Category Archives: Lifestyle

State Fair

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

As some of you know, I grew up in a rural area in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I have few good memories of my childhood. Because I knew I wanted to be living in a concrete jungle, I was miserable there, surrounded by trees, poison ivy, farms, etc., but there are a few things I remember fondly like Autumn (as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my tribute to Sully) and the COUNTY FAIR. Yes, it’s in capital letters because it was a BIG event. We looked forward to it every year. The Fair was where I saw Chubby Checker and my first demolition derby. There was always entertainment, usually of the country music variety (miserable, remember?) and the High School Queen competition that I don’t remember my High School ever winning, now that I think about it. The 4H always had demonstrations ranging from sheep shearing and wool spinning to horsemanship competitions and of course the baked goods competitions. The most amazing thing for me, as per usual was the food!

What is it about food at fairs, carnivals and amusement parks? What makes that food so special and causes such visceral memories? Why is it every time I walk into an amusement park I want a corn-dog?

Each outdoor venue has special food and Food Memories attached to it. Let’s start with the Fair. Each year I waited in line like hundreds of others for the BEST Italian Sausage and Peppers and Fried Dough (aka Elephant Ears, Zeppoli). Always at the same location on the midway, always the same restaurant doing the cooking. I’d save babysitting money and chore money so I could buy what I wanted and I treasured using MY OWN money for treats. The smell of the grease and feel and look of the powdered sugar coating everything I touched are burned into my brain forever.

While living in San Antonio I went to tons of fiestas! The folks in San Antonio don’t need an excuse, they will make a fiesta out of ANYTHING. One of my favorites happens in April, right before the BIG Fiesta week long event of parades, concerts and galas. It is called NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio) and one of my dearest friends Nanette works for the event. We made it a Girls Night Out once a year and hit all the food booths and entertainment we can stand. They have these amazing drinks made from fruit called “aguas frescas”. Imagine something cold like lemonade, but made with OTHER fruits instead of lemons. My favorites are the watermelon and mango with juicy little bits of fruit floating in a sweet and cold fruit flavored “ade”. One of the more interesting things I ate there is “Calf Fries” and they are, you guessed it, sliced, fried bulls balls. Other than being a little chewy, they were quite tasty! In addition to the “Calf Fries” there are TONS of great food items, smoked turkey legs, brisket sandwiches, bratwurst and cold beer and the ever popular “meat on a stick”. You know, teriyaki, fried chicken, corndogs, etc. Delish!

Since we are on the topic of sticks…Earlier this year I went to Disneyland with some friends. It was a Grown-Ups only, no kids or husbands allowed event. After breakfast we all agreed everything we ate had to be on a stick! Corndogs, Kebabs, caramel apples and ice cream shaped like Mickey’s head all ensued, as did the hilarity and nonsense. We literally walked by food vendors that had nothing on sticks. We even kept sticks so we could pop them into pretzels to stay in theme. It was a great day!

This past weekend my son came home from college for the first time and we went to the Renaissance Faire. This event is not complete for me without three things. I need to see the jousting and I need to eat a Scottish Meat Pie (or 2) and a smoked turkey leg. There is something about being dressed like a serving wench or merchant’s wife and tearing into flesh on the bone that screams medieval times to me!

What are your favorites? What Food Memories are burned into your soul and taste buds that you try to relive and recreate? Go find them and enjoy them!

I hope you noticed that I changed the look of the blog. Please feel free to comment and let me know how you feel about it. I thought it was an easier way for you look back and see some of the other posts and pics. Thoughts?

This week’s pictures: Friend Doreen with meat on a stick, my JUGs (Just Us Girls) with El Rey and my pals at Disney with Mickey shaped ice cream!

This week’s Food Memories include a bizarre dinner with friend Lynn at Rumor, Homemade Mac & Cheese with son Jack and friend Greg, Scottish Meat Pies with my main man and take out fried chicken with Jack on the way home from a cocktail party (his choice of snack).

Until next week go out and make your OWN Food Memories!

State Fair – Jeanne Crain and Dana Andrews

Some Like it HOT!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

My friend Jim M has a special section of his pantry just for his hot sauces. Chef Kerry Simon has “Hot Sauce of the Week” and a complete BAR full of them for his “Fix Your Own Bloody Mary Bar”. There is a store in Park City called It’s F-in Hot that sells, you guessed it, hot sauce. What is our fascination with the spicy stuff? There are people out there who seek out the spiciest things they can find and aren’t happy unless they are sweating while they are eating. Ghost Pepper anyone? How about a Habenero?

While Americans are proud of their Spicy Food Prowess, the Thai have it locked up. Apparently Thai is the hottest cuisine out there with more peppers eaten per capita than anywhere else on the globe. That’s something to think about when you consider Ethiopoan, the Latin culture group and all the other Asian food that is quite spicy in its own right. Here is a little factoid, when you go into a Thai restaurant, you are frequently asked on a scale of one to ten, how hot you would like it. If you are not Asian, there is one scale, and another if you are. If you like it REALLY spicy, tell them “Thai 10”. I am not sure if this works in ALL parts of the country, but in Vegas it is a little known rule in the Thai restaurants we patronize.

I frequently joke that Hubby John has an asbestos throat because he over-seasons everything (except in the salt category) and he can take some seriously HOT stuff. The hottest wings he has ever had are at Quaker Steak and Lube in Ohio. As for me, I like my heat to ADD something TO the food, not BE the food. I personally consider heat an added bonus to something wonderful to finish it off, but it shouldn’t be the only thing I taste. So basically, I use Hot Sauce as a condiment and it is used just as judiciously as salad dressing or mayo. Of course my preferred brand is Texas Pete, but I do have a few others that I really like as well (Scorned Woman comes to mind).

We all know about savory foods with heat – chicken, burgers, eggs, ribs, etc. But let’s talk about the OTHER side of hot. Although it may seem a completely disparate pairing, there is something special about sweet and spicy together. We all remember Atomic Fireballs and Cinnamon Red Hots don’t we? One of my all time favorite combinations is chocolate with anything spicy. The Aztecs mixed chocolate with cayenne (or something like it) and the Mexican culture combines chocolate with cinnamon, and mango with chili powder. There is something incredibly sexy, dangerous and thrilling about eating sweet and spicy food. A special party for your taste buds where all of the triggers are hit. While I am often loath to eat hot food just because it is spicy, I am intrigued and drawn to eat spicy desserts. Woe is me, they are few and far between. (Moment of truth – Chocolate covered crystallized ginger makes an excellent gift for me in case you were wondering.) And while we are on the topic of sweet/spicy, what about Ginger? Oh my! Mixed with garlic it takes on one aspect and mixed with sugar a completely different. Ginger snaps, ginger beer, gingerbread and the aforementioned chocolate covered ginger….my mouth is watering.

Some spicy things are definitely seasonal – like mango with chili, and ginger beer in the summer. But for me, most of the spicy stuff tastes best when it is cold outside. Texas Chili with no beans on a cool night is a blessing. Gingerbread is a winter comfort as is Mexican hot chocolate with cinnamon.

I have been trying to get my favorite cupcake bakery (Retro Bakery) to make me a Mexican Chocolate or Aztec Chocolate cupcake. On the one hand, it’s really good that Kari doesn’t do it. They are right around the corner from my house and I would be there more often than I am now. On the other hand, I really don’t enjoy making desserts and it would be nice to have something to hit my sweet/spicy trigger whenever I wanted. So for now I keep Vosges chocolates on hand and they make a fabulous variety of sweet/spicy chocolate items. Also worth trying is the Mo’s Chocolate bar. Chocolate and bacon anyone? And before you roll your eyes, yes it really does work!

Enjoy these pics from Sister Nancy’s week long Birthday Celebration here in Vegas and a snap of a few of my hot sauces in my pantry.

This week’s Food Memories are dim sum at Ping Pang Pong and sushi at Island Sushi at the newly renovated Plaza with Nancy and friends, a superb dinner at RM Seafood to celebrate Nancy and Gretch’s birthdays where Top Chef Master Rick Moonen came out to visit and sign books for our crowd and a little cocktail party with snacks for some friends to welcome Nancy and out of town friends to Vegas.

Until next week, go out and make your own Food Memories!

Sister Nancy and I

Autumn In New York

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

A tribute to Frank Sullivan. The food connection will not be apparent right off, so stick with me….

While growing up in Upstate New York’s Hudson Valley, I was miserable. As a young girl we had moved from Long Island to “the country” and I hated it. I knew from an early age that I was meant to be surrounded by concrete, not the WILDS of the country. I tried to make the best of it. I learned to ride on horseback, caught poison ivy, was taught to grow things and identify trees, plants and wild herbs. In 1987 I married and 2 days later left the area and have rarely returned since. In our married lives we moved 13 times in the first 21 years for John’s Air Force career. We lived in some exciting places and some truly dreadful (for us) places, but I seldom missed New York. I think growing up someplace where I was unhappy and forced to make the best of it made me that much more willing to let go and explore the locations where I was placed. I bloomed where I was planted. I missed the Chinese restaurant in town (Spring Garden), the pizzeria with the best pie (La Bella’s where I used to work) and the all night Greek diner across the river (Olympia – yeah, one of the shiny aluminum ones that looks like an old rail car). Of course I missed the few friends I left behind, and Mom and sisters, but the only time I actually missed NEW YORK was in Autumn.

Our front window faced the Catskill Mountains, and when September and October rolled around, and the leaves started to change, it was my favorite view. Our back windows faced an open field surrounded by trees and the view was similar in color, narrower in scope and a lot closer. In the eight acre clearing we grew strawberries, pumpkins, squash, beans, tomatoes…basically anything that would grow. After we harvested, the deer would come in and eat the remainder, chewing on still tender leaves and grasses. Morning and evening we’d see them, right up until hunting season when they mystically knew they were in danger.

At Hudson High School I had two favorite teachers – Nancy Russell (biology) and Frank Sullivan (humanities and English). Mr. Sullivan – Sully from here on out – was a joy. Frightening, scathing, tough, sarcastic, dry witted, talented, all knowing and more fun than should have been allowed in a classroom. Each morning during the height of “leaf peeping” season Sully would have us “race to the window children”. Once there, we recited part of Emily Dickinson’s Why:

The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That’s all.

For years while missing October and all it has to offer in Upstate New York – the smells of the apple orchards, burning leaves and the musty smell of pumpkins on a cold morning, the intensely beautiful foliage, the rituals of harvest and the church festivals – I repeated that stanza. It is one of my favorites, and I have never forgotten standing next to Scott Himmel or Lisa Miller or Kim Hover saying these words. Sunday while driving through the Las Vegas Valley and thinking of October, I recited that stanza for maybe the 10,000th time and in front of me was Red Rock Canyon. I almost wrecked Velma the Volvo! All this time I have been living in the desert, missing my beloved fall colors, and they were right here all along! I felt not unlike Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I’m still in a VALLEY and there is ALWAYS “red upon the hill”.

But what, you may ask, does this have to do with FOOD? Apart from the fall reminding me of forgotten smells and harvest rituals, it always reminds me of Sully and he was a GREAT cook! He was the faculty advisor of the Honor Society and organized potlucks for different events with the Honor Society. Rumor had it he went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY (which boasts graduates such as Anthony Bourdain and Rick Moonen). My mother always knew which dish was his and made sure to get a bit of it on her plate, as did I. Right off the top of my head I remember a particularly amazing chicken casserole (remember what I said about casseroles?) and a great cabbage slaw. Sully taught at THE SCHOOL for 30 years and had taught some of my classmates’ parents. I can only imagine how many wonderful Food Memories he created for others during that time.

Because I was gravid with child upon his death, I was unable to attend his funeral. Had I not been pregnant, I would have made the 12 hour drive to be there to honor this man. Now, nearly 20 years later he continues to speak to me. I often wonder what he would think of amateurs like me writing blogs. Would he correct my grammar and send it back? Would he tell me to persevere or hang it up? What would he think of my culinary adventures since he was a culinarian himself? Who would have thought I would have followed in his steps with words (albeit meager and paltry in comparison) and food?

Enjoy Emily Dickinson this week instead of photos:

WHY?

The murmur of a bee
A witchcraft yieldeth me.
If any ask me why,
‘T were easier to die
Than tell.

The red upon the hill
Taketh away my will;
If anybody sneer,
Take care, for God is here,
That’s all.

The breaking of the day
Addeth to my degree;
If any ask me how,
Artist, who drew me so,
Must tell!

This week’s Food Memories are DISH Las Vegas with my main squeeze, drinks and dinner with the Partial Posse to celebrate a birthday and a promotion, a perfect BLT with my house smoked bacon and home grown tomatoes and dinner with Sister Nancy and friend Lisa “Wormuth”.

Autumn in New York – Richard Gere and Winona Ryder

The Four Seasons

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

WOW!!! Summer was over in a blink of an eye. Just when we started to get into a routine of relaxing by the pool after work and taking it slow and easy, the fall has started and changed the game.

At the risk of sounding like Andy Rooney, did you ever wonder… about seasonal food? Why is it some things just taste better at certain times of the year? For some foods, that is an easy jump. They are in season; watermelon and tomatoes in the summer, apples, squash and pumpkins in the fall, root vegetables and navel oranges in the winter and asparagus and fiddlehead ferns in the spring.

For others I think it is more contextual. Hot dogs ALWAYS taste better in the summer because they remind me of baseball, cookouts and camping. Strawberries always mean 4th of July for me. For hubby John, ribs mean summer. Turkey reminds me of holidays and waking early to tear bread to make stuffing for my Mom. When I am not feeling up to par in the winter I want chicken & rice soup. John wants oatmeal in the morning in the winter – the hot comforting cereal fits his bill. In the spring I want soft shelled crabs and egg salad. Part of this is FOOD MEMORY and the other part is that it makes me happy to eat what is in season.

Here in Vegas the end of summer is heralded by thunderstorms and rain and it happens almost overnight. Last week the temps hovered near 100 and as I write it is around 70 and it has been raining on and off all day. What do you make during the rainy season? Comfort food of course!

Macaroni & Cheese, Chicken Pot Pie, and Casseroles are comfort food of the best kind as far as I am concerned. Starch, fat and meat all combined to perfection. What more could a gal ask for? Chicken and Dumplings (both kinds – the noodle kind and the biscuit kind), King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Breakfast Casseroles and my favorite (don’t make any gasping or choking noises) the ever popular Broccoli Rice and Cheese Casserole – complete with Cheez Whiz™ (moment of truth – I can’t make this unless I have company or I am cooking for a crowd or I will eat the entire 9×13 pan full – yes, I know it is disgusting and crazy for a Yankee to enjoy it so much when it is a Southern thing). John’s fave for this time of year is Curried Butternut Squash Soup (with caramelized apples if I am in the mood to make them).

To make the most of YOUR seasons, find out where your local Farmers’ Market is. Check into local “pick your own” farms. You will find the freshest ingredients (clearly) and be inspired to try new things. Check into “Farm to Table” restaurants. These places focus on locally grown and sourced produce, herbs, dairy products and often meat too. For me the best part is that the menu changes frequently based on what is available, so even if it is someplace you eat frequently, the menu can still be surprising! We love Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, CA. for their efforts on this front. Arguably the fore runner of this movement is Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. Of course, home cooks had been doing this for ages, before Ms. Waters, but restaurants had gotten into the habit of procuring, at great expense and often little flavor, produce that is out of season. Strawberries in December? (Yes, I had them as filling in my wedding cake in December – only because raspberries would have been even more difficult!) They may be pretty, but they are tasteless. Navel oranges in June? Dried out and nasty. Acorn Squash in March? Seriously?

The winter is a challenge because so many things are out of season and cooking “seasonally” becomes difficult. Do what you can. Did you “put up” fruit, jam or tomatoes with the harvest? Use them! Potatoes and other root veggies are great in the winter. And of course meat and cheese never go out of style. I make a LOT of pasta dishes in the winter, roasts and stews take center stage and I bake bread….lots of bread.

Go stroll around your local markets – there is PLENTY of bounty to be had. Enjoy what is out there. Buy something you have never had before, a kabocha squash maybe, and search online for recipes. Get creative and have some fun.

This week’s pics are from Restaurant Week – part 2. For all of you who dined out to help out – thank you! Every meal counts and raised significant funds for hungry Nevadans. In case you were unaware, September is Hunger Action Month. Go to Feeding America or Three Square Food Bank to learn more about how YOU can help.

Chef Beni Velazquez cooking paella outside at Bar + Bistro @ the Arts Factory

Happy Birthday lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s with the Partial Posse

At Fashion’s Night Out at Donald J Pliner. With me are friend Lynn Moonen, Staffers from Three Square, Melia and Diane and in the center, shoe designer Lisa Pliner.

This week’s Food Memories are: Birthday Lunch for Lynn Moonen at The Palm at Caesar’s, Paella cooked outdoors by Chef Beni Velazquez or Bar + Bistro (the smell took me right back to our neighborhood bodega in Madrid), a gorgeous zucchini salad with a feta dressing and kebobs on the grill.

Until next week – go out and make your own Food Memories.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner….

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Happy Labor Day! I guess this is the “official” end of summer, but here in the desert we still have plenty of great weather on tap!

Living in Vegas is fantastic. World class restaurants, great shows, fun street food and street entertainment, gorgeous hiking and amazing weather! I am just a few short hours’ drive from lots of great destinations if I feel the need to leave my favorite town (maybe to see the ocean, my son or heaven forbid, snow) and everyone wants to come and visit me! John and I moved 13 times in our 21 years as an Active Duty family and never in all of those years did we have as many visitors as we have had here in Vegas. I LOVE IT!

So far this year we have had Mom, Dad & Jeanie, Sis-in-Law Bonnie, Erroin & Susanne, Tom & Sue and those are just the folks who stayed with us! Now, Sister Nancy is coming for a weeklong birthday celebration. I am so excited!

We all do it, put on the best when people come to visit. Throw parties, make great food, find cool things to do, go to fab restaurants, see fantastic shows and basically act like tourists in our own town. I suppose if you live someplace boring, the bloom would be off the rose early, but here in Vegas, there is ALWAYS something to do. Day or night. 24 – 7- 365. Let’s face it, we all like to show off our town a bit. Moment of truth: I like to show off more than most people….there I said it!

Of course when anyone comes to visit, especially for the first time I always ask, “Is there anything you can’t or won’t eat?” If someone is coming that I haven’t cooked for, I often will ask, “Is there something special you want me to make while you are here?” When Dad & Jeanie came the answer was the Redneck Chateaubriand. Of course with Sister Nancy, the question became, “What do you want to eat when you are here?” She already has a list: Secret Recipe Lemon Bars, homemade bacon, Crack & Cheese….and that’s just to start, I am sure the list will grow. I don’t mind! I am flattered that people have their favorites of the food I cook and frankly I find it humbling that people come to visit me and want to eat MY food rather than eat at one of the dozens of Celebrity Chef restaurants here in Vegas. I only wish Nancy were here during Restaurant Week to enjoy the festivities (hurry, it ends on the 11th) – oh, well – we’ll make our own festivities!!

What is it that you make better than anyone else you know? Are you tied to a particular dish? Is it your lasagna? A special dip? A most requested salad? Interestingly, I know most of my friends’ best dishes. Lynn makes a great lasagna, Shelly (TX) & Dani (LV) make amazing guacamole, and Deb P makes this killer chicken casserole! When they come here for a pot luck, that’s what they are asked to make! When I go there to see them, that’s what I want. Although, truth be told, I think Dani is sick of making guac! Years ago, I was on a Social Activities committee and one of my jobs was to facilitate and coordinate pot luck events. I knew everyone’s BEST dishes and basically told them what to bring….in a nice way of course (You make the best ____________can you please bring that?)

If you are planning to come and visit, pack your swimsuit, even in the winter. We’ll fire up the hot tub, heat up the grills and get to work. Let me know what your favorites are and I’ll do what I can to oblige. Don’t be surprised if you are given a job to do when we are cooking! I think it makes the food taste better when everyone chips in (no pun intended on the chips). And yes Nancy, this column is about you.

My Food Memories this week are Helping Out by Dining Out with my Posse, The Shuck & Swallow Oyster Event at First Food & Bar, homemade Indian food from one of hubby’s clients, and fine dining at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole with my main squeeze!

This week’s pics are from week one of Restaurant Week.

Outside Aureole with my main squeeze

The Partial Posse at Morels French Steakhouse at the Palazzo

Team Bar + Bistro, Erica and Melia from Three Square and I at the Shuck & Swallow Chef’s Oyster eating contest.

The Vegas Foodie, Dominic Scali and food writer Al Mancini and I at the Shuck & Swallow Chef’s Oyster eating contest.

Muscovy Duck Breast with Duck Confit and Foie Gras Ravioli at Aureole

Until Next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories.

Life is an Adventure – Jump Out!!!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

This past weekend I jumped out of a plane, for the second time. It was just as exhilarating this time as it was the first time. This event was a Three Generation Jump with my son, Jack, and my Dad, J.R. It was actually Dad’s idea since he was so jealous that I had already gotten to skydive and he didn’t. Moment of truth – I think I am an addict! The pure adrenaline rush of free falling is breathtaking, exciting, and makes you feel invincible, like you could win an Oscar, run the NYC marathon and still conquer the world!

The plane is small, you are crammed in with 13 other people plus a pilot and you actually PAY for this pleasure. It’s a tighter fit than a budget airline! Then it is almost time to jump and your pro says, “Put your hands on my knees and jump up here into my lap.” They connect themselves – shoulder to hip – to you, and then settle you down to wait for the door to open and the jumps to start. It is only a matter of seconds and then you are sitting on the edge of the doorway, with your feet wrapped around the bottom of the plane, you are physically pushed out and then you are free. Hurtling thru the air, falling at intense velocity. This time I did barrel rolls thru the air (intentionally with the help of my pro, John) and soared thru the experience like I was a pro myself. Upon landing, I rose to my feet, faintly surprised that I wasn’t floating, that I was actually standing on terra firma. The whole trip is WAY too short and free fall is woefully so, a matter of seconds, but feeling like millennia at the same time.

But, you may be asking yourself, “What does that have to do with FOOD?” Let me tell you. When you do something death defying, everything you eat afterwards tastes WAY better. I am not sure why. Is it because you are high on adrenaline? Is it because you have a deeper appreciation for the mundane? Or, is it simply that you realize that there are a few more important things than eating, thus making all food equally wonderful? Think about the craziest roller coaster you have ever been on. What did you eat afterwards? Was it a corn dog, popcorn, cotton candy? It was probably the BEST thing you ever ate!

The night prior to our big jump we had my Redneck Chateaubriand, homemade scalloped potatoes and steamed broccoli. The meat itself could have been better (grill issues), but the anticipation of looking death in the eye, and laughing while doing it, made my overcooked tenderloin taste terrific. On the other hand, the potatoes were creamy and properly cooked (not too hard, not mushy) and broccoli was crisp-tender.

After both dives we went for breakfast. Of course I didn’t eat before jumping. I didn’t want to throw up mid-flight. Both times I went to my favorite place for corned beef hash and eggs. Eggs, my friends, are a funny thing. Done properly they are amazing, done badly they are anathema. More times than not, I have sent my eggs back for being overcooked (I like mine over medium – white cooked, yolks really runny). Both times after skydiving my eggs were overcooked and I frankly didn’t care! I ate them anyway! They tasted GREAT and the corned beef hash at this place, in my humble opinion, is the best in Vegas any day of the week (they make it from scratch in house), but especially delish after feeling like I cheated death by jumping from a plane!

After returning home, naps were in order all the way around and then it was time for dinner. Frozen French Fries and beer braised brats that were then put on the grill to get a little color on them. Sauerkraut, mustard and rolls. No vegetables. Healthy Schmealthy!? We didn’t need them – we were invincible! And it all tasted fantastic! And yes, they were the best brats I ever ate!

This week’s Food Memories, other than those mentioned above are Sunday brunch with family at Bar + Bistro (Chef Beni Velasquez has made me a complete convert to the way of plantains), briefing local restaurants on the upcoming Restaurant Week fundraising for Three Square Food Bank and delicious French Onion Soup at Morels Steakhouse.

This week’s pics are obviously from skydiving!

Me and my pro jumper John!

The Three Victims – I mean skydivers.

Me and my Dad.

The Eagles have landed!

www.skydivelasavegas.com

To learn how to make my Redneck Chateaubriand follow the link below.

Redneck Chateaubriand – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrYkjygsHAc

Same Old, Same Old….NOT!

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

We all do it. Find ourselves in a rut of making the same things all the time, because it is familiar, easy to do and you don’t have to think about it. The measurements, instructions and ingredients are all in your head and you can slide through the task of getting dinner on the table while your mind is occupied with something else entirely. Is the food nourishing? Probably to your body, but not necessarily to your soul. Does it taste good? Probably, but it isn’t as great as the first time you made it. One of the dishes I do repeatedly is Chicken a la King. It’s not fancy, but I loved it as a child, still love it as an adult, but it has grown a little more boring than its title for me.

What to do? How do you get out of the rut? What switch do you have to trip to make you fall in love with your food again? For me the answer is reading.

When I was a newlywed, I had few things in my food arsenal that I could make really well and they grew tiresome after a while as they were mostly pasta dishes and heavy and, well, familiar…what I grew up with. Fish was a mystery to cook well. Beef in its ground form or stew form was common, but other cuts befuddled me. And let’s not even get into the YEARS it has taken me to do full justice to a chicken. So I read cookbooks. I READ COOKBOOKS. I pored over sections, reading each recipe until I found one I was brave enough to try and one that had ingredients I was familiar enough with to purchase in the local stores. And I attacked – that’s how I found the a la King recipe. My “go to” book as a newlywed was a wedding gift and it is the pic of the week. You’ll notice there are 2 copies – the one is clearly more than 20 years old, the other is one hubby John tracked down and bought me as a gift because mine was falling apart – literally. The book is now out of print, so finding a BRAND NEW copy, still in the plastic wrap was a real coup!

After a couple of culinary courses and years spent in the food industry and in my own kitchen, reading cookbooks is still fun, but they are not how I get inspiration. I go to them now as sources of reference and I often look up the same recipe in several books and combine them to make the dish the way I want to make it. For inspiration I now read memoirs. I just finished Julia Child’s My Life in France. I wished, as I read through, that I had had the chance to meet her. I am now on to Anthony Bourdain and Kitchen Confidential, and yes, I do hope I get to meet him one day. Both chefs are terribly snarky, bold and candid. If you have a Kindle, both are available for the device. These books have me reaching into my SKILL repertoire and dragging out techniques I use seldom, seeking instruction on some things I haven’t mastered and creating food I have never attempted at home! Lovely! I will also admit that Bourdain has me a bit nostalgic for my days as a waitress – but I think I am romanticizing that time of my life because I used to chant “I hate my job”, over and over again, and I need to remind myself of that before I start filling out job applications! Working as a Cocktail Waitress IS how I met John, so maybe there is a little romance in that work.

If tackling non-fiction is a little daunting to you, as it is to me with anything that isn’t food related, try looking at great magazines for inspiration. Bon Appetit and Saveur are two of my faves. Food and Wine is also a good choice. Seek out the unusual, avoid Southern Living and the like – they are all derivative and I find them more about things other than food. Go to their websites and browse there and see the mags at your local library or quickly disappearing book store (alas Borders is closing).

This week’s Food Memories are watching the guy at the deli slicing up my house made pancetta for me, cooking with friend John Morris for an impromptu and informal dinner on the patio, tapas and mojitos with friends Dani & Robert, and the first crop of figs from our tree wrapped in paper thin slices of prosciutto.

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories.

Celebrations

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Celebrations

When I think of holidays and get-togethers with family and friends, the first thing that comes to mind is the FOOD! I LOVE to cook for a crowd and the more the merrier in most cases. It doesn’t matter what the occasion is either. It can be a birthday, bridal or baby shower, Bunco night or any old reason. I consider it a personal challenge to make sure there is something wonderful for every one of my guests to enjoy, regardless of their dietary restrictions.
Why? I think it is easier for me to express my love through feeding someone than it is to say it sometimes.

Needless to say, June is a BIG month for many people with cooking. Dads and Grads, Weddings, Flag Day and here at home it is also the birthday of a family member (Jackster). This year we had a lot going on with family and friends visiting from out of state and my kitchen got a serious work out. I glided through the festivities like Apolo Anton Ono glides on his skates (honesty moment – I adore him, he was one of the first people I followed on Twitter). Few things make me happier than watching people come together over a plate of well made grub. I enjoy watching their faces as they relish the flavors and laugh through the conversation. Of course, compliments on my food always delight me, but I really dig watching people smile as they eat. For whatever reason, whenever I entertain, I get myself all stressed out and worked up and it’s all for nothing. Almost without fail, the food, the fellowship and the fun are awesome, and this week was no exception. Jack’s Birthday/Graduation party was a huge success and I thank everyone who came and joined us. If you were unable to be with us, rest assured, you were missed.

It is impossible for me to imagine a celebration, or even a single day, without food. Unfortunately there are MANY people in THIS country, right now, perhaps in your neighborhood, that can’t celebrate because they don’t have a basic necessity, FOOD. That is why for several years I have worked as a Sales Director for a company that promotes Family Mealtime and I volunteer with Three Square Food Bank, locally here in Las Vegas. I am a big believer in FOOD FOR EVERYONE! As we get ready to enjoy the summer, I encourage you to volunteer or donate to YOUR local Food Bank or Food Pantry. Oftentimes people think of donating ONLY at the Holidays, but summer is the crucial time for students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch during the school year. For many of those students, that meal is the only one they will get all day. It goes without saying that these students don’t get fed when school is not in session. If you are financially unable to donate cash or food, donate your TIME! It is an invaluable commodity that is needed just as much. Here in Las Vegas check out www.ThreeSquare.org and across the country, to find YOUR Food Bank go to www.FeedingAmerica.org

This week’s Food Memories are a celebratory lunch at Mood in the Artisan Hotel with friends, old and new, a wonderful cake from Retro Bakery, and Karen Behringer’s 50th Birthday Bash. This week’s pic is grilled veggies that were served for the Graduation Party!

Until next week – go out and make your own Food Memories!

Picky and Particular

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

I am NOT picky! I am not a PICKY eater. I am a PARTICULAR eater.

While these may seem the same to you, they aren’t. Let me explain. A “picky eater” is someone who hates everything, even when (especially when) they have never tried it. I find that a lot of “picky eaters” are that way because of the way they ate growing up or because of the foods and cooking styles they have, or have not, been exposed to. I’ve met adult men who won’t eat anything green – no salad, broccoli, spinach, zucchini, green apples…. Now that’s picky! Kids who only eat Mac & Cheese, hot dogs and chicken nuggets…Now that’s picky! Picky eaters never learned to ENJOY their food and they complain about food – ALL THE TIME!

A “particular eater” is someone who will try anything, but wants it prepared according to their specifications. Dressing on the side, sauce on the side, vegetables on a separate plate, hold the onions. I seriously will try ALMOST anything. There are a few food things that I just can’t stomach and will not eat: melon (except watermelon), caraway, black licorice and peanuts (except in Thai food). Yes, I eat Steak & Kidney Pie. Yes, I eat Haggis. Yes, I love sweetbreads. I do not however like fish or chicken in red sauce – not sure why – I love chicken; I love fish, but only with no sauce or white sauce…go figure. I love tomato sauce, but not on fish or chicken. Did you see When Harry Met Sally? Let’s just say Sally had nothing on me.

When we go out to eat, and that tends to be often, I will frequently say to the server, “I have questions about the menu.” John invariably chimes in with, “Of course you do.” I just want to make sure what I am ordering is what I think I am getting and I want to make sure I am going to enjoy it! I figure if we are paying for it, I should know what is in it and how it is prepared just to make sure my dining experience is a good one. I consider this being a good consumer, not a picky eater.

Of course there are exceptions. When eating in a Swank Joint, I rarely ask for anything other than the way the Chef prepares it, but I do ask about my food allergy items and the aforementioned “no way” list. If those items are in a dish, I just don’t order it. I TRUST these Chefs to make the food correctly and to make it well. Recently while in a Latin Fusion restaurant, I noticed they had Paella on the menu. I was quite excited! My Paella tastes like chicken and rice – I have never mastered that dish even after living in Spain for more than 3 years, so I enjoy it when out. I asked what fish was in it and I was told CATFISH! Needless to say I was mortified and informed them, “That’s unfortunate because there is no catfish in Spanish cooking – I know, I used to live there.” I chose something else off the menu and was disappointed anyway and probably won’t go back there. Again, this is PARTICULAR, not picky.

I am forever intrigued and surprised by food and my taste-buds. For years I told people I didn’t like lamb and pork. It turns out that I do like it, I thought there was only one was to make it and I didn’t like THAT way. And foods that I really used to like – like peanuts and peanut butter – are now on the “no way” list. Because I am particular and NOT picky, I continuously find that I am enticed and lured by new flavors and flavor combinations and awakened to OLD flavors that are new to me now.

This week’s Food Memories are Buffet Shenanigans with an old friend from High School, really great gazpacho in Flagstaff from locally sourced veggies and BBQ Ribs with my main squeeze for Father’s Day. This week’s pic is from the BBQ. Until next week – go out and make your own Food Memories!

It’s all about the kid….

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

As a parent, one of the coolest things is having dinner with your kid. Tonight I quietly enjoyed dinner with my son in a brewery in Flagstaff, Arizona while we both read and discussed horror fiction, namely Laurell K. Hamilton. I always like to hear what he is ordering because he frequently surprises me. Hubby John surprises me occasionally, but Jack is always a mystery when it comes to selecting from the menu.

When people are young and their taste buds are developing, adults tend to treat them like KIDS when what they really need to be doing is treating them like the YOUNG ADULTS the parents want them to become. My son, Jack, never ate ketchup, ranch or mayo on his food to cover up the taste. Ketchup was for burgers and fries, ranch dressing was for salads and mayo was for sandwiches. Unfortunately for some people – no one reading this blog – the choices on dining never change from ketchup /ranch/ mayo slathered foods…it’s like they never grow up. Here’s an example: Each Thanksgiving while living in Spain, we invited some of the troops from the barracks to dinner. One year a guest decided it was appropriate to put ketchup on the turkey. I am sure you can guess how that went. He was never invited back…for any event…ever.

I can honestly tell you that Jack NEVER put inappropriate condiments on ANY of his food. In fact he is a minimalist when it comes to condiments. He has a well developed palate because Jack was made to TRY everything at least once. That went double for us too – we had to set the example. If you have young kids and you deign to bring them to Vegas – something I don’t encourage because there really isn’t a whole lot here for them – take them to a GOOD buffet (not a cheap one). There they will have the opportunity to try things they might not have seen before and they don’t have to finish it if they don’t like it.

Jack was THE most adventurous eater I have ever seen and continues to take BIG bites on the culinary scene. I have to admit, his fearless dining choices are one of the things I am most proud of about my son. One of my favorite Food Memories of Jack as a small boy (about 7 or 8) is taking him to the Commander’s Palace at the then Aladdin Casino, and watching him show the “grown ups” how to eat a crawfish, complete with sucking the head. He told them, as first timers, they might not want to do that! It cracked me and the wait staff up. This year he was the designated driver for the Loyola /Tulane Crawfish boil at McMullan’s Irish Pub. Thank you Elly Hanks for inviting us!

As I write, I prepare to take my son to Freshman Orientation at college. [Yes, I know I don’t look that old – I have a great derm guy ;-)] Once Jack is in college full time, I wonder how our dining habits will change, if at all. We ate differently as a young couple, our eating habits changed a bit when Jack was a toddler and changed throughout our lives since then, depending on where we lived.

College will be in Flagstaff and it’s a great food and beer town! Several microbreweries and little pubs dot the town. Some with great menus and some that blow, but all are an adventure. Needless to say – there will be pictures, Tweets and FourSquare check ins to log my Food Journey.

This week’s Food Memories include Fish Tacos with friend Dani, a mediocre meal that left all of us chuckling at the hipsters and “desperate housewives” in the restaurant and GREEK NIGHT at Sam & Jim’s. The pic below is from Greek Night – the tiropita (Greek cheese pastries) were made from scratch by yours truly (thanks Carla Cole for the suggestion!).