Giada De Laurentiis is the first woman celebrity chef to open her own restaurant in Las Vegas, and calls it the “Italian restaurant of my dreams.” It is located in the new boutique hotel The Cromwell with a floor to ceiling view of the Bellagio fountains. She has overseen every detail of the menu and design no matter how small, and tested a dozen chairs before she was satisfied. She had read that Alice Waters sits in every seat at every table in her legendary Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse to ensure that each diner would have a good experience, and Giada says ‘I’m going to sit in every chair in my restaurant, just like Alice Waters.” She tops this fabulous chopped salad with shaved Gorgonzola instead of the more traditional Parmesan; a delicious addition.
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. walnut oil
Salt and pepper
10 ounces Tuscan kale, stems discarded and leaves thinly sliced
3 Belgian endives – halved, cored and thinly sliced
One 6-ounce head of radicchio – halved, cored and thinly sliced
8 fresh or dried figs, cut into wedges
4 ounces sliced prosciutto, chopped
One 4 ounce wedge of Gorgonzola cheese, frozen until solid, for serving.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and bake for 8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then chop.
In a very large bowl, whisk the mascarpone, vinegar and both oils; season with salt and pepper. Add the toasted walnuts, kale, endives, radicchio, figs and prosciutto and toss well. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Using a vegetable peeler, shave half of the frozen Gorgonzola over the salad and serve right away, shaving the remaining cheese at the table. Serves 8 to 10
Note: Walnut oil is expensive, so just substitute olive oil for the small amount called for if you don’t have it. Tuscan kale is the soft , easy to chew variety. This is hearty enough to be a main dish.
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