Ranch House Has Good Food Without Vegas Attitude

There's no doubt we have some fantastic restaurants in Las Vegas. Places where the food melts in your mouth, and the service makes you feel like royalty. Places where you order food you've never heard of. Places where you don't blink an eye when the check is over $200.

But sometimes you just want a steak.

That's when I go to the Ranch House. You've got to be a stuck-up son of a bitch not to like this place. It's been around since the 50's and back then it was in the middle of nowhere. Nowadays it's tucked between a neighborhood in North Las Vegas and the 215 beltway.

I love this place because, well, it's not Vegas. I went there with a girlfriend the other night and felt overdressed in my jeans and high heels. The waitress even asked if we were celebrating because we were so dressed up.

Nope, this is a place where you can wear jeans and a t-shirt and let your gut hang out.

The dinning room has old wood paneling and pictures of John Wayne. If you go there during the holidays, Christmas lights will hang from the wooden beams of the ceiling. There are candles and white tablecloths, but you still feel like you can put your elbows on the table.

My friend had the special, a bacon wrapped filet topped with Bechamel sauce. I had the prime rib, seared on the grill at the suggestion of our waitress. Throw in some clam chowder, a twice stuffed potato, ranch potatos and chocolate cake for desert and we were stuffed. All the food was great - Not fancy restaurant on the strip great, but how you would make it at home great.

Add on a bottle of cab and our bill came to about $84. Not bad, considering it's Vegas.

The Ranch House has personality in a city that feels a little too trendy at times. It's old, it's classic, and it's comfortable. I've never had a bad time or a bad steak. And I'm sure if I didn't like my steak, they would just make me a new one. If you've haven't been, I recommend you check it out. I promise you'll like it, unless you're a stuck-up son of a bitch.

Bob Taylor's Original Ranch House
6250 Rio Vista St.
North Las Vegas, NV 89130

Reservations: (702) 645-1399

Canned My Own Salsa, But Don't Think I'm Getting All Domestic On You

I know what you're thinking - Canning sounds so old fashioned. So grandma. So stay at home mom. So boring.

Well, I'm none of those things, but today I became a home canner. I made a small batch of salsa and now have three jars sitting in my pantry. I have to admit, there's something amazing about canning. I didn't have to buy a lot of expensive equipment. I didn't have to take classes or practice. I just took some fresh produce, a few glass jars and a pot of hot water and made something that can sit in my pantry for a year.

Anyone who is still holding on to the lamp they made in wood shop knows what I mean.

I enjoyed my first canning experience, but I'm certainly not going to turn my kitchen into a canning factory. It was a lot of work and I have a big mess to clean up. Even so, I definitely have the canning bug, and I'm already thinking about what I want to make next. Jam? Zucchini relish? Kimchi?

Does that make me domestic? No.
A food lover? Most definitely.

Home Canning For Dummies

Okay, maybe not for dummies, but certainly for the person who has never canned before. My new Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit arrived yesterday, and I hate to admit it, but I'm really excited.

The kit comes with a basket you use to heat the jars in hot water, three cute little jars that I'll use for lemonade if this canning thing doesn't work out, and a recipe book. 

If you've never canned, here's the basics: You follow a recipe and cook some fruit, vegetables or meat. Then you put the food in jars, seal them up and heat them at high temperature in hot water. Once the jars are sealed you can keep them in your pantry for about a year. So if you love strawberry jam, you can make 10 jars of strawberry jam when berries are in season and enjoy it all winter long. 

Yes, you can also go to the store and buy strawberry jam, but what's the fun in that? 

The instructions that come with the kit are easy to understand, although phrases like "headspace" and "fingertip tight" are foreign to me. Whose fingertips are we talking about? Mine? My husbands? My 80-year-old grandmother? Thank goodness for 1-800 hotlines. 

The recipe book is also pretty decent. It has 12 recipes and covers everything from Bread and Butter Pickles, to Tomato and Apple Chutney and Zesty Zucchini Relish. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't have recipes for simple stuff, like strawberry jam. 

I think I'm going to start off with salsa. The recipe is not too intimidating and we can never get enough salsa in our household. 

The kit cost $18.45 with shipping and handling. I think it's perfect for people like me, who want to try out canning without investing a lot of money. If it works out, my friends and neighbors will find some canned salsa under their tree this Christmas.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes and Minty Fruit Salad

I made pancakes from scratch this week, and for the first time, I realize I love pancakes. It only took me 35 years.

I thought all pancakes tasted like the giant piles of mush served up at Denny's and IHOP or the tasteless Bisquick pancakes that I've made at home. Who knew that pancakes could have actual texture and flavor? Wild!

My 7-year-old and 11-year-old house guests drove me to it - For some odd reason, they didn't enjoy black coffee and toast every morning. So I dug out Martha's trusty cookbook and found a recipe for cornmeal pancakes. They were easy to make and delicious! So good, that I made a second batch for Sunday morning along with my favorite Minty Fruit Salad.

If you've never tried pancakes from scratch, I think you're missing out. Here's the recipe, adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook. The Minty Fruit Salad is all mine. Enjoy! 

Pancakes 

2 cups of milk 

(I used 1 cup of whole milk and 1 cup of 2%)

5 tbs of butter 

(I know, but I haven't had time to experiment with margarine)

2 eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cornmeal

1 tbs & 1 tsp baking powder

2 tbs sugar

3/4 tsp of kosher salt

Small package of fresh blueberries

Canola oil

On low heat, warm the milk and butter in a small sauce pan. When the butter is melted, remove from heat and let cool until milk is luke warm. Do this entire process first because it will take a while for the milk to cool down. Once the milk is luke warm, whisk in the two eggs. 

In a medium bowl, mix next five ingredients (flour through salt). Add milk mixture and whisk until moist. The batter may have small lumps. If you like, add blueberries.  

Heat skillet on medium and lightly coat with canola oil. I used my cast iron skillet and wiped off the extra oil with a paper towel. You really don't need a lot of oil. 

Pour about a 1/4 cup of pancake mix into pan. You should see air bubbles almost immediately. Flip after about 2 minutes, or when edges of pancakes begin to solidify. Cook on other side for about 1 minute and serve. 

Minty Fruit Salad

3 cups of seasonal fruit, chopped. I like strawberries, mango and kiwi, but I've also used grapefruit wedges, blueberries and honeydew melon. 

Whisk together the following and toss with fruit. 

3 tbs of orange juice

1 tbs lime juice

2 tbs honey

4 or 5 fresh mint leaves, chopped

Chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately. If you want to prep this ahead, make the fruit and the dressing separately then toss together before serving. 

Why We Chose Milwaukee For Our Summer Vacation (Hint: It's All About The Beer)

In August we're going on vacation to Milwaukee.

Yes, you heard right - Milwaukee. The land of Laverne and Shirley, Miller Brewing Company and Summerfest.  A lot of things draw me to this city - My old friends, the ball park, State Fair. But it's also the beer.

When I moved to Milwaukee back in 2004, I drank Coors Light. Hey, I'm from Southern California and the choices were Coors Light, Bud Light, Amstel Light and Heineken. Sure there were probably some craft beers on the shelf of my liquor store, but I didn't know anyone who drank them. There were no small breweries in my city. No trend. Just Coors Light.

But when I moved to Milwuakee, that changed. People returned favors with cases of Miller Lite. Supermarket shelves were stocked with beer I had never heard of. Friends drank beer that I had never tried. And yes, I became a born again beer drinker.

I toured the breweries and bought their beer. I tried pumpkin ales in the fall and summer ales in the spring. I embraced their beer culture and I'm so grateful I did.

While I still drink the occasional Coors Light, my fridge is usually stocked with beers that my California friends have never head of and never tried. I wish the supermarkets here in Las Vegas had more of a selection - Thank God we have Lee's Liquor.  

And in a few weeks, I'll be back in Milwaukee, shopping for beer like a kid in a candy store. If you want to find me, try starting at Sprecher Brewery. I'll be the one drinking the Black Bavarian. And who know, maybe I'll even tour the Miller brewing plant again. After all, it's all about the beer... even if some of that beer tastes like water :)

Found The Fukuburger Truck And I Liked It

I don't know if it's a new trend, or a trend I just discovered, but gormet food trucks seem to be the new thing in Las Vegas.

These aren't the trucks that wander construction sites, selling tacos and sodas to hungry workers. These trucks use twitter, blogging, and good ol' world of mouth to find their customers. They roam the streets in brightly colored trucks, stopping in parking lots, sending out tweets about their location.

The first truck that I really noticed is called Slidin' Thru. The guys sell sliders and fantastic sweet potato fries. If you're lucky enough to catch up with them on certain nights, you may even find yourself with french dip or pork bbq sliders. I have a hard time getting to these guys because they're only in my neighborhood on Sundays and that's the day I like to cook at home. But I have tried their stuff and it's really good.

There's also a new guy on the block. Fukuburger makes full sized burgers with a japanese twist. The guys are just getting started and haven't established a routine yet, but they've been hanging out in China Town which I love because it's right near my office. I talked to one of the owners and he said their goal is to feed the masses who work on the strip - Industry workers who only have a few choices when their late night shift is over.

When I found their truck this week, they had a good crowd of people hanging out on lawn chairs and listening to music coming from a car. It was definitely a laid back experience, although with temperatures near the triple digits, I decided to take my burger back to my air conditioned office.

I ordered the Tamago Burger which comes with a fried egg and crunchy onion strips. I love egg on just about everything and this was no different. After my first bite I had egg yolk smothering the meat and bread. Perfecto! The burger itself was medium rare and I was fine with that, but I know some people may want to ask for their meat to be cooked a little more.

Overall I love the concept. Good food without having to pay a bundle or sit down in a restaurant. At FukuBurger, burgers are $5 and fries are $2. At Slidin' Thru, you get three for $7, but can also buy one at a time for $3. And definitely get the sweet potato fries, which are also $3 (Thanks for the prices Justin).

If you have a couple bucks and see these trucks around town, they're definitely worth the stop. If anything, you may make some new friends.

Fava Beans Without The Liver And Chianti

Ever see fresh fava beans at the supermarket? Pretty unlikely in Las Vegas unless you're lucky enough to have more money than God and shop at Whole Foods.

So when my corner Smith's supermarket started carrying fresh fava beans last week, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Of course I had no idea what I was looking at in the produce section, and I definitely had no idea how to serve them (except with liver and a nice Chianti). But here's what I learned...

Fava beans come in a pod, much like green beans. But the pod is huge, like green beans on steroids. You have to open the pod and pop out the beans, one by one. Not sure why, but the inside of the pod is soft and furry - When I first opened them, it kinda grossed me out. Sorry foodies, I just wasn't expecting it. 

There were only about 5 beans per pod, so if you're gonna make some for dinner, make sure you get enough pods. 

I took out the old trusty Martha Stewart Cookbook at found a recipe for Stir Fried Fava Beans. First you simmer the beans for 10 minutes. Next, a nice ice bath. For those of you who don't know what that means (Heather) drain the beans and dunk them in ice cold water so they stop cooking. 

Next you peel the individual beans. Who knew the outer skin wasn't good? Thanks Martha. 

Then I added the beans to a hot pan with oil. I stir fried the beans for about 2 minutes and added a splash of fish sauce. Yes, I have that stuff in my pantry. After another minute, I tossed the beans in a little salt and some diced chives out of the garden, and served them up. 

They were surprisingly delicious. It's hard to explain, but they were meaty and heavy, almost like a meal. Now that I know about them, and their fuzzy pod insides, I'll definitely make them again. Although probably only when I'm trying to impress my friends or I'm having Anthony Hopkins over for dinner. 

And just in case you're wondering, it took me two days to get Hannibal Lecter out of my head. 

These pods are huge! 

The inside of the pod

What I got out of two pods

The beans after they were cooked and peeled

The final product

Keeping Basil Fresh: My Accidental Experiment

I would love to grow basil in my garden, but it's just too hot in my backyard.

So when I bought some fresh basil at a gardens market, I was really hoping to make it last. I had read somewhere that you should always keep basil in a vase of water, kinda like flowers. So I trimmed the stems and put my basil in a little glass vase on the kitchen counter.

Surprisingly it did great, and it was really nice to have some fresh basil at my fingertips. I just changed the water every couple of days, just like flowers.

About a week and a half later, I was cleaning out the fridge, when I realized I had put some of that same basil in my produce drawer (yes things stay hidden in my fridge for weeks).

So 10 days after I bought the fresh basil from the farmers market, here's what it looked like - Half was fresh and green. The other half not so much.

The basil in the vase lasted another three days or so, before I finally threw it out. Not bad, considering the alternative.