Archives for July, 2010

Tweet To Eat Contest Starts August 1, Win Tickets to Food & Wine’s “Taste of Beverly Hills”

Posted on Jul 30, 2010 under Archives, Food and Travel News | No Comment

TASTE OF BEVERLY HILLS, PRESENTED BY FOOD & WINE, “TWEET TO EAT” CONTEST STARTS ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, OFFERING FOOD FANS A CHANCE TO WIN TWO WEEKEND PASSES TO THE LABOR DAY FESTIVAL

BH3

Follow the “Taste of Beverly Hills” Food & Wine Festival on Twitter (@TasteofBH) August 1-15 for daily culinary clues about participating chefs and  the first fan to correctly guess each of the 15 chefs (answers accepted via e-mail after 4 p.m. August 16) will receive two weekend passes to the event, a $1,000 value.

“Taste of Beverly Hills,” presented by Food & Wine, is a four-day food, wine, and music extravaganza, taking place behind the Beverly Hilton Hotel September 2-5, 2010. This event will showcase over 50 chefs and restaurants from throughout Los Angeles, and the country, as well as cooking demonstrations, LG Electronics’ “Taste of Something Better” live culinary competition, wine seminars from top vintners, and more.

BH4

In anticipation of the upcoming festival, the Taste of Beverly Hills and FOOD & WINE invite devoted food fans to get to know the celebrated chefs who will make up the culinary lineup through a daily Twitter contest, held August 1-15, culminating in the chance to win the grand prize of two complimentary weekend passes (a $1000 value). In addition to the grand prize, opportunities to win other festival related perks will be announced throughout the contest, via the @TasteofBH Twitter feed.

Beginning August 1 and continuing through August 15, the Taste of Beverly Hills Twitter account will post a daily “Culinary Clue” about a participating chef (Twitter hash tag: #CCTOBH). The first fan to send an e-mail to TweetToEat@TheTasteofBeverlyHills.com after 4 p.m. on Monday, August 16, with all 15 correct chef names will receive two complimentary weekend passes. Weekend passes grant access to all Taste of Beverly Hills sessions, exclusive of the Thursday, September 2 “90210 City of Beverly Hills Celebration,” which is an individually ticketed event. Additional opportunities to win festival prizes will be announced, via Twitter, throughout the contest.

Visit www.thetasteofbeverlyhills.com The Taste of Beverly Hills for a full schedule of events.

Interview with Davidji at the Chopra Center, La Costa

Posted on Jul 30, 2010 under Archives, Interviews, Other interesting people | No Comment

Dji

Davidji is an internationally recognized meditation teacher, life guide, and public speaker. He travels the world sharing timeless wisdom on stress management, deeper life fulfillment, emotional healing, balancing business and wellness, getting unstuck, and taking your life to the next level. He is the author of several books, hundreds of articles, and is the subject of many videos.
Since 2003, davidji has lived and worked at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, CA which he refers to as “the sweet spot of the universe.” Having apprenticed under Deepak Chopra and David Simon for seven years, he is the Chopra Center’s lead meditation teacher and ayurveda instructor teaching thousands each month throughout the world to tap into the stillness and silence that rests within.

Davidji

Davidji

The Chopra Center serves as headquarters of alternative medicine gurus Deepak Chopra and David Simon.  It houses a multitude of classes, daily meditation and yoga, seminars, workshops and treatments based on the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient healing system of India.   The Center combines mind and body techniques with natural spa treatments, including Oshadi, a herbal wrap to eliminate toxins; Pizichilli, a rhythmic therapy massage to enhance circulation; and Abhyanga, a two-therapist massage to enhance the immune system.

I sat down with Davidji, aka David Greenspan, for a chat at the Chopra Center at La Costa in Carlsbad about the center, how he came to teach there, and the mind/body connection.  Throughout our conversation a variety of people walked by and all of them had to stop to chat with David.  He greeted each person with a huge hug and every friend thanked him before leaving.  I also felt better after I talked with him than before our conversation, which I think is part of the reason he is one of the main reasons to visit the center.  He gave me a CD of his meditations and after a week I’ve reduced a good deal of stress following the CD.  You can purchase his meditation CD, DavidJi Guided Meditations, at his website, www.davidji.com.

 

Dinner at Switch, Encore Las Vegas

Posted on Jul 26, 2010 under Archives | 1 Comment
Switch Las Vegas

Switch Las Vegas

Wynn’s in-house designer Roger Thomas was inspired by Switch’s location beside the atrium to create an environment unlike any other in Las Vegas, equal parts restaurant and theater. While guests dine, the restaurant frequently “switches” its physical appearance, transforming the space with changes in design such as disappearing walls that open to reveal a chandelier.

Switch inside

Switch inside

The vibrant, stylish decor includes walls covered in brilliant orange crocodile fabric and a cerused-oak floor partly hidden by a hand-tufted custom designed chocolate brown carpet that is splashed with vivid colors. Fabrics made from hemp and Venetian glass murals of large sunflowers add a lively touch to the scene. An alcove located in front of the wine cellar features floor-to-ceiling wine displays and an elevated chef’s table that can be used for private parties or wine tastings.

Chef Rene Lenger recently prepared a tasting menu for me when I visited the restaurant.

Grilled Octopus

Grilled Octopus

I started with an appetizer of grilled octopus.

Asparagus and mushroom risotto

Asparagus and mushroom risotto

Next came a nice asparagus and mushroom risotto.

scallop, peas and corn

scallop, peas and corn

I also sampled a nice grilled scallop, pea puree, fresh peas, and corn.

filet with truffles

filet with truffles

My main course was the filet mignon with shaved truffles and a wine reduction sauce.  Delicious.

It came with a creamy side of mac n cheese.

mac n cheese

mac n cheese

For dessert, I got some cute donuts with raspberry and mango sauce  and ice cream cones with sorbet.

cute donuts

cute donuts

ice cream cones

ice cream cones

My favorite was the mango gelato.

mango gelato

mango gelato

Switch is located at 3131 Las Vegas Boulevard.  Reservations are recommended at 702/770-5340.

Interview with Chef Rene Lenger, Switch, Encore Las Vegas

Posted on Jul 26, 2010 under Archives, Chefs, Interviews | No Comment

I sat down with Chef Lenger for a short chat before sampling a great tasting menu at Switch restaurant, located at Encore Las Vegas.

Chef_Rene_Lenger_by_Alex_Karvounis 
René Lenger is the executive chef of Switch at Encore, the new signature resort in the  Wynn collection, where he serves modern seafood and steakhouse fare with an  emphasis on the finest market ingredients. Lenger joined Wynn Resorts in 2005 as  executive chef of The Country Club, A New American Steakhouse.

“At Switch, I hope to provide my guests with a truly unique dining experience,” says  Lenger. “The seasonally-inspired cuisine combined with the restaurant’s theatrics offers  an event that’s in a class of its own. There’s nothing like Switch in Las Vegas.”

Previously, Lenger spent seven years working alongside David Walzog, (former  executive chef of The Country Club, now executive chef of SW Steakhouse, also at  Wynn Las Vegas) at Strip House, Michael Jordan’s and Monkey Bar, where they were  both key members of the Glazier Group, a prominent restaurant company based in New
York.   Born in Vienna, Austria, Lenger grew up in a home where food played a major role. The  chef’s father was a professor at the esteemed Culinary Institute of Vienna and taught  Lenger at an early age how to make Austrian specialties such as taffelspitz and gulasch.  By the time Lenger graduated from high school, he was hooked on cooking and applied
to the Culinary Institute of Vienna where he graduated at the top of his class.

Upon graduation Lenger trained at Zu den drei Husaren under three-toque chef Ewald
Plachutta. While working under Plachutta, he would set off daily for the market, choosing
items for that evening’s menu.

By the early 90’s, Lenger seized the opportunity to come to New York to work at the
Rhiga Royal Hotel. To build upon his already impressive culinary background, he
decided to master pastry arts and accepted a position as assistant pastry chef at the
hotel. Lenger returned to Vienna in 1993 where he worked at another three-toque
restaurant, Altwienerhof, and then became an executive chef at Da’ Marcello. By 1996,
the chef was ready to move to the U.S. and was hired as executive chef at Theodore
Restaurant, a critically acclaimed Austrian-American brasserie in New York’s flatiron
district.

In 1999 Lenger was introduced to restaurateur Peter Glazier of The Glazier Group and
was immediately asked to helm the kitchen at the Glazier Group’s Strip House
restaurant in New York City (in addition, he later helmed the kitchens of Strip House
Houston and Palm Beach Gardens).  Under Lenger’s supervision, Forbes magazine named Strip House as one of the “Forbes
2003 All-Star Eateries in New York.” In addition, Time Out New York’s Eating and
Drinking Guide 2001 nominated Strip House as one of the year’s “Best New
Steakhouses.” Lenger is also a published author in Austria and has written several
books on culinary arts used at many schools throughout Eastern Europe.

Lenger incorporates his love for quality products at Switch, where he brings his
trademark flair to this dynamic dining destination.

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