“If you think big, then it’s going to be big.” Emeril Lagasse
Meet Chef Joe Tuna. He is everything you would think a chef should be; bigger than life. A New Yorker, direct, funny, and he came to his sister and brother-in-law’s house to spend the weekend and cook for eight of us. Wait a minute, we did help.
As I was saying…Benedette surrendered her clean kitchen, Jeff was the Sous Chef, I brought a Spinach Gratin, and followed directions on how to take food photos and how to sprinkle parsley on a plate to make it presentable. I had never done anything like that 😂
It was a gorgeous day in Delmarva so here is what we had.
We could have fed an army.
First things first…A good chef travels with his kitchen arsenal.
Appetizers:
Clams stuffed with clams and crabmeat. Spinach Pie.
I truly love Grilled Octopus. Joe Tuna did a fantastic job. Off the grill and into our mouths.
The Homemade Fetuccini with shrimp and grape tomatoes was a combined effort, making that day that contraption to dry the noodles.
Joe Tuna cooked and I tasted.
Doesn’t that parsley look amazing on the plate? I thought you would like it.
Now that we had the appetizers out of the way, we took like a half hour break where we talked, well, Joe did, cracked jokes but not for long. There was still some eating to do.
Main Course:
The Brisket with a peppery rub. Perfectly cooked.
My contribution of the Spinach Gratin.
Collard Greens which are a specialty of Jeff’s with ham and bacon.
A sweet ending to this feast was a Pumpkin Pie which everyone raved about courtesy of Jeanette and Jeff (not sure how much Jeff contributed😁)👏👏
What can I say? In our blessings before dinner we all thanked for the ability to share a meal together. That’s what’s important.
Aboutmybeaches is on Facebook and on Instagram. Check it out.
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Located on Second Street which is actually Main Street in Lewes, Touch of Italy has made a name for itself up and down the Delaware and Maryland Beaches.
That’s our table on the corner of their cozy wine room. Just a few tables to be intimate and conducive to conversation.
I always ask for a Chianti. It sets the mood. 🍷
The Soup of the Day was Wedding Soup. TC loves it and it was very much enjoyed.
A side of Spinach was all that was needed.
The next dish dish was the Pollo Alla Parmigiana or Chicken Parm. A specialty of the house. As you can see it was huge and could very well be shared. It was breaded with their own crumbs, pan seared and then topped with munster cheese and their original tomato sauce. Served with a side of spaghetti. Leftovers galore 😁
No dessert was necessary but they do have some good ones to eat in or for takeout. Their pignoli cookies are the best.
And their Eclairs are the biggest and best too. Just saying 👏👏
An Italian shop it is. Fresh mozzarella made every day, hams and cheeses, etc.
It’s a beautiful weekend. Enjoy. AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook and Instagram.
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The Hobbit offers Gluten Free items which will be marked as such on the menu.
Please note that Saturday, October 29th is the last day for the 2022 Season👍
Four of us had the Bone in Pork Chop. I love pork chops, more so in cooler weather. This pork chop had sticky Braeburn apples, juniper and peppercorn rub, sautéed kale, green lentils simmered with pancetta, carrots and pearl onions. It was then finished with pork jus and sage. Ordered mine cooked medium. Awesome 👏
Another dish ordered and has been on their menu for a long time was the Horseradish Crusted Salmon. North Atlantic Salmon, horseradish crusted, roasted Yukon creamer potatoes, roasted beets, tarragon and finished with a beet sauce and horseradish cream. It looked amazing and got great reviews.
Did not get to take a photo of the Lollipop Lamb Chops. New Zealand lamb chops, potato hash and sweet honey aioli. I can attest that I tasted one and it was delicious. This was an appetizer but you got plenty of them to make it a meal. Add a soup or salad.
Garvey, thanks so much for the Creme Brulee. It was so good.
Have a great week and remember that AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook and Instagram.
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In 2000 I planted this fig tree in Rehoboth Beach. I had lived in Bethany Beach for many years where I also had a fig tree. Over the years I had seen so many fig trees and I have picked this delicious fruit here and there until I had my own tree.
So for 22 years the fig has given enough fruit to keep my friends and neighbors happy.
I thought this year was not going to be good crop but surprise, surprise, it was👏👏
My cousins visited and they made stuffed figs with goat cheese. A little turkey bacon gave that salty taste too.
A lazy night to fix dessert? Off to Fresh Market to get a plain cheesecake and we topped it with last year’s preserved figs. Take note that cheesecake was great.
With the last figs I made chutney. That will go great this winter with any meat. So easy to make:
12 to 15 ounces of figs. Fresh or dried.
Balsamic vinegar
cinnamon stick or ground cinnamon
lemon juice (approx. 1/2 lemon)
Cut the figs in half. In a medium size saucepan place figs and all ingredients in. Heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles form before a boil. Cool and remove cinnamon stick. If using fresh figs smash them with a spatula. If using dried figs you may put them in a food processor and pulse two times.
Pour in 8 ounce Mason jars. It makes about 3 jars.
Any muffin mix or homemade add fresh figs. Your guests will love you for it.
Remember that AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook and Instagram. Have a great day.
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Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Monday to improve their health. Sounds good, doesn’t it? So skip the meat and increase the veggies.
I have had this recipe for some time but it is not my own. I made it my own by tweaking a few things.
Ingredients:
1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch slices, about eight slices
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbs. olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil.
Cut the eggplant and brush the pieces front and back with olive oil. Salt and pepper on both sides. Bake about 13 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime combine the following ingredients:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
Handful of fresh basil, sliced, plus extra for garnish
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbs shredded parmigiano cheese
1 1/4 cup marinara sauce
8 oz Mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
Spread 1/4 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of baking dish, 11” x 8” evenly.
Use spatula to pick up eggplant slices. Place an eggplant slice on a work surface. Scoop 1 Tbs of the filling and place on top of the wider slice and closest to you. Carefully roll eggplant lengthwise and place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Continue with the rest.
Pour remaining marinara sauce and top with mozzarella. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden. Remove and let it set for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra basil.
Add a green veggie like I did and enjoy.
Remember AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook and Instagram 🎃
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