July 9th, 2011
It is a typical summer day in Florida; rain and more rain. But guess what? I went to Publix, the local supermarket. Strolling around the different isles, thinking how nice the snow birds are gone. I don’t consider myself a snowbird. I come to Delray a few days here or there, at the most 10 days at a time.
Something caught my attention at the produce stand; green bunches. I wondered if they were quenepas. I have not had that fruit in probably 30 plus years. It said they were mamoncillos from the Dominican Republic. I had forgotten that was one of the other names given to this tropical fruit. I took some and had to open one right then and there. I was not mistaken; the taste of this fruit brought me back to my years growing up in the Island of Puerto Rico. The street vendors used to sell them in paper bags. Fear had been instilled in all of us children because the fruit is, actually, very slippery. Definitely not for unsupervised kids.
Quenepas are also called Spanish limes. They might look like a small lime but that’s where the similarities stop. It is a tropical fruit of South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and some parts of Africa and the Pacific.
Quenepas grow in bunches. Summer is their season. In Puerto Rico, the quenepas are from the town of Ponce. I think my cousins, who lived in Ponce had a tree in their backyard. Maybe if they read this post they will confirm it.
In describing the fruit, I think the best I can come up with is, that it is a cross between a lychee and a lime; maybe. It has a good layer of skin. The way to eat it? Just crack it with your teeth then put it in your mouth and suck around the large seed. Sorry, but that’s how you do it.
The pulp can be tart, tangy and usually, so deliciously sweet.
Quenepas stain. It is a brown, ugly stain, so watch it.
Another interesting fact about quenepas is that they are used to make Bili, which is a drink that ferments rum, preferably pitorro (Puerto Rican moonshine). Bili is indigenous to the islands of Vieques and Culebra. Both of these islands are located between Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Back on April 13, 2010 I wrote a post about this drink and a few others. If you would like to see it, just click on the month of April, 2010 and scroll down to the 13th.
Still enjoying the quenepas as I write this post….waiting from my brother, Miguel….we will see if he is surprised, or not….or does not care at all….talk to you later….have a good one!!
Update: Miguel just arrived bearing from his yard the most amazing mangoes, which are the next best thing to quenepas. He screamed when he saw the quenepas; many years have passed since he had seen them, as well.
May 7th, 2011
We really had a gorgeous day here in the Delmarva Peninsula. When Spring shows its colors, it is truly beautiful. Definitely, my favorite times of the year are Spring and Fall. A day like today, I could take it every day.
I got an e-mail from the Delray GreenMarket and it was so cute. It was about the reasons why Moms deserve their own Holiday.
She brought you into this world — through her own body.
For at least 2 years, she changed your dirty diapers.
Her first instinct was and is always to stick up for you.
Her lullabies, and later her lectures, could put you to sleep. Isn’t that the truth!!
“When you’re a mother, you’ll understand” turned out to be true.
Her chauffeur services and there were many, were first-rate.
She cooked your favorite meal when you came hom from college. Cooked for your friends too.
She did your laundry when you came home from college.
 The golf course looked fantastic!! Two words; homemade pie.
Mom does the worrying for everyone in the family!!
She taught you to play fair and watch your mouth.
She is there 24/7!! That’s my own comment.
So, to all of you who are Mothers in many ways; an aunt, a mentor, a grandmother, a stepmother, a teacher, I wish you a great day.
February 6th, 2011
My mother in law, Louise, is an excellent cook. I can say that I have learned from her style of cooking; then as I usually do, I make it my own. The original celery and cabbage casserole is her recipe. If you like celery and cabbage then I think you will like this recipe. It is so easy, goes well with grilled foods or with turkey or pork. In my household I fix it, sometimes, when I want a meatless meal. Add a salad and some crusty bread. A few ways to make it your own is to add a little bit more of this or a little less of that.
I had to stop and think about these 2: celery and cabbage. I found interesting information that I would like to pass on to you. You might start liking these vegetables.
Celery comes from the same family with parsley and fennel. The leaves are high in vitamin A. The stems are full of B1, B2, B6; lots of potassium and plenty of amino acids.
A lot of vegetables lose nutrients during cooking, but not celery. Its compounds hold up well during the cooking process.
It is also said that celery lowers blood pressure but its juice helps in other conditions including cancer. Why? Apparently, it contains ant-cancer compounds. One of those compounds is acetylemic, which has been known to stop the growth of tumor cells.
I also did not know that celery is among the group of foods, headed by peanuts, that appear to cause the most allergic reactions. This allergy is found mostly in Central Europe. Here, in the U.S. the peanut allergy is more prevalent.
Cabbage is popular in Central and Eastern Europe. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, has anti-inflammatory properties and it is low in calories. It has a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and also appears to block the growth of cancer cells, among other health benefits.
The recipe is very adjustable. You can make it for a crowd or just for a few. If you like more cabbage than celery, then you know what to do, or if celery is your favorite then add more.
Celery and Cabbage Casserole
4 cups of cabbage (thin strips)
2 cups of chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine (a bit more if you like)
salt and pepper to taste
At this point, pre heat oven to 350 degrees. On a large frying pan, medium high heat, melt butter and saute celery and cabbage for a few minutes. Season it with salt and pepper, if you would like to. Do not over cook.
Place in a baking dish.
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon flour (I use gluten free flour)
1 1/2 cups of milk (either fat free, low fat and whole; your preference)
1 small jar of chopped roasted peppers (pimentos), with juice
salt and pepper to taste, if you want to
Tabasco, a few drops
Crackers, crushed for topping (saltines, or gluten free, bread crumbs)
Paprika
In the frying pan, melt butter in a medium low heat, then add flour and whisk it into the butter. Slowly add the milk to start making the sauce. If you need more milk because it is getting too thick then, by all means, add it. It is going to be delicious, don’t worry. Then once you have the sauce going add the jar of roasted peppers (pimentos) and keep whisking it. Add the Tabasco. More kick? Then, more Tabasco. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour over the celery and cabbage and mix it in. The cracker topping should be very light. Then, sprinkle the paprika to give it more color.
Place it in the oven for about 25 minutes. If you are doubling this recipe then you will have to leave it in the oven longer. Just until the topping gets nice and brown but not burned.
If you decide you like this recipe then you can add a little sprinkle of parmessan cheese; not much. The original recipe does not have cheese.
Last week I was in the mood for roasted turkey. Yes, my oven was fixed and this recipe was my side dish.
Note: Information for this post was taken from www.juicing-for-health.com .
Have a great day!!…..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 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 8th, 2011
“A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands.” lord byron
We really would be in trouble if that was true. Nevertheless, I had lobster on New Year’s Eve. And even though it was lobster; the dinner was casual, in front of the fire place. I still don’t have a working oven. Can you believe that? It has not been that bad, though.
I was thinking, why is it that some of the specialty foods are only to be eaten on special occasions? I think that every time you sit at the table, it should be special. The food should be prepared from the heart; like you mean it.
This recipe is a Lobster Newburg. Actually, this is an American dish. I added small peas to give the dish contrast and color. The dish was to also be baked, but I did not see any need to it; nor did I have the oven to do that. So here it goes.
Crepes with Lobster Newburg
2 1/2 cups lobster meat (I got 3 small lobsters)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 lb. mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
2 cups medium cream (I mixed 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of half and half)
1/2 tablespoon flour (I used Arrowhead Mills, gluten free baking mix)
1/4 cup dry Sherry (remember? a little more of this or a little less of that)
1 cup cream (heavy)
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste (I did not use salt)
Crepes
I had the market cooked the lobsters and as soon as I got home I got the meat out and put it aside. Chop it but you still want to see nice chunks of lobster.
In a large skillet melt butter and saute the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the lobster and peas to heat through. Don’t overcook it, please.
Heat, but do not boil, the cream sauce and add sherry to it. Then add the egg yolks to the heavy cream and combine. Then add it to the cream sauce. If you think that it is too thin then add the flour and wisk it in quickly. Add the paprika and seasonings.
Note: As you can see there are 2 creams; one is the cream sauce and the other is the 1 cup of heavy cream. To that cup of heavy cream you will be adding the egg yolks. A little confusing, I know.
Add the cream to the lobster, mushroom and peas. Again just heat it through. If you want you can just turn it off while you are preparing the crepes. It should not take long.
Crepes
This recipe for crepes can be made ahead of time; even the night before. Just cover and refrigerate. It is a basic recipe and can be used plain with just a bit of honey on top or as a stuffed crepe.
3 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ( I used Arrowhead Mills gluten free baking mix)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon milk
A pinch of salt
Combine all of the above and stir until the ingredients are the consistency of thin cream.
In a 10 inch non-stick frying pan or crepe pan, melt 1 tblsp. of butter. When it bubbles, pour some of the batter, enough to cover the bottom with a thin coating. Cook a couple of minutes and with a large spatula flip it over and cook on the other side for a few minutes, as well. Take it out of the pan and continue with the rest of them using butter as needed. I made four of them and had left-over batter.
After I filled the crepe I put extra sauce on top. It turned out very nice and the combination of flavors was good. If you do not like Sherry, then you can use Madeira. Lobster Newburg was originally prepared with Madeira wine but it seemed that it was thought to be too sweet.
As you can see from my pictures I had steamed asparagus as a side dish. You can prepare your favorite vegetable or just a salad. You know, make it your own.
This is a rich and flavorful dish. You might just want to have one crepe and save the rest for another day.
It can serve 4 people easily.
Enjoy it and the next day….do extra exercises….talk to you later…
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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