Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/61759
photography by peter yang (goode); eric ita (ita); allison duck (ajamian) ...without whom this issue would not have been possible april/may 2012 catherine de orio C hef and TV personality Catherine De Orio (culinarycurator.com) is a recovering attorney who gave up the courtroom for the kitchen. She interviewed Vegas's "green" chefs in honor of Earth Day. What's exciting about the new crop of green chefs? I found it so inspiring how they all work together to contribute by sharing their sources, tips, and methodologies. Do you have a favorite Vegas restaurant? I hate to play favorites, but I do adore L'atelier de Joël Robuchon. And recently I had a spicy green papaya salad with a seared scallop at RM Seafood that was divine. eric ita E ric Ita has spent time on both sides of the camera as a model and photographer in town. For this issue, his first, he photographed our green chefs feature. What inspired these offbeat portraits? T he quirkiness that's unique to each indi- vidual makes it stand out and makes you look at the photo just a little longer. What did you enjoy most about the shoot? When I heard gregory goode A San Francisco-based photographer of archi- tecture, still life, and travel, Gregory Goode tackled the competitive world of Arabian horses in our "Horse Play" feature for this issue. How did you get the horse to smile? Like people, horses are not entirely predictable; each has its own personality and tempera- ment. Fortunately, HV Aliah Bint Sinan was good-natured and a willing subject: A bag of carrots and a little peanut butter helped her get into the spirit for our shoot. Do you ride horses at all? I grew up on a small farm with horses. My mother had a cottage industry teaching local girls how to ride. What do you love about Vegas? I am an inveterate traveler and unabashed people-watcher (some would say voyeur), so it is always with some excitement that I go to Las Vegas. It's Venice, Paris, ancient Thebes, New York... all washed up onto a beach in the desert. I would be shooting chefs, I was quite nervous at first, because my first impression is that they wouldn't have great senses of humor. I was definitely wrong. They had no problems getting into it! shaké ajamian Sh aké Ajamian is reinventing herself ("like Las Vegas," she says). The mother of two has written for Vegas's sister publications Las Vegas Magazine and Vegas2Go for more than a year, and penned our Frontrunners features on Frank Sinatra and El Rancho resort. What did you learn about Sinatra in researching your story? His loyalty to fellow Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. and refusal to patronize casinos that refused to serve African Americans gave me a newfound appreciation for the man. What are your favorite things about Las Vegas? The opportunity and potential for growth are unparalleled! Reinventing yourself is com- pletely doable and within reach. It's exciting. 30 vegasmagazine.com