Las Vegas

Last week I was in Las Vegas, staying at the new Cosmopolitan Hotel for 4 nights and had a chance to eat at some great restaurants.

Saturday night I went to Fleming's Steakhouse with my uncle.  It's off the strip in Summerlin, which is close to where he lives.  For a chain restaurant, this place was really nice.  The steaks were delicious and the service was unmatched.  The atmosphere was beautiful and gave the space a warm, cozy feeling.

We started with the Lobster and Vegetable Tempura with red jalapeno pepper and soy-ginger sauces, Jumbo Lumo Crab Cakes with roasted red pepper and lime butter sauce and the Wicked Cajun BBQ Shrimp marinated with a flair of garlic and spices.  All were quite good.  I thought the shrimp dish was a bit disappointing.  It came with 4 medium size shrimp swimming in a gratin dish of a creamy sauce.  If I had known about the sauce, I would not have ordered it.

We all got steaks, a Filet Mignon (Main), Prime Ribeye and Prime Bone-In Ribeye.  The steaks were perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection.  We ordered the string beans and mushrooms as the sides.  These were perfect accoutrements to the steaks.

They have a large wine list with over a 100 wines by the glass.  We stayed clear of dessert because we were so full, but the choices looked good.

Sunday I was lucky enough to have dinner with my other Uncle who, surprisingly, was in town for vacation!  We went to Texas de Brazil, a chain Brazilian steakhouse.  All in all, it's a decent place, but just be prepared to overeat.  There is so much food and the meats are really delicious.  You can't have a bad meal here.  Needless to say, I fell into a meat coma as soon as I got home.

Monday was Valentines Day and I was lucky enough to spend it with my honey.  We went to Nobu at the Hard Rock hotel.  Nobu has been around for years and you know what to expect when you dine there.  Of course, we had the Miso Black Cod, which was divine.  Tons of rolls and sashimi.  We were dissappointed with the lobster ceviche, which we were obsessed with at the Nobu in San Diego.  The menu is a little different, but we were expecting a similar taste.  Oh well.  We have the recipe at home, so we'll make it one night for ourselves.  The sake was delicious, we had the Nobu TK40, sweet and very refreshing.  Very easy to drink.  If you are in NY, Crush Wine sells it and has free delivery to all five boroughs.

Tuesday was quite a night.  I had a 9:30pm reservation at STK in the Cosmopolitan Hotel.  Needless to say, this was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had.  These were the most pretentious, obnoxious, rude and unprofessional people.  I don't mind waiting 15 minutes for a reservation, but we didn't sit down until 10:45pm.  No one at the host desk apologized, offered us a round of drinks, nothing.  They just ignored us. When we finally sat down, the woman who sat us didn't even apologize.  We had a very nice waiter who was apologetic even though it wasn't his fault.  He got the "manager" for us and some guy named Josh came over, apologized and offered to "take care of us" during our dining experience.  That never happened.  Honestly, I don't want to waste anymore time writing about this place.

Wednesday was such a pleasant night.  It was my last night in Vegas and I was going to one of my favorite places, Blue Ribbon Sushi, also located at the Cosmopolitan Hotel.  They have one in Brooklyn and Manhattan, so I was very excited to try this one out.  The service was top notch, the waiter was as nice as can be, handsome as well.  As for the food, I had the Negamaki which just melted in your mouth, it was so delicious.  The sashimi was great, as was the spicy lobster and Blue Ribbon roll.  The Kanpachi Usuzukuri, which is sliced amberjack with yuzu pepper, was pefect. The yuzu pepper had the right amount of heat and the citrusy soy sauce it came with was divine.  The end all was the Oxtail Fried Rice with daikon, shitake and bone marrow.  It was perfectly cooked, almost creamy with the bone marrow.

Recipes from Super Bowl Sunday!

Turkey Chili

12-16 servings

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 lbs ground turkey
• 3 large white onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 green bell peppers (any color), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 chipotles in adobo + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (16 oz) carton chicken broth
• 1-2 (15 oz) can(s) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons kosher salt

Accompaniments: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped avocado, diced sweet onion, chopped scallions, sliced jalapenos, chopped radishes

Heat an extra large, heavy stock pot on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add the turkey. Make sure the turkey gets browned for extra flavor. Before it's fully cooked, remove and put aside in a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil, onions, peppers and garlic. Saute until onions are golden brown. Add the oregano, cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, chipotles and adobo sauce. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, kidney beans, brown sugar and salt.

Simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. Adjust spices and heat to your taste throughout the cooking process.

Pigeon Peas and Rice

10-12 servings

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 white onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 (15 oz) cans green pigeon peas, drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt

Heat the olive oil in a large (4-6 quart) heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and peppers, saute until lightly browned. Add oregano, cumin, bay leaf and cayenne. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add rice, chicken broth, pigeon peas and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, simmer covered for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

For the Pico de Gallo recipe, check the March 16th post.

The Rum Cake recipe....not happening, sorry, family secret.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - It was a mix from a bakery in San Francisco called Specialty's.  The best cookies ever.  If you know anyone who's headed to California, Chicago or Washington, ask them to pick up a box of mix for you!!

Roast Pork, this was done by Mr. Steele.  Feel free to email him for his recipe.


Lemonade with Thyme - Get organic fresh thyme, bruise a bit, and tie a bunch with butcher twine.  Add to the lemonade and let it sit overnight.  Drink as is, or add vodka!

Rum Punch - To make a large pitcher, combine fruit punch (frozen or from the refrigerated section), OJ, pineapple juice, peach nectar, cranberry juice, grenadine.  Add rum to your liking.

Let me know if you have any questions.  Stay tuned for the next installment.

7 days until the re-launch of The Foodie Trials

First, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has asked about and supported The Foodie Trials during the 5 months it's been on hiatus.

Since I've moved back to NY, it's been an "interesting" journey back home, but worth all the pains involved.  Do I miss San Francisco, I do, especially the weather!  We've had snow fall every week for the past 4 weeks.  I'm over it, especially when the temp in SF is 60 degrees.  I also miss the good friends I made out there that still keep in touch with me.  Thanks guys!

The apartment is finally looking like a home, with just a few tweaks still needed here and there.  All in all, we are ready for folks to come out to Brooklyn to visit.

Now, let's talk about NY and food.  Getting back into the swing of things is tough with this extreme weather.  But currently, my motivation has come through NYC Restaurant Week, which is happening now.  It gives you the opportunity to try restaurants offering prix fixe lunches and dinners.  I've been able to tackle a few:

• A Voce Madison
• Colicchio & Sons
• Resto

This coming week I'll try Fig & Olive and Lure Fish Bar.  It's also giving me the opportunity to reconnect with friends, which has been a blast.

Super Bowl XLV is Sunday, February 6th. 

Although we're upset that the Jets didn't make it, we're still up for watching Pittsburgh and Green Bay duke it out.  I'll be home preparing some really delicious Super Bowl dishes.  The lineup for Sunday will be:

• Slow Roasted Pork  - I think we know who'll be preparing this...We'll serve this with some warm potato rolls in case anyone wants to make sliders.
• Pigeon Peas & Rice - also known as Arroz con Gandules, can be used as a side for the pork or to use as a base for the chili.
• Turkey Chili - I make a super chunky, hearty chili with lots of veggies and a few surprise ingredients.  I'll leave out the beans since there will be beans in the rice.
• Fresh Crudite with Hummus - I'm debating whether to make the hummus from scratch as I'm a huge fan of Tribes Hummus . Stay tuned.
• Pico de Gallo with chips- This is a tradition in my house.  Pico de gallo is made for pretty much every sports event at the house.  I like to make guacamole as well, but avocados are so expensive right now, unless I can find them on sale, it won't happen.
• Cookies - we'll have some fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.
• Rum Cake - for those of you who know me, it's a given.

Drinks - Classic Rum Punch, Thyme Scented Lemonade, Beer, Wine and Spirits.

I'll start posting details on all the recipes starting Friday in case you're interested in any of these dishes.  Full details and pics on Monday.

Jackee

Foodie Trials will be back in a few weeks!

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since you've heard from me, but there are a lot of exciting new things happening...I'm moving back to NY in 9 days!  Once I get settled in, THE FOODIE TRIALS will pick up where it left off.  I'm excited to be back in the greatest city in the world.

Thanks for your patience, stay tuned.

Love,
Jackee

A page from my "book" - Jerk Seasoning, Black Bean Soup

As I anticipate my upcoming trip to the Virgin Islands, I think about all the food I love to have that reminds me of family and my culture.  Caribbean food is influenced mainly by African, European and Latin cuisine.  Depending on the island, the influence could be skewed towards one cuisine more than the other.  Either way, Caribbean food is complex, full of flavor and ranges from simple to complicated.

This week, I started the meal with a really delicious Black Bean Soup.  YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS, IT'S SO EASY AND DELICIOUS!  All you need is a pot and a blender.  No soaking of beans involved.

Easy Black Bean Soup
Servings: 2

2 tbsp vegetable oil 
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves peeled, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
4 shakes of Tabasco
2 tsp red or white wine vinegar 
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

Topping
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
2 tbsp red pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp jalapeño pepper finely chopped, no seeds
Kosher salt 


Heat oil in large stock pot over medium-low heat.  Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic.  Saute until vegetables are soft, not burnt, about 8-10 minutes.  Add salt and pepper, bay leaves, and stir for about 2 minutes.  Add stock, beans and Tabasco.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.  In the last 5 minutes, add the vinegar and 2 tbsp of the cilantro and stir.

For the topping, combine cilantro, red pepper, red onion and jalapeno in a small bowl.  Season with salt.  Set aside. 

Because hot liquids expand when blended, make sure you don't fill the blender more than half way.  Carefully transfer half the beans to the blender.  Remove the cap from the hole in the lid, and cover with a kitchen towel.  Start the blender on low and increase the speed until you get a smooth consistency.  Repeat until you've blended all the beans.

Pour the soup into each bowl and add topping to the middle of each bowl. 

 


Jerk is one of those seasonings that is a staple in the Caribbean.  It has its roots in Jamaica.  Normally the seasoning is made up of a number of herbs and spices and has a thick paste consistency.  My Jerk is more of a wet marinade.  It can be used with any type of meat or poultry...even fish.

Jerk Seasoning
Servings:4
 
6 scallions, roughly chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped (mild - remove the seeds, spicy - keep the seeds)

or 

1 habanero pepper or scotch bonnet peppers, roughly chopped (hot - remove the seeds, crazy hot - keep the seeds)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp dark brown sugar

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Adjust salt and heat levels.


For the best results, marinate your meat or chicken at least 4 hours, overnight is best.  If using fish, it doesn't need as long.


I served my jerk chicken with fresh corn on the cob and white rice. 

Please let me know if you try these and let me know what you think!

A page from my "book" - Oven Fried Catfish, Spicy Curry Chickpeas w/ Brown Rice

Hey everyone.  It's been a few weeks, but I'm back.

This weekend I made a light lunch, but the portions could definitely be increased for a more substantial dinner.  Inspired by curry powder that fell out of my packed pantry, both recipes use the same kind of curry.  I use McCormick Gourmet Collection Curry Powder.  I also added some diced tomato and cucumber to the dish, in addition to some addictive Mango-Ginger Chutney I got from Trader Joe's.

These two recipes are straight out of my kitchen.  I hope you enjoy them.

Oven Fried Catfish
Servings: 2


2 Catfish fillets, cut into large pieces
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
Pinch cayenne
Pinch thyme


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.


Place milk in a shallow dish (pie plate works well).  Place catfish pieces in milk.  While the catfish is soaking in the milk, combine the cornmeal and remaining 7 spices in another shallow dish.  Mix well.

Dredge the catfish in the cornmeal mix.  Make sure the fish is evenly coated.  Place on the baking sheet.  Spray the top of each piece liberally with olive oil or cooking spray.


Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Spicy Curry Chickpeas w/ Brown Rice
Servings: 2-3

1 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup green pepper, finely diced
1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
1 tsp jalapeño pepper, minced, no seeds
1 cup corn kernels teaspoons 
1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp Salt 
Pepper to taste
1 small red potato, cut in half
Hot cooked brown rice
Finley diced cucumber 
Finley diced plum tomato
Mango chutney (optional)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, on medium high heat.  Add garlic, sauté 2 minutes.  Add green peppers, onions, carrots, jalapeño pepper and corn, sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add curry and cumin, stir into vegetables and cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the beans, broth, ginger, salt, pepper and potato.  Bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to medium low, cover, simmer for 20 minutes.  Periodically check for heat and spice.  If it's too spicy, add an additional potato and broth.  Serve over the brown rice with cucumber, tomato and chutney.

Let me know what you think about these!  Hope you get a chance to try at your home!

Farmers Market, Fava Bean with Grilled Corn and Mint, Hierloom Tomato Salad

The best thing about San Francisco is the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables that are available.  On Saturday's, we have a great Farmer's Market at the Ferry Building.  It's really hard to not buy everything in site.  The product is local, organic for the most part, and really fresh!

Organic Swiss Chard

Orchids

Organic Lemons and Oranges











I found some great organic fava beans at the market and decided to use those in a refreshing salad with roasted corn and mint.  I also did a fresh organic hierloom tomato salad with fresh organic basil.  Mr. Steele grilled some rib eye steaks to go along with these light salads.

Here is a tip about fava beans.  If you are looking to feed more than two people, you'll need at least 2 pounds.  Fava's are a time consuming item to prepare.  You have to shuck all the beans out of the pods, which is a chore. But it's worth it.  Fava's have a buttery texture and a subtle bitter and nutty flavor.  Here's a really easy recipe that you can make your own by adding other veggies and herbs.  If you can't find fava beans, you can use edamame.  You can also do this dish warm by simply sauteing all the ingredients in a sauce pan.

Fava Beans with Grilled Corn and Mint

4 lbs unshelled fava beans (2 cups shelled)

¼ cup sweet onion, diced

2 small ears of corn, grilled and stripped of the kernels

¼ cup red pepper, diced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh mint chiffonade

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Remove the beans from pods; throw the pods away. Boil fava beans in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain beans and place into ice water; drain. Peal and discard the outer skin from beans and place beans in a bowl.

Combine onions, corn, red pepper, salt, black pepper, mint.  Add lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

4 Servings

A simple tomato salad is as easy as slicing the tomatoes, adding some really good extra virgin olive oil, salt, and some basil.  The key to the salad I made....the tomatoes.  They have to be hierloom, organic and locally grown.  You'll never feel the same about grocery store tomatoes ever again.  Hierlooms are so sweet, and juicy.  If you are lucky enough to find a farm that grows these, look for not just basic red, brandywine tomatoes, but yellow, zebras (a green striped variety), cherry varieties, etc...

If you are a tomato and mozzarella fan, try burrata instead.  This cheese is my all time favorite.  Burrata is made from mozzarella and cream.  It has this creamy, smooth texture that's just out of this world.  It's very hard to find, but if you can find a cheese shop or Italian market, buy it.  In San Francisco, Cowgirl Creamery has a great burrata by a company called Gioia out of Los Angeles.

Heirloom Tomatoes











Hierloom Tomato Salad


3 Medium size hierloom tomatoes, sliced
¼ cup basil, chiffonade
Generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste


Arrange tomato slices on a platter, sprinkle basil on top.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle with kosher salt right before serving.

Let me know about your farmer's market in your area and if you have a chance to try any of these dishes!