June 2nd, 2010
Who would make an appointmet in Baltimore, Maryland the day after Memorial week-end? Well, I did. That was really crazy because just in Ocean City, Maryland, right here at the beaches, there were 250,000 visitors that decided to spend the week-end with us. I don’t know how many in the Delaware beaches but plenty were here, as well.
Needless to say, they have to go home so on Tuesday we all drove West in caravan style.
At one point we are at a dead stop on Rt. 404. Many of you know which route this is. A suggestion was made in my car to take a “short cut”. Yeap, the short cut took us 10 miles back on a winding road that was sort of familiar but really wasn’t.
It did not matter to much to me and I just laughed and hoped that other suggestions would not be made.
My thoughts were really on where I would, definitely, be stopping on my way back. Harris Crab House is a must for me when I find myself traveling these roads. The restaurant is located right there in Kent Island and I have talked about it in the past. And once again I am talking about it because you never know how the food or service is going to be. The location is perfect for a crab house. Right on the water, watching the boats go by.
Harris Crab House is on Kent Narrows Way, North, Grasonville, MD 21638. It is Rt. 5/301, Exit 42. Tel. 410-827-9500 and website is www.harriscrabhouse.com.
It was late in the afternoon but not dinner time so the idea was to have just an appetizer. Well, I have to confess that I love steamed clams, especially, cherrystones.
Of the small clams there are “littlenecks” that are from Littleneck Bay, Long Island, N.Y. and are better eaten raw or in chowders, and the “cherrystones” which are slightly larger in size and named for Cherrystone Creek, Virginia. These could be eaten raw or cooked, but I love them best steamed, as mentioned above.
I really was a pig; I ate 60 clams. Yeap, I did. I am not guilty beacuse they were so good; sweet and salty and the perfect size. Then I just had 3 crabs; a balancing act.
The crabs were not as good as they usually are. The man at the next table who had eaten plenty of crabs in his life thought they were paper thin. And, they were, even though they were tasty. The waiter said that they were hit hard during the week-end. The size of the crabs were large but not that large, really. They were out of the jumbos, and the prices were high.
This man mentioned that his favorite crab house in Ocean City, Maryland is The Crab Bag. Probably so, but I will have to check it out since I have not been there this season. Will let you know.
By the way, I had lunch in Baltimore, Maryland yesterday at a restaurant called Tark’s Grill. I did not take pictures but it is worth mentioning in case you are in the area of Greenspring Station, Lutherville. It was delicious with an extensive wine list and menu. There is outdoor seating available and my signature salad, Lindsays Chicago Chopped Salad with Blackened Chicken was great. It had chopped pickles, almost unnoticeable, but it really added to the salad.
Tark’s Grill is a traditional American Bistro. The address is 2360 West Joppa Rd., Suite 116, Lutherville, MD 21093. Tel. is 410-583-Tark. The website is www.tarksgrill.com.
I hope you have a great day…talk to you later…
May 11th, 2010
I arrived in Boulder last Thursday, full of that East Coast “rush”. I don’t know why. I felt like I was talking and walking a mile a minute. Crazy.
I know that in some of my posts I always say to the people visiting the Delaware and Maryland Beaches to “kick back and relax”. Well, that is exactly what I did, even though it took me more than a few hours to get used to the altitude and the dry air.
Boulder is unique. As you approach the city, the first thing that comes into view are the Flatirons, which are the background to this college town.
What a difference!! A few hours before, I was in Delaware, at sea level, and now I was 5,700 feet high.
No, my oxygen level was fine and I was not huffing and puffing as I made my way to Jill’s Restaurant for a drink and a couple of appetizers to tie my group over until dinner time.
Jill’s Restaurant is a modern bistro that encourages organic farming practices. The restaurant showcases contemporary cuisine with a Mediterranean accent.
It seats 70, has a full bar, and a beautiful private room, called the Honey-Onyx Room. You may dine outdoors, weather permitting overlooking the Flatiron Mountains. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We sat at the bar. The restaurant was crowded since it was graduation week-end at University of Colorado, right in town.
We just wanted a few drinks and a little something to eat. We chose the Fat Tire Steamed Mussels, with roasted crostini. They were delicious and the broth was to die for. Fat Tire is an amber ale beer brewed in Fort Collins, Colorado. We also had the Veggie Spring Rolls with a Chili Ginger Sauce, which were very good, as well. We chatted, relaxed and took notice of how pretty this bistro was. The main dinning room had an open kitchen so you could appreciate the comings and goings of a busy restaurant. The whole set up was very comfortable.
Jill’s Restaurant is located at 900 Walnut Street. Tel. 720-406-7399. The website is http://www.jillsdining.com. Please check out the website because there are different events coming up during the month of May and other pertinent information.
The restaurant is in the St. Julien Hotel & Spa. This hotel is a sophisticated retreat. It has a serene atmosphere accentuaded by the gorgeous mountain views. Their tel. is 720-406-9696 or 720-406-8218. Website is www.stjulien.com.
It is beautiful with an attentive staff.
Yes, that is how my stay in Boulder started…..talk to you later….
May 10th, 2010
Conch Island is the new addition to the many restaurants in downtown Rehoboth Beach. I love seeing all these new places opening up at this time of the year. More blogging for me.
The owners of Conch Island are not new to the restaurant business; they own several others at the beaches. I wanted to check the place out, so I stopped to have a drink. It was actually a little too early but perfect if I wanted to take some pictures. It is hard to take pictures if the place is full of patrons.
Conch Island is located at 207 Rehoboth Avenue, right in the center of town. The tel. is 302-226-West.
The restaurant is large and there are 3 bars. It is not crowded with tables; bar tables are spread out. It is going to be perfect for listening to music. They do have a stage and on week-ends they will have entertainment.
Conch Island has the Captain Morgan Bar. It is a quiet corner of the restaurant, where you can chat with friends away from the music on the other side.
It is a fullfledged restaurant. Some of the appetizers that caught my attention were: Conch Fritters, Smoked Fish Dip, Cracked Conch, Tuna Tataki and Jerk Chicken Quesadillas.
I love Conch Chowder and they do have it, as well. Sandwiches like the catch of the day and the Cuban Sandwich interested me, as well.
For entrees they do have the classics from the grill like New York Strip and Filet Mignon. Other additions are Key West Scallops, Cayo Hueso Paella, and Key West Pink Shrimp among others.
The desserts that tempted me were the Key Lime Pie and the Chocolate Republic Rum Cake which is served warm with a white chocolate glaze.
I think they will do well. The restaurant is casual just like it should be at the beaches. I really would like to visit on a week-end when maybe a little Calypso music could be enjoyed.
Have a great day!!! Talk to you later….as usual….
April 14th, 2010
I grew up on the eastern side of the island of Puerto Rico; specifically in the town of Humacao. This is also the home of the “granitos”. People come from all over the island to buy them. They have always been homemade and they are composed of fried rice flour with cheese in its center. It is more like a snack food to be accompanied by a good cup of Puerto Rican coffee.
From the town of Humacao, the beaches were about 20 minutes away. One stretch of beach near Humacao was Punta Santiago. The mountains meet the sea on this amazing coastline. This beach has both volcanic black sand and coral white sand, as well.
I found that Punta Santiago still looks the same. I was so glad. The small church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen, who is the Patron of Fishermen and whose official Feast Day is July 16th, stands beautifully maintained. I got married in that small church.
Punta Santiago might not be for everyone but I remember it with fond memories. Every time we would want to go an eat at the beach; we always meant Punta Santiago.
Off of Punta Santiago there is a small island. I loved to watch it from the beach, but you can take canoes and small boats around it. The island is called Monkey Island. Its official name is Cayo Santiago. About 1,200 Rhesus monkeys are the only inhabitants. They are the offspring of an original group of monkeys imported from India that were used for scientific research in 1938.
Monkey Island is run by the University of P.R.’s Caribbean Primate Research Center, the National Institute of Health, and Harvard University. The monkeys’ behavior, demographics, genetics and physiological changes are being studied. Definitely, the island is not open to the public; best viewing is from a kayak.
From that same spot on the beach, also in front of Daniel Seafood Restaurant, you can see at a distance the islands of Vieques and Culebra.
Daniel is one of the few seafood restaurants in Punta Santiago. The telephone is 787-852-1784. I wanted to get some salmorejo de jueyes which is the dish prepared with stewed land crabs. I also wanted to get the pastelillos de chapin, which are like turnovers filled with a seasoned shredded fish called “chapin”. They also fill these turnovers with land crab and lobster. Another “antojito” was the homemade hot sauce.
The restaurant is so casual. I would not call it a chinchorro since chinchorros are smaller local eateries. I went right to their terrace overlooking Monkey Island and Vieques and Culebra. The smell of the ocean was great. Not like in Delray Beach, which I love or in the beautiful beaches of Delaware and Maryland. The smell is distinct; only from a Caribbean Island.
It was so much fun just watching them make the turnovers and taking the lobsters out. The ever present hammocks of the Caribbean were there tempting me, but I am sure Sonia would have thought I was crazy. We had so many important things still to do for the remaining of that day.
Memories on that Friday, day and night…later…
Information for this post was taken from www.puertoricodaytrips.com/monkey-island/ and www.puertorico.com/beaches/punta-santiago/
March 26th, 2010
You must be thinking that I must be nuts thinking about food at 11:20 p.m. on a Friday night but I was just thinking what could I make this week-end since I was going to be out and about; like in Baltimore, for the day.
On a chilly week-end this pasta dish might be considered comfort food but even though it might sound heavy, you will be surprised how tasty it actually is.
Brie Pasta
1 lb Brie cheese, rind removed, chopped into small pieces
5 ounces sundried tomatoes in oil, drained, cut into thin strips (you might be able to get them already cut)
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (pitted)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1 lb. linguine (you can use another pasta, if you wish; I use gluten free pasta)
Freshly grated fontina or Parmesan cheese to taste
In a large bowl, combine Brie cheese, sundried tomatoes, tomatoes, olives, garlic, basil, pepper and olive oil. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta and immediately toss with tomato mixture.
Serve immediately with grated cheese.
Serves about 5 to 6 people.
Remember to always make it your own and enjoy it!!! Talk to you later….
February 22nd, 2010
Bored and don’t know what to make this week for dinner? Sometimes it is such a chore. Believe me, I like to cook but plenty of times I really don’t make up my mind until the last minute. Some people don’t give it another thought; they figure it is just another meal. But to me it is the experience of making something from scratch; not opening another package loaded with salt, fat and “seasonings”. I like to see what I am chopping. I like to smell my food cooking and the combinations of foods on my plate.
Keeping it simple is the best way to go about it. So, the following recipes are easy and I think you might like them.
Baked Chicken Breasts With Parmesan Garlic Crust
1 cup breadcrums, fresh are the best
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese (grate it yourself, it is better)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6-7 oz. each
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1/4 mayonnaise
lemon wedges for serving
Adjust oven rack to upper middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl.
Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Place in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
Combine mayonnaise and basil in a small bowl and spread evenly over chicken.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over mayonnaise, pressing lightly.
Bake for about 1/2 hour until the crust gets a nice brown color. Since you are cooking on a higher heat, please make sure you check them so they don’t burn.
Serve it with a nice salad. This recipe is good at any time of the year.
Shrimp and Tomato Chowder
2 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 13.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, undrained
8 ouces medium and peeled, cooked shrimp
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup water
ground pepper
slivered fresh basil
In a large saucepan, cook celery and onion in hot oil until just tender.
Stir in tomatoes; heat through.
Add shrimp, cream and water. Cook over medium heat until hot.
Season to taste with pepper.
Ladle chowder into bowls; garnish with basil.
Makes 2 to 4 four servings depending how hungry you are or if you are serving as a main meal. You can easily double this recipe.
Note: If you can get foccacia wedges from the grocery store or an Italian market, it would really complement the chowder.
Smithfield Ham and Potato Casserole
8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8″ thick
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups diced Smithfield ham
1 small onion, minced
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cook the potatoes in slightly salted (optional) water until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and put in a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
Place in a well greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Watch closely so the cheese does not burn. You may choose to cover the dish for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Makies 8 to 10 servings.
Again, this is one of those dishes you might want to adjust to your tasting. You may even substitute the Smithfield ham but that its up to you.
You can use this dish as a side dish or for breakfast with fresh fruit. It could be served at dinner time with fresh asparagus and a salad.
Make it your own and enjoy….See you soon…
January 27th, 2010
It started with my husband watching the Food Network Channel. All of a sudden they were talking about a restaurant in Bal Harbour called La Goulue; a replica of a Parisian bistro with the best cheese souffle. Well, that is all it took. We wanted to go there, especially after watching the t.v. show and drooling at the site of such a magnificent dish.
Since we were in Florida, at the time, we were willing to drive over an hour to try La Goulue. I called the restaurant to find out if the souffle had flour. I thought that it might. I have never made one. Well, of course, it did, and you already know that in my household we eat gluten free, which means no wheat, flours and derivatives thereof. Well, that was a short trip!!
The word souffle is the past participle of the French verb souffler, which means to blow up or puff up. This is what happens when you combine egg yolks, egg whites and other ingredients. An enriched sauce with egg yolks and lightened with beaten egg whites, is what it is.
My husband kept dreaming about the cheese souffle and tonight his dream came true.
The following recipe is Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle. I have substituted the all purpose flour for a Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix made by Arrowhead Mills. It worked perfectly and the rest of the ingredients are gluten free as well. I hope you like it. It was so easy to make.
Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffle
Grated Parmesan cheese – Buy a good wedge and grate it, finely, yourself.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
5 tablespoons Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix. If you don’t have an allergy, then use all purpose flour.
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 large egg yolks
8 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) coarsely grated Gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Generously butter one 10-cup souffle dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to coat.
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Cook without browning until mixture begins to bubble, whisking constantly, a little over 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk, then wine. Cook until smooth, thick and beginning to boil, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Mix yolks, salt and pepper in a small bowl and add the mixture all at once to the sauce and whisk quickly to blend.
Fold in 1 1/4 cups Gruyere cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (cheeses do not need to melt).
Using an electric mixer, beat whites in a large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into the souffle base to lighten and then fold in the remaining whites.
Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of Gruyere cheese.
 Before Place souffle in oven; reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake souffle until puffed, golden and gently set in the center. This will take about 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and serve immediately.
 And After Serves 4 to 6 guests.
I think your guests will be very impressed. This is the type of dish that can be served with a salad and a green vegetable like asparagus, which is what I did.
Remember make the recipe your own; adjust it to your needs.
Bon Appetit!!
Note: This recipe was taken from www.epicurious.com and the information on the word souffle was taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/souffl%C3%A9.
January 8th, 2010
You know they are coming. Whether you have invited them or not, those foodies will be showing up to watch their favorite teams. I will be watching the Ravens.
You need to be prepared. It will be a cold week-end ahead. So, here is a little bit of help, just in case friends are coming to your house.
Black Bean Salsa
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (17 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 purple onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3-4 tbsps. fresh lime juice
2 tbsps. olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Mix together all ingredients and refrigerate. Very good with corn chips. And so versatile that you can put it on eggs or baked potatoes.
Note: This recipe is gluten free. Read labels of canned goods.
Oyster Broccoli Chowder
3 cups milk
2 (11 oz.) cans condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli
1 cup frozen loose-packed hash brown potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 pint shucked oysters or two oz. cans whole oysters
In a 3 quart saucepan, combine milk and soup.
Stir in broccoli, potatoes, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until bubbly, breaking up broccoli with fork until thawed. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat; cool. Cover and chill.
At serving time, reheat soup. In a saucepan place the fresh undrained oysters; cook over medium heat until edges curl.
Add to broccoli mixture; heat through.
Note: If using canned oysters, just add undrained oysters directly to soup and heat through.
Macaroni & Cheese Salad
1 (16 oz) pkg. Rotelle large shells
1 1/2 lbs. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small squares
1 pkg. radishes
2 medium green peppers
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2/3 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
Sugar to taste
Cook macaroni, drain and set aside.
Cut cheese, radishes and green peppers to bite size pieces.
Mix mayonnaise, milk, salt, pepper and sugar together.
Combine everything together and serve at room temperature or chill.
Note: Just add a tsp. of sugar first, then taste it and adjust.
To make this recipe gluten free you will need to get gluten free pasta.You will only be able to get the small shells. Buy the block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself. Hellman’s mayonnaise is gluten free.
Shrimp Cakes
4 cups chopped cooked shrimp
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tsps. dry mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps. Old Bay Seasoning
4 tbsps. chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups shredded potatoes
Mix first 6 ingredients; cover and chill.
Form into patties then coat with shredded potatoes.
Pan fry until golden on both sides.
Makes 8 cakes.
Note: To save time you can buy the frozen shredded potatoes. Make sure you chop the shrimp in very small pieces. If you decide to serve them as an entree then just add a salad. But, you can make them smaller and serve them as an appetizer. Have a little bit of tartar sauce for dipping.
To make this recipe gluten free you should shred your own potatoes and instead of tartar sauce you can just dip the cakes in Emeril’s mustards.
If you really have a large crowd, then you can try this recipe. Just let me know how it comes out.
Elephant Stew
1 medium size elephant
2 rabbits, optional
Lots of brown gravy
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cut elephant into small bite size pieces. This will take approximately 2 months.
Add enough brown gravy to cover. Cook over a kerosene fire for about 4 weeks at 465 degrees.
This will serve approximately 3,800 people.
If more are expected, the 2 rabbits may be added, but do this only if necessary, as most people do not like to find hare in their stew.
I just want to make sure you are reading the blog….
Make them your own and talk to you later…
 
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