August 6th, 2012
Gathering at the Dining Table with new friends, La Esperanza, Hoy en Delaware, Chef Matt Haley was our Host in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
It is so funny, I have never been invited to a chef’s house. It was a first and I was looking forward to it. Except, I was going to bring a dessert and that already had me going. I was hoping I was not going to mess it up. I even offered to make a flan. Now, that should be an easy one for me. I took a practice run the night before and what a flop it was!! I had tried a new recipe and it was terrible. Into the disposal it went. My host does not know this. If he reads this post, he will find out that I was, actually, nervous.
I ended up making the flan just like they make it in Puerto Rico; sugar, milk eggs…I was getting my confidence back. It looked great on the pan, but will I be able to flip it? I did. A little sideways but it looked presentable. Fresh fruit on the side. I wrapped it, and off we went to Matt Haley’s house. I have mentioned before that before I met him, personally, I was a fan of his restaurants. His company is SoDel Concepts. You can check it on this website, right on the right hand side. Click on it. You might want to also check Global Delaware on this website, so that you can see the other side of this chef, and what else he is doing.
I think I took a turn too quickly so when I opened my trunk there was caramelized sugar all over the mat. All I could think was, please let it be edible.
Now, the difference between an amateur and a professional is that the professional makes it look so effortless. Matt was saying how he did not know what he was cooking for dinner until an hour before. Oh, a friend gave him fresh caught rockfish. He had it ready to go in the oven. So easy, no stressing, you know.
The next guests were arriving. When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, I went to Catholic school. The sisters (nuns) were in our lives every day. Therefore, when Matt told me that Sisters Rosita, Maria, and Asuncion were coming for dinner, I was totally at ease. These women are amazing. Let me tell you a bit about them.
Rosita, Maria, and Asuncion came from Spain many years ago. Their order is Las Carmelitas. They have had a presence in Sussex County for over 18 years. They have seen about 5,000 babies go through their hands. They are the heart and soul of La Esperanza, along with many others that are helping the Hispanic community in Georgetown, Delaware.
Faith, Hope and Charity are the 3 theological virtues. La Esperanza means Hope and it is the last thing someone loses. The sisters are giving faith, charity and hope to many that are in need. La Esperanza was founded in 1996 “primarily to provide support to the increasing number of immigrant workers arriving in Sussex County from Mexico and Guatemala”.
La Esperanza offers family services including transportation, and translation services to families. They also provide non-English speaking victims of crime important information and support. It is located at 216 N. Race St., Georgetown, DE. Tel. 302-854-9262 Website? http://www.laesperanza.org. If you would like to volunteer, donate or just learn about it, please visit the website.
These sisters put me to shame. What they do in a day is unreal. Busy until late at night, offering support, smiles and prayers. La Esperanza serves 8,000 individuals and families each year, including children.
The next two guests were arriving. Also from Spain but in the community for many years. Their business is Hoy en Delaware, the Spanish newspaper, which is distributed through the State of Delaware. Jose Somalo is the Publisher and Virginia Esteban is the Editor. You can find Hoy en Delaware on Facebook. And you can also visit their website http://www.hoyendelaware.com.
Matt’s appetizers were simple and delicious; roasted peppers, sardines, cheese.
His rockfish was cooking in the oven and it looked so good.
Potatoes and string beans on the stove.
The salad greens were in the salad bowl. Apples, pine nuts and cheese were also added.
Check the dressing, he said. Light and delicious it was. Equal measurements of buttermilk and sour cream, lemon zest and herbs.
A quick mixing of the salad…my photo does not do justice.
I am telling you…effortless. I kept checking to see if he would lose his cool, but he did not, even when he had to slide the rockfish into the serving dish.
We were all chatting away, getting to know each other. Dinner was ready.
On the table were flowers, hot peppers, and a homemade relish, all with the kind of heat that wake up your taste buds.
Grace was all that was left to do…and to thank our host for a wonderful dinner.
There is something about gathering at a table to share a meal that puts everyone in a great frame of mind. The conversation flowed; a lot of laughter, as well.
My dish had a little bit of everything including some of the roasted peppers from the appetizer plate. Matt mentioned that he loves simple foods. You should be able to taste the food you are eating. A potato should have that earthy taste, for example. The fish was awesome!! So was everything else.
It was time for coffee and dessert. Oh boy. Matt told me to serve the 3 desserts we had.
The torrejas were brought by Jose and Virginia. This is a traditional Spanish dessert and the best way to explain it to you is that it is almost like a French toast. Great with coffee and not overly sweet either.
The Brazo Gitano or Gypsy’s Arm is a filled Spanish sponge cake, with a cream filling
And, my flan.
I managed to serve everyone but no thanks to Chef Matt. I had just a regular spatula for serving; let’s put it this way, it was hard to serve the flan. Anyway, everyone thought all the desserts were very good.
The photo shows on top the torrejas, then the brazo gitano and then my flan with fruits.
It was a great evening full of enlightening conversation. It was so nice meeting them all.
Dinner with family and friends…..priceless!!
Tags: Delaware Beaches, Global Delaware, Global Delaware Fund, Hoy en Delaware, La Esperanza, Matt Haley, rehoboth beach, SoDel Concepts, Southern Delaware, Sussex County, Things to do at the beach, What to do at the beaches
