The Divine Dish

My Favorite Cranberry Sauce Recipe

Posted on Nov 19, 2011 under Archives, Recipes | No Comment

It’s that time of year again.  My favorite cooking time during the holiday season is just before Thanksgiving when I make my famous cranberry sauce.  I never understood why people buy the stuff in a can when in takes only 15 minutes to make fresh cranberry sauce.  Once I give a neighbor, co-worker, or friend my cranberry sauce they immediately either annually request that I make them a jar or that I provide my recipe.  So, to save diners everywhere from the dreaded wobbly horrible canned sauce, I am posting the recipe up on the divine dish blog.

This recipe usually makes three small jars of cranberry sauce (if you plan to give them as gifts).  If you are keeping it for your Thanksgiving Day meal it will easily be enough for at least 10 people and you will have some leftover to use as a condiment to spread on muffins or toast or use as a side with chicken or pork.  I usually make this at least four days before Thanksgiving and leave it in the fridge until turkey day.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

3 cloves

2   3-inch cinnamon sticks

grated zest of one large orange

1  12 ounce bag fresh cranberries

Bring the first four ingredients, water, sugar, cloves and cinnamon, to a boil in a large pot.  Cook, stirring until the ingredients turn into a clear syrup.  This should take about 5 minutes.

Add in the cranberries.

While the cranberries are cooking, zest one large orange.

The cranberries should begin to pop and foam producing a bright pink color.

The cranberries will then become thicker and darker.

Add the orange zest and stir so it is mixed throughout the sauce.

The sauce is done when it is dark red and a thick consistency.  I usually spoon it into small jars for gifts or fill a plastic storage container and keep it until turkey day.

Dinner at Palomino, Westwood

Posted on Nov 14, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

Opened in 1998, Palomino in Westwood offers classic American fare with Mediterranean influences.   The upscale elegant large bar offers plenty of room for diners to enjoy drinks and appetizers.   The airy main dining room offers Westwood street front views from floor to ceiling windows, luxurious booths, eclectic lighting fixtures, and tables in the middle of all the restaurant action.

I visited on a Wednesday when Palomino offers their all day half off any bottle of wine over $30 (which is most of their extensive wine list).  This promotion is a great deal and an opportunity for diners to sample a vintage they might not normally be able to order.   Here’s what we sampled on our visit.

We started with appetizers – the roasted garlic with cambozola cheese came with a tomato chutney and roma crisps.  The manila clams were plump and delicious, a great way to start a meal, swimming in a broth of sopressata, garlic, tomatoes and herbs.  We soaked up all the extra broth with the nice crispy bread perched on top of the steaming bowl of clams.

We also sampled salads – the restaurant’s signature chop chop salad had a huge amount of ingredients – smoked turkey, salami, provolone, garbanzo beans, parmesan, romaine lettuce and tomatoes.  This would be a great main course but huge for an appetizer salad, though really good to share.   The other salad was our favorite, the simple field greens, with chevre and pumpkin seeds.

We moved on to the main courses, rigatoni bolognese, oven roasted Idaho trout and the rotisserie pork loin.

The pasta was cooked perfectly with hot Italian sausage, pear tomatoes, and garlic in a roasted red pepper cream sauce.  This would be a great main course on a fall or winter afternoon or evening.

My boyfriend Matt had the Idaho trout, oven roasted with a citrus herb stuffing, served with grilled asparagus, red bliss potatoes and artichokes.  I am not a big trout fan, but this dish was amazing and a great option if you want to dine on the lighter side.

I had Palomino’s signature pork loin double chop, a huge piece of pork with a seared pepper crust.  It was massive, very tender and juicy.  Served with grilled asparagus and creamy parmesan rosemary potatoes, this huge dish could easily feed four people.  I ate about a quarter of the plate and took the rest home for leftovers, which were delicious the next night.  The chop was the best I have tasted in LA.

We ended the meal with some nice fried Italian zeppoles (donuts) covered in sugar served with a rich nutella sauce and whipped cream.  A perfect way to finish a lovely dinner.   I would highly recommend stopping by Palomino, especially on a Wednesday to take advantage of their half off wine deal, for a pre or post theatre or movie meal or a leisurely dinner the next time you find yourself on the westside.

Located at 10877 Wilshire Boulevard, call 310.208.1960 for reservations.

Dinner at Julian Serrano las Vegas

Posted on Nov 07, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

Julian Serrano at Aria offers classic Spanish fare including tapas, paella and fresh seafood.  Located just off Aria’s lobby, the bright open restaurant showcases Madrid born (and Bellagio’s Picasso) chef Julian Serrano’s many (over 50) delicious small plates.

I visited for lunch while staying at Aria.  I sampled many delicious small plates – below are pictures of my tasting menu.

I started with a golden and red beet salad with frisee, citrus slices, beet syrup and dehydrated orange.

Next came a duo of two of the restaurant’s signature “new tapas,” a tuna-raspberry skewer with ahi tuna, molecular raspberry, wasabi and sesame seeds and a lobster pineapple skewer with lobster tail, molecular pineapple and sesame oil.

Next came my favorite course, a warm plate of crispy Spanish chicken croquetas, golden on the outside with chicken and a creamy bechamel sauce on the inside.  These were both delicious and satisfying.

Next was a perfectly cooked buttery seared scallop with romesco sauce.

One of Serrano’s specialties is their lobster gazpacho, served chilled with big pieces of lobster.

A tasty beef and cheese dish followed featuring prime tenderloin topped with melted cheese, pecans and honey.

My last course was the star of the lunch, Serrano’s signature Paella.  The restaurant serves four variations on the classic dish.  I had the mixed version, with lobster, mussels, chicken, chorizo, vegetables and saffron rice.  This dish is huge.  It was so tasty that I took the leftovers with me on the plane home.

I highly recommend stopping by Julian Serrano for tapas or to sample some of the eateries larger plates.  Located in the casino level at Aria Resort, 3730 South Las Vegas Boulevard, reservations recommended at www.smartervegas.com.

Dinner at Joel Robuchon, MGM Grand, Las Vegas

Posted on Nov 01, 2011 under Archives | No Comment

Multiple award-winning chef Joel Robuchon offers classic French cuisine at his upscale Joel Robuchon restaurant in the MGM Grand.

Considered by many to be the greatest living chef, I was anxious to finally taste the cooking legend’s menu.  The cost had prohibited me from dining at the famous eatery since I began reporting on food in Las Vegas.  I finally got a press invite and jumped at the chance to enjoy some of the best food in the world.

The elegant restaurant has 17-foot ceilings, a black and purple color scheme, a huge Swarovski chandelier and seating for 42.  There is also a small more intimate charming adjacent garden dining area that seats 12.

Diners can choose from two prix fixe tasting menus (one large sixteen course menu and one smaller six course menu) as well as the option to order off of the a la carte menu.  My friend Jodi and I opted for the six course tasting menu as we had to leave for the Elvis Cirque show and had a two hour dinner limit.  If you want to indulge in the large sixteen course tasting menu, I recommend leaving at least four hours to be able to thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and each course.

All of the courses were extremely refined.  The plating was exquisite.  We found ourselves staring at the artwork of our plates for long periods of time before diving in with utensils to taste each course.  The cuisine was subtle yet so deeply flavored that the taste of each course stayed with us long after we left.  Here is what we enjoyed at Robuchon:

We could spend the evening sampling all the goodies on the extensive bread cart, but limited our selections to two each.

After a taste of the fluffy rosemary rolls, I also had some olive and parmesan bread.

We were served a smoking amuse of an emulsion of blood orange on a wild berry gelee.

Jodi ordered a lobster salad with melon and artichoke.

I had the foie gras and violet artichoke salad with gold leaf.

Next came a mushroom and veal ravioli course cooked in broth with white truffles.

Our next course was homemade spaghetti topped with a soft poached egg and shaved white truffles.

Jodi ordered a halibut with braised vegetables.

I ordered the beef ribeye with wasabi spinach and a bell pepper medley.

The cheese cart showcased dozens of cheeses from all over the world.

We ordered a raspberry parfait with vanilla bean ice cream and a bavarois and cookie crunch inside a dark chocolate sphere for dessert.

We were also given an nice assortment of truffles and homemade marshmallows to take home.

Joel Robuchon is the perfect restaurant to celebrate a special occasion.  Located at 3799 South Las Vegas Boulevard inside the MGM Grand, reservations can be made by visiting www.smartervegas.com.