…Stays in Vegas? Well, sometimes. Not if you’re around a bunch of New Media types at The New Media Expo; in that case, your exploits and adventures not only make it home… they make it on the Internet! Thanks, iPhone.
One of the Expo highlights for Betty was having the pleasure of interviewing the Father of Video Blogging, Steve Garfield… and then returning home with the evidence! Thanks to LA New Media and UStream for the opportunity, and the great video production! You can watch the interview here.
Betty also caught up with a bunch of friends and made some new ones! Here is a fun one with the lovely ladies of Wizzard Media, Heather Mallak and Elsie Escobar. (You can see more pictures on Betty’s Flickr.)
Here is Betty with Brett Wilson of Tubemogul and Brandice Schnabel of Viddler. Thanks for all the cool swag, guys! (You can see more pictures on Betty’s Flickr.)
But all work and no play makes Betty a dull gal… and who wants to be dull in Vegas? Not Betty!
So she hooked up with two friends that live in Vegas, Les & Karen! They took Betty to one of their favorite hot spots, Firefly, which was so much fun!
Firefly is a delicious tapas kitchen and bar. The atmosphere is casually swanky (just go with it) and the service was well above-average (Betty is an authority on this, btw.) The Camarones a la diabla (shrimp in a spicy chile sauce) were delectable! And spicy! The Steak and Mushroom Skewers (grilled filet, roast garlic cream, red wine reduction) were tender and perfectly seasoned. Betty also enjoyed a Big Bowl Salad and a pitcher of Sangria. Well, not by herself. Everyone shared the pitcher ;) So next time you’re in Vegas and you want to nosh with the locals in style… stop by Firefly.
Can you go to Vegas without stopping by Bellagio to see the Conservatory and Botanical Garden?
Well, you shouldn’t.
The spectacular floral displays were tricked out with trains running about the Summer Garden Party themed installation. Waterfalls, tunnels, ponds, bridges and all the mechanical, Disneyland-like stuff you’ve come to expect from Bellagio’s conservatory.
And the train had a tiny webcam on it! (Can you find Betty in the photo above?) Fortunately it wasn’t connected to the Internet. Can you imagine the crowds of people that would gather and call their friends saying, “Hey, look at me! I’m at the Bellagio!” Just like people do at the Sidewalk Cafe in Venice.
Hot-air balloons floated not just throughout the conservatory, but the hotel as well. Themes are fun. But the theme Summer Garden Party didn’t seem right. Mt. Rushmore, animated baby bald eagles and a tree with a face? It was more like Birth of a Nation… but in a good way.
Betty bid farewell to the ever-growing City of Sin (check out all those cranes in the skyline). The City of Angels was calling. Or was that her cat meowing?
Betty arrived home with an empty stomach and a bare fridge. What’s a gal to do? Go out? Order in? After all that eating out? Naw, raid the freezer! Grill (frozen) shrimp and defrost pesto cube. Add tomato sauce and roasted red peppers. Toss with angel hair pasta and devour. Does this recipe interest you? What the heck is a pesto cube? Should Betty do an episode on Shrimp Pesto Pasta?
And what was Betty craving after she had a chance to get to the market? More pasta? You’re kidding. Cheese filled ravioli topped with mushrooms, roasted peppers, Canadian bacon and zucchini in a simple sauce of chicken broth, olive oil and cream. A dusting of Pecorino Romano makes for comfort in a bowl. Maybe this recipe intrigues you? Maybe you have a better one? Write to Betty or leave a comment below and tell her!
CHECK OUT BETTY’S LATEST!
Link to the Buttermilk Flap Jacks recipe.
Click for printer-friendly version!
Link to the Flap Jacked video.
Link to the accompanying Flap Jacked blog post.
Please help support Average Betty by supporting our sponsors, like Mariner Software! Mariner makes great software for creative people. Foodies will love MacGourmet Deluxe to help with recipe and wine management. MacJournal and WinJournal are perfect for journal and blogging endeavors, and Montage is the tool for screenwriting. Check out all of the great software titles from Mariner Software!
[…] interviewed me at The Pulse Network booth, and the mics were definitely pulsing. Steve and I go way back; it was fun catching up right there on the live internets. You can watch the video […]