Vegas has always held a special place in my heart.  My grandparents lived there for decades and would regale me with stories of their dates. They’d save up their money as best they could and every weekend go down to Sam’s Town and have a special night out.  They loved their date nights and continued that tradition for years, until my Grandmother’s cancer finally took those nights away. Their love of their little city lives on with each trip I take as I discover new haunts or revisit old favorites.

I’ve always gone to Vegas with friends but I hadn’t been for work, or even by myself, so when the opportunity to go for The Vegas Food Expo came up, I couldn’t say no!  To top it off I turned it into a long girls weekend with my best friend Jen.  She and I hadn’t been on a girls trip since before we both got pregnant…almost 5 years ago, so we were more than due. I had been hearing about tThe Vegas Food Expo. It was slated to be an exciting event, with small scale vendors sharing their lovingly curated foods to connect with businesses, distributors, and bloggers like myself. Amazing food and I was going to be able to learn about and support small businesses? I was in.

I booked my room at the SLS hotel where Jen and I would eventually eat one of the most amazing meals of our lives (check that post out here). The room was bright, with a light up bed and couch, and a mirror placed above the bed, which screamed fun and Las Vegas. It was over the top, and clearly not meant for a single traveler, but it was affordable and had great customer service, a fully stocked mini bar and multiple bars and restaurants downstairs.  While off the strip a little, it was quick to get around. The room was a little small, and I would have liked more separation than a sliding door to my bathroom, but it’s not like folks spend a lot of time in their rooms in a city like Vegas.

I flew out on a Wednesday, met up with my cousin to catch up and get settled. We grabbed a bite at Umami Burger to grab a beer in the sun. After dealing with Seattle’s solid rain for the past 6 months, I was ready to soak up as much of the sun as possible.  For the rest of the night I walked around the SLS to see what all was there, ending up at the Center Bar for a French 75 and some menu planning before a nice sashimi meal at Katsuya (also at the SLS), which didn’t disappoint. I started out with the truffle and lobster “Chawan-mushi” which was a creamy steamed custard, with a light truffle broth, with lobster on top. It was such a nice appetizer, and at $8, it wasn’t a bank breaker. I moved to the Omakase Sashimi which was beautifully presented-the scallop was tender, the blue fin tuna was buttery, and the Ikura was salty and fresh. At $55, it was a good amount of food,  but next time I will likely look at some of their Wagyu options, like the  Waygu Filet with Foie Gras, a beautiful option that the person seated next to me enjoyed. .Living in Seattle, it’s hard to beat our sushi. Wednesday night, I crashed out early, spending an hour or two watching cooking shows in a bed without a toddler-it was glorious!

The next day marked the start of the Vegas Food Expo and once I arrived I made my way through row after row of wonderful vendors, meeting confectioners, brewers, cider makers, and cured meat makers among so many other mom and pop shops. I loved the attention to detail and complete love each booth had for their product. I sat with the owner of Gluten Free Harvest, who talked about a real world need for small  batch, well tested GF projects – his son’s celiac disease diagnosis. I heard the heart behind so many brands, and why they ventured out to create their products. Most were born from identifying a need within their own lives and then seeing that others could benefit, they made the switch to getting their products into the hands of those who could enjoy them. I sipped wines from Barcelona, tasted honey from right outside Las Vegas, and nibbled on an amazing bone broth based beef stew that I found out I could get just up the street once I returned home!  It was lovely.

That night brought a Dune-level sandstorm which made for a hellish trip to an after party at the Lavo Casino Club at the Palazzo hotel and a 15 hour delay in Jen’s arrival.  Walking into the Lavo club, a fun bar and restaurant with multiple levels, I had great conversations, wonderful cocktails and delicious hand passed appetizers.  I would end up traipsing around with a few vendors I met at Lavo, having a wonderful second dinner of a beet salad with walnut, cara cara orange, ricotta salata and mint ($16) some of the most amazing garganelli with rabbit confit and hen of the woods mushrooms ($29) from B&B Ristorante (a Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich venture). I was even given a lesson on how to gamble-thank you Gordon!  Thinking that Jen was finally going to land, I headed back to my hotel…and waited…and waited some more.

Jen finally arrived…at 4 am, long after I had gone to bed after a series of failed flights, seat upgrades, and hotel check in issues, only to be woken up by me and a bottle of whiskey at noon. Poor gal was beat, but when in Vegas, you rally. We headed back to the Expo, meeting vendors and tasting some of the highlights from the previous day, mapping out what we were going to do before dinner.

That night, we would have the most amazing dinner at Bazaar Meat, then hit the strip for some people watching and adventure. We ended up at the Mirage in a failed attempt to find lions and dolphins at Jen’s request, and while I am still solidly convinced they didn’t exist, we did manage to find Starlight Tattoo. Whether it was the magic of Vegas, the full belly, or the few cocktails we had getting my first tattoo (and subsequent first freak out about said first tattoo) sounded like an amazing idea. We both created our designs-a bumblebee for me, and tiny mushrooms for Jen. All my fear had been for nothing-Tony Firmino, my amazing artist, walked me  through what would happen, what could hurt and how to relax (breathe) and 90 minutes later, just after midnight, my first tattoo was complete!  We ventured on with the intent of heading home when we found Toby Keith’s country bar. I happily drug Jen in to sing along to songs she sweetly tolerates for me, provided I picked up some of the tab. We would end up at one more club on the way home, dancing and chatting up strangers before hitting an wall of exhaustion and heading back to our quirky rooms for the night.

My last day was spent relaxing, and enjoying as much time as I could without any responsibility and lack of toddler feet in my back. We spent time at Umami Burger for last cocktails and snacks, before we hit the slots. I chose an Elvira themed slot, which ended up paying out $170 and with that we wrapped up our time with a hug and another shot before I hopped in a Lyft and headed to the airport.

I got home just after midnight, amazed at all the adventures I had, the memories I created and the food I had eaten and smiled happily at my sleeping baby girl who was so happy to snuggle me as she fell asleep in my arms.  I can’t think of a better way to have wrapped up that trip.

Here’s the recap in pictures!

What’s your favorite memory of Vegas?

Raina

There are few times in my food career where I have been so full and so happy that I didn’t know what to do. Dear reader, I have been looking back at my Vegas trip and one of the best meals of my life with a mix of awe and wondering if it all happened. While I’ll write more on the trip as a whole, I wanted to take time out to write about my experience eating Las Vegas at Bazaar Meats.

Walking down the graffiti art decorated halls into the cavernous dining room, you’re transported to another world. Knives and art appear mixed with beautiful cuts of meat while the smells of fire and meat tell you that you’re in the right place for a relaxing night of eating. You’re greeted warmly and quickly brought to your seat. There were multiple dining areas, with seating quite well spaced out, so you feel like you’re able to have your own conversations, but still people and food watch.

Jen and I knew early on we planned to go big for this meal, said goodbye to any sort of a budget, and knew we wanted to try as many things as possible. We quickly opted for two of the tasting menus, with a small wine pairing and the Chateaubriand. When we said we wanted to go big, we weren’t kidding. After all, this was our first girls trip in over 4 years and a combined three children between the two of us. We welcomed and relished in the amazing care and attention from the staff.

Course after course of beautiful food came out, each served with more flair and attention to presentation than the last. When your meal starts with cotton candy encased foie gras, moves immediately to jamon iberico de bellota with a spoonful of caviar topped with gold leaf, you know you’re in for a gastronomic adventure.  We had made our way through just over half of the 22 courses when then the Chateaubriand arrived. This gorgeous tenderloin was served with the most lovely truffle jus and decadent buttered potato puree (with extra butter, of course). The Chateaubriand was cooked perfectly and each tender bite melted lovingly in our mouths. Jen and I giggled with pure gluttonous glee with every bite until we just couldn’t eat any more. We nibbled and sipped our way through everything for over 2 hours.

What did we sip?  We started out with the Raventos i Blanc, Blanc de Nit Rose’, followed by a Pazo Senorans Albarino and ended with the Leviathan red blend (not my favorite wine).

What were the highlights? You really couldn’t go wrong with the tasting menu, especially as Chef Raymond’s team sent out a few extra dishes for us to try. The cotton candy encased foie gras was fun and a nice spin on a childhood treat; the steak tartar was buttery and flavorful; the Morcilla with uni was an unexpectedly perfect pairing-the richness of the blood sausage paired with the saltiness and creaminess of the uni made my heart happy. The suckling pig was presented whole and then sent back cut up, the skin crispy and golden giving gently to the warm, slightly fatty flesh.  This was not a meal for the weak!

What were the lows? I would have enjoyed a proper pre-planned wine pairing, especially as the Leviathan red wasn’t the best choice for some of the heartier items. The Delmonico, while wonderful and cheesy felt like overkill with the buttered potato puree.

What was the total?  $808 for the meal and wine, before tip. Would we do it again? Yes, yes, a million times yes.

A special thank you to Chef Raymond Pitts for all the wonderful dishes and the chat in the kitchen, as well as heartfelt thank you to the staff for the outstanding service, attention to detail, and answering all of my questions. Now, for the pictures! You can hover your mouse over each item to see what it is.

We wanted a special meal, and Bazaar Meat did not disappoint! For more information, you can check out their website or make reservations here.

Are you ready to go?  What is the best place you’ve eaten that I should visit next?
Yours in full belly happiness,
Raina

I don’t know about where you are dear reader, but here in Seattle flu season has been rough! You combine normal winter germs, an abundance of flu germs, and add in having a little one in preschool this year, you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Luckily, I also have a recipe to help combat germs, clear out the stuffiness and best part of it all? It’s tasty!  Meet one of my favorite winter remedies: Fire cider!

This little gem is savory, tangy, spicy and all around wonderful. It’s easy to make, stores for a year, and is the gift that keeps on giving. Added benefit? It’s AMAZING in Bloody Mary’s, so you can’t go wrong! Ready to get started?

Fire Cider
1 quart canning jar
1 large bulb garlic, peeled
1.5 large onions, peeled
1 large hand of ginger, rough outer layer removed
2 large jalapeno peppers, do not remove seeds or membrane
1 TB whole peppercorn
1 TB powdered turmeric
1/2 TB dried oregano
1/2 TB dried rosemary
Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar – I use Bragg’s.

When you’re shopping for ingredients, fresh and organic is always best and be sure to wash them prior to chopping. I opted to use dried turmeric, oregano and rosemary as I had a ton of it on hand, but you can use whatever you have.

Wash your canning jar and boil in hot water to sterilize it (10 minutes is fine) and let cool while you chop.

Chop all of your ingredients into small pieces so that you have a lot of surface area. The idea behind this is that you’re going to increase the nutrients that steep into your vinegar, making a stronger, more flavorful final product.

Add all of the chopped up ingredients to your cooled mason jar and top with vinegar. It should be well packed, but not too tightly; you want your ingredients to move around a little. Add a lid and sit back and wait.  You’ll let this bad boy steep for 2-4 weeks, shaking it gently every day or two. You can let it go longer, but I hate waiting.

Strain all of that goodness with cheese cloth over a sterilized bowl and wring out as much liquid as you’re able to get from the pulp. Pour the strained liquid into a sterilized pop-top bottle and you’re good to go! You can add 2-3 TB honey at this point to sweeten it up, or leave as is.

I drink 1-2 TB a day when I start to feel sick, or if I’ve been around sick people; and 4 TB (1 TB every few hours) a day when sick. As it’s spicy and tart, I don’t drink it on an empty stomach.

If adding to your Bloody Mary mix, use 1/2 to a full shot glass worth which will spice it up nicely.

Next batch, I think I’ll add nettles for its benefits on inflammation and allergies.

As always, with any change or addition to your diet, or using herbal remedies, consult a doctor before trying anything out.

What are your go to remedies to stave off germs?
Yours in herbal goodness,
Raina

If you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know one of my dreams is to have a big plot of land with a farm. That is still a work in progress, and will likely be for some time, so we have been making due with  city critters. We have chickens, which are amazing, but they are totally a gateway animal! After years of trying to find the right space and justify getting rabbits, my dream came true!  Enter: Hazel and Fresa (Strawberry). We adopted them from a local family whose daughter was too allergic to them to keep them. 

We were told that they were both boys and were just shy of a year old. We played with them daily, snuggling them and feeding them treats. Izzy would squeal with joy to see Hazel greet her each morning and afternoon in anticipation of treats. We were feeling amazing about our decision to have two bunnies. Forward to 10 days after we brought them home-I came out to find this:

and then this:

8 babies in all, in three spots. I was floored. While I was ready for two bunnies, I hadn’t planned on what to do with 10 total. I quickly posted to Facebook, looking for advice from friends who had been raising rabbits for years. In addition to laughter, I received good advice to let momma do her thing and to keep an eye on everyone. They would be fine and if not, I could either let nature run its’ course, or intervene and bring to a vet or find a donor momma (yes, that’s apparently a thing!).

I checked on them constantly the first few days, convinced that something would go wrong. After a week, I found that one had died, and we would eventually lose two more. The rest grew quickly, one more than the other, and one runt continued to thrive (we have hand fed him to help him keep up with the siblings). They quickly left their nest, venturing to the rest of their hutch, nibbling on the greens we give, or chewing on the timothy hay we lay daily, or jumping over to mom for a quick nurse. As you’ll see, one of these guys clearly had nursing down and was a big boy!

We are smitten with them in all their furry cuteness. At some point, we’ll raise rabbits for meat, but this group won’t be for that. We’ll adopt out the babies, and then see how things go in the future. For now, Izzy and I are enjoying watching them grow and play.

People have asked what is next. For now, these guys and our chickens are all we have time, space and energy for; plus all these guys love to eat my crops, so I think I am full up on critters for now.

What would you love to have on your farm, or yard?

Yours in fuzzy cuteness,
Raina