The Gourmet Review

Mango is my new, favorite fruit to add to salads and just about anything. Summer is a perfect time to incorporate mango in this fresh, easy to make salsa. Put on fish and turn ordinary into fabulous. Best of all, it takes just minutes to make.

SERVES:  4

INGREDIENTS

1  cup chopped peeled mango

1 cup chopped tomato (use different colored tomatoes to make a colorful presentation)

8 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley

4 tablespoons chopped red onion

2  teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder (for a little kick)

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Dice mango, tomato, cilantro parsley and red onion and add to small bowl. Add fresh lemon and lime juice. Finish with a little chili powder to taste if you like a bit of kick. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTE:

This is an adaption of recipe for Mango Salsa Verde in Cooking Light, Super Fresh & Simple Meals.

Want a guaranteed over the top delicious green salad? Try this recipe from Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, Washington. It is fantastic. I remember reading many years ago that this salad was named the best salad in the country. This just might be true. Try it and see what you think!

SERVES:  4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1 large head Romaine hearts, cut into 1″ pieces

8 cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion

3/4 cup freshly grated Romano cheese

1/2 cup very well done chopped bacon

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh mint*

1 tablespoon thinly sliced oregano leaves

1/2 cup croutons*

kosher salt and fresh ground tellicherry black pepper to taste

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 coddled egg*

* NOTES BY MARK CANLIS

Wash individual leaves in warm water. Drain and dry in colander. Then chill in refrigerator. Don’t ever, ever toss a Canlis Salad with warm or wet leaves!!

Mint – you can’t use too much mint (experiment yourself).

Coddled Egg – Pour boiling water into a cup and put a whole egg (in the shell) into the hot water . Let sit for 1 minute. You may substitute with pasteurized egg mixture (found in the dairy section in cartons).

Croutons – Canlis makes their our own croutons. They use butter and Italian seasoning.

DIRECTIONS

To make the dressing, put the salt and pepper, lemon juice, oil, and coddled egg in a bowl and whip vigorously. Reserve. To a salad bowl, add the prepared romaine, green onion, cheese, bacon, oregano, and mint. Pour dressing over salad and toss thoroughly. Split the salad onto four chilled plates and arrange croutons, a sprinkle of Romano cheese and halved cherry tomatoes on the salad to finish the presentation.

SECRET  TIPS FROM MARK CANLIS TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE CANLIS SALAD

Follow these tips from Mark to recreate the Canlis Salad  served in the restaurant.

The Canlis salad recipe was my grandfather’s – a man who learned to cook from his Greek and Lebanese mother. There are a few hints that he insisted on when making the salad, and they always seem to make the difference when we’re making it in the home or at the restaurant.

First, prepare the bowl. If you have one, a wooden bowl is best. You’ll want to take a clove or two of garlic and a bit of olive oil and season the bowl by rubbing the two all over the bowl.

Then, focus on the lettuce. It’s best if you can buy the lettuce whole, and a day before cut off the bottom of the stalk about an inch up from the bottom. You’ll immediately see some white foam…this is very bitter, and draining it out of the lettuce will make it sweeter. Just wash it and prop it up over paper towels in the refrigerator over night. The next day it will be clean, sweet and ready to cut into 1 inch squares. Use a sharp knife…dull knives bruise the leaves.

Bacon? yes. Bacon bits? NO. The salad needs the fat from real bacon to balance the acidity of the lemon juice. Don’t over cook it (that removes the fat). It should be done, but still tender and soft.

Finally, the dressing. Don’t leave out the egg—it’s essential as an emulsifier for the lemon juice and the olive oil. Only use fresh lemon juice!  (The pre-packaged stuff won’t due.) When making the dressing, ere on the tart side. It’s better to have it too tart than too oily. When you taste it (and you should several times) it should taste pretty tangy and tart.

Oh and lastly, only use Romano cheese – Parmesan, though often used as a substitute in other dishes, will ruin the dish. It’s best to have shredded romano, not grated or crumbled, as this dries out the moisture and the character of the cheese.”

 

Gourmet Review Croutons

By no means does this measure up to Canlis croutons, but here is my personal recipe. I cut up a baguette of a  loaf of french bread into squares for the croutons. I keep a container of olive oil steeped with fresh garlic in my kitchen at all times. For the croutons, I pour a little of the olive oil in a frying pan and lightly cook the croutons until just golden brown. These can be prepared the day before and kept in a ziplock bag if pressed for time. Please do not use store bought croutons. It makes a difference in the salad. Mine don’t measure up to those at Canlis, but it a substitute.

Courtesy Singita Game Reserves

Thinking about an exotic African safari?  Take a look at Tanzania’s luxury safari lodge, just named in Travel + Leisure’s 2011  World’s Best Awards category. Singita Grumeti Reserves in Tanzania is next on my bucket list to visit.

Courtesy Singita Game Reserves

Singita Game Reserves set the gold standard for accommodations in Africa if you want to experience a luxury safari. Check out their packages that include rooms, safari, expert safari guides, as well as all food and drink. We loved our visit to Singita Ebony Lodge in Kruger National Park.

Courtesy Singita Game Reserves

Then dream a little. Why not try an adventure travel to exotic Singita? I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with Singita Grumeti Reserve and see why this luxuty private game reserve  has been honored with The World’s Best Overall Hotel award.

[youtube z7B2kb6LDoI]

-The Gourmet Review

Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

Flora Aghababyan is the master cake artist at the Wynn Resort Las Vegas. She is cool under pressure and there isn’t a cake request that she can’t fulfill in a moment’s notice.

Coutesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

Do you love the red Hermes purse in the photo? Wait . . . this is a birthday cake replicated by Flora. Trust me, Flora really can transform anything into a cake. When you want to impress someone in Vegas, as a very important Wynn executive wanted to do one birthday for his wife, of course you turn to Flora to get those extra bonus points for creativity!

Flora Working on Equestrian Cake

Finished Equestrian Cake Complete With Hay

Perhaps you have an equestrian in the family and want to celebrate a birthday. You might request this cake, which measured about 3 ‘ x 1 1/2 feet and was secured in a plexiglass case and loaded up in a private plane to be delivered for a very lucky young lady’s birthday.

The Gourmet Review

The “Blue Baker,” my granddaughter, and I visited Flora and her team one afternoon and met Flora and her team. They are talented, creative and fast. One can only describe this as the home of  cake magic. We watched as Flora recreated the “Welcome to Las Vegas”  sign on a sheet cake.

The “Blue Baker’s” first decorated cake

Then it was time for the “Blue Baker”,  to decorate her first cake. First the frosting. Then selecting the flowers. (Flora can reproduce any flower grown). Finally,  it’s time to pipe the frosting on the sides of the cake. Flora sent the “Blue Baker’s” creation home in a box. It was quickly placed in the freezer. I keep hoping for a taste, but many months later, the “Blue Baker” will not allow anyone to eat her souvenir. This is a cake that will forever be saved!

The Gourmet Review

Flora was 12 when she decorated her first cake and already knew she wanted to become a professional baker at age 18. Here she is demonstrating to the “Blue Baker “how to create a perfect frosting finish. Flora’s personal favorite cake is one made with fresh berries, but all her cakes are mouth watering.

Flora’s Hand Made Cake Decorations Ready To Place

In the course of an average day, Flora will bake and decorate between 10 and 20 cakes. Above are some decorations waiting for placement. She gets her inspiration from just about everywhere – books, the internet and sometimes even an art store.

Flora’s Taj Mahal Cake

When asked what the hardest cake order she ever filled, Flora replied that she is actually quite comfortable with any design. I guess that’s why appearing on Food Network didn’t stress her out.

Flora has won numerous awards, including the National Grand Wedding Competition in 2010 out of 70 professionals in the Country. Always humble, she shares that “Every day is a competition for me. At the end of the day if everything is fine and  everyone is happy, then  this is the  best award for every day.”

Flora’s Cake Artistry Courtesy Wynn Resort Las Vegas

The most number of cakes Flora ever made were  550 creations in three days! Now, that’s working under pressure!

Flora is a great believer in working hard and following your dreams. When you look at photos of her cake creations, you know that this inspirational woman  has found her dream job. Lucky for Wynn Resort and anyone able  to savor her creations!

– The Gourmet Review

Lunch Presentation by The Gourmet Review

This is the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. I love fresh, healthy food, so when you read that the last ingredients added to this recipe are fresh lemon juice and herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, thyme and basil), you know you are in for a gastronomique treat.

Dinner Presentation with Crab Legs Ready For Chowder Tableside

Leave it to the Four Seasons to have a spectacular presentation in the evening for a traditional soup. Your choice to keep it simple or elegant, but take the time to try this amazing recipe.

Final Dinner Clam Chowder Presentation

YIELD: 6 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

½ gallon heavy cream

1 qt clam juice (get from seafood purveyor)

4 pieces of bacon

½ cup onion, diced

½ cup celery, diced

½ cup carrots, diced

½ cup fennel, diced

½ cup cooked potato, diced

½ cup cooked celery root, diced

½ cup pancetta, diced

1 cup shucked manila clam meat (you can get this in cans at seafood purveyor) I double the clams

4 T. lemon juice

1/8 cup flour

1/8 cup parsley, chopped

1/8 cup chervil, chopped

1/8 cup chives, chopped

1/8 cup tarragon, chopped

1/8 cup thyme, chopped

1/8 cup basil, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Render bacon fat from slabs of bacon.

Saute vegetables in bacon fat until onions become translucent and vegetables sweat.

Dust with flour.

Add cream and clam juice.  Bring liquid to simmer.  Adjust liquid with water if too thick.

Add chopped crispy bacon, herbs and lemon juice.

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and Tabasco.

Reduce by half.

INGREDIENTS FOR PUREED HERBS FOR GARNISH

1Tsp Parsley

1Tsp Basil

1Tsp Rosemary

1/2 cup cooked spinach

1 Cup Grapeseed oil

PREPARATION

Blanch herbs for 15 seconds and quickly cool in ice water.

Put in blender  with 1/2 cup cooked spinach and  1 cup grape seed oil. Blend until pureed.

Strain through a coffee filter overnight.

Drizzle over soup before serving.

NOTE:

Kerry Sear, Director of Food and Beverage/Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Seattle, along with Sous Chef, Angela Song, were kind enough to share their collaborative recipe for clam chowder.  Everyone raved and came back for seconds!

-The Gourmet Review

The Gourmet Review

My friend, Dorothy, loves lemon drops. Since it was her birthday last night, she decided to drop by with a group of friends and have her husband, Fred,  make lemon drops for the whole group. This is not a drink for the faint of heart!

The Gourmet Review

So, I pulled out some cheese and crackers and we had ourselves an impromptu  party.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz. Triple Sec

1 tsp superfine sugar

3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes.

Shake well to make sure sugar is blended.

Pour strained liquor into a sugar rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

NOTE: If you want a sugar rimmed glass, just take a lemon wedge, rub the drinking surface to barely moist on the surface of the glass, and dip the glass into sugar.

PRESENTATION

Serve in a martini cocktail glass. A fresh garnish of mint is also colorful.

This recipe is the “The Perfect Lemon Drop Martini” from drinksmixer.com.

The Gourmet Review

July 4th is here. Friends and family gather from all over the country – New York, Los Angeles, Nevada, Florida and the Pacific Northwest. The day starts early, with kids getting excited about the parade. Everyone rushes to be on time for the tugboat ride to a little city in Blaine, Washington. It’s an old fashioned celebration, as small  town as it gets.

Courtesy David Wells

We’ve signed the kids up for the parade. It’s open to everyone. You just need to register first thing in the morning, pick up your parade number, and then be ready for the big event that starts at noon.

Courtesy David Wells

Everyone is dressed in patriotic colors. Each year, the kids make their own “costumes”. One of the moms oversee a tie dye project, so red, white and blue tee shirts are proudly worn by all. Of course, every child has a bucket filled with candy to throw at bystanders lining the sidewalks of the 5 block parade.

Courtesy David Wells

Even the older generation is decked to the nines while riding on floats and  waving flags.

Courtesy David Wells

Everyone comes from miles around, including the local high school marching band, cheerleaders,  fire truck (that’s the city’s only fire truck), ambulance, the local hardware store’s float, complete with relatives and dogs sitting on haystacks, and everyone waving to the crowd. The list goes on and on, as over two hundred entrants march down the parade route.

Courtesy David Wells

The candy never lasts as long as it should. So many  children are waving at our kids to get candy, that no matter the best of intentions, the buckets are empty too soon.

Courtesy David Wells

Uh oh. No more candy. So, with empty buckets on heads and lots of smiles, enthusiastic waves substitute for candy.

Courtesy Sienna's Daddy

After the parade, there is every kind of ice cream, hot dog, slushies, hamburgers, gyros, flavored ices and cotton candy. Of course, what is a local celebration without deep friend twinkies, Mars bars and kettle corn. Must admit, I need to skip the deep fried candy bars.

Courtesy David Wells

Then its off to the pony rides,  face painting, antique car displays and games galore.

Courtesy David Wells

When everyone is thoroughly exhausted,  it’s a short ride back for a brief respite, before heading to the beach and a big bonfire with smores.

The Gourmet Review

We watch the sun  go down across the water. Then it’s off for the barbecue and  fireworks.  It’s been the perfect ending to a great holiday. Happy 4th everyone!

The Gourmet Review

Holidays are always a fun time to connect with family and friends. July 4th is no exception. We have friends from Florida, Nevada and California who join us every year, and of course, the Blue Baker,  granddaughter, is the first off the plane. Mr. Baker is beautiful today and we have a great weekend planned.

The Gourmet Review

The first night is always casual, as everyone arrives throughout the course of the afternoon. A crab fest is an easy, festive way to enjoy the first evening of the holiday weekend. We order crab flown in from our favorite provider, University Seafood. I usually have a mix of whole crabs, for those who like to get into the spirit of the evening and crack their own crabs, mixed shelled crabmeat for the lazy diners and finally, a few choice wholecrab legs. If you have ever cracked your own crab, you will appreciate what it takes to get an entire crab leg out of the shell in one piece.

The Gourmet Review

I set the table with newspapers and throw big bowls of crabs and crabmeat onto the table. Then I make my favorite Canlis salad (I dare you to find a better salad). Of course, I get all the salad ingredients ready the day before everyone arrives. Finally, I throw warm garlic bread onto the table and everyone helps themselves. I’m a big “do it in advance” person, so I prepare the garlic bread about five days in advance and put it in the freezer, so it is fresh but best of all there’s no last minute preparation. I love mincing some fresh garlic and parsley in garlic infused olive oil and spreading it on French bread.  Then I slice it and wrap in foil. Can’t get easier than that.

The Gourmet Review

Sun is starting to set. Quick time out to watch the blue herons call it a night. Now back to dinner.

The Gourmet Review

Spectacular sunset tonight. Perfect for celebrating. The Blue Baker and her friends remind me that they have scattered seashells over the newspaper, along with lots of glass candles for some atmosphere. They have done a great job on the table, as you can see from the photo above.  Try filling some square glass flower vases with sand and nestle a candle on top. Or, if you live away from the ocean, Pottery Barn always carries crab crackers, sand, starfish and shells. These make great table centerpieces when combined with candles.

Courtesy David Wells

 All that’s left is to pour the wine and get the celebrations underway. Happy Fourth of July!

– The Gourmet Review

The hottest new tequila that’s selling off the shelves is Uno Dos Tres Organic Tequila, a new line of tequila launched this year by tequila master, David Ravandi. David can make a great tequila drink from just about anything. He pairs the ingredients to his Uno, Dos or Tres bottles of tequila.

The Gourmet Review

Lucky for me last night , there was lots of fresh watermelon, so David prepared the “Uno” Sandia cocktail. It was topped with a fresh basil leaf and the protocol is to sip the sandia while smelling the basil. It’s a combination sure to knock you off your feet!

The story  of Uno Dos Tres is a fun read. Check it out on the 1 2 3 Tequila website.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. Uno Blanco Tequila

2 oz. Watermelon Chunks

1 tbs Fresh Lime Juice

1 tbs Organic Agave Nectar

DIRECTIONS

Muddle the watermelon. Add juice & nectar in a shaker tin.

Add liquor and ice. Shake and strain.

Serve straight up or on the rocks

Garnish with basil leaf (green or purple) and make sure your guests enjoy a scent of basil with every sip!

– The Gourmet Review

The Gourmet Review

Just ask Executive Chef Eric Klein what’s fresh in his kitchen at Spago’s in Las Vegas.  Chef Klein serves only the freshest seasonal foods at  Spago’s and it’s exciting to see what creative dishes he will serve each season.

The Gourmet Review

When it comes to produce, you won’t find anything on the menu that has lost its nutritional value by being picked before its time halfway across the world.

Who doesn’t love all the fresh mushrooms and berries coming to market now, especially the strawberries?

The Gourmet Review 

The Gourmet Review

Or perhaps the onions, asparagus and artichokes? Micro greens might add the special finish to your favorite salad.

Chef Eric Explaining What’s Fresh on Menu Tonight

Eric shows us what’s market fresh at Spagos. Check out the latest seasonal menu. Now, it’s your turn to take a trip to your local farmer’s market and see what you can savor this evening.

—The Gourmet Review