Monthly Archives: December 2023

Walnut Crumble Top Treat Recipe based on Food & Wine Magazine Sbrisolana (Italian Almond Tart)

A Sbrisolana is a “crumble cake” It’s crunchy and very rustic. It is traditional to just break pieces off to eat. It is also usually made with almonds or hazelnuts mixed with almonds. I didn’t have almonds or oranges that I needed to do the Food and Wine recipe so I changed mine to lemons and walnuts. I also doubled up on the vanilla flavor instead of adding almond flavor. For me this comes out delicious but more crumbly than I would make for anyone should so you need to be aware of that……….But my husband kept saying that, “THIS IS REALLY GOOD!” He didn’t mind how crumbly it was….Anyways it truly does come out delicious. I called it a crumble top treat because I think a better use can be to top an apple pie with these crumbs….YES!!!!! BIG FAT YES..or on top of ice cream YES or even a topping for Pots De Creme YES YES YES!!!!!! (according to F&W this is 6 servings but if you use it as a topping like I suggest it will be more like 16 portions because I think it’s enough to top two 9 inch pies.

Ingredients for 8 servings

7 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter – grated

1 cup broken walnuts

1 egg – slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilia extract

1 cup flour

6 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal

3/4 teaspoon course sea salt

1/3 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

non stick spray

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a springform pan with non stick spray. (I always put a lined baking sheet under springform pans because sometimes they leak)

In a large bowl mix with a fork the butter, walnuts, egg, zest, vanilla, flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugars till it looks like lumpy moist sand.

pour this evenly into your sprayed springform pan.

This goes on the middle rack till it feels done. 25-35 minutes. Mine took 35.

Walnut Crumble Top Treat

It is FORKING DELICIOUS but it is crumbly…I recommend to use as an amazing topping.

A special THANKS!!!!!! to Food and Wine Magazine so I could come up with what I got here.

The Forking Truth

WTFork happened to Milk Chocolate M&M’s? They’re Smaller

I haven’t bought a bag of plain M&M’s in a long time until today…..I tried a few and instantly I noticed a difference………They don’t feel or taste the same in my mouth……..I know they are smaller…….I noticed less chocolate when I suck the shells off. Also the ratio is different………Less chocolate makes them seem more sweet and less chocolatey. Then I let my husband try some. He said, “are these the tiny ones?”…..WTFork! Then I went to the internet and found this from wwwFasioncoached.com.

I also found this.

In May 2014 I noticed a few changes in Peanut M&M’s and so far 16 wrote to me and agreed.

This is my May 2014 photo of Peanut M&M’s (above and below)

I happened to pick of some peanut M&M’s recently. Let’s see if they are similar to the 2014 ones. (the photo below)

You know…I think they are even slightly smaller than before……

BAH!

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Jasmine Express – North Las Vegas NV

Jasmine Express is a small casual Asian, Boba, and Milk Tea restaurant located in North Las Vegas Nevada. They offer American Chinese Food, some Vietnamese foods, Thai dishes too!

You order and pay at the counter and someone runs out your order as it’s ready.

Today I tried the Szechuan Chicken with steamed rice.

The chicken is moist and tender and the dish is filled with lots of fresh vegetables. This dish is spicy from red pepper flakes…….The sauce is mainly soy sauce and is far too salty for my taste…….To me even the rice is too salty but your taste may differ.

My husband tried the grilled pork rice plate.

It’s a generous amount of nicely prepared pork that comes with fish sauce. It gets an A-OK from my husband.

That was my trip to Jasmine Express

5546 Camino Ave NORTH LAS VEGAS NV – 702-399-8525

www.JasmineLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

A Little Taste of Viva Zapata’s in North Las Vegas NV – Worth a Try!

Viva Zapata’s is a Mexican Bar, Restaurant, and Gaming place in North Las Vegas Nevada.

The bar is in the middle of the restaurant and on both sides of the bar are tables and booths.

Whatever you order they start you off with complimentary chips, salsa, and bean dip.

Most meals include a cup of fideo soup.

I tried a chipotle caesar salad with added chicken.

The chipotle Caesar Dressing is actually very good. It taste like real Caesar but with some extra smoked chile. The chicken breast meat is nice and tender and developed with flavor. The salad is also generous in size. I got two meals out of it. For my taste the sweet moist corn cake is good but for me doesn’t work with the salad but you can eat it afterwards like dessert.

My husband tried the steak picado (ribeye). It comes in New York or for an upgrade to Ribeye. It’s cut into cubes and sautéed with onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, and what they call Spanish sauce. It’s served with rice, refried beans, choice of house made tortillas and a little guacamole.

The beef was very tender but this is a very mildly flavored dish.

I noticed a WHOLE PAGE of seafood on their menu so I wanted to go back and try some.

I tried the Pescado Estilo Las Comadres (Whitefish in Spanish sauce topped with Monterey Jack cheese and served with rice and beans (no beans at my request)

It’s a VERY LARGE portion (for $20.95 subject to change) It came with a chip with guacamole. The fish is extra mild so it seems fresh. The sauce is mainly a rich tomato sauce. The cheese has more flavor than the fish. It’s not bad but I’ll try a different fish dish next time. BTW I got two meals out of this.

The Shrimp Chilies Rellenos (called Chilies Rellenos De Cameron – shrimp sautéed in olive oil with white wine, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeños stuffed into pasilla chilies with cheese served with rice and beans with a guacamole topped chip garnish)

This was just a little taste of Viva Zapata’s…..

Worth a Try!

3826 E. Craig Rd North Las Vegas NV – 702-643-8888

www.VivaZapatas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Oh La La French Bistro – Las Vegas NV – 3 Course Lunch Special – Worth a Fork!

Oh La La French Bistro is located in the Summerlin part of Las Vegas Nevada. They bake breads in house and I was told that nearly everything is made by scratch. It’s a smaller restaurant with a wine bar and they offer a comfortable mix of tables. They are open for lunch, brunch, and dinner. For our first visit I thought we’d try the weekday 3 course lunch special ($32. subject to change) to try a variety of things.

They started us off with a crisp baguette that was lightly salted with quality salt and butter.

My husband tried the escargot.

They came in a very garlic-ee butter-ee sauce adorned with parsley.

I tried the beet salad.

It was very generous in size. The beets were dressed with French goat cheese, some orange, and a vinaigrette.

My husband tried the hachis parmentier (basically the French version of Shepard’s Pie). Ground beef, onions, tomatoes, carrots, topped with mashed potatoes and gruyere cheese.

He thought it was seasoned very nicely and thought it was good.

I tried the salmon croissant. The made in house croissant is impressive. This is the airiest one I’ve ever had anywhere…..It’s like biting into a crunchy cloud.

Inside the sandwich is smoked salmon, creme fraiche, dill, and lemon juice…..On the side is a pile of arugula with a few onion slices and some vinaigrette.

We share the two desserts.

First we dig into the lemon meringue tart.

The lemon curd is very good. It has a rich lemon taste and isn’t too sweet. The crust is good and thin. To me the meringue taste like a marshmallow………

Now for the chocolate mousse.

It taste like real cream on the top with a little caramel drizzle. The mousse is very chocolatey and extra rich with chunks of chocolate in it……….It’s really different but very good.

The 3 course lunch special at Oh La La French Bistro is –

Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

Oh La La French Bistro – 2120 N Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-222-3522

www.OhLaLaFrenchBistro.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Italian Flavored Cheesy Bites Recipe

I recently made some everything crisps so I didn’t want to make something everything flavored so soon. I did come across “Chopped Champion” Palak Patel’s Everything Cheese Puffs recipe. Instead I did maybe a variation of them but a bit different. The cheese puffs are made similar to the way you make gougeres (French Cheese Puffs) But they come out more moist. I made 21 cheesy bites but they are very small so you will want to eat at least two a serving…maybe more?

Ingredients for around 8 servings

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs – slightly beaten

1 oz. aged cheddar cheese – grated

1 oz. fontina cheese – grated

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning or ( my blend a Tablespoon each of course sea salt, black pepper, dry basil, dry oregano, fennel seeds, 1/2 Tablespoon granulated garlic, 1/2 Tablespoon granulated onion, 1 small Calabrian chile crushed)

1 heaping teaspoon bomba calabrese – preferably Coluccio brand

Parmesan cheese – grated to taste

Directions.

Set oven to 400 degrees F

Cover sheet pan(s) with parchment paper.

Add butter, sugar, salt, and half a cup water to a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add the flour and mix and cook till it becomes a ball.

Mix in the eggs little by little.

Add the Italian seasoning, bomba, cheddar cheese, and fontina cheese.

This goes in a pastry bag (with or without star tip)

You squirt out small amounts of dough that are around an inch in diameter.

pinch a good amount of parm cheese and place on top of each dough ball.

This goes in the PREHEATED 400 degree F oven for ten minutes. Then you turn down heat to 350F and let it go another 25 minutes. Mine weren’t done yet so I turned the heat down to 300 for another 10 minutes………I thought they still needed more time so I shut off the oven and let them stay in for another hour.

They got crispier but are still moist and cheesy tasting in the middle. Nice bright Italian spices.

Italian Flavored Cheesy Bites

I have to Thank Chef Palak Patel for her Everything Bagel-Spiced Cheese Puff Recipe that was an inspiration for what I came up with today!

ENJOY!!!

The Forking Truth

Fat Free Indian Inspired Potatoes Recipe

I had a bag of fingerling potatoes that I had to use. On my mind I was thinking about the lack of Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas. There are a few Indian Restaurants in Las Vegas but not near the amount in even just North Phoenix Arizona. This came out mildly Indian-ish. Day one it’s the most flavorful. I guess the potatoes soak things up and I thought the next day it needed more salt and pepper. Serving will differ some because we all have different appetites. This will make around 4-6 servings.

Ingredients for around 5 servings

1 1/2 lb fingerling potatoes cut in half longways

2 cups tomato puree (preferably from Italy)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 onion sliced very thin on microplane

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon Chile powder

1 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper + more to taste

non stick spray

optional – 1/4 cup cilantro for garnishing

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F

In a large bowl mix together the spices (ginger, garlic, cumin, mustard, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, salt, pepper), tomato puree and the onions.

Spray you baking dish and lid with non stick spray.

Place the potatoes cut side down.

Dump and spread evenly the spiced tomato onion mixture.

Cover pan with sprayed lid and cook on a middle rack in oven until the potatoes are very tender. (90 minutes or slightly less depending on size of potatoes. To finish add the optional fresh cilantro.

Fat Free Indian Inspired Potatoes

The potatoes came out creamy, flavorful, and fat free! They are delicious and slightly Indian style. I do note you might want to add more salt and more pepper.

Enjoy!!!

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Delucia’s Pizzeria North Las Vegas NV

Delucia’s Pizzeria is a small average Pizzeria located in a shopping center in North Las Vegas Nevada. This isn’t a fancy place but it seems clean. They offer the usual pizzeria type foods like chicken wings, garlic knots, salads, sandwiches, hoagies, pasta, 5 sizes of pizza, calzones and more. They offer bottled and canned soft beverages and bottle beer.

It’s very casual. You order and pay at the counter and seat yourself. They run the food to you when it’s ready.

On a previous visit we did take out a plain pizza.

It taste the way it looks. It’s your typical neighborhood pizza that can use some seasoning.

We eventually came back to have the real experience.

We started out by sharing a large Caesar salad. It came with buttery toasted bread.

the salad is typical of what you should expect from a little casual place like this. The dressing and croutons don’t taste house made and the cheese is powdered but they get points for serving fresh crisp lettuce.

We also shared a 14 inch Italian White pizza (ricotta, basil, tomato)

The generous amount of fresh basil is the highlight here. The restaurant is just an average neighborhood pizza. They don’t have any seasonings here today to enhance it.

That was my trip to Delucia’s Pizzeria

2345 E Centennial Pkwy North Las Vegas NV – 702-658-7111

www.DeluciasPizzeriaLasVegas.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

My Trip to Ada’s Food & Wine Las Vegas NV

Ada’s Food & Wine is a wine bar that also serves interesting global inspired lighter plates. This restaurant is located in Tivoli Village that is in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas Nevada.

It was nice outside so we decided to be seated on the patio.

We started out by sharing the heirloom tomato salad. On the menu it’s described as sour dough croutons, feta cheese, opal basil, and Lambrusco vinaigrette……

It had a good taste to it but would have been a lot better if a ripe tomato was used. I didn’t taste any feta cheese here. Maybe it was forgotten? We asked our server about it and he never came back with any type of answer.

Both entrees were VERY GOOD but were on the petite side.

The pan roasted chicken thigh had a nice flavor to it and it sat on top of creamed corn studded with crab apple mustarda. This came with two small wedges of blueberry corn bread.

My husband had the garlic and chile shrimp.

The shrimp were prepared with garlic, Aleppo pepper, and lemon and are served over sourdough toast. The things near the bottom end of the plate are crispy roasted garlic cloves that I was told were very good.

It’s easy to fit in dessert here because the one we tried was very tiny. (it’s about the size of my thumb)

The passionfruit has a nice strong passionfruit flavor but the texture is on the thick side.

I think that this place is worth a try for ladies who lunch or others that don’t mind lighter portions.

That was my trip to Ada’s Food & Wine.

410 S. Rampart Blvd Las Vegas NV – 702-462-2795

www.AdasLV.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth

Carve Prime Rib at The Cannery – North Las Vegas NV – 10 OZ PRIME RIB BURGERS – Certainly Worth a Try!

Carve Prime Rib is the steakhouse at The Cannery Casino Hotel in North Las Vegas. I read that they offer a 10 ounce ground in house Prime Rib Burger so I wanted to give that a try. We sat at the bar.

My husband got the burger mostly the way it comes……with sautéed mushrooms and onions. It comes with Swiss cheese but he substituted cheddar cheese. The plate came garnished with pickle slices, tomato, and lettuce. A piping hot bowl of skinny fries were served on the side.

I got the same burger but without cheese.

For $20. This is a VERY GOOD burger and I got two meals out of it. I usually don’t care for the skinny fries but they were prepared nicely and stayed hot because of the heated bowl. The portion of fries was also extra generous and I brought a bunch home.

The 10 oz Prime Rib Burger from Carve Prime Rib is certainly Worth a Try!

Carve Prime Rib (at The Cannery Casino Hotel)

2121 E. Craig Rd North Las Vegas Nevada. – 702-507-5777

www.Cannery.BoydGaming.com

Every THING is subject to change.

The Forking Truth