for dinner. She has been wanting to learn how to make risotto, so I decided to give her a lesson. I had most of the prep work done so that we could prepare the dish without being stressed. This recipe is based on one from a book called Risotto by Judith Barrett and Norma Wasserman. Our recipe used fewer mushrooms, more sausage and we decided to add peas to round it out. The dish turned out very good, the mushrooms were wonderful. Risotto Con Funghi E Salsiccia is perfect for this time of the year.

Mushroom and Sausage Risotto

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red wine
4 to 5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp. carrot, minced
2 Tbsp. celery, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add mushrooms and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add red wine, turn heat to high and boil vigorously until the liquid is almost completely evaporated. Turn off heat and set aside.
Bring broth to simmer in a saucepan.
Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sausage, breaking up the sausage while stirring, until it begins to brown.
Add the rice, stirring for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Start adding the broth, 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding next 1/2 cup. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
After about 18 minutes, when rice is tender but firm, add mushrooms, cheese and parsley. Stir and serve immediately.

Balsamic Bean Dip

This recipe was in one of the many magazines I receive, but I don't remember which one, Bon Appetit, I think. Anyway, the dip is good but the one from Giada, White Bean Dip, is much better. I did add garlic to my version, the magazine recipe seemed to need it. Serve it with fresh veggies or pita chips. When I drizzled the top of mine with the oil and vinegar, I ended up with a little too much vinegar, so I used a knife and ran it through the dip to disperse it a little.

Balsamic Bean Dip

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar plus extra for drizzling
Oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper

Puree beans, garlic, olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with tomato oil and a few drops of vinegar.

Seared Rib-Eye Steaks w/ Edamame & Garlic

This recipe comes from the Fall 2007 issue of Fine Cooking. It's a simple recipe that turns out really nice and was the perfect dinner for 2 on Valentine's Day. The most time consuming part of the recipe is peeling and slicing the garlic in half, so that shows how easy this is to prepare. Althought the flavor was good, I still prefer my steaks on the grill as opposed to cooking them on the stove top. It's also a really pretty dish, but my pictures did not turn out, they were a little fuzzy so I decided not to post them.

Seared Rib-Eye Steaks with Edamame & Garlic

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
2 1-inch thick, boneless rib-eye steaks (6 to 8 ounces)
Coarsely cracked black pepper
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
Pinch cayenne, more to taste
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges for serving

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm oil with the garlic and a pinch of salt. When the oil starts to bubble gently, reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook the garlic, stirring occasionally, until it's light golden brown and perfectly tender when pierced with a fork, about fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to boil over high heat.
Generously season both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and the steaks. Don't disturb the steaks until they have a nice brown crust, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until the steaks are done to your liking, about another 3 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
While the steaks rest, add 1 teaspoon of salt and edamame to boiling water. Return to a boil and cook, uncovered, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons garlic oil, cayenne and parsley. Toss to combine, add salt to taste.
Slice steaks on an angle into 1/2 inch slices and divide between two plates and scatter with remaining garlic. Serve with edamame and lemon wedges.

Senor Tequila Mexican Restaurant

I have posted on Senor Tequila in the past, but we ate there the other night and I thought they deserved another write up. We've been eating there ever since we moved up north and that's about 7 years now. We love the food, it's nothing fancy, but their sign claims that the food is 100% authentic. The service is also good, there have been occasions where we ended up with a lousy server, but you never see those guys anymore.
On this trip, I ordered the Enchiladas Rancheras($7.75). This is one of the dishes that I go back and forth between, the other 2 are the Tacos de Carne Azada and the wonderful, big bowl of Caldo de Pollo. The enchilada dish consists of 3 cheese enchiladas, topped with enchilada sauce and this incredible pork with onions and bell peppers and a side of shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and sliced tomatoes. The shredded pork is both crispy and moist.
Dan, as usual, ordered the Chicken Fajitas($10.50). This is a dish that they certainly don't skimp on, the skillet is piled high with chicken, grilled onion, peppers and tomatoes. All that is served with tortillas, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream, gaucamole and beans and rice. I always say that I'm going to oder fajitas, but I always fall back on my other favorites instead.
We typically order the 32 ounce Dos XX for only $3.75. Compared to other restaurants that is a steal. They also serve up a pretty good margaritas at prices that are lower than most.
They are located at 6502 N. Oak Trafficway Gladstone, MO 64118 816-420-0640.

Cheesy Grits Souffle

I came across this recipe in my June 2007 Cuisine at Home magazine. I've never made a souffle before and thought this sounded great. Grits, smoked cheddar and corn, who wouldn't love it? Flavor wise it was very good, but it really tasted like a light and airy omelet, it was very eggy. I think I was hoping that it would be more like corn bread or at least a cornbread-frittata combo. It turned out great and looked pretty, but...It might be a good brunch item to serve your friends, they will be impressed with the work that goes into it.
The recipe calls for beating the egg whites to medium peaks, which means beating them until they droop from the beaters, yet hold their shape and don't slide off.

Cheesy Grits Souffle

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup yellow corn grits
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup frozen corn kernels
3/4 cup smoked Cheddar, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/3 cup scallions, chopped
2 egg yolks (reserve whites)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne
3 egg whites

Preheat oven to 400, coat a 2-qt. baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add grits in a steady stream, whisking constantly; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring often, until grits are thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes.
Off heat, stir in cream, corn, cheeses, scallions, yolks, salt and cayenne. Transfer to a large bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring often to prevent a "skin" from forming.
Beat the whites in a bowl to medium peaks. Blend 1/3 of the whites into the grits, then gently fold in the remaining whites. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Good News From Florida

Thursday night, when my Mom went to bed, she laid there and could not get to sleep. She was worried that she would never sale her house and did not know how she would continue to pay for it and the ever increasing Florida property taxes. She asked "George, what have you done to me?"(George being my late father), and finally fell asleep.
The next morning she decided to go through her jewelry box. I did not ask her if she was contemplating trying to get money for some of it, knowing that she loves her jewelry and not wanting to step on her pride. While going through her jewelry box, she came across a small box at the bottom that she did not remember being there before. She took it out and opened the box and there was my father's St. Christopher medal. She had not seen that medal in 40 years and decided to take it up to my Aunt Betty's house to show her. Betty helped her clean the medal and they both marvelled at the fact that it was even in her jewelry box.
When Mom returned home, she had a message from her real estate agent that someone had made a very nice offer on her home. Needless to say, by Sunday the paperwork was all finished and my mother will be moving back to Kansas City on April 15th.