Category: Chefs/Restaurants

Blackened Rockfish, California Risotto

Blackened Rockfish, Lima Bean RisottoBlackened Rockfish, California Risotto

I have been a supporter of the James Beard Fellows Program which assists in the training and professional development for talented emerging chefs.

Each Fellow has a ten-week residency at the James Beard House in New York City where they receive hard skills training along with the opportunity to develop a meal kit that is available across the country.

This month, Philly native Chef Tonii Hicks developed a delicious-sounding menu of Sweet Potato Croquettes with Green Curry Sauce, Blackened Cod with Lima Bean Risotto, and Apple Butter Sticky Buns.

The meal kit can be ordered here now through September 13, 2022. The monthly Beard Box meal kit for two is shipped overnight. This month’s box will arrive on September 28, 2022. The portions are generous, and it is a delight to experience the emerging chefs’ creativity while supporting the James Beard Foundation.

Unfortunately, due to timing, I won’t be able to purchase the Beard Box this month. But that Blackened Cod with Lima Bean Risotto sounded just too awesome. So… I had to try my version of it right away with my Rockfish on hand. And it was fabulous. It was a harmony of beautiful colors, various textures, bold bright flavors. Thank you and brava, Chef Tonii! I am sure your Beard Box will be a huge success!

Blackened Rockfish, California Risotto Recipes

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Julia and Jacques’s Gravlax

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home

Julia Child’s Annual Birthday Tribute

Julia Child and Jacques Pépin
Cooking at Home

Joyeux Anniversaire Julia Child! Today would have been Julia’s 110th birthday. It has been an honor, a passion, and a tradition to celebrate her birthday on Taste With The Eyes ever since I started this blog in 2007.

This year, we are watching a super-charming episode of the cooking show Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home “IT’S SALMON DAY!” where they go on to prepare a half-dozen salmon dishes together.

Here we are going to spotlight their gravlax presentations from the show and from their cookbook. Julia calls hers “Quick Gravlax” and Jacques calls his “Instant Gravlax.” Both different and both fabulous.

Screen Shot: Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
Screen Shot: Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home

The television series was the inspiration for the cookbook of the same name. In both, one can sense the pleasure the two have cooking together, tasting, exchanging ideas, joshing with each other, and raising a glass to savor the fruits of their labor.

In this one episode Julia gives Jacques a hard time about using black pepper instead of white pepper in a light colored dish…and he gives it right back.

Jacques asks Julia to add salt and pepper to the salmon tartare they are making together.

“Would you rather have black or white pepper?” teases Julia.

“Black, black without any question,” says Jacques.

“You like speckled food,” declares Julia.

“I do. I also like taste in the food and the black pepper has more taste than the white one,” retorts Jacques.

Again and again they demonstrate that cooking is endlessly fascinating and challenging, and while ultimately personal, it is a joy to be shared!

Julia’s Quick Gravlax

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Crab Avocado Rice Bowl

Crab Avocado Rice Bowl

Dungeness Crab & Avocado Rice Bowl

Crab and avocado have been a happy couple long before the invention of the California sushi roll. And in addition to melted butter, mayonnaise has long been a classic sauce to pair with crab… Here, warm seasoned rice is topped with steamed Dungeness crab leg meat, sliced avocado, diced cucumber, and creamy umami-rich Kewpie mayonnaise. The dish is seasoned with a flavorful furikake and drizzled with a syrupy tamari glaze. The combination of flavors, textures, and colors is wonderfully balanced and extremely tasty. Pretty too.

Crab & Avocado Rice Bowl Recipe

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NoMad Library – Not Your Average Chicken Dinner

NoMad Library, Las Vegas
NoMad's Roast Chicken

NoMad Library, Las Vegas

Dine among scholarly opulence…all the books on all the shelves are real, and you are encouraged to take them off the shelf to peruse…while sipping on your favorite beverage or waiting for your dinner courses to arrive.

NoMad Library, Las Vegas
NoMad Library, Las Vegas

Monday nights are for library dining. The NoMad Roast Chicken is offered as part of a generous three-course curated dinner for two for $100. And if that isn’t enough of a great value, Mondays also feature half price select bottles from the wine cellar. (not valid on holidays)

Note that this NoMad roast chicken recipe is not the same as the famous New York original developed a decade ago by Chef Daniel Humm stuffed with foie gras and black truffles. It’s not nearly as fancy, it’s more rustic – with chorizo, saffron rice, and mushrooms – but still really quite exceptional!

The NoMad Library is a soaring space, inspired by the iconic Library of NoMad New York. NoMad is named for the neighborhood NOrth of MADison Square Park. The robust Las Vegas menu celebrates American classics in a grand and continental way. In addition to the chicken, another Specialty of the House for Two is an American Wagyu Prime Rib rubbed with porcini and black garlic.

Situated on the top four floors (29 through 32) of the former Monte Carlo Casino Resort building, the NoMad Hotel shares the space with its sister property, the Park MGM Las Vegas.

From the beautiful, luxurious ambience – to the impeccable, genial yet professional service – to the impressive dishes that well exceeded our expectations for a humble chicken dinner – the entire experience was fun, cool, and accessible. And those fabulous popovers were an outstanding surprise to boot!

NoMad Library Chicken Dinner – For Two $100
Gruyere Popovers

unsalted butter

Truffled Deviled Eggs

crispy chicken skin & chive oil

The Roast Chicken

stuffed with lemon, rosemary, parmesan & brioche
served with chorizo, saffron rice & mushrooms

Chocolate

malted-milk ganache with chocolate fondant & malt ice cream

NoMad Library Dinner

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RE-Creating Joël Robuchon Las Vegas

Joël Robuchon - MGM Grand Las Vegas
A Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las Vegas
Joël Robuchon - MGM Grand Las Vegas
Taste With The Eyes RE-Creation of A Table at Joël Robuchon

RE-Creating Joël Robuchon Las Vegas

The past month has been very special. We were celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, 15 years of Taste With The Eyes, 3 years of living in Las Vegas, and the Platinum Jubilee of the Queen (remembering my mother’s trip to London for the Coronation in 1952).

The highlight of our celebrations was an exquisite dinner at Joël Robuchon’s eponomous Three Michelin Star restaurant at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The entire experience ranks as one of our finest meals, ever. It was French Perfection.

The “Chef of the Century” sadly passed away in 2018, but his restaurants certainly keep his artistry, passion, and spirit alive. A single framed photo of the late Chef graces the credenza at the entrance to the restaurant.

Joël Robuchon - MGM Grand Las Vegas
Our Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las Vegas
Joël Robuchon - MGM Grand Las Vegas
Taste With The Eyes RE-Creation of Our Table at Joël Robuchon

The world-class restaurants, with a concentration of the world’s best chefs, were one of the many reasons I was excited to move to Vegas. They are now just 21 minutes (get it?) from my house! Of all the great ones, Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand is the crown jewel.

The Pierre-Yves Rochon art-deco Parisian apartment décor is swathed in plush hues of purple. The space exudes the same type of elegance found on the plate — we were inspired to savor every moment with all the senses. Trolleys were overflowing with breads and cheeses and mignardises. The impeccable service, opulent décor, unparalleled brilliant dishes….all made for a truly unforgettable evening.

RE-Creating Joël Robuchon Las Vegas

One of my most cherished creative outlets is to re-create historical events through food. Presidential Inaugural Luncheons in 2013 and 2017, Julia Child’s First Meal in France in 1948, and Dinner in Julia’s Cambridge Kitchen, are a few examples of many of my favorite re-creations. (See all the links below).

For this celebration, I am RE-Creating the restaurant in my home atelier and preparing a Salmon Crudo in a style in which I think the Chef would approve.

RE-Creating Joël Robuchon Las Vegas

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