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Local restaurateurs share tips for making meals in your kitchen

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Make all the soups.

Food, specifically the astounding number of restaurants that dot our Valley, is one of the greatest pleasures of living in Las Vegas. With the recent closure of nonessential businesses including all dine-in eateries, we lost that communal spirit we all feel when we dine out together. Never to be discouraged by challenging times, however, many restaurants are offering the option of no-contact delivery and curbside pickup.

Still, many of us are making more meals at home than ever before, which poses a challenge. But these special circumstances can also be a time for creativity in the kitchen. After all, just a generation or two ago, this is how the majority of Americans ate, and with even more tools in our cabinets—I’m looking at you, InstantPot and air fryer—we have a lot of options at our disposal.

“I grew up in a Mormon household, so there’s always general talk in that culture to stay prepared with a food supply,” says Bryce Krausman, owner of DW Bistro. “My mom always had, generally, a six-month window of food in our basement. So she’s always been prepared for things like this no matter what situation it would be.”

A well-stocked pantry is key, but even in these times of less-than-full store shelves, creativity and a willingness to try something new will get you through the days ahead, says Matteo Ferdinandi, founder of Matteo’s and Sixth + Mill Ristorante, Pizzeria and Bar at the Venetian. “Risotto, for example—you can experiment with that, and it will feed and comfort you. You can actually achieve great results even though you’ve never made it, and you can play with any type of rice you have at home these days.”

And those trendy Italian dishes you love ordering at restaurants? You can re-create them at home using store-bought pasta and basic ingredients, Ferdinandi says. “Dry pasta lasts forever and is there whenever you need it. Make different sauces, from simple tomato sauce or butter and cheese. Today the cacio e pepe is very fashionable, right? But when we were growing up in Italy, that’s the pasta sauce that was made for the kids.”

For parents who now have their kids 24/7 with limited outdoor time, Krausman has pointers for easing some of the stress of cooking. “Do things while they are asleep,” he says. “Make the soups. You can dress it differently with different herbs or crackers. Prep and put things in the freezer or the fridge for each day so that you can free up the time to actually be with them. … For breakfast, have ready-made pancake batters or Kodiak Cakes. You can throw in a little chocolate chips and make it more interesting, like we do at DW.”

And just because we’re in social isolation, who says we can’t throw a virtual party for a few of our closest friends? Video-conferencing platforms like Zoom or Google Hangout will be our lifeline in the next few weeks as we try to stay connected with friends and family.

“Create some type of cocktail party this week or next week,” Krausman suggests. “Pull out that vodka and those little onions and olives and make little bites. One of the things I love to make is a cannellini bean bruschetta. I love cannellini beans, because they’re super high in protein. Cut some rosemary, grab a couple heads of garlic, and just put that over toasted bread. It’s delicious.”

Tags: Food
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