We feel your summertime state-of-mind at SAVOUR Hospitality. Stop in at any of four classic venues, LockKeepers, Marble Room, Il Venetian or St. Clair Ballroom, and enjoy the alluring tastes of summer. We bring the best flavors of the season to our valued guests, and complement them with friendly, professional service.
Chef Alberto Leandri's Tips for Savoring Your Summer Tomatoes
Chef Alberto Leandri, who brings his culinary skills straight from Venice, Italy, offers details on summer’s most beloved vegetable, the tomato. Our Il Venetian executive chef opines that:
1. Summer tomatoes are best from the farm! If you can’t access a farm, try buying your tomatoes at the farmer’s market, a Whole Foods store, or at Heinen’s, which carries farm-fresh produce throughout summer.
2. When purchasing, choose tomatoes that are still on the vine, and are firm but not too firm. They should be firm but not hard, and they should give a little when gently squeezed.
3. Summer tomatoes should be selected and picked with some vine still attached to preserve flavor.
4. Never store your tomatoes in the refrigerator; it stops the ripening process! Keep the vines attached, too, until use.
5. Summer brings endless varieties of tomatoes. The most popular are cherry tomatoes, the best for snacking; grape tomatoes, which are miniature, pear-shaped and good for crunchiness; and heirloom tomatoes, those “ugly tomatoes” that are best for cooking sauces. For a tasty tomato-centered treat that’s not too time-consuming, try chopping up tomatoes for fresh salsas or salads. Chef Alberto recommends his favorite quick-bite salad: combine grape tomatoes, basil and parmesan cheese, and top with garlic aioli (which you can purchase at the grocery store).
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