If you dream about carrots it means you will have prosperity and health… Hmmm, imagine if you ate them? Carrots are one of the rare vegetables which are more nutritious cooked than raw.
For this darn-right tasty recipe, check it out under the Bits N Pieces tab.
It’s been at least six months since our “Ethnic Dining Group” reconvened for a new dinner experience. And this time we went to Moldova, a BYOB located on Bustleton Avenue just off the Boulevard in Philadelphia. See rest of story under the “Ethnic Dining” tab…
Colleagues seated from left: Wendy Humphrey, Jim Gardner, Brad Kent, Lori Diecidue and Kay Eaton.
—A nice perk here at the college, our Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (HRIM) program offers several dining experiences for faculty, staff and the community each Fall and Spring semester. One of the offerings this Fall was the aptly named “Autumn Blend.” For only $10, each Wednesday, this lunch class—which had also designed the menu selections—prepared and served the meals. Having attended many of these in the past, six of us from the College Advancement department wasted no time in procuring tickets for another delicious meal.
The Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management program prepares students for employment in various entry-level management careers in the food service and lodging industries. Areas of employment include assistant manager in hotel/motel operations; club, restaurant or banquet manager of commercial eating establishments; and assistant food service management positions in hospitals, schools and other institutions. Upon completion of the program, the successful graduate will be awarded an Associate in Applied Science degree.
When first seated, we were presented with an “Amuse Bouche,” of Fried Pumpkin Ravioli which was a sweet creamy mixture of fresh pumpkin, parmigiano reggiano cheese, brown sugar wrapped in homemade ravioli, fried to a golden brown and topped with a fried sage leaf. Most at our table agreed the exterior was a bit too tough requiring a knife to cut, but the interior was pleasantly spiced and creamy, albeit a bit sweet.
What was not so smooth? In a nut shell, service. Four out of six were practically done eating our appetizers when we had to nudge a waiter to question the whereabouts of two orders of Smoked Corn & Bacon Chowder. (We have to keep in mind, these are students who are just learning the ropes, not seasoned professionals!) Within moments the chowder arrived and to the delight of the recipients, it was a total success! Three staff ordered the Pear Apple Salad consisting of mixed leafy greens topped with local autumn apples, Asian pears and walnuts served with a delicious balsamic vinaigrette, which they all liked.
I alone ordered the Tuna Tartare, and was blown away both in presentation and in flavor. It was presented as a small circular tower of sashimi grade tuna and avocado with micro greens. The plate also contained a mini container with a savory sauce to pour over the tower. Two tiny wedges of lime completed the dish. Perfecto! Duck Quesadillas, tender pieces of duck confit with caramelized onion, mango, poblano chili’s, fresh cilantro and jack cheese in a crispy tortilla, sounded extraordinary, but no one in our party ordered it.
Next up, the entrees. Of five choices, two people ordered the Turkey Sheperd’s Pie topped with a mash of Yukon Gold potatoes. Another three (myself included) opted for the Lobster Risotto, with pieces of lobster atop Arborio rice and brown butter served with grilled asparagus. While nicely plated and tasty, it didn’t pack as much of a flavor punch as my Tuna Tartare. Another guest chose the Grilled Vegetable Wrap with grilled yellow and red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, sliced cabbage and minced ginger wrapped in a flour tortilla served with truffle fries. In name, truffle fries sound decadent and delicious, but this order came with limp fries and underwhelmed the dining patron.
Two other offerings none of us chose this time around were Beef Stew, seasoned diced sirloin browned and cooked with potatoes, carrots, peas, onion and anchovies in a full-flavored brown sauce; and the final option of Prosciutto Wrapped Pork, roasted pork tenderloins wrapped in prosciutto and served with truffle fries… perhaps another time.
The menu does not list dessert choices, only “Daily Dessert Selection.” But our waitress described the options as Pumpkin Pie, Fresh Fruit Cup with or without whipped cream, and a Chocolate Mousse Pie that five out of six of us ordered. So beautifully plated, one diner claimed it was the best part of her meal! Of course, not being a dessert eater, I took mine to go knowing that husband Russ would be the lucky recipient.
Thanks to my colleagues for being so very patient and indulging me as I photographed their meals!
By now you know we just love lamb — cooked any which way. In this fabulous recipe, the lamb is first marinated, then roasted with potatoes. Prepared in an earthenware casserole, a cazuela, the lamb dish was once made in village wood-burning bakery ovens in Galicia Spain on festive occasions. Our cazuela, found at Home Goods for a VERY reasonable price, was ready to take its maiden voyage.
Cazuela is the common name given to a variety of dishes, specially from South America. It receives its name from the cazuela (Spanish for cooking pot, generally sold without lids) in which it is cooked. The ingredients and preparation vary from region to region, but it is usually a mid-thick flavored stock obtained from cooking several kinds of meats and vegetables mixed.
Recipe from “La Cocina de Mama” by Penelope Casas
Ingredients:
Directions:
We served the lamb entree with a green bean dish, also from Penelope Casas book, “Sautéed Green Beans, Cáceres Style.” The veggies gain flavor from the additions of pancetta (or prosciutto as we used), paprika and vinegar.
A snippet about the author:
Penelope Casas was a Greek-American writer from Queens who was an authority on the foods of Spain, and helped introduce Americans in the 1980s to a continental Spanish cuisine distinctly different from its Mexican and South American counterparts. In interviews, Mrs. Casas said she hoped to clarify the identity of Spanish food for Americans, who generally confused it with Mexican and South American cuisines. “People thought of Spanish cuisine as spicy, full of rice dishes,” her daughter said. “They had no real sense of what Spanish food was. She would talk about tapas bars, and they would think she was saying ‘topless.’ ”
With 24 taps, three bars, two dining rooms, and plenty of room for first-rate live entertainment the Black Horse Tavern has it all for a night-on-the-town experience. Take a trip back in time to this historic building with a home town feel located on South State Street near the corner of Centre Avenue. Plan on giving yourself some extra time before your dinner reservation to window shop, or actually make a purchase at any number of retail shops along State Street.
On our last Saturday night visit, the service was extremely slow due to the singular chef in the kitchen, and it was apparent that all of the other patrons had also been waiting a long time for their meals to arrive. But our attentive waiter brought us several glasses of wine (on the house!) while we listened to the delightful live music wafting in from the upstairs piano bar.
Neither of us had lunch that day and by the time our 8:00 reservation rolled around we were famished, so for the appetizer we ordered the “BHT” Truffle Fries: hand-cut fries tossed in truffle oil with parmesan and Belgian aioli. OMG, decadently sinful! A rare treat, I could have been satisfied with just those. But since we had a $35 GroupOn to use up, we opted to stay for dinner. Our entree selections were the Duck Maxie: house-smoked duck breast with duck confit, hand-rolled pan-seared gnocchi, sautéed spinach, mushrooms and black truffle foie gras butter for Russ; and a perfectly cooked, medium-rare 12-ounce New York Strip Steak for Lynn which came with a choice of four sauces, my pick: the sherry-braised onions. Sides came with a choice of white rice, roasted red bliss potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes or Black Horse big fries; and sautéed spinach rounded out the platter.
Despite the long wait, the evening was pleasant enough, and we were in no hurry. There’s no doubt we’ll return again.
Foodie Fun—In mid-October Russ and I attended a tasting event hosted by Mercer County Community College’s Culinary Arts program that featured more than a dozen of the region’s finest restaurants. In addition, current MCCC culinary students and alumni staffed tables with some of their own edibles. And tasty they were! In total, at least 200 attended/worked the sold out affair which included 136 paying guests.
The staff from Agricola pose behind their organic pastry display.
Palace of Asia dishes out their offerings.
My first stop was at Stone Terrace where I chose a sampling of their divine Lobster Mac N Cheese, and a fall salad with mixed greens, sliced apples, walnuts, cranberries drizzled with a light dressing. Next I made a beeline for Toscano’s whose display of a variety of Italian meats, cheeses, breads and a mouth-watering Gnocchi Osso Buco was to die for! I made sure to tell everyone I encountered to try it.
I can’t even begin to describe all of the offerings, but here’s a few more: Pumpkin Soup with Cranberry Crouton and Microgreens, Mini Jalapeño Quesadillas, Tuna Tartar, Italian Meatballs with Mozzarella Cheese, Prosciutto Di Parma, Gnocchi with Brussels Sprout Leaves, Seared Scallop Spoons, Poached Salmon, all kinds of meats, cheeses, olives and spreads.
Desserts were aplenty with Organic Pumpkin Spice Donuts with Maple Icing from Agricola–a huge hit at our table! Other offerings included an assortment of mini-cupcakes, fruit pastries, crumb cake, parfaits, scones and meringues. While a coffee barista made sure you enjoyed a fresh brewed cup of coffee to go with dessert.
Participating restaurants included Jersey Girl Café, Blue Bottle Café, Palace of Asia, Agricola (fabulous restaurant in Princeton that I blogged on this past summer), Jammin’ Crepes, Nassau Inn, Pure, Small World Coffee, Sadie Cakes, Stone Terrace by John Henry’s, and Terra Momo Bread Company, among others.
Student Natalie Russano receives the first scholarship award.
Chef/Professor Frank Benowitz models his “bacon and egg” shoes.
The evening also featured a silent auction, with many restaurant certificates and food-related items available. All proceeds from the event benefited the Chef Anne Lumberger and Chef Sari Widmayer Pastry Arts Memorial Scholarship Fund. And the first scholarship was awarded to an unsuspecting student, Natalie Russano, at the end of the event. Yours truly, bid on, and actually won two silent auction items: gift certificates to Stone Terrace and Karla’s of New Hope!
What a fabulous way to experience a large variety of delectable food options and donate to a worthy cause at the same time! So get it on your calendar for next year (more to come next Fall.)
Thanks to Wendy Humphrey for the addition of the “people” photos!
On this fine Fall Saturday morning, a week before Halloween, I remembered I had a stash of frozen blood orange juice in the freezer. You may remember my blog on said fruit back in the Winter months (it can be found under the Food Fetish tab). While it was thawing, I started imagining an adult beverage using the juice.
So I concocted the “Blood Sucker” a very appropriate Halloween adult libation that is wickedly good! It was only 10 a.m. when I assembled my first batch—yes, I did have a small taste—and a drink worth waiting for when cocktail time rolls around…
Simple Syrup
In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. The syrup can be refrigerated in a glass jar for up to 1 month.
Make up the simple syrup ahead of time and let cool. Then combine all ingredients in container of choice. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready to imbibe, pour over crushed ice or straight into glass. Garnish with mint sprig.
Enjoy!
—Tuna Casserole gets a much needed facelift with this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. Never one of my go-to favorites, I have now elevated the status of this common comfort food out of the lower echelon of possible dinner entrees… so yes, I will definitely make it again!
While I was skeptical about using only two 5-ounce cans of tuna (after all, it is supposed to serve 6-8), we didn’t feel cheated in the least. In fact, quite the opposite.
I’ll confess that I upped the cheese quotient from 4 ounces to about 6, and used a combination of green and purple basil but otherwise followed the recipe as written—except for length of cooking time. After 30 minutes, the crust wasn’t browned enough, so we let it cook for an additional 10 minutes and that gave us the perfect result!
Ingredients
This just slayed me! While at a recent conference down in National Harbor, Maryland, we dined at Grace’s Mandarin, an Asian restaurant just across the way from the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center. We put this place on our short list when we visited in May and made online reservations before we even headed down.
Have you ever seen a “purse chair” before?? Well, I hadn’t and I was so intrigued I had to get not just one, but two pictures of patrons putting them into action. Actually it’s a pretty cool idea if the table your seated at doesn’t have enough space to accompany your pocketbook in a “safe” fashion. Although Russ was mortified that I was even taking these pics!
OK, so since I’m blogging about Grace’s, I might as well mention the other restaurant particulars. It is quite a large establishment, with a decidedly zen-like atmosphere and a ginormous Buddha flanking a corner by the stairwell. We were seated in prompt fashion in a cozy booth that allowed for easy conversation.
Our shared appetizer was a spicy tuna roll which came with the requisite soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger—quite good actually. In between this course and our main entrees we received “utensil chairs.” I kid you not! Check out the photo of our fork, spoon and chopsticks resting—another fabulous idea so that you don’t have to put them directly on the tabletop where germs may lurk (not an appetizing thought.)
Our take on the food? Decent, but not a WOW factor. We’ve had better at restaurants close to home. That being said, my choice was the National Harbor Rice which was artfully plated with a beautiful edible flower and had lots of tender shrimp, scallops and crabmeat with peas, carrot, fried brown rice, ginger and egg white. Russ ordered the Crispy Beef which was tasty in its own right, just not earth-shattering.
Would we go again? Sure! The menu was extensive so there are a lot of other options to try.
If you ever get the chance to visit, it’s a great little town just south of Capital Hill and across the Potomac from Alexandria, Virginia.
Enjoy!
On our latest excursion to McCaffery’s Supermarket in Newtown there was a display for a fruit we had never seen, called a Miho Asian Pear. At first glance, it resembles a yellow apple. To entice customers to try a sample, there was a display with bite-size pieces, so out of curiosity we each popped one in our mouths. The result, a crisp delicious juice-filled fruit with the texture of an apple and the mouth-watering juice content rivaling that of a watermelon. Soooo good, so we bought some.
They’re perfect to eat out-of-hand, and would be fabulous in any type of salad. Or try the pears with a glass of chardonnay and a slice of smoked gouda, or with salty blue cheese or duck. They can also be poached in Riesling or port wine for dessert. Plus they’re just interesting to look at and would make an artsy addition to a Fall arrangement.
Miho Asian Pears are grown in the fertile ground of the Lehigh Valley in Eastern PA at Subarashii Kudamono, a working farm that grows 10 to 20 varieties of Asian pears—but are not typically open to the public.
The pears are tree-ripened and picked precisely at the right time, and will not ripen further after picking. Asian pears do not need to soften, as other pears do, and can last two to three months in the refrigerator. The dried pears, without any additives, will last up to one year.
The rich flavor of Miho Pears is the result of meticulous orchard practices. The many varieties are the result of over a decade of variety trials and research. The growing season runs from early September through late October.
With a celebrated heritage dating back thousands of years, this wonderful fruit has been found to contain vitamins and nutrients (Luten & Zeaxanthin) that have been shown to increase macular pigment density and lower the risk for age-related macular degeneration. Asian Pears have long been served peeled and chilled as a desert, on late summer salads, or as a healthy snack.
Let me know if you end up trying (or have already tasted) a Miho pear.
This past April we vacationed in Italy with Paula and Mike Graham. Dining at their house a few months ago, we relived our “Italian” experience through a pasta-making dinner. So to reciprocate, we decided to transport them to Spain at our house this time around. And there’s nothing more quintessential Spanish than Paella, an icon of Spain’s cultural identity!
A Classic Seafood Paella was the intended main course, with the salad from The New Spanish Table, Frisee with Pears and Honeyed Lardons (recipe follows), and a traditional flan planned for dessert. Several bottles of Rioja and Tempranillo wines were resurrected from the cellar; and it was up to the Grahams to provide a Spanish appetizer–and that they did with a platter of artsy piquillo pepper bites. On toasted baguette slices, stuffed with goat cheese, sprinkled with a smattering of sliced scallions and drizzled with balsamic glaze, not only were they visually appealing, but incredibly tasty too. The platter was a piece of art in itself!
After Mike exclaimed a few times that he really liked the apps, Paula confessed that he was a bit hesitant about the choice before they made the trip over. Not to worry, there wasn’t a morsel left on the platter.
An item of interest for Mike was our Porron: a traditional glass wine pitcher typical of many regions of Spain like Catalonia and Aragón. It resembles a cross between a wine bottle and a watering can. The top of the bottle is narrow and can be sealed off with a cork. It is shaped such that the wine stored inside it will have minimal contact with the air, while being ready to be used at all times. They are often shared while drinking directly from the vessel without using wine glasses—although that’s not a custom we engaged in.
Visual steps to making the Paella:
The seafood at the ready.
In Spanish cuisine, sofrito consists of garlic, onion, paprika, peppers, and grated tomatoes cooked in olive oil.
The Spanish bomba rice is cooking in the sofrito.
Russ cooks the shellfish in the paella pan while the scallops sear in another skillet.
A close up of the finished paella.
Traditional flan for dessert.
Continue reading Spanish Fiesta at Casa Hartman-Holl
On a recent Saturday we were invited dinner guests of Rosanne and Gary Zarrilli (blogged about a few times previously), along with Barb and Arnie Marx. Upon arriving “in the zone”, husband Gary bounded outside to see if we needed help bringing anything in — and he was quick to specify “especially any hors d’oeuvres!”
Several days prior, while ruminating on what to make, Russ and I came across a version of our appetizer on the web. After a little more online investigation, I found a similar recipe from the Showfood Chef, Prosciutto Cups with Goat Cheese and Figs, which seemed a bit more elegant than the first option. And we added our own touch with a drizzle of balsamic glaze as a finish. (Recipes follow story.)
The Marx’s contributed a couple of visually attractive and equally tasty appetizers. Compiled of halved, fresh cucumbers spread with hummus and dotted with red pepper pieces — they were a fresh, and oh-so light, delight! Festively arrayed on a pumpkin platter, the other hors d’oeuvre was mini pizza-like pita wedges topped with cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese and fresh basil. So with glasses of wine in hand, we enjoyed cocktail hour while Rosanne occasionally attended to finishing touches to her entree and sides, which were quickly filling the kitchen with tantalizing aromas!
As dinner was ready to serve, we gathered around Rosanne’s artistically arranged seasonal tablescape, and Gary served us with her first course, a wonderful Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary taken from Foodnetwork.com—a nice reprieve from the usual side salad. It was one of the best tomato soups I’ve ever had, so of course I had to get the recipe! Then the big guns came out… Two platters of Rosanne’s Succulent Marinated Chicken Breasts with roasted red peppers, asparagus and provolone; accompanied by an elongated, purple ceramic dish containing roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus. No complaints from anyone on this meal!
Dessert, was an elegant finishing touch—Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp, based on a recipe by Ina Garten, The Barfeoot Contessa. Conversation and laughter flowed easily while the evening wound down over coffee and dessert. Alas, all good things must come to an end—at least temporarily.
See the recipe for Rosanne’s novel take on Ina’s apple crisp …
Continue reading In the ZONE at the Zarrilli’s
Think of food as dirt.
Not too appetizing is it? But when you compost (fruit peels, coffee grounds — and the paper filters — eggshells, leftover vegetables…), you can feed your lawn and nourish your gardens by mixing it into the soil. And if you’re growing an edible garden, it comes back to you full circle!
The fact is, the average American household throws away about 25% of its food. Now stop and think if you composted that stuff, it would tremendously lighten landfill loads. Maybe you don’t have any outdoor space to compost? You can still recycle food scraps starting with a kitchen bucket and unloading it somewhere weekly, just check with your local department of public works or a farmer’s market for details. In between drop-off hauls, if your bucket fills up, stash scraps in the freezer in a sealed container lined with newspaper.
What not to compost: meat, cheese or fish because they attract animals and skip the cooking oil which draws insects.
It usually takes four to six months for compost to turn into dark brown or black soil with a nice, earthy aroma. We started ours the Spring we moved in, and worked it all through that Winter which produced our “black gold” — nutrients for the garden.
According to some experts, any and all organic matter can be composted but most of it should be made up of dry materials like dead leaves, twigs, torn-up newspaper and paper plates. These items apparently contain carbon which feed the microbes that decompose the pile the necessary energy to work their magic, while the food and other moisture-rich items like grass clippings, supply the the protein that microbes need to produce. The ratio of three-to-one of dry to wet, yields the best results. I have to say, Russ and I don’t necessarily heed that advice. The only time we add a lot of dry material to our compost is in the Fall season after raking leaves and cutting down spent plants, but we still generate very rich compost.
It is not necessary to add earth worms to your compost because they often find their way to your bin. But when we moved to our Langhorne house a few years ago, one of the first things we did is order (yes, through the mail) a shipment of worms and dumped them into the heap. This is called vermicomposting, which is the process of using worms and micro-organisms to turn kitchen waste into a black, earthy-smelling, nutrient-rich humus. Over the years, the worms have been multiplying and happily churning away.
Basically, an “ordinary” compost bin or heap works by the waste being continually added, stirred up or turned over which introduces air. The bugs, bacteria, fungi and all sorts of other micro life breed and multiply so they need this air, as they are multiplying and decaying the waste they produce heat. This is called aerobic composting, when any heap or bin is generating heat in this way it is properly composting, if the heap or bin has gone cold, this means that the population of bugs bacteria etc, have used up all the oxygen and are now dying off and effectively the composting has slowed or stopped altogether. Keep in mind, that very often if everything is stirred up, introducing more air, the whole lot will start again.
Oxygen is needed to support the breakdown of plant material by bacteria. To supply oxygen, you will need to turn the compost pile so that materials at the edges are brought to the center of the pile. Turning the pile is important for complete composting and for controlling odor. Wait at least two weeks before turning the pile, to allow the center of the pile to “heat up” and decompose. Also, keep an eyeball on the moisture level. The pile should be damp, like a wrung-out sponge (not soaking like a swamp.) If it’s too dry, spritz it with the hose. Too wet? Add shredded newspaper or wood chips.
So what are you waiting for? Create your own “black gold.”
Admittedly, salmon is one of our all-time favorites, whether it’s grilled, pan-fried, roasted, poached, baked, or made into patties. And if you have a penchant for salmon like us, try the grilled cedar plank method. It’s super-easy, and is a plus for a healthy diet.
You can buy cedar planks in many grocery stores, at home centers such as Lowes, or online. Just make sure you soak it submerged in water for a minimum of one hour. In our latest attempt, we filled the kitchen sink with several inches of clean water, and put a heavy object on top of the plank to keep it submerged in the water instead of just floating on top.
Our salmon filet was 1 1/2 pounds, plenty for three people (possibly four depending on what else you are serving.) The fish was patted dry and then sprinkled with a store-bought McCormicks rub mix of Sweet Citrus and Spice, and it got “happy” while the wood soaked in the sink. While chef guru Bobby Flay says to remove the skin, we did not; however we probably will try that advice next time to see if it makes any difference.
Set grill for indirect grilling and heat to medium-high. When ready to cook, place the plank on the hot grate and leave it until there is a smell of smoke, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the plank over and place the fish on top. Place the cedar plank in the center of the hot grate, away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook until cooked through, around 30 minutes, turning the plank 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The internal temperature should read 135 degrees F. Check the plank occasionally. If the edges start to catch fire, mist with water, or move the plank to a cooler part of the grill. There should be a nice char to both the plank and the fish exterior.
We served the salmon directly from the plank, but if you desire a more formal approach, certainly transfer to a platter. Serve with lemon wedges.
In early September we traveled to Western Pennsylvania and Western Michigan to visit our mother’s. The entire trip was about eight days and over 1500 miles by car. During those visits, we had the opportunity to try out a few restaurants with some pleasant results.
Stop I: To lay some groundwork, Russ’ mother Mary Cochrane lives in Butler, PA, which was the first stop on our way. It is approximately 340 miles from our Langhorne home and so by the time we get to her house, we’re usually ready for a little relaxation and cocktail hour. And just a few days into our visit, it was Mary’s friend Janet’s birthday–they’ve been friends since 1970–nearly 45 years! To celebrate, Mary made reservations at the Saxonburg Inn for the four of us.
Janet Sipych and Mary Cochrane dining at the Saxonburg Inn
History of the Saxonburg Inn & Hotel:
In 1832, John A. Roebling of Mulhausen Germany purchased Saxonburg with a vision to create a German community in America whose foundation would be agriculture and light manufacturing. Roebling laid out this land with a broad main street running east to west with the parcels fronting on Main Street. The parcels were sold to Mulhausen families who ventured to America to seek fortune.
Roebling, in his Saxonburg shop, developed and patented the process for the manufacture of “wire rope” in 1842. This led to Roebling finding fame and fortune as a designer and builder of suspension bridges such as the “Brooklyn Bridge” throughout the world. The late 1840’s saw Roebling’s cable in demand. To capitalize and access better transportation the “Cable Works” was moved to Trenton, New Jersey…. The new owner, Judy Ferree, purchased and renovated the “Hotel” in July of 2010, bringing back Executive Chef Alan Green.
Along with a fixed menu, the Saxonburg offers an enticing array of daily specials. Here’s a rundown of what we ordered: Janet got the Panko Fried Shrimp, panko breaded, crispy fried jumbo shrimp served with cocktail sauce and a side of french fries; and Mary’s choice was Pork Porterhouse accompanied by a raspberry applesauce (neither entree is pictured.) Lynn’s dinner was the Salmon with Corn Two Ways special with a fabulous corn and jalapeño relish and a side salad of corn and black beans (after all, it was still corn season!)
But perhaps most interesting of all was Russ’ choice from the Specials Menu “City Chicken” which is a unique Pittsburgh-area offering. In fact, it’s not chicken at all—it’s actually skewered veal and pork cubes!! This City Chicken was a new twist on an old recipe. Instead of braising the skewers, this dish was coated in a tempura batter and deep-fried and served over mashed potatoes and gravy n’at. Yinz would love it!
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Stop II: Several days later, we arrived in Middleville, Michigan—420 miles further west—at the house of Paul and Kathy (aka Lolly) Harris, on beautiful Payne Lake. We determined beforehand that we would all go out to eat our first evening in, so Lolly made reservations at a local favorite, the Terrace Grille at the Bay Pointe Inn on Gun Lake. To our detriment, a torrential rain and lightening storm rolled in just as we were heading out for dinner, so we did not get waterfront seating, though our high-top table still afforded us a lovely view of the lake—and an unfortunate bridal party outside in a tent.
Russ, Paul and Lolly at the Terrace Grille on Gun Lake
Dinner choices included the Apricot Chicken with green beans and carrots (Paul); Stuffed Salmon—Boursin stuffed salmon atop wild rice with green beans and a blood orange glaze (Lolly); Filet of Beef —Beef Tenderloin topped with dauphinoise potatoes served with candied carrots, shallot jam, crispy onions and cabernet demi-glace (Russ); and Hawaiian Ahi Tuna atop cilantro lime rice with peach cabbage salad and coconut sauce (Lynn).
Our next two dinners at the Harris’s were grilled whole chicken and those zesty Chipotle Salsa Burgers mentioned in a previous blog. Finally it was time to pack up and start heading East again.
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Stop III: Back in Butler, PA for only one night before returning home to Langhorne, Russ, his mother and I took a road trip out to nearby Rachel’s Roadhouse for dinner. While nothing fancy or special, the food was quite good—although the noise level was much too loud, especially for a Monday night!
For starters we all shared the Pork Potstickers with stir-fried vegetables in a Thai chili sauce, and Russ also got a bowl of their very tasty French Onion Soup. For entrees, both Mary and I chose the perfectly done NY Strip Tip Skewer Char Grilled with truffled mushrooms, roasted garlic honeycomb and cipollini onions, caramelized butternut squash and roasted garlic thyme-infused olive oil (Heavenly!); while Russ savored a 12-oz. Center Cut Strip Steak, medium-rare, with onion rings and a side of haricot vert green beans.
Alas, it was time to head back to reality. But thanks to all of our family members for extending their homes and their companionship. We only wish we could spend more time with you!
Accounting for Taste 