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!

Recipe of the Day-Bow Ties with Artichoke Pesto

I found this recipe and yeah, I have all the ingredients in the house.  I made the pesto earlier in the day.  So very, very easy.  And then the pasta a little while later.  I used this handy new small chopper/food processor that they have set up for Christmas gifts at Smiths(west coast)/Krogers (back east) for $7.99.  I'm going to go get a few more today for Christmas gifts.  I have been wanting one of these for awhile.  I have the big food processor that my son gave me 2 Christmas's ago that I use a lot.  But I really wanted a small permanent counter food processor too, for the little stuff.

 

This recipe is from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-minute meals 2 presented by Food Network. There are over 100 recipes that are quick and easy to make.  This may end up being a Christmas present for someone, but right now it's available for sale on my Amazon storefront.  www.amazon.com/shops/oneofakindcookbooks .

 

Bow Ties with Artichoke Pasta

 

8 ounces bow tie pasta (approximately half a box)

2 jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. lemon juice

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

 

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook bow ties according to package directions.  In food processor, combine artichoke hearts, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice.  Process for 30 seconds.  Slowly add in olive oil until mixture is a coarse paste.  Transfer pesto to a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Drain pasta and add to pesto in bowl.  Toss to coat.  Stir in basil.  Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Serves 4.

 

What a perfect recipe for the pasta lover in me!

 

Happy Cooking!

 

 

Julia Child

I love what Julia Child has done for cooking.  I don't own any of her cookbooks, but hope one day to own one.  I want her DVDs too.  She makes me laugh so much and I learn so much from her on those DVDs.  Whenever she can't figure out what to say or where to go next, she'll say in her big booming voice "And Now".

This is a little about her personal history from "Life is Meals" by Jame & Kay Salter.

On this day, August 15, 1912, Julia McWilliams who under married name of Julia Child would become a major figure in American cooking, was born in Pasadena, CA.  Her father was well-to-do.  The family always had a cook, and Julia did not begin cooking until she was 32.  Before that, he said, "I just ate".

She graduated from Smith College in 1934-tall, animated, and at ease with herself-worked as a copywriter in New York for a while, but then returned home.  When the country entered World War II, she signed up with the glamorous OSS-Office of Strategic Services-hoping to become a spy, all six feet two inches of her.  She was sent instead to be a file clerk in Ceylon, where, as it turned out she met her husband.

She and Paul Child were married in 1946 and soon moved to Paris, where, trying to learn to cook, she attend the Cordon Bleu, the only woman in the class.  She met Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, and the three of them started a cooking school of their own and collaborated on what was to become her influential work. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which took ten year to write.  It wa dedicated to France and it people, who through generations of invention and concentration, had created "one of the world's great arts."

Her true popularity came through television.  She whisked up an omelet on her first appearance and viewer loved her from the start, her manner and high, enthusiastic voice.  She established herself as a personality, lively and imperturbable.  "I fell in love with the public," he said, "the public fell in love with me, and I tried to keep it that way."

Fervent, dedicated to instructing, she was always so relaxed that it was often thought that she had been drinking.  She became a national figure and remained true to her principle, as well as to public television, where she had the freedom to cook tripe, kidneys, and other things, unthinkable on commercial TV.

During her career she wrote ten cookbooks, all of them noted for their clarity.  She once said that her ideal house would have just two rooms, a bedroom and a kitchen, and when she was asked what her guilty pleasures were, replied, "I don't have any guilt."

She died in California two days before she would have been ninety-two.

My recipe today is from Rachael Ray 2 30-Minute Meals by Rachael Ray & the Food Network.  It sells for $8.99 on my Amazon storefront.  www.amazon.com/shops/oneofakindcookbooks   I love Tiramisu and this is actually a very quick & tasty version.

Quick Tiramisu

1 package lady fingers

1/2 cup strong black coffee

3 ounces coffee liqueur

2 cups Mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup powdered confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Open the ladyfingers and separate them.  Paint the ladyfinger with coffee combined with the coffee liqueur using a pastry brush.  Line 4 martini glasses with a single layers of ladyfingers, letting the cakes overlap a bit in them.  Pres the cake down to fit the lines of the glass.  Beat Mascarpone and sugar together, 2 or 3 minutes and spoon into the glasses.  Top glasses off with a cap of coffee and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers.  Dust each completed dessert with cocoa powder combined with a touch of cinnamon.

Happy Cooking!

Recipes For Life

Some cause happiness wherever they go; whenever they go. -Oscar Wilde

Since my work base is Milwaukee and I spend so much time there, I thought I would give you the tourism overview of things to see and do.
The The Milwaukee Food Tour: a 2.5 hours progressive food meal with a taste of history-all foods & drinks included. 800-979-3370. www.milwaukeefoodtours.com
The Wisconsin Cheese Bar Cheesemart, established in 1938.  Cheese Store during the day, Cheese Bar at night! 1048 N. Old World St, Milwaukee, WI 53203. 414-272-3544. www.wisconsincheesemart.com
Harley Davidson-experience the anatomy of an engine with a motorcycle tour of their factory.  www.harley-davidson.com/experiencew or 877-883-1450
Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion-represents the epitome of America's Gilded Age splendor in Milwaukee For a museum-2000 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233 or 414-931-0808

More to come on Milwaukee

Appetizers for the Party Season:
Slow-Cooker Spinach Dip (my favorite from the Food Network)
Mix 1 cup grated smoked mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 box thawed frozen spinach, 1 jar artichoke hearts, and salt and pepper in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

Hi! Busy today, shipping off the many cookbooks that have sold this week on my EBay listing-Valerie2901. Thanks again for the sales! Many new cookbooks to be listed, as soon as I find the time.

Yesterday, my first day back from my trip and I booked an amazing massage with Christa at the Las Vegas Hilton Spa. There are not many masseuses that can relax me enough to make me fall asleep, but Christa did and I am totally relaxed from it. The mysterious aches and pains in my knees and calves are gone.

I was reading something forwarded to me today that I found interesting and wanted to pass it along. If you know any women receiving Chemotherapy, there is a cleaning service that provides free housecleaning for 4 months. You're required to get a note from your doctor faxed to Cleaning For a Reason and they will contact the cleaning service in the zip code of the woman.

www.cleaningforareason.org. Honestly, I can't believe it doesn't, but this group does not include men in this free house cleaning, though I am sure there are exceptions allowed. It's part of the breast cancer group and is offered nationwide.

The starvation diet seems to be working-I lost 5 pounds last week. I'm not really starving myself, but it is limited calories to 1250 per day and to me that's starving myself. I have found a new sandwich bread that travels so well. Orowheat Sandwich Thins is the name, stays fresh longer than most breads, try not to refrigerate-dries it out, but for people who travel, this is a great little bread to carry around. It's hard to find in the grocery stores,-so keep checking back-100 calories per sandwich bread (2 slices). And I don't know if turkeys cluck, but I have eaten so much turkey breast, that I feel like clucking!

Always looking for new ideas to heat up in a coffee pot in the hotel or on the plane-one of my friends brought a can of french onion soup, poured it in a plastic bag, added some croutons and a slice of provolone cheese and re-heated/cooked in the coffee pot water-amazingly good!

A new chef website you may not be aware of www.chefjeffcooked.com. He is on Sunday afternoons on the Food Network and has a new cookbook out.

A food event you may or may not want to attend-August 4-8, 2010 Testicle Festival in Clinton, MT. The Rocky Mountain Oyster festival, serving deep-fried bull testicles. I think I will skip this one!

This food event sounds a little better: March 6-7, 2010, The Festival of Chocolate in Orlando, FL. Be a kid in the candy store and enjoy two days of chocolate treats at the Orlando Science Center. The event will have competitions, demos by awarding winning pastry chefs, & a Kids-4-Chocolate area.

I sell a lot of biography's (not just cookbooks) on my EBay listing that I have already read. Not read yet, but I'm looking forward to reading is an early book done by Louie Anderson, the comedian. Titled Dear Dad-Letters From An Adult Child. Once finished, I'm hoping to get this autographed by Mr. Anderson at the Excalibur Hotel, where he performs nightly. Look for this in the next week or two if you are interested in purchasing it on my EBay listing-Valerie2901.

That's all for now.

Cookbook Val