Lunch at the Cromwell at Giada

Lunch at Giada's at the Cromwell in Las Vegas.  What a beautiful open air restaurant environment.  It truly is a beautiful restaurant.  Will I be back-not so much.

Oh no, you ask why.  Limited menu, expensive prices and so much more.  The third photo is of our $14 appetizer-Chicken Marsala Meatbals.  5 tiny little meatballs, which were good served with cherry tomatoes, that were bigger than the meatballs and a few mushrooms(the photo makes it appear bigger than they are).  Kind of pricey, but ok.

The top photo was my Lemon Pesto Grilled Cheese served with zucchini crisps.  See that slab of ham hanging off the side.  The thing is I didn't order it with ham, in fact the waiter Juliano checked with me twice to see if I wanted ham and I said no.  Plus as you can see, if I had wanted the ham, it was supposed to be prosciutto ham and this is baked ham.  I then waited for 20 minutes for the waiter to appear at our table, to see how our meal was going.  But of course, by  then my lunch companion, Deb Bergen-2nd photo was almost finished eating-she had the Turkey Panini with an Arugula Salad-4th photo.  So of course, the manager was sent over, my lunch untouched and offered me something else.  Now, I'm going to wait another 30 minutes, please....

 

But I love Giada and I love her cookbooks and her cooking show.  She makes me hungry watching her cook

 

I was not impressed though with an overpriced menu of Panini sandwiches, Pizza and Salads.  Giada, as a tourist attraction, you certainly have the crowds of people waiting to dine there, but I left your restaurant hungry and unhappy.

 

 

Happy Cooking!

Litte Crown and Anchor Pub

Last week I visited the Crown and Anchor Pub (the one on the left) on Spring Mountain Rd.  There are actually two of them-the original at 1350 E. Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas (on the right).  This is a British Pub featuring typical British fare.  Examples:  Bangers & Mash, Yorkshire Pudding, Chicken & Leek Pie, Cottage Pie, Sausage Roll & a Ploughman's Lunch.

I am not a lover of British food, so I had my American Steak Sandwich w/chips.  Turns out it was a very nice strip steak and I loved it.  I had friends with me though who went for the British fare:  they had Cornish pasties, Fish & Chips (1/2 pound of cod) & Steak & Mushroom Pie.  Everyone loved the food.  If you are a true Fish & Chips person on Monday nights, it's unlimited fish & chips for $10.95.

The staff was very courteous, responsive and enjoyed having a group of 15 diners, with individual checks for everyone.  This is not always the case in restaurants in Las Vegas.  So next time you're in Las Vegas-give it a try.

 

 

Steak & Mushroom Pie

 

 

 

Fish & Chips

 

 

 

 

Happy Cooking!

 



Cooking for One-Sometimes

Happy and successful cooking doesn't rely only on know-how; it comes from the heart, makes great demands on the palate and needs enthusiasm and a deep love of food to bring it to life.

-George Blanc







 

I love pasta, but most pasta recipes are for 4 to 8.  I found this single serving recipe in a very old Taste of Home Magazine for a single serving and this was excellent.  I wanted to share this, for the times when you only want pasta for one serving.  I never would have guessed that 1/2 cup uncooked penne pasta would have been enough, but it is the perfect pasta serving.  Plus, I used gluten-free pasta-only because at one point I thought I was allergic, but it turns out I'm not and I needed to use up the pasta.   I couldn't tell the difference in flavor.

 

 

 

1/2 cup uncooked penne pasta

2 tsp. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes

dash dried oregano

dash pepper

2 small fresh mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp. chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp. diced sweet red pepper

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

1/3 cup 2% milk

2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese

 

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, bouillon, garlic powder, parsley, oregano and pepper.

In a small nonstick skillet, saute' the mushrooms, onion and red pepper in oil until tender.  Stir in flour mixture.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.  Drain pasta; add to  mushroom mixture and stir to coat. 

 

Marvelous, darling.....

 

Speaking of gluten-free products, I tried the Pillsbury gluten-free pie dough.  Blech, horrible, all I could taste was the oil in it.  Easy product to use, but Blech.....

 

So after making the pasta, I had leftover milk, mushrooms, onions and red pepper, so I used some of it to make a frittata.  Of course, I will be having frittata forever, because it makes 8 servings, but  I can freeze some of it.

 

So now for the on-going sale of some of my cookbooks.  Again you can buy them on Amazon at One of a Kind Cookbooks or through me directly with PayPal at crazyvalbrown@yahoo.com .

 

 

The author's delicious and compulsively readable account of her experience undercover in her position as a food critic for The New York Times.  She throws back the curtain on the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world to reveal the comic absurdity, artifice and excellence in trying to give honest reviews.  The author knew that to be a good restaurant critic, you have to be anonymous, but when she signs up to be the most important restaurant critic in the country, her picture is posted in every four-star, low-star and no-star kitchen in town. Managers offer cash bonuses for advance notice of her visits and roll out the red-carpet whether she likes it or not.  What's a critic in search of the truth to do? 

Read the book and find out.  $7.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Looking for State Fair Recipe Winners?  Try all this Home Cooking and award-winning recipes with Better Homes and Gardens Hometown Cooking.  $3.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

Happy Cooking!

 

 

The last week of April

 

 

Alice Waters, born on this day in 1944, grew up in New Jersey, where she "never tasted a perfectly ripe tomato".  On a trip to France in her early twenties, she experienced for the first time food straight from the garden or farm, simply prepared and eaten at rustic country tables.  It changed her life.

 

She adopted that cooking style as her own, and the friends who gathered at her house in Berkeley often urged her to open a restaurant.  The result was Chez Panisse, which opened its doors in 1971.  She imagined it as a place where straightforward food prepared with fresh ingredients would be served in an atmosphere of true hospitality.  This was a simple idea, bull simplifications are astounding.

 

Over the years, her enthusiasm, energy, and insistence on perfection changed the face of American dining, first at her own restaurant and then through the chefs who worked with her, adopted her creed and opened their own restaurants across the country.

 

An early advocate of organic food, she developed a network of more than sixty farmers and ranchers who supply ingredients to Chez Panisse.  She has even created a special position at the restaurant, the forager, whose job is to make the rounds of suppliers and to seek out new ones.  Rather than deciding on what will be served and then shopping for the food, the menu is determined each day based on the best ingredients that have been found.

 

She believes people need to renew a lost connection to the land.  In line with this idea was the Garden project:  inmates at the san Francisco County Jail growing organic greens.  Alice was a huge supporter and bought the produce for Chez Panisse.  She herself started the Edible Schoolyard, where kids grow, harvest, cook and eat their own food.  She believes in starting early to teach children not only the wisdom but also the pleasure of eating healthful food.  A close friend of hers always pauses guiltily before entering a fast-food restaurant.  "Don't tell Alice", she says.

 

Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA

 

 

 

Reprinted from "Life is Meals" by James and Kay Salter.

 

 

Now for me.  I have been working a lot this month to make up for my "sad" paycheck in April (due to my trip to Bangkok in March-don't feel sorry for me yet).  So I finally have 6 days off at the end of April/May and I think "I'll go somewhere fun".  I need a break, I'm tired.  So I consider going to visit my grandchildren or maybe Hawaii.  Next thing you know, my tote bag luggage tag hits me in the eye and now I have a black eye.   At first I think I can't go anywhere with a black eye, but then I get over it-that's what makeup is for.  So the next day I start planning again, a simple trip somewhere fun.  And then I slice my arm open-okay I get it!  The fates are telling me to stay home-why I don't know, but I'm listening already!  It's funny how life talks to you sometimes.  

 

Metro Pizza

 

There are numerous cooking schools in Las Vegas, but I am interested in short-term fun classes.  I would like to try Metro Pizza, which has a pizza cooking class on the 2nd Tuesday and the last Tuesday of each month-this is for adults and costs $24.95.  Go to www.metropizza.com for more information.  Weekly they have free classes for kids to learn how to make pizzas-not fair!

 

 

The Cooking Experience at Mise En Place

 

And due to a recent birthday gift certificate from my sister Donna, I will be taking a Mexican cooking class on May 8th at "The Cooking Experience at Mise En Place" in Henderson.  Will let you know how it goes.

 

 

Sur La Table

 

There is also Sur La Table in Summerlin, Las Vegas with daily, cooking classes.  Which seems to be focusing on more demonstrating cooking than actually learning on my own.  But I might be wrong.  I will be signing up for a class there soon too and will let you know.

 

 

In the meanwhile, Happy Cooking!

The Spice Outlet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I explore the sights and sounds of Las Vegas, I came across The Spice Outlet from an article in the Las Vegas Review-The Southwest View last week.  This is a new store on W. Warm Springs Rd, that has been offering spices on a wholesale basis to restaurants & Casinos in Las Vegas, but now offers them for the individual retail customer as well.  My interest was peaked when they talked about selling "beet powder", that can be used for red velvet cake instead of red food coloring.  You can get "a pinch of this", a "dash of that" or by the ounce (s).  They offer over 250 spices-a sampling, whole lavender, leek powder, ground fenugeek (I have no idea what this is), chamomile flowers, spinach powder rub.  With your first visit, they will give you a complete list of all spices offered.

 

A small shop, but worth exploring.  The Spice Outlet is located at 9690 W.Warm Springs Rd, past Rainbow, before Buffalo.  702-534-7883.

 

With that, I am going to introduce 4 new cookbooks for sale from "One of a Kind Cookbooks" found on Amazon or by emailing me directly for purchase at crazyvalbrown@yahoo.com with payment going through paypal.com

 

 

 

 

Looking for simply sweet recipes?  You're in for a treat!  Whether it's a quick pick-me-up to start your day or a crowd pleasing masterpiece for your next dinner party, the recipes in this book are both simple and sensational because they're mad with Splenda Sweeteners.  New-$7.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Two legendary cooks, Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, invite us into their kitchen and us the basics of good (mostly French) home cooking.

 

What makes this book unique is the richness of information they offer on every page, as they demonstrate techniques (on which they don't always agree), discuss ingredients, improvise, balance flavors to round out a meal and conjure up new dishes from leftovers.  Center stage in these pages are carefully spelled out-the recipes flanked by Julia's comments and Jacques comments-the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime of honing their cooking skills. 

 

This is one big book and it's brand new and it weighs over 5 lbs.  $65.00 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

This magazine is no longer being published, but it is for Chocolate Lovers only.  This issue deals with the Ten Best Pastry Chefs in America-1998, White Chocolate & Fruit Desserts, Cool-Whirled-Flavorful drinks to help you chill, Posh-Sicles-Summer busting treats, all grown up, Cakes To Bake & Take and so much more.  $3.99 collectible, but in new condition, plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Decadent Desserts on the Double.  Sandra Lee, host of the ever popular Food Network show Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee shares awe-inspiring sweets that taste homemade and are amazingly easy to make.  By pairing 70% store-bought 30% fresh foods, this book creats a time-saving collection of super-simple, delicious desserts. 

 

New-$3.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

Happy Cooking!

When is my next vacation?

I want a new vacation.  Sad, I just got back from one.  That should be enough for awhile, but it's not.  And I have finally gotten my feet back in order, so that there is no pain, just aches once in a while.  For now, also, I don't have to wear the orthopedic inserts in my shoes, still sandals are a thing in the past for me-maybe not though.  If I can wear regular shoes without inserts, maybe one day, I will be able to wear sandals again.

In the meanwhile, I am hunting down my  next vacation.  I have looked at 2 weeks in China with Sinorama Tours in Vancouver.  They have a great deal going with roundtrip air from Las Vegas, 6 nights touring China, 4 night cruise on the Yangtze River and almost all meals for $1,899.00.  This is a tremendous deal, but I don't know if its the one I want.  I haven't been to China yet-so there is that.

But there is also a great deal with Princess Cruises for 7 night Alaska cruise for $346 in May & June, but it's cold in Alaska, even in May or June.  I have spent 5 days in Ketchikan, AK, so I guess there is more Alaska to see.

 

I just don't know.  So I thought I would cook something to get my mind off vacations.  I am trying (I am always trying) a new macaroni and cheese recipe.  This is so easy, so I decided to share it.  This is from "Our Favorite Recipes from Gooseberry Patch" and it is sold new for $7.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling,

 

 

 

Best-Ever Macaroni & Cheese

 

8-oz pkg, elbow macaroni, cooked & drained

16-oz container cottage cheese

3/4 cup sour cream

8-oz pkg  shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. onion, grated

Garnish:  Italian-flavored dry bread crumbs, paprika, dried parsley

 

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a 2-quart casserole dish.  Garnish with bread crumbs, paprika and parsley.  Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

 

This is my kind of recipe. Yummy, good, but I don't need all those garnishes.  Great for families, crowds.  Makes 6 servings.

 

 

So as I have said before, you purchase this book and the following at One Of a Kind Cookbooks on Amazon.com or through me directly through PayPal, using my email address crazyvalbrown@yahoo.com.

 

Here are some other fun cookbooks from my 1800 cookbooks that I have yet to sell:

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Gorge George "Without Fattening Fanny" was written in 1970 by Nancy Gould.  So take some of these recipes without a grain of salt-they're older, not updated, but what titles:  No Flabbage Cabbage, Franks Sinatra, Faked Baked Potato, Counterfeit Caviar, Liver for Lovers, Prune Whip A Go Go.

 

The slim solution for fat pollution!  Whether you're mad, sad, lonely or just plain hungry...you can eat to your heart's content.  This is considered a collectible-almost brand new $59.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Ever conclude an exhilarating day on the golf course with a little excess energy?  Use it to create your very own "Fairway to Heaven", right in your own kitchen!  The sporty and suggestive romantic recipes in this book offer the perfect opportunity to combine your favorite game and your favorite partner.  "Playing a Round" is only the beginning with dishes like Tee Me and Bogey Kabobs prove golf is more delicious with a twosome.  By the time you've finished one of this book's gourmet meals, even your wildest fantasies will be a gimme.

 

Who says the fun ends with the 18th hole.  If your partner on the course is also the object of your culinary conquest, you won't want to take a mulligan on this one!

 

This book sells new for $8.48, plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

The recipes in this book capture the flavor and personality of the Loveless Café, one of America's unique eateries-a place loved for its warm personality and the kind of honest food that brings smiles to everyone who enjoys its pleasures. 

 

The Loveless Motel & Café is located in Nashville, TN on Highway 100, just east of the northern terminus of the  Natchez Trace Parkway is known for its biscuits, fruit preserves, red-eye gravy and country ham.

 

This is considered a collectible, in almost new condition for $19.95 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Tasty Treats and Clever Crafts for Kids.  The "o"s have it!.  There all sorts of clever ways for kids to enjoy Cheerios!  This colorful book is packed with recipes for 25 tasty treats plus 10 cool craft activities the whole family will love.

 

This considered a new cookbook and sells for $8.99, plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

 

 

 

 

Home comfort food without hours of cleanup.  Comfort food is an essential part of the way we eat.  Even the busiest among us have to slow down occasionally and when we do there's nothing quite as satisfying as a bowl of Chicken Noodle or Potato Leek Soup.  Here are recipes for 30 hearty soups and stews, and 71 more classic suppers, all served up in one dish to  make everyone happy.

 

This is a new cookbook and sells for $8.99, plus $3.99 shipping and handling.

 

 

My mac and cheese is almost ready and my mouth is watering.

 

Happy Cooking!

Still Computer Challenged, After All These Years!

I am technically challenged and up until recently, I thought it was a bad thing, but not anymore.  Because now, every time I learn something new on the computer, I am so excited.  Look I learned how to save a picture to a computer and insert it in this blog!  I couldn't have done this 3 months ago! When I ask people for help, they try and explain everything to me, but I am kind of a "fall into kind of girl" and I learn at my own pace.  The above example, friends have been trying to show me to how to cut and paste for the last 5 years.  And then one day recently, I figured out how to do it.

My latest challenge is uploading iPhone pictures into my Toshiba laptop.  I plug it in (I do have the correct wires and plugs), turn on my camera and photos and in my mind, it should just upload the photos.  But obviously, I am missing the big picture here, because nothing happens.  I am assuming there is some kind of upload button and I am missing the symbol for it.

Also, I recently bought a selfie camera in Thailand for $6.00 and I love it.  So far, none of my selfie photos are for BlogSpot publications, but there will come a time.

Also (a lot of also's in here), I recently read the book "I Must Say" by Martin Short and I loved it.  I couldn't put it down.  A who's who of comedy in the 70's & 80's.  I am a huge fan of Martin Short & his comedy skits.

Remember Art Linkletter?  He hosted many TV shows, but most people remember "Kids, Say the Darndest Things".  This was one of his soups and I thought this can't work, but it does.  Try it sometime.

Tomato Mix-Up

Several cans of stewed tomatoes

A lot of torn-up bread pieces

Butter to taste

Sugar to tase.

Open stewed tomatoes and transfer to a large pot or saucepan (not iron).  Add a lot of torn-up bread pieces or rolls, plus sugar and butter to taste.  Heat, stirring, untl the bread has absorbed the juices into big marshmallow-sized chunks, all a beautiful tomato red.  Serve.

So here are a few more books from my cookbook library for sale on Amazon.com or you can send me an email to crazyvalbrown@yahoo.com and then payment to paypal at the same email address.  I use media mail from the USPS, which is cheaper and books are heavy, but takes longer-usually 9 days, so be patient. 

I have to say that this cover certainly gets your attention.  The photography is tremendous.  Ever since Marc Antony first fed Cleopatra grapes, sensual foods have been intertwined with romance.   With more than 85 heart-melting dishes, the bed or wherever one might be entertaining.  Each chapter delves into the history of aphrodisiacs, alongside results and hints from participating testing couples.  To help the love-hungry integrate these sensual foods into their lives (I'm getting hot just reading this).  But the cherry on top (so to speak), is the array of full-color photographs that reveal a new side to seemingly normal food.  New-$14.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

Remember the James Bond movie "Diamonds Are Forever", well here is Bond girl "Tiffany Case",  Jill St. John is also married to the legendary Robert Wagner.  Our author presents dozens upon dozens of mouth-watering delicacies with an International accent and universal appeal.  Ranging from earthy to elegant, classic to contemporary.  And for you Jill St. John fans, this book was autographed by the author.  Now out of print, this book is considered a collectible, but a brand-new collectible and sells for $29.99 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

Hawaii's local cuisine is a smorgasbord of flavors with influences from Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and Hawaiian.  This book has more than 140 favorite island recipes, passed on from friends, coworkers,  relatives-local favorites that can be found at potlucks and beach barbecues throughout the islands.  Many of these recipes can be cooked in 30 minutes or less.  New-$8.23 plus $3.99 shipping & handling.

A sumptuous array of the ultimate finger foods-tapas from Mexico and Spain.  When the Spanish conquered Mexico more than 400 years ago, they not only found gold, but also corn, beans, chillies, tomatoes, avocados, potatoes, squash, zucchinis and a wealth of new fruits and spices.

Tapas, or "little dishes", are now a tradition in both Mexico and Spain.  They are usually eaten late in the afternoon or early evening, in a social setting such as a bar, cafe or party, making them the center of social occasions and festivities.  New-$6.48 plus $3.99 shipping and handling.

All this talking of food is making me hungry.  I hear my Caesar salad calling my name for lunch.

Happy Cooking.