eG Foodblog: Smokeydoke - Seven Days and Seven Nights in Fabulous Las Vegas

[heidih]

Another perilla fan here. My blocal Korean markets usually have the larger leaves for wrapping on the trays as you show, as well as bunches of younger more tender leaves which are great in salads.

[KennethT]

I like the Viet variety which is purple on one side and green on the other... slightly different flavor from shiso...

[Smokeydoke]

It's going to be leftovers at the Smokey household for the next few days, so I decided to blog about my cookbook obsession instead.

 

Cookbooks. I love them. I never counted all of them, but I would say close to five hundred.

 

   

 

It started when I peered through my husband's (untouched) collection and became fascinated by all the knowledge contained within. Before that, I was relying on allrecipes.com (gag!) and Food Network for all my recipes. Since then, I've amassed quite a few myself and have stolen a few from Mr. Smokey's library. I religiously cook from them and consider them old friends.

Edited February 27, 2018 by Smokeydoke (log)

[Smokeydoke]

Recently I've read Sqirl everything i want to eat. It was an interesting read and her tiny restaurant had earned a cult following. So after days of horrible fast food and chain restaurants, I decided to get up at 730am to eat at Koslow's tiny East Hollywood cafe. This was the line at 745am on a Saturday morning. They open at 8am.

 

 

The food was fabulous! There was so much care and thought put towards the food, I was amazed. It's rare to see this care nowadays. It impressed me so much, I plan on doing a cook-through of her cookbook in a few weeks. Her food really opened my eyes. I realized that if I only use the best and freshest ingredients, and put the utmost care, the simplest recipes can come out fantastic.

 

I started out with a cappacino ($4.25) with perfect foam art. Now that's foam art.

 

Next was the biscuit and butter with strawberry rose geranium jam. Those were the best, fluffiest, most tender biscuits I've ever had, I can't wait to make them. I could feel and taste the crunch of her fleur de sel crystals on top. I loved the salt so much, I bought a box when I got home.

 

I also got her decadent lemon poppy-seed loaf cake, made with the tastiest poppy-seeds I've ever had. I asked for it to-go, because there was no way I could eat so much, but I ended up finishing it on the spot! It was moist, decadent, and dare I say, creamy. My eyes have been opened to how delicious ordinary loaf cake can taste when made with the right ingredients.

 

  

 

 

Lastly, I got her famous sorrel rice bowl and it was the only disappointment of the day. It was too sour for my taste. Next time, if I ever order it again, I'll add the kale and avocado to temper the preserved lemons. Her perfectly poached eggs were great but the rice on it's own made me pucker, not in a good way.

 

 

Overall, 5 stars visit, and a renewed enthusiasm in the LA dining scene. I highly recommend the place, and I also recommend you come early.

Or you can buy her cookbook and join me in a cook-through.

 

Edited February 27, 2018 by Smokeydoke
Finally got the sorel bowl photo to load! (log)

[gfweb]

10 hours ago, TicTac said:

 

 

As an aside, if only EG local boards were busier, then I wouldn't have to go to the dreaded CH (cant stand that place and its dictatorship rule!)

 

eG local boards were busy in the past....maybe they can perk up. Big cities first?

I won't deal with chowhound and the dictators.  Really a bad place anymore. 

[blue_dolphin]

Nice cookbook collection!  You mentioned stealing from Mr. Smokey's collection.  Does Mr. Smokey cook?

 

4 hours ago, Smokeydoke said:

So after days of horrible fast food and chain restaurants, I decided to get up at 730am to eat at Koslow's tiny East Hollywood cafe. This was the line at 745am on a Saturday morning.

 

How did you get from Las Vegas to East Hollywood in 15 min?  I need that transport system!

[catdaddy]

What are your 3 favorite cookbooks to cook from?

[Smokeydoke]

7 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Nice cookbook collection!  You mentioned stealing from Mr. Smokey's collection.  Does Mr. Smokey cook?

 

Yes, he does, but he is not as obsessed as me. Remember the anal-retenative chef from SNL? He's kinda like that. He's one of the reasons I have twelve different flours and two different yeasts in my pantry.

 

And East Hollywood is in LA, not LV. Please don't attempt to get there in 15 mins! I didn't mention in my post that this was during my LA trip.

[Smokeydoke]

2 hours ago, catdaddy said:

What are your 3 favorite cookbooks to cook from?

 

I'm not sure. Can I think about that for a moment? It's like picking your favorite child.

[Smokeydoke]

Can I make a confession? I was planning an elaborate dinner tonight, but I can't promise it. I'm already tipsy. And these potato chips are tasting might good.

 

I was planning on making Scallops with Champagne Cream Sauce, which was just an excuse to buy champagne (and drink it, *burp*). The good thing was I finally got to Costco and bought their Kirkland Champagne Brut, $20 for 750 ml.

Since Total Wines was nearby, and I wanted to do a side-by-side taste test, I got Champagne de Margerie Grand Cru, also a Brut, $20 for 375ml, twice as much as Kirkland.

 

 

[Smokeydoke]

I going to make a confession, I do not like Champagne. It tastes awful to me. I'd rather have sparkling wine (I like Gloria Ferrar) or Prosecco. I'm a Philistine, what can I say?

 

But I will say this, there's very little difference between the Kirkland Champagne and the De Margerie. They are both very dry and have a not-so-pleasant sour after-note. There's not much flavor. The Kirkland is drier but the De Margerie was more bubbly.

 

If I had to buy Champagne, I'd go with Kirkland, De Margerie gets wonderful reviews but Kirkland is half the price.

Edited March 1, 2018 by Smokeydoke (log)

[Kim Shook]

I love Kirkland Champagne.  It can sometimes be hard to find in our area Costco.  Supposedly Costco has very 'hands on' people who choose their wines.  We've been pleased with everything we've tried.  To be clear, though, we are NOT oenophiles.  YMMV.

[MetsFan5]

1 hour ago, Smokeydoke said:

I going to make a confession, I do not like Champagne. It tastes awful to me. I'd rather have sparkling wine (I like Gloria Ferrar) or Prosecco. I'm a Philistine, what can I say?

 

But I will say this, there's very little difference between the Kirkland Champagne and the De Margerie. They are both very dry and have a not-so-pleasant sour after-note. There's not much flavor. The Kirkland is drier but the De Margerie was more bubbly.

 

If I had to buy Champagne, I'd go with Kirkland, De Margerie gets wonderful reviews but Kirkland is half the price.

 

 

 

   I prefer Prosseco too. But when champagne or drier sparking wines are traditionally served, I put a nice pour of Chambord into my champagne and enjoy it that way. 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, Smokeydoke said:

I going to make a confession, I do not like Champagne. It tastes awful to me. I'd rather have sparkling wine (I like Gloria Ferrar) or Prosecco. I'm a Philistine, what can I say?

 

But I will say this, there's very little difference between the Kirkland Champagne and the De Margerie. They are both very dry and have a not-so-pleasant sour after-note. There's not much flavor. The Kirkland is drier but the De Margerie was more bubbly.

 

If I had to buy Champagne, I'd go with Kirkland, De Margerie gets wonderful reviews but Kirkland is half the price.

 

 

Might I promote MR?

 

[heidih]

I think you need to link the MR method/history. I'm not a follower but the idea cerainly intrigues and sound like applicable to the described taste preferences

Edited March 1, 2018 by heidih (log)

[Smithy]

36 minutes ago, heidih said:

I think you need to link the MR method/history. I'm not a follower but the idea cerainly intrigues and sound like applicable to the described taste preferences

 

 

Thanks for the suggestion, heidih.  Here is a good summary topic, for readers who want to know more about Methode Rotuts, more casually known as "MR".

[Smokeydoke]

10 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

 

 

   I prefer Prosseco too. But when champagne or drier sparking wines are traditionally served, I put a nice pour of Chambord into my champagne and enjoy it that way. 

 

I'm going to try that tonight!

 

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Might I promote MR?

 

 

That sounds interesting. Thank you.

[johnnyd]

On 2/26/2018 at 10:57 PM, Smokeydoke said:

Lastly, I got her famous sorrel rice bowl and it was the only disappointment of the day. It was too sour for my taste. Next time, if I ever order it again, I'll add the kale and avocado to temper the preserved lemons. Her perfectly poached eggs were great but the rice on it's own made me pucker, not in a good way.

 

Preserved lemons???  Sorrel is already lemony so I don't see the point

[Toliver]

14 hours ago, Smokeydoke said:

I going to make a confession, I do not like Champagne. It tastes awful to me. I'd rather have sparkling wine (I like Gloria Ferrar) or Prosecco. I'm a Philistine, what can I say?

I also thought that way in the past. The problem was I kept buying Brut Champagnes and they're dry and sometimes bitter to the palate. Who needs that? 

I bought a bottle of Dom Perignon from Costco for the Millennium New Year back in 2000. It completely changed my outlook on Champagnes. I now gravitate towards the sweet Champagnes. My local Costco stocks Wilson Creek Almond "Champagne" during the holidays which I am a fan of these days. It's relatively inexpensive and it's a sweet "Champagne" that we enjoy when gathering for holidays dinners.

[Smokeydoke]

9 hours ago, johnnyd said:

 

Preserved lemons???  Sorrel is already lemony so I don't see the point

 

Agree, I don't understand the popularity of that dish, it was too sour.

 

7 hours ago, Toliver said:

I bought a bottle of Dom Perignon from Costco for the Millennium New Year back in 2000. It completely changed my outlook on Champagnes. I now gravitate towards the sweet Champagnes.

 

I'd love to try Dom Perignon someday, till then I will seek out some sweet champagnes. Sounds more my style.

[Smokeydoke]

It's already been a week! That was so fast. I'm ready to turn back into a pumpkin. Thanks to everyone for reading along.

 

As a final post, here's yesterday meals and libation. It was nothing fancy, this is a typical meal at the Smokey household.

 

For breakfast/lunch, I had the leftover scallops I never cooked from Wednesday.

 

 

My after-work cocktail came courtesy of @MetsFan5 a shot of Chambord topped with champagne. This was delicious!

 

 

And dinner was prosciutto-wrapped asapargus and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Mr. Smokey is on the no-carb diet. The eggs were made in my new Mauviel 1830 skillet, I was surprised at how non-stick it was. I love it. It's my first "big-purchase" cookware ever (excluding my kitchen-aid mixer, but that was a gift).

 

      

 

 

Happy Eating Everyone! Have a nice weekend.

 

Edited March 2, 2018 by Smokeydoke (log)

[kayb]

Thanks for taking us along with you! And the scallops look marvelous, as does the asparagus. One of my favorite treatments for asparagus!

 

[Duvel]

11 hours ago, Smokeydoke said:

 

Agree, I don't understand the popularity of that dish, it was too sour.

 

 

I'd love to try Dom Perignon someday, till then I will seek out some sweet champagnes. Sounds more my style.

The Möet & Chandon Nectar imperial is exactly what you are looking for then. Essentially an off-dry sparkling wine. Very pleasant and good with raw salmon ...

[Kim Shook]

Thank you so much for this!  I love living someone else's life for a bit!

[Smithy]

Yes - thank you for a fun tour!