October 11th, 2019

The Blue Hen, Restaurant, Review, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Outdoor Dining, Southern Delaware, Delaware Beaches, The Art of Wining and Dining

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” Nothing beats sitting around with friends and family and having meaningful conversations over a delicious meal.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, is a dining destination. You can find almost anything, from the Boardwalk Grub to fine dining.

Outdoor dining is something you do not find in all the restaurants but The Blue Hen located at 33 Wilmington Ave. in Downtown Rehoboth has the outdoor atmosphere, and the food to boot. Their new hours are from Thursday through Monday. Their phone is 302-278-7842. Website? http://www.thebluehenrehoboth.com

Meet me at the Fire Pit is what I just told my friends. In the past few weeks I have visited The Blue Hen twice. Love being able to sit outdoor, whether is to have cocktails or even decide to eat dinner by the fire pit. Great atmosphere.

The Beet Salad was a starter and it is a shareable dish. Golden beets (I love them), pomegrate seeds, pickled onion, red beet yogurt, toasted spiced nuts and herbs. Great way to start a dining experience.

What is the original advice about eating oysters? Only eat them in the 8 months of the year that contain the letter “R”, which means September through April. I, actually, do not follow that advice and nothing has ever happened.

Cold and salty, that’s how I like my oysters.

The scallops at the Blue Hen are delicious. They are a very popular dish. They are served with trumpet mushrooms, braised fennel, sea beans, green apple dashi, and chives. Dashi is a class of soup and cooking stock used in Japanese cuisine.

Eating by the Fire Pit is perfect at this time of the year. Eating outdoors is first come first served regarding to seating arrangements. The Blue Hen accepts reservations for indoor seating.

If you are in Rehoboth visiting and decide to eat at The Blue Hen the Smith Island crab cakes are very good and the fresh Maryland crab will probably only be availabe for another week or so. These are no fillers crab cakes, roasted red bliss potatoes, ham pickle slaw, and tartar sauce.

The Pan Seared King Salmon with baby kale, roasted grapes, celery root puree, pine nuts and brown butter while it was very good, my friend thought it should have been cooked a little bit more.

Dessert…just one will do. Please bring us a few spoons. The chocolate dense cake and mint ice cream hit the right spot.

Rehoboth nights continue in the Second Season. Beautiful nights in the fall is the best time of the year at the beach.

Sitting with my friends enjoying a nice meal reminds me of my own family dinners when t.v. was off and it was time to learn about each other and what everyone had done that day.

A generous spread of delicious food is the universal unifier. Food can be dressed up or down. You can’t rush it, you have to cook from the heart.

Have a great week-end.

Please check AboutMyBeaches Facebook Page. Thanks.

October 3rd, 2019

Pickled Shrimp, Recipe, Easy, A Collection of Recipes II, The Art of Wining and Dining, Southern Delaware, Delaware Beaches

In 1997 my children went to Worcester Country School in Berlin, MD. Since then the school is now known as Worcester Preparatory School.

Over the years a lot of parents were involved in the school and I was one of them. Book fairs, galas, Christmas Programs, Reading Programs, Teacher Appreciation Luncheons, etc. etc.

Years before my time the school had published a cookbook called A Collection of Recipes. It was as I mentioned above 1997 and the Parents Association decided to do another cookbook called A Collection of Recipes II.

As you can see the book has been used over the years. I was the Chairperson on this journey that took many months with parents giving us their best recipes. It took a school not a village to complete this project.

I don’t think the book is available anymore. Parents supported this book and it was a great success. The book is probably in your cabinet, but I keep my handy because the recipes are really good. I still feel strong about those words in the dedication that said “But food not only nourishes our minds and bodies. Food serves as a way for people to come together — sharing ideas, experiences and cultures”.

Tonight I made a recipe from this book called Pickled Shrimp. I was invited to a friend’s house. Pickled Shrimp is an easy recipe and it is usually liked by everyone. You can serve it year-round.

1 pound medium shrimp, uncooked

1 tablespoon pickling spices

1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 white wine vinegar

2 green onions sliced, including the greens

Pull shrimp from shells. Discard shells. I bought shrimp already peeled and I just pulled the tails out. Make sure if you buy frozen shrimp to defrost them.

In a 2-quart saucepan, cover shrimp and pickling spices with water. Bring to a boil; simmer over medium heat about 2 minutes. Strain water leaving spices on shrimp. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine mustard, horseradish, oil, salt, celery salt, vinegar and onions. Pour over drained shrimp. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. The longer you marinate it the better they taste. Pour in a pretty bowl with the sauce and enjoy. Serve cold.

This recipe could easily be doubled, as well.