Smoked Sablefish & Watermelon Radish
Masia El Altet Olive Oil
Capers, Lemon Zest, Red Onion, Beet Microgreens
Starting the New Year off with a deliciously vibrant and easy brunch! This super-delightful appetizer or brunch course is made with sliced smoked sablefish layered with crisp watermelon radish, dressed with the best olive oil.
It is garnished with capers, lemon zest, red onion, beet microgreens and a bit of fresh ground black pepper to finish. Served with a toasted poppy seed bagel on the side, the silky buttery fish is heavenly paired with the crunchy mildly-peppery radish.
Aguachile is just one of many styles of Mexican ceviche. Hailing from the State of Sinaloa, it is traditionally made with raw shrimp, cucumber, onion, lime juice, and chiles, and it is usually accompanied by avocado and tostadas. The name “chile-water” comes from the method of mashing chiles with water to make the salsa.
The inspiration for this aguachile recipe comes from an enchanting local restaurant here in Las Vegas – Hola Mexican Cocina + Cantina. They serve “Aguachile Shrimp & Crab Ceviche” where fire-roasted corn is added as one of the components.
With the best shrimp and crab in my freezer…I thought I would try my own version of Hola’s Aguachile Ceviche. And since I was already outside grilling the corn on the cob, I might as well blacken those jalapeños for the salsa too. Turns out it was my best aguachile yet!
With sweet-buttery succulent spot shrimp plus sweet-salty flavorful dungeness crab, this dish was bound to be a winner.
Spicy Salmon with Shrimp Chips
Avocado Mash with Lemon, Sliced Jalapeños
This tasty snack was inspired by Nobu Restaurants’ “Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna” where fried sushi rice cubes are served with a little bowl of spicy tuna and light soy sauce on the side. A version of the Nobu recipe went viral a while back on TikTok with the addition of avocado and jalapeño.
The original authentic dish can be enjoyed at many of the over 50 Nobu Restaurants around the world including all three in Las Vegas – Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas Virgin Hotel.
With the remainder of a nice piece of sockeye salmon leftover from making an Aguachile de Salmón for my guests, I decided to make a quick snack paired with store-bought shrimp chips. These puffy-crisp chips are made from a dough of tapioca flour and ground shrimp. The dough is steamed, thinly sliced, dried, then fried. The result are crunchy little crackers full of umami flavor.
Topped with a tiny scoop of spicy salmon and/or avocado plus an optional jalapeño ring, these make a zippy one-bite snack bomb that is packed full of flavors, textures, and spice! And unlike the original dish which has many steps to prepare the fried sushi rice, this appetizer is quick and easy…
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
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
A Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las VegasTaste 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.
Our Table at Joël Robuchon – MGM Grand Las VegasTaste 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.
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.
