Wolfgang Puck and Kerry Simon: Celebrity Chefs and Dining in Las Vegas

First Published Dec 13, 2011

Update: This a trip down memory lane, when Bob and I would go to Las Vegas once a year; the company he worked for hosted their holiday party in Vegas- expenses paid. WooHoo!

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

Original Post: The city of Las Vegas, Nevada is all about indulgences: gambling, entertainment and food. Lots of food. From Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, featuring southwest flavor with a New York twist, at Caesar's Palace to Tom Colicchio's high-end Craftsteak restaurant located in the MGM Grand hotel, anyone visiting Sin City is sure to find just the kind of food they crave.

We recently returned from our annual weekend trip to Las Vegas and this time around we ate at Wolfgang Puck's Bar and Grill and at the KGB - Kerry's Gourmet Burgers. Both were culinary experiences to be remembered.

Wolfgang Puck is the master of California cuisine. We're not talking sushi and sprouts, here; Wolfgang Puck is all about comfort food and classic dishes such as pizza, burgers and steak.

We had our Saturday brunch at Wolfgang Puck's located at the MGM Grand hotel. My husband had a meatball pizza (so off his diet!) and I had the Cuban style roast pork sandwich. Our son had an order of French fries.

The French fries were exceptional, served with a rich and tangy ketchup sauce. A simple plate of fries was elevated to a gourmet delight.

The pizza was a perfect combination of bread, sauce, cheese and meat, perfectly flavored with ribbons of fresh basil. The crust was crisp and light, the sauce sweet and tangy and the cheese golden and gooey. The meatballs, cut to just the right bite size, were so beautifully seasoned and textured, they excited the tongue with each encounter.

The Cuban style pork sandwich was served on a toasted bun that boasted grill marks but was still soft and sweet. The shredded pork was infused with spices; each bite was a like a chorus line of smoky spices dancing across my tongue. The melted gruyere cheese complemented the pork perfectly. It was neither too rich nor too wimpy.

Pizza, pork and fries can be a meal of greasy fat that sits on your stomach for days. But Wolfgang Puck's California touch made the meal lighter, fresher and left us feeling sated, rather than sluggish.

The night before, on Friday, we had a late dinner at the KGB. We kind of stumbled across the place as we wondered through the hotel in search of another restaurant, and it was a happy accident indeed.

The KGB -Kerry's Gourmet Burgers- is Kerry Simon's (an Iron Chef winner) casual restaurant located in the Harrah's hotel. He plays the KGB theme up; the decor reflects 1960's KGB idealism in a kind of anime way. But it is the burgers and shakes that makes this place the burger and fry joint to visit in Vegas.

Succulent. Tender. Meaty. Juicy. Both my husband and I had the All American burger and the preceding adjectives are almost insufficient in describing this classic sandwich. It was just the right burger for a late night dinner.

My son had a milkshake that was so rich, so creamy, so decadent, it was practically pornographic.

But that's what Las Vegas is all about: decadence and indulgence. Our forays into celebrity chef dining was a bit expensive, and the food a detour from our low-fat diet (my son did stay gluten free) but it was well worth every calorie.

Thanksgiving Day Tips for the Contemporary Cook

First Published Nov 2, 2011

Update: I still follow these guidelines when I do cook, but Thanksgiving is more streamlined now, and my son prefers a steak, my daughter wants mac & cheese, potatoes, and some veggies. I cook a turkey breast, potatoes and heat up low fat gravy for me and my husband. Done and done.

   Thanks for reading. September, 2025

Original Post: Feasting is the fun of Thanksgiving Day, but when you and your family members, and some of your guests, have special dietary needs, cooking the feast may be more of a challenge.

Something as simple as turkey gravy is problematic. It's made from animal fat and a wheat flour roux. It's high in fat, includes animal product and gluten, so no one in my family can have the traditional turkey gravy.

Fortunately, neither my son the celiac nor my daughter the vegetarian likes gravy. So I just purchase a small jar of good quality turkey gravy and my husband and I cheat on our diets on Thanksgiving Day.

If you like gravy, though, and can't have gluten, make the gravy with cornstarch slurry instead of roux. Dissolve two tablespoons of cornstarch in one cup of warm water; that's your slurry.

Bring your drippings and approximately one cup of water to a boil, turn the heat back a bit and slowly, slowly stir in the slurry. If it thickens too quickly, add a little plain water to balance it out. It's still high in fat, but at least it's gluten free.

Need a vegetarian gravy? Make the cornstarch slurry. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan. Bring two cups of good vegetable broth to a boil and then turn back the heat a bit. Slowly stir in the slurry. That's it. You have vegetable gravy.

The vegetable gravy works well with mashed potatoes and meat-free stuffing, but you want to include a vegetarian main dish as well. Try stuffed acorn squash. Cut the acorn squash in half and clean out the seedy, stringy centers. Roast until just tender. Fill the centers with meat-free stuffing, sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar and place under the broiler just long enough to give the top a bit of crust.

If the celiac in your family likes stuffing, simply make a loaf of gluten free bread two days before Thanksgiving. Wrap it in a towel after it cools and leave it on the counter. The next day, slice the bread into thick slices and lightly toast the slices in the oven on low heat. Allow the slices to cool and then cut them into cubes. Put the cubes in a plastic bag to store until you're ready to make the stuffing.

Now, about dessert. My family isn't fond of pumpkin pie, but we do like my made-from-scratch gluten free chocolate muffins, which are made using pureed pumpkin. They're not fat free, but the pumpkin provides a better type of fat than butter or oil. It does include an egg, and if you don't eat eggs, you can use egg replacer or a 1/4 cup of rice milk. Watch the video to learn how to make these muffins. They're great for breakfast, for dessert, and for snacks.

Don't let the dietary needs of your family and guests make this Thanksgiving feast a chore rather than a celebration. And if you have any other challenges, let us know, and together we'll find a solution.

Can Dessert Bring World Peace?

First Published Oct. 16, 2011

Update: This post is all about watermelon memories, and a wish for world peace. Still relevant today. Perhaps more so.

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

Original Post: When I was a kid, one of the best summer desserts was watermelon. One mom or another always had a watermelon, those big ones that could feed 20 people and had those really big seeds.

As the sun made its way down past the horizon, all us kids would gather on a porch -there were so many of us in that little neighborhood- each with a thick slice of watermelon. We were, all of us, joined together by this sweet and luscious dessert.

Throughout the day, in that little Midwest town where us kids ran wild all summer through the open fields and gravel streets playing the games of children, there were conflicts: border disputes, skirmishes, power struggles and political coup d'états. The little town that was our world was a microcosm of world struggles.

But at the end of the day, sitting on a porch eating watermelon, all the disagreements faded, and we were just a bunch of kids, eating thick wedges of watermelon and spitting seeds out onto the lawn, wondering if any of them would grow, seeing who could spit the farthest. (I was pretty good, but Glenn was better.)

October is National Dessert Month, and that got me to remembering how many times our collective parents served up watermelon, ice cream, hot chocolate or apple pie at the end of the day, and all us kids, no matter our differences, shared in the sweet joy of a shared dessert.

This month is host to National Food Day, today, on October 16th. And on this day, I would make a wish. I would wish that dessert could bring world peace. I would like to see all the world leaders gather together, perhaps on the front steps of the White House, and have dessert together.

Not all dressed up in expensive, politically correct clothes, but in play clothes, and sit on the steps, dirty from playing tag and baseball and from climbing trees and winging rocks. They should eat a whole bunch of desserts, share them all and get sticky and spit watermelon seeds out onto the lawn.

Then, at least for a day, there might be world peace.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking: A Review

First Published Aug 29, 2011

Update: I still use this cookbook. I recommend it, for anyone dealing with specialty diets.

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

Publisher: Alpha Books, The Penguin Group
Copyright: 2011
Author: Donna Diegal


Donna Diegel is no stranger to vegan baking, and her new cookbook, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking" is a testament to her expertise.

Baking vegan means baking without butter and eggs, among other ingredients, and using such items as soy lecithin, flax seed and tofu as substitutes for these baking staples.

Think the cookies, cakes and breads are going to taste dull, flat, or worse, like hippie food? Guess again.

I made Ms. Diegal's Classic Chocolate-Chip Cookies and they taste very close to the cookies made with butter and eggs. And to demonstrate further how solid this recipe really is, I used gluten-free flour.

That's right. I made gluten-free vegan chocolate chip cookies and they taste really good.

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Baking" is more than a collection of recipes; it's a resource guide to being vegan in the kitchen. Ms. Diegal explains, in easy-to-understand terms, why some ingredients shouldn't be used and why the substitutes will work. After reading the "primer" at the beginning of the book, I had a clearer understanding of how baking vegan works.

But what I like best about this book is the recipes are foods I actually make, like white bread and blueberry muffins and peach cobbler, foods my family will actually eat.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

And now, I can make them vegan. Vegan butter spread and egg substitute means lower cholesterol content, an important part of my husband's and mine dietary needs. And it appears that many of the recipes are adaptable to gluten free flours.

If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, need to watch your cholesterol, and/or suffer from food sensitivities to dairy, this cookbook is for you. And if you are vegan already, this cookbook is an excellent addition to your cookbook collection.

The only drawback to this book is the absence of photos of the finished foods, but that's not such a problem. Contemporary cooks are familiar with these recipes already, so really, we're just learning how to make them for the vegans in our life.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review. This in no way influenced my review. The book is awesome.

Kid Friendly Meatless Meals

First Published July 27, 2011

Update: My kids are grown but I still make mac & cheese, and pancakes, but the veggie burgers in the store are pretty good, so I try to keep some on hand for daughter. The hash - I haven't made that for some time. It may be time to revive that one.

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

Original Post: Young children don't often appreciate the tastes and textures of vegetables. Steamed veggies may be too mushy and raw and quick cooked vegetables lack the sweet and creamy tastes young children prefer. If you have young ones that don't yet eat veggies, try a few of these meatless meals.

These meals have been vegetarian tested by my daughter. You can make the mac and cheese gluten free by using gluten free pasta. Use the gluten free Bisquick mix for the pancakes.

Classic Mac and Cheese
Macaroni and cheese qualifies as vegetarian because it doesn't contain meat, but it doesn't contain any vegetables either. For a vegetarian version, add finely chopped zucchini. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off several long strips of zucchini. Slice the strips into small pieces. Boil the pasta and drain when cooked. Add the zucchini into the pasta and toss. Add the cheese to coat the pasta and serve. The steam from the pasta cooks the zucchini just enough to bring out the natural sugars without losing nutrients.

Veggie Burgers
Veggie burgers made from potatoes have a softer texture and a creamy taste. Boil the potatoes for approximately 10 minutes, drain and mash with a potato masher. Heat a small pan and quickly cook shredded carrot and finely chopped mild onion, one to two minutes, and mix the veggies into the potatoes. Shape the potato mixture into round patties and coat with a light dusting of flour. Heat a pan and cook the patties for several minutes, turning to brown both sides. Serve with a slice of cheese, if desired, on a whole wheat bun or gluten free bun.

Zucchini Pancakes

One of the more endearing qualities of zucchini is its compatibility to chocolate. Entice your kids with a bit of breakfast food for dinner with chocolate-zucchini pancakes. Add shredded zucchini and a small amount of mini-chocolate chips to a thick pancake batter. Cook the pancakes on a hot griddle and serve with melted butter. The trick here is to keep the chocolate chips to a minimum, so that when your kids do get one in a bite, it's a treat. They're getting more zucchini than chocolate.

Vegetable Hash
As your kids become accustomed to the taste of vegetables, try this vegetable hash. Par boil a few potatoes and allow to cool slightly. Finely chop a portion of sweet onion. Chop carrot, celery and sweet pepper into 1/4 inch size pieces. Heat a pan and add vegetable oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and cook for two to three minutes. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces while the onions cook and then add to the pan. Add a pat of butter and toss to coat. Cook for three to four minutes and add the carrots, celery and sweet pepper. Add a bit more butter and cook until the vegetables are just tender. Place the hash into a serving dish and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix

First Published July 20, 2011

Update: I used this brand quite a bit, but not anymore. I couldn't find it in regular supermarkets, and other brands were available. But if you get a chance to try it, and it's not too expensive, you should. It made a good brownie.

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

Original Post:Hodgson Mill is a family owned company dedicated to supplying boxed mixes made with whole grain flours, including gluten free products such as pancake mix, apple cinnamon muffin mix, bread mix, cookie mix and a chocolate brownie mix.

Hodgson Mill also has boxed flax meal, a product I've used for several years now, including it in homemade gluten free breads, muffins and cupcakes.

I thought I would give their brownie mix a try, based on my past experience with the flax seed product, and that the brownie mix was on sale.

One other factor played into my decision to spend part of my grocery budget on the mix; it's a low sodium brownie with less fat per serving than other gluten free brownie mixes. That means my husband and I get a little less salt and fat in our diet when we scarf these down.

Gluten free baking, and subsequently pre-packaged gluten free products, is higher in fat, salt and sugar than wheat based baked goods, mostly because the fat, salt and sugar boost the cohesion as well as flavor of the non-gluten flours.

So a boxed brownie mix that is not only gluten free but lower in sodium attracts my attention.

But the important part is taste. It doesn't matter if something is better for you if it doesn't taste good.

Hodgson Mill gluten free brownies taste good. They taste like regular brownies, except they do have a slightly nutty aftertaste that borders on bitter. This did not deter my husband, my son, my daughter or me from finishing off the 8x8 pan of brownies by the next day, however.

The directions offer the option of a larger pan, up to 11x7 inch. The brownie may be less dense and cake like, which could eliminate the slightly bitter taste. In an 8x8 inch pan, these brownies are pretty thick. The primary flour is brown rice flour, which can have a slightly bitter flavor if not cooked for a long time.

In baking, size matters. I'd recommend using the larger pan for these brownies, but if you don't have one, go ahead and use your 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

You can visit the Hodgson Mill website at www.hodgsonmill.com, and take a look at their product line and shop their online store. The company includes non-gluten free products as well, such as organic pasta, whole grain cereals and baking goods.

Disclaimer: I did not receive this item as a promotional gift. I paid for it myself.

Fresh Pineapple

Through the magic of globalization and greenhouses, you may be able to get fresh pineapple any time of year. If you've walked past the big-leafed fruit in the produce section and moved onto the canned fruit aisle because you're unsure how to get that damn peel off, take a few minutes to watch the video, "How to Peel and Chop a Fresh Pineapple." After tasting the intensely sweet-sour delight of fresh pineapple, canned will taste like a tinny imitation.

What to Do With Pineapple

You can, of course, simply eat the chopped pieces of pineapple; it makes a great snack. Grill the pineapple rings on a grill pan for a side dish to chicken bratwurst sandwiches. Or you can give the pineapple chunks a quick sauté in a hot pan with a bit of oil. Barely brown the outside. This takes two or three minutes tops.
Skewer the pineapple chunks along with chunks of watermelon, drizzle with a bit of oil and cook them on the grill.

But one of my favorite recipes is pineapple sauce.

Pineapple Sauce
Though I've used canned pineapple for this, fresh is still better. In a food processor, pulse one to two cups of chopped pineapple, depending on how much sauce you want, just until the pineapple is broken down. Add one or two chopped jalapeno peppers per cup, depending on how much heat you want. Add a little salt, a bit of honey if you want it sweeter and a teaspoon of olive oil. Pulse again until the sauce is a smooth consistency.

For a chunkier sauce, omit the olive oil and pulse with the chopped peppers just enough to break down the pineapple.

Serve it with roasted pork loin, grilled chicken breast or grilled tofu. Add a bit of chili powder to the tofu before grilling. The combination of heat and sweet is great.

Use the sauce in desserts. Chill it and pour a little over ice cream (low fat, of course) or serve it with berries.

 Pineapple Salsa
If you want a little something to freshen up your fish dinners, try a pineapple salsa. Mix together a cup of chopped pineapple, one or two chopped jalapeno peppers, a quarter cup of finely chopped red onion and a tablespoon of cilantro. This salsa is great with fish, chicken and yes, with grilled tofu as well.

So go ahead. Peel a fresh pineapple. It's easy.