Smokeydoke

Dinner tonight will be meatloaf! I'll return later tonight with pics. Hope you're enjoying your weekend.

If you've been reading eGullet lately, you know I've been obsessed with BBQ. I can thank @Kerry Beal and her plentiful Green Egg thread for that. For a special treat, I took Mr. Smokey to the best BBQ joint in town, Jessie Rae's. Located in a bare industrial center, it doesn't get more divey than this. They specialize ins Las Vegas Style BBQ. I'm not sure how Las Vegas BBQ differs from other BBQ. It was good, some of it was delicious. We both got the two meat combos for $15. I got the pulled pork and rib tips. Mr. Smokey got brisket and hot links. I'll tell you the truth, eating here and reading that it was the "best in Vegas" has put a damper on my kamado grill obsession. Honestly, I don't know what great BBQ is, as I've never lived/traveled to the South or Texas where BBQ is a way of life. This place was ok, much better than any chain, but I didn't think it was mind-blowing. If you're a BBQ aficionado, you may be disappointed.

Just snapped a picture of the brioche dough I made this morning. It's looking mighty purdy, got a nice rise to it. It's going into the fridge in a few minutes, then be made into Monkey Dunkey bread. I was originally going to make Beranbaum's beautiful Sugar Rose Brioche, but I didn't read the recipe carefully and it asks for two batches of brioche dough, not one. So, the Rose Brioche will have to be for another day. Instead we'll go with the lowly Monkey bread (which, in all honesty, is more in-line with what I'd bake at home when I'm not blogging). Monkey bread can't be too hard, right? Nothing made out of Rose's brioche turns out bad, right? I mean, brioche, chocolate, caramel... what could go wrong here? *crosses fingers* I hope it's eGullet worthy.

I got a few things lined up today, I'm making a brioche dough to make Rose Beranbaum's Sugar Rose Brioche. And I've got plans to go to a local BBQ joint called Rollin Smokes. I'll report back in the afternoon!

Whew! It was a stressful week, I am ready for the weekend! Let the eating begin.... Friday night means cocktail night. Last night's performance was Bijou. 11/2 oz gin 3/4 oz Chartreuse 1 oz sweet vermouth 2 dashes orange bitters garnish with orange peel You know how I always complain the wash line is too low on cocktails? Well, someone came up with a solution, make it a double! Brilliant. Which is exactly what I did here. Let's just say Bijous should not be filled to the top of the glass, unless you're ready for a nap. It's strong and spirit-forward but I really enjoyed it. Went down smooth as silk. I'm loving sweet vermouth much more than I thought I would.

Congratulations! The food looks delicious.

How did I miss this? That was a fascinating read. My favorite is the McDonald's pastry case. Love it.

I love hearing everyone's Las Vegas stories! We got eloped too, best decision we ever made. I think the ceremony and the filing cost a total of $170.

This mornings breakfast will be some coffee and a piece of cheese! My blog will be different than most, as I won't log everything I eat during the day, that'll bore you to pieces. Rather, I'll report on culinary goldmine that I live in and report of food I've eaten in the past week or so. I also enjoy making cocktails. This is a picture of a flat white I had at Sambalatte a few days ago. Please ignore the questionable foam art. Is it soft serve ice cream? Is it a pile of poop? I don't know what she was going for? And here's some almond croissants I had Jean-Philippe Patisserie at the Bellagio. Imho, they are the best almond croissants in the world.

Here's our fridge #1, I just got back from a trip, so it's somewhat empty. Second pic is where I keep my snacks. As you can tell, I love cheese, I have at least five different types of cheeses at any given moment. This week I have Kirkland Organic Cheese Snacks (taste a lot like cheddar), Kirkland Bleu Cheese, Mozzarella, shredded cheddar, string cheese and Laughing Cow. I also like deli meats and keep a variety, this week I have Hormel pepperoni, Del Duca Jamon Serrano (I'm addicted to this stuff, and it has to be this (cheap) brand) and some Cremosa Tartufa (spreadable Truffle Salami). I'm trying to get into the Cremosa Tartufa but I can't. I think I"m going to bin it. I do love Salami and Country-style ham. It'll be a reoccurring theme throughout the week. As you've already presumed, I love Costco.

Greetings eGulleteers, I'm Smokeydoke and I'll be your tourguide for the next seven days on a culinary journey through Las Vegas. First a little about me, I'm a foodie first and foremost, but my real name is Kathy and to pay the bills, I work as an Engineer. My husband works at UNLV. In the past I've worked as a manager for a pizzeria and worked at a bakery. We live in the Southwest community of Las Vegas, more commonly referred to as Mountains Edge. Here is the obligatory shot of our kitchen. Sorry for the bad photos, I made a video but just realized I can't upload videos in eGullet, so I quickly converted them to jpegs. Here's my pantry#1, with my (in)famous shelf of twelve different types of flours. Below that are my oils, vinegars and sauces. And of course, pounds of TJ Belgium chocolates.

Someone recommended Evercrisp by Modernist Cuisine. I can't find the post, but thank you fellow eGulleter! That was the tip of the year. Made the best, shatteringly crisp schnitzel I've ever made. Guaranteed to keep fried food crispy for 3 hours and 47 mins. So, if it's only crisp for 3 hours and 45 mins, do I get my money back? My schnitzel recipe is basic and straight-forward, except for the Evercrisp, which added another dimension of deliciousness. It's cheap pork loin, that's been pounded thin, then dusted with spiced flour, dunked in egg wash, and coated in panko and Evercrisp. If you want the detailed recipe, you can find it here. My only tip is to make sure the oil is 350F, but I have a feeling I'm telling everyone what they already know. Too cold oil will make the schnitzel soggy. Too hot oil will make the schnitzel burn. I use a candy thermometer attached to my dutch oven, it works like a charm. And I fry with Wesson oil. I served it with Cauliflower-Broccoli Rice.

I've got Batali's entire collection, I no longer admit it because he's persona non grata, but he is a great chef. And I love Flay's Boy Meets Grill.

Always! I make it a point to go to a restaurant with a good dessert menu.

Thanks @David Ross I'll try my best.

Awesome! Have fun.

This is kinda cruel to post, because it just passed and won't happen again till next year, but every Chinese New Year, Wing Lei has an amazing dim sum brunch. Wing Lei is the upscale Chinese restaurant at the Wynn, it was the first Chinese restaurant in the US to be awarded a Michelin star (although Michelin is no longer in Vegas). I went back in 2014, it was quite the experience. Cold bar with lobster claws and prawns. Various assortment of dim sum. Pork belly and duck. That was the best pork belly I've ever had. The skin just shattered in your mouth. Shanghai prawns and Chile Beef Tenderloin. Five star spice cake and yuzu cake pops. If they do it again next year, I highly recommend it. It was truly one of my "grand" meals and an experience I won't forget.

Suzuya Patisserie - this is a local gem, right in my neighborhood. They are Japanese-run and owned but they focus on French pastries. I go here at least once a month and I've never had a bad experience, they've almost been all good, sprinkled in with some "meh" experiences. I highly recommend their "life-changing" apple pies (John Curtas' words, not mine) and their Japanese cheesecake. This month, their cake-of-the-month is the Mont Blanc, made with chestnut cream. It was decadent but not my favorite cake. I should mention the pastries are more Asian in taste and not as sweet as true French cakes. They also have made-to-order crepes, which are excellent, but I haven't gotten in years, because seriously, crepes are not hard to make at home. Apple pie a la mode in front, Mont Blanc in the back.

I just found this thread, I can add a post or two here. I've lived in Las Vegas for the past eight years and was quite the eater around 2014-2015, going to all the restaurants with reckless abandon. That was four years ago, which is an eternity in restaurant years, but I can still give some recommendations from back then. Nowadays, I mostly eat at home. I just got back from a week-long business trip and I realized that I've become "that f@$k#n woman!" I can't tolerate anything but sublime amazement from any dining experience. But I'm sure my fellow eGullet members can appreciate that. Unfortunately, that means I never eat out and when I do, it needs to be damn-near-amazing. I've briefly read through some of these posts and they're on point. However there's a difference between where tourists eat and where locals eat. Although I do eat on the Strip occasionally (some locals never do) I tend to avoid the Strip and eat in the nearby burbs. We're very blessed because this city is full of excellent chefs, and when they decide to open their own place after years of fine dining, they tend to go to the burbs. So you'll never see me recommending Lotus of Siam (although it's awesome), but I'll recommend Penn's Thai in Henderson. So let's start...

I love Food Network chefs, I would say 60% of my cookbook collection is FN Chefs. I hate the network, it's pure retardation, but their cookbooks are great. YMMV. I love Alton, Tyler Florence, and Giada. I have the entire Emeril collection and even have some Sandra Lee, for pure comedy, of course.

@menuinprogress that looks delicious. I'm stealing it.

Agree! And I'm trying to get a good price, I just have to be patient.

Maybe rustwood or Kerry Beal can chime in, I'm new to the Kamado game. But from my understanding, the biggest incentive is you don't have to watch the smoker, it insulates heat so well that it'll maintain 200F for an overnight cook. The other incentive is it's also a grill, it can easily reach 500F to cook steaks and pizzas, and the BGE can hit 700F. I live in Las Vegas, I do not want a 500F oven in my kitchen in the summertime. And I do cook pizzas a lot. I agree it's a luxury, but a lot of things are. I read on the kamado forum that the cheapest way to save money is to go to the nearest BBQ place and buy cooked meat. The kamado will never be cost-effective, it's just about what I'm willing to spend to be happy. I'm happier spending money on a new kamado then buying a new car.

Just got back from my week-long trip. I'll be honest, I didn't eat out much. Fresno seems to be chain-restaurant heaven, but luckily, I found two gems near my office. First was House of JuJu https://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-juju-clovis They serve gourmet burgers and craft beers. Delicious! I got the Dragon Lady Slaw Dog (I didn't know any better, I should've gotten the burger) and my co-worker got Betsy Ross, basically their version of a cheeseburger. They were both delicious but the winner was the burger. They also serve meal-sized salads. Next was Kuppa Joy Coffee House https://www.yelp.com/biz/kuppa-joy-coffee-house-clovis They make delicious cappuccinos with foam art! They also have fresh-made pastries and their almond croissants were just as good as any bakery in Las Vegas. I'll write more detailed reviews when I get the time. I hate to link Yelp (They deleted my negative review on Colton's Social House, another restaurant in Clovis. Could they be any more corrupt?) but it's the best I can do for now. I'm sure I'll be going back Clovis a few more times this year, so I'll be sure to add to this thread.

Just got back from my trip, I am so glad to be home! I went to the Kamado Joe Fontana, CA roadshow and it's not what I expected. I thought he'd be outside doing demos. Nope, he only had a few 13.5" grills out, charcoal bags and cast iron cookware. He said he might be getting some 18" later this week, but I needed to check with him. $969.99 and it included the divide and conquer and a bag. If I were to get a demo grill (where was the demo?) I'd get cast iron flat top, a bag of charcoal and a CI dutch oven, same price. It's 20% less than at Home Depot. He'll be in Fontana till the 25th. I'm still debating... I wish he had some today, it's a long drive for me. I might wait and get it at Home Depot instead of driving to Fontana again. Or if Costco sells the Pit Boss again this year I may get that and wait till next year for the KJ. I wish they were still $779. What a deal! I wonder why they went up so much? Hope it wasn't me.