I have been back home in Dublin last week for my sister Lynda and her new husband Padraic’s wedding. Far from a relaxing beach vacation or holiday, the first week home entailed the usual histeria which no matter how calm the bride is always comes with weddings!
As little sister, bridesmaid and the cook in the family, I was quickly directed to the last minute plans for the wedding reception. Although the reception was booked well in advance, the hotel where the wedding changed ownership and chef weeks before the big day and opened just days before.
Still recovering from jetlag my big sis still had no menu for the reception, yes that’s right days before the big day and no menu. We soon fixed that.
The hotel in question was Bentley’s on St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin and the chef Michelin star winner Richard Corrigan .
After discussions with the chef the menu included for starters Frank Hederman’s famous smoked salmon, Salad of Globe Artichoke Barigoule for mains Wild Sea Trout with Peas and Coastal Greens and 7 Hour Lamb Confit with Sweetbread Ravioli and dessert Summer Berry Jelly and Chocolate Brownie.
Needless to say with a chef of Corrigans caliber and reputation the food was flawless and definetley the best food I have eaten at a wedding reception. I wanted to enjoy every bite while still being able to fit into the bridesmaid dress.
After the celebratory toasts and the cutting of the cake, it was off to Fallon and Byrne on Exchequer Street (Ireland’s version of Dean and Deluca which also includes a restaurant, wine bar and private room for the ‘afters’ basically the rest of the party and the dancing!
The Happy Couple on their way to the afters!

The page boys guarding the cake….or eyeing it up

My cousin, my aunt and my mum and I

As it almost always happens on an inyourkitchen.com shoot, there is a need to reschedule chefs. Our Las Vegas trip is no exception, and I found myself with a film crew but with no scheduled shoot for Tuesday morning. I asked Jean Paul at Table 10 if he knew of another chef we could film for inyourkitchen and next thing we knew, we were off to film Beni Velazquez, executive chef and owner of a new restaurant just off the strip, Steeles Restaurant.
Steeles Restaurant serves the classic dry aged black angus Nebraska beef you would expect at any steakhouse but the unexpected surprise at Steeles is Chef Beni’s extensive tapas menu. Beni spent a year in Spain cooking not with chefs but with the locals, learning about the importance of quality local ingredients and the passion with which the natives prepare their food.
At Steeles Beni is clearly passing on his passion for food and you can see it in the attention to detail in the kitchen and the restaurant and taste it in every bite. Beni prepared three dishes for us from his menu, lamb lollipops with honey aiioli and pickled shallots, garlic shrimp with roasted garlic and sherry sauce and chocolate ganache cake.
So if you find yourself in Las Vegas and want great food but away from the bright lights, Steeles Restauant is highly recommended and won’t disappoint!

I’m just about to leave my hotel and head out on day two of our Las Vegas shoots but before I go here is a quick recap from yesterday.
First stop was Emeril’s new restaurant Table 10 at the Palazzo Hotel . This restaurant opened in February and is definitely worth a visit. Chef Jean Paul Labadie’s cooked up classics such as Lobster Pot Pie, Sea Bass with Tomato Fondue and Beurre Blanc, all of these recipes will be coming soon.

Next it was off to The Country Club at the Wynn Hotel. Chef Rene Lenger let us ito the secrets of slicing Kobe Beef Carpaccio and show cased on of his seaonal summer dishes currently on the Country Club Menu, Seared Scallops with yellow tomato sauce and roasted artichokes.

Then it was off to dinner at Brasserie Daniel Boulud, more about this meal later and tomorrow’s shoot with Chef Wesley Holton.

So if you read the previous entry you will know it was my 28th birthday last week. I was a very lucky lady and received some really fun food related gifts.
Chimena, Jeff and Chloe got me a really unusual gift, a Pink Lemonade Tree . It is a dwarf citrus tree which produces lemons with a pink hew. I’m really excited to taste the fruit from this unusual tree.

Joy and Chimena also brought me an ‘Irish Beauty’ a Baileys flavored mini chocolate cake from Just Fabulous Pastries. It was really light and moist with a really rich chocolate flavor and like me it was petite, yet big enough to share.
My sister Lynda back in Ireland without fail always gives me a cookbook with some Percy Pigs (my favorite candy or sweets as we call them at home). I always love her selections, this year it was the Ottolenghi Cookbook from a well known chain of cafes of the same name in London. I had not heard of it before but after browsing through the pages I cannot wait to make some of their recipes and desserts when I am in London next month.

Lara and Liz can up with the goods in the form of X Rated Fusion Liqueur a French Vodka based pink liqueur with a passion fruit flavor. I first tried it icy cold on an In Your Kitchen shoot at Nic’s Beverly Hills (yes my job is very hard, tasting vodka is a part of it), look out for the video coming soon. I’ve tried it since mixed with orange juice and Sky 90 vodka and straight up and it tastes so good either way….good job Lara and Liz!

Lisa and Paul sent me some wine, I had not tried either bottles and I am eager to try them this weekend. The white was a Minter Californian Viognier and the red a Darioush Cab from Napa.

Yeah with fun and interesting gifts like these it makes turning a year older a little easier.
Oh and Amy and Adam thank you for the food related birthday cards both of a similar theme a chicken and a cock!!

Last week was my birthday and to celebrate my 28 years I meet up with some friends at Lei Lounge in San Diego. As the name suggests they do use leis to decorate the restaurant but thet also have a beautiful and unexpected outdoor patio which is furnished with fun Cabanas, beds and firepits for you to lay beside. My friends arrived one by one straight from work and held up in traffic. I sipped on the great cocktails there to pass the time. There signature drink menu features over 28 different cocktails and lets just say I tried a few. Some of my favorites were the pomegranate martini, simple,sweet, you can’t go wrong, the Hawaiian mojito, along with the expected lime and mint was hibiscus juice and a splash of Champagne and the Georgeous Geisha a mix of strawberry liquer and lychee juice, topped with Champagne. All signature drinks were half price during happy hour and their collins cocktails, the lemongrass and aloe vera were half price all night on Wednesday night, the night we were there.
I did also sample the food, Lei Lounge offers a large menu of small plates, perfect for sharing. We tried the the hummus plate, the spring roll sampler and mahi mahi among others. It all tasted good but it was the cocktails that I remember…or not as the night progressed. Overall it was a really fun night but when your surrounded by great friends on your birthday how could you go wrong?