Tag: Las Vegas Cooking

Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

How to Make Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna
Oregano and Lemon

The breathtaking Vetri Cucina is located on the 56th floor of the Palms Casino Resort with floor-to-ceiling windows that offer panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip. A most memorable meal high atop the Las Vegas skyline inspired me to re-create an amazing burrata salad featuring a captivating black truffle vinaigrette.

Here, my recipe is inspired by Chef Marc Vetri’s il viaggio di vetri cookbook. Fresh pasta, the highest quality ahi tuna, fresh oregano and lemon harmonize in a dish that is both simple and extraordinary. The raw tuna is kissed with the heat from the just-cooked pasta, keeping the fish at its purest taste.

This ahi tuna (aka yellowfin) is not treated with carbon monoxide to artificially preserve the bright color of the flesh (a practice that has been banned in the EU). As a result, the color ranges from to pale pink to grayish pink which is normal and healthy.

How to Make Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna

Pappardelle with Ahi Tuna Recipe

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A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A Passion for Pasta

Signature Series by Fontainebleau Las Vegas

In honor of National Pasta Day, Signature Series by Fontainebleau presented the “art of pasta” with detailed demonstrations of handmade and extruded styles which was led by acclaimed Italian-born Chef Stefano Chiarugi.

Attendees were able to learn more about pasta from the Chef and watch him demonstrate how to make the various pastas. We were able to then practice hand-rolling trofie, prepare the tortelli filling, and hand-form the tortelli by folding the dough over to form a half moon, then drawing the two corners together to form a rounded bonnet-shape.

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A fabulous three-course pasta dinner followed the demonstration. The menu included the pasta shapes, pesto, and pumpkin filling learned in the class. The classic Italian wine pairing was courtesy of Fontainebleau Las Vegas Master Sommelier Kevin Reilly.

A Passion for Pasta at Fontainebleau Las Vegas

A PASSION FOR PASTA
with Executive Chef Stefano Chiarugi

ANTIPASTI

Saffron Arancini and Gorgonzola Cheese
Loaded Focaccia Pugliese
Caramelized Fresh Fig and Prosciutto di Parma
served with
Aperol Spritz

PASTA MENU

Trofie Pasta with Creamy Basil Pesto
Confit Cherry Tomatoes, Smoked Provola Cheese

Tortelli Filled with Roasted Pumpkin and Bufala Ricotta
in Brown Butter Sage Sauce

Chitarra Pasta with Black Truffle-Braised Duck Ragu
Aged Parmesan Cheese

Focaccia Romana for the Table

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Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak Sauce

Legendary Peter Luger Steak House is now open at Caesars Palace Las Vegas marking their first U.S. location outside of New York. Operating for over 135 years, it is often regarded as the pioneer of the American steakhouse experience.

The menu at Peter Luger Steak House is famously simple and focused, highlighting its signature dry-aged steaks. The menu also features classic steakhouse sides, such as creamed spinach, German fried potatoes, thick-cut bacon, as well as sliced tomatoes and onions.

Peter Luger Steak House Las Vegas

The tomato and onion side dish at Peter Luger Steak House is a simple yet iconic offering. It features thick slices of ripe tomatoes and large, sweet onions, arranged on a plate and served with their signature steak sauce.

Peter Luger Steak

The combination of the fresh, juicy tomatoes and mild onions provides a refreshing contrast to the rich and hearty steaks. It’s one of the restaurant’s most well-known accompaniments, celebrated for its straightforward but bold flavors.

Here, my Tomato Carpaccio was inspired by that side dish. Red ripe heirloom tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onion are lightly covered with the steak sauce where capers, olives, and anchovies add extra flavor, texture, and interest.

Tomato Carpaccio with Peter Luger Steak SauceAccording to Linda Eckhardt’s Guide to America’s Best Foods: “This is the best. Their own steak sauce is not only great on steak, but also served on slabs of red ripe tomatoes. You can’t do without this. They only began selling their sauce after customers begged. We love this sauce on hamburgers. We love it on chicken. The taste is somewhere between cocktail sauce (it’s spicy with horseradish) and traditional steak sauce (being a rich brown color).”

Peter Luger Cheeseburgers

Tomato Carpaccio Recipe

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Simple Summer Sea Bass

Simple Summer Sea Bass☀️ 🐟 Simple Summer Sea Bass 🐟 ☀️

How about a colorful dinner that is summery, sustainable, super-easy, and super-tasty? Last summer I shared a simple Grilled Swordfish over a Tomato Cucumber Salad that became quite popular, this summer it’s Chilean Sea Bass over Summer Vegetable Couscous.

Rich, melt-in-the-mouth Chilean Sea Bass aka Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is simply delicious and almost impossible to overcook due to its flesh high fat content.

And, yes, it is after Labor Day, but it is still officially summer for a few more weeks, and still over 100°F here in Vegas every day… Yesterday was the 70th day reaching at least 105°F in 2024.

Chilean Sea Bass over Summer Vegetable Couscous Recipe

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Summery Strawberry Watermelon Salad

Strawberry Watermelon Salad

🍓🍉🇺🇸 Strawberry Watermelon Salad 🍓🍉🇺🇸
Feta Cheese, Toasted Almonds, Balsamic Glaze

A fantastic seasonal Strawberry Watermelon Salad paired so well with our Memorial Day BBQ of grilled Tri-Tip au Jus and Corn on the Cob, it would be excellent on Flag Day or the 4th of July or really any day for a cookout this summer! ☀️

This salad was inspired by one of the dishes we enjoyed last month at Primal Steakhouse Las Vegas. It was quite a celebration at Primal where they set things on fire and employ lots of smoke in their cocktails and dishes. 🔥

Their Watermelon Salad was surpringly fresh and delightful, a perfect counterbalance to all the rich smoky foods including bone marrow shanks, bacony seared scallops, four cheese lobster mac, smoked NY steak, and more.

The service was super-fun and super-friendly. The themed atmosphere was charmingly mysterious and medieval. Guests are fully encouraged to unsheathe and pose with the assorment of swords from a coat of arms hanging on the wall, as well as take pics wearing helmets fashioned from the middle ages!

Themed restaurants unfortunately can vary widely in the quality of their food. This one impressed us by offering delicious upscale food and entertaining service, as well as a unique and memorable dining experience.

And while our dessert crème brûlée was set ablaze, the server handed me a heavy 4-foot-sword to heave into the air while all the folks in the dining room sang “happy birthday” and finished with “off with his head!”

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