March 17th, 2015
“Oh starry night, with moonlit sky, take me away, and tell me why….” It was a true beautiful night in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and while many were celebrating St. Patty’s Day, we were enjoying some sweet ending at Eden. Arriving fashionably late; just for dessert….plenty of photo ops.
Eden is located at 23 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. Tel. 302-227-3330. Website? http://www.edenrestaurant.com. This restaurant is one of my favorites in Downtown Rehoboth Beach. The food is excellent, the service is impeccable and the ambiance is warm and comfortable.
Just for a sweet ending and a bit of conversation with friends we ordered the Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake with Caramel Ice Cream and Caramel Krispies….well received.
The Pastel Nata….if you like almonds you will love this dessert. Almond and orange scented egg custart tart.
A warm Pineapple Coconut Cake with Coconut Ice Cream and Toasted Coconut….Delish!!
Try one of the “booths”….so much fun.
Eden has plenty of events on the schedule, including the monthly Wine Dinners. The next one will be Friday, April 24th. Check http://www.edenrestaurant.com. They should be putting the menu up on their website, probably by Saturday.
A shout to our server, Cullen, who took care of us in such a friendly and professional manner.
Have a good one!!
March 3rd, 2015
 Historic Charleston Charleston, S.C., is a good place to get “stuck” when your flight is canceled. I did not know I was going back to Charleston so quickly. How lucky, right?
So many restaurants have opened in Charleston since last year. It’s like you don’t know which one to choose….and then, everyone that has been to Charleston will tell you where to go, what to eat….don’t forget this or that. I am doing the same thing.
On my book there are 5 “ingredients” to a good restaurant: Culinary Competence, Quality of Ingredients, Ambiance, Service, and Price. Which means you want the best chefs or cooks, depending how you want to call yourselves, fresh ingredients, ambiance conducive to conversation, personal service and a good price. I found S.N.O.B.
 
Slightly North Of Broad, or, S.N.O.B., is located at 192 East Bay Street. Tel. 843-723-3424 Website? http://www.mavericksouthernkitchens.com/slightlynorthofbroad. This restaurant is owned by the Maverick Southern Kitchen Group, with other restaurants such as High Cotton in Greenville, and Charleston, Old Village Post House in Mount Pleasant, and Charleston Cooks! They have gluten free menus available!!
I arrived at 11:50 a.m. I thought I would be the first one there. Oh, no. The dining room was full. Then, I was told that there was a seat available at the Chef’s Table. Are you kidding?…another lucky day. The dining room is an extension of the kitchen. The Chef’s Table is long and seats 6 guests. To my left there were 2 gentlemen, and to my right a couple who knew the Executive Chef, and another guest.
The corn bread was warm and came in a sweet grass basket. Perfect addition to my soup.
Checking out what everyone was having I noticed the huge portion of moist meatloaf. But, I wanted something different like their Curried Chickpea Soup with Cabbage and Currants. Totally delish, well seasoned and comforting.
I am always on a culinary journey. The blending of flavors get my tastebuds doing that je ne sais quai. Originally, I was going to order the fried chicken livers on grits…..then, my question was: What is your signature dish? No hesitation; the Maverick Shrimp & Grits. That did it. A signature dish that everyone comes to enjoy. I wanted it.
The gentleman on my left said to me that his hotel had said S.N.O.B. had the best shrimp and grits. So, check out my plate….shrimp, home sausage, country ham, freshy tomatoes, green onions, garlic and Geechie Boy yellow grits.
Geechie Boy Yellow Grits are ground in historic mills in Edisto Island, S.C…..Local!!
No dessert was necessary, I was totally satisfied……the gentleman at the end of the table…I believe his name was George was having a coconut ice cream, which he said was the best. He visits S.N.O.B. at least 3 times per week. He considers their cooking one of the best anywhere by far. That’s a local’s review for you.
Guilty…..the reason I was not having dessert is because I was going to a cooking class next door at Charleston Cooks in about an hour and a half. Yikes…
Note: The BB & T Charleston Wine & Food Festival is March 4th until the 8th…this coming week-end. It is in its 10th year. It celebrates Lowcountry Cuisine with James Beard Award winning chefs from around the country, as well as the region’s best. Please check http://www.charlestonwineandfood.com.
When is Spring getting here???
January 26th, 2015
The aroma of Indian food; coriander, curries, dry red chillies, turmeric, fennel….sooo good. Only a few Indian restaurants in Delaware and one of them, Flavor of India, is located at 348 North Dupont Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Tel. 302-677-0121. Website? http://www.flavorofindiade.com. It is in the same building with a separate entrance from the Motel 8. Believe me, the restaurant is really good.
They are open 7 days a week. Dine in or take out.
Stopped to pick up some take-out and gave Tony the news that my husband, John, had passed away on August 31, 2013. He was truly shocked and could not believe it. John and I enjoyed eating at Flavor of India and also enjoyed talking to Tony.
I picked up Lamb Saagwala, which had lamb pieces and fresh spinach cooked in an Indian spicy herbal sauce. I also picked up some Lamb Pasanda, an authentic dish from northern India. In northern India the curries are thick and the gravies are very creamy. The basmati rice is awesome with a rich aroma…..you cannot find that rice in Rehoboth Beach…Flavor of India have their own connections.
In the past when dining in I have ordered the pappadom, which is like a flat bread. Sauces are brought to the table for dipping. You can also eat it by itself.
And dishes like the Goat Masala, which my husband loved. Most of the goat dishes have a bone.
And, Lamb Zafrani…one of my favorites.
I took home for dessert Gajar Halwa, which is mainly made with carrots….sweet and very interesting taste. Have had it before and still like it. Served warm.
The sense of taste is so acute and amazing….trying the foods from northern India with so many different spices, each hitting at the right time. So, if you have a craving for Indian food, or just want something different, go and visit Tony at Flavor of India. I keep telling him they should open a restaurant in Rehoboth Beach.
Note: Flavor of India continues to receive awards for being a true representation of Indian food with great service, delicious food, and reasonable prices. They are also aware of customers with gluten free allergies.
January 26th, 2015
Meatless recipe….but the day is perfect for a nice hot chili!!
This recipe is totally stolen. Cannot take any credit for it. It is a recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. It comes out so good and it can be served by itself, or, as a side dish for meat, chicken or fish. I have served it with a Turducken and I just served it for Christmas Eve dinner with my small standing rib roast from Hickman’s in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Spinach Gratin and sliced tomatoes on the side…yummy! It is by no means a low fat, low cal recipe but some adjustments can be made….substitute the butter for something lighter. The heavy cream can be half and half, and the milk can be low fat, as well.
SPINACH GRATIN
4 tablsps. usalted butter
4 cups yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg, grated (I used ground)
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
5 10-ounce packages of frozen spinach, defrosted
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Kosher salt (optional)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent. About 10 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook stirring for a few more minutes, making a roux. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened.
Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the defrosted spinach. Add the spinach to the sauce. Then, add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix it well. Season with salt and pepper if you want to.
Transfer the spinach to a baking dish, 9 x 13, and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Serve and enjoy!!
I made this recipe gluten free. Please grate your cheeses to make sure there are no additives containing gluten.
October 23rd, 2014
I love the title my Mother in Law gave to a family cookbook of recipes: Begged, Borrow, & Stolen. That’s how I feel when I use recipes. The good thing is that I usually change them with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I make the recipes my own.
So, being that it is cooler, rainy, windy…and Fall, I think that the Curried & Apple Soup could be a keeper. Served with a side dish of tostones or fried plantains and Mojito….it is even better. The word Mojito has been around for such a long time. In Puertorican cooking it means a sauce made for dipping certain local delicacies.
Carrots are so healthy and the saying of “an apple a day, keep the doctors away”, is probably so true, as well. Hope you like it.
CURRIED CARROT & APPLE SOUP
2 tablespoons margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, cored and chopped
salt and pepper
1 pound carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
3/4 pounds celery root, chopped (regular celery will do)
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
4 gingersnaps cookies
1/2 tablespoon yellow curry powder (more if you like curry)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of finely grated fresh ginger
2 thyme sprigs (1/4 tsp. ground thyme will do)
3 cups chicken stock (I used unsalted chicken stock)
1 cup Apple Cider
1/2 cup sour cream (I used non-fat)
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Garnish: Toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped mint, fresh cilantro or cilantro paste, and favorite hot sauce; optional. The pumpkin seeds were toasted on the stove in a frying pan. Make sure they do not burn. So good!!
In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion, leek, fennel, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook stirring here or there until softened and veggies are browning.
Add carrots, celery, apple, gingersnaps, curry powder, garlic, ginger, and thyme. Cook until the carrots and celery soften somewhat.
Add chicken stock and apple cider. Bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat for about 15 minutes until the veggies are very soft. If using thyme sprigs, remove, otherwise, continue with the next step.
Working in small batches, depending on the size of your blender, puree the soup with the sour cream and vinegar until smooth. What I did was mixed the sour cream with the vinegar and added a tablespoon with each batch. This is a creamy soup so, make sure there are no lumps.
You can reheat the soup and seasoned it with salt and pepper, if necessary. Laddle the soup into bowls and top it with the garnish above mentioned. ENJOY!
I decided that Tostones or Fried Plantains would be great with this soup. A meatless meal, no less! Plantains are a starch. If you let them ripen, then, they are sweet and if green you can make Fried Plantains. For the longest time I used to mashed them with a plate, but now I have my Tostonera from Puerto Rico. The Tostonera and the Pilon are a necessity when cooking Puertorican food. The Pilon is very versatile…use it to mash garlic, make mojito, and other PR dishes.
 
The plantain was peeled, cut, and ready for the next step of frying.
Fry the chunks of plantain in oil until lightly browned. Then, place on the tostonera, or between wax paper.
 
The tostonera is going to make it so much easier to mash. Otherwise, while between the wax paper, mash with a plate. 2 plantains were used on that evening. Finish mashing them and keep on paper towels until the next step.
 
Heat the oil back again and place the mashed plantains in batches once again. They will rise to the surface. Let them get nice and light brown. Take them out and place on paper towels again to drain the oil.
You can serve them on a platter with just butter and garlic salt. Or you can make the mojito by placing in the Pilon or Mortar 1 garlic clove, a pinch of salt. Then with the pestle, crush garlic and salt together. Add a bit of olive oil, a tablespoon or so, a small can of tomato sauce, tabasco and cilantro. Then squeeze half a lime and add it, as well. That’s it.
Note: This recipe is gluten free. Make sure you check the tomato sauce, the chicken stock, and apple cider. Have a good one!!
September 7th, 2014
 
It was Saturday….yesterday. My friend, Chris and I were in Lewes. That time of the day when you start thinking about lunch. Granted, I usually go for lunch to Agave. Cannot take the wait in the evening. So we tried it at around 12:30 p.m. and….surprised, surprised…shocked, really!! No line.
Agave is one of those restaurants that really has made it at the Delaware Beaches. The food is consistenly food. You really get served food on your plate and the prices are so reasonable. A total winner. It is located in Historic Lewes at 137 2nd Street. Tel. 302-645-1232.
Checking out the baked good behind the counter made me think…wow, I need to try to make some meringues!!
This was going to be a quick lunch.
The corn bread at Agave is delicious!! Get it!
The Mango and Avocado Salad with the ever present “queso fresco”…a must.
I have had most offerings on the menu….a simple soup can say so much….their Chili is one of my absolute musts!!! So much that at 94 degree temperature….I had to have it. Just as good as ever!! Order it!
Agave is gluten free friendly. Most dishes can be made gluten free. Please make sure to ask your server.
Guess what? There was a line when we left.
Have a great day!
September 3rd, 2014
 
A quick get-away, with an old friend, Cindi, and new soon to be new friends, took us on a kayak expedition to Chatham Winery, near Cape Charles, Virginia.
We met for sustance before our expedition at the Machipongo Trading Co., located at 13037 Lankford Hwy., Machipongo, VA 23405 Tel. 757-678-005. Lankford Highway is also Rt. 13. Many of you travel this route throughout the year, mostly in the winter as you try to go south for warmer temperatures.
It is only 20 minutes north of the Bridge-Tunnel, and across from the Barrier Islands Center.
Introductions were made and we proceeded to order lunch. Our kayak guide, Brandon, was getting our kayaks ready while we had lunch.
This place was a great stop. And, surprise, surprise….it was charming and quaint. Wi-Fi available, as well, so make yourself at home, will you?
Looking around I found gluten free beer and cider!! They also offer local wines.
And I bought Machipongo Morning Coffee by local Coffee Roaster, Eastern Shore Coastal Roasting Co. Cannot wait to try it.
Machipongo Trading Co. offers picnic provisions for any of your expeditions. You can also call ahead for carry out orders at 757-678-0005. Or, do like we did and enjoy sandwiches and paninis.
My Falafel Wrap was amazingly good with onions, spinach, cucumbers and tzatziki.
Since this was my first time with this group….I only took a few photos….did not want to scare them away. In the following posts, initiations had ended and they went with the flow.
Hours of operation for Machipongo Trading Co. are: Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Hungry while traveling Lankford Highway……this is a must stop for all kinds of goodies….healthy, not so healty (ice cream)…..and remember if you have a gluten allergy…..this is the place.
Have a great time!! Until next post.
August 24th, 2014
I have a strong connection with Baltimore, Maryland. First of all, my husband, John, was from Baltimore. For years I worked in Downtown Baltimore, watching the Inner Harbor take place. Baltimore has fantastic neighborhoods and awesome food.
The Maryland’s countryside is so pretty. Rolling hills….it is also horse country. Back in June I visited The Manor Tavern located at 15819 Old York Rd., Monkton, MD 21111. This is northern Baltimore County. Tel. 410-791-8155. Website? http://www.themanortavern.com.
This is a full fledge tavern, with a property that has been in existence since 1750 when stables were located in what it is now The Manor Tavern. If you are from Baltimore, probably, at some time or another you have attended events or have gone to lunch, dinner, or Sunday Brunch. There are the regulars that make The Manor Tavern their watering hole.
The Manor Tavern opens 7 days a week. Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. Friday from 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. And, Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m.
They told us that we needed to have the Truffle Fries….a must. At first I said “no way”, but, they twisted my arm and I had to order them. First things first, though
We sat outside….afterall, it was June.
On the menu we saw the Crispy Brussels Sprouts….Also a must!! Best I have had, and I do have them anywhere they will serve them. Tender inside, crispy outside with red salt and a tangy dipping sauce.
We ordered hamburgers.
Mine was The Manor Burger. A classic burger for sure. Crabstone Farms Black Angus, topped with sharp cheddar, Swiss and apple wood smoked bacon. Medium rare for me. Delish!! See those fries? They are the truffle fries..hand cut, with truffle oil, garlic, and dusted with parmessan cheese. To die for!
The Gunpowder Bison Burger made an appearance on our table, as well. It had roasted garlic cream cheese, arugula, apple wood smoked bacon and truffle oil. Again, the truffle fries were ordered.
The Manor Tavern is bringing back the era of sustainability. On their property the organic gardens were taking shape. The gardens work year-round. The Manor Tavern also uses local vendors and growers.
After lunch we took a walk through the gardens and this is what was growing in June.
Please note that The Manor Tavern is able to accommodate parties, graduations, weddings….you name it. Just give them a call.
Have a great day!!
 
|
Comments Off on Eden’s Sweet Ending, Dessert, Downtown Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Beaches, Southern Delaware, Starry Night in Rehoboth Beach