Have a great weekend.

So the final hours of the Yokocho Ramen Festival are winding down. We arrived right when it opened and gorged ourselves until our stomachs could take no more noodle love. We left with some great future food destinations when we're in California and excitement over who will be at the festival next year.

 

And...some link love.

If you can't get cosplay out of your head after today.

What to do the rest of the weekend.

A man who spent nearly $97k to look like Justin Bieber.

We always knew Oreos were addicting.

Settebello is now open. And by the way,  it's delicious.

Vacation rentals perfect for families.

How some Louisianans got away with carts of food for nothing.

Ramen Festival This Saturday Only [10.19.13]

There's no denying the wave of popularity that Japanese ramen has stormed throughout Las Vegas in the past few years. And I'm sure many have their personal favorites by now. So if you share that love of rich broth, fresh noodles, and a slew of vegetables topped with a soft-boiled egg, 1) you're not alone and 2) you're in luck. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

This Saturday, the Rio is hosting Las Vegas' very own Ramen Yokocho Fest on their parking lot. Bringing with them a great mix of ramen masters from Vegas to Japan, each bowl of ramen is $7 flat. Entry to the festival is $5 for early admission and $8 at the door. Chris and I bought our early tickets at Curry Zen, a Japanese curry spot just doors down from the well-loved Monta.

By gaining access to the ramen festival, you also get access into the Japanese Aki Matsuri cultural festival. You'll see everything from live performances to a cosplay contest. And apparently the 2013 Miss Nevada will be there.

For a quick calendar upload of this event to your mobile device, go here.

For more info on the Yokocho Fest, go here.

For more info on the Aki Matsuri, go here.

 

Top photo via Monta Ramen.

 

Quick Baked Potatoes

Now I'm not much of a baked potato girl or a microwave girl, but I was hankering for a baked potato the other day. And yes, I totally used the microwave. It's convenient and if you're only making one, it saves on time and gas. I just can't see the point of turning the oven on for one little potato. Here's a quick microwave how-to.

Today's Remix:
Put your toppings on your cooked potato in this order...

• Salt and pepper (or Lawry's)
• Butter
• Pulled pork (here's the recipe)
• Mushrooms and bell peppers sautéed in extra virgin olive oil
• Cheese
• Jalapeno aioli (blend equal parts mayo and pickled jalapenos with a splash of the pickling liquid)

 

Mmm...look at that cheese.  

Salt and Pepper Leftover Sourdough Sandwich

 We went to our favorite Chinese place, and had leftovers of Salt and Pepper Fish. I also had a chunk of sourdough loaf left, so I made this:

 

 

 

What you'll need:

• 1/4 bread loaf, cut in half lengthwise
• Butter
• Fried fish or pork (salt and pepper Chinese pork or fish works beautifully)
• Mayo or aioli
• Fresh basil, chiffonade

 

Method:

 

1| Butter and pan toast your loaf halves. 2| Heat up some oil and quickly refry your leftovers to bring the crispness back. If you're making the protein specifically for this sammie, make a simple tempura batter and fry. Drain. 3| Spread your aioli onto each side. 4| Layer remaining ingredients on.

 

Remix:

 

Coleslaw, cilantro, pickled veggies banh mi-style, a sprinkle of grated parmesan.

 



 

 

P.S. Fish with Cantonese Ginger Sauce

DIY Pickles

 

 

Since we've been barbecuing (a lot), I've been using these delicious homemade pickles on our burgers. The combo above: A fried egg, mayo, feta, pickles, arugula.

 

Thanks to Audrey, who the recipe is named after, we've been enjoying some really flavorful pickles. Definitely find firm cucumbers and make these immediately to capture the crunch in your pickles.

 

What you'll need:

• 1 pound medium cucumbers
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon whole mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
• 1 whole dried bay leaf
• 2/3 cup organic light brown sugar
• 6½ tablespoons white distilled vinegar
• 6½ tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• ¾ cup water

For the how-to on , click here.

 

 

 

P.S. An Asian pickle and banh mi.

Bubble Party + Easy Sprinkle Cake

Everyone loves bubbles, especially when you can make bubbles as big as a grown man. I found big bubble-making wands and industrial bubble solution on Amazon and went for it for Dean's birthday.

We filled a kiddie pool with bubble solution and it worked! And quite well.

These adorable cakes were made by Dave, my brother. They're coated in sprinkles and on the inside...confetti cake and buttercream sprinkle frosting.



Here's a quick and easy how-to.

You'll need:

• Confetti cake mix
• Buttercream frosting (try this recipe)
• Sprinkles, we went through about three 6 oz. bottles for both cakes
• A spring form pan in your desired size
• Cardboard cake rounds in your desired size

Cook your layers and allow to cool completely. For a round cake, use a spring form pan. Build your cake, Dean's had about three layers. When you reach the top of the pan, place a round of cardboard on top of your cake and flip the cake into the board so that it's on the bottom. Loosen the cake from the pan. Take your time to fix whatever needs to be fixed. And frost the outside of your cake.

If you have the time, allow it to set for ten minutes in a freezer or thirty minutes in the refrigerator. This allows you to preserve the straight angles you so lovingly iced onto your cake. Now remove from the refrigerator and, making sure your cake is on the platter it will be served on, sprinkle away! Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.


 

 

A Bakery + A Sandwich Remake

We've been enjoying an inordinate amount of French bakery food this past week, trying to nail down a favorite place to sit, talk, eat, and feel expansive on a Sunday morning.

 

 

This Monday, we visited La Belle Terre and had a Rustic sandwich, croissant, and Danish. The pastries were exactly what I was expecting, and sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

 

 

The bread to filling ratio on the Rustic sandwich was off for me--too much bread, but the mix was tasty. I made a similar version for lunch today. This will make 3-4 sandwiches.

 

 

What you'll need:

• Chicken breast
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 Extra virgin olive oil
• Sourdough bread loaf 4" loaf or ciabatta rolls
• Basil and olive pesto (take a traditional basil pesto recipe and add the same amount of olives as nuts)
• 3-4 slices of prosciutto
• Sundried tomatoes, sliced

Some add-ins: Grilled marinated vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, artichokes.

Mix the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Tenderize the chicken marinade in the oil and garlic mixture for at least one hour.

When ready, grill chicken about 4 minutes on each side and set aside.

Hollow out your bread. Grill your bread and spread pesto on each slice of bread.

Lay one slice of pesto on each serving and sprinkle with sundried tomatoes to taste.

Then eat.

Spicy Hoisin Glazed Eggplant

It's so nice to laze around during the summer grilling, swimming, and grilling some more. I found a quick, simple recipe for grilling eggplant from Bobby Flay that was delicious.

 

Changes that I would make:





• Cut into more manageable pieces either before or after cooking.
• Stick to the 1/2" slices. A few of my slices were thinner and it made those pieces taste too salty.

Otherwise, I would make these again! I served them with Korean kalbi short ribs and edamame brown rice. More on those dishes later.

 

 

P.S. A dish for all your farmer's market summer vegetables.

Ratatouille

I had a spinach quiche set aside for lunch and needed a vegetable side. I had eggplant, bell peppers,  zucchini...it really spelled out ratatouille.

 

I used this recipe from Food Network and tweaked a few things here and there. The eggplant and zucchini I had on hand were already grilled and marinated, so I chopped up the veggies and added the marinade from the jar and some artichoke hearts I had on hand. I also used some fresh oregano from my herb pots on top of the other herbs listed.

 

 

Having never made ratatouille before, I was amazed at how good the kitchen smelled as it simmered away.

 

 

Today we just used the ratatouille as a side and layered the vegetables onto homemade crostini; however, I would use this in pastas, stuffed peppers, on rice, in sandwiches...I'm told it's also good at room temp, but as it was all eaten in one shot I can't try that out myself. The kids loved it, too.

 

 

Happy eating!

 

P.S. A cute French bistro/bakery and making herb pots.

A Little Bit of France

Dave took me to Manon, a little French bistro, tonight where I sated my croissant craving for which I have my current read The Marseille Caper to thank.

 

 

Patisserie Manon is a French spot in Summerlin tucked behind Fleming's on Charleston. We had a lattice apple tart (as Dave said, "Super French."), a coffee éclair (mmm...), macaroons (large selection), a croque monsieur (delicious and rich, as it should be), a mini chocolate croissant (ask for it warmed), and a spinach salmon quiche to go.

 

I wished I had come even more hungry.  There was escargot and a promising French onion soup calling my name. The price point of the food was all reasonable and a great fix when I can't make the drive to Bouchon on the Strip.

 

 

 

I liked the atmosphere and have a feeling that I'll frequent Manon to study this fall. The owner and family milling around speaking in quick French just added to the people watching I was already doing.

 

 

 

 

I'm already excited to go back to show Chris this gem. But for now, I have a croissant and quiche for the morning.  

 

P.S. Tempura broccoli and French Kids Eat Everything via Cup of Jo