AboutMyBeaches turns 14 today. I started the blog to showcase places like Flavor of India. Those unique places. I consider the blog my diary. I can write about far away places or places close to home and in my backyard. 👏👏
Flavor of India has become a favorite. I think I wrote about them for the first time in 2011. It is located at 348 North Dupont Hwy. in Dover. Phone 302-677-0121. They open 7 days a week, offering a buffet for lunch only.
It is next to a liquor store and a Motel 8 but don’t let that discourage you. Take out is available too.
I arrived early but it filled up pretty soon. Tablecloths, so clean and good service. The buffet was set up but I ordered from the menu since I like goat and they don’t offer it on the buffet.
My choice was the Goat Pasanda. It is cooked in Indian spices, with a cashew nut gravy. Medium heat for me. Basmati Rice, of course. A traditional Naan too.
It was delicious. The goat has some bones but that’s the way it is served. The Naan paired well with the gravy.
The restaurant offers wine and beer.
For dessert I always order Gajar Halwa. This is a carrot based sweet dessert pudding made by placing grated carrots in a pot containing water, milk, and sugar, cardamon and then cooking by stirring. It was served with a garnish of almonds and pistachios. Served warm.
All in all a nice lunch while celebrating the 14th anniversary of AboutMyBeaches.🎂 AboutMyBeaches is on Instagram and Facebook.
If you want to check out the other posts on Flavor of India just put the name on the search.
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Up until a few minutes ago I had not realized that the blog I started in 2009 is celebrating 13 years of sharing my thoughts on finding out about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner today. http://www.aboutmybeaches.com
No photos at the beginning until I caught on how important photos are to all of us. We are so visual.
The first post was about McCabes Gourmet Market in Bethany Beach. No longer McCabes, times have changed. Great store that we all loved for many years. Their Queso (Mexican Cheese Dip) Recipe is on the website. Click on it and put it on the Search.
My second post was Agave. The ever present Margaritas, the Avocado Martini, music, best chili, guacamole and so on.
At the time blogs were beginning to take place in our society. But, people would still smiled like saying: really? Blah, Blah, and Blah. The point of my blog was that I could put my two cents in about places that I have been to, my beloved beaches in Southern Delaware and beyond. Food, recipes and reviews. We all have different tastes, likes and dislikes but it was my diary sort of speak of. I can write when I want to and other times I just take a break and put tidbits on My Facebook page.
Since the beginning I have spoken of how good the corn is in Southern Delaware. I just took this photo the other day. White corn, but they have yellow and a mix kernel ones, as well. Freeman’s on Robinsonville Rd. in Lewes is the best. Every day it is picked and it is so fresh that you can eat it raw. I usually eat one or two ears like that. Amazing.
Lewes’ Lighthouses are something to see.
Strolling the Boardwalk day or night.
I have lived here for so many years. I am a foodie and love to eat and experience different cultures.
My blog continues and one of the best things that have happened since opening AboutMyBeaches is that I have learned so much about our area. It is not just the beaches, so much more depth. It has given my family a very nice life. I don’t take it for granted. I appreciate it.
Until then check my Facebook Page, and Instagram and stop here for recipes and information. It’s all good.
Love Crabs….these ones from Suicide Bridge.
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In the winter there is nothing like a warming bowl of soup. It was cold on Sunday. But, today at the Delaware Beaches the temperatures will rise to the upper 40’s. I’ll take that.
Over the years I have bought tons of magazines. A lot of them have been food oriented. I go through them many times and then I start cutting recipes out and putting them in folders. With a morning coffee I go through them and if something catches my eye, I take it out.
I picked an Onion Soup Recipe that got my attention back in 2013 in a Food & Wine Magazine. It is a healthier version of the traditional French Onion Soup. Traditional soups are fantastic but making them healthier while conserving flavor it’s the trick. That hunk of bread and thick layer of melting cheese makes it high in calories and sodium. Sorry, but it is true.
For Meatless Monday and being that it is a cloudy day this onion soup might be just what you need. I made it yesterday and it is a keeper.
Meatless Monday is a worldwide organization trying to have folks like us eat meatless at least one day per week.
The Recipe
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, (sweet or regular) halved and thinly sliced
Kosher Salt
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 cups of beef stock or low sodium broth
Baguettes (either cut your own or buy prepared ones) I used small ones for my large bowl.
Gruyere shredded cheese. I packed that cheese on the baguettes.
In a large pot heat oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and just starting to brown. Maybe about 7 minutes or so. Taste the broth and add a bit of salt and continue to cook over moderate low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and golden. I would say 20 minutes?
Add the wine and soy sauce to the pot. Cook for a few more minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Then, simmer over low to moderate heat, again stirring occasionally until the onion broth is well flavored and slightly reduced. Taste again and if needed add more salt.
You can make the soup ahead of time until this point.
Then pre-heat the broiler and arrange the baguettes on a baking sheet and top with the Gruyere cheese. Broil until melted.
To serve this onion soup, ladle it into bowls and top with the cheese toasts. You may sprinkle a little bit of cheese all over the soup prior to placing the cheese toasts, as well.
Hope this will be a keeper for you too. Remember AboutMyBeaches has a FB page just in case you want to chime in.
This blog started in 2009 with the idea of offering the readers who want to be in the know about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner.
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Hello there. It is Saturday, January 9th. Life continues as it should and here in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, we continue to experience great food even through a pandemic.
The Rehoboth Foodie, our local celebrity when it comes to restaurant reviews has a weekly radio show on 92.7 FM where he invites guests and have a one on one chat. I was honored to have been invited for today’s show. It will take place at 2 p.m. If you are a local then you can tune in but you can also stream it on http://www.wgmd.com.
My talk with Bob included the traditions of my Puertorican heritage. It was Three Kings Day or the Epiphany when we taped so I was able to bring him some pasteles, fried plantains, mojito, arroz con gandules (pigeon peas) and Puertorican famous Coquito which the eggnog.
It was a lot of fun and I got to know Bob better and experience his sense of humor.
Also on the radio show you will hear from SoDel Concepts’ Corporate Pastry Chef Dru Tevis and Baywood’s Head Pastry Chef Ellie Keck for a behind-the scenes peek at how they keep 12 restaurants in fresh, new desserts.
Have a beautiful day. It is chilly in Southern Delaware but the sun is out!!
Remember AboutMyBeaches has a Facebook Page where you can read what’s going on and leave me some comments.
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I don’t know about you but I think we are becoming better cooks nowadays. I wish I could say the same about baking. It is not my forte but I can make a few things too.
I always say that Thanksgiving is a time for an overabundance of food, but, Christmas I like a more simple meal. If you saw my last post a prime rib roast is nothing simple. It makes an amazing presentation, more so if cooked right.
As New Year approached I think I had my fill of beef. Time for some lobster. It looks so pretty at a table and it is delicious. I decided to make a Lobster Newburg. I usually make recipes my own because I add a little bit of this and a little bit of that. At times a secret ingredient of saffron can make it taste out of this world. A few sweet peas….not sure if that’s even on a Lobster Newburg. Some make toast points…..Oh no, we had it over pasta. Pair it with a French 75 cocktail using Courvoisier instead of gin, believe me it is to die for.
The broth had so much taste because using the shells it is the way to go when making a seafood broth.
Save the rest of the broth. You can freeze it for another time.
New Year’s Day is a new beginning. Starting up with a decadent breakfast is always a must. Eggs Benedict, my own style too. Did not want any bread so on top of the grilled asparagus and Surry ham from Surry, Virginia, poached eggs and homemade Hollandaise Sauce.
And then came the Apple Toddy. This recipe has winesap apples which are hard to get around here, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, sugar, grated orange rind, rum, peach brandy, apple brandy, bourbon and lemon juice. You need to start this by cooking the apples then everything goes in a crok in a stoneware crock for 16 weeks. So start way before the holidays and place it in your garage in a cool place.
To drink it pour in your desired glasses and you can cut the apples up in bite size pieces. I never used to enjoy it years ago but I have acquired a liking for this old family recipe.
So in order to finish the day I wanted to get some black eyed peas. Nowhere to be found. Yeap, I went a little too late to some of the stores. I wanted that good luck everyone says they bring you. Black beans will have to do. I decided to make a black bean soup which if I say so myself was pretty good for not planning anything in advance. A little garnish here or there and it turn out as good as the photo shows.
And so another year begins. I did not make any resolutions. I will take one step at a time, enjoying every moment, every day.
Wishing you the best for 2021.
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“One of the nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” pavarotti
And when we stop and enjoy dinner with friends, the experience is priceless!!
Dewey Beach was somewhat quiet last night, if you can imagine. During the day the yearly event of the Running of The Bulls might have deterred some to even have dinner in town. Not us. My friends, Debbie, Amantha, and Sharon had a destination in mind…..Two Seas. This restaurant has been in Dewey for over 30 years. It is family owned and run. On any single night all owners are there, greeting you at the door. There is no rush to get you in and out. Friendly conversation, more so when one of my friends is a true “native”.
Rooftop Dining…so glad we were able to get a table because the views are the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. The night was comfortably warm, not much of a breeze, though. Perfect for eating al fresco. Two Seas is located at 1300 Coastal Highway. It is at the corner of Van Dyke Ave. and Coastal Highway. Tel. 302-227-2610. There is parking underneath, which not many restaurants have in the area.
I usually try to avoid going out on the week-ends….it gets hectic at the beach. This week-end, Friday and Saturday with friends was a lot of fun.
Let’s get to the topic at hand…eating. The Delaware Beaches are a dining destination. Chefs are outdoing themselves with so many innovative dishes. Last night our choices are always on the Menu. So many years of preparing these dishes…they truly have perfected them.
They do run specials and last night’s Spicy Tuna & Avocado Maki Roll is something we shared while having some wine.
I had not realized it but my choice of the Sweet Onion Crusted Red Snapper is the same dish that I ordered in 2010. It is delicious, oven baked served with Madeira sauce and caramelized onions that added a sweet touch. Amantha and I had the same dish and both of us loved it. This is a signature dish.
Debbie’s entree was the Cedar Plank Scottish Organic Salmon with potatoes and fresh vegetables….she said “All done to perfection, no complaints.” It was broiled with a maple glaze.
Sharon decided on the Two Seas Angel Pasta. It was tossed with their own marinara freshly made with vine ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, olive oil, and toasted garlic. Finished with parmesan. This dish can be enjoyed by itself or you may top it with shrimp, scallops or chicken.
No dessert was necessary; we were completely satisfied.
Please note that there is no elevator and you do have to go up the stairs.
Relax, you are at the beach!!
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This has been my year for traveling. But you know what? “Do me a favor…Stand up, walk to wherever the nearest window is, and just look outside. You may not know this, but there’s an entire planet-worth of summers, friends, sunsets, street lamps, songs, late nights, great films, and night skies waiting for you. Your life is as amazing as you want it to be, but first, you have to let it be that way.” chad sugg
I took off for Portland, Oregon, to visit a friend that I had not seen since 1973. We had so much fun. The weather was pretty good in Portland. I had no idea that it does not snow. Maybe once or twice through the years. What they do have for a winter is a day like we have had today at the Delaware Beaches…..grey and wet. They don’t even get thunderstorms. It is a drizzle. That is probably why their soil is fertile and the wine is delish.
Arriving in Portland the first thing that caught my eye from the airplane was Mt. Hood. Towards the end of my stay we decided to go up to the mountain to check out Timberline Lodge. The lodge was built in 1937. Some of the scenes of the movie The Shining were filmed here. They used aerial shots of the Timberline Lodge as part of its opening scene and also some other shots outside of the fictional Overlook Hotel.
The inspiration for the Lodge was the mountain. The architects used 3 themes to illustrate the regional heritage: hand-hewn timbers and hand-crafted furnishings to pay tribute to early pioneers, carved wood and wrought iron designs to capture the Indian spirit, and carvings of animals and paintings of wildflowers to represent wildlife native to Mt. Hood.
The timbers used were huge. The lodge had the fire going. It was rainy and cold. Plenty of hikers last week. We were hungry and thirsty so we decided to try the Ram’s Head Bar which is uniquely located on the second floor circular balcony.
We ordered some drinks. I decided to try Grady’s Spill…It is the short glass on the photo. “It’s advocaat sir, it does tend to stain. I’ll just set my Bourbon and Advocaat down…right here”…from Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Shining” Eastside Distilling egg nog advocaat liqueur, Jack Daniels, angostura bitters; served on the rocks with nutmeg, cinnamon and hazelnuts. It really tasted like an egg nog. It was good!!
And speaking of hazelnuts, Oregon is the largest producer of hazelnuts. We ordered Smoked Hazelnuts and Charcuterie.
A delicious Puree of Mushroom Soup with smoked hazelnuts, and green onions, and a Fire Roasted Tomato Soup with a rosemary crouton, and olive oil garnish.
The weather was conducive for a warm and comforting soup. But this was just a tasting. A dinner reservation was waiting in Portland where chefs are preparing some amazing dishes. Talk to you later.
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It was getting dark and the perfect time of the evening for Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. I was attending this production by Brown Box Theatre, brining free theatre to the Delmarva. This is the Six Annual Free Shakespeare at the Beach. Nothing better than enjoying a production under the stars, and on this particular night at Tower Road with one of the WWII towers paying attention.
Meet Kyler Taustin…Hometown? Ocean City, Maryland…He is the founding artistic director of Brown Box Theatre Project. He has directed all of the past Brown Box Theatre Project’s productions including all past 5 previous performances of the Annual Free Shakespeare at the Beach. Once again he has done so with Cymbeline.
Brown Box Theatre Project began in 2009. Their productions take place in intimate theatres throughout Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland and beyond. Their mission is to “create high-quality theatre and deliver their work directly to communities to expand the reach of impactful professional performing arts”.
On Monday, September 12th, Shakespeare’s Page to Stage Workshop led by Brown Box Theatre Project will take place from 3 – 4 p.m. This is an adult workshop. Then from 4:30 – 5:30 the teen workshop will take place. It is free and you still have time to pre-register by calling 302-645-2733.
On Saturday, September 17th at 7:30 p.m. this outdoor production will be behind the Lewes Library located at 111 Adams Ave. on the lawn in Lewes. Remember to bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Please check their schedule at http://www.brownboxtheatre.org/schedule.html.
If you are hesitant about understanding a Shakespeare production, this particular one is very easily understood. Kyler has made a point to make sure his audience captures the essence of the play.
We thoroughly enjoyed it. Hope you put it on your social calendar!! I mentioned above that it is free of charge, but at the end of the performance donations are much appreciated.
Cymbeline “is one of Shakespeare’s rarely produced works. It is an algamation of romance, ferocity, intrigue, and fancy, all in one play”.
Have a good one!!
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