Maltagliati all’Arrabbiata
Calabrian Chili, Burrata, and Fresh Basil
Served with an Amalfi Spritz
Buon Natale! Merry Christmas – this is a brilliant vegetarian dish for the holiday with its beautiful striking red and green colors. But how could it possibly be any good? The pasta, maltagliati, literally translates to “badly cut” and the sauce arrabbiata translates to “angry”! Turns out this bad-cut-angry pasta dish is actually deliziosa…and perfect for the holidays.
Three foodies enjoy a grazing lunch at three restaurants on
The Las Vegas Strip in three hours.
We were looking to graze on The Strip, to try lots of dishes in a fun and relaxed manner. We were looking for inspired original innovative tastes, famous chefs, trendsetting ambiance, within walking distance of each other, menus that would fit harmoniously with each other, with items that we could all share. (And they had to be open for lunch, as many high-end restaurants are not).
Turns out we chose 3 very different and exciting restaurants with mostly Asian fare: Momofuku by David Chang with a menu that draws influence from the US, Korea, and Japan. China Poblano by José Andrés with dishes encompassing a global voyage that has connected the cuisines of the East and West. And the new Din Tai Fung, a world-renowned Taiwanese restaurant that specializes in soup dumplings and noodles.
Potato Crusted Salmon
Lemon Butter Sauce with Dill and Parsley
Coins of Carrot, Zucchini, Yellow Squash
It had been way too many years since we’ve enjoyed this fabulous potato crusted salmon dish. Our dear friends, Scott & Gina Lee, closed their super-popular Redondo Beach, California restaurant, Gina Lee’s Bistro, in 2014 after almost 19 years in business. Oh gosh, how the South Bay misses their brilliant original Cal-Asian fare!
Their Potato Crusted Salmon had been a favorite of my grandmother-in-law, Evelyn Dawn. She was always professing the benefits of salmon’s omega-3 fatty acids and ordered it every single time we dined there (which was very often).
After she passed away at 93 years of age in 2000, Scott & Gina graciously named this dish as a tribute to her: Evelyn Dawn’s Potato Crusted Salmon. It is such a wonderful recipe, it’s hard to believe it took me so long to recreate it and share on Taste With The Eyes again…it is every bit as delicious as we remember!
Roasted Sockeye Salmon with Pepita Pesto Charred Radicchio with Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey and Lemon
Sitka Salmon Shares, an Alaskan direct-to-consumer seafood company, paired with Chef Paul Kahan, the two-time James Beard Award winner behind popular Chicagoland restaurants avec, The Publican, and Big Star for a Virtual Cooking Class featuring their wild Alaska sockeye salmon.
Guests received a meal kit for two shipped to their door plus a code to cook virtually alongside Paul, and Culinary Director Perry Hendrix. The cost was $149 plus shipping. There was a generous amount of product in the shipment, enough to feed four, making this a delightful gourmet experience a very reasonable cost per person. And it was especially neat to spend time with one of Chicago’s great gregarious chefs in his own kitchen.
Loup de Mer, Beurre Blanc Grenade
Poireaux et Carottes à la Le Bon Georges
She says, “One of my favorite meals ever in Paris @le_bon_georges.” And of the truite she exclaims, “It was so delicious!!!!”
My long time blogger friend, the fabulous Stacey, of Stacey Snacks travels to Paris every year with “Mr. Snacks” (her husband) and treats us all to dozens of images of Paris…and makes us painfully jealous with her food photos from their trips to the City of Light.
I fell in love with one photo in particular, the Trout with Pomegranate Beurre Blanc from the most charming classic Parisian bistro, Le Bon Georges. I just had to make the dish at home, but with no recipe and only a photograph to be my guide.
Trout was not readily available, but Loup de Mer was. Loup de mer is also known as Mediterranean Seabass or Branzino. Its character is delicate and unique. The meat is moist and buttery, flaky yet smooth, firm yet tender, silky and velvety. The skin is thin and delicious especially when sautéed to a crisp. The loup de mer fillets worked perfectly for my re-creation of the dish.
Photo Credit: Stacey Snacks at Le Bon Georges, Paris, from Facebook
I took a look at Le Bon Georges’ instagram account to get a broader feel for the restaurant in order to re-create the atmosphere. I was especially drawn to the beautiful image of Dubarry Cauliflower Cream Soup with Truffles and a glass of Champagne near a window.
Photo Credit: Le Bon Georges, Paris, from Instagram
Loup de Mer, Beurre Blanc Grenade, Poireaux et Carottes Recette
