Columnist Muriel Stevens: No shortage of shopping in Vegas

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 8:16 a.m.

Who ever dreamed that Las Vegas would be duking it out with restaurants and gaming for a piece of Las Vegas action? This Mother's Day, surprise your favorite female with a shopping/dining day.

The Forum Shops and the Appian Way at Caesars Palace, the Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian, The District at Green Valley Ranch, Fashion Show mall, Mandalay Place, the Wynn Las Vegas Esplanade and Desert Passage at the Aladdin are choice locales.

And don't forget the Boulevard mall, Boca Park in Summerlin and the designer outlet malls in Primm and downtown Las Vegas near the Clark County Government Center.

Shop until you drop into a chair at the restaurant of your choice. Remember to put any packages in the trunk of the car instead of inside before dining so that there are no unpleasant surprises when you return.

Sur La Table: Sur La Table cookware and tableware store in Desert Passage offers an exceptional selection of merchandise for the home cook and the professional. Gadgets galore, cookbooks, table mats and foodstuffs. Sur La Table is a favorite source for culinarians. Catalogs are also available.

Williams-Sonoma cookware shops offer a decent selection of cookery items, but do not have the depth of merchandise they used to have when I first started shopping there, mostly by catalog. The catalog selection is quite good.

Cookbook for mother: For many years I collected the regional cookbooks created by Junior League members in many states. Most of the collection was donated to UNLV when I moved into a smaller home. My bookshelves are once again home to new Junior League cookbooks.

The most recent acquisition, "Toast to Tidewater: Celebrating Virginia's Finest Food & Beverages" ($27.95 plus $5 shipping), is a beauty.

Published by Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, the recipes were a reminder of my Aunt Sara, who lived on Centre Hill in Peterburg, Va.

This Yankee visited the family every summer and learned to love the foods of the South. The fresh seafood and the decadent desserts were my favorite things. Many of the recipes included in "Toast to Tidewater" include crabmeat and the seafoods I love.

Books can be ordered by calling (757) 623-7270, faxing (757) 623-3932 or by visiting www.jlvb.org. A lovely gift for a mother who can't resist a new cookbook.

To your health: In my search for the secret of good health I subscribe to many health-oriented newsletters. I also keep up with information offered in the FDA Consumer, a magazine that informs readers about how to stay healthy. It features the latest findings on diet and nutrition, and how to submit comments to the FDA.

FDA Consumer is the official magazine of of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A one-year subscription is $14. To order call (866) 512-1800. Mothers will enjoy the knowledge it imparts.

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, cookbook collectors, shoppers and information buffs. Have a wonderful day.