David Ross

Here's an assortment of some of my contraptions and hand-held vegetable cutters. As you can see, a few make wonderful strands of squash "spaghetti." And my personal favorite, the curly fry monster made in Taiwan-

If you're looking for unique squash cutters, head to a local Asian grocery store. I've acquired probably around 50 different vegetable and fruit cutters during travels to San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver and Seattle and points in between. Most are incredibly cheap compared to vegetable peelers/cutters you'd find at a National chain store and they offer a variety of unusual cutting blades. lf you can find a tiny melon baller, they are wonderful for cutting balls of zucchini. You get both the green skin and lighter color of the inside of the zucchini in a little ball. Wonderful sauteed in butter or olive oil and a great plate presentation. I just came back from the store with some yellow squash and zucchini so I'll get to cutting and provide some photos.

Now I need some ideas for my next dish. I'm thinking of a grilled zucchini and vegetable terrine with herbed ricotta. I'm sort of toying with the idea of a take on ratatouille but grilling the vegetables then compressing the layers and serving the dish cold. I'm thinking provencal flavors and lavendar. What about a sauce? My first thought was a tomato base, but I'm not sure I want something thin like a tomato water or a chunky smoked tomato vinaigrette. Help.

For my first dish I decided to stuff a patty pan squash with merguez and accompany it with a chorizo oil and zucchini dressed with vinaigrette. I've been making lamb merguez for years and I thought the bright, fragrant, spicy flavors would go well with sweet squash. The chorizo oil added a dash of color and enhanced the flavor of the smoked paprika in the merguez. But I couldn't leave out zucchini so I decided to grill it to soften it and bring out some sugar, then dress it in a tangy preserved lemon vinaigrette. Trust me, that was only the theory, I didn't really know how this would turn out. It took a lot of steps and time, but the effort paid off. Harissa- 10 dried chiles, (I used ancho, California and cascabel) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. caraway seeds 1 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. ground cumin 2 tbsp. olive oil Rehydrate the dried chiles in hot water for about 30 minutes until soft. Remove the stems and seeds and place in a food processor with the other ingredients, adding enough olive oil to make a thick paste. You can refrigerate the harissa at this point, but I heat it in a pan over low temp to bring the ingredients together before storing in the refrigerator overnight. Merguez- 1 1/2lbs. ground lamb 1 1/4 tsp. fennel seed 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. harissa 1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 2 chipotle chilis and sauce 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro Olive oil Mix all the ingredients and then cover and store in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors come together. On the day of service, heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the merguez mixture and cook until done, about 15 minutes. Drain. Chorizo Oil- I typically make chorizo oil with a dried, aged Spanish chorizo. Unfortunately the store doesn't carry that brand anymore but they did have this chorizo from Missouri. It's good, just not as good as the Spanish chorizo. Cut the chorizo into small dice and saute in a hot pan. You can add a little olive oil to quick-start the cooking process. As the chorizo heats it seeps out a reddish oil. The fattier the chorizo the more fragrant and flavorful the oil. Grilled Zucchini- Grilling zucchini softens the flesh and brings out some of the natural sugar. I cut the zucchini lengthwise in about 3/8 thick slices and simply grill it in a hot pan on top of the stove. This cast iron grill pan has been with me for years and it's to the point I don't even add any oil. I always have a jar of preserved lemons lying in wait. The flavor can be a bit overpowering--salty, acidic and tart--so you only use a small amount. I wanted something sweet, sour and fragrant to counter the richness of the sausage in the patty pan. Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette- 1 tbsp. diced preserved lemon Dash fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 1 tsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt Black pepper 1/3 cup vinegar, (I used apple cider vinegar) 2/3 cup olive oil Cut the soft pith off the preserved lemon, then cut the peel into tiny dice. Add the preserved lemon to a bowl and add the lemon juice, chives, sugar, salt pepper, vinegar and olive oil. Like any vinaigrette, I always adjust the ratio of oil and vinegar depending on my tastes that day. And by the way, the addition of sugar to zucchini really evokes flavor. It works! Add the diced zucchini to the vinaigrette. Cooking and Plating- Here are the little patty pan's on top of a steamer basket. Now this was a rookie's attempt mind you as I've never cooked stuffed summer squash. I put about 1/2" of water in the pot, added the steamer basket, the squash, then covered the pot and roasted/steamed the squash in a 350 oven for about 35 minutes until the flesh of the squash was just tender. Patty Pan Squash Stuffed with Lamb Merguez, Chorizo Oil and Grilled Zucchini/Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette- We all have those aha moments when we craft a delicious dish. In this case, I was lucky to have an aha moment on my first attempt. And while the stuffed squash was sweet, meaty and rich, the star of the dish was the grilled zucchini vinaigrette. It would be delicious with grilled fish. But the one little detail that made the full dish a success was a little garnish I found in my garden--oregano blossoms. That fresh, clean, perfume of oregano really made a difference. Enjoy.

Well, first, you don't cook it until it reaches that consistency. I monitor it pretty closely and when it's tender, but still has texture, it's ready. However, there's a wonderful and very old and time-honored southern dish called "Creamed Squash," where the idea is to cook it, along with a Vidalia onion, to a "mushy, water squash puree." But then you put it into a skillet with some butter and you continue cooking and stirring until the water has evaporated and you continue cooking and mashing and stirring until it's quite dry, whereupon you add some heavy cream and sugar. You wind up with a delicious dish that is about the consistency of loose mashed potatoes. In the olden days, this was a very popular dish and showed up at every potluck and holiday table. It was also one of the first solid-food dishes that got fed to baby. I'll have to try that once I get finished with my first two dishes. I have to admit the texture thing has me a bit skeptical, but I'm willing to give it a go.

I'm curious about some of the cooked squash dishes. I have this vision of a mushy, watery squash puree. How does a long cooking process alter the texture of the squash?

Looking forward to seeing what you find at the market. The Cook-Offs always benefit from a free-flow of ideas and information, along with photos that chronicle our adventures. I for one have already learned a lot about how people cook summer squash.

Thanks for the tip. I'm going to try that. I've got a meatball class that I'm teaching in October and I think my students would love any technique that would make a good meatball.

Oh my! Now we're completing a summer squash tasting menu--including dessert. Fabulous.

I must say bravo to all of you and your unique treatments of squash. We should call ourselves lucky for having so many new ideas to try in our home kitchens. As I was studying the launch of this cook-off a few weeks back, a friend of mine unknowingly gave me an idea for a zucchini dish--a zucchini "boat" stuffed with chorizo. That got me started on how I could make my own unique version of a stuffed zucchini. I started forming my ideas and then another thought came back from memory--a dish I was served at a private lunch with Alain Ducasse. Back in May 2010 while attending Vegas Uncork'd, (http://forums.egullet.org/topic/133118-vegas-uncorkd-2010/) I had the once-in-a-lifetime pleasure to have lunch with Chef Ducasse and eleven other lucky diners. Rather than prepare an 18-course tasting menu of haute French cuisine and the service of restaurant Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Ducasse and staff served a menu reflecting his childhood roots growing up on a farm in Castel-Sarrazin in the Landes region of Aquitaine in Southwest France. The dishes were full of seasonal vegetables cooked in a manner evoking the flavors of the French-Mediterranean. I seemed to remember some little stuffed vegetables that Ducasse served with the lamb course. I just had this lingering memory of someting he did with a little summer squash. And then I re-discovered this photo- Rack of Colorado Lamb, Tomato, Zucchini, Onion and Baby Red Pepper "Petits Farcis"- My notes reminded me that the baby onion had been stuffed with lamb sausage. Then I remembered my beloved lamb sausage recipe and so the table was set, I'd attempt to do a summer squash stuffed with lamb sausage and served with a flavored oil and simple vinaigrette, maybe a few sprigs of the budding oregano blossoms from my garden.

Now that is a photo of squash beauty.

We packaged zucchini in both bags and small cardboard boxes. In addition to the vegetable medley, we also packed zucchini with yellow squash and some packages of just zucchini. I remember it was cut in both chunks and slices. We were soley a frozen food packaging plant, but Stayton Canning Company also canned zucchini. Today the company is now known as Norpac Foods and is the largest fruit and vegetable processor in the state of Oregon. It's a cooperative made up of over 27 different farmer-owned crops. They label a number of brands, but one of the most recognizable is the Santiam brand of vegetables. I found Santiam brand canned green beans in Walmart just two days ago.

That is a wonderful photo. You've got my head buzzing with all sorts of squash ideas.

That sounds delicious, almost like a zucchini lasagne.

I personally have a long history with zucchini, and I don't mean just in the kitchen. I harvested the buggars by hand when I was a teenager growing up in Salem, Oregon, back in the '70's. For nine months of the year I had to endure Mr. Carol Farmer's math class. When he wasn't teaching junior high school math, Mr. Farmer was literally a farmer, cultivating a large field of zucchini on his Willamette Valley farm. My Mother wouldn't leave well enough alone and felt it would build my character if I worked for farmer Farmer during the summer. I'm not familiar with how zucchini is harvested in 2013, but back in the 70's it was literally back-breaking work. Back then there wasn't much focus on child labor laws, nor was there much oversight by the State Department of Labor and Industries. I'm pretty sure we weren't paid a minimum wage, probably more like 90 cents an hour. Mr. Farmer led the charge from his seat on top of the tractor, slowly pulling a contraption straddled along the back that held four huge wooden crates. Bent over at the waist and with dull knife in hand, we trailed behind the "boxes" cutting the zucchini at the stem of the vine then tossing them up into the crates. As long as your arm and feeling like they weighed 10 pounds, (but probably in the 3-5 pound range), I remember we called them "grade 3" or "commercial grade" zucchini. These huge specimens weren't meant to be displayed in a basket at the farmer's market, they were specifically grown to be gargantuan, resulting in a greater yield when they were cut and processed. The zucchini was trucked to Stayton Canning Company, (another summer employer when I reached my elder teen years). Because the zucchini had been cut and harvested by hand, we didn't let the odd rock, mouse or pheasant get into the crate and onto the sorting belt. (The creatures we found on the broccoli belt were another story). After a thorough washing the zucchini was cut into chunks then mixed with cauliflower, carrots and broccoli into a vegetable "medley" and packed into plastic-lined bins and wheeled off to the deep-freeze. Days or weeks later the vegetable medley would be re-packed into small bags and shipped to grocery stores to be stocked in the frozen food section. For years I hated zucchini, all summer squash for that matter. It took me years to get over the memories of the painful, dirty work of cutting zuchinni. But over time I realized that my time in farmer Farmer's fields helped paved my way to an education at Oregon State University. It would take a famous French Chef to open my tastebuds to the flavors of summer squash. I'll be sharing a few photos of how Alain Ducasse inspired me to treat summer squash in ways I never would have imagined.

I found some interesting patty pan squash at the farmer's market yesterday. I'm thinking I'll be doing a stuffed squash dish with some sort of sauce.

Hello friends and welcome back to a time-honored tradition--the popular eG Cook-Off Series. We're in the heat of summer right now and our gardens are literally blooming with all manner of peak of the season ripe fruits and succulent vegetables. And there's no better time of year to honor a vegetable that is often maligned as not being as colorful or trendy as the chi-chi breakfast radish or the multi-hued rainbow chard. In addition to not always being recognized for it's looks, every August and September it becomes the butt of jokes at State Fair competitions across the country. If you can get past the embarassment of seeing the poor devils dressed up and carved into silly, cartoon-like farm figures or pumped-up with organic steroids, you'll find a delicious, low-calorie vegetable packed with potassium and vitamin A. Yes friends, your dreams have come true for today we kick-off eG Cook-Off #62, "Summer Squash." (Click here http://forums.egulle...cook-off-index/ for the complete eG Cook-Off Index). According to the University of Illinois Extension Office, summer squash, (also known in some circles as Italian marrow), are tender, warm-season vegetables that can be grown anytime during the warm, frost-free season. Summer squash differs from fall and winter squash, (like pumpkins, acorn and butternut squash), because it is harvested before the outer rind hardens. Some of the most popular summer squash are the Green and Yellow Zucchini, Scallop, Patty Pan, Globe, Butter Blossom and Yellow Crookneck. My personal favorite summer squash is the versatile zucchini. Slow-cooked with sliced onion and ham hock, zucchini is perfectly comfortable nestled on a plate next to juicy, fried pork chops and creamy macaroni and cheese. But the chi-chi haute crowd isn't forgotten when it comes to zucchini, or, as the sniffy French call it, the "courgette." Tiny, spring courgette blossoms stuffed with herbs and ricotta cheese then dipped in tempura batter and gently fried are a delicacy found on Michelin-Star menus across the globe. Won't you please join me in crafting some delicious masterpieces that showcase the culinary possibilities of delicious summer squash.

The national press and James Beard nominations garnered by Lotus of Siam aren't an accident--it's incredibly good Thai food. Sounds like you'll be staying with family and have the use of a car, so I'd take a trip over to Spring Mountain Road and taste some of the great Asian offerings. Ping Pang Pong in the downtrodden Gold Coast Hotel is the best dim sum in town--the hotel just looks like it hasn't been updated since 1972. For pizza, my local friends recommend Due Forni and Settebello. If you don't mind braving the casino and parking, I hear that Shawn McClains (Sage), new pizzeria at The Cosmopolitan is quite good.

Thanks!

Well, I had a first-hand experience with this yesterday. I suppose it was only a matter of time until it happened. While making pea soup, I wondered why this green liquid was draining out of the bottom of the food processor. The culprit was a crack down the side of the bowl. I think I was tempting destiny from the start. The owner's manual said that hand-washing was the preferred method of cleaning. For convenience I've been putting it in the dishwasher, full cycle, including the blades. I think now that the plastic parts tend to expand and are susceptible to cracking in the dishwasher. I think an old-fashioned wash in the sink is best for me moving forward.

Chilled Pea Soup with Crispy Pancetta...................

Yes, the potatoes are deep-fried. I start with russets and boil them, skin-on, until just tender. Then drain and let them cool to the point you can remove the skin. While still warm use a melon baller to cut out little potato balls. Then they need to cool in the fridge at least a few hours to cool down the starch. When you're ready to fry, use the basic two-step French fry method. I start with 350 oil for about 3 minutes, let the potatoes cool a bit, then the second fry at 375 til golden, about 4 more minutes. They're really good for breakfast instead of hash browns.

Thanks for the nice thoughts. I've added some comments on the photos of the dishes at Valentino. Las Vegas is truly a food lover's dream and it's always evolving, both good and bad. In the coming months, Las Vegas native Guy Fieri is opening a place on the Strip. I could care less, but I am quite pleased that Daniel Boulud is coming back to town. Bradley Ogden vacated Caesar's Palace so Gordon Ramsay could move in, but his new Hops and Harvest restaurant at Town Square is getting rave reviews from the locals. You won't have trouble finding wonderful places to dine in Las Vegas.

Day Two, Lunch- As a veteran Las Vegas diner, one knows to pace oneself when you are engaging in a 3-day gastronomic orgy. You either choose breakfast and dinner or lunch and dinner, but not all three. You resist temptation and avoid all buffets and you drink copious amounts of water and take lengthy naps during the afternoon. This is all done in an attempt to strengthen your fortitude to be able to consume more gourmet fare than you will eat for the next 6 months when you get back home. So while I was in Las Vegas for three mornings, I only ate breakfast on Sunday and that day I skipped lunch. The morning coffee and croissant only held me over until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday when Otto Enoteca Pizzeria opened. Located in what is billed as “San Marco Square,” (a large, cavernous hall that is the anchor of one end of the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian), Otto Enoteca is both the best and worst of the Celebrity Chef culture in Las Vegas. A partnership between Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, (you know his Mother, Lydia, she cooks Italian on PBS), Otto Enoteca should be a soft introduction to guests of the marriage between Italian wine and quality ingredients crafted into familiar, yet authentic dishes. That’s one of the better aspects of what this restaurant should be. Yet the expectations of dining in the restaurant of a former "Iron Chef" is quickly tempered by reality. One of the alluring aspects of the restaurant is the literal tower of salumi that is the center foundation of the bar. As you pass through the entrance onto the dining patio, the wood and glass butcher's case tempts you with a variety of hand-crafted, perfectly aged meats and cheeses. Haunches of pork “prosciutto,” all manner of salumi hanging from racks and cheeses aging in a climate-controlled nest. You just believe it must be good at the house of Batali, it's in his blood. Heck, Mario's Father Armandino is the poster-child for Salumi at his sandwich shop up in Seattle, so his boy must know how to pair cured pork with fruit. Musn't he? Up to this point, all seems well as you anticipate a memorable meal at the hands of a Celebrity Chef. Yet sadly, like so much of Las Vegas, the anticipation is far more tantalizing than the actual experience. The menu at Otto includes sections for Formaggi-Cheese, Fritti-Fried, Carne-House Cured Meats, Verdure-Vegetables, Pizza, Insalate-Salads, Pasta, Piatti-Entrees, Contorni-Warm Sides and Gelato. There’s also a daily special of Bruschetta (savory little spreads on bread), Pasta and Pizza. Like so many restaurants in Las Vegas, the waitstaff is not always hired or trained under the auspices of the Celebrity Chef who lends his or her name over the door. They may be well-schooled and experienced working for the mega-Venetian/Palazzo resort, but they don’t know the difference between Spanish Jambon Iberico Ham and Italian Prosciutto. Does it matter? To the average tourist, maybe not, but if the server knows the delicate nature of cured, preserved hams and salumi or the nuances between a strong sheep's milk cheese and a mild cow's milk cheese, they’ll do better justice to their customers and one hopes, take greater pride in their service. A Celebrity Chef’s name is only going to carry a place so long—these famous folks of the food world know better and they are selling us short by not providing their employees with proper training. As the waitstaff goes, so often goes the kitchen crew at the Celebrity Chef joints. Cooks trained only by rote have been trained to do a task and to do it quickly, there’s no focus on putting any personality or flair on the plates and it shows. As such, the type of dishes you expect from Mario Batali, fall short again and again. I started with the Melon and Prosciutto Salad with Ricotta Salata and Mint, ($14). The salad was stunning in terms of presentation, and I don’t mean stunning in a good way. Large slabs of cantaloupe and honeydew were stacked in layers reaching upwards of 6 inches off the plate. A literal tower of melon that could feed at least four. The melon was cut in what I call the “buffet-style,” three sharp-angled cuts that are the quick and easy way to chop the rind off a melon. It looked sloppy and my taste buds were telling me it would taste sloppy. Properly cut melon takes a bit more time to gently shave the rind off the melon yet preserve the natural curve and shape of the fruit. The shredded prosciutto glopped on top of the melon lacked flavor and texture. One shouldn’t have to add a dash of salt to good prosciutto. The ricotta salata, had it been noticeable, would have provided a bit of tang and the salt that was lacking in the prosciutto. Other than a few threads, the fresh fragrance of mint was missing and to add insult to this sad composition, parmesan was coarsely-grated over the top of the mess. (Properly cut wide, thin ribbons of prosciutto evoke the salty characteristics of this fatty ham and give perfect texture to this classic dish)As they say, the devil lurks in the details. (There happens to be a James-Beard Award-Winning Chef a few doors down from Otto. An unassuming guy who doesn't probably have the word celebrity in his vocabulary. He happens to get prosciutto and melon right). The salad was followed by the pizza “Romano” ($18), a good sized pie for one with tomato, mozzarella, anchovy, capers and chili. The thin crust had good texture, all chewy and charred, but lacked flavor and tasted no better than store-bought flatbread. The spicy tomato and chili sauce was very good, but the anchovies were a disappointment. Six little fresh anchovies, one per slice. As Americans, we’ve developed a flavor for salted anchovies preserved in oil and in the case of pizza, those are the flavors I prefer. Salted anchovies sort of melt into the pizza, giving a salinity and hint of the sea. Otto's stinky anchovies had a strong, fishy taste typically favored by cats. What should have been a delicious, leisurely Saturday lunch watching the tourists pass through the mall at a restaurant created by the empire of a Celebrity Chef turned out to be an over-priced disappointment. We so wanted to like you Otto. %5Burl="http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Casual-Dining/Enoteca-Otto-Pizzeria/"]http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Casual-Dining/Enoteca-Otto-Pizzeria/ Day Two, Dinner- The anticipated event of the trip was dinner at Valentino. After a long 14-year run, Valentino will close in early November to make way for Daniel Boulud’s DBGB restaurant. The food cognescenti have been mourning the Boulud’s departure from Las Vegas ever since he parted ways with the Wynn a few years back. It was a sad day when Boulud left Las Vegas, and it will be a triumphant day when he brings his eponymous foie gras and short rib stuffed burger to town. It’s not often that we witness a James-Beard Award-Winning Restaurateur, Chef and Staff pushed to the side in order to bring the newest derivation of a gastro-pub to Las Vegas. Mind you, there is no argument here about my enthusiasm for welcoming Boulud back to Las Vegas. I’d much rather see one of his restaurants land on the Strip than see another Gordon Ramsay shop open up, yet lost in the celebration will be a sense of sadness over the closing of Valentino, arguably one of the best Italian restaurants in America. The service at Valentino is a blend of old-school and contemporary--precise yet not overly-fawning, the waiter exchanging silverware with each course, water is poured when appropriate, crumbs are brushed away, a new plate of parmesan crisps appears without asking, a proper meat knife is presented for the lamb course. The sommelier carefully pours the wine as he relates the terroir in which the grapes were cultivated, his passion for wine quietly evident. But one need not feel intimidated as if you were in the house of one of the French Masters of Las Vegas, it is the wont of the staff to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. We were seated at a private table in an alcove just off the main dining room. Chef Pellegrini, a gracious Italian host, introduced each of the eight courses. As we weave through the photos, I’ll describe how the details of each dish--the ingredients, the texures, flavors and presentations, all married together to create a unique and extraordinary dinner. Prosciutto with Chilled Cantalope and Diced Honeydew- The mastery behind this dish is that with just a few, unique touches, the Chef crafted new textures, (a chilled puree of cantalope paired with tiny diced honeydew) that reminded us of the classic pairing of prosciutto and melon. It wasn't done to be trendy, it was done to evoke a new way of tasting a traditional dish. The cooks at Otto Enoteca Pizzeria could learn a few things from Chef Pellegrini. Vancouver Island Kushi Oysters "Caprese" with Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Oil- The traditional Caprese salad is a composition of thick slices of tomato layered with fresh mozzarella and dressed with basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. But can a Chef craft this stalwart of Italian menus in a new and exciting way yet without creating a sous-vide monster of molecular gastronomy? Imagine a briny, fresh oyster no bigger than a quarter, fished from the chilly waters of the Pacific Northwest. A little jewel swimming in a fragrant bath of basil oil with a sweet baby tomato and a little nugget of creamy, tangy mozzarela. One sudden burst of invigorating flavors that we never thought could come from what we remember as a simple salad. Australian Spanner Crab Cake on Sweet Corn- (no photo) The Australians have perfected a method of harvesting the maximum amount of meat from the spanner crab. They are hard-shelled buggars, but the meat is soft, sweet and has a delicate texture. It doesn't need the support of any starchy fillers or dicey vegatables. The crab was molded into small cakes and simply sauteed in butter and olive oil and set atop a mound of warm corn salad Shellfish Bucatini with Bottarga- "Is this spaghetti" the uninformed may ask. Bucatini is the oft-forgotten cousin of spaghetti, yet it hides a beautiful little secret. Nearly twice the diameter of spaghetti, bucatini has a tiny little hole bored through the middle of the noodle, allowing it to plump up when cooked. It's the perfect pasta to weave through a stew of fresh clams and scallops. But this simple dish has another secret, delicate shavings of bottarga, the prized salted, cured fish roe coveted by Italians. Not nearly as salty as caviar nor as strong as uni, bottarga lends a flavor of the sea as it melds into the warm bucatini and shellfish. Veal "Saltimbocca" Wrapped in Pasta with Summer Truffle and Fried Sage- It looks simple, even humbe. Two wrapped parcels lounging beneath a blanket of cream sauce. And then again, Chef Pellegrini surpises us with what we uncover-tender filets of veal wrapped in prosciutto and gently wrapped in a thin layer of pasta. Napped with a heady, fragrant sauce studded with generous amounts of black truffle, one only needs a few bites to be satisfied by this rich combination. Grilled Lamb Chops with Port Wine Demi-Glace- Phyllo-Wrapped "Hot Chocolate" with Chilled Summer Berry Consomme- How did they deep-fry parcels of dough stuffed with chocolate? Such is the conundrum of the diner trying to dissect the construction of a masterpiece. We've moved from the fragrant pairing of basil oil in the oyster dish to a different application of the herb--a chilled soup, a consomme if you will, a deeply-colored jade green hue with an intense anise flavor freshened with mint and studded with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. The perfect dipping sauce for a skewer of those crispy parcels of hot chocolate. Gelato-Coconut, Pistachio, Strawberry, Chocolate, Lemon, Cappucino- The measure of a great restaurant, a truly great restaurant, is not lost on the final course. Yet it is the final course, dessert, that is often over-shadowed by the opening dishes and the main act. Some proclaim that dessert must be a stunner, a towering display of molded-sugar exotic birds paired with cakes, torts, tartes, confections, cookes and pralines. Yet true beauty is often found in the most simple dishes. Gelato may not be as rich as it's French counterpart ice cream, but its beauty lies in its pure, clean, true flavors--tart lemon, wild strawberry and exotic coconut. I often think Pastry Chefs are the quiet bunch that we sometimes forget. They arrive in the kitchen early on while the rest of the staff is still sleeping, quietly creating intense flavors that we can only dream of replicating at home. Chef Andre Soltner of the fabled Lutece once told me that he was simply a craftsman plying his art. Soltner said the job of a Chef is to serve his customers exceptional ingredients perfectly prepared--food with a soul yet without pretention and with nothing more to personally gain than having given his customers a unique, memorable dining experience. I’ve never forgotten what I learned from Soltner, and I remember it every time I think about the definition of a great Chef. Chef Luciano is one of the great craftsmen and we will miss him in Las Vegas. %5Burl="http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Fine-Dining/Valentino/"]http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Fine-Dining/Valentino/ Day Three, Brunch- Like Luciano Pellegrini, Chef Thomas Keller and his staff at Bouchon Bistro have quietly plied their trade in Las Vegas for many years. Often surpassed by the media foray over food celebrities like Guy Fieri, (who is opening a restaurant in Las Vegas in 2014), one does not cook within the Keller organization based simply on name recognition. You are all aware of the accolades afforded to Chef Keller and Per Se in New York and The French Laundry in Yountville. And like me, you are a passionate home cook who regularly uses Chef Keller’s cookbooks including Bouchon Bistro and Ad Hoc at Home, (the best fried chicken recipe I’ve ever found). I reckon it takes a wealth of talent, experience and dedication to even get interviewed to open oysters at a Keller restaurant and it shows in the food. I would imagine that more champagne is poured at Sunday Brunch in Las Vegas than in any other American city. However, champagne connoisseur’s will be happy to know that the brunch menu at Bouchon Bistro includes 10 different champagne cocktails. I can attest that the “Hibiscus” cocktail with edible hisbiscus flower and syrup with Albrecht Cremant Brut from Alsace is delicious. Part of the enjoyment of the dining experience Bouchon is found in the details—the white paper doily that rests on the bread plate, under the crisp, white linen napkin. The tiny ramekin of softened, salted butter. The waiter who delicately removes the layer of chilled, clarified butter from the small glass crock of “Rillettes aux Deux Saumons” (fresh and smoked salmon rillettes with toasted croutons, $14.75), revealing a terrine of both smoked and fresh salmon. There were two minor quibbles about Bouchon, the restaurant opens for brunch at 8 a.m., but the fresh oyster bar doesn’t open until 11 a.m. Personally, I’m off the mind that if the restaurant is open, diners should be able to enjoy a half-dozen Willapa Bay oysters with their champagne. The second fault was found when I ordered cheese. The menu lists six different cheeses, ($9.75 each), served with honeycomb. The waitress pulled a sort of cheese cheat sheet out of her apron pocket and said that she wasn’t supposed to do it, but she couldn’t remember the characteristics of each cheese. I ordered what she described off as the triple-crème L’Explorateur cow’s-milk cheese. Unfortunately she brought the Carmody aged cow’s-milk cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. The cheese was served with a dried fruit chutney and raisin bread, but the aforementioned honeycomb was missing. I didn’t fault the waitress, she was the victim of being intimidated when she was trained about the intricacies of the cheese menu, but it was an oversight nonetheless. If you don’t have the time to spend enjoying the dining room at Bouchon, there are two small Bouchon Bakeries in the Venetion complex that offer the restaurant’s signature pastries, cookies and breakfast breads. Trust me on this, the croissant at Bouchon is far superior to the pre-made, trucked-in stuff they vend at Starbuck’s. %5Burl="http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Fine-Dining/Bouchon/"]http://www.venetian.com/Las-Vegas-Restaurants/Fine-Dining/Bouchon/ So there we have it, a long weekend tasting the offerings at The Palazzo and Venetian. There were certainly some duds, but that was tempered by glorious dishes I won’t soon forget.

Thanks for the comments. It was far less expensive than the $50 steaks they serve in Las Vegas.