Sitting at a bar in the M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas….I was playing video poker, waiting for my hair appointment in the spa. The engaging bartender was about to go on break. She told us what she brought for her lunch: Cottage Cheese Guacamole. Several of us were intrigued. And as sweet as she is, she offered us a taste of her lunch. She said that she grew up in Arizona, and this is how they always made their guacamole.
A few gamblers took her up on the offer. She brought out plastic spoons from behind the bar and gave them a taste. They all nodded, oh that’s good…
I graciously turned down the sample, but decided to try the idea at home, with my guacamole recipe paired with cultured cottage cheese.
🦐 Shrimp Bisque with Old Bay Croutons 🦐
🌺 Creme Fraiche, Chives, Edible Flowers 🌺
Whereas my previous Shrimp Bisque was hearty and rustic, the texture of this one is smooth and elegant. It is the same hearty-style recipe inspired by Emeril Lagasse and Ina Garten but at the end I simply purée the soup with an immersion blender. And instead of garnishing with jumbo sautéed gulf shrimp, here I top the bisque with buttery homemade Old Bay croutons. A swirl of crème fraîche, snipped chives, and sometimes an edible flower finish it off.
🦐 Hearty-Style Shrimp Bisque 🦐
Inspired by Emeril and Ina
With Emeril and Ina as inspiration, how could this Shrimp Bisque be anything short of fabulous?
Emeril Lagasse’s shrimp stock is robust and aromatic. In this recipe, another layer of depth is added by roasting the shrimp shells before making the stock. And not just any shrimp shells, but extra flavorful spot shrimp with some of their roe still attached. The result is a stock with a rich, deep color.
Ina Garten’s shrimp bisque is hearty and textured. She says in her video that she prefers a chunky-style to smooth, so she coarsely chops a shrimp and leek mixture flavored with both dry sherry and cognac in a food processor before adding it back to the creamy base.
Here, the bisque is garnished with extra-jumbo butterflied shrimp and complementary fresh thyme. Gulf shrimp aficionados are sure to be delighted…
In the mid-2000s, Korean street food vendors took cues from the Italian pasta dish penne alla vodka by introducing heavy cream into their traditional tteokbokki.
Tteokbokki is a popular stir-fried rice cake snack that is simmered in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. The addition of cream results in a distinctive rosy color, hence the moniker “rosé tteokbokki.”
My previous Korean-French fusion salmon dish, a Creamy Gochujang Braised Salmon, blended those same spicy and creamy elements. This Korean-Italian fusion noodle dish also wows with a delicious fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers in the paste.
Bucatini stands in as an interesting alternative for rice cakes because of its wonderfully chewy quality. Handmade bronze dies give the pasta a fabulous coarse, sauce-absorbing surface, perfect for soaking up all those spicy-sweet-creamy-umami flavors that rosé tteokbokki is famous for…
Little did we know on December 14, 2023 at the Dolby Live theater at Park MGM in Las Vegas, that we were witnessing the final show of his lifetime.
Our beloved country music icon, unapologetic patriot and huge supporter of our troops, kind-hearted philanthropist, and authentic troubadour Toby Keith, passed away less than two months later.
Here I honor his memory with a recipe and stories about his favorite sandwich.
Set List
Dolby Live at Park MGM, December 14, 2023
“Big Dog Daddy”
“Made In America”
“God Love Her”
“I Wanna Talk About Me”
“Whiskey Girl”
“Who’s That Man”
“Wish I Didn’t Know Now”
“Beer For My Horses”
“Somewhere Else”
“I Won’t Let You Down”
“You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This”
“Don’t Let The Old Man In”
“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”
“Who’s Your Daddy?!”
“Dream Walkin’”
“Red Solo Cup”
“As Good As I Once Was”
“I Love This Bar”
“Should’ve Been A Cowboy”
“How Do You Like Me Now”
“A Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action”
Encore
“American Soldier”
“Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (Angry American)”
Toby Keith, Las Vegas, December 14, 2023
It was a special moment when Toby played his last big hit “Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
In 2017, during Clint Eastwood’s golf tournament in California, he shared with Toby Keith that he was about to leave for a three-month shoot for “The Mule.”
Toby, impressed by Eastwood’s ability to handle such a busy schedule at an older age, asked, “How do you do it, man?” Eastwood replied, “I just don’t let the old man in.” This sparked Toby’s creative process and inspired him to write the song.
💔 💔 💔
Toby then followed that song with a tribute to his late friend, Jimmy Buffett with “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes.”
Here are a couple snippets from his last performance on December 14, 2023:
And my tribute to Jimmy Buffett with a recipe for a “Cheeseburger in Paradise” here. 🍔❤️🍔
I Love This Bar & Grill opened at Harrah’s Las Vegas in 2005. It had a long run but never reopened again after closing due to the pandemic in 2020.
In this video, the singer tells the story of the executive chef at Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (Harrah’s parent company) who was thoroughly displeased upon discovering a fried bologna sandwich featured on the new restaurant’s menu.
Despite the chef’s initial decision to remove it, Toby stood firm on keeping it. Eventually, the chef acknowledged that the sandwich was responsible for the restaurant’s remarkable success, boasting an opening volume three times greater than their other establishments.
I also read that Toby had a horse named Fried Bologna. I hope that’s true. 🐎
How to Make
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Toby Keith’s Favorite Sandwich 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
🦐 Hearty-Style Shrimp Bisque 🦐
