August 27th, 2014

Salud To Matt Haley, Philanthropist, Restauranteur, Community Leader, Humanitarian…Delaware Beaches, Global Delaware, Southern Delaware, Sussex County, Matt Showed How to Cook, Eat & Enjoy Ourselves While Doing It!

Cooking comes from the heart….you can’t rush it.  Some have that special culinary gift, others, like most of us have to follow a recipe.  Matt Haley had that gift.  I have seen him reading a cookbook while having sushi at Saketumi in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  Was he getting ideas for a new dish, adding a little bit of this or a little bit of that, I don’t know and I never asked him.

I met Matt through my website, AboutMyBeaches.  When I started the website in 2009, which is written in a blog style, it was because I wanted to promote the Delaware Beaches.  I love to eat and cook so it started that way, with me reviewing restaurants. I am not a professional, but I know what I like and how I like to be served.

Every time I would write about a restaurant in 2009 I would send an email to the contact on the website of the restaurant I had just visited.  Most brushed me aside.  But, Matt was the only one that every single time answered personally from his email address.  Later on my husband and I had a business relationship with him.

I remember writing to him about a friend of mine whose mother had gone to one of the restaurants and then they charged her $2 for replacing green beans….what?  He would say, Gloria, just take them on my dime to the restaurant.  I never did.  Another time, just recently, another friend mentioned something else.  Once again I did write….if I had a restaurant I would want to have someone of trust telling me what happened.  Don’t you think?  Anyway, I did and he never complained.

Farm to Table?  What is That?  Matt also showed us that the setting of a dining experience adds so much to the aura of savoring delicious, local food.

Always hands on, a dinner for Global Delaware, Matt’s non-profit, at Good Earth Market in Clarksville, Delaware, just west of Bethany Beach.  That’s the first time I attended such an event.  The idea of eating at a communal table, chatting and making new friends while raising funds for a worthy cause, was very appealing.

Cooking outdoors….local seafood, and veggies from the farm.  Here are some photos of that event.

Another Farm to Table Dinner at Indian River was memorable, as well.

Cooking outdoors took a different dimension here.  In the brush!!

About 150 strangers got together to enjoy local fish, veggies and each other.

On August of 2012, Matt invited my husband, John, and I to dinner at his home.  I called it the Spanish Contingency Dinner.  His guests were the 3 sisters of La Esperanza in Georgetown.  Let me tell you that these sisters loved Matt like a son.  He was so involved in La Esperanza, as well.  He told me that every time he went on a trip, they would bless him, and cry, etc. etc., not knowing what trouble he was going to get into. Ha, ha!  Their names?  Rosita, Maria and Asuncion.  Also in the group was a couple, Jose and Virginia who are the editors of Hoy en Delaware.  It was then that he told us that he had been invited to be on the Board of Freeman in Fenwick.  He was so excited!

I used to talk to Matt in Spanish, but to tell you the truth, he really did not understand much.  I used to tell him that I could not understand how he could be with all these Spanish speaking people and barely say “Si”.  It is the truth, and he would admit to it.

This was a great evening.  My husband, John, was loving it. Someone else cooking and him eating.  Matt and John had a really nice relationship.

Up to that afternoon, Matt did not know what he was cooking for dinner.  If it had been me, I would have been running around my house like a lunatic.  Not him; cool, calm and collected….and lucky too because someone dropped some fresh fish just in the knick of time.  A simple preparation, was all that was needed.  Salad and veggies were all done.

The rest of us brought desserts….Spanish desserts with me bringing my pride and joy…a Puertorican flan!

In the meantime, Matt asked me to stir something on the stove.  I asked him where his spatula was.  “I don’t have one”….what?  A chef with no spatula?  What is this?  All I could think was, how am I going to serve my flan?

Matt really did not have a spatula.  Here he is sliding the fish into the serving platter.  He did it but it would have been easier with a spatula.

My flan was served….it did not look too pretty but everyone said it was good.  It is hard to serve a plan with a plain knife!

It was an early evening.  Good company and great conversation….Matt admitting that he did like the those holiday favorites like green bean casserole!!  The traditional way, canned soup and all.

Matt did not have to worry about not having a spatula anymore….I did drop about 6 of them; all shapes and sizes, wishing him “Good Spatulating”.

Note:  At the beginning of September 2013, I saw Matt at Safeway.  That was his grocery store of choice.  He had just arrived from Europe, I believe.  We talked about my husband’s passing.  Then, he said his brother had died too a few months back.  No idea..so, now as I reflect on it, I am so sorry for his family’s loss.  I wish them peace.

At the Indian River Inlet Farm to Table Dinner, it was getting darker and we were all ready to leave.  I said “Matt, give me a smile.”  And, here it is!!  Good night, my friend!

Matt’s legacy continues.  Please visit http://www.matthaleycompanies.com.  In it you will find everything about his companies, including the Memorial Service celebrating his life on Sunday, 9/28, at 2 p.m. at Freeman Stage at Bayside.

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!!