Tag: Food Talk Friday

Food Talk Friday

Published on by Live Vi-Carrie-ously

I’ve been twice and I’d go back anytime. It’s a fun and unique restaurant.

I’m talking about Black-Out Dining. I first heard of this distinctive restaurant concept from two friends who’d been and highly recommended it. There seem to be a few of these around the country (and world), but I’m talking about the place in Las Vegas. (A London version is in the movie, About Time, which I watched before my first visit and is very fun!)

I happened to be in Las Vegas back in May and suggested it to the friends I was meeting/retreating with. 5 of us made the bold decision to visit a restaurant where we wouldn’t be able to see (or know) the menu, choose our food, or even see our food when it was served. We’d be eating completely in the dark.

A few things to know:

Yes, you will be eating completely in the dark. You’re given a locker to stow purses, phones, and watches.

The menu is prix fixe and vegetarian-based (and absolutely delicious).

As you check out/pay, you’re shown a copy of the menu, so you can then figure out what you ate. But you can’t take a picture of it. 😦

The women I was with in May all enjoyed the experience and we had a blast. I wanted to bring Stud Muffin, but it didn’t work for that trip. But last month, we found we were going through Las Vegas, so I made dinner and hotel reservations and we started off.

Some of the courses seemed similar to what I’d had in May, but others were completely different.

Again, I had a blast and Stud Muffin didn’t complain too much. In fact, I think he kind of enjoyed it too.

Because I don’t eat a lot, the first few courses, I’d take two or three bites, then ask for his hand and put the rest of my portion in his hand.

There were seven courses and even Stud Muffin was full by the time dessert arrived.

It really is completely dark. Which likely saves on interior decoration and styling costs. The servers wear night vision goggles, so they can help you to your table (you go conga line), and out, and where to place your food in front of you. They give clear instructions about where to find your napkin, flatware, and drinks. There’s even a panic button on the table if someone gets totally freaked out.

If you’re ever in Vegas for a show or whatever, I highly recommend dinner at Black-Out Dining. If you go, be sure and let me know what you think!

Food Talk Friday: Beach Club

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We used to go occasionally to a burger place in Friant, about 20 minutes from us. It was called Sandals and it had great burgers with a casual, beachy atmosphere. Then it closed.

Then it opened as Beaches or Beach Club. But we weren’t able to visit before they closed for the pandemic, then they were open, then they closed for winter.

Well, they’re open again and we finally made it! Beach Club

They have a fun menu, heavy on burgers and sandwiches, but with a Hawaiian twist. They have a sand volleyball pit, and live music on some dates. It’s outdoor/patio dining only. The patio is covered and there are misters for the really scorching days.

Dave ordered the Loco Moco burger. If you’re familiar with the Hawaiian breakfast favorite, the Loco Moco, you know where this is headed. Add a bun, and you’ve got it. The Loco Moco is a scoop of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, topped with brown gravy, topped with an egg. The Loco Moco burger was huge and filling. Dave only ate half and brought half home.

Forgive my photography! It was much tastier than it looks.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think to take pictures of the food on our plates, so the photos are our leftovers.

We shared onion rings and they were just right. The onion snapped when I bit into it, and didn’t pull out, leaving me with an empty shell of dough. They were hot and the onion was sweet.

I had the Kahlua pork tacos, with rice and beans. I ate all the rice and beans and one taco. The pork was tender, and well-flavored. The cabbage was crisp and added a nice crunch.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit and plan to be back!

Food Talk Friday: Pizza!

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Delicious fresh pizza served on wooden tableGreat pizza starts with a great crust which starts with a great dough. This recipe was mentioned by my friend, Ralaine, on Monday’s post. She shared the recipe with me. Her (Italian) husband gives it his full approval, so it must be good!

Ralaine’s Pizza Dough

 

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose or bread flour

1 teaspoon of fine sea salt

1 cup of lukewarm water

¾ teaspoon of active dry yeast

1 teaspoon of olive oil

 

Combine flour and salt

 

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the water and the yeast. Let is sit for 5 minutes or until it blooms. Add olive oil, and then pour in to the flour mixture. Knead until well combined – about 3 minutes, let it rest of 15 minutes. Then knead the rested dough for 3 minutes more. 

 

Scrape out the dough on a floured surface. Oil the side of your mixing bowl before returning the dough back to the bowl. Turn the ball of dough over to coat it with the oil, cover and let it rest and rise of 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or for 8 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. (If you refrigerate the dough, remove it 30 to 45 minutes before you begin to shape it for pizza.)  

—–

Stud Muffin and I are planning a trip with friends to Italy in 2020. We’re already dreaming about the pizza we’re going to eat. Naples, which bills itself as the birthplace of pizza is definitely on the itinerary. We can’t wait!

pizza

We love all pizza. The simple margherita (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil). An obscene meatlovers. All veggies (well, maybe with a few pepperoni thrown on). Our standard go-to is pepperoni, olive, and mushroom. Something about that combo is delish. We love it.

In New York, we tried several different pizza places. John’s of Times Square (Fabulous!) A  by-the-slice, stand or sit-facing-the-wall place called Patzeria, also great and fun.

We haven’t really experienced a true Chicago deep-dish style. Hmmm … I wonder if there’s a local place … Off to do some research …

Chicago Style Deep Dish Cheese PizzaWhat is your favorite? Do you do homemade? Take out only? Chains? Local pizzeria? How about toppings? Everything? Anchovies? Cheese only?

I’m taking notes!

Food Talk Friday: Greek Shrimp Pasta

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After Lori’s Chicken with Artichokes and Lemons, this is probably my next most reliable recipe. I make it to take to friends recovering from surgery or bringing new babies home, for casual lunches on the patio, for whenever we need something yummy.

egyptian_food_pasta_with_shrimpGreek Shrimp Pasta

Serves 4

1 pound raw medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cleaned

4 cloves garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces crumbled feta cheese

6 green onions, finely chopped

4 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves, minced

5 fresh tomatoes cored, seeded and coarsely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 pound linguine freshly cooked and drained

In a large mixing bowl, combine feta, green onions, oregano, tomatoes

and salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture stand at room temperature

for at least one hour.

In a skillet, add the butter and olive oil and heat over medium high

heat. Add the garlic and stir till starting to brown, then add the

shrimp, toss together and remove from heat once the shrimp turn pink.

To the shrimp mixture, add the cooked pasta, toss together, then top

with the feta cheese mixture and enjoy!

You could also add olives, for a bit more salt and color.

This is extremely versatile. I’ve made it with other pasta when I didn’t have linguine. I’ve left off the fresh oregano and green onions when I didn’t have them. Although, without the green, it’s pretty boring to look at. Still tastes amazing though.

I made it early this week but I didn’t take a picture because I had nothing green and fresh to add and the picture would not have been appetizing at all. The picture above is a google image, licensed for non-commercial reuse. It’s pretty close.

Food Talk Friday: Comfort Food

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Thinking and writing about Chicken Divan last week got me thinking about other comfort foods and what makes them so comforting.

In my humble opinion, it comes down to two factors.

  • Something creamy and starchy, or
  • Something cheesy and sticky

For the cook, easy preparation is another important factor.

Besides Chicken Divan, our other family go-to comfort food is:

Abbie’s Chicken and Rice

one-dish-chicken-rice-bake-large-24702

Named for the friend who first introduced it to us. I’ve since learned it’s a staple on Campbell’s soup cans and on their website. I have no idea if our version is the same as Campbell’s. I’m including a picture from Campbell’s though and it looks pretty similar. I make a big batch of it because we love the leftovers.

2 cups uncooked long grain rice

3 cans of Campbell’s Cream of … soups (I usually use one Cream of Mushroom, one Cream of Chicken and one Cream of Celery. But I’ve used two of one and one of another in all combinations and it always tastes great. I’ve also heard some people add a packet of dry onion soup mix. I’m sure that’s yummy too.)

Combine the soups and the rice, pour into the bottom of a greased 9×13 casserole dish.

Lay raw chicken breasts and or thighs on top.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper or your favorite chicken seasoning. Sometimes I sprinkle on some Pappy’s or other seasonings. Whatever strikes my fancy from the pantry. Lemon Pepper. Montreal Steak Seasoning. Madame Pele’s Heat. Sea salt. Fresh ground pepper. Really. Whatever.

Cover with foil.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes to an hour. It can cook faster, but the slower and lower, the creamier the rice turns out.

This one is always a winner, especially on a winter evening after a hard day. Because sometimes we need a little comfort food.