“Mayfair Supper Club” Tomato Salad

Mayfair Supper Club Tomato Salad

Mayfair Supper Club Tomato Salad

Heirloom Tomatoes and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
Green Olive/Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette, Shallots, Baby Basil

If you’ve been following Taste With The Eyes for a while, you know that I love to re-create dishes. Not just the food but the entire experience, including the ambience right down to the china, glass, and silver.

One of my most cherished creative outlets is to re-create historical events through food. The Abraham Lincoln Dinner at Delmonico’s on February 12, 1900; Barack Obama’s 57th Inaugural Luncheon; Donald Trump’s 58th Inaugural Luncheon; and Julia Child’s First Meal in France are a few examples of many of my favorite re-creations.

The most popular by far is the re-enactment of Julia Child’s first meal in France in 1948 including her recipe for Sole Meunière. I also visually attempt to reconstruct her experience in a beautiful courtyard at a little white table beneath a leafy trellis discussing the merits of  Loup de Mer; and her charming memory of Tijuana, Mexico and Caesar Cardini in her kitchen preparing Caesar Salad and Salmon en Papillote.

Mayfair Supper Club @Bellagio Las Vegas

An evening at the Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio in Las Vegas was worth re-creating. We had a fantastic meal where we were mesmerized by the entertainment, awed by the ambiance, and impressed by the service.

The humble tomato salad was as memorable as the over-the-top duo of truffle dishes – filet mignon with sauce perigourdine and truffle pasta. The salad was shot in my atelier, attempting to duplicate the chef’s recipe from taste memory and mimicking the ambiance of the supper club (with some jazz tunes playing in the background of course).

Mayfair Supper Club Tomato Salad Recipe

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Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a Twist

Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a Twist

Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a Twist

Beautiful summer tomatoes and fresh basil are calling out for spaghetti. Spaghetti al pomodoro. But how can we make a refreshingly simple recipe of spaghetti with tomato sauce just a bit more interesting?  How, just give it a twist! Turn the pasta into a “caterpillar.”

And for more interest, exchange the recipe’s predictable pinch of red chili flakes with Korean chili threads, shilgochu 실고추, finely-sliced dried chilis that are reddish brown in color with smoky red pepper and fruity flavors, and a medium degree of heat. They are cooked in butter for about a minute to soften then tossed with the spaghetti, adding a vibrant accent to the dish.

Spaghetti al Pomodoro with a Twist

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