We've Gone Nuts!

It's been a damp, cool weekend here, so we decided to go nuts and make some sweet and spicy pecans. These are easy to make and make great, unique hor d'oeuvres for cocktail parties. We enjoyed snacking on them with a nice martini and olives.

Below is the recipe and you can add the seasoning to taste. We like ours with a nice kick, so we use the full amount of cayenne and Tabasco, but you can certainly reduce those if you want it less spicy.

1 extra large egg white
1/2 cup sugar
2 T sweet paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 tsp cayenne pepper (if you don't like it too spicy cut in half)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/2 cups raw pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Then whisk in the sugar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce,  Tabasco, cayenne pepper and salt. Add the pecans and gently toss, coating them completely.

3. Place on parchment paper and arrange into a single layer. Place in the oven and cook. Since Worcestershire sauce has a tendency to burn, stir the nuts every 20 minutes. Cook for approximately 1 hour until the nuts are dried out.

4. Remove from the oven and loosen the nuts. Set aside to cool. Note: Let nuts completely cool before placing them in a container or covering them. You do not want the humidity from the heat to build up in the container and make the nuts soft.

Enjoy!

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Food Paparazzi

I love photography. I love taking photographs. I adore going to museums to see great photographs. Since I was young I've been taking pictures of just about anything in front of me. Sometimes with success. Most times not. Well now, since starting this blog, I've been taking pictures of nearly everything I eat, and I've also noticed that the tables next to me are doing the same thing. The LA Times has referred to us as the "Food Paparazzi". And it is a growing phenomenon. 

The waiter delivers the plate and immediately cameras are taken out and flashes are popping. Often people get up to photograph the chefs in the kitchen as well. Not only is an open kitchen performance art, it's also become a photo shoot.

In New York, foodies have always been alive and well, but why the new fascination with photographing our food? We don't have lightboxes set up that allow these pictures to look amazing. Most of mine are taken with an iPhone. The lighting is what the lighting is. And often it isn't conducive to beautiful food photography.

I love the Payard croissants and had them often until they closed their New York location. When I was in Las Vegas I was ecstatic to find a Payard outpost and had an almond croissant almost every day. For as delicious as the croissant was (and as patient as I could be before devouring it), I never mastered the shot. Always taken on the sly, too, in the middle of a casino where cameras are not exactly welcome.

I try to take photos for this blog. Many times the meal (and the photo) are unremarkable and never get their day in the sun. For others their photos are reminders of good meals (although you take the photo before you know how good or bad it is.) Fascinated by food and photos, I will continue to make the best out of my iPhone. I am hoping practice makes perfect, because as you can see, I have a long way to go. Perhaps I will get pointers from the table next to me. The table with four diners snapping away. Flashes popping. Shutters clicking.

Please share some of your food photos. Good food is good art. Click away.

All this talk of Burgers

Today in New York GO Burger (from the fine folks at the BLT empire) opened a food truck bringing gourmet burgers to various NYC neighborhoods. For the lucky few who got there in time (we are glad to be included in this group), today they gave away free burgers. You have to love "practice runs". Under a perfect, warm spring sun, we ate our burgers, and they were delicious. Perfectly cooked and topped with onions, lettuce and sweet pickles. We look forward to being able to add fries and a vanilla shake to the order.

So with all this talk of burgers, it made us wonder who has the best burger? In New York you have the Shake Shack lovers who swear the 45 minute line is worth it. The perennial favorite is always the Corner Bistro, although besides the good location that love affair completely escapes us. Do the new outposts in town like Market Table & Little Owl outperform the old standards like JG Melon and PJ Clarke's?

It seems it's been a good year for burgers for us. For such a "lowbrow" meal, it has packed a lot of flavor. When we were in Las Vegas we had a late night burger at Bradley Ogden, and we are convinced it could make a vegetarian eat meat again. We have a friendly debate among ourselves, but some are convinced that Bradley Ogden has provided the best tasting burger ever. A spicy mustard, a tasty bun just add to the perfection that is the deliciously seasoned meat. There is an argument in favor of The Grape in Dallas. Another for JG Melon in New York City. 

Where is your favorite burger? And what made it the best?

One thing we do know is that with the weather getting better, we are excited about new outdoor burger joints even if we do have to chase a truck.

Hola amigos

Greetings from Barcelona, Spain.

Recently we spent a week in Barcelona, and like the Catalans, we didn't miss an opportunity to eat ham. This is snack time in Spain. Thinly sliced, sometimes added to a little bread with a drizzle of olive oil, jamón ibérico was our afternoon treat. The British have tea, the Spaniards have jamón ibérico and Rioja.

This photo was taken at La Vinya del Senyor right across the street from Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar. One spring afternoon, as we were sitting on the square, a newly married bride and groom walked out of the church to cheering locals and tourists alike. No one left their seats, but many chants and raised glasses were sent their way. Quite a scene.

Once we had finished our jamón, manchego and rioja snack, we walked through the el Born barrio, taste-testing in chocolate shops, shops roasting nuts on the premises, and those specializing in Spanish olive oils. Barcelona is a food lovers' delight, and el Born offers everything you could want. El Born is part of the older Barcelona and with its narrow streets, small shops and small alleys, has the old Europe feel. Tourists mingle at the tapas counters with many trendy locals.

The food throughout Barcelona is plentiful, almost always delicious and often innovative. After our day of snacking and shopping, it was time for dinner at Cal Pep. Like many others, waiting for a seat is expected, but once you get one you won't regret it. With no menus, you are given a choice of any or all - seafood, meat or vegetables, we chose all. And Pep delivers. Artichokes, peppers, fava beans, cod, shrimp, calamari, sausage, chorizo, and on and on. Just when you thought you were done, another round came. And of course, we were given more jamón to try, as well as a lesson on the finer points of eating with your fingers- all told in catalan with much gusto. A few glasses of cerveza later, we had cleaned our plates (if you didn't Pep was there to put the rest on your plate). Since the Catalans claim to have invented creme brulee, called crema catalana, we couldn't leave without trying it. Whoever invented it, we are glad they did.

Next it was time for some late night cocktails behind a nameless wooden door to take it all in. Just another day turning to night in Barcelona.

Mardi Gras! Carnaval! Samba!

Happy Mardi Gras!

In the spirit of Mardi Gras- and the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl win- we stopped by Emeril Lagasses's Table 10 at the Venetian. And what else would you order for lunch except a bowl of gumbo and an Abita to wash it down?

The gumbo of the day included Bison meat (no seafood in this one). There was plenty of andouille sausage to give it that cajun feel. The roux was thick and delicious. The main disappointment was the lack of heat. Luckily they give you a bottle of Tabasco to add your own. Needless to say, we added a lot. It would've been preferable to have the heat already there, but not everything can be as perfect as a Saints' win.

Before the decadence ends, it seemed only fitting to go on a gelato tour of Las Vegas. Each casino could supply it's own tasting tour of Italy's favorite dessert. We stuck to the Jean-Philipe at the Bellagio with the world's largest chocolate fountain and Cocolini's at the Venetian. Even if it isn't as good as you remember from that first trip to Italy, they are both good. And you can't go wrong with gelato. It's always a perfect finish to any meal. Luckily there are more meals to be had and more gelato places to try!

Have a great Mardi Gras celebration, and let us know what you are doing to celebrate.

Happy New Year!

Officially the Year of the Tiger has begun. Every casino in Vegas went all out decorating for Chinese New Year. This tiger was at the Venetian, but the Bellagio, Wynn and Caesar's were equally decked out.

In that spirit, 3 Good Eggs stopped at Beijing Noodle No. 9 at Caesar's Palace to ring in the new year with traditional Chinese food. As can be expected at a restaurant in Las Vegas, showmanship seemed to reign supreme. The decor at Beijing Noodle No. 9 was up for debate - somewhere between the milk bar in a Clockwork Orange and the inside of a greeting card. The white cutout silhouettes accented with splashes of red and a tankful of orange goldfish at the entrance leave you feeling a little disoriented. The best thing to do is to bury yourself in the menu.

We tried the Kung Pao chicken (a favorite of our waiter), the handmade noodles with sliced pork & mushrooms, steamed vegetables & rice, and the duck. Unfortunately, for all the promises of authentic Northern Chinese food, we were left disappointed. Truthfully the waiter was right and the Kung Pao chicken was the tastiest dish. The duck was full of bones, so while it tasted okay picking through the bones left it a tedious task more than an enjoyable meal. The handmade noodles themselves were delicious (and fun to watch them make them in the front of the restaurant), but the overall dish lacked any great flavor. The Kung Pao chicken was good, but it was no more exciting than any ordinary take out Chinese anywhere.

Overall it was disappointing given that we were told it would be an authentic Northern style Chinese restaurant. Many of the waitstaff are from China and said the food was delicious. Sadly, in the end, we would've been better off at PF Chang's at Bally. The decorations in the casinos kept us in the new year's spirit though.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Viva Las Vegas!

Say Vegas and people think of smoke-filled casinos, strip joints and various levels of debauchery. And while plenty of these can be easily found (or find you), Vegas has also become an oasis for fine dining. Chefs from around the world have brought outposts to this once little desert town. Nobu is here. Il Mulino. Bradley Ogden. Spago. Le Cirque.

This week we will visit various places- both high end and low end- to discover the cuisine Vegas has to offer in between the time spent at the craps tables.

Any suggestions from Vegas lovers? Don't be shy.