Reimagining a Classic

Recently, the Mars Corporation decided to unleash a new version of its top-selling Snickers bar, the unwieldly-named Rockin' Nut Road. This is nothing new. After all, there are several varieties of Snickers already. Aside from the classic, there's a version that replaces the peanuts with almonds, another that uses dark instead of milk chocolate, a refreshing ice cream bar, and even a sorry excuse for an energy bar. Maybe Mars figured out that people like Snickers because it's candy. This after years of marketing it as the ideal snack between meals. The Rockin' Nut Road (I want to punch myself in the face every time I write that) is actually a pretty good candy bar. Maybe I'm just a purist, but I still prefer the original. All the same, the new flavor is a welcome addition to the candy aisle at the convenience store. It starts with a dark chocolate shell and gives way to a slightly softer, sweeter inside. Until now it seems to have been the Snickers alternative formula to only substitute one ingredient at a time. The peanuts and caramel are still there, but in addition to the dark chocolate the traditional nougat has been replaced with a sort of marshmallow fluff. It has the same consistency as the classic nougat, but the flavor is distinctly vanilla. After sampling the Rockin' Nut Road, it got me thinking about the potential for other unique takes on the Snickers bar. I took an informal poll and these are the top three results for the dream-Snickers that could one day be. Hazelnut Snickers Far and away the favorite among the hypotheticals. The premise here is similar to the Almond Snickers. Replace the good but familiar peanuts with roasted hazelnuts. Seeing as the hazelnut is at the center of another popular candy, the Ferrero Rochet truffle, the Hazelnut Snickers would provide a cost effective alternative to the pricey European treats on the shelf. Hazelnuts have a distinct flavor that pairs so well with chocolate it's like the two were made for each other. There was some concern over how the hazelnut flavor would interact with the caramel and nougat. I'm sure similar things were said about the Almond Snickers in pitch meetings. Cherry Snickers One thing Mars Corp has never even attempted is a fruit flavored Snickers. Even if their traditionally change-averse American customers would reject such a drastic alteration to the original formula, a fruit flavor would likely go over like gangbusters in foreign markets like Japan that are known for embracing novelty and variety in their foods. That's not to say the right fruit flavor wouldn't have a good chance of gaining a following in the States. Americans don't have any problem with cherry cordial candies, so a Cherry Snickers might just work. It would require a lot of augmenting, though, so it would have to stray into territory where it's debatable whether or not it's still a Snickers. The milk chocolate could stay, but the caramel and nougat would have to go. Replace the nougat with a cherry-flavored fluff and the caramel with a mild, not overly-sweet vanilla creme. Maybe replace the peanuts with almonds, seeing as almonds already have a cherry-conducive flavor. Heck, fruit flavors worked for Coke. Coconut Snickers Upon discussion, a conversation arose about the unusual scarcity of coconut in American candies. Aside from Mounds and Almond Joy, the unique flavor and texture is all but absent. It would be easy enough to integrate the shaved coconut into the nougat or a nougat-like interior, and there's no telling how it might play with the peanuts and caramel. It's risky, but it might just be a wonderful surprise. Honorable Mentions
  • Mint Snickers
  • Cookies and Cream Snickers
  • Peanut Butter (disqualified because of the limited edition Nut N' Butter Snickers in stores now)
  • S'mores Snickers

Hawaiian Kettle Chips

Since George Crum invented the potato chip in 1853, Americans have been downing them by the bagfull. These days, people in the United States eat approximately 17 billion dollars worth of potato chips each year. That's more than a third of the snack industry by itself. Go down to any supermarket, convenience store or gas station and you'll find anywhere on the order of a dozen or more varieties of chip, be it in brand, texture, or flavor. It's a complicated enough issue that regulatory courts have had to formally define what exactly constitutes a potato chip. For example, a recent ruling declared Pringles to be a snack food adequate for human consumption, but not sufficiently within the bounds of potato-chipdom. In recent years one particular style of chip, the kettle chip, has been gaining in popularity. Kettle chips are naturally very crunchy, have a distinct dark color, and tend to hold on to that much-desired potato flavor a little better than your average fried or baked chip. One particular brand of chips, Hawaiian, has started to appear in more places and in several new varieties around the Pacific Northwest. Hawaiian comes from Tim's Cascade Snacks based out of Auburn, Washington. There are four varieties of Hawaiian chips, but we'll only be looking at the three flavored types. Covering the Original Recipe chip would be a bit redundant. Luau Barbeque If there's one flavor of potato chip that fluctuates in quality between brands, it has to be barbecue. There are sweet, spicy, tangy, and all manner of salty versions. The Hawaiian Luau Barbecue chips are on the lower end of spicy. They've got a tiny kick to them, but they aren't anywhere near the zing of the recent "extreme" chip fad. The barbecue flavor itself is strong and full-mouthed. Coming from a smaller local company, I was hoping these would have a more authentic barbecue flavor. There's nothing quite like a chip that carries the sweet and smokey character of a good barbecue sauce. I'd sooner eat these than most big brand barbecue chips, but they still don't quite measure up to the best. Sweet Maui Onion Easily the best of the Hawaiian chips. It's a real challenge to make a convenient snack that tastes exactly like the thing it's imitating, so Sweet Maui Onion is a small triumph. These chips have the flavor of a good caramelized onion, only not overpowering. Most onion-flavored chips taste more like onion dip and other derivatives, so it's a real pleasure to bite into one that tastes genuine. These are particularly good alongside a sandwich. They bring a flavor to the meal that actually augments what would otherwise be a pretty mundane affair. Teriyaki The newest of the Hawaiian brand chips, Teriyaki is something of an oddball. At first, the experience is a bit disappointing. It begins with a nondescript sweetness followed by a simple saltiness with the first couple bites. Then something amazing happens. Maybe it's the warmth or the added moisture of chewing, but right in the middle the teriyaki flavor really comes out. It's not a cheap bottled sauce flavor, either. Rather, it's the taste of a good teriyaki chicken dish. I still wish that sensation was immediate, but when it finally does come it's nothing short of impressive. However, all the pineapples on the packaging make me wish for a pineapple flavor in the chip. In fact, it gets me thinking about why sweet flavors have been neglected in potato chips in general. A good fruit-flavored chip would definitely break up snacking monotony. For now, I'm happy to recommend Tim's Hawaiian Kettle Chips to anyone who can find them. You shouldn't have trouble in the state of Washington and in the Western United States in general. For everyone else, you can buy all of Tim's Cascade products on their website.

The Hunger in my Soul

As I sit here preparing to write this article, I can't help but think how hungry I am.  I have been working my day job for many hours and haven't had a thing to eat.  This is the perfect blog to post on, as I can directly relate to the name of the website.  Like many people (by many I mean everyone), I get hungry quite often.  It usually hits me all at once, one minute I'm fine, going about my business as usual and then suddenly I must eat!  I get tired and not only do I need food in me, I need something nourishing.  I need something to cure that deep down need which starts in the pit of my stomach and quickly makes its way up to my brain, all the while taking over my entire soul.  In short, potato chips won't cut it. The problem is not only do I hate the act of cooking, I also dislike how much time it takes.  I work all day and when I get home, I have things to do.  There is business to handle and I don't want to spend a minute more doing work that isn't absolutely necessary (this includes cooking).  The cooking takes long enough as it is, but then comes eating, cleaning, and probably heading back to the kitchen later on for more, because I was too lazy to make enough food to fill me up.  I need something filling, nutritious, and quick. So what are my options?  What foods are both quick and satisfying?  Perhaps you're thinking, "Taybot, just get something to eat on the way home.  That eliminates all the cooking and clean up." This is true of course but it ignores another important part of my personality, I'm cheap.  I won't spend $8-$10 every time I want a good meal.  Eating out isn't the answer I'm looking for, although I do love Pita Pit. There may be many solutions to this problem, but only one am I fully confident in: Top Ramen. What other food is so quick to make, so easy and delicious, again and again?  One way I manage to not grow bored of the classic Ramen noodles is I pretend I'm in Japan eating a fancy noodle dish.  This only works if you have an imagination wild enough to convince yourself that you're in Japan or some other far away place, when you're really in your living room, or even worse your mom or ex-girlfriend's living room. The flavors of Top Ramen are incredibly strong.  The salt, the noodles, the heat rising from the bowl.  All this and it only costs about .25 cents a package.  For the price it takes to quickly lose at Ms. Pac Man you can have a delicious bowl of soup.  I've heard there is a book full of hundreds of easy Top Ramen recipes, this is to ensure people don't get bored of their Ramen.  It could be a fantastic book, full of many jewels of wisdom.  Unfortunately I can't vouch for it, as I've never taken the time to find it at a bookstore.  Shoot, I've never even bothered to look up the book on Google.  In fact, I don't have any idea what the title is or who wrote it.  Somebody simply mentioned the book to me a few years ago, and for some reason it always stuck out in my memory. While I may still be in the darkness when it comes to this great book, there is one absolute truth: Top Ramen is quick, cheap, filling (if you make two packets at once) and full of great tasting salt.  There is no way to get around it, the salt is delicious.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to have some Ramen right now.  Don't worry, I might be back making blog posts in less than ten minutes.  As we all know, it doesn't take long to make Ramen.

The Canned Life

In an attempt to glean as much worthwhile knowledge out of my increased fascination with bargain food, I decided to undertake a little experiment. What would life be like if I spent a week living primarily off of things that came out of cans? More importantly, what would I learn from the process? I'm always excited by the prospect of finding something remarkably convenient or tasty in unlikely places, so this seemed right up my alley. I can say that I learned a lot, but the experience isn't going to make me change my lifestyle. Then again, in a roundabout sort of way, maybe it is. Let's get to the cans. Category I: Soup Of all the things most people will gladly eat out of a can, it's soup. These days, there's a startling variety of canned soups, both in flavor and in format. The classic Campbell's soups are always good standbys and they're frequently the lowest priced items in the aisle. Modern Campbell's follows a standard formula: The contents of the can plus one can of water, mixed in a pot until hot. In some cases this produces decent results, like with vegetable soup. I've always found those "no water necessary" prepared soups to be too salty for simple fare like veggie or chicken noodle. Among the prepared soups I much prefer the thicker, heartier flavors of a cook corn chowder. I still stay away from the clam chowders, though. A good can of either styles can make for a decent meal, but I can't imagine living off of it for very long. Category II: Meats Let it be known that there is no phrase in the English language more likely to send shudders down a foodie's spine like "canned meat". The very concept is unpleasant. I was hoping to find some kind of redeeming quality in the stuff I've been passing by with an upturned nose for years. No, I didn't pick up a can of SPAM. That stuff has such a cultural bias on it that I can't imagine eating it for any other purpose than irony or a lost bet. So, what tin-housed meats did I eat? Let's do a breakdown.
  • Underwood Deviled Ham
Far and away my least favorite of the bunch. This stuff is just vile. It comes in a dry, pinkish loaf that basically just tastes like salt given form as overcooked oatmeal. It's really impossible to do anything to this stuff to make it palatable. No amount of mayonaise, pepper, or vegetables can hope to mitigate canned ham's awfulness.
  • Swanson Chunked Chicken
The actual name isn't "chunked chicken" but that's what it really is, so that's what I'm calling it. This stuff isn't exactly bad, but it isn't exactly good, either. This chicken follows a certain principle of canned foods: If it comes from a can and doesn't have much flavor on its own, it will taste like tuna fish. That's basically all there is to say about it. Which brings us to...
  • Chicken of the Sea Tuna
The irony of the name isn't lost on me. Practically everyone grew up with the flavor of canned tuna, so maybe it's just a psychological thing that makes it taste alright. It occurs to me that all these years, we haven't been tasting tuna, we've been tasting the can. After my experiment here, I've promised myself to find someone who can teach me the ins and outs of sushi eating so I can experience how tuna is actually supposed to taste. Eating only the canned stuff is like eating nothing but fast-food burgers and then claiming to know what steak tastes like. Conclusions: Sure, I tried some other stuff. I had canned tomato sauces and canned vegetables, canned potato chips, even canned cookies. While it's true that canned goods are marginally less expensive than fresh ingredients, there are two things to consider. First, the economic concern is only true in small batches. Fresh items bought in larger quantities end up being cheaper than loads of canned goods. All you really need to know is how to properly freeze and otherwise store the stuff you don't use right away. The other thing to consider is the overall satisfaction of the food. Canned stuff is pretty lifeless and it's never satisfying. Even if you're saving money in the short run, you'll still be hungry later.

Pizza: A History Lesson

If aliens were to descend on planet Earth and collect samples of quintessentially human things, pizza would most certainly be on the list. What's not to like about it? Pizza can be small enough for a personal all-in-one meal or large enough to share with friends and family. It can be cut into whatever portion suits the consumer and the potential for flavor combinations is endless. So, how did this staple of the modern human diet come to be and how did it come to be so ubiquitous? Well, it's always best to start at the source. In this case, we're talking about Italy... sort of. To get the full history of pizza, we have to expand our search to the entire Mediterranean in general. Since nearly 1000 BC, Persian cultures have been melting cheese on chewy, doughy flatbread and covering it with toppings. The ancient Romans brought a crucial ingredient, olive oil, to the party. In the colony that would eventually become Naples, the site of the first recorded pizza shop, archaeologists have found early baking stones, the later models of which became crucial to pizza-making. But all of this stone-cooked, cheese-covered, toppings-augmented food is not pizza. What's missing? Well, the sauce, of course. Any amateur culinary historian knows that tomatoes didn't come to Europe until the 16th century when Spanish explorers brought them back from Peru. As is the case with many great recipes, the first traditional pizzas came about through necessity in the poorer classes. The famous recipe grew out of lower-class neighborhoods in Naples where local taverns started serving their olive oil, cheese and crushed tomato pies. That's why pizza goes so well with beer- It started out as bar food. As for the name, there are two possible origins for the term "pizza". One is the Italian term pizzicare, a verb connoting a small plucking or pinching motion. This either refers to the way pizza dough is pulled and pinched during the stretching phase, or the way the finished product is plucked from the oven using a long wooden board. The other possibility is from the Latin term pinsere, a verb meaning "to press" or "to crush". This refers to the method of flattening the dough with one's hands instead of a rolling pin and relates to the military term "pincer attack". Regardless of where it got its name, pizza soon migrated to the United States during the 19th century when immigrants brought their home countries' recipes to America. In an attempt to Anglicize the term, a lot of these early American pizzas were simply called Tomato Pie. At the turn of the century, a New Yorker named Gennaro Lombardi opened a pizza stand and the wide New York slice was born. A few decades later, the pie made its way to Chicago where it took on a deep, flaky shape. By the 1950's, American families grew to love the pie. That's when Tom Monaghan, the founder of Domino's Pizza, created a business model based on delivery. He wasn't the first person to deliver a pizza, but he was the first business owner to make it the center of his enterprise. Today, Americans consume pizza by the billions of pies. We eat it delivery, frozen, restaurant-style and occasionally home made. Without a doubt, this spectacular food with humble origins is one of the great inventions of our species.

Sky Bar

The NECCO candy company is known for some unique and increasingly obscure products. They've lent their name to the NECCO Candy Wafers, the Clark Bar and their classic Candy Buttons. One of the hardest NECCO candies to find is the Sky Bar. The Sky Bar is one of the oldest name-brand candy bars in America. The brainchild of a NECCO employee named Joseph Cangemi, It was first release in 1938 and it got its name from a unique advertising campaign. The NECCO company commissioned a series of sky writing exhibitions to inform the public, mostly in New York, of the upcoming release. After the mandatory blackouts of the Second World War were lifted, only a few companies were ready with their lighted advertisements in Times Square. NECCO was one of them and the ad was for their Sky Bar. Since then, the Sky Bar has had increasingly limited distribution. The Internet has helped fans of the candy purchase whole boxes via NECCO's website. For everyone else, finding a Sky Bar in a real-life candy display is like seeing a spotted leopard in the wild. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio. To my knowledge, there were only one or two places where the Sky Bar was available, and only at a certain time of year. My sister danced ballet and so my family got free tickets to the Columbus Metropolitan Ballet and Symphony. There was a little Italian restaurant a few blocks from the Ohio Theatre my family used to go to before shows. At the front register there would always be a box or two of Sky Bars during the holiday season. Just last year I was with my folks for an outing to see The Nutcracker. Out of convenience or nostalgia we stopped into that same old Italian restaurant. I was so excited to see one lonely little box of Sky Bars, I bought several just in case they disappeared entirely. What makes the Sky Bar so interesting is that it's halfway between a standard candy bar and a box of assorted chocolates. In four distinct sections, the bar has four different flavored fillings. There is a traditional caramel section that tastes similar to Cadbury's Caramello bar, as well as a loose chocolate fudge section. The oddball of the design is what NECCO calls the "peanut" section. It isn't peanut butter, but a sort of peanut-flavored caramel goo. The first few times I tasted a Sky Bar I couldn't identify the flavor of that section. By far my favorite section is the vanilla flavor. Like the vanilla cremes you'll find a standard box of chocolates, the Sky Bar's vanilla filling isn't very firm. It's a lot like the filling of another Cadbury product: the famous Cadbury Easter Egg. The Sky Bar belongs to a sadly growing pantheon of old and hard-to-find candies. It tastes like what it is- an odd item from the past that hasn't been fussily tweaked to meet the standards of the largest possible demographic. It has neither the elegance of gourmet dark chocolates nor the reliability of something like a Snickers. In a sense, the Sky Bar tastes campy. It's what my grandparents' generation wanted in a candy bar. NECCO never went to any lengths to modernize their products. I'd be interested to taste a 21st century version of the Sky Bar, but I'm also glad we have the classic recipe to enjoy. If the Sky Bar was as ubiquitous as today's big-name candies, I don't think I'd appreciate it as much. For now, we appreciators of the Sky Bar will have to settle for the glee of finding one "in the wild" or else occasionally give in to our inner fanboy/fangirl and buy them in bulk online.

A Christmas Tradition

Every year on Christmas when most American families were sidling up to a feast of ham or turkey, my family followed a different custom. Like so many American Jews since the middle of the 20th century, we went to our favorite local Chinese restaurant. Now, I know this tradition is stereotypical and honestly a lot of Jewish people just keep it ironically. The fact is, the funny American Jewish custom of spending Christmas eating at Chinese restaurants and seeing movies in otherwise empty theaters is one rooted in practicality. Whether or not we celebrate the holiday in our homes, Jews still get the day off work for Christmas. Given a day of vacation, it's really a shame to have to cook and there's never anything on television on the 25th of December. It only makes sense to go out. The problem is that most restaurants and entertainment venues are closed on Christmas. Most, but not all. Coming from a non-Christian culture, the Chinese have no reason to take the night off except for a lack of customers. For decades now, hungry Jewish families have filled the empty chairs in those restaurants. There's also something really wonderful about going to a movie theater and knowing practically everyone else there. As we stand in line for our popcorn, we can laugh and chat with our friends from temple. We know it's kind of a silly tradition, but that's what makes it fun. This year, many parts of the country have been hit with some nasty winter weather. It may be dangerous to go out tonight, but that's no reason to ignore a tradition. Here's a recipe to make your Jewish Christmas a hit. Sweet and Sour Chicken If you have an iron skillet, you're in good shape. Get your pan as hot as you can get it, so hot a drop of water instantly turns to steam. When your pan is hot enough, coat with vegetable oil and add one pound of chunked boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been coated in egg whites, cornstarch and salt. Make sure your chicken is evenly-coated and has been given time to rest in the mixture in a cool place for 20 minutes. While your chicken is resting, you can whip up a quick but tasty sauce made from pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt and brown sugar. Brown your chicken in the hot pan by laying a single layer and letting it sit for one minute untouched, then flipping it and letting it brown for one more minute. After all your chicken is browned and removed from the pan, add another teaspoon of oil to the pan along with some bell pepper and fresh ginger. After one minute, add some pineapple chunks as well as the sauce. Make sure your heat is on High and return the chicken to the pan. Let this all simmer together for another minute or two, however long it takes for the chicken to be cooked through. If it's pink in the middle, it needs more time. That's it. Serve it on a bed of rice or just as it is, if you prefer. Merry Christmas and Happy fifth night of Chanukah.

Convenience Store Surprises

Most food blogs concentrate on the fancy stuff. They track new trends, review posh restaurants and give meticulous instructions on how to prepare impressive dishes. Don't get me wrong, I love that stuff and I love writing about that stuff, but there's more to the world of food than the alpha recipes. Sometimes, when your wallet's light and your stomach's empty, you're willing to make some compromises with your taste buds. No place on planet Earth knows that circumstance quite like the classic American convenience store. Whether it's a corporate chain or a local family-run operation, these cramped quick-stop shops are home to some unique products you're less likely to find in bigger grocery outfits. Every once in a while, you run into an item that surprises you with its quality, especially considering its price. The following are three such surprises on to which I've stumbled in my local convenience store. Reser's Deluxe Combo Pizza Reser's is one of the king corporations for convenience store food. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of most of their products. A lot of them taste the same; excessively salty, low-grade beef. I don't care if it's chicken-fried steak, swedish meatballs or a microwave burrito, it's probably going to have what I call "that Reser's flavor". For the price, you can't really expect more. Their largest items run under $9.00 and provide several pounds of food. This is why the Reser's pizzas are so impressive. For approximately $6.00 (depending on local tax), you get two pies the size of your average Tombstone or DiGiorno. As far as frozen pizza goes, Reser's isn't half bad. In fact, they're as good as Tombstone, but still several steps behind DiGiorno or California Pizza Kitchen. Reser's Deluxe Combo has a pretty generous smattering of toppings, including pepperoni, sausage and peppers. The sauce doesn't taste like ketchup, which is a plus for convenience store pizza, and the cheese is more than passable. Best of all, I've found Reser's pizzas to be light on the grease. All in all, a pretty spectacular buy. Colombina Fancy Assorted Cookies Convenience store snack sections are strange places. Big names like Planter's share space with the most off of the off-brands. It's just assumed that if you've never heard of it, it's probably going to be bad. While I can't say that the Colombina cookies were the best I've ever eaten, at $3.00 I'm just astounded they didn't taste like cardboard. For the most part there's not a lot of variety in flavor, but that flavor isn't bad. Most of the cookies have a simple buttery taste with a hint of vanilla and coconut. There are two chocolate cookies, one filled, one plain. They do have a simple cocoa tone to them reminiscent of chocolate milk powder. The box also has an individually-wrapped package of crumbly wafers. While I wouldn't put out a plate of Colombina Assorted's for dinner guests, they're certainly good enough for a cheap mid-week dessert. Pearson's Salted Nut Roll By far the star of this update, Pearson's Salted Nut Roll is a pretty amazing low-budget candy bar. Aside from the uninspired name, the SNR is so good it deserves equal billing with major corporate candies. In short, the SNR is a Snickers without the chocolate and about three times the peanuts. The nuts themselves have as good a flavor as any of the canned, roasted varieties you'll find one rack over and the caramel is plentiful enough to keep everything from falling apart but not enough to make the experience overly chewy. The whole thing is bundled around a bright-white nougat core. At first the artificial whiteness of the nougat is disconcerting, but then it just becomes part of the aesthetic experience. The SNR is big, filling and doesn't taste cheap at all. If you happen to find one in your local quickie-mart or gas station, definitely give it a try.

Three Desserts from the Las Vegas Strip

The only thing more prevalent on the Las Vegas Strip than slot machines are restaurants. They range from all the typical fast-food joints you'll find practically everywhere else in the industrialized world to a few unique destinations replete with all that Sin City flare. In the casinos themselves the menus are diverse and pricey, but it's also easy to find reasonable bills with prix fixe selections. Surprisingly, some of the best deals for hungry gamblers can be found on dessert lists. Creme Brulee Trio- Cafe Bellagio The Cafe Bellagio at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino is one of the more casual dining experiences at the otherwise gilded resort. Tucked away in a quiet corner with a dazzling seasonal display, it's the type of restaurant in which most Americans would be comfortable. But, since it's Vegas, Cafe Bellagio is still on the fancier end of life. For a very reasonable $8.00 you can get the Creme Brulee Trio, a generally interesting and satisfying dessert. The first is a tart raspberry creme infused with what tastes like real berry juice. In the middle is a cool, smooth strawberry creme. Of the three, it's the only one that benefits from the dish being served cold. Third and easily the tastiest of the trio is the banana chocolate creme. That first bite with the hidden chocolate coolie is a nice surprise. Aside from some temperature issues, the only other problem with the Creme Brulee Trio is the unevenness of the caramelized sugar. Instead of creating a sweet crust, it really just leaves the occasional crunchy bit. It's not really enough to take away much from the dish. Tiramisu- Fiamma Fiamma is the requisite trendy Italian restaurant at the MGM Grand. Dimly lit and adorned with modern art, it oozes the kind of slick decadence people come to Vegas to see. The #1 reason to go there is the real pasta, but trailing close behind is the house tiramisu. Forget the bland, frozen stuff you'll find in practically every neighborhood meatball restaurant in America. Fiamma's is what tiramisu is supposed to taste like. The espresso flavor kicks from start to finish, the ladyfingers spring and the whole experience is creamy to T without being over-rich. Easily the highlight dessert of my recent visit. Gelato- Cafe Gelato In between some of the casinos on the strip are mall-like corradors with shops and quick eats. If you can walk by Cafe Gelato near the Bellagio and not stop in for a scoop or three, you're a stronger person than I. Their berry flavors, particularly Strawberry Creme, are out of this world. But if you must try one flavor, Coconut is the way to go. It's just sweet enough to feel like a treat and it pairs well with every other flavor in the shop. For $5.00 you can get three scoops. In Las Vegas, a price like that feels like a lie. There's plenty to love about America's brightest city street. Even though Frankie never sang about ice cream and pastries, Las Vegas definitely has plenty in the sweets department to help vacationers indulge just a little more.

Antipasto Introducto

Greetings, foodies. If you're here, chances are you have a taste for something excellent, exceptional, or out of the ordinary. We here at The Hungry Blogger are dedicated to bringing you recipes, restaurant reviews and even some culinary history. So, pull up a chair, grab a glass of wine and encourage your appetite. Let's just go ahead and dive right in. Today, the topic is Beef Carpaccio. This delectable starter is, far and away, my favorite antipasto dish. Antipasto? It's an Italian term that means, simply and literally, Before (anti) the Meal (pasto). Antipasti are generally light, flavorful dishes that prime a diner's belly for the heavier main courses that make up so much of Italian fare. Best of all, antipasti are designed to be shared. They're pretty, have a banquet-grazing feel to them and they are exceedingly easy to make. Which is not to say a proper antipasto doesn't require a careful attention to detail. This goes double for carpaccio. Here's what you'll need:
  • Beef tenderloin (tip), 10 oz
  • Light, leafy greens like arugula, spinach and radicchio, enough to make a good bed
  • Olive oil, 1 cup
  • Balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup
  • Salt, preferably kosher
  • Black pepper, preferably fresh-ground
  • Parmesan cheese (optional)
Your first step is going to be chilling your beef. Traditionally, carpaccio uses medallions of beef sliced extremely thin. It's easiest to do this if your tenderloin has spent an hour or two rolled up in plastic wrap in a clean freezer. Now that your beef can be easily cut, unwrap it and make your slices no more than a quarter inch thick. Place your medallions on a new sheet of plastic wrap, adding another layer of plastic on top of the beef. Now, out comes the meat mallet. You don't need to wallop the medallions. Think of it as a very insistent massage. However you go about it, that beef needs to be thin to the point of nearly falling apart. 10 ounces should give you enough to serve four or five people. It's time for mixing a proper vinaigrette. You could go the store-bought route, but the real stuff is very easy. Your oil can be flavored with a variety of herbs and spices, but in the case of carpaccio the meat, salt and pepper should bring enough flavor on their own. Also, there's no need to cover up the underlying fruitiness of olive oil. Because you need to emulsify your mixture, you can't just dump your olive oil into your vinegar. Rather, very slowly drizzle the olive oil into the vinegar while continuously whisking. Pour a portion of your vinaigrette on the bed of greens so they can absorb all of that flavor. For presentation's sake, lay your beef medallions on top of the greens instead of tossing them. The red will really pop against the green background, especially after you add a nice sheen of vinaigrette to the meat. Add salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese to taste. If you've done everything you were supposed to do, the carpaccio will cut with the slightest touch of a fork. When do we cook the meat? We don't. No need to worry. This isn't like biting into an uncooked steak. Just remember to buy fresh beef from a trusted butcher, keep your work station spotless and use clean utensils. The plastic and the time in the freezer will keep things safe. Enjoy.

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