David Ross

Thanks. Hope to maybe see you there. Should be interesting with the panel discussion of the Las Vegas dining scene, i.e., Richman and Steingarten et. al.

Appearing tonight, October 5, as a judge on Iron Chef America, is our friend and eGullet contributor, the Master and Major Domo of www.eatinglv.com-the one and only Mr. John Curtas-KNPR, KLAS, James Beard Foundation, et. al, etc., and so on. I have it on good authority, (the authority being the credible gossip wags that search these things out), that the "secret" ingredient on tonight's battle involves a creature from ancient seas that is known more for its eggs than its flesh. Since we can't fly to Las Vegas this afternoon with such short notice, we won't be able to join Mr. Curtas and his adoring fans at the debut party at Marche Bacchus restaurant. Just tune in to the show and then send your adoring reviews to John at eatinglv.

Most of the Friday night private dinners at Taste America are being held at some of the well-known restaurants on the Strip, i.e. Alex, Bartolotta, Bradley Ogden, Rao's and Restaurant Charlie to name a few. All good restaurants indeed, but I decided to book a seat at a restaurant that often gets overlooked in the frenzy of Las Vegas-Piero Selvaggio's Valentino at The Venetian. How can one go wrong with two Beard Award winners in the house-Selvaggio and Chef Luciano Pellegrini-and a special "white truffle" menu created for our private dinner. I'm looking forward to: Mini Pizza al Tartufo Fried Lobster Milanese with Spicy Aioli Veal Tartate with Tartufo Crostini with Quail Pate and Tartufo Nero Fried Australian Spanner Crabcakes with Porcini Salad and White Truffle Quail Meatloaf on Polenta with White Truffle Fontina Stuffed Bucatini with Crescenza Sauce and White Truffle Buffalo Medallion with White Wine Demi-Glace and White Truffle Hot and Cold Cheese Soups with Mixed Fruit Dessert (that's all the website lists for the finale. Hmm. Something with more White Truffles?)

Maggie thank you for your encouragement and your willingness to give honest feedback. I appreciate it. And looking forward to some delicious posts from you in the future. Thanks. dr.

The steak and mushrooms are absolutely delicious! Especially those Hen of the Woods Mushrooms. I've never cooked them at home before but after your photo, I will have to try it. I've had them at Craftsteak in Las Vegas and they cook them simply in butter in a saute pan then finish them off with a quick roast in the oven. Very nice.

Thanks, my pleasure. While you could substitute blueberries for the huckleberries, the flavor profiles won't be close to one another. Huckleberries have a tart/sweet flavor and perfume that are unique and unmatched by other berries. 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 cups Huckleberries 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. nutmeg Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, Huckleberries, cinnamon and nutmeg in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a slow boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the compote until it is thick and reduced by about 1/3. Note-Sometimes I add red wine to the compote for a deeper flavor. I also do versions of the compote with a few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. In the end though, I usually don't make a lot of additions to the basic recipe because I want the pure flavor of the Huckleberries to stand alone. Enjoy.

Thanks. Yes, huckleberries are a real treat every Fall in the Northwest, but I'll never turn down a good cheeseburger-maybe with huckleberry ketchup!

Recent dishes with this year's crop of Huckleberries-as most of you know, the Huckleberry has a special place in my heart (and stomach)- This is a salad with a Huckleberry "Gastrique" dressing and a toasted crouton with smoked gouda cheese- Slow-Roasted Duck with Huckleberry Compote- Open-Face Huckleberry Tart- Pear Brown Betty with Huckleberry Ice Cream- Huckleberry Pie-

Fall is my favorite time of year. Why? Because this is the time of year where the fruit of the Northwest is at its peak-Apples, Pears, Peaches and yes, the King of all Northwest berries-the Huckleberry. I've posted a piece about Huckleberries in the New York-Cooking forum, but I wanted to share three Huckleberry sweets with the fine bakers in this topic. Hope you enjoy: Open-Face Huckleberry Tart- Pear Brown Betty with Huckleberry Ice Cream- The most delicious pie known to this man, Huckleberry Pie-

Hello cooking friends in NYC. Imagine-it was just a year ago that we were talking about the delicious little huckleberry. Today I thought I'd share some of this year's Northwest huckleberry bounty with you. We've had a very good crop of huckleberries in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho this year and I've heard the crop over in Montana is also bountiful. The berries are very plump and juicy and much sweeter than the '07 crop. We paid $35 for a gallon of fresh huckleberries in 2006, $49.95 for a gallon last year (not what I would call a stellar crop worthy of that price), and last week I paid $45 a gallon. The berries are so delicious this year, I'm going back up to the "Green Bluff" Farmer's Co-op this weekend to get another gallon. Our very odd weather this year has tricked the common sensibilities of what we always have believed were the ideal weather conditions for growing huckleberries-a long hot summer lasting into late September. Hot days and fair nights help sweeten the berries so come September they are at their peak flavor. This summer the weather has not been what a huckleberry purist would call ideal. We had snow into mid-June, followed by an intensely hot, dry July, a dry yet mild August, hot the first two weeks of September and now uncommonly mild temperatures during the day, dropping to below freezing in the mountains at night. If you had plotted the weather temperatures this summer on a graph, you'd never believe that we would be eating big, sweet huckleberries the third week of September. I am sure the bears are quite happy right now-they'll be going to go to their slumber this winter with fat bellies full of Huckleberries. White Box Pies in Spokane will ship a huckleberry pie to downtown Manhattan. Their pies are currently $20.95 plus $11.00 shipping. You probably need to call them ahead of time to make sure that fresh pies are available on the date you order. Huckleberry pies tend to sell out as quickly as they are baked. Check out their website: http://www.whiteboxpiesbakery.com Here are some recent Huckleberry dishes from my kitchen: Toasted Crouton with Smoked Gouda and Huckleberry Gastrique- (A fancy description for a green salad with a melted cheese sandwich and huckleberry sauce) Slow-Roasted Duck with Huckleberry Compote- Open-Face Huckleberry Tart- Pear Brown Betty with Huckleberry Ice Cream- (does any restaurant put a "Betty" on their dessert menu today?) Huckleberry Pie- (Great Aunt Mabel and Grandmother Mildred Ross would be proud-a crust made with Lard AND Butter)

Last night I did a combination of my own technique for searing/roasting halibut, combined with two recipes-potatoes and a sauce-from Nancy Oakes "Boulevard" cookbook. (Boulevard is her San Francisco restaurant). Our local fish store had gotten delivery of fresh halibut from Alaska on Friday. I sear the halibut for about 3 minutes per side in a cast iron pan drizzled with olive oil and butter. Then it goes into a 425 oven to roast for about 4 more minutes per side. The potatoes are Yukon Golds that are peeled and boiled until they are soft, then coarsely mashed with arugula and red pepper flakes. Chef Oakes calls for adding mascarpone cheese but I left it out. I'm not a big fan of mixing potatoes with a sweet cheese. The sauce is a simple tomato vinaigrette using balsamic vinegar. I added quite a bit of paprika to bring out the red color of the tomatoes.

As many of you know, I'm a big supporter of the Las Vegas dining scene. Earlier this year I wrote a lengthy report on my experiences at the "Vegas Uncork'd" events sponsored by Bon Appetit Magazine. In October, the James Beard Foundation is coming to Las Vegas to host the "Taste America" events. It's an exciting opportunity for Las Vegas to be the host city of such an impressive culinary event--and another feather in the cap of the city's chefs and restaurant community. You can check out the calendar of events at; http://www.jbftasteamerica.com/home I'm looking forward to it and I'll be doing a full photo report for everyone. If you happen to be coming to Las Vegas for the events, let me know.

That looks delicious. Do you have a recipe you can share?

All of your dishes look wonderful. And now that my favorite season is here and our temperatures are dropping at night, I can start making the hot stews and braises I've been craving all Summer. Lamb Shank, Butternut Squash and Polenta- I dust the lamb shanks with flour and then brown them in a saute pan. Then I put them in a Le Creuset roasting pot and add bay leaf, beef stock, black peppercorns and a head of garlic cut in half. I usually add enough stock to come about halfway up the side of the shanks. Le Creuset pots are wonderful because they let the meat both dry roast and braise at the same time. I keep the oven at 250 degrees and braise the shanks for at least 6 hours-then I gently remove them from the pot, being careful to not let the meat fall off the bone. I strained the solids out of the braising liquid and served it as a sort of "Lamb Jus." Sometimes I'll add flour and butter to thicken the braising liquid. I copped out on the squash. It was pre-cut and came in a bag. I also did a short-cut on the polenta. I bought it already made and just sliced it and sauteed it in some olive oil. I figure for a worknight meal I'm allowed a few short-cuts. The neighbor's dog got the lamb bone after dinner.

Daniel-I couldn't agree with you more. The milkshakes at BLT average $7.00. That's the shakes without booze. The "spiked" shakes and cocktails run $12.00. A burger combo including burger, shake and fries goes for $19.00. If you want appetizers, basically bar snacks, they run $8.00. A glass of draft beer runs $7.00. The desserts, the highlight of the dishes I sampled, are what I would call a bargain at $6.00 for the Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches. The Valrhona Chocolate Cake is $8.00. Two combo burgers, two beers and two desserts, plus tip, would run-up a tab in the neighborhood of $75.00. That's a lot of money to eat burgers while watching the beautiful people.

The party invitation came in the form of an e-mail from the Public Relations Department at MGM-Mirage Resorts. It promised “Lettuce, Tomato, a Lifetime of Culinary Achievement—and Cheese.” That catchy header was followed by this profound menu description-“Bodacious burgers, sassy sides and spiked milkshakes.” I suppose that a Food Writer can claim they have reached a certain level of success, or excess, once they receive their first invitation to the opening of a restaurant. I wondered what kind of party it would be-somehow the respect for a lifetime spent in the culinary arts seemed to be lost when I read the words “bodacious burger” on the invitation. (A word more-suited to the name of a bucking bull in a rodeo). I sent my RSVP back to The Mirage letting them know that I would fly the 1,238 miles from Seattle to Las Vegas for the Grand Opening of Chef Laurent Tourondel’s BLT Burger. Since I had never been to the grand opening of a restaurant, I didn’t know what to expect, but my thoughts of it being a conclave of serious Food Writers reporting on the delicious creations of Chef Tourondel quickly faded once I got to the party. I would discover that the guest list at restaurant openings in Las Vegas are often stacked with beautiful, rich, influential people whose appearances stimulate the gossip pages of the Review-Journal. This stacking of the deck, so to speak, is intended to generate a buzz with the public that if someone of importance or celebrity dines at the restaurant, then the food must be good. BLT Burger is housed in the former home of Siegfried and Roy’s white tiger display just off the main lobby at The Mirage. Yes, that same cave-like structure of cement formed to look like natural stone, (the home of “un-natural” white tigers), has been transformed into a hip burger joint. As the saying goes, nothing lasts forever in Las Vegas-anything out of fashion just gets changed into something else. In this case, after a white tiger chomped down on Roy during a magic show a few years back, the tigers were sent to the “Secret Garden” out back and the display out front became a restaurant where diners chomp down on burgers. When I arrived at BLT Burger, the beautiful people were already in high-spirits, imbibing spirits. Young, beautiful people at the bar- The sprinkling of celebrities throughout the guest list are key to the debut of a new restaurant or bar in Las Vegas. The “celebrity” quotient at the party was limited to former NBA stars Doc Rivers and Bill Walton. They were in town for a basketball camp, and had been herded to BLT Burger for free beer and grub. (They hunkered down at tables in the corner-roped off to the minions in the restaurant proper, never once mingling with the common folk). Then there were the really out-of-place guests. Witness the very odd couple seated at a booth in a far corner of the restaurant. They did not appear to fit in the aforementioned categories of beautiful people or retired basketball players. I have it on good authority, (one of my friends was seated next to her), that the woman complained loudly and constantly about the items on the menu. She apparently didn’t realize that being invited to the opening of a hamburger restaurant would mean that the focus of the food, (the hamburgers), would be on burgers made with meat. Red meat. She crowed that she was a member of the vegan community, and when she was served Chef Tourondel’s “Veggie Falafel” burger (a “medley of organic grains”), it wasn’t good enough. Nothing was good enough for her. So there she sat with her depressed husband, upset at the staff of a hamburger restaurant for not serving her a glass of wheatgrass juice. Hamburger Diner, circa 2008- There were, in fact, only two serious Food Writers in attendance, yours truly, and my good friend and the dean of Las Vegas Food Writers, John Curtas, aka KLAS, KNPR, James Beard Foundation and EatingLV.com. Another thing I learned about a Las Vegas restaurant opening is that the regular staff is supplemented with “for-hire” help. The young women parading around the dining room with trays of “American” Kobe beef sliders were not actually employed as servers at the restaurant during normal business hours. I sheepishly remarked to Chef Tourondel that the young ladies in the tight, black, “BLT” t-shirts would certainly assure him of a high profit margin at his new venture at The Mirage. Mr. Curtas overheard my conversation with Chef and quickly came to the rescue-letting me know that appearances in Las Vegas are often, not in fact, the truth. While they presented a beautiful image at the event, these ladies were actually “models” employed for just one night to impress the guests. I suppose in Las Vegas you could call them “ladies of the evening.” The now infamous photo of yours truly, currently posted on EatingLV.com- The food served at the grand opening was a sampling of items off the BLT menu. It was good-not great. The “Mozzarella Sticks” tasted like they came out of the same frozen stock that gets delivered to Applebee’s. I didn’t ask if it was true buffalo mozzarella. (Remember, the invitation promised “cheese,” they didn’t specify if it was “artisanal” or “commercial” cheese). The Mini-Strawberry Shake was quite good, no doubt helped by a large shot of Maker’s Mark bourbon. Strawberry Milkshake- Speaking of cocktails, “The Showgirl,” (you always have to have silly names for cocktails in Las Vegas), was a delicious mix of Skyy Citrus Vodka, Lime Juice and Guava Nectar garnished with a slice of Kiwi fruit. I am not sure how this heady concoction relates to a Las Vegas showgirl. The silly menu descriptions continue with “The Stripper” Burger-“No Bun.” A “topless” burger at BLT includes Angus beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, bell pepper and avocado. The mini “Jasper Hill Blue” Burgers that we tasted were topped with bleu (the proper spelling) cheese. (Maybe they intentionally typed “blue” rather than “bleu” on the menu?). The Jasper Hill burger is billed as “7oz. of CAB.” CAB being the descriptor for “Certified Angus Beef.” Personally, I don’t think the breed of cattle in a burger matters a whole lot. The little burger "sliders" we tasted could have come from Hereford, Holstein or Pinzgauer and I wouldn’t have tasted the difference. The best dish of the evening was presented by the Pastry Chef-little “Macaroon Ice Cream Sandwiches” filled with “Strawberry-Vanilla” or “Chocolate-Hazelnut” ice creams. I just knew Chef Tourondel would hide a bit of France somewhere in his “sassy” menu. Chef Tourondel with some of the beautiful people- The cachet of being invited to the grand opening of BLT wasn’t exactly what I expected, but in the end, the evening was a success for the restaurant and it was great fun. The company was interesting, in some cases quite good-looking, and I gained a better perspective into this exciting, exclusive club where one is made to feel special just by getting on the guest list. For me, the highlight of the opening of BLT Burger was the time I spent huddled with John Curtas and Chef Tourondel. We reminisced about Chef Tourondel’s earlier tenure in Las Vegas at the stoves of the highly-regarded “Palace Court” at Caesar’s Palace. (Sadly, this temple of “continental” cuisine is no more). We talked about a French Chef cooking burgers in Las Vegas. The return of Chef Tourondel to the heat of the Las Vegas dining scene is a gift. Fancy burgers are just the start. I expect Chef Tourondel has bigger things in store for Las Vegas. After three hours at the BLT grand opening, I headed back to Treasure Island, my hotel of choice on this visit. Before I went up to my room on the 27th floor, I stopped by Canter’s Deli, a good Jewish place on the casino floor. The evening began with the grand opening of a chi-chi hamburger place. It ended with a picnic in my room overlooking the Strip. Sometimes a “mini” hamburger on a cute little bun leaves you hungry for a nice hot Reuben, a side of coleslaw and a crisp dill pickle.

Very nice Dr. J. That fish, (especially the crispy skin), looks quite delicious.

True-Keller is doing an upscale burger joint in the Lutece space at The Venetian-at least that's what has been disclosed. The "gourmet burger" trend is really taking hold in Las Vegas. I just got back yesterday from a trip to Las Vegas where I attended the press party for Laurent Tourondel's BLT Burger at The Mirage. The party was fun-the liquor and waitresses most impressive-the burgers not as good as the burgers I grill at home. (I'll do a separate post on my adventure). I'm not sure when they'll be opening the Keller burger place at The Venetian. When I walked by two days ago I just saw the place boarded up. That's typical when the casinos are changing out restaurants-they tend to not show much to the public until the place is ready. On another note-you may want to check out one of John's latest posts at EatingLV.com John has an interesting post about a squabble between Mandalay Bay and Alain Ducasse-The missing Executive Chef at Mix who apparently will be permanently missing Las Vegas.

Thanks Kim. Yes, "Silverbarb" was printed on the package of fish. Otherwise I would've had no clue what it was. The meat was bright white and had the taste of halibut but the flaky texture of trout. I'll definately buy it again. Your angel hair pasta and shrimp look delicious. And I love that frozen broccoli and cheese dish-not regrettable at all.

More wonderful finds from our newly expanded Asian grocery store. This was probably the easiest and tastiest dish I've done all Summer. I found the fish in the frozen section. I'm often skeptical of frozen fish in Asian markets as it tends to be sitting in the freezer far too long. This fish was from Vietnam. Small slits had been cut along the body of the fish and then lemongrass, chile and salt had been rubbed into the flesh. I grilled the fish on the bbq for about 4 minutes per side. No seasoning was needed. I served the fish with two salads-a carrot salad dressed with soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice, rice vinegar, sugar and sesame seeds. The second salad was cucumber that I cut on my Japanese slicer and garnished with green onions and a bit of olive oil. Grilled "Silverbarb" with Lemon Grass and Chili-

The Asian market in town recently moved to a much bigger location, which means they have a lot more space for more great products for me to experiment with. I picked up some new ingredients that I hadn't used before to make a couple of dishes last night. First, Fried Chinese Chicken Wings. I marinated the wings in soy sauce, ginger and garlic for about six hours. I found a package of what is called "Crispy Chinese Frying Flour" in the market. While the product is made in Taiwan, there's a photo and caption on the package that says it makes crispy "Japanese Style Tempura." And to add to the global scope of the product, you mix the flour with coconut milk. I also added some panko bread crumbs to the flour and coconut mixture. The wings were deep-fried in vegetable oil, then garnished with sesame seeds and served with green onions and a soy-honey reduction sauce. Next up, Korean Style Grilled Beef with a Cold Rice Noodle Salad with lots of vegetables. I used tri-tip steak and marinated it with a packaged Korean BBQ sauce. I cut the beef in thin strips and then put it on skewers and grilled it on the charcoal grill. I dressed the salad with citrus soy sauce. The beef is garnished with sesame seeds and fried shallots.

Thanks Kim. I buy about the cheapest cut of pork there is-Picnic Shoulder Roast. Just cook the devil out of it, very low heat for a very long time. This roast was cooked on the rotisserie-which meant that it basted itself with its own fat-for many hours. I think that's why it turned out so juicy.

Last night was an experiment that thankfully worked out. I make a Chipotle-Pepita (Toasted Green Pumpkin Seeds) Salsa and I had been thinking about using the salsa for more than just a dip for chips. I thought maybe the salsa would be a good base for a summer dish of grilled seafood in a spicy stew. The salsa is pretty thick, so I thinned it with fish stock and white wine. I grilled two types of prawns-medium, farm-raised and large, wild American. I also added some mussels and scallops to the stew. The stew is garnished with fried tortilla strips. They are really easy to make. Just cut some corn tortillas in strips and then deep-fry them in oil until crisp and golden brown. Enjoy. Chipotle-Pepita Seafood Stew--

Everyone's dishes have looked wonderful. I can tell you are all enjoying Summer as much as I am. The best is yet to come where I live in Eastern Washington-Peaches and Huckleberries are still a couple of weeks away. In the meantime, a recent dinner- Pork Shoulder Roast cooked on the rotisserie on the good old Weber grill. I rubbed the roast with smoked paprika and Paul Prudhomme Meat Magic seasoning. I used charcoal and cherry wood in the barbecue and let the meat cook about 3 1/2 hours. I love using the rotisserie with a big hunk of fatty meat. Makes me salivate just watching that fat self-baste a roast. Delicious-and who cares what the food police say about cholesterol! Fat is flavor! I served the Pork with Smoked Creamed Corn- I was never a fan of canned creamed corn when I was a kid-but this fresh creamed corn is absolutely delicious and far better than the canned stuff. I grill and smoke ears of sweet corn, (in the husks), on the barbecue to get them good and charred. I saute some smoked bacon, onion and garlic in a cast iron skillet and then add the corn and a lot of cream. For extra creamy/corn taste, I puree some of the corn in the blender and add the puree to the skillet. I season the creamed corn with fresh sage, thyme, green onions and salt and pepper.

Huckleberry Ice Cream- Sorry-I didn't use this season's fresh Huckleberries for the ice cream. I always stretch out my yearly allotment of Huckleberries so that I have a small bag from the previous years crop in the freezer as we approach August. As a final farewell to the '07 vintage crop, I made this delicious ice cream. You don't need hot fudge sauce or nuts on Huckleberry Ice Cream. You just serve it unadorned in all of its natural glory. In about two weeks I'll head up to the mountains to get a couple of gallons of this year's crop of Huckleberries. It should be interesting. I'm not hopeful of a great crop of sweet berries this summer. We had our longest winter and heaviest snowfall in fifty years. Didn't see much sun until June and it hasn't been overly hot. That's not the perfect weather for Huckleberries-they like lots of sun early in the summer and into late August. I always resist the temptation to be the first person in line to get Huckleberries every year. The longer you wait, the longer the berries stay on the bushes and that means they get sweeter. The problem is, if you wait too long into late summer for the berries to ripen, you have to compete with the bears who start fattening up on Huckleberries as they prepare for hibernation!