Pechluck Laskey

Drinking from a Skull at Rx Boiler Room, Las Vegas

March 17, 2015 by Pechluck 8 Comments

Sadly, this post ends my Las Vegas travel post series from my last trip to Las Vegas. I sure did do a lot in my long weekend visit, and I would love to return to eat and drink and see more! But, time was limited, and so I will just have to put the rest on my Las Vegas wishlist for the future.

There is one more highlight I wanted to share before I’m done. I had mentioned previously we were staying by Mandalay Bay, and so very conveniently located to us was a restaurant which really looked different from anything else I had seen on the strip. This was Rx Boiler Room, a concept by celebrity chef Rick Moonen that combines the alchemy of food and drink and classic food meets creative science.

Part of the biggest draw for us to go to Rx Boiler Room is that the space is all Steampunk inspired. Steampunk, if you are not familiar, is a sub-genre of science fiction and fantasy combined where rather than computer chips, steam and gears and electricity are the main power behind technology. The aesthetic is a combination of the Wild West and Victorian Age, of both industrial art and functionality rolled into one.

I am utterly shocked there is a not a steampunk restaurant in Portland honestly, since I know PDX does have its steampunk stores, steampunk festivals and balls and conventions, and steampunk social groups. That has left my only experience to be movies like what is hinted with the devices in the recent Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Junior, and Will Smith’s Wild Wild West movie (the latter was playing on one of the TVs inside Rx Boiler Room during my visit), Full Metal Alchemist anime, and two of my favorite videogames, Final Fantasy 6 & 7 and Bioshock series. I feel the geek in me peeking out here.

Well, Vegas let me venture into that steampunk world at least for a little bit in real life. Here’s a look at the atmosphere. The last two shots share the alchemist circle on the floor as you walk into the restaurant, and some of the chalk drawings on that same ceiling.
Rx Boiler Room, a steampunk restaurant in Las Vegas

After oohing and ahhing over the details of the decor, it was time to eat and drink. The eats are on a normal printed menu, but all the beverages are on a tablet.

For appetizers, we started off with a Rx Guacamole with Big Ass Chips, Chicken pot pie nuggets with natural jus with peas and carrots, and my favorite, the Bacon wrapped Bacon and Egg with brioche toast, tomato jam, and sunny side up quail egg.
Rx Boiler Room in Las Vegas, Bacon wrapped Bacon and Egg with brioche toast, tomato jam, and sunny side up quail egg

For a main, the standout was the Inside out French Onion Grilled Cheese. The Mac and Cheese x 5 with pinwheel pasta and blue, parmesan, brie, cheddar and blanc cheese was decent but I didn’t think anything special, and for me the Smoked salmon under glass with sea beans, bagel chips, and chive cream cheese was too salty in terms of how many sea beans they put in the dish, though the presentation was cool with them lifting a glass cover to let out the smoke.
Inside out French Onion Grilled Cheese from the Rx Boiler Room

The best best part? The drinks. For instance, you can’t beat the presentation of this Smoked Whiskey and Coke which pours out of a crystal skull with George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey, housemade cola syrup, bittercube cherrybark vanilla bitters, Fever Tree soda water and smoked cherrywood chips. The skull makes enough drinks for 2 – which you can share or just have 2 drinks, heh.

In terms of flavor though, the winner at our visit was the Poire Drakkar with Hennesy Black, Pimms #1 liqueur, curry-pear shrub, honey shrup, lemon juice, baked apple bitters, black walnut bitters, and black pepper. This savory drink with its complex layers of flavor was very unusual to give that curry flavor in the background with the sip. For something more refreshing rather than savory, try the Strawberry Switchblade with Belvedere Vodka, lemon/lime juice, strawberries, cucumber medallions, mint, goji berries, benedictine, bitermens, burlesque bitters, thyme syrup
Libation from the Rx Boiler Room of the Smoked Whiskey and Coke which comes in a crystal skull with George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey, housemade cola syrup, bittercube cherrybark vanilla bitters, Fever Tree soda water and smoked cherrywood chips Rx Boiler room libation of Poire Drakkar with Hennesy Black, Pimms #1 liqueur, curry-pear shrub, honey shrup, lemon juice, baked apple bitters, black walnut bitters, and black pepper. Fave drink with its complex layers of flavor of the night Rx Boiler room libation of Strawberry Switchblade with Belvedere Vodka, lemon/lime juice, strawberries, cucumber medallions, mint, goji berries, benedictine, bitermens, burlesque bitters, thyme syrup

Do you know anything about Steampunk, what do you think of the decor and the interesting take on food and drink here at Rx Boiler Room?

My Guide to the Free and the Food on the Las Vegas Strip

Las Vegas Hotels at the South End of Strip: Mandalay Bay, Delano, Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, and MGM Grand and what each offers in terms of feel
A look at some of the breakfast options at Della’s Kitchen in the Delano, including juice, Doughssant, bacon cheddar biscuits, and Pecan Raisin French Toast
Take a little trip to Europe with the offerings and recommendations for free stops in the Middle of the Las Vegas Strip like Paris, Caesar’s, and the Bellagio properties. Did I mention they are all free, and include the World’s Largest Chocolate Fountain?
Photos recapping my lunch at Giada Las Vegas inside the Cromwell, including the G signature cocktail, flatbread with pesto, burrata, grilled cheese, gelato
Art Walking Tour at The Shops at Crystals and Aria, Las Vegas, including Gallery Row with Richard MacDonald and Dale Chihuly to the various art in Crystals and Aria
The garnishes of the Bloody Marys at Todd English PUB in Las Vegas are outrageous, ranging from bacon, onions rings, sliders and corn dogs to chicken wing
My tour of The Wynn in Las Vegas, including details on The Lake of Dreams, Parasol Down, the Conservatory, Jeff Koons sculptures, and Le Reve The Dream show
Lunch at Beijing Noodle No 9, Caesar’s Las Vegas of Shanghai Wave cocktail, Sichuan Dan Dan Mein Spring Noodles, Shanghai Soup Dumplings, and Lamb Pancakes
A Steampunk restaurant of Rx Boiler Room by Mandalay Bay brings an opportunity for a cocktail from a crystal skull

Filed Under: Cocktails, Food and Drink, Restaurant Review, Travel Tagged With: #traveltuesday, Bacon wrapped Bacon and Egg, Chicken pot pie nuggets, craft cocktail, crystal skull, curry cocktail, curry drink, Foodie Friday, Inside out French Onion Grilled Cheese, Las Vegas, Las Vegas restaurant, Las Vegas restaurant review, Las Vegas steampunk, Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas Trip, Poire Drakkar, restaurant in Mandalay Bay, Rick Moonen, Rx Boiler Room, Rx Guacamole with Big Ass Chips, Smoked Whiskey and Coke, steampunk restaurant, Strawberry Switchblade, Travel Tuesday

Cauliflower Colcannon

March 16, 2015 by Pechluck 7 Comments

How I celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year, part 2. This is the vegetarian part.

The traditional Irish song… hear the famous Mary Black version here at Youtube

“Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?
With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.
Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flake
Of the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make?”

The chorus:

“Yes you did, so you did, so did he and so did I.
And the more I think about it sure the nearer I’m to cry.
Oh, wasn’t it the happy days when troubles we had not,
And our mothers made Colcannon in the little skillet pot.”

Cauliflower Colcannon

This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle
Usually this is made with potato and cabbage, but I decided to switch it out to cauliflower instead of potato because well, I love cauliflower, and I thought it was a better alternative with nutrients. We’ve used mashed cauliflower before instead of potato so it seemed natural it could be used in colcannon also, which is really just a variation of mashed potato with cabbage. This serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

4 cups of cauliflower florets – this was the florets from about a 2 1/3 pound cabbage
1 cup of 2 percent milk
4 tablespoons butter divided (3 tablespoons for the cabbage and 1 later for the combination into colcannon), plus more for serving. Ideally use Irish butter for serving!
1/2 of a small green cabbage (about half a 1 pound cabbage)
2 roasted garlic cloves, minced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring cauliflower florets and milk to a simmer in large saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan and let the cauliflower soften, which might take 15 – 20 minutes depending on the size of your florets.
Meanwhile, with your half a cabbage, with the cut-side down, slice it as thinly as possible into shreds, and probably cut it into thirds after that so they are not so long (think like cole slaw for inside a sandwich). Melt the two tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender and begins to brown. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste.
When the cauliflower milk mixture is soft enough that you can mush it, transfer contents of the pan a big bowl and then use a potato masher to mash it. After mushing the cauliflower, pour in the sauteed cabbage and butter from the skillet, add the minced roasted garlic, the last tablespoon of butter (this is optional depending on how much butter was left with the sauteed cabbage) and salt and pepper to taste, and mix until all is incorporated.
To serve the colcannon in the traditional Irish way, after you put your serving of cauliflower colcannon on the plate like a small mountain, push the back of a ladle down in the middle of each portion to make a crater in the middle. Think Crater Lake, and Mt St Helens. Now add a 1 little pat of butter into each of those craters, which should melt. Now each person eating the colcannon can scoop a little butter into each spoonful of colcannon.

I have seen variations of this recipe that swaps out the sauteed lettuce for kale, or for leeks, or may sprinkle a bit of cheese in, or horseradish. Instead of Irishing it up into a Colcannon, leave out the greens to make simple mashed cauliflower instead of your mashed potato for any meal – you don’t need it to be a holiday or St Patrick’s to enjoy this side dish. Anything you can do with mashed potatoes you can do here!
This Cauliflower colcannon recipe can still be served the traditional Irish way with a crater of melted butter in the middle
Have you had mashed cauliflower before? Or had or made colcannon?

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: #MeatlessMonday, cauliflower and cabbage, cauliflower colcannon, cauliflower colcannon recipe, cauliflower recipe, cauliflower recipes, colcannon recipe, colcannon with cauliflower, healthier colcannon, healthier mashed potato, holiday vegetarian recipe, Irish food, mashed cauliflower, meatless monday, recipe, St Patrick's Day food, St Patrick's Day Recipes, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian recipes

Reuben Sliders

March 15, 2015 by Pechluck 1 Comment

How I celebrated St Patrick’s Day this year, part 1. This is my choice on how to have corned beef this way in an untraditional way, among the many ideas I mentioned in my last Green Food for St Patrick’s Day plus variations on a Reuben post

Reuben Sliders

Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together
Serves 4-12, since these make 12 little rolls. I like these better than reuben sandwiches because although it is messy, they are small and mini so thus adorable!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of homemade Russian Dressing: you can make your own with mayo, sour cream, ketchup, and hot sauce, but I like the combination of the tang of Thousand Island Dressing along with the heat of Russian Dressing, so I like to use regular 1000 Island dressing and add hot sauce and horseradish to taste so I can get the best of both worlds. Russian Dressing is the traditional condiment though. You can do this to taste depending on how much bite you want.
1 package party rolls or slider buns – I used a package of 12 Hawaiian Rolls
1 pound of Shredded corned beef or pastrami – I used half of each. I bought slices from my grocery deli (these are Boar’s Head) and shredded them myself
8-12 slices Swiss cheese depending on size of your slices and how cheesy you want it. If you use aged cheese it has more flavor so you can use less of it, and/or use very thin sliced swiss
Sauerkraut (optional). I like to saute my sauerkraut in a tablespoon of butter so it browns a bit rather than just on its own. Another option is to use cole slaw, which I suppose makes this a “Rachel” instead of a “Reuben”
1/4 cup of melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a knife, cut the rolls in half horizontally so that all the tops are attached and are in one piece and all the bottoms are still attached and in one piece as well. Spray a pan with non-stick or with a bit of olive oil or butter, and then put the bottom piece of your rolls into the pan.
Spread both sides of bread with the Russian Dressing so that there will be some sauce on the inside of the bottom and top.
Layer on top of the sauce layer at the bottom of the sliders the shredded corned beef, then the Swiss cheese, and repeat the layers. When I made mine, I made 4 rolls with the corned beef and 4 rolls with the pastrami. You can tell the pastrami apart from the peppered edges of the meat (it’s the one on the right side).
I also used sauerkraut, but I don’t like too much of it so I put it as the 2nd to last layer, and then put a piece of cheese on top to melt on top of it.
Put the top of the rolls back on. And now spread the thin layer of melted butter over all the tops of the rolls. It looks nice and shiny on both the corned beef half and the pastrami half.
Wrap tightly in tinfoil, and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let the sliders cool slightly before cutting.

These are great for little snacks at a get together because of their size. SThey are so quick to make and warm up to melty meaty goodness too.
Recipe for Reuben Sliders, I like these better then Reuben Sandwiches because they are smaller so better portion control and oh so cute, perfect for St Patrick's Day or any get together

Are you making anything special for St Patrick’s day? Do you like pastrami or corned beef, which do you like better (I confess to preferring pastrami).
Reuben Sliders Recipe from Pechluck.com, great for a party and the next day as leftovers for lunch too!

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: Boar's Head Corned Beef, Boar's Head Pastrami, Pastrami sliders, Reuben Sliders, Russian Dressing, St Patrick's Day food, St Patrick's Day Recipes, St Patrick's Food, Thousand Island Dressing

Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market

March 13, 2015 by Pechluck 10 Comments

I covered in a previous post what Portland Dining month / March 2015 is and a few highlights from the amazing list of more than 100 restaurants in the Portland area offering the $29 3 course special. Today, I’m going to share my second Portland Dining Month 2015 meal. My first dinner was at Aviary, which I covered previously.

Laurelhurst Market is located in the Alberta District at 3155 E. Burnside in Southeast Portland and specializes as both a butcher shop and steakhouse-inspired restaurant that highlights meat and celebrates being a carnivore.
Laurelhurst Market in Portland

Now without further ado, my Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market dinner photo recap.
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market menu and suggested beverages

First course

Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 first course of Roasted cauliflower arancini with radicchio caponata, roasted red pepper aioli and arugula

Second course

Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus.

As you would expect me, this dish is oh so tender and hearty and meaty. It’s a pretty representative Laurelhurst meat entree in which despite the addition of a single potato pancake, sides are extra.

Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 second course of Ten-hour braised beef shoulder with potato pancake, warm oyster mushroom salad and beef jus

Third course

Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month 2015 third course of Honey panna cotta with candied fennel and fennel seed brittle
This dessert was the only miss for me with the 3 courses, as it was more anise-y then I like. I recommend a dessert beverage to balance it out.

Other

You should not go to Laurelhurst Market without for the love of all, getting the Smoke Signals cocktail. This is a famous cocktail of with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, and to top it all off, Smoked Ice. The smoky nutty whiskey drink is a must.
The famous Laurelhurst Market cocktail of Smoke Signals with Rye Whiskey, Sherry, Pecan, Lemon, Smoked Ice

On the Laurelhurst Market Portland Dining Month menu, there was a suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim. It was prettier than I imagined!
Laurelhurst Market suggested Portland Dining Month cocktail of the Salt & Pepper with Gin, Grapefruit, Lime, Peychaud Bitters, Sugar and Salt Rim

Did you know that there is an outdoor patio area right by the bar side of Laurelhurst Market? I didn’t – until I visited on a day where we were enjoying 70 degree weather and so the sunshine and light breeze and a cocktail were perfect. You can even see Kevin Ludwig to the right of the photo as he prepares to concoct the cocktail Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth
Bar at Laurelhurst Market opens up to a patio area. You can also see Bar Tender Kevin Ludwig to the right Laurelhurst Market specialty cocktail courtesy of Kevin Ludwig of the Pine Tar Incident with Pear Brandy, Genepy, Aperol. Sweet Vermouth

After the strong drink of the Pine Tar Incident, I really needed this additional order of this To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil. It is also useful for swabbing up any extra beef jus or aioli from the first two courses.
Laurelhurst Market To Begin item of Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil

Thanks G for being my date for this dinner.

What about you? What’s on your list from the Portland Dining Month website for the month of March, or where have you already dined and enjoyed?

Filed Under: Festival Event, Food and Drink, Portland Highlights, Restaurant Review Tagged With: #foodiefriday, 10 hour braised beef shoulder, honey panna cotta, Laurelhurst Market', Little T Breads with Housemade Ricotta & Olive Oil, Pine Tar Incident cocktail, roasted cauliflower arancini, Salt & Pepper cocktail, Smoke Signals cocktail

Green Food for St Patrick’s Day plus Variations on a Reuben

March 12, 2015 by Pechluck 4 Comments

Looking for some green food that doesn’t involve using food dye to help celebrate St Patrick’s Day? Here’s a round-up from previous posts I’ve done… there is so much green out there naturally, and in many delicious forms. I also have some suggestions for fun ways to use corned beef and/or pastrami besides a reuben sandwich towards the bottom of the post.

Green Food for St Patrick's Day with no need for food dye or food coloring, plus suggestions for fun ways to incprorate corned beef and pastrami

But, first, the green food.

For appetizers, of course you could go with guacamole– I did a face off with 3 different guacamoles, one recipe from Alton Brown, one recipe from Bobby Flay, and one from Rick Bayless

Or try edamame hummus for an option besides the obvious guacamole!

Last year I went with an Avocado Mac and Cheese from the Melt cookbook

But there’s a lot of avocado inspired recipes you could try, as I covered in this Avocado Pesto and more Avocado Awesomeness post that also shows some avocado inspirations from Chef Lisa of Mother’s Bistro

Another way to get in the green naturally is with broccoli, like this St. Norbert College’s Cheese Broccoli which is an awesome simple casserole that is nostalgically old fashioned. There’s also these homey Spinach and Cheese Pinwheels

Or go with Brussels Sprouts, either Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Mashed Brussels Sprouts.

There’s green in these Creamed Kale or Creamed Cabbage Recipes.

Green Gazpacho that celebrates the bounty of greens with green pepper, celery, scallions, jalapeno, parsley, cilantro, and chives

Asparagus Goldenrod evokes green as well as gold

Or combine beer with green but without going to the low of green beer by making Saison Beer Ricotta on Cucumber appetizers

If you’re not in the Northwest and enjoying a 60-70 degree weather like we are, you probably wouldn’t be out on the grill, but here in Portland with our 70 degree March 17 we could do a bbq and throw in Irish Whiskey into our burger as well by making Cheddar Whiskey Burgers that has a combination of beef and pork with a bit of whiskey, and then is stuffed and then topped with a cheddar whiskey sauce. Sorry everywhere else that is cold and has snow.

For more authentic food that is Irish inspired, you could enjoy a vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie courtesy of Moosewood

Ok, this doesn’t qualify for meatless, but I dined out at Kenny and Zuke’s for this this Bagel and Egg and Cheese with Pastrami bagel and this dish of Pastrami Cheese fries and it seemed very celebratory to me. What I love about these ideas is taking corned beef or pastrami and doing more than just a sandwich. Shake it up by putting it into a breakfast sandwich with a bagel or croissant, make reuben dogs or make them mini and adorable slow cooked beef reuben sliders. Chop it up and add it to fries, nachos, make a reuben mac and cheese or any casserole (I like this one with layers), or even into a baked creamy reuben dip! I will be making one of these links this weekend- I haven’t quite decided which one yet. I’ll also be making a colcannon – but instead of making a potato colcannon, I’m doing a cauliflower colcannon. Stay tuned for the outcome on Monday’s post!

Also, I’m heading to Bowery Bagels on Monday because they are celebrating with Corned Beef Bagel Sandwiches, available at their downtown shop the week of March 16th – 21st for $8. These corned beef bagel sandwiches are packed with house-cured corned beef and topped with cabbage slaw and spicy mustard, which you can get on Bowery March bagel special, the Light Caraway Rye Bagel. Get the fingerling potato salad as a side and have the full Irish corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes experience. I’ll update with a photo when I acquire the goodie bagel.

Are you making anything special in celebration of St Patrick’s Day?

Filed Under: Cooking, Food and Drink Tagged With: #MeatlessMonday, Bagel and Egg and Cheese with Pastrami bagel, broccoli cheese casserole, Cheddar Whiskey Burgers, cooking, edamame hummus, Green food, Green Food no dye, Green Food Recipe Ideas, green mac and cheese, green macaroni and cheese, green St Patrick food, Guacamole, healthy St Patrick Day, ideas for new reuben, ideas for using corned beef, Moosewood Shepherd's Pie, Pastrami Cheese Fries, pastrami ideas, recipe, St Patrick's Day food, St Patrick's Day Recipes, St Patrick's Food, vegetarian shepherd's pie, vegetarian St Patricks recipe

Drinking from a Skull at Rx Boiler Room, Las Vegas

Cauliflower Colcannon

Cauliflower Colcannon

Reuben Sliders

Reuben Sliders

Portland Dining Month 2015 Laurelhurst Market

First course

Second course

Third course

Other

Green Food for St Patrick’s Day plus Variations on a Reuben

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