Some of us that like to cook say that the best restaurant is usually your home. It is even better when you have friends over.
The idea of having a few over for Brunch and then off to check out Mill Pond Garden in Lewes, was a no brainer. Mimosas, Bloodys, what would be better? The weather? Of course, and it did hold off.
My previous post is about Mill Pond Garden. Check their website for upcoming events. They open to the public once a month and I cannot say enough about how beautiful this garden is. http://www.millpondgarden.com
The primary purpose for brunch was to shake off headaches and give a rest to gurgling stomachs. An Englishman by the name of Guy Beringer supposedly invented the brunch. It was really to pacify his own hangover. He wrote an essay; Brunch: A Plea, in 1895. This was written to help those who nursed hangovers every Sunday morning from the night before.
And, no, we were not nursing any hangovers last Sunday. We just wanted an excuse to get together with a few and for a couple of hours enjoy their company, chatter, and good food.
The ham cooking, the breakfast casserole almost ready and the aroma filling the house on Sunday was priceless.
The following 2 recipes are keepers. They are easy to assemble and cook and you still can enjoy your company.
Ham with Maple Syrup Glaze
The ham went perfectly with the casserole. This ham was approximately 11 lbs. It was hard to find a spiral this time of the year. Not yet holiday season.
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Place ham in a roasting pan and pour about 1 cup of good apple cider in the pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes.
While cooking, make the glaze. It takes no time. 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 2 tbsps of grain Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over low to medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside.
When ham is heated through, remove the aluminum foil and brush all the glaze between the spiral layers. You want the ham covered with glaze. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook uncovered until the glaze is caramelized. Let it rest for 10 minutes if you are eating it that day. I cooked mine on Friday evening and covered it well without slicing it. On Sunday the ham was taken out in the morning so as to get it to room temperature and I made another batch of the glaze so as to drizzle it over the ham.
The Breakfast Casserole
This casserole is made the night before. Then, place in refrigerator.
24 ounces frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
salt and pepper
12 eggs
2 cups half and half
1 tsp season salt (or just salt)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated
1 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese grated
2 cups of chopped ham or your prefer meat. I used sausage with sage.
Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Add the frozen and shredded hash brown potatoes at the bottom of the pan. Pat them down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs together. Add half and half, season salt, cheddar cheese, pepper jack and chopped meat. Please note that if you are using sausage, it should be cooked and crumbled beforehand.
Pour over the top of the frozen potatoes. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
I did take it out before the 90 minutes because it was ready. This casserole cuts very easily. It will not crumble. Perfect for a crowd.
We had gorgeous tomatoes with mozzarella and basil drizzled with a high grade balsamic. And for dessert a floating island topped with berries including my own figs. As it happens I forgot to take those photos. Take it from me…..delicious.
We all had an egg-cellent time!!
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On my previous post I mentioned that day tripping to Philadelphia is an easy one from the Delaware Beaches. It only takes a few hours and if you casually plan it well, you will have a fun day. A change of scenery, as well.
The Philadelphia Museum of art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Our quest was to make it to the Fabulous Fashion: From Dior’s New Look to Now exhibit. It is there until March 3rd. You can check the museum’s website by visiting https://philamuseum.org.
I was trying to see what dining experience we could have at the museum. In order not to be rushed it would be perfect to eat there. I found out that a new restaurant called Stir had opened in October, 2018. There is the restaurant and there is also a Cafe. My interest was Stir, the restaurant.
Stir was designed by Frank Owen Gehry. His is considered to be one of the most well known architects in the world. Some of his buildings, including his home in Los Angeles have become world-renowned attractions.
We, actually, made a reservation through Open Table. The restaurant’s ceiling looks like it is floating. The chairs were so comfortable and the lighting was perfect. The Executive Chef is Mark Tropea who is a Philly-born guy with 20 years of experience.
Stir is managed by the Philadelphia’s Constellation Culinary Group which was known as the STARR Catering Group.
The moment I saw the Roasted Duck on the menu, I knew that would be my choice. Served with Vadouvan carrots, wheat berries, sour cherry and port reduction. Vadouvan is a French Masala Curry Powder with a little kick. The blending of classic curry spices with aromatic onion, garlic, and shallot. It is ground to fine powder. Medium rare and chrispy on top is how it was presented. So delicious, I want to go back.
The Grilled Venison Loin also caused a “Stir” because just like the duck it was perfectly cooked, as well. A currant and pink peppercorn gastrique, castle valley grits, and brased rainbow chard complemented the venison.
We did not have dessert. But, we did have wine. Our server was friendly and his suggestions were on point.
But we had a tour to catch. Isn’t it great when a restaurant delivers such a good experience?
Anyway, remember that there is an AboutMyBeaches FaceBook page and if you like it will be much appreciated.
Until then…..Spring is around the corner.
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Plenty of restaurants offer the versatile Quiche for breakfast, brunch, lunch and even dinner. It is that kind of dish. My favorite is more of the traditional Quiche Lorraine. It originated in Lorraine, France. But, the word “quiche” come from the German word “kuchen” or cake.
My motto is “make it your own”, when it comes to recipes. The same has happened with Quiche Lorraine; no two are created equal. It is been said that, traditionally, the cream shoud be just that…cream, or even a stiff “creme fraiche”. For my recipe, I used a light cream, trying to save calories and fat where I can.
Hope you like it. It is very easy. I do have a deep pie dish, but if you don’t, just cut the recipe in half. I bought a prepared pie crust, and followed the directions on the package…making things so much more simple.
QUICHE LORRAINE
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups light cream
10 slices of bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled…I bought the low sodium bacon.
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup finely minced onion
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt…I did not add any salt because the bacon and cheese have plenty…up to you.
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pie dough…if you want to make your own, it would probably be awesome!
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except pie dough…haha. Pour into prepared pie pan and bake it for about 45 minutes to an hour. Closer to the hour, unless you cut the recipe in half.
It will be ready when a knife inserted in filling comes out clean.
Then, all you have to do is serve it and enjoy.
I served the Quiche Lorraine with a Kale Mango Salad. Sounds weird to have served it with this salad, but it was great!! The recipe for the Mango Kale Salad can be found on AboutMyBeaches. Just click on the month of June of 2013 and scroll down to the 17th. It is under Meatless Monday, Mango Kale Salad. I got the recipe from Vege Fest in Rehoboth Beach this summer.
Have a great day!!
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Happy Mother’s Day to all that in many ways “mother” and offer love, play, respect, encouragement, understanding, acceptance, comfort, reliability, guidance, and the importance of empathy!! Cheers to you!
Sorry the weather is not cooperating if you are visiting the Delaware Beaches. It has been having a mind of its own. What a summer teaser we have had! Still the beaches are open and brunch is on the menu on this most important day of the year, when we celebrate those who mother and are the strongest.
Plenty of places to have coffee, baked goods, and something simple. Others offer brunch. Great way to eat, not having to get up too early.
Here are some that come to mind…..if I have missed any, I apologize.
THE BACK PORCH, on 59 Rehoboth Rehoboth in Downtown Rehoboth Beach…Tel. 302-227-3674. Website? http://www.backporchcafe.com
BLUE MOON, on 35 Baltimore Avenue in Downtown Rehoboth Beach…Tel. 302-227-6515. Website? http://www.bluemoonrehoboth.com. 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
JUST IN THYME, on Highway 1 (Coastal Highway) and Robinson Drive in Rehoboth Beach…Tel. 302-227-3100. Website? http://www.justinthymerestaurant.com.
TABLE & TAPROOM, formerly the Captain’s Table on 20859 Coastal Highway in Rehoboth Beach…Tel. 302-227-6203. Website? http://www.captainstablerehoboth.com
BIG FISH GRILL, on 20298 Coastal Highway (Rt. 1)…Tel. Website? http://www.bigfishgrill.com. Brunch & Lunch 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. No reservations necessary.
SUMMER HOUSE, on Rehoboth Avenue…Tel. 302-227-3895. Website? http://www.summerhousesaloon.com. 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Family Style Brunch.
CATCH 54, at 38931 Madison Ave., at Shark’s Cove Marina, in Fenwick Island…Tel. 302-436-8600. Website? http://www.sodelconcepts.com. Reservations accepted.
IRISH EYES PUB & RESTAURANT, located at 213 Angler’s Rd. in Lewes…Tel. 302-645-6888. Website? http://www.irisheyespub.com. All you can Eat Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet
IRISH EYES PUB & RESTAURANT, located at in downtown Milton, Delaware…Tel. 302-684-8889. Website? http://www.irisheyespub.com. Mom’s eat for FREE with the purchase of one adult entree or Irish Favorite.
With such a gorgeous South Florida day, who wants to be indoors, or eat indoors, when you have so many restaurants in Delray, that offer al fresco dining?
We picked City Oyster because of its consistency; a dependable restaurant, offering a relaxed dining atmosphere. It was one of the restaurants that we first visited when we arrived in Delray years ago. Lunch, dinner or a drink at the bar, your pick. For us, it was lunch.
City Oyster is part of the group of restaurants owned by the Big Time Restaurant Group. It is located at 213 E. Atlantic Ave. Tel. 561-272-0220. Website? www.bigtimerestaurants.com.
It is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 to 2:30 p.m.
For Dinner the schedule is as follows:
Sunday, 5 until 10 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, they start serving dinner at 5 until 10 p.m.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, dinner will start at 5 until 11 p.m.
On Saturday and Sunday City Oyster offers a brunch from 11:30 until 2:30 p.m.
I was delighted to see today on their chalk board, Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, our own Delaware beer. The board will show the Daily Beers on Tap, as well as a list of the oysters available for the day; other daily seafood too.
The bar runs the length of the restaurant.
Today everyone was sitting outside. The tables were closely assembled. As we waited for wine, which by the way it took a little longer than it should have, the gentleman on one side was choking (he got the help needed), on another side the guy sent his food back but then it looked like the same food came back. Go figure. And, the young woman that was savoring her fish tacos started to quietly cry. It was not the food, I know that. I think she got sentimental. The guy with her seemed very nice. Didn’t I tell you the tables were closely assembled?
Thank God our food came out and my attention was directed to my Grilled Mahi Mahi, which was the fish of the day, on a French garden salad. Tomatoes, broccoli, shallots, Mesclum with homemade aioli and a mustard vinaigrette. It was delicious and I really loved the fish.
My husband decided on Blue Point oysters and a side order of Red Bliss Potato Salad.
That was it!! No other excitement or drama….
Talk to you later…have a good one!!
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I was thinking that there will be lots of visitors this week-end in Rehoboth Beach to enjoy “everything jazz”. I know a lot of friends that don’t even buy tickets; they like to walk from venue to venue; just show up and hope that there are spaces available. But, if you want info. please visit www.rehobothjazz.com.
The next day the question will be, where should everyone have breakfast. Believe me Rehoboth has bakeries and coffee shops galore, but there is not a place that comes close to home cooking like The Crystal Restaurant. It really is a breakfast hangout. Lately, it looks more spruced up than ever. It is located at 620 Rehoboth Avenue. Tel. 302-227-1088.
Crystal opens early and closes at 4 p.m. You can have breakfast all day, though. If you decide to have lunch, their hamburgers are delicious.
Then, Debbie, Alice and I decided to have breakfast the other morning. Breakfast is not my favorite. These 2 friends had very boring omelettes; egg whites, with spinach; hold the potatoes, hold the bread; already the egg yolk was held. I mean, really. Missy, our other friend, left for Florida. She was my scrapple companion.
And, Roberta. I don’t know. She is always somewhere. She really dives into her breakfasts. I must admit that. Pancakes and everything else. She is so thin, though.
Anyway, it was my turn to order. Okay, give me the ham and cheese omelette and hold everything else. My gosh, I really would have loved to have ordered their chipped beef on toast. They fix it jus the right way at Crystal’s.
Our waiter was almost gone when I yelled; Oh what the heck, bring me a side order of scrapple. That was much better. Anyway, I had to get ready for the Apple-Scrapple Festival tomorrow in Bridgeville, Delaware.
So, if you are here in Rehoboth, Crystal’s is open year-round, 7 days a week. They do have a bar, as well.
A Brunch is the perfect start for any day, but Sunday is the day we usually pick for this type of eating. Here, in Rehoboth Beach, a lot of the restaurants will be serving brunch on Easter Sunday just like everywhere else.
But why is it that we have this obsession with brunch? Is it because we are too lazy to cook on a Sunday; kill two birds with one stone? Breakfast and lunch? To tell you the truth on Sunday, I want to keep it simple. You can call it anything you want but to me having a good, full bodied, cup of coffee, seasonal fruits, baked goods and Rapa Scrapple, is what I would call the perfect brunch.
Rapa Scrapple? What is it? Well, it is one of my favorite breakfast meats. Rapa is the brand name and to me there is no other like it. Scrapple is a pork product and the company is in Bridgeville, Delaware. Two brothers started this company in 1926; Ralph and Paul Adams. The plant is still in Bridgeville and it is the largest producer of scrapple in the world.
I had the first taste of Rapa Scrapple in the island of Exuma, Bahamas, in 1974. We were visiting friends and they had brought scrapple from Baltimore, MD. I have loved it ever since and my family is a big fan, as well.
My favorites are the original and the hot and spicy. I like it thin and crispy; definitely, not mushy. I hope Missy is reading this blog, because I know she likes scrapple as much as I do. She might even comment on the blog.
I also like scrapple sandwiches. Thin bread, not toasted and a little bit of ketchup, would make it the perfect scrapple sandwich.
Mark your calendar because this year’s Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville will be Friday, October 8th and Saturday, October 9th. For more info. please visit their website www.rapascrapple.com.
Living at the beach, usually means that you have a couple of guests at your house from time to time. I know that I go the extra mile when I have guests. I really do want them to feel welcomed. So how do I make them feel special? Read on…
Mimosa
Chilled champagne and orange Juice. If you do not have time to squeeze your orange juice, the market has great choices. Just get a good one. Put 1/2 and 1/2 in champagne glasses and serve.
Kir Royale
A bottle of chilled champagne or sparkling wine. This is such a simple and timeless drink.
1 part creme de cassis
5 parts Champagne
Pour creme de cassis into a champagne glass and gentley pour champagne on top.
Easy Caramel Rolls
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thaw out and cut in pieces and placed in a well greased 9 x 13 inch pan.
Melt:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsps. milk
1 small package vanilla pudding (not instant)
Pour over dough. Let it rise for about 3 hours.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Let it stand a few minutes and then turn out on a board, cut and serve.
Ground Ham on Pineapple Slices
Combine:
2 cups cooked ground ham
2 tsps. prepared mustard
4 tsps. mayonnaise
8 drained pineapple slices
Spread mixture on the pineapple slices. You want to put enough on each one to make a mound but cover the whole pineapple slice.
Bake slices in a greased pan in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so.
The combination of the ham and pineapple is delicious. It is a quick meal, as well. Very versatile; not just for breakfast.
Enjoy it with friends; it tastes better that way….Happy Easter!!
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