January 27th, 2011
Back on October 26, I wrote a post on a furniture consignment shop called Seaquels in Ocean View, Delaware. The store is owned by Cindy and Kathy. By the way, if you want to see that post just click on the month of October, 2010 and scroll down to the 26th.
These two ladies sent me an e-mail. They thought I should go and visit White Orchid Interiors as possible material for my blog. They thought the store looked beautiful and readers might like to find out that there is another choice for their decorating needs, among the ones that already exist in our Delaware beaches. Word of mouth; again, is the best advertisement.
Well let me tell you more about White Orchid. First of all, it is located at 83 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View, DE 19970. Tel. is 302-541-4044. Website? www.whiteorchidde.com. It is so easy to get to because all you have to do if you are driving on Rt. 1 is get to Bethany Beach and right there at the intersection of Rt. 1 and Rt. 26 just go west for about 2 miles and you will see it on the right hand side of the road.
It is a house and at the beginning I did not know where it was but once I saw it I, definitely, knew where I was.
Because this showroom was a home, it has that look and ambiance; you move through the different rooms of a house. Even though it is an interior design shop, furniture, home accents, and art are available for purchase on the spot.
Nothing makes a store shine more than the people that work in it. In this case the owner, Leslie Bixler. It was the first time I had met her and immediately I felt at ease with her. She is friendly and exudes confidence. You can tell she loves what she does. She is not new at this type of business. Leslie ’s background is in retailing, marketing and advertising. And she is a very busy lady.
The store features metals, natural seagrass, lamps, luxury bedding, designer pillows, and mirrors, among many other accessories.
White Orchid Interiors is eclectic and stylish; the way the store is decorated radiates proportion and symmetry.
Leslie offers services like residential space planning, custom window treatments, paint consultation, wallcoverings and in home design services.
Most important is that her designs skills cater to a variety of interior styles while working within your budget. I remember one time a friend of mine who is a decorator told me that if your budget has no limits then for a designer it becomes a very easy job. It is when a limited budget is in place that a designer really becomes a creator of sorts; innovative, showing taste, style and class.
Her local art is original; one being the watercolors on her wall. They are by Dorothy Harrison Braun, who is her mother. Mrs. Harrison offers private and group instruction and you can call her at 302-539-2045.
I took so many pictures thinking I would only put a few on my post. But, I really liked them all and what better way to show White Orchid than by showing some of the pictures of this very unique interior design shop.
As I was leaving I kept thinking about my own style. It is a mix of several styles which make my own look, I guess. Casual and easy; that’s it.
I also remember reading a quote “Style comes from within and is a reflection of your character and preference”. Could not have said it better myself.
Have a good one!!…Talk to you later….
January 26th, 2011
Looking out my window…. all I see is dark skies, rain, wind; probably cold, but have not been outside yet even though, Addy, my dog, is looking at me with skeptical eyes.
I had not posted a recipe that I made the other day because I was looking for the perfect day; I think today this post is perfect.
The recipe has Ancho Chili Powder. If you are wondering if it is going to have too much heat, don’t worry because ancho chili powder is a ground powder made from the poblano pepper. It is called ancho when it is dried. It is also dark, smokey, with rich flavor. It is considered mild, so perfect if you don’t like too much heat; just enough. There are times when a poblano pepper could have more heat than usual, though. You won’t find that in this dish.
The recipe also uses Cumin Powder. This spice has origins from the East Mediterranean to East India; used in many types of cuisines.
During the Middle Ages it was thought that the use of cumin would keep the chickens and lovers from wandering…..
It is also the second most used spice, after black pepper, in the world.
Years ago I went to a cooking class given by Gretchen at a home in Bethany Beach. I have modified this recipe here or there a bit. Yes, made it my own. Here it goes:
Ancho Chili and Black Bean Chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lbs)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1 tablespoon fnely chopped jalapeno (to taste, or not at all)
1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin Powder
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium, organic)
1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cooked black beans, undrained
cilantro, optional
Cubed avocado for garnish
You can either prepare the dish with the whole boneless chicken breast or cube them, like I did. If you like thighs better then get the ones that are already deboned; you will get more meat.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. If you are on a low sodium diet, then you know what you need to do.
In a heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and sear until well browned on both sides. Transfer the chicken to another plate.
Then, reduce heat to medium.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the skillet. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 cup diced onion, 1/2 cup green pepper, 1 tablespoon of chopped jalapeno, if desired.
Then saute for a couple of minutes. Add 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder and 1 tablespoon of cumin. Continue to saute on that medium heat until fragrant.
Add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, bring to a boil and add 1 can petite tomatoes, drained. Bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened; about 6 minutes or so. Then add 1 can black beans.
Return chicken and juices to the skillet; reduce heat to low.
Simmer until heated through; nice and hot. At this point, if you would like to add the cilantro, then do so. Serve it over rice and garnish with cubed avocado.
Rice: You can use any rice you like. I used on this particular night a blend of black and mahogany rice, Lundberg Black Japonica. It is grown in the Sacramento Valley.
Please note that this recipe is gluten free.
Just remember, make the recipe your own. You have the basic recipe, but if you like more juice, or less beans, or more tomatoes, then experiment and enjoy it.
Have a great day….talk to you later….
January 22nd, 2011
I knew Em-ings was having a pig roast on Friday. I was waiting for that day; had that craving. Em-ing’s has been around for a long time. And, once a month they have a pig roast. The way it works is that you go inside and pick your sides; you get 2 and then go outside and they have the roasted pig right there for you.
The problem on Friday was that it was very cold, therefore, they carved the pig in the back kitchen. It did not matter because people wait for that day; cars were pulling in and leaving with carry out.
Em-ing’s is located at the corner of Rt. 113 and 610 in Bishopville, Maryland. Tel. 410-352-5711. Website? www.em-ings.com. You can also find them on Facebook. By checking the website you will find that you can also order baked hams and turkeys, among other things.
From Rehoboth Beach there are a few ways to get there. I like more the scenic route so I took Rt. 1, by the beach and went south to Bethany Beach, then turn right on Rt. 26, went for a few miles and turn left on Rt. 17 towards Selbyville. Turn left on Rt. 113 and Em-ing’s is at the next intersection. Sounds complicated; it isn’t. When you live here, at the beaches, you drive up and down and driving half hour is nothing.
The way they usually set up the pig roast, weather permitting, is like this:
During warmer months, there is an outdoor area where you can sit out and eat. Pretty much people just take carry out, I think.
Sandwiches, platters, wings, meal deals, specials are all shown in their website and facebook.
You can buy 1/2 pints, pints, 1/2 gallons and gallons.
They have beef ribs, country style ribs, St. Louis style ribs, baby backs, pork and chicken barbecue, chicken salad, beef barbecue, beef brisket and chitterlings.
In case you do not know what chitterlings are, well, they are the intestines of a pig that have been prepared as food. In many places it is eaten as part of the daily diet or at special events, holidays or religious festivities.
The sides include Dutch cole slaw, creamy cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, tropical fruit salad, pasta salad, baked beans, mashed potatoes, greens, green beans and macaroni and cheese. Their corn bread and bread pudding; delicious. You just have to exercise a bit more after eating all this.
They bake their own breads, pies and cookies.
  
During the week there are specials Mondays through Fridays and for $6.99 you can have:
Mondays – 1/2 chicken with potato salad, roll, butter and slice of pie.
Tuesdays – country style ribs, macaroni salad, roll, butter and a slice of pie.
Wednesdays – 1/2 chicken, pasta salad, roll, butter and a slice of pie.
Thursdays – pork barbecue, cole slaw and a slice of pie.
Fridays – 1/2 chicken or country style ribs, barbecue beans and a slice of pie.
Daily soup and sandwich special for $6.75 will give you a choice of chicken salad, hamburger or chicken breast with a cup of Brunswick stew.
Brunswick stew is also known as “hash” in the south. It is a tomato base stew, containing lima beans/butter beans, corn, okra and other veggies. Meats like squirrel and rabbit make it authentic but chicken, pork, or beef is also used.
So, there I was in line to get 3 platters with roasted pig, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans.
Then I asked if I could have some of the “crispy” which I don’t think people ask often. I left so happy.
Stopped by my husband’s office and dropped one and took the rest home. It was so moist and perfectly seasoned. We also used some of Em-ing’s Hot & Sassy Sauce, which had a good kick.
Please note that Em-ing’s can cater any event. Just give them a call. They are open Mondays to Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays they are open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
I had a full “food” day on Friday; pig roast during the day and vegan at night. I really don’t think you can do that but having choices is the best and it was certainly interesting.
Have a good one….talk to you later….
January 20th, 2011
I started my website on July of 2009. I cannot believe that it has been a year and a half since I started AboutMyBeaches, written in a blog style. I think I achieved the look I wanted for the site. Clean, bright, easy to read and most of all, available to all.
I write pretty much every day. I take a lot of pictures, as well. I am not a professional, but I think you can see that in some of my posts, pictures and even recipes, since there are plenty of those too.
This is my business. I started it always with the idea that it would become a business. But, you needed to get to know me through my writings first.
You know that I have lived at the Delaware Beaches since 1981. My children were born here and I truly love the area. I have seen it grow in so many different directions; pretty much all good.
I am promoting the Delaware Beaches, Ocean City, Maryland and also Delray Beach, Florida. That’s another town that has become a second home to me. I love to walk around Delray, enjoy the restaurants and the beach and I respect the devotion that its residents have towards keeping the town the jewel it has become. All you have to do is visit this Village by the Sea and you will want to get to know it much better.
 Delray Beach, Florida  Delray Beach, Florida So, in my travels, camera in hand, I review restaurants; no credentials, but I know what I like and how I want to be treated. I also promote the arts and entertainment; I will be sure to tell you what’s going on. I hope you will log on to www.aboutmybeaches.com to find out about, events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner.
 At Venus in Dewey Beach I consider myself “the word of mouth”. It is the best advertisement. I have written so far 530 posts. I have experienced all those posts, as well. I had to in order to pass the information on to you. On average the website is getting 5,500 hits per month. That’s between 150 to 200+ per day, depending on the subject. Most of the writings are from the Delaware Beaches, but a lot are from Delray Beach, Ocean City and from wherever I find myself at a particular time.
 Milton Theatre  The whale that washed up in Fenwick
Advertising on AboutMyBeaches is as follows:
$500 for 1 year
$300 for 6 months
$200 for 1 year if you are only using a business card
At the bottom of the website you will find my contact information.
I have a webmaster that will put your website on my site. The day the website goes on, anyone reading my posts will be able to access your website with just a click. That ad is your spot for the time contracted. Go on www.aboutmybeaches.com right now and see for yourself by testing the other ads already there. If this is the first time you are reading my post, then check the whole site. I can guarantee you that you will find it interesting and some times even entertaining.
 Greyhound in Dewey Beach  New in Lewes
You bet you will get my personal attention. Once you advertise on AboutMyBeaches, that’s what you will get. If you need to announce something immediately, then all you have to do is send me an e-mail. I will post your information on the website and then is good to go. Once I post, then I send it to Facebook, my personal one and the one for AboutMyBeaches. After that I send it to Twitter and then to Linkedin.
It really is inexpensive. Think about it, $500 for one year is about $1.36 per day.
I don’t take these coastal towns for granted. It really is great living here and visiting the other beach towns that I do. I don’t even take my AboutMyBeaches for granted either. I have learned so much.
For 2011, so many places to be revisited and so many other ones to be discovered; trying to keep it interesting, yes, I am a local but not a native and word of mouth is Priceless!!
Talk to you later….you know I will….
January 16th, 2011
This post is all about the arts. You can sit home and wait for spring to come or you can get out and experience the sizzling events that the Delaware beaches provide at this time of the year. January and February are the most quiet months of the year but considering how quiet they were when I first moved here in the 70’s, well I can tell you that they do not compare.
From the Rehoboth Beach Film Society:
Their winter series called Delmarva Roots starts Thursday, January 20th at 7:00 p.m., with Vanishing Voices of World War II. Location? Milton Fire Hall, 116 Front St., Milton, DE. This event features recollections from two dozen of the 100 veterans included in James Diehl’s two books, “World War II Heroes of Southern Delaware”, and “World War II Heroes of Coastal Delaware”. It is told from the perspective of men, and one woman, who served during that time period and today call southern Delaware home. This documentary allows Delawarean World War II veterans’ voices to be heard forever. Their stories are emotional, they are real, and they are so very candid.
From Pearl Harbor, to Iwo Jima, D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, among many other parts of the war, they are told with passion and an enormous amount of pride in the United States of America. This documentary is not rated and it last 56 minutes.
After the screening, James Diehl, writer and co-producer of the film and author of the books that inspired it, will give a brief presentation and lead a question and answer session. He is passionate about bringing recognition to those who served in WWII and this screening and presentation will ensure that our local heroes will be remembered.
More info? Please call The Film Society Office at 302-645-9095, ext. 1. You may also call the Milton Historical Society at 302-684-1010. Admission will be $4.00. Tickets can be purchased on line, so check the website, www.rehobothfilm.com/film_events_delmarva_roots.html. They can also be purchased by calling 302-645-9095.
Delaware Comedy Theatre Event – Improv
Improv is a form of theatre in which actors use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously; a lot of times using audience suggestions to guide their performances as they create dialogue, setting and plot. They tend to be comedic, but do not have to.
Imagine; no scripts, no memorized dialogue and no rehearsed scenes; just spontaneous.
The Delaware Comedy Theatre is located at 131 Glade Circle West, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-258-5443. The website is www.delawarecomedytheatre.com.
They are the longest improv theater company in the First State. They have shows and workshops.
Please make sure you check their website because they have a lot of events coming in the future. The first one will be Friday, January 21st from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. It is RESOLVE THIS! The location? Fish On at 17300 N. Village Main, Village of Five Points, Lewes, DE 19958
Seating will begin at 7:00 p.m. $10 per person at the door. Fantastic food and drinks available, separately.
Please note that this is an adult show with uncensored, all-improvised material. Please RSVP to Fish On at 302-645-9700.
Rehoboth Beach Museum
Book Discussion on Saturday, February 5th at 1:00 p.m. Location? The Rehoboth Beach Museum located at 511 Rehoboth Ave., next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. Please call 302-227-7310 to reserve a space or ask questions.
The “curious institution” of slavery has held an important place in American fiction from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin published in 1852 to Toni Morrison’s 2008 novel, A Mercy.
The book discussion on the 5th will focus on A Mercy, as an exemplar of how modern writers have dealt with the historical forces that caused slavery to thrive and the effects of its existence on slaves and slaveholders alike.
Sherry Chappelle is the leader of the Browseabout Book Club and will be moderating the discussion, focusing on the historical bases of Morrisons’ work and that of other modern writers who have addressed the issue in their recent fiction. These include James McBride and John Barth whose stories are based on the Delmarva, as well as writer Alexandra Stockett whose widely read work The Help investigates how the effects of slavery still are felt in our modern society.
If you have read or are reading any of these books, please join us for this discussion. Browseabout Books has offered a 10% discount on purchases of A Mercy or The Help up until 2/5/11, for readers who mention the Museum’s book discussion.
Light refresments will be served.
Clear Space Theatre Company
This very popular theatre company is located at 20 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. is 302-227-2270. Website is www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org. Two upcoming performances to check out are:
An American Songbook on Fridays and Saturdays, 1/21, 1/22, 1/28 and 1/29 at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, 1/30 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $5-25 and are available online at the website above mentioned, or by phone, also above mentioned. You may visit the box office for the purchasing of tickets Tuesday – Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
For the sixth time in as many years, the creative minds behind Clear Space Theatre Company, Ken Skrzes and Doug Yetter, will create a unique concert entitled An American Songbook. All of the material in this year’s concert is brand new to the duo, and they are thrilled to bring An American Songbook back to their audience.
 Doug & Ken The show features just that – songs from the American canon of music, ranging from songs you may have grown up singing to new cabaret material, from the classics of Harold Arlen to the musical stylings of Burt Bacharach.
An American Songbook is not only an audience favorite here in coastal Delaware but it is also one of Clear Space’s most toured productions. After it closes here, the show will tour for the next year to various venus throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. So, get your tickets soon!!
Clear Space Theatre Company will also be bringing you Dirty Blonde: The Down And Dirty Story of Mae West. When? February 3 – 5 and 10 – 12 at 7:00 p.m. On February 6 and 13 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are priced at $5-25 and are available on line at www.clearspacetheatre.org, via phone at 302-227-2270 or by visiting the box office Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 – 5:00 p.m., at 20 Baltimore Ave.
Dirty Blonde, a play with music by Claudia Shear, captures the bawdy essence of Mae West and explores the life of the legend of stage and screen. A 4 person cast, company members David Button, Michael Mathias, Dana Peragallo, and Doug Yetter will bring the 18 characters of Dirty Blonde to life.
The story will be told in a series of flashback vignettes. Mae West was an incomparable star of vaudeville, Broadway, and film in the first half of the 20th century. She was hailed as one of America’s first sex symbols. Her plays Sex and The Drag were hits, but landed her in big trouble with censors and the law. She served 8 days of a 10 day prison sentense for Sex and stars of The Drag (men in drag) were arrested and taken out of the theatre during a performance. Her most popular stage work, Diamon Lil, toured for years.
Mae West played a pivotal role in the creation of the Motion Picture Production Code, which regulated the material that could be shown or said on film. Mae West skirted around censors by using her now famous double entendres and sexual innuendos. Many of these are live on today, including “A hard man is good to find” and “When I’m good, I’m very good. When I’m bad, I’m better”.
Travel & Culture by Delaware Technical & Community College – Jack F. Owens Campus, Georgetown, Delaware
Delaware Technical & Community College is offering trips and culture. Please call 302-854-6966 or visit their website, www.dtcc.edu/owens/ccp.
1/22 Trip to the Smithsonian. The day is yours to stroll through the 8 museums located on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Capital. It leaves the library parking lot of Delaware Tech at 8 a.m. and will depart from D.C. at 4 p.m. The charge for the general public is $65 and if you are an Adult + Member, then the charge is $55.
1/23 – In the Heights at the Kimmel Center. This is a Four time tony Award winner, including Best Musical. I will tell you that my son saw this in New York and loved it.
Great orchestra seats. It will leave Georgetown at 9 a.m. and depart Philadelphia at 3:30 p.m. General public is $149 and Adult + Member $139.
Have a great week….and I hope you attend to some of the many things that are available to us, here at the Beaches….talk to you later….
January 11th, 2011
It is so interesting how we can just discard anything we don’t want without giving it another thought. An office was moving and was getting rid of a table. I think it was probably their conference table but I am not sure.
“Another person’s trash is someone else’s treasure.” And that is what happened to the table my husband rescued. He thought it was so pretty; did not know what kind of wood it was. And, I am sorry I don’t have the “before” picture.
He found Melroy’s Furniture Refinishing and Chair Caning; gave them a call. Melroy’s is located at 20597 Mulberry Knoll Rd., Lewes, DE 19958. Tel. 302-645-1856. The website? www.melroysrefnishing.com. Please check out the website to see all their services.
They are considered to be the only company in our area that provides, refinishing, repairing and caning of furniture. All stripping of furniture is hand stripped. And, they do have 32 years of experience.
This is the first time that I had met them and had the opportunity to use their services. Melroy’s was mentioned to me by a friend in Ocean City, Maryland about 6 months ago as a possible subject for my blog.
Plenty of times I have gotten calls asking me where furniture can be refinished and also for info. about chair caning. It is a talent and can only be done well by someone that has a love for working with his or her hands.
Melroy’s is a husband and wife team. Mel is the wife and Roy is the husband. Mel has followed her father’s footsteps; he worked with woods all his life. She started as a little girl.
Mel is from Hoopers Island. Hoopers Island is one of the 3 islands in Dorchester County, Maryland. They are surrounded by water; the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Honga River on the other. Remote but known for sport fishing and the crabbing industry.
Mel also picked crabs for a living. Also, worked at Jimmy Lynn’s Seafood & Carry Out, located at 18226 Coastal Highway. Tel. 302-644-9329. I wrote a post on Jimmy Lynn’s on 7/31/09. If you want to see it just click on that month and scroll down to the date. Remember them? They are the ones that have the “home of the crabs with attitude”. A note of interest is that Lynn is Mel’s sister.
We then received a call that the table was ready for us to see and also for us to pick a stain. We knew we wanted to leave it as natural as possible. The wood was cherry.
The cherry trees produce one of the best woods used to make furniture. It is a brown American hardwood that has a hint of pink or dark red to it. It darkens with age.
We decided on a natural stain to show its beauty. But, where were we going to put it? I decided that this table was going to be my new desk. It is 6 feet in length and almost 3 feet in width. It is comfortable and I love it. It was tricky getting it in its new spot but it was done. Melroy’s can pick up and deliver, as well.
They were great to work with and you know how it is….word of mouth….it is the best advertising tool….talk to you later…..
Note: Some info. for this post was taken from www.wisegeek.com.
January 2nd, 2011
It does not matter if it is during the summer, fall, winter or spring, but the moment it rains, I start thinking about soups.
Today was the perfect example on how the weather might dictate what I would like to have for dinner.
I cut recipes from magazine, newspapers, local books; if it catches my eye, I will clip it. And the moment I prepare a dish, I consider that recipe mine, especially if I change it here or there.
When I saw that some of the ingredients in the stew were ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric and coconut; without even trying the recipe I thought it could be one of those recipes I might want to keep and pass on.
I use a lot of these ingredients on average but since I am passing the recipe along I decided to go on www.wikipedia.org and read about them so that I could tell you more about their origins.
What I found out about some of them really surprised me and this stew might be healthier than I thought.
Cumin - Native East Mediterranean to East India. It is used in many different cultures. It is a member of the parsley family.
During the Middle Ages it was believed that cumin kept chickens and lovers from wandering; a happy life awaited the bride and groom if they carried cumin seeds throughout the wedding ceremony.
Coriander – Native to Southern Europe, North Africa and Southwestern Asia. It contains antioxidans. It has been used for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in some countries.
In India, the seeds are used as a diuretic when boiled with cumin seeds. It is also used as a digestive aid.
Coriander has been documented as a traditional treatment for diabetics. Apparently, its extract has insulin releasing and insulin-like activity.
It also lowers the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. And, the juice mixed with turmeric powder or mint juice is also used to treat acne; applied to the face like a toner.
Some people have allergic reactions to coriander, though.
Turmeric was to me the most interesting one. It is a native of tropical South Asia. It has become a key ingredient in many Indian, Persian, Thai, and Malay dishes.
It is also a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders.
It is usually used in the dry form but just like ginger it can be used fresh. It is also used as a replacement for Saffron, being that it is not as expensive.
It is used as an anticeptic for cuts, burns, and bruises. And, the most interesting one is that turmeric is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, and other clinical disorders.
Coconut milk and water have been in the news for some time now; so many health benefits are attributed to its consumption.
Coconut Lime Beef Stew
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 gloves of garlic, minced (if you want more, well you know what you can do)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1 3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
2 3/4 lbs. of beef chuck, cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon of lime zest or more
2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk
4 tablespoons of lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
2 bay leaves
1 pound baby carrots, cut in bite size pieces
Just remember that this stew is a little different so if you are having guests for dinner and they think you will be serving them a traditional stew, well they are going to be a bit surprised.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons in a large pot on medium heat. Make sure you have a lid that fits this pot since you will be putting the lid on later on.
Add the onion and saute until it begins to color.
Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, probably this will take a minute or so. Transfer this mixture to a bowl.
Return pot to the stove and increase the heat to medium high and add 3/4 tablespoons of oil to the pot and put 1/2 of the meat in it and cook until browned on all sides. Take that meat out and put aside and cook the rest of the meat in another 3/4 tablespoons of oil until, again, the meat is browned on all sides.
Now return the cooked beef to the one that is already in the pot and also add the onion mixture. Mix and then add the coconut milk, lime zest, lime, juice, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. of sea salt, bay leaves, and baby carrots.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and cook on low heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring it from time to time.
You can serve this stew over rice, either brown or white. But I did not do it that way. I just served it as a stew and garnished it with extra lime zest.
It will serve 6 people but if you serve it with rice then it will probably serve 8.
Note: It was really good. The coconut and lime and those spices really gave it a tropical touch. This stew could easily be doubled to feed a crowd. Just add a salad and some crusty bread.
Enjoy and make it your own…..just like I did….talk to you later
December 31st, 2010
I have been thinking about my New Year’s resolutions. There are so many I would like to make and keep. I know that is not going to happen. I will try, though. You know, be a better person, a better parent, a better friend, a better wife, exercise more, eat less. Oh my, the list is so long, I am already tired and afraid I won’t be able to keep them up. There is always next year.
Growing up in the Island of Puerto Rico, well, what can I say that after Thanksgiving you might as well not go to work. The Holidays last so long, the “parrandas”, “asaltos”, “aguinaldos”, lechon, morzillas, pasteles, coquito, arroz con gandules; really, they are endless.
I found out that in Puerto Rico there is the tradition of throwing a bucket of water out into the streets; getting rid of the bad things, shall we say; preparing for all the good things to come.
Another one is throwing sugar around and outside the house; warding off bad luck and bringing good luck into your lives.
I don’t know but I dont remember any of that. I never saw my mother or grandmother throwing anything around to ward off this or that.
But, the celebrations of the Ano Viejo and the welcoming of the Ano Nuevo, church and wearing something yellow the first day of the year for good luck; I do remember that.
And, how can anyone that has lived there forget the fireworks, some with real guns, and honking the horns at midnight. You know it’s true.
If you speak Spanish then visit http://www.elboricua.com/elbrindis.html. This is called El Brindis del Bohemio or the Bohemian’s Toast. It has always been a tradition at parties in Puerto Rico to first read this toast, which is so beautiful at this time of the year.
I usually don’t do much on New Year’s Eve. Almost like been there and done that. Everything is usually so expensive, the service is bad and the food is atrocious. No thanks. I am having lobster tonight, at home.
Two New Year’s come to mind. Years ago I spent New Year’s in Spain. A tradition of eating 12 grapes as the clock chimes to the New Year started in Spain. During a big grape harvest the King of Spain decided to give grapes for everyone to eat at New Year’s. Latin American countries observe this tradition; Puerto Rico being one of them. I had such a good time in Madrid trying to make it in time for New Year’s when by mistake I took the wrong train. I made it just in time to eat my first grape.
The other one was in Bethany Beach, Delaware when friends hosted a Murder Mystery Party. Everyone was in character until the end.
Most other years, I pretty much have friends over. This year it will be my husband and I, which reminds me. I better go downstairs and start cooking….
See you, Happy New Year!!! Have a great evening…
 
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