Loving Las Vegas: More Bling and a Giveaway

Today is the second part of my two part posting about my trip to Las Vegas last week.

Day 3: Please refrain from touching the artifacts.

I had coffee for breakfast as I usually do when I am home. I would have spent another lovely day by the pool but it was a bit too chilly so I went to the Liberace museum.

If you are familiar with Liberace and his performances then you know his museum is tasteful and subtle…NOT. His costumes for performances could take a year to create. I am really sorry that I somehow managed to leave the museum without pics of the cars and the pianos. Seriously people, this place is worth a visit if you go to Vegas. The museum is located in a strip mall on East Tropicana. When Liberace died he left nothing to any member of his family or any of his companions. His will instructed that all of his homes and most of his possessions be liquidated and a foundation be created that has awarded thousands of students with scholarship opportunities.

After the tour we jumped off the shuttle at The Bellagio and had drinks in one of the lobby bars. I had my favorite spirit, Glenmorangie Port Wood with an absolutely perfect Romeo y Julieta 1875 because it’s Vegas baby!

That evening we went downtown to The Plaza Hotel. Built in 1971 it’s right across the street from The Freemont Street Experience. We had an edible dinner of Tapas at Firefly, which overlooks the light show.

We then headed downstairs to the Copa Room for The Rat Pack is Back!. It’s a fun show and I highly recommend it. Very talented lookalikes performed as Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and of course, Frank Sinatra imagining that The Rat Pack were doing their famous Vegas show once more, tonight. Also, for a psychedelic moment, a song by a Marilyn Monroe lookalike. They did it old-school, in a way that was never uncomfortable, with some references to Sammy’s skin color, Dean’s drinking, Frank’s mob ties and “Joey Bishop” made fun of them all.

Due to some last minute arrangements I am going to post the giveaway on Monday. Call me a tease, but I want the package to be as big Vegas.

The Omnivore’s Hundred

I love food. I love to grow food and cook food and smell and taste food. I read cookbooks just for fun. I called myself Epicurious long before there was a TV show or a website. And now, thanks to Andrew, co-author of Very Good Taste I can brag about the food I know and love and loathe with this very fun meme. If you want more information, Andrew has created a FAQ in response to the nearly 1,000 comments that he has received.

If you want to play along here are the original instructions:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

And this added by me:
5) If you are blogless (Poor wee thing! What, no blog?) then tack your list on your front door and confuse the mailman.

Here goes!

1. Venison. I have an excellent recipe for venison roast. If you want it just leave me a comment!
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros. Yum! I have them for dinner quite often.
4. Steak tartare. Love!
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding. Oh yes. In London and Barcelona. Delicious.
7. Cheese fondue.
8. Carp
9. Borscht.
10. Baba ghanoush. I make my own thank you very much. And yes I can provide recipes!
11. Calamari.
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi. So many curry dishes. So little time.
15. Hot dog from a street cart. In New York? Faggedaboutit!
16. Epoisses. Yes and I even had it in Paris.
17. Black truffle. Sadly I have not yet had the pleasure of eating black truffle.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes. Nope.
19. Steamed pork buns. Oh yeah! In New York City’s Chinatown and in Beijing, China.
20. Pistachio ice cream.
21. Heirloom tomatoes. I grow them. Come on over for some tomatoes and then we’ll have that venison pot roast I mention in No. 1.
22. Fresh wild berries. Blackberries, raspberries and blueberries all growing wild in my backyard.
23. Foie gras.
24. Rice and beans.
25. Brawn, or head cheese. No. But if you make me some I will eat it.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper. I really really do not like green peppers and I really really do not like anything that will scrape the tastebuds off my tongue with a flamethrower. Ouch!
27. Dulce de leche. So easy to make and ever so yummy.
28. Oysters. Oh yes!
29. Baklava. Sure – I’ll serve you some after the venison.
30. Bagna cauda. I have not had this but I really really want it!
31. Wasabi peas. Yes I had them and no I did not like them. See #26.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar. I have had and enjoyed both. I prefer my cognac with foie gras, and my cigars with whiskey.
37. Clotted cream tea.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects. Blech! Just can’t even imagine.
43. Phaal. See #26.
44. Goat’s milk. You know I’m not sure. Maybe. I’ve had goat’s milk yogurt.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more.
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut. Once. I really don’t have much of a sweet tooth.
50. Sea urchin. mmmmm uni. yum.
51. Prickly pear.
52. Umeboshi. Yes once but I don’t think I liked it.
53. Abalone.
54. Paneer. Yes I have it whenever I am having Indian food. I have a friend from Delhi who makes delicious homemade Paneer.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal.
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV. Yes, in Amsterdam, and I don’t remember much else.
59. Poutine.
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads. Haven’t had it but I am willing.
63. Kaolin. Gah! In case you are wondering what it is.
64. Currywurst.
65. Durian. Durian is weird man. Really really weird. First it’s like a giant nut covered with spines. Then you crack it open and there are several sections inside with slimy fruit. Little slimy alien babies in little slimy alien pods. The smell is…ugh. It’s…it’s indescribably horrible. It’s unbelievably disgusting. It smells like putrid flesh. Really it does. It is an Asian fruit but it comes from the Jurassic Period. There are restaurants in Asia that have banned it from being opened because the smell is so nauseating. BUT. If you can get past that horrifying aroma and put the slimy quivering flesh of the alien pod in your mouth you will be delighted. It is yummy and creamy like a lovely creamy yummy not-quite papaya dessert. Durian is an incredible experience but truly not for the faint of heart. You gotta really want it.
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis. Dear lord no. I thought about crossing this out but truthfully I would be willing to taste it. As long as I have a bottle of whiskey close by, just to cleanse my palate of course.
69. Fried plantain. Yes both in New York City’s Harlem and in the Caribbean.
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette. UM. See #68.
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill. Well no. Actually, um, no. I have not had roadkill. BUT. Honestly – if I hit a deer and lived to tell the tale, I know who to call. He would get there in a hurry, load it on his truck, take it back to his place where he’ll carve it up and give me several roasts and steaks and chunks for stew.
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail. mmmm in oil and garlic. Sublime.
79. Lapsang souchong.
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. Le Bernardin. A meal to remember.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare. I have enjoyed rabbit many times. Please leave me a comment if you know any information on hare. Does it taste different?
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate.
91. Spam. Yes indeed. I’m even thinking of entering some SPAM recipes in a local fair next Summer!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox. See #15.
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake. I have eaten snake meat, which was good. Also, I had “three snake wine” in China, which was a big apothecary style glass jar with three dead snakes floating inside a clear moonshine and it tasted like what i imagine acetone would taste like and it was wonderful because hey I was in China! And there were dead snakes in the jar! And it was truly horrible because I was in China and there were dead snakes in the jar.

That’s 71 out of 100 for me. 25 that I would be interested in trying and 4 that I will happily live ever after without. How about you?

I am in Spain

How many times did I sit at the computer thinking of how I wanted to tell you about the incredible writing workshop that I would be attending? Many times. But somehow something always came up and I never actually posted on this site any information about where I would be and when I would be back. But here I am now.

I have just finished a week long creative writing intensive with my teacher Barbara Turner-Vesselago (Freefall Writing — Writing Without a Parachute. It’s my sixth or seventh course with her and each one is better than the previous. I will tell you more soon but right now it is 2:20 a.m. and I am in Barcelona. I have just finished dinner at a Tapas restaurant (Yes, dinner at midnight! They are crazy here) of snails (mmmm yummmm) and artichokes, and salad, and shrimp and meat on a skewer, and now I am ready to collapse at my friends’ apartment.

I will post pictures next week. This has been an amazing adventure. I can’t wait to tell you more about it after I have a chance to catch up on some sleep.