Bistro 555 - Greektown Hotel

Greektown Casino – Detroit
Bistro 555
http://www.greektowncasino.com

Do you like to gamble? Whether you answer yes or no to this question, you can still enjoy the delightful cuisine offered by some of casino’s finest restaurants. I recently visited the new Greektown Hotel and Casino in Detroit and found my meal at the hotel restaurant exquisite. Bistro 555 is located on the second floor of the hotel and overlooks the lobby. There’s a quaint little bar and lounge area to have a drink if you’re waiting for a friend or a table. The atmosphere is simply sophisticated and relaxing. You’ll find it enjoyable no matter the occasion or the company.

Now onto the food! This had to be one of the best meals I’ve had dining out. We started with an appetizer of crab cakes that were very good. I’ve had crab cakes many times at restaurants and these were just as tasty as any. Next the salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion with balsamic vinaigrette was excellent! However, the best part of my meal was the main dish. We each selected the orecchiette pasta flavored with olive oil, crushed tomatoes, garlic, basil and thyme topped with Salmon. You also have the choice of shrimp or chicken. First of all, the pasta stayed hot throughout most of the meal which is always a good thing. I like my pasta as hot as I can stand it. Second, the flavor of these simple ingredients was amazing and really blended well with the pasta and the fish. Finally, this salmon was cooked to perfection. It is the best salmon I’ve ever had really. Not seasoned with anything, but so moist and flavorful. My only regret is that I couldn’t finish every bite. I even took a break so I could eat more. I felt guilty even leaving a little.

Since I also like to cook and try new recipes all the time, I attempted to recreate this meal at home. I bought all of the ingredients and it was very easy. I started with olive oil and garlic in a small skillet. Once that cooked for a minute or so, I added the crushed tomatoes (not too much of the juice though) along with dried basil and thyme. You can use fresh herbs as well. I blended the hot mixture with the cooked pasta and topped with the grilled salmon. It tasted almost as good. The flavor of the sauce could have been stronger and the salmon wasn’t nearly as good. I guess I need a little more practice cooking salmon. It was still pretty tasty though and will go on my list of quick meals to make at home.

I’d like to add a little plug for the hotel as well. The service and rooms are top notch. The valet attendants, concierge and front desk staff are all very friendly and accommodating. The room was gorgeous! It had a huge bed with very comfortable pillows and bedding. You can watch TV on a large screen mounted on the wall. You also get your standard desk and sitting chair in the room. The sink is separate from the bathroom, which is nice when you’re sharing a room and one person is taking a shower. Best of all, you get to sleep in a blue glass building!! How many times have you done that?!

Anyway, if you’re looking for a quick getaway (and great food), check it out! http://www.greektowncasino.com

Nuevo Acapulco es Muy Bueno

If you love great Mexican food in an authentic atmosphere, you will cherish your time at Nuevo Acapulco. They have the best Mexican food I’ve tasted in Cleveland. Not to mention the nicest wait staff with impeccable service. Your dinner will be on the table in no time.

You will start out your visit with a big basket of warm tortilla chips and tasty salsa at no charge. We also like to get a side of guacamole and queso to enjoy with our chips. While you’re chowing on the chips, you will spend a bit of time perusing the menu with plenty of great dishes to choose from. It all sounds so good it’s difficult to decide on one. That is why I always select from the combo section where you can get 2 or 3 different items. No matter what you decide, I recommend the chicken for your choice of meat. You will get a generous portion of the tenderest chicken ever!

My favorite combination is the crunchy taco, tamale and enchilada. I don’t usually finish it all, but the leftovers are good too. If the main dish isn’t enough to satisfy you, you will receive a generous portion of rice and refried beans. These beans are sooo good, you won’t want to stop eating them. Actually, it’s all that good. I usually just continue eating until I’m stuffed. There’s never room for dessert. I’m sure they are just as delicious as the rest of the food.

I have tried the frozen margarita which is very tasty. However, I’m normally a beer drinker so I got buzzed pretty quickly from the tequila.

Nuevo Acapulco has two great locations to serve you in North Olmsted and Berea. Check out the website for more information. You really have to try this place. Even if you live on the other side of town, it’s well worth the drive!!

I’d love to hear about your favorite Mexican restaurant. Feel free to share your experiences at Nuevo Acapulco or elsewhere.

Sweet Potato Casserole

If you don’t like Sweet Potatoes, you just might after trying this recipe. This traditional holiday dish is sometimes untouched by many at the table. Not everyone is a fan of sweet potatoes, whether it is the texture or the taste that makes it unpalatable. However it is amazing how a few everyday spices can turn a not so tasty dish into something you will just love.

I found the following recipe on the Food Network website created by the “Food Network Kitchen”. I changed it a little bit, but I’m sure it would be tasty either way. Besides it’s fun to be creative and make a favorite recipe of your own.

This recipe calls for 2 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes that you bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, but I used canned sweet potatoes. If you baked the potatoes, let them cool a bit and scoop the potato out of the skins in to a bowl. If you are using canned potatoes, drain them and pour into a bowl. Now it’s time to mash. Gently mash them with a fork or masher until smooth. Be sure not to over do it because then they’ll get mushy and watery. Now add the following ingredients which are going to give new life to this otherwise boring vegetable.

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the preparing the pan
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Once you’ve added everything, whisk until blended and smooth. Pour into a buttered 8 x 8 casserole dish and top with either pecans (as the recipe calls for) or marshmallows (which is what I did…Yum!!). A pecan topping is definitely a different twist to the traditional sweet potato and marshmallow combination but I’m a sucker for toasted marshmallows and the sweetness of them really blended well with the rest of the ingredients. After you’ve baked the casserole at 350 degrees for 30 minutes it is ready to be served.



I made this for Thanksgiving and I have to tell you people were going back for seconds. It was almost gone by the end of dinner and what was left, I of course snagged for myself.

Check out this Sweet Potato Casserole recipe at Food Network. Please feel free to comment on how your family enjoyed this tasty dish.

Farmer's Pasta

Looking for a new pasta recipe that’s different than the traditional red sauce and the whole family will love? Then you will want to make this Farmer’s Pasta, courtesy of Food Network’s Giada DeLaurentiis. I hope you like cheese though because it is the cheesiest pasta you will ever make!

The recipe starts with sautéing 6 ounces of pancetta in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pancetta is an Italian style bacon that is cured with salt and spices. It really has a great flavor which adds to the taste of this dish. Once the bacon is crisp transfer it to a dish using a slotted spoon. Keep the pan drippings in the pot and sauté 3 teaspoons of minced garlic for 30 seconds. Next add 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk for two minutes. It is very important to time the cooking of each ingredient accurately to avoid burning any of them. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I always prepare my ingredients prior to starting the cooking process so they’re ready when I’m ready to add them.

Now for the dairy…add 7 cups of whole milk. Yes, I said 7 cups!! You must add this gradually whisking all the while. It is very helpful if you have someone helping you during this step, but not necessary. Once all of the milk is added, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit, being sure to whisk regularly for about 5 minutes. Next, whisk in all of the grated cheeses which consist of 8 ounces of Fontina, 4 ounces of Mozzarella, ¾ cup parmesan and 6 ounces of Provolone. Your cheese sauce is now ready!!

Cook your pasta in another pot about 7 minutes until it’s almost al dente. Al dente is an Italian term which means ‘to the tooth’. It is used to describe pasta that is cooked but still has a firm bite to it. It is best to cook pasta al dente if you’re going to add it to a dish that will be cooking more in the oven.

Once the pasta is done, add it to your cheese sauce, then mix in 3 tablespoons of chopped Italian parsley, 3 tablespoons of fresh basil leaves and the cooked pancetta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour the entire mixture into a prepared baking dish coated with butter.

You probably think it’s ready to go into the oven now, right? Not yet! One more step. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and sauté about 30 seconds. Take off the heat and add 2 cups of fresh coarse bread crumbs. Coat the bread crumbs with the oil and garlic then pour on top of the pasta. Drizzle with olive oil and bake about 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned. You could definitely get away with a little less bread crumbs, two cups can be a bit overwhelming at times once it’s mixed in with the pasta.

Just one last thing to do now and that is to enjoy your dinner!! There are so many great flavors in this dish with the garlic, pancetta, 4 different types of cheeses, the fresh herbs and the bread crumb topping. There are many steps involved, so it is best reserved for the weekend when you have a bit more time to cook. But it is well worth it and will be enjoyed by all!!

Check out the full recipe here on the Food Network Website – Farmer’s Pasta.

Hummus

Need a good Hummus recipe? I’ve got a really good one for you and it’s easy to make. Courtesy of the Food Network Kitchens, the following recipe is one you’ll want to make over and over again. All you need is:

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
¾ cup water
½ cup tahini
5 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, water, tahini, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and garlic and puree. While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil and process until fully incorporated. Season with pepper to taste. Store in the refrigerator for 6 hours for flavors to come together.

When ready to serve, remove hummus from the refrigerator and stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice and parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with flat breads and olives. Store any leftover hummus in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.



We usually eat the Hummus with warm pita bread and it’s also great with Multi-Grain tortilla chips. If you like Hummus, you’re going to love this recipe. You may even want to make a double batch because it will disappear quickly!!

Deep Springs Trout Club

I have never eaten so much fish in one sitting!! The funny thing is I probably could have eaten more if my stomach was bigger. Sometimes you stop eating something because you’ve had enough of the flavor, but that was not the case here. Every little bit of this trout was delicious.

Let me take you through my journey at the Deep Springs Trout Club. This diamond is tucked away deep in the heart of rural Chardon, OH. As we were traveling along the beautiful country roads that make up Chardon, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. When we drove up to the Club, I was surprised to see that the restaurant itself is not very big. But when you walk in, you are welcomed by a comfortable, quaint environment for dining. The atrium-like structure of this restaurant brought the outdoors in with the warmth of the sunshine shining through the windows and a clear view of the beautiful landscape. There are two lakes outside, a large one for fishing and a smaller one to hold the fish caught that day for cooking. There is also a fountain of fresh spring water that members can use to fill up gallon jugs for only 25 cents.

Now on to the food! We started out passing around a place of delicious, juicy sweet watermelon. Shortly following, we were served a plate of cut up red peppers drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Then…I tasted for the first time trout pate served on saltine crackers. I could have eaten the whole plate. It was so good that I found myself googling recipes for trout pate later that day. Next, we had breaded, fried calamari and roasted hot banana peppers. Are you feeling full yet? Keep reading!! Once we finished the appetizers, they brought out a plate of trout filets. Half of them were breaded and deep fried and the other half were coated in a lovely, so tasty Cajun spice. The breaded filets were very moist inside and perfectly fried. The Cajun filets I believe were also fried. They weren’t as moist but had such a wonderful flavor to them. You may think a Cajun flavored dish would be hot and spicy but the heat of the seasoning was very tolerable. It was just wonderful!

You probably think we’re done here, not a chance. Our host, a close client of ours, insisted we have dessert. Who am I to turn down dessert?! Especially a chocolate one! I indulged in a chocolate tortufo which was a ball of chocolate mousse with a vanilla center. It was very yummy!! The others in the group enjoyed hazelnut gelato and vanilla ice cream.

This was a very unique experience that I will cherish for years to come. Before you think about visiting though, I have to break your heart and tell you that it is part of a country club that has a membership fee. You either have to be a member or go with a member. I hope you will some day have the chance to visit the Deep Springs Trout Club or somewhere similar for some very tasty fresh fish dishes!!

Vegetarian Chili

Chili, to me, is a comfort food. It’s great for football games, on hot dogs, french fries or a meal to warm you up on a cold day. We’re all familiar with the traditional chili…meat, beans, tomatoes, spices…you know what I’m talking about. But these days, so many people are cutting out meat and wanting to be healthier. I have a wonderful vegetarian chili recipe shared with me by my sister-in-law (she and my brother are vegetarians) and you’re just going to love it. However, I hope you like beans and can deal with their effects because we are talking about a lot of beans. Let’s check it out…

First you will need to gather all of your ingredients. They are:

4 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (12 oz) bottle of beer (you can substitute broth for this)
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained & rinsed
**optional toppings based on your preference are shredded cheddar cheese or sour cream

Now it’s time to start cooking. Grab your stock pot and put in on the stove. In it you will sauté the garlic in olive oil on medium heat. The garlic can either be minced or finely chopped. I use a garlic press. This will only take about a minute. Be sure to watch your garlic closely so it does not burn. That will surely ruin the taste of the chili.

The next step will be to add all of the ingredients except for the beans. Keep in mind there are a lot of cans to open and spices to measure out. I always prep everything before I start cooking so I can pour it all into the pot immediately. Let this cook for a few minutes, then add the beans and corn. At this point, you will want to bring the chili to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Feel free to add more liquid as necessary, either water or broth.

That’s pretty much it! Sounds simple, doesn’t it? If you like chili and all of the ingredients I’ve listed above, you will love this recipe. It makes plenty so be sure to invite some friends or family over. Serve with your favorite cornbread recipe.