ScoopKW

Another vote for Latin market peppers. Peppers at the gringo grocery do not look or smell "right" to me. So I suspect hybridization. I can't speak for taste, because I buy my peppers at my local Latin market -- where they're always good, and always from Mexico. I also grow my own, but the pepper bushes are in growth mode right now, not fruiting. One question -- what is it about bell peppers that you don't like? To me, that's kind of like saying that you like parsnips but not carrots. I've read that a LOT of people don't like bell peppers. Just wondering why.

I agree with the Dopplebocks -- in fact, anything ending in "ator" should work with this meal. I still think Terrible would be ideal -- with the huge raisin spike and the cherry and caramel notes, this would pair well. Try some with a tartare or carpaccio - it's the vintage Bordeaux of beers.

You're welcome. I just hope the next installment is titled: The Great Metropolitan Food Market Report - San Francisco edition. That's where I tend to go on vacation. I completely forgot to mention (and it's apparently too late to edit): Whole Foods 100 S. Green Valley Pkwy Henderson, NV 89052 (702) 361-8183 There are three others -- South, Northwest and Summerlin. Google them. I think most people should know the inventory and prices of a Whole Foods. While "great value" and "Whole Foods" is largely contradictory, there are some items in Las Vegas where they're the best bang for the buck such as: Bulk grains and rices -- particularly arborio and sushi rice Proscuitto and panchetta Specialty dairy, such as my beloved Delitia butter They're also #2 for quality meats, behind Village Meat and Wine. They have a better beer selection than most local liquor stores. Wine, however, is best purchased at... Trader Joe's 2716 N Green Valley Pkwy Henderson, NV 89014 (702) 433-6773 Decatur and Summerlin locations, too. Google them. Again, people here should probably know what Joe's sells. I shop here primarily for wine. I buy almost no food here because I can get the same stuff for less elsewhere.

I hope you don't read anything snarky or sarcastic into this post. I'm just asking some questions that will probably shed light on the answer. Should you DIY? 1) Do you own decent tools? Do you own a lot of decent tools? Can you use these tools proficiently? Does "cope and stick" mean anything to you? Raised panel? Euro-hinge? 2) Do you know what wood you plan to use? Do you know what it costs per board foot? Do you know what a board foot is? Can you square-up hardwood? 3) Do you have a big enough gas pipe to handle the new equipment you're going to want? Can you be your own electrician? Plumber? Does your insurance cover you messing around with natural gas in your house? 4) Has your wife spent enough time in a kitchen to know what she wants? Like Joe Jackson said, you can't get what you want, 'til you know what you want... If it were me, I would DIY it. But that's because I have the tools for the job, and know where to get good prices on hardwood. I also have no problems ripping out a kitchen, demolishing walls and generally wreaking havoc in my own house. I know that when I finish, it will be an improvement on when I started.

I thought it would be a great idea for eGulleteers to make threads of their favorite markets and grocery stores. My reasoning is somewhat selfish. Next time I travel, I think it would be excellent to be able to punch up a listing of all the best markets. That's what I like to do on vacation -- buy great food, cook it (when applicable) and eat. I hope this helps many do the same. I'll start what I hope will become a useful database. The Las Vegas Metropolitan area, comprising Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Summerlin. I will not rate these in any order. Just an address, phone, website, and what they specialize in. I will include my shopping experiences in these stores, but it is just my opinion. Market 168 3459 S Jones Blvd (Chinatown) Las Vegas, NV 89146 (702) 363-5168 no website This is my go-to pan-Asian grocery. This is also my go-to for fish. It is my opinion that this store sells the best fish in town. They certainly sell the best lobsters -- fairly cheap (I usually buy four-pounders for $8 per pound). Shrimp, crabs and clams are sold live at reasonable prices. In addition, there are usually 20 varieties of whole fish for sale. Walk a little past the fish counter for pre-portioned fish for sushi -- always reasonably priced, but probably frozen at one time. In the meat department, this store has one of the better selections of tripe and offal. But I would not shop here for steaks or chicken -- there are better stores for "normal" cuts of meat. They also have a good produce section which includes the usual assortment of sprouts, ginger, fruits, lemongrass and even durian. "Normal" vegetables like onions and potatoes are better purchased at the Latin markets. There is a nice little on-site lunch counter that sells excellent duck and noodles. They have recently added a bakery. I haven't tried it. ALSO -- In this same plaza is Jones Market and Deli -- the largest Russian market in town. Good caviar at shocking prices, the cheapest gourmet coffee in town, and a dozen excellent cheap beers. Also excellent bread. Nearby is the largest Halal meat market -- 6020 Spring Mountain Rd International Marketplace 5000 S Decatur Blvd (near Chinatown) Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702) 889-2888 My favorite market in all Las Vegas. They sell all ethnic specialties. Mentally running down the aisles, there are sections for: Moroccan, North African, Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, Italian, German, Eastern European, British, Scandinavian, South East Asian, Chinese and Japanese. There is a smattering of other cultures stuff tucked away -- often in odd places. For instance, Dutch foods are in the Indonesian section (because it was once a colony, and there are more Indonesians than Dutch in Las Vegas). They also have an excellent fish department, decent produce, and a frozen food section in the center of the store that is worth a VERY LONG look. This is where I buy bones for marrow and for stock. They also have all manner of tripe and offal. Just as good as 168 Market, perhaps better. This place is unparalleled in their depth of Asian snack foods. I sometimes shop here JUST for the Japanese crispy snacks -- Pretz, Pocky, chips, you name it. I love this place for the snacks. The fact I can buy a Cornish pastie and garnish it with Thomy mustard in a toothpaste tube is icing on the cake. But beware -- there are some real dogs here. The lamb is almost always freezer burnt. They'll sell frozen crab so old it resembles a mummified Discovery Channel subject. Also, read the ingredients on sausages, as much of it is loaded with MSG. Most meats and sausages can be purchased at Village Meat and Deli, fresh, for the same price. And beware -- this is a "membership" store. Prices are 10% more unless the shopper purchases a $10 yearly membership. Seeing as I don't walk through the doors without expecting to spend at least a C-note, no big deal. There is a nice little hole-in-the-wall Chinese lunch stand attached to the market, selling Hong Kong comfort food, cheap. Village Meat and Wine 5025 S Eastern Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119 (702) 736-7575 http://www.villagemeatandwine.com/ This is the place for USDA prime beef. I'll save a few bucks on Rib-Eye purchasing Prime at Costco occasionally. But if I want a prime cut for carpaccio, or wagyu or even Kobe, this is where I go. They also have the best sausages in town -- made fresh on site. Why they don't make rillets or confit, I don't know. So I wouldn't call them a proper charcutiere. I wish they would get rid of the wines and cigars and devote themselves to snouts and livers. This is also where I buy my Minor's base, Devonshire cream, horseradish and truffles. They have a lot of other stuff there, but I can usually find better prices. Molto Vegas Farmer's Market 7485 Dean Martin Drive Suite #106 Las Vegas, NV, 89139 Thursday only 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (non-trade not allowed to shop until 11 a.m.) This is hit-or-miss. When this little outpost for California farmers is on, it's ON. But sometimes there's not a lot of variety, pretty much as expected for a farmer's market. Prices are no bargain, but who can blame the vendors -- who drive 200 to 500 miles one-way to sell here every Thursday. This is another venue that I hope takes off. It's good to get the fresh California produce here, if only two hours a week. Valley Cheese and Wine 1770 W Horizon Ridge Pkwy Suite 110 Henderson, NV 89012 (702) 341-8191 www.valleycheeseandwine.com I would call this place first before driving here. I don't shop here often. But when I do, I'm usually the only person in the store. I'm always afraid I'm going to pull in and they're going to be shuttered. I do hope this store hangs on. This is the only place in Las Vegas to buy real Iberian jamon. It's expensive, but who cares? It's cheaper than a plane ticket to Spain. Also some interesting balsamics, oils and pastas. But I rarely buy, because I can do much better on the Internet. I really, really, really want to shop here more often, because I love what they sell. But most of their non-perishables are so expensive, I cannot bring myself to buy them. Aladdin Market Ste 6, 1775 East Tropicana Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89119-6556 (702) 262-0000 www.aladdinmarketvegas.com A nice North African and pan-Arab market. I shop here often. Cafe Heidelberg 610 E Sahara Ave, Ste 2 Las Vegas, NV 89104 (702) 731-5310 A small selection of good German sausages, cheese and bread. Worth a stop if you're on Sahara anyway. The Latin Markets Google the store name to find the closest The main Latin markets are named King Ranch, Mercado Pueblo, El Super and Liberio. They are almost interchangeable. Although it's better to find one that proudly proclaims it's a tortilleria -- the chips and tortillas will be fresher that way. King Ranch and Liberio have the best produce sections -- and great prices. For instance, I routinely get 10 pounds of potatoes for $1. Similar prices on onions, garlic and limes. These stores put out a flier every Wednesday advertising ridiculously low prices on some staple item for one day only. I pay close attention to these fliers. The American Supermarkets Google the store name to find the closest I'm partial to Smith's supermarket. For me, at least, Smith's seems to the best best bang for the buck on the sorts of things I tend to buy. Other supermarkets: Food 4 Less -- they seem to sell more packaged food and less fresh. At least near my house. I rarely shop here. Albertson's -- Just too damned expensive. Fresh & Easy -- Why, why, why didn't UK-based Tesco simply open up a chain of Tescos in America? I love Tesco. I hate Fresh & Easy. It makes Albertson's look reasonable, and doesn't sell any of the foods I loved when I shop at Tesco. Costco and Sam's Club -- I prefer Costco to Sam's, so that's the membership card in my pocket. I buy the following at Costco: * Coffee (They are currently selling 3 pounds of whole-bean Rwandan for less than $5 a pound) * USDA Prime Ribeyes -- when I like the marbling, I spend the $10/pound for the prime * Farm raised steelhead trout -- I prefer it to farm raised salmon. I make gravlax with it. * Mussels -- if the sell-by date is far off and they don't smell like anything. * Some produce * Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and pistachios Smart & Final is the local restaurant supply store. This is a good place to pick up a wet-packed beef tenderloin, a big pot of dijon mustard, 10-pounds of frozen chicken wings and other bulk items. I always buy plastic wrap and aluminum foil here. I cannot abide paying grocery-store prices for tin-foil. OK, that's installment one. Las Vegans, please add and amend. I hope that people in other metropolitan areas feel inspired to write up their own market reports.

And this isn't enough to convince people that KK is worth the wait? As mentioned, Krispy Kreme is only worth the trip if it's a full-service shop, with a conveyor belt. The KKs in supermarkets, casinos, etc. aren't KK at all. Forget they exist. Unless the donut is almost too hot to handle, you're not getting the real deal. No other donut shop makes front-page headlines when they open a new store. Take that, Dunkin Donuts and Mr. Donut.

I always have a bag of rinds in the freezer. They go into tomato sauces. Parm rinds are like flavor bombs for a marinara or ragu. My local cheese shops (as already mentioned) sell rinds FULL PRICE. So obviously, they have value.

Oh, man! As soon as I get my hands on some, this butter is gonna be my favorite comfort food! It tastes JUST like spreadable parm but milder, and more buttery. It's right up there with "beer" and "cheese" on my "favorite things created by mankind" list.

1) At the GABF, all the beer is served at 50f for judging. Better beers will give you a glass recommendation and serving temperature on the back label. 2) I like about 3/4" or so of head depending on the beer. Never use soap with your beer glasses. Just clean and sanitize. The head will be better that way. 3) The Belgian beers are all over the place as far as style. If there's one characteristic, I'd say that Belgian brewers aren't afraid to ferment their beer warm(er) to let esters develop. And they're not afraid of wild yeasts and even bacteria that other brewing regions kill on sight. There are a lot of exceptions, though.

Oh dear.... Ersatz Peking Duck Ingredients At least two ducks (Because this is a long, complicated recipe. It's not worth doing just one) Shaoxing wine (you can substitute saki, or even Sauvignon Blanc if you have to) Fresh ginger, sliced rice wine vinegar Soy sauce Corn starch Five spice powder For the pancakes AP Flour Scallions Sesame Oil 1) Remove all the giblets from the ducks. Reserve and make pâté. 2) Using a pair of tweezers pliers, pluck any pins. It's much easier to do it now before the duck is boiled. 3) In a pot that will hold at least one duck, fill with as much water as is safe. This is like boiling pasta -- you want a lot of water. 4) Make a slurry with corn starch, add to the water -- the amount will depend on the volume of water. I just eyeball it. You want the water good and cloudy. I'd start with two or three tablespoons. 5) Add a good glug or two of vinegar, wine and soy and about five thick slices of fresh ginger 6) Bring to a full rolling boil. 7) While you wait for the water to boil, crucify the poor duckies. Cut the tips off the wings, and shove a chopstick under the skin at the elbow -- through one wing, across the back, and out the other wing. Looks gruesome. Tie a length of butcher's twine at each end of the chopstick so you can hold the duck like a marionette and plunge it into the boiling water. (And then hang the duck from a hook.) 8) Dip each duck in the boiling pot, and ladle the cooking liquid over the duck for 30 seconds. Then wait two minutes and repeat. 9) Hang the ducks in a cool, dry area. Place a sheet pan under them to collect the drippings. (Render the drippings -- more fat!) Position electric fans (as much airflow as you can muster) (edit -- but not a wind tunnel, either) to blow on the duck skin and leave for at least two hours. The longer you leave it, the crispier the skin is going to be. You can go up to about six hours. This is an ideal time to make pâté. 10) Remove the chopsticks and place ducks, breast side up on a roasting rack into a 350f oven. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip (and pour the fat into Pyrex). Cook 45 minutes more. Pour fat and then dust the entire surface LIGHTLY with Five Spice -- too much five spice and the duck is going to taste like a licorice stick. (edit -- Seriously, easy on the five spice. Too little is much better than too much. Sprinkle as if you're adding nutmeg to béchamel.) 11) Cook another 30 minutes and allow to rest uncovered for five. Pour the last bit of fat (if there is any) into a separate container -- it's five-spice fat now -- only to be used for Chinese sauté jobs. Serve hot with pancakes, scallions and hoisin. Use this recipe on about.com for the pancakes. The first time you make pancakes it will take a lot of time to roll them out properly. Start the pancakes as soon as you put the duck in the oven. You can also just use warm flour tortillas brushed with a tiny amount of sesame oil, and there's little difference in taste. But my mother-in-law would disagree. (And probably strangle me for suggesting it.) You'll also need a bunch of scallions, cut into two-inch lengths, and sliced repeatedly at the top so it resembles a paint brush. Slice the duck thin -- I like a little meat in my pancakes, but in China they slice off JUST the skin, and eat the meat separately (and then make a soup with the carcass). Paint the pancake with hoisin using the scallion brush. Then place the brush in the pancake and add duck skin. Roll, eat, repeat. Serve the rest of the meat with rice, and some veg -- sautéed bok choy, for instance. While eating, deglaze the roasting pan and simmer the bones for an hour. Then toss in more bok choy (or substitute napa cabbage) and some large-dice firm tofu. Season with salt and white pepper and serve to cap off the meal. Wine pairing? Vintage champagne, brut. This dish deserves it.

Yes, but what about the baked beans and pecan pie? Red Zin is going to hit that roadblock like a Winnebago being driven by Stevie Wonder. (However, my wine chops aren't nearly as developed as my beer chops. So if anyone has a wine that pairs with all four menu items, I'd love to hear it so I can try one.) My guess is that the wine would have to be some sort of sparkling variety, and brut (but not extra brut). Beer or wine, either way, I think this is a meal that needs a yeasty beverage.

Fixed it for you. I do a full on Peking duck with a twist -- [deep breath] After submerging the duck in boiling water (and wine, starch and soy) twice for 30 seconds each, then hanging for two hours with a fan blowing on it, I roast. I turn the duck twice -- pouring off the fat each time. Then I hit it with all manner of spices and finish it for another 20 minutes or so. That way, I get my favorite duck recipe, with generous amounts of duck fat that doesn't taste like star anise. I make this any time I run low on duck fat -- which I use for frying eggs and potatoes, mostly.

1) From scratch multi-cheese mac and cheese, with a garlic bread crumb topping. 2) Any other mac and cheese, so long as it doesn't involve cooking with a microwave. 3) Beef marrow and fresh-baked bread. 4) Escargot and fresh-baked bread. 5) Any roasted poultry that has a lot of thyme and a little rosemary, with stuffing made from fresh-baked bread. 6) Fresh-baked bread with really, really good butter on it. Like that stuff they make with from the byproducts of parmesan cheese making. (What's the brand of that stuff, anyway? I buy mine for like $10/pound at Whole Foods. The way it's wrapped, it looks like it belongs with the chocolate in the baking aisle.) Ahhh, here it is, from "Fork and Bottle." Delitia Parmigiano Reggiano Butter Butter made from the cream left over from Parmigiano Reggiano production. Really balanced and really great. Make sure your source is fresh as it's a delicate butter.

Better than the bigger chains -- McD's, BK, Wendy's. Not nearly as good as Carl's Jr./Hardees. Not in the same league as the California triumvirate. I've never had a Five Brothers or Whataburger, but I will certainly pull in if I ever see one. I won't eat at Sonic. Because for the same money I can get good Mexican at one of the taco stalls that Las Vegas ordinance require to be placed no more than 1,000 feet apart. I'd rather have good Mexican than an ordinary burger, any day.

I haven't found a good Mom & Pop in my area. And if I'm in an unknown area, it's hard to tell if the local Mom & Pop "brings it." Even a parking lot full of classic cars doesn't mean much. There's classic cars at my local Sonic once a week. 'Nuff said. Also, I think you have the benefit of being in SoCal -- birthplace of all three of my favorite joints. SoCal is to burgers what New York is to pizza. Other places might make a good pie here and there. But there is no comparison of any region's pizza scene to New York's pizza scene. (Stop howling, Chicago. That isn't pizza. It's good. But it's not pizza.) Same with greater Los Angeles and burgers. Lots of people are going to think, "We have a great burger over at fill-in-the-blank." But they know in their hearts that In-N-Out, Tommy's and Fatburger didn't just spring up miraculously -- LA rules the burger world.

Quoting Tony Bourdain "I suggest serving this dish with french fries and a staggeringly expensive bottle of Burgundy in cheap glasses. Just to show them who's their daddy." He was talking about côte de boeuf, but it's still a fun quote. Actually I'd serve beer -- and if you want a beer that goes with beef, baked beans, slaw and dessert, I'd say IPA. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Ale. You'll need something to cut through the sugar in the beans and pie, and still play well with the red meat and slaw. This is bitter compared to most beers -- but pleasantly bitter. You can test out my advice -- try one with a to-go order of your favorite fast food burger and one of their desserts. I think you'll be happy with the selection. If "pie" wasn't on the menu and "beans" was replaced with "pomme frites", Chimay Bleu. This is no beer for sweets -- but this is THE beer to pair with beef, frite and really funky cheese. If your local doesn't sell Bleu, you could go with one of the Quebec Unibroue beers -- Maudite, La Fin du Monde and especially the oddly-named Terrible. (But not Éphémère -- I don't see the strong apple flavor pairing with all of the menu.) All beers should be available in most areas. While they're probably too weird for your local megamart, I know that Whole Foods stocks them. A good liquor store will, too. YMMV.

As far as beef patty quality -- Fatburger. Fatburger makes as good a burger as I do (unless I feel rich and hand chop wagyu.) It's big and thick and hand formed so not perfectly round. And they know how to actually brown beef. So it's a damned fine burger. If aliens came down and asked me to show them this "hamburger" they hear so much about on our radio commercials, I would take them straight to Fatburger. And I'd order two 24-oz "Triple Kings" and challenge them to a burger eating contest -- my car's pink slip against their spaceship's pink slip. As far as "total package" -- Tommy's Original Hamburger Shack. I think they're only CA and NV though. It's not so much the burger (which is about the same as an In-N-Out). It's the chili they put on top of it. That addictive, addictive chili. I have them slather it on the burger, the fries, and then I take some more chili to-go. In-N-Out is OK. But only if everything is ordered "Animal Style." They treat their employees really well. (In fact, if I can't find work on a line sometime soon, I plan on applying.) So I feel good when I plunk down my $7 for a double-double and some animal style fries. Those are the only three burger joints I will visit. The rest are merely fast-food, and not worth the money (or empty calories) to me. If I'm going to consume that many calories -- and have to bike it off later -- those are the only three that are worth my time and money.

Agreed. I'm only interested in technique cookbooks that are short on recipes and long on philosophy. I can pull a good recipe off Google for any dish under the sun any time I need one. My favorite "cookbook" is McGee's. Not one recipe. Just how I like it.

I only speak enough French to embarrass myself with the locals. But reading the menu, was that meal 165 Euros? If so, that's got to be the best value on the planet. I'll be on Kayak checking airfare tomorrow if that's the case.

I like both duck meat and duck eggs better than chicken. I like ostrich meat better than chicken meat (never tried an ostrich egg -- but I would like to). It stands to reason that I might like ostrich eggs better than chicken eggs. So long as I knew the age of the egg in question, I would buy one if they were available. Of course, my wife would want to blow the egg out of the shell and go all "Martha Stewart." on it.

Village Meat and Deli on S Eastern Avenue in Las Vegas would be a perfect venue for the pasta -- it's where Vegas goes for wagyu beef, white truffles and other high-end items. What I can't speak to is whether there would be a market for it. What does a pound of spaghetti retail for?

The only place in town that would have that pasta is International Market at the corner of Tropicana and Decatur, close to the Orleans casino. They don't have it. I haunt the Italian section of that store. They have many very good pastas, and it's worth going there just because it's basically a warehouse store for foodies. But I've never seen Latini there...

I'm somewhat of a grill geek. Chicken satay is a perfect application for infrared grilling. Convection isn't quick enough and conduction is too hard on the meat. My favorite gas grills work on the same principle as good salamanders in the kitchen -- ceramic infrared heating. And just like motorheads will tell ya, "There's no substitute for cubic inches (or liters, for continental motorheads)." Grill geeks will tell ya, "Theres' no substitute for BTUs (or joules, for the continental grill geeks)." BTUs, surface area, and distance from the heat source to the grill -- all that will determine the maximum possible temperature. The best grill I ever had topped out at about 900f. Some of the best commercial infrared grills go almost hot enough to MELT SALT. (1550f, if I'm not mistaken.) I learned to grill steaks on an infrared, and I'd never use anything else. (Barbecue is a different story.) Meat behaves differently when cooking at extremely high heat. I like a one-inch thick ribeye, cooked for two minutes at 900f. I'm guessing Alton will never do an infrared grill show. The equipment is spendy, esoteric and dangerously hot.

I sprinkle it on chicken and roast it. Then I put it in mashed potatoes. Then I use a little more to season the gravy. Dean & Deluca sells it for less than Napastyle, FWIW.

I wonder how they'd react to a TEC infrared grill?