The GYPSY KITCHEN Blog

SEND CHEF JOHN TO HEALDSBURG, CA

John Hughes resides in Kennebunk, Maine with his wife, Cindy, and family when he is not exploring America in “The GYPSY KITCHEN”.

Technorati Tags: Murphy-Goode Winery,A Really Goode Job,A Really Goode Job Application 256,Chef John Hughes,John Hughes,The Gypsy Kitchen,Gypsy Kitchen,A Really Goode Wine Country Dream Job,COOK with JOHN,David Ready Jr,Murphy-Goode,Murphy Goode

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Folks;

I recently entered the Murphy-Goode Winery “A Really Goode Wine Country Dream Job” contest which is for a six-month position – eating, drinking and blogging about Murphy-Goode, Sonoma Wine Country, food, wine, California culture; meeting with and educating visitors to the winery as well as tracking the vineyards eagle and raptor population and playing Liar’s Dice (think Texas Hold’em using dice).

In order to move forward in the application process, I need people to vote my video as their favorite. From all the applications, Murphy-Goode Winery will cull the list down to the “Top 10” and invite those applicants to Healdsburg, CA for a week of interviews.

The video needed to be one-minute or less so there is a lot of information packed into this one.

Please, PLEASE take a moment and follow this link and cast a vote for yours truly.

To vote, you simply enter your email address and hit the “submit” button. You will then receive an email from “webmaster@areallygoodejob.com” (which might appear in your “junk mail” folder). Simply click on the link in that email and your vote will be cast.

Please help send me to Healdsburg, California this Fall for this Really Cool – Really Goode Job!

Oh, and one more favor to ask (I know that I’m asking a whole lot from All of you – THANKS), please send this off to as many of your friends, family, co-workers, social network friends, etc as possible…

Thanks,

Chef John Hughes

Technorati Tags: Murphy-Goode Winery,A Really Goode Job,Wine Country Dream Job,Chef John Hughes,John Hughes,The Gypsy Kitchen,http://technorati.com/tags/http%3a%2f%2fwww.areallygoodejob.com%2fvideo-view.aspx%3fvid%3d1bSSruP96dA

The GYPSY KITCHEN – Week # 11

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:08:00 +0000

So, after a great lunch, we started our journey North along the Natchez Trace, a beautiful roadway which extends for almost 450 miles. The original trace was a nearly 500-mile
footpath that ran through Choctaw and Chickasaw Indian (Native American) lands connecting Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. Today it is managed and maintained by the US Department of the Interior’s National Park Service. In my humble opinion, this is one of the prettiest roads that I have ever traveled…I would rank it right up there with Ireland’s “Ring of Kerry”; the mountainside roads up to the city of Ronda, in Andalucía, Spain; the “Les Routes du Champagne”near Reims, France or the road trip from Southern Maine up through the Green Mountains to the wineries of Niagara On The Lake.

(Natchez Trace Parkway – Mississippi)

This is not a “go-fast” road but rather a “lazy-days” kind of roadway with the maximum speed limit set at 50MPH but if you are not in a hurry and want to simply take in some lovely, historic countryside – make sure to consider the Natchez Trace.

After a days worth of comfortable driving, we parked the motorcoach at Davis Lake in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. A lovely rolling hill camping area rests on the shore of this 200-acres lake – and yes there was plenty of fishing (although non for me).

The next morning we headed back onto the Trace until we picked up Route 20 as we made our way into Chattanooga, TN where we stayed for two days.

While visiting Chattanooga, Cindy and I had the great pleasure of dining at 212 Market Restaurant. This is Tennessee’s first Certified “Green Restaurants”, and actively work to minimize their carbon footprint by recycling glass, cardboard and metal; compost a large portion of food waste; use low voltage lighting, heating and cooling equipment and will be installing solar panels on the roof sometime this summer.

(212 Market Restaurant – Chattanooga, TN)

As good as all this sounds, it pails in comparison to the food quality and presentation. Cindy tried the Fried Green Tomatoes with a Creole remoulade and a Cajun slaw which was a delightful dish. The tomatoes fried to a light golden brown color, the remoulade had just the right amount of heat and the slaw was fresh and tangy. I set my taste buds on the appetizers special of Pulled Pork Spring Rolls which were also excellent. The rolls was crisp and light with a nice amount of pulled pork shoulder served with a pleasant Asian inspired BBQ sauce.

For dinner, Cindy had the Roasted Redfish Special but I had to have the Coffee Seared Duck with an Amaretto glaze and nicely roasted sweet potatoes. Both dishes were wonderful treats and almost all conversation ended as we worked our way through the meal. We paired these lovely meals with an excellent bottle of Foris Pinot Noir from Oregon which had a nice balance of blackberries and raspberries with a hint of chocolate and spice.

For dessert we sampled the Cheesecake and the Crème Brulee, both made by owner Maggie Moses – mother of the other two female owners Suzie and Sally who also head up the kitchen.
(212 Market Restaurant – Chattanooga, TN)

212 MARKET RESTAURANT rates:

Would recommend this restaurant to anyone!

After our visit to Chattanooga, we packed up and made our way to Roanoke, VI where we stayed at the Riverside Campground only to awake the next morning with fresh falling snow! Oh boy, that was a rude wake-up call that Spring is not in the air all over America!

As we left the snow covered roads on towards Washington, it was a lovely sight to see the Dogwoods coming into bloom.

We checked into Greenbelt National Park just outside DC and the next morning packed up the dogs and made our way into the Capital to partake in the Cherry Blossom Festival. In a word – beautiful!!!

(That’s Marine # 1 bringing President Obama back to the White House)

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

Ratings Scale:

= Hopeless, Would Definitely Not Return

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

Technorati Tags: cherry blossoms,bbq brisket,natchez trace,pig out inn,212 market restaurant,chattanooga,david lake,magnolia grill,roanoke,washington dc

The GYPSY KITCHEN - Week # 10

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 22:13:00 +0000

“Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.” – Julie Child

It was an interesting drive along the Gulf Coast through Biloxi and Gulfport, Mississippi to see the new roads, new houses, new businesses and then the stark contrast of New Orleans, still with complete neighborhoods vacated from Hurricane Katrina with house after house boarded up with plywood, holes still visible in rooftops, rusted out automobiles lining city streets. I won’t stand on my soap-box and rant about the current state of American politics in this blog – but it is amazing to see the visible contrast between teaching someone to fish as compared with simply handing someone a fish…Remarkably sad, totally disheartening but true.

We could not visit New Orleans without a trip to Cafe du Monde for morning cafe au lait and beignets.

(Beignets and coffee – Cafe du Monde, New Orleans, LA)

Now my intellectual brain knows that beignets are nothing more then fried dough coated with an overwhelming amount of powdered sugar – a glorified doughnut…but my creative brain goes into over-drive whenever I taste these little jewels and my taste buds dance and sign for what seems like hours. Cafe du Monde is world famous for their beignets and their New Orleans coffee with chicory. This early Monday morning was no exception and the place was bustling with locals and tourists alike. Thank god we had parked the car about a mile away as I definitely needed to burn off a few calories.

Service at Cafe du Monde is fast and attentive, but one would hardly call it formal or friendly…polite – yes, friendly – no. Cafe du Monde has packaged beignet mix ready for purchase for those that can’t be bothered mixing a few dry ingredients together. For the more adventurists, this weeks recipe is for what I am calling “Motorcoach Beignets”, they are fairly simple to make and take less then 20 minutes from beginning to table.

(Cafe du Monde, New Orleans, LA)

“Cafe du Monde” rates: for a delicious Louisiana breakfast.

Directly across from Cafe du Monde is Jackson Square and the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral which is well worth a leisurely stroll before you experience the true “beat” of the “French Quarter”.

(Jackson Square with St. Louis Cathedral behind – New Orleans, LA)

After our much needed walk back to the car, Cindy and I headed out St. Charles Street to visit Tulane University and Audubon Park, this is a lovely section of the city and well worth a visit by anyone traveling through New Orleans.

On Tuesday, we made our way over to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, located near the town of New Iberia, LA. The drive to this park was an interesting one to say the least as our GPS kept directing us to travel upon this old Army Corp of Engineer’s levee roadbed which was not paved and only about 7 feet wide – remember that we are in a diesel motorcoach which is about 8 1/2 feet wide, 36 feet long and weighs over 28,000 pounds. We opted to not follow the directions be given to us by the GPS so we had to find our way around Lake Fausse which is huge. This will sure prove to be a memory that we will often look back upon and simply chuckle!

Wednesday found Cindy and I heading down Route 14 to Avery Island, LA to visit the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory and Country Store. In a little over an hour, we had learned so much about Edmund McIlhenny, his family and company he started back in 1868. We also learned that Avery Island is not really an island – but rather a huge dome of rock salt, 2 1/2 miles wide and 3 miles long and sits 152 feet above sea level. The island is surrounded by marshland and the Bayou Peiti Anse and was formed when an ancient seabed evaporated, depositing pure salt, which rose up and pushed the ground into a hill. The hot “Tabasco” peppers are picked by hand as soon as they ripen to the perfect shade of bright red. On the same day the peppers are picked, they are mashed, mixed with a small amount of Avery Island salt, placed in white oak wooden barrels, and allowed to ferment and age for up to three years. When ready the aged mash is then blended with a natural, high grain white vinegar and placed in larger oak vats and stirred for 28 days. Then and only then, the pepper skins and seeds are strained out and the finished sauce is bottled and labeled “TABASCO”.

(Tabasco workers “mashing” pepper sauce, Avery Island, LA)

The tour is free, is a fun time and is very informative – but the real treat is in the adjoining “Tabasco Country Store” where you can taste almost everything “Tabasco”… Tabasco cola (tastes a bit like Dr Pepper) and even Tabasco Ice Cream in two flavors “Habanero” and “Sweet & Spicy” (these were actually much better then I expected – don’t know if I would want a full Tabasco Ice Cream Sundae – but a little taste of each was rather refreshing).

(Tasting table at Tabasco Country Store – the ice cream tasting is on the far left, Avery Island, LA)

(Tabasco Country Store – Avery Island, LA)

The Tabasco Country Store also sells a few “Cajun” and “Creole” dishes on a daily basis. On the day of our visit the menu consisted of “Red Beans and Rice with Andouille”, “Crayfish Etouffee” and “Boudin” (a pork and rice sausage dish). Cindy and I decided to try one of each and we really liked the “Red Beans and Rice”, the “Boudin” was okay but neither of us really cared that much for the “Crayfish Ettouffe” as the crayfish flavor was so overpowering that you could not taste anything else. We choose not to finish this last dish and instead offer it to the dogs who both actually turned their noses at it as well!!! Despite the Ettouffe, we had a great deal of fun on Avery Island and the Tabasco Pepper Sauce Factory – well worth a day trip. *There is a $1.00 toll to entire Avery Island, although the tour and tastings are free.

Thursday morning we packed up camp and traveled north to the Longfellow Evangeline State Park near St. Martinsville, LA. Longfellow Evangeline is home of both a “Creole Plantation” and a “Cajun Farmstead”. Here visitors learn the distinct differences between the Creole and the Cajun cultures as well as the similarities. I could not help but see so many correlations between the Cajun culture and the Acadian culture of northern Maine and Nova Scotia, which is where the Cajun+'s originate from.

(Creole Plantation – Longfellow Evangeline State Park, LA)

(Cajun Farmstead – Longfellow Evangeline State Park, LA)

After our visit to Longfellow Evangeline, we headed further north to have lunch at “Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant” in Breaux Bridge, LA. This place is more of a band/dance venue then a restaurant with pictures of famous musicians and celebrities adorning the walls. A cup of Shrimp Gumbo proved good, especially after adding some of the Ms. C’s Cajun Spice Blend. Cindy enjoyed the Blackened Catfish with a side of Jambalaya and Corn Bread. I had a really nice Muffeleta Sandwich with an accompaniment of Red Beans with Rice. We finished with a nice Bread Pudding laced with a strong pour of rum.

“Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant” rates: Make sure to pick-up some of Ms. C’s Cajun Spice.

(Rosedown Plantation – St. Francisville, LA)

After lunch it was back on the road up to Rosedown Plantation which is a beautiful park complete with lovely manicured gardens and the fully restored and stunning plantation home of Daniel and Martha Barrow Turnbull, Rosedown was built in the 1830’s and stayed in the hands of their descendants until the 1950s. In it’s hayday, Rosedown encompassed over 3,400 acres and employed over 450 slaves and trades-people. The plantation was so large that the Turnbull’s had a full time doctor on staff as well as a doctor’s office. Today, Rosedown is still a large property of almost 375 acres.

(Kitchen building – Rosedown Plantation – St. Francisville, LA)

This is a “must visit” if you ever find yourself anywhere near St. Francisville, LA. Tours of the main house are given on the hour by knowledgeable, friendly volunteers. There is so much to see and learn and the gardens offer such a lovely reprise – highly recommended.

(The gardens, Rosedown Plantation – St. Francisville, LA)

It was a full day as we pulled the motorcoach into the Riverview RV Park & Resort in Vidalia, Louisiana – just across the river from Natchez, Mississippi.

For dinner, we went into the lovely town of Natchez and dined at the Magnolia Grill, located on Silver Street. From the very moment we spotted this little eatery I wanted to love it as it is the oldest continuously operated restaurant found in the "Under the Hill" historic section of Natchez. The dining rooms are minimalistic with exposed brick and old wood beams, the tables made of golden oak with the now popular parchment paper on top, we where seated on the enclosed deck which overlooks the Mississippi River. To start, we opted for a bottle of La Crema Pinot Noir as we looked over the menu. I was a bit surprised to find that the vast majority of the menu consisted of sandwiches and salads – what I would expect for lunch but not necessarily for dinner. Cindy and I decided to share a cup of the Shrimp, Chicken and Okra Gumbo – which was delicious (we both felt that it was superior to the Gumbo we had at Mulate’s earlier in the day). Cindy selected the Magnolia Shrimp with garlic, scallions and mushrooms over angel hair pasta. The shrimp were properly cooked and the dish had a nice, well balanced flavor. I was in the mood for steak but was less then inspired by the choice of either the grilled Filet Mignon or the grilled Ribeye steaks – which neither had any sauce or interesting accompaniment - so I inquired if the chef could melt some Bleu cheese over the grilled Ribeye and the server assured me that the kitchen could handle the request and stated that he thought it would taste “fantastic”. It arrived cooked to a perfect medium-rare with a huge amount of Maytag Bleu which was broiled to a lovely golden-brown color. This dish was delicious and I couldn’t help but think that the chef should add the Maytag Ribeye selection to the menu. Entrees come with your choice of one of the sides; Stuffed Potato, Baked Potato, Steamed Broccoli, Curly Q's, Sweet Potato Fries, Mixed Vegetables, or Magnolia Salad. Overall, we had a very nice meal at the Magnolia Grill although I would have expected a somewhat more creative menu but with that said – we enjoyed ourselves and ate every morsel. Our server was pleasant, friendly and fairly attentive, I did have to request a steak knife when my entree arrived.

(Magnolia Grill – Natchez, MI)

The “Magnolia Grill” rates: Good, comfortable dining choice.

After dinner we were definitely ready for a good nights sleep as the next day marked the beginning of our drive up the Natchez Trace – one of the prettiest roads in America (actually, the Natchez Trace is a “national scenic trail” and maintained by the U.S. National Park Service).

Remember that this weeks recipe is a tribute to the wonderfully sinful New Orleans beignets, my rather easy Motorcoach Beignets…you can get it, and others by simply subscribing to our GYPSY KITCHEN Family.

Have a great week, please keep sending those suggestions and comments along – We really are using them as guiding posts for our adventure. Also, please tell your friends about our wacky travels and have them join our growing family.

Remember to support your local restaurants and let them know that their hard efforts are appreciated. No government stimulus programs are going to help these tireless soles out and they really do rely on us for their livelihood and right now so many independent restaurants in America are offering some great, wonderful and tasty “Special Offers” to entice us with!

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Ratings Scale:

= Hopeless, Would Definitely Not Return (A new addition to the rating scale)

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

The GYPSY KITCHEN - Week # 9

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Well Cindy and I have just recently logged our 4,000 mile on our GYPSY KITCHEN Tour ‘09 thus far and am now in Louisiana. We have experienced some rather stormy weather of late and watched intently as the local TV stations warned of several tornado alerts in the area. It’s a little scary riding out a severe storm inside the motorcoach as each and every raindrop sounds like armor-piercing rounds above your head. The dogs keen sense of sound made for a couple of sleepless nights. All in the name of research!

(St George Lighthouse – St George Island, Florida)

After leaving the Tallahassee area last week, we made our way to St George Island, which is part of the “Forgotten Coast” of Florida – an area lying between Tallahassee and Pensacola. They refer to it as the “Forgotten Coast” because it is void of the huge strip malls and sprawling housing developments seen so dotting the Florida landscape today. Instead, this area highlights the small “mom & pop” businesses, single family real estate, lovely sandy beaches and some of the best oysters I’ve ever encountered.

(The lighthouse, rebuilt for the fourth time – St George Island, Florida)

St George Island is considered a barrier island, accessible from either the one main bridge, by boat or by private plane. Home to some 700 homes, the island has a tiny “downtown” spotted with mostly tourist type shops, a few restaurants and several real estate offices…we are told that there are some “real bargains” here on waterfront lots & homes. One girl told us that homes that were selling for $2,000,000.00 are down to a mere $600,000.00. Most of the homes built over the past decade are built up on stilts to help ward-off flooding during hurricane season. Yes the “Forgotten Coast” shows signs of weather related damage inflicted over the past couple of years.

After checking into our campground and setting up “camp” (which now takes us seasoned RV’s all of 6–8 minutes), we made our way into “town” for dinner. We started at a small local watering hole called “EDDY TEACH’S RAW BAR”, located just off of Third Street. This place on first appearance seems more like a rowdy bar then a restaurant and most of the seating is outside at wooden picnic tables or at several wobbly wooden bar stools, each with a plastic bag filled with water hanging above. The decor (if you can call it that) is “more-than-rustic” and black “Sharpie's” are used by patrons to leave their witty musings upon the walls, floor, ceiling and yes even on the plastic bags filled with water hanging over each bar stool. A statue of a scantily dressed, buxom female pirate stand guard just outside the restroom doors complete with eye-patch. On the floor are several large white plastic buckets filled with water for the many canines who visit with their somewhat intoxicated owners. The bartender seems to know everyone, everyone except Cindy & I and at first seems a bit put out that we have no clue what Eddy Teacher’s Raw Bar is all about. As we take our seats on two of the wobbly bar stools and attempt to take the whole experience in, I notice that chalk board highlighting the multitude of draft beers and spot not only the “Black & Tan” (Guinness and Bass) but also a “Black & Blond” (Guinness and Stella Artois), “Brown Mixed” (Smithwicks and Yuengling), “Poormans” (Guinness and Strongbow) and “Dirty Cracker” (Boddongtons and Strongbow) – maybe this place isn’t so bad!!!

(Eddy Teach’s Sidekick, St George Island, Florida)

Our bartender/server turned out to be extremely friendly, attentive and informative and suggested that we had try a dozen of the Apalachacola Bay Oysters on the half shell – sold. Within minutes we were presented with twelve of the plump-est, most tender and juicy oysters that I can remember ever putting in my mouth. The only thing better then the oysters was the house-made cocktail sauce which was absolutely fantastic! And the oysters seemed like they had been put on this earth only to accompany yet another “Black and Tan”. We learned from our friendly bartender that the plastic bags of water keep the flies out as there are no windows. I had never heard of this but I must say that there was not one fly to be found in or around Eddy Teacher’s Raw Bar.

We had seen another restaurant down the street a ways and decided that we should give them a try for dinner as Eddy Teacher’s Raw Bar was after all a bar – not a restaurant. So we departed and made our way down three blocks to “HARRY A’s RESTAURANT AND BAR” on Bayshore Drive. HARRY A’s has live entertainment daily and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Upon entering we were greeted by a warm and very bubbly hostess who proceeded to seat us at a table right next to the front door and apologized but informed us that they were far busier then expected and that the entire staff was over-run…not what one wants to hear. After a couple of minutes, our bubbly hostess checked back to see if we had been offered beverages yet – no not yet. So she then proceeded to take our drink orders. Our waitress appeared and asked if we were ready to order – not asking if we had any questions, not offering to go over any special the kitchen might be offering this evening…just place your order so she can try and get to yet another table. Let’s just say that the meal was adequate and leave it at that.

HARRY A’s RESTAURANT AND BAR rates: Typical tourist destination.

(Historic Lafayette Park, Apalachicola, Florida)

The next day, Cindy and I ventured off the island over to Apalachicola, a small seaside community that has re-invented itself numerous times. In the early 1800’s, Apalachacola grew to be the third largest shipping port in the Gulf of Mexico, shipping cotton to ports-of-call all over the world. In the early years of the 1900’s Apalachicola became known for it’s vast cypress trees and become home to several huge lumber mills. By the end of the 1900’s Apalachicola became famous for it’s bountiful fishing and shrimping industry. Today, Apalachicola Bay and the surrounding waters are considers some of the most productive and cleanest waters in the nation. The area harvests more than 90 % of Florida’s oysters and more than 10% of the total oysters consumed within the US – more than 2 million pounds of oyster meat is shucked in Apalachicola annually. The town streets are lined with beautiful old historic homes, many now run as Bed and Breakfasts. The downtown area, at first has a feel of a by-gone era, and parts look run down and abandoned – but after spending just a little time in several of the shops, you get a sense that this town is on the rise. The shops are unique, upbeat and friendly, there is the strong and popular Dixie Theater which hosts an ongoing list of live professional theater as well as musical events throughout the year…There is a strong sense of pride in this town and you can actually see it and feel it on the faces of the people you meet here.

(Old lumber mill, Apalachicola, Florida)

Right next to the Dixie Theater, on Avenue E is a lovely little restaurant called “THAT PLACE IN APALACH”. Actually, the owners of this place operated a very successful eatery over in Eastpoint called “That Place on 98” until Hurricane Dennis caused havoc along that section of Route 98, so the owners decided to move the operation to Apalachacola. We entered and were immediately greeted by an extremely friendly and polite server who showed us to our table and exuberantly described the specials for the day. After taking our beverage order, he was back in a flash with our drinks and proceeded to take our order. Cindy went with the Jamaican Jerk Pork while I had to try the Panhandle Chowder and the Chopped BBQ Brisket Sandwich Special. The Panhandle Chowder was delicious…creamy without being too thick, nice sized pieces of potato, onion and celery and loaded with fresh fish – I had to keep battling Cindy for the next spoonful! Cindy really enjoyed her Pork as did I…it had just the right hint of Jerk without being over-the-top. My BBQ Brisket Sandwich was also great – maybe not as great as Mrs. Burt’s but still delicious just the same. It was great to see that each of the 18 tables filled up while we dined, some seated more than once. The staff worked in unison and all seemed to really like working at “THAT PLACE IN APALACH” Our server enthusiastically sold us on the house-made Key Lime Pie as well as the Chocolate Mousse Pie (his reason for working there, or so he said). The Key Lime Pie was tasty with just the right amount of tartness, although it was served a drizzle of chocolate sauce, which to my palette tasted like it came from a can which drew my attention away from the pie itself. I think that the pie could easily stand on it’s own without the addition of the chocolate sauce. The Chocolate Mousse Pie was a hit, topped with fresh made whipped cream. If I had to find a complaint on this dish it would have to be that the whipped cream could have used a tiny bit more sweetness and there could have been a tad more on the pie – other than that we loved this dessert.

(“THAT PLACE IN APALACH” – Apalachicola, Florida)

“THAT PLACE IN APALACH” rates:We would return in a heartbeat to dine here.

We wished we could have spent more time in Apalachacola and the surrounding area as there actually is a lot to see and experience here. We are told that there are several really good places to eat in Apalachicola…”THAT PLACE IN APALACH” certainly makes that list.

(Apalachacola fishing fleet – Apalachicola, Florida)

Tuesday was a somewhat lazy day for us…we spent the morning walking the dogs along the beach and doing laundry. For lunch we both decided that another trip to “EDDY TEACH’S RAW BAR” was in order, so once again we made our way to Third Street. This time, Cindy and I were the first to arrive and we were greeted by a lovely bartender whose smile and laugh were infectious. She immediately became fast friends with Tucker and Panda (the dogs) and saw to it that the white plastic bucket next to our table was filled with nice cool water. This place caters to dogs with people!!! Because I wanted to mix things up a bit, I ordered a “Black and Blond” this time around instead of the “Black and Tan”, Cindy tried the “Strongbow Cider” which she enjoyed thoroughly (kind of like a mix between a lager and a fermented cider). Of course we had to split another dozen of those delectable oysters along with that to-die-for cocktail sauce – yes these were as good as two nights earlier. This time the oysters were shucked by the owner herself. The menu at “EDDY TEACH’S RAW BAR” is limited somewhat but we were told that the burgers were really good so Cindy and I both opted for the Cheese burger with Chips. Apparently, in Florida all ground meat MUST be cooked to medium-well – but our bartender/server assured us that the burgers would still be juicy. When the burgers came they were gigantic, served with nice crisp lettuce and a slice of vine ripened tomato. We couldn’t believe just how juicy and delicious these “well done” burgers were. Incredible is a word that comes to mind easily.

(“EDDY TEACH’s RAW BAR” – St George Island, Florida)

We learned upon this visit that Eddy Teach was the real name of Black Beard the pirate. That maybe helped to explain the “booty” of women’s lingerie hanging from various rafters and wall adornments – maybe not! “EDDY TEACH’S RAW BAR” is a fantastically fun experience…the place to go for a great chilled beer, some of the best oysters you will find anywhere and for a wonderfully juicy and tasty hamburger and on top of that, it’s a great place to meet some of the more colorful island folk.

(I think this sign says it all – St George Island, Florida)

“EDDY TEACH’S RAW BAR” rates:This is a fantastic CASUAL place.

The oysters were so good that I decided to write a real easy recipe for “Easy Oyster Stew”. Make sure to join the GYPSY KITCHEN Family to receive this and all other weekly recipes.

On Wednesday, we had to say goodbye to St George Island but have marked it as a spot we’d like to return to. As we made our way west on Route 98, we drove along the coast through Port St Joe, Mexico Beach and Panama City Beach. About the time we passed through Laguna Beach we were getting pretty hungry…driving in a 36–foot motor coach with a tow vehicle behind limits the available places one can stop. As we drove through Destin, we noticed a “HOOTERS” with a very large and manageable parking lot so we opted for lunch at “HOOTERS”. I don’t know if it’s my age or what but I simply DO NOT GET the whole “HOOTERS” thing. Don’t get me wrong, like most members of the male species, I enjoy the sight of a young, perky taught female as much as anyone…but the bright orange short shorts I think went out in the early 1970’s if I’m not mistaken. This place was more than loud, the tables and stools uncomfortable. We both selected the Bone-less Chicken Wing Platter. “HOOTERS” is the place to go for chicken wings right? Wrong!!! Both Cindy and my wings were beyond over cooked, the celery sticks were tan and limp, the Bleu cheese sauce lacked flavor. I was hungry and wanted something to satisfy that hunger – I did not go into “HOOTERS” looking to become friends with our waitress, no matter how cute she was…so please DO NOT pull up a stool and chat with us. I’d rather you pull up a stool next to the fryolator and make sure that my chicken wings aren’t burnt. Here’s the deal – don’t call me “Honey” and I won’t call you “Babe” – okay? Needless to say, I did not purchase any “HOOTERS” memorabilia to take home with me. The ice tea was adequate and the parking lot was of good size for an RV.

“HOOTERS” rates:A first…the “Broken Spoon” – it was just that bad!

A short time later we pulled into Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola were we booked for two nights. Again, after setting camp and after we thought our stomachs had recovered from our luncheon experience, we decided to travel down the road a bit to Perdido Key for what we hoped would be a decent dinner. Based on the number of cars parked outside of “VALLARTA’S AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RESTAURANT” we thought this would be a solid choice. Margarita's seemed in order, so we ordered the Grande’s…when they arrived these were so big you could actually have bathed in them – HUGE! As we sipped, you couldn’t lift them, we looked over the extensive menu and settled on two of the various “Combination Plates”. Cindy’s consisted of a beef enchilada, a tamale, a beef taco and refried beans. Mine was a combo of a chili relleno, chicken quesadilla, beef burrito and rice and beans.

Now I don’t know if it was still the knot in my stomach from the earlier “HOOTERS” experience or what, but I got about 1/4^th. of the way through this massive dish and I simply couldn’t go on. Cindy picked through hers as well, only eating a taste of this and a nibble of that. We packaged the left-overs and returned to the coach with a massive treat for the dogs who really seemed to enjoy all of it. Later that night, both Cindy and I had that horrible after-taste of MSG drying out the palette – again, not sure if it was the result of “HOOTERS” or of “VALLARTA’S AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RESTAURANT” – but my gut tells me the MSG is VALLARTA’S handy work.

“VALLARTA’S AUTHENTIC MEXICAN RESTAURANT” rates: Too much unappealing food piled on a plate, and watch the MSG.

We spent the next day recovering.

On Friday, we had to move all of about 10 miles down the road into Alabama to the very nice “Gulf State Park” were we stayed for two nights. This is were we encountered the severe weather, tornado watches and sleepless nights. I have to say that I’ve never experienced a more dramatic light show then what we witnessed on Saturday evening. The lightning would light-up the sky with two, three and sometimes more steaks crackling and thundering down all around us.

We did get a break in the weather on Saturday, during the day and had the opportunity to take in the semi-annual German Sausage Festival in Elberta, Alabama were they expected to serve over 1,700 pounds of German Sausage before the day ended. Based on the crowds, I would venture to guess that they hit that target. Yes, the sausage was delicious and I would have made my Grandpa Willwerth proud as I enjoyed this tasty piece of grilled sausage, stuffed inside a large hoagie roll complete with sauerkraut and mustard and a nice cold Yuengling draft to wash it all down with.

Remember that this weeks recipe is a tribute to the delicious Apalachacola Bay oysters, Easy Oyster Stew…you can get it by subscribing to our GYPSY KITCHEN Family.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

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Ratings Scale:

= Hopeless, Would Definitely Not Return (A new addition to the rating scale)

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

Tags: Oysters, Shrimp, Florida, Tallahassee, St.+George+Island, Apalachicola, Eastpoint, Eddy+Teach's+Raw+Bar, Harry+A's+Restaurant+and+Bar, That+Place+in+Apalach, Hooter's, Vallarta+Authentic+Mexican+Restaurant, Elberta, German+Sausage+Festival, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi

The GYPSY KITCHEN - Week # 8

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Cindy and I are staying on St. George Island, which is part of the “forgotten coast” in the Florida pan-handle between Tallahassee and Pensacola and this place is beautiful!!! This is certainly not your Miami glitter or Tampa congestion…but rather a step back to a time of family gatherings around a roaring fire on the beach, a cookout with family and friends, a quite stroll along the miles of sandy beach…this is what the locals call “old Florida” and it is easy to see why many hope that the area remains “forgotten”.

It seems that the cell phone companies and internet providers have mostly forgotten this light slice of Floridian heaven as well…we have been largely without either for about a week now. You actually have to go out of your way to find an internet signal in this part of the country, and you learn who has and who does not have a protected internet connection. Although I have yet to try – I am told that some of the best sport fishing can be found in the local waters off St George Island and right now the pompano are said to be arriving. The local oysters are out of this world delicious and some of the plumpest I’ve ever seen but you’ll have to wait until next week to read the reviews of the local eateries here as I am once again getting ahead of myself.

Last week we ventured from the town of Citra up to Manatee Springs State Park, located in the town of Chiefland, Florida. One of Cindy’s quests on this trip was to see the endangered manatee so Manatee Springs seemed like the right place to head. Upon arrival, we learned that the waters had been warming and that the manatee had just left and ventured out into the open waters of the Suwannee River. Even though the manatee had departed, the Springs were lovely for snorkeling and swimming at a constant 72 degrees year round. I cannot believe that this relatively small spring pumps out approximately 100 million gallons of clean, crystal clear water per day into the Suwannee River which eventually ends up in the Gulf of Mexico. The park has a large deer population and on our second evening we came upon a doe with her new fawn who could not have been more than a few days old – a beautiful sight indeed.

In order to be guaranteed a manatee sighting, we we’re informed that Homosassa Springs State Park had six females in captivity – so off we trekked down Route 19 about 50 miles to Homosassa Springs, which used to be a privately owned zoo attraction until the late 1980’s when the state of Florida took over the operation. (I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting too much in the way of excitement here – but was I ever surprised). I was taken back a little when we pulled into the parking lot on this overcast Wednesday to find that the rather large parking area was completely filled and that the overflow parking on the grass was the only area available. Entering the Visitors Area, I still had my doubts…but once we were actually in the park – it was amazing!!! Clean, organized and an all-around good time. The main spring has an underwater observatory which allows a very up-close and personal look at several species of salt water fish (living in a fresh water spring?) as well as the manatee, which are so lovely to see in this manner. So graceful and docile…it’s sad to learn that we (MAN) are their only known threat!!! In addition to the manatee and fish, the park has white-tail deer, alligators, river otters, bobcat, owls, eagles, pink flamingo and a friendly old hippopotamus – Lou (the only creature not native to Florida but he came with the park).

(Lou – the friendly hippo, Homosassa Springs, Florida)

As I stated, I was not expecting much from our day at Homosassa State Park but I have to tell you that I had one of the best times I’ve had in generations at a zoo like attraction and for only $8.00 per person it was a bargain beyond bargains. If you ever find yourself around the Hernando, Inverness area of Florida – please take a day and visit Homosassa Springs – you will thank me many times over for the tip.
(Here are a few pictures I took while at the park).

(If you’d like to see more pictures of the manatee and our trip, click on over to the GYPSY KITCHEN Photo Album).

Several people told us that we needed to go out to Cedar Key, which is about 20 miles South of Chiefland, and that Cedar Key is like stepping back in time about 50 years. So on Thursday, Cindy and I made our way out to this tiny little coastal village and yes it is a step back to easier days. With a year round population of about 900, Cedar Key has one bank, a small grocery store, a handful of shops and interestingly over a dozen restaurants. In it’s day, Cedar Key was famous for the production of Faber and American Eagle pencils which were made from abundant cedar trees from which Cedar Key got it’s name. This was before the days of forest management and so the cedar trees were basically clear-cut and then the pencil industry packed up and moved on. We took a two-hour boat tour with Captain Doug Maple of TIDEWATER TOURS, out around Cedar Key and the adjoining islands and saw a family of porpoise, white pelicans, an American Bald Eagle and several other species of birds and had an opportunity to learn about this little gem of a town.

(Reduced oceanfront property for sale, Cedar Key, Florida)

After the tour, we needed to try the local oysters, so we made our way to the BIG DECK RAW BAR, located on the touristy Dock Street and ordered up a dozen on the half shell along with a couple of cold drafts. Although the oysters were fresh and tasty, the BIG DECK RAW BAR could stand a little more creativity in the kitchen…come on now, how hard is it to mix a little horseradish, ketchup, lemon juice and a dash or two of hot sauce? No we had to make our own at the table because only horseradish and a wedge of lemon came with the oysters. When asked about “cocktail sauce”, a few plastic containers of SYSCO cocktail sauce appeared from within the waitresses apron.

The BIG DECK RAW BAR rates:Get with the program folks!!!

(Island Hotel & Restaurant, Cedar Key, Florida)

We had a lovely dinner at the ISLAND HOTEL & RESTAURANT (considered the up-scale dining destination on Cedar Key), the oldest commercial building on Cedar Key, which reportedly is home to several ghosts. We had a lovely little table on the screened in veranda. Cindy and I shared a cup of the Crab Bisque which was really delicious. Salads accompanied the meals and were colorful, crisp and flavorful, all served with made-from-scratch dressings. Cindy enjoyed the Artichokes Atsena Otie which is sautéed artichokes, scallops, shrimp and mushrooms splashed with sherry in a rich cream cheese parsley sauce. The Stuffed Grouper split to hold an artichoke, shrimp and cheese stuffing, baked in white wine and butter sauce caught my eye and I enjoyed every bite. Both dishes were served with a nice, simply prepared basmati rice and a medley of fresh vegetables…both good but not memorable. Service was very polite, informative of the area and knowledgeable about the menu although a few service details were overlooked throughout out meal.

The ISLAND HOTEL AND RESTAURANT rates:An enjoyable spot for dinner, especially the screened veranda.

Before we left Chiefland and Manatee Springs on Friday we stopped by this little BBQ joint called “BUBBAQUES It’s the Pits”, located in a strip mall on Route 19 just south of town. This joint was so much fun and the staff was so upbeat – of course the food tasted great. Upon entering you walk up to the “shack” and place your order, Cindy and I both opted for the daily special of Bubbaqued Beef Sammywich which was touted as “More fun than a tornado on a trailer park”. Smoked beef brisket piled high between two thick pieces of Texas Toast, uhhh, excuse me, two thick slices of Bubba Bread, served with French fries and a pickle. On your table is an array of Bubba’s BBQ sauces; Moonshine, Alabama Slama, Rib Lube, Ole Yeller, Panama Red, Tractor Grease, Rump Roaster, Mississippi Mud, Sugar Shack and Pine Tar – I’m not making these up folk’s!!! Of course Cindy had to try each and everyone, I went for the “house” which is Rib Lube, a tomato based medium heat sauce – very good indeed.

Eating at BUBBAQUES is like being invited over to Larry the cable guy’s house for an afternoon BBQ…the intercom yelps out things like “Rita get in da truck” to signal that her food is ready for pickup. In addition to BBQ BUBBAQUES offers a few salads “Rabbit Food”, “Fountain Beverages”, “Local Brew” and “Fancy Pants Foreigner Beer”. There is a notice on the menu which reads “NOW LOOKEE HERE…Because of the wood smoke utilized in our cooking process, a pink color is imparted to the meats we serve. All meat is cooked well done. So don’t get yer knickers all in a twist.” – I think that sums it up nicely!!!

BUBBAQUES It’s the Pits rates:A really fun place for lunch or casual dinner.

After BUBBAQUES, we headed up Route 19 towards Tallahassee to spend the weekend with one of Cindy’s aunts whom I had not met before. Shadow, as she prefers to be called is a whipper-snapper of a lady. 85 years old and could run circles around me and probably beat me in an arm wrestle. Shadow is an avid outdoors woman and volunteers at “Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge”, located just outside Tallahassee. She is a bundle of knowledge with regard to all kinds of plant-life as well as wildlife and she’s a great little cook as well. We dined on a delicious pot of Cactus Stew that she made with local venison, sweet potato, hominy, green chili and tomato. I had to have the recipe, which she gladly shared and so I am passing it on to you as this weeks recipe.

Saturday was Shadows birthday and we spent the day visit the state capital building, where she seemed to know just about everyone, the outside farmers market just steps away from the capital steps and we had lunch at SIENYARD SEAFOOD RESTAURANT in Woodville (just south of Tallahassee). This busy place is a favorite of the locals, serving up fresh local seafood, mostly fried but also baked or blackened. Shadow had the Fried Oyster Platter, Cindy the Blackened Grouper and I choose the Fried Shrimp Platter. The food was fresh, hot and tasty all-be-it typical for this kind of establishment. A candle adorned a piece of homemade Key Lime Pie which was delicious and rich.

The SEINYARD SEAFOOD RESTAURANT rates: Good, basic seafood in a clean, friendly atmosphere.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

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Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

Tags: Oysters, Shrimp, Manatee+Springs, Florida, Homosassa+Springs, Cedar+Key, Island+Hotel+and+Restaurant, Big+Deck+Raw+Bar, Seinyard+Seafood+Restaurant, Cactus+Stew, Bubbaques, Chiefland, Tallahassee, Grouper, Tidewater+Tours, hippopotamus, manatee

The Gypsy Kitchen - Week # 7

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:35:00 +0000

The "GYPSY KITCHEN" is the traveling culinary adventure of John and Cindy Hughes who are cruising the backroads and forgotten highways of America in a 36 foot motorcoach searching for interesting regional foods and delicious culinary treasures…Come join us!

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I just got back from playing 9–holes of Golf with Cindy at the Grand Lake Resort and Golf RV Park, (where we are staying for three days/nights) located in Citra, Florida. My golf game is barely better then my fishing skills but we still had a good time out on the course.

I know I mentioned this recently but I have to say it again – I can’t get over just how friendly fellow RV’ers are! We have met people from Canada, Massachusetts, Maine, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas and each and everyone of them have been welcoming, helpful, hospitable and just fun to be around. I’ve never interacted with as many people while traveling before. I can see why so many people spend 3, 6 and more months per year traveling in their RV. If you’ve never tried RVing before – I would encourage you to give it a try. It doesn’t matter if you are in a tent or a million dollar custom motorcoach – fellow Rv’ers treat you just the same.

Many of you have written, thanking me for witting the recipes for 2 servings. You are very welcome – it just makes sense for us traveling, given that we are just 2 mouths; our kitchen is all of 6 feet big; and I recently read that more then half of the households in the U.S. are now occupied by 2 persons. Sometimes the recipes turn out to be a little large – but when that happens, you have a nice lunch the next day.

Well, I guess it’s time to get down to business. This past week, our daughter Jennifer came down for a few days break from the snow and cold weather in Boston. We picked her up at the Orlando airport on Monday night. After getting her stuff packed into the car, we headed back towards Wekiwa Springs State Park but decided to look for a place to have diner as we were all hungry and I knew I didn’t feel like cooking when we got back to the coach. Jennifer spotted the MELTING POT Restaurant (which apparently is a large chain of fondue restaurants now located all over America). I have not been to one before and I have tried not to review chain restaurants thus far on our traveling adventure – but because the concept is so unusual, I thought I’d share my thoughts.

For those, like myself, not familiar with the MELTING POT concept, it is a mix between a Benihana-style “cooking-at-the-table” and a “cook-it-yourself-on-hot-rock” type eatery. The featured dinner is a 4–course meal for 2, which consists of a “Cheese Fondue Course”, “Salad Course”, “Entree Fondue Course” and a “Dessert Fondue Course”. Three choices for the first two, a combination of meats and chicken for the entree and at least 5 choices for the dessert.

(MELTING POT, Orlando, Florida)

We selected the Cheddar-Ale Fondue, the California Salad and the Banana Foster Fondue for dessert. Jennifer ordered the California Salad and the Vegetarian Entree Fondue and we all shared the cheese and dessert course. The cheese fondue was very pleasant and was served with a mound of cubed breads, assortment of fresh vegetables and sliced apples. We must have enjoyed it thoroughly as we devoured the whole pot in minutes. The salad was really delicious – mixed greens with walnuts, bleu cheese and a black walnut and raspberry vinaigrette. We opted for the court bouillon base for the entree fondue pot – a nice mild herbed broth which did not overpower the assortment of marinated beef and chicken. Served with more fresh vegetables – good but not outstanding. For dessert, Jennifer promised that the Bananas Foster was a sure hit – and it was. Milk chocolate melted with caramel, sliced bananas, chopped pecans along with an assortment of fresh strawberries, marshmallows, more bananas, cheesecake, and sponge cake. We could have skipped the entree and gone directly to dessert.

(Assortment that comes with the dessert fondue, MELTING POT, Orlando, Florida)

All-in-all, the MELTING POT is a fun, unusual dining event that’s a great night out for a couple or a group gathering. Make sure to save room for the dessert fondue.

(Cheddar – Ale Fondue at the MELTING POT, Orlando, Florida)

The MELTING POT rates:Don’t even try to figure the caloric value!

The next day Cindy, Jennifer and I spent the day exploring Wikewa Springs, taking a canoe trip where we spotted even more alligators, turtles everywhere, birds of all kinds and the water was as clear as I have ever seen. The “pool” was a blast as we took turns diving down into the cracked floor where the spring water fills the pool and adjoining runs with over 45 million gallons of crystal clear water per day!!! Dinner was vegetarian gnocchi alfredo that yours truly whipped up in the coach.

(Vegetarian Gnocchi in the coach)

(Jennifer being a kid at Universal Studio, Florida)

Wednesday, we headed over to Universal Studio to take in the “Island of Adventure” (this was Jennifer+'s request). We rode all of the pure “fear-rattling” rides. We had lunch at “MYTHOS” (rated the best them park restaurant in America for 6 years in a row). Cindy and I had dined here a few years earlier and had a fantastic meal. Dining inside MYTHOS is like eating in a huge natural cavern complete with waterfalls and pools. After selecting a few Cosmo’s, we ordered the Tempura Shrimp Sushi. Cindy and I had this on our last visit and it was so great that I have often recalled how much I enjoyed every morsel – unfortunately, on this visit, while still tasty – it was a lot more mediocre; the shrimp was much smaller, the rice lacked any seasoning, one spear of asparagus and the tempura crust was basically flavorless.

(Tempura Shrimp Sushi, MYTHOS, Universal Studio, Florida)

Jennifer ordered the “Crabcake Mini’s” (think the burger slider)…she felt it to be okay, but wondered if the cakes were fully cooked. After tasting them I would agree that they could have spent more time in the pan. Cindy had the “Smoked Cheddar and Chicken Salad” served with a light herbed vinaigrette. This was the highlight of our experience. I made the mistake of ordering the Pistachio Encrusted Pork with Blueberry Sauce. I could not detect any hint of pistachio what’s-so-ever. The pork was so dry and tough that I should have used a chain saw to have cut it. The Smokey Cheddar Mac & Cheese which accompanied the lack-luster pork could have come out of a blue & yellow box. This dish sounded so wonderful and turned out so horrid that I decided to write this weeks recipe for Pistachio Encrusted Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry – Zinfandel Sauce half hoping that the MYTHOS chef might read it and consider revamping his creation - “It needs it!”

We finished the meal with the “Chocolate Banana Gooey Cake” which was supposed to be served warm – it wasn’t. This was okay but again, not as good as it sounded on the menu.

I don't know if the management has changed, the kitchen staff or what but given the current state of the economy, restaurants across the country are busting their butts improving value, quality and service on an ever decreasing profit margin - it seems that MYTHOS is not following this trend.

(Inside MYTHOS Restaurant, Universal Studio, Florida)

MYTHOS rates:Great atmosphere but the menu and/or kitchen needs work.

Thursday, we had to say goodbye to Jennifer as she headed back up to Boston, I hope she got enough color while visiting.

Friday, Cindy and I made our way north to Grand Lake Resort & Golf RV Park, which is about halfway between Ocala and Gainesville, Florida. After hooking up the coach, we made our way around the resort and found that the on-site cafe was featuring a Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner as an early St Patrick’s Day special, complete with cornbread and cupcakes with emerald green frosting and live music provided by some of the resort guests. Many of you know how I feel about corned beef and cabbage being associated with Ireland – but it sounded like a fun time. I knew we made the right choice when upon entering, “Danny Boy” was being sung by an extremely talented gentleman, accompanied by both a steel and rhythm guitar. I couldn’t help but think about my Dad, as Danny Boy was his favorite Irish Ballard of all time. The dinner was quite good and an ample portion and only $8.95.

Have a great week, we are headed towards Tallahassee on Monday and to dining destinations still unknown. We still have 6 weeks left on our adventure, leaving Florida in about a week and heading into Mississippi and Louisiana – Please send your suggestions and comments along – I’m enjoying them all and hearing from so many of you! Please tell your friends and have them join our growing family.

Please support your local restaurants and let them know how much you enjoy their hard efforts.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

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For information and/or directions for any of these establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map.

Make sure to log onto www.gypsy-kitchen.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Pistachio Encrusted Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry – Zinfandel Sauce”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the GYPSY KITCHEN in the comfort of your own home.

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

The Gypsy Kitchen - Weeks # 5 & 6

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:27:00 +0000

I need to apologize but somehow I have lost a week of time in our traveling adventure! We are finishing our sixth week on the road but somehow I have only written four weeks worth of the GYPSY KITCHEN blogs. I guess doing all this vacationing has taken it’s toll on me and I have entered into a time warp of some type. Rather then writing two blogs back to back – I’ve decided to combine the past two weeks into this blog and hopefully get back to the present. I’m going to keep this short as possible – but there is a lot to get threw so here goes…

I have heard from several of you asking various questions about our trip but several of you have asked how are we picking what places to eat at and review. We are picking dining locations largely based on what you are suggesting! Sometimes, our choice is due to what’s available at the time, where we can eat while having the dogs with us – but most of the eateries are from suggestions from readers and/or fellow travelers…so PLEASE keep sending us your suggestions.

Almost everyone we spoke to while staying on the Keys said that we had to check out the “NO NAME PUB”, located on Big Pine Key. They are known for their pizza and claim that the “NO NAME PUB” serves the “Greatest Pizza in the known universe” due to the fact that years ago they employed a couple of cooks from Italy who mastered the recipe for the NO NAME PUB Pizza's and when they retired, they wrote the recipe on the kitchen wall – that recipe is still used today! This is a casual eatery and the owner has spent tens of thousands of dollars on interior decorations – well actually the customers have spent tens of thousands of dollars on interior decorations as the entire place is cover from floor to ceiling with dollar bills signed and/or decorated by visitors from both near and far.

(Dollar bills lining the ceiling and walls of the “NO NAME PUB”)

The menu is somewhat limited and they only serve beer and wine. We dined on a cool Sunday evening and when we arrived around 8:00pm they were calling a 45 minute wait for a table but had two available seats at the bar – we choose the bar seats. The NO NAME Amber Ale was deliciously refreshing, Cindy’s glass of red wine was okay. We opted to try the Smoked Local Fish Dip Appetizer which was really tasty and obviously fresh, served with several packages of assorted crackers (the two pack variety), some lettuce leaves for color and served on a paper plate – did I mention that this place is casual? We selected the Royal Pub Pizza which included Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Fresh Mushrooms, Fresh Onions, Fresh Green Peppers and Black Olives atop a 12–inch thin crust dough complete with a classic red sauce. This thing was loaded with toppings and was certainly a god reason to have visited. Our bartender/server was extremely pleasant and accommodating and although we were more then stuffed (actually we had to package some of the pizza to take home), she sold us on a piece of NO NAME PUB Key Lime Pie, which we also took with us. The next day we enjoyed the pie and found it to be good – not the best we experienced on the Keys but still enjoyable.

The NO NAME PUB is a really cool, friendly and delicious experience.

The NO NAME PUB rates:Well worth the drive to experience.

Some new friends we met while in the Everglades told us we had to check out MICCOSUKEE RESORT & GAMING just outside of Miami on the corner of Route 41 and Krome Avenue. Cindy and I are not big gamblers, although I have been known to sit at the Black Jack or Roulette Tables for a while so I thought that his might be fun. Upon entering, we quickly realized that MICCOSUKEE RESORT & GAMING is 90% slot machines, 8% BINGO and 2% Texas Hold’em Poker…no other games of chance (i.e. slim to no chance of leaving with the same amount of money you entered with). Anyway, we decided to stay for dinner. We were seated next to a lovely baby grand piano being expertly played by a talented pianist/vocalist, overlooking and overhearing hundreds of “One Arm Bandits” with lights a flashing and bells a whistling. Our server was extremely professional as well as friendly, we decided to try the Conch Fritter Appetizer due to the fact that they were being advertised as “the best north of the Bahamas” – these are some of the best Conch Fritters that I’ve ever had – they really were delicious!!! The rest of our meals were pleasantly well prepared and of high quality. If this eatery was not located in the middle of a smoky, noisy and flashy gaming room, it would have been a really great find – with that said, it was still an enjoyable evening.

MICCOSUKEE RESORT & GAMING rates: for food and service

and rates: for atmosphere…

As we were leaving the resort we couldn’t help but notice a row of automobiles that would make any car buff jealous – 3 Rolls Royce+'s; 2 Bentleys; 2 Maybach’s and a Lincoln Town Car. These are owned by the Miccosukee Elder Leaders. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that the Native Americans are finally gaining some degree of prominence – ironically by offering the “White Man” the opportunity to “waste” their money at “games of chance”.

(Tiger Tail families “island” in the middle of the Everglades)

A short drive from MICCOSUKEE RESORT & GAMING, on Route 41 you pass by the Miccosukee Tribal Village which offers a gift store, village tour and air boat rides. We couldn’t resist the latter, especially for $10 per person. We purchased our tickets, waited about 10 minutes only to discover that our trip would be a private ride (just crazy luck). We set out across the Everglades, “the sea of grass”, on our swift air boat along with our private guide pointing out the alligators, birds, various grasses as we moved with such grace upon the shallow waters, making our way out to “Tigertail’s Hammock” (a home to the Tigertail family, who are part of the Miccosukee tribe, up until the early 1970’s). Our total tour lasted about 35 minutes and was well worth the price.

We rolled into Naples around 3:45pm and checked into our RV resort, set-up the coach and headed down the street for a quick “fast-food” lunch. We discovered “BUDDY’s BURGERS” located on the corner of Collier and Beck Boulevards. A former “Checkers” location, BUDDY’s is an independently owned, single-unit burger joint which features fresh, juicy and delicious burgers, fries and more. Cindy opted for the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich and I couldn’t resist the “Black & Blue Burger” (a blackened burger topped with Bleu cheese and sautéed onions, lettuce and vine-ripened tomato). Both sandwiches were unbelievably delicious as were the fresh cut, cooked to order fries. This is not a quick “fast food” restaurant due to the fact that everything is cooked to order…we waited about 10minutes for our meals to be prepared – but it was well worth the wait.

BUDDY’s BURGERS rates: Well worth a check if in the area.

That evening, Cindy and I headed down to the popular 5^th. Avenue area of Naples, full of unique retail shops, restaurants and realtors’ offices…this is where you go to “People Watch”. All we wanted was a couple of cocktails and an appetizer to split. We settled on a table outside at McCABES IRISH PUB and GRILL, a terrific place to take in all of the activities. The “Black & Tan” was a refreshing libation which took me back to Dublin, Ireland – if only for a moment.

(McCABES IRISH PUB & GRILL, Naples, Florida)

I was a little disappointed at the menu selection after reading how Mr. McCabe had spent over a year searching the great pubs of Ireland for inspiration before building this landmark restaurant. Having spent some personal time in many an Irish pub, I was a bit surprised to find menu selections such as Corned Beef and Cabbage (never seen in Ireland), individual pizza’s, chicken quesadillas, Key West Tilapia???

The Brie and Guinness Appetizer looked the most interesting…and it was. Small wedges of brie cheese that has been dipped into a Guinness spiked batter, fried to golden brown and served with a raspberry coulis and dusted with powdered sugar…this was really tasty…Cindy commented that it reminded her of the beignets we had enjoyed at Huey’s Cajun Restaurant in Savannah, Georgia – and yes they did but the creaminess of the brie and the slight bitterness of the Guinness added a unique taste sensation and called for a second “Black & Tan”. Our young server was very friendly and attentive and covered his section (which was rather large) with finesse and confidence.

McCABES IRISH PUB & GRILL rates: Fun for a beer and quick appetizer.

(The pier and beach, Naples, Florida)

The next day we visited Naples Pier, the beach and then ventured back to 5^th. Avenue, visited several of the shops and had a leisurely late lunch at CAFE LUNA which offered a Bottle of Wine and Two Entree Special for $29.99. In addition, we started with a traditional Calamari Fritti Appetizer which was good, we then shared a Caesar Salad which was fresh and full of garlic, yummy. Cindy enjoyed the Lemon-Pepper Trout as I happily devoured the Veal Saltimbocca.

CAFE LUNA rates:A great place for some delicious Italian.

After that we headed up the west coast until we landed in the town of Ruskin and checked into the E.G. Simmons County Park. The sites here are huge and most of them back up to a series of inlets off of Tampa Bay…the fishing is supposedly unbelievable, although I have yet to catch fish # 1 – I’m beginning to get a fishing complex!!!

A good friend from Maine emailed me and said that we had to go into the Ybor City section of Tampa (the old Cuban/Spanish section) and dine at one of two spots – the SILVER RING or the COLUMBIA RESTAURANT.

(COLUMBIA RESTAURANT, Ybor City, Florida)

We thought we would check out the SILVER RING only to discover that it has gone out of business, so a short walk down 7^th Ave in Ybor City brought us to the COLUMBIA RESTAURANT. This restaurant opened in 1905 is is still run by the same family – 5^th generation. Through the years the COLUMBIA has grown from a small one room bar-like eatery into a huge, city long block formal restaurant which can accommodate up to 1700 diners! The day we were here was very busy, but the service was impeccable and the food better then the service. Each course is served tableside, beginning with a pitcher of fresh made Mojito’s. Next came the House Salad which was a combination of a Caesar-style and a Chef salad, again tossed tableside – delicious. I ordered the Half Cuban Sandwich and Gazpacho soup which was served again tableside (the soup comes in a cup and then the server offers brunoise of red pepper, onion, cucumber, tomato – all fresh, all delightful. The Cuban sandwich was again wonderful.

(Dessert flambéed tableside at COLUMBIA RESTAURANT)

Normally we would have skipped dessert but spotted one of the house specialties which of course was flambéed tableside – so we had to give it a try – another hit.

The COLUMBIA RESTAURANT rates:A must try if a visit to the Tampa area is on your agenda. (We learned later that Ybor City, although cleaned up recently, is a place to visit during daylight rather then at night, perhaps that’s why this place was so busy during the day).

On a different day, we were checking out the Ruskin area and asked a local merchant where we should go for lunch, he quickly suggested BEANIE’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL, which was located directly across the street from his hardware store. A bit reluctantly, we entered as I am not a big “Sports Bar” fan – at least from a food point of view.

Our server was very bright and cheery and extremely attentive. She made a few great suggestions of which Cindy picked the Reuben and I opted for the Sausage and Sliced Beef Sandwich. Both were served with house made potato chips that were out of this world good! Both sandwiches were delicious and much better then either of us expected.

BEANIE’S SPORTS BAR AND GRILL rates:Make sure to get the Potato Chips!!!

I often get asked if I learned to cook from my mother. My mom has always been a very creative person and can do anything she sets her mind to – unfortunately, she rarely set her mind to cooking as she saw that as a task rather then a passion. She would rather make new curtains for the entire house rather then worry about dinner.

Fortunately for me, my mom was friends with a lot of people who were extremely talented and passionate cooks. One such friend was Teresa Burt, who with her husband and three sons moved to our hometown from Kansas City, Kansas when I was in grammar school. The Burt’s youngest son, Tim and I became quick friends and Mr. & Mrs. Burt and my parents became the best-of-friends. I think out of pity for my family, Mrs Burt one day shared her recipe for Kansas City Barbecue Beef Brisket with my mom who would make this dish often for our family…we all loved it!

(Visiting with Mr. & Mrs. Burt, Oldsmar, Florida)

This weeks recipe that I am sharing with all of you was inspired by Mrs. Burt’s dish. Cindy and I had a great time visiting Mr. and Mrs. Burt this past week as they live in Oldsmar, Florida outside of Tampa and we were treated to delicious Strawberry Shortcakes with Fresh Florida Strawberries and Homemade Biscuits and Whipped Cream!!! I love the Burt’s and thank them for their hospitality and their cooking skills. I hope you enjoy the recipe for Mrs. Burt’s BBQ Beef Brisket, you must be a subscriber to get the recipe.

Please support your local restaurants and let them know how much you enjoy their hard efforts.

Have a great week, our daughter Jennifer is coming down next week for a few days visit as the GYPSY KITCHEN Tour ‘09 continues it’s adventure up the western side of Florida.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

___________________________________________________________________________________________

For information and/or directions for any of these establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map.

Make sure to log onto www.gypsy-kitchen.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Mrs. Burt’s BBQ Beef Brisket”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the GYPSY KITCHEN in the comfort of your own home.

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

Tags: traveling, eating, seafood, shrimp, florida+keys, fish+fry, Marathon+Florida, No+Name+Pub, BBQ+Beef+Brisket, Columbia+Restaurant, Ybor+City, Tampa, Ruskin, Beanie's+Sports+Bar+and+Grill, Buddy's+Burgers, Naples, McCabes+Irish+Bar+and+Grill, Cafe+Luna

The Gypsy Kitchen - Week # 4

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:41:00 +0000

The "Gypsy Kitchen" is the traveling culinary adventure of John and Cindy Hughes who are cruising the back roads and forgotten highways of America in a 36 foot motor coach searching for interesting regional foods and delicious culinary treasures…Come join us!

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Cindy and I are still here in the Florida Keys, taking in the sun at Long Key State Park…and yes, our site is right on the beach again! And yes, we watch the sunrise from our coach each morning!! And yes, the waters are a deep coral blue color, it’s 78 degrees and the beer is nicely chilled. Our daughter Jessica emailed us today to inform us that Farmington, Maine (were she attends college) received 24–inches of snow yesterday!!!

Two of our children, Jessica and Chris, paid us a visit this past week for 5 days while on school break. It was great seeing them…the dogs enjoyed the added attention and the kids liked being out of the cold weather for a few days. Our oldest child, Jennifer is planning a visit in a couple of weeks as well.

We have received several suggestions as to eating places for us to try out along our journey. One of these suggestions was for Annette+'s Steak and Lobster House located in Marathon, Florida – right on the Overseas Highway (Route 1 for us ol’ timers). Sunday night Cindy & I decided to give this place a try to see if it was as good as we had been told. Upon entering, we certainly had our doubts as the interior was certainly dated with that late 50’s – early 60’s motif with dark wood walls, floor and tables – the lights turned all the way up so it felt like eating at a night game at Fenway Park. Cindy looked over her shoulder at me as we were being shown to our table, as if to ask “do we really want to stay”. The place was busy, but a quick scan of the other diners only proved that we were amongst the “youngest” patrons in the place.

The menu was the “classic” plastic laminated version and was pages in length (usually not a great sign). Our friendly server arrived at our table within a minute or two and suggested the Sunburst Martini for Cindy and the “House” Margarita seemed the appropriate choice for me. Our second round consisted of 2 more Margarita's! We decided to split the Conch Fritters Appetizer (Conch is a local mollusk much like our New England clams) which was served fried with a nice lemon buerre blanc style sauce -wow these were done perfectly. For dinner Cindy selected the Sesame Encrusted Tuna Steak and I opted for the Macadamia Encrusted Grouper…the salad bar (a la 1960’s) comes with the meal – but you are not entitled to the soup or fresh fruit selections without an additional charge!!! Ashlea, our server brought over a few deliciously warm rolls with whipped butter served in a small plastic cup. The salad was fresh and crisp and altogether enjoyable. When our dinners arrived both Cindy and I were impressed with the presentation of each plate. Cindy’s Tuna, which she ordered “Rare” had simply kissed the grill and was done to perfection. My Grouper was moist and fork tender and the Macadamia crust was just golden brown and the mandarin orange cream sauce was an excellent accompaniment. Our conversation halted as we dove into our meals with total abandonment…each bite was better then the last. Cindy had ordered the coconut sweetened sweet potatoes for her starch, which she found to be just a tad too sweet. My garlic smashed potatoes were “spot-on” and the vegetables served were in fact fresh and properly cooked!

As we nearly licked our entree plates clean, I spotted a remarkably decedent looking dessert being served at an adjoining table. It was so good looking that I had to excuse myself and ask the patron’s at that table if it was in fact as good as it looked – “Better” was the reply. A Caramel Soufflé arrived at our table about 15 minutes later accompanied by a homemade Cinnamon Ice Cream – this dish is a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10!!! Ashlea informed us that Annette makes all of the desserts herself – I now love Annette!!!

As we were finishing our dinner, I noticed that the last several tables of diners entering were of a younger generation then those mentioned previously.

All-in-all, our meal at Annette+'s was a very pleasant surprise. After originally entering, I had set my hopes low but left feeling that we had received an excellent dining tip and well worth our trip to discover.

(Interior view of Annette’s Steak & Lobster House, Marathon, Florida)
Annette+'s Steak and Lobster House rates: for atmosphere
But rates:for food and level of service. I could recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal, but Annette – please turn the lights down a bit!!!

Of course the kids wanted to visit Key West while they were visiting so on Wednesday we made our way down to the Southern most point in the U.S. and had a nice day visiting the Butterfly Conservatory, the many unique shops, Earnest Hemmingway’s Florida home and the pet-friendly Pasta Garden for lunch. Roman, our server brought out two cardboard water bowls for Tucker & Panda while we enjoyed a very nice lunch on the terrace which is set back off Duval Street which was nice as it was out of the sun. We shared the Calamari Fritti which was good although very traditional. Jessica had the Ocean Caesar Salad served with nicely grilled, plumb, juicy shrimp; Cindy enjoyed the Antipasto Salad; Chris really liked the Blackened Mahi Mahi Sandwich, and I was intrigued by the sounds of the Italian Sausage Roll with Mozzarella cheese, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan – I did not realize that this creation could have fed the entire table. It was delicious as we all enjoyed it, including Panda & Tucker.

(Patio dining at Pasta Garden, Key west, Florida)

The Pasta Garden rates:for a nice leisurely lunch.

Our adventure continued throughout the afternoon in Key West and as the afternoon sun began to make it’s way off into the horizon, we found ourselves visiting Mallory Square which hosts a daily “Sunset Party” complete with magicians, jugglers, “The Cat Man”, Reggae music and did I mention cocktails? We found a great table overlooking the water at “Sunset Celebration” which is part of the Westin Hotel. From our vantage point we could watch the schooners head out of the harbor on their daily sunset cruise while sipping our Margarita’s; Bahama Mama’s; Green Thing’s and Beefeater & Tonics. For round 2 we decided to try the Westin’s Conch Fritters…the drinks were delicious!!!

(Schooners at sunset, Mallory Square, Key West, Florida)

As the sun slowly faded away, we all had a great time simply taking in the electrifying energy that Mallory Square omits. It is easy to see why someone could get used to life in Key West.

(Another schooner heading out at sunset from Mallory Square, Key West, Florida)

(The sun begins to set from Mallory Square, Key West, Florida)

(Almost gone!!! Key West, Florida)

As the week wound down and it was time for the kids to depart, we headed into Miami on Thursday afternoon as the kids had a 6:00am flight back home on Friday. We had a bit of a mix-up with regards to our hotel and ended up having to boondock the motor coach in a Wal-Mart parking lot for the evening (any RV’er understands this). Once we got ourselves situated and the dogs walked we were all starving and the local choices were “Hooters” (Chris’ pick); “Chili’s” (no ones pick); “Subway” or this little Japanese Sushi place called Yuki Hana Japanese Restaurant – we opted for sushi. Upon entering we were one of three tables and the staff seemed very happy to see us (Please read my “shout-out” in last weeks blog). We had a fantastic dinner of Steamed Gyosa; Edamame; Coconut Shrimp Tempura; Rainbow Roll; Spicy Tuna Roll and a Dragon Roll. Everything was fresh, Fresh, FRESH. Service was pleasant and attentive.

“Yuki Hana ” rates:We would definitely visit again the next time we find ourselves staying in the Wal-Mart parking lot for the evening.

Please support your local restaurants and let them know how much you enjoy their hard efforts.

Have a great week, after the Keys, Cindy, the dog’s and yours truly are off to the Western side, or Gulf-Side of Florida as the GYPSY KITCHEN Tour ‘09 continues.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

Tags: traveling, eating, seafood, shrimp, florida+keys, fish+fry, Marathon+Florida, curry+hammock+state+park, Annette's+Steak+and+Lobster+House,+Long+Key+State+Park,+grouper,+tuna,+martini,+margarita,+key+west,+mallory+square,+caramel,+soufflé,+cinnamon+ice+cream,+baha+mama,+gin+and+tonic,+beefeaters

___________________________________________________________________________________________

For information and/or directions for any of these establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map.

Make sure to log onto www.gypsy-kitchen.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Frogmore or Less Stew”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the GYPSY KITCHEN in the comfort of your own home.

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

The Gypsy Kitchen - Week # 3

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:23:00 +0000

Right now, I’m sitting in an lounge chair overlooking the clear blue sea from our perch here at Curry Hammock State Park in Marathon, Florida. The weather is a lovely 78 degrees with a slight breeze blowing…One could get very used to this!!!

Before we arrived here on the Florida Keys, we visited the Everglades National Park and stayed at Flamingo Park for 4 days…Did we see any alligators or crocodiles? Check out the GYPSY KITCHEN Photo Album to see just how many we saw…and up close and personal. On our last day in the park, we visited an area known as Royal Palm and took a 1/2 mile stroll and literally saw dozens and dozens of alligators. But I’m getting ahead of myself already.

Last Saturday,we spent the day exploring the historic downtown area of St. Augustine, watching the street vendors and visiting several of the areas many interesting shops and boutiques. While checking out the Visitor’s Center, we learned that a small restaurant named “DECO” was voted best gourmet restaurant in St. Augustine…we made the decision that this would be our destination for lunch.

“DECO” is a bit out from the downtown city area but was well worth the short drive out Route 1 to 980 Santa Maria Boulevard. Chef/Owner Sandy Krebs is a talented, creative workhorse of a chef. She starts out most days in the early morning baking her own breads and desserts, simmering her sauces, making her dressings, cooking outstanding meals for her lunch guests all the while prepping for dinner service…Sandy is a chef’s chef and also one great designer as she purchased the land and designed and built this hi-tech, modern facility which clearly “fits” into the Florida scene beautifully.

We started out with a lovely baked wheel of brie with Fiji and Granny Smith apples and house prepared walnut brittle. For our entrees, Cindy choose the Omelet Special of fresh crab, avocado and feta cheese, which she loved and I opted for the Club Sandwich which was built upon fresh in-house baked ciabatta bread, piled high with thick cut bacon, vine ripened tomatoes, crisp romaine lettuce, beautiful ham and roast turkey and finished with both Cheddar and Swiss cheeses…accompanied by a delightfully crisp and snappy pickle and house made potato salad which is the best we’ve had on the trip so far.

Gigi, our served told us that we had to save room for Sandy’s Grandma’s Lemon Cake, which we did…wonderful is a word that quickly comes to mind.

“DECO” rates:We would definitely go out of our way to revisit!!!

After lunch, we headed out to St. Augustine Light House and a nice stroll out onto the small causeway that leads out over the bay and watched the fishermen work their skill reeling in various species of local catch…the pelicans were among the best fishermen we witnessed.

We opted to skip dinner all together after this exceptional lunch at “DECO”

Sunday, we packed up and headed out on Route A1A South and stopped at a recommended eatery “Martin’s” on Flagler Beach for a nice Sunday afternoon meal. “Martin’s” is one of those places that when you walk in you say to yourself…”Is this a mistake?” I would say that this restaurant dates back several decades as do most of the patron’s sitting amongst the many tables and booths. Service is provided by young (probably first waiting job) personnel who look as nervous as school-kid’s waiting for the bus on the first day of school…but they are friendly and pleasant. Our food was surprisingly GREAT and the prices are unbelievably low. Cindy ordered the Shrimp Special (A la Scampi) – $8.95 and I picked the Bone-in New York Sirloin Special – $9.95. Both meals were cooked perfectly and my sirloin was advertised as 12–ounce but had to be actually closer to a full pound, full of flavor. We learned that “Grandpa (80+ years old) cuts all the meat daily, Grandma handles the Hostess functions, Son and daughter-in-the are the current managers and a few of the grandkid’s help bus tables and work in the kitchen…this is the epitome of a family run business. We had a fantastic meal complete with fresh brewed ice teas and our total bill was a whopping $28.00 including gratuity!!! No wonder the place was the busiest dining we have experienced on the GYPSY KITCHEN Tour ’09.

Martin’s rates:A great bargain for really good food.

Again, we opted for some sliced brie and crackers for dinner because we simply couldn’t even consider dinner.

Sunday evening through Tuesday was spent at Jonathan Dickson State Park, an 11,000 acre preserve where we were able to capture one of the most picturesque sunsets I’ve seen in years. We had a great time walking the trails and learning about the Loxahatchee as it meanders through freshwater creeks, down into a brackish estuary, and finally empties through the Jupiter Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. If you ever find yourself traveling through Hobe Sound, make sure to spend a day or two at the Jonathan Dickson State Park…you will have a wonderful time and learn a lot while enjoying every minute of your stay.

Tuesday afternoon, we entered the Everglades National Park and then traveled 38 miles to Flamingo campground which we learned had the unfortunate honor of being hit by both Hurricane Katrina and then Hurricane Wilma a short period after. The park is still in the “rebuild” stage and one can still see a lot of the destruction caused by these two mammoth storms but it was still a beautiful place to call home for 4 days and nights.

One note: The only cell service which is available is AT&T (which is extremely spotty at best, we are told), so we found one of the only places in America that the Autonet Mobile WIFI system could not get a signal in order to broadcast from. There is one pay phone located at the Marina Store if you must be in contact with the outside world.

The Everglades is again a fascinating place, full of life and learning, and all kinds of exotic birds, fish, plants and yes alligators and crocodiles…and yes you get to see them up close and personal (sometimes a little too personal).

Because the park is so large and so vast, we did not venture out of the park until we were leaving so we did not have a chance to visit any other restaurants to review but we were invited to a neighbors campsite on Saturday evening to join about a dozen or so folks for a splendid Fish Fry…all locally caught fish – WOW it was wonderful.

So that just about covers The GYPSY KITCHEN – Week # 3…although this might be a good place to point out a quick observation: As we have traveled from Maine to Florida thus far, it is VERY apparent that many, many of the restaurants that we have encountered on our travels are certainly experiencing the “economic slow-down” and in some pretty big ways. We have eaten in some GREAT places and been 2 of maybe 6–10 guests in the entire place. I know that we ALL are suffering and having to watch our pennies very closely – but I feel that I have to do a shout out for your local eateries…folk’s the only stimulus package these hard working Mom & Pop, husband & wife, brother & sister businesses are going to get is by people like you and me stopping by and partaking in a lovely meal. No government bail-outs, no federal appropriations programs. The only “pork” these businesses see is on their respective menu’s.

Please support your local favorite restaurants and let them know how much you enjoy their hard efforts.

Okay, that’s it for my “soap-boxing”!!!

Have a great week, I know that I’m going to as 2 of our kid’s are coming down for a few days.

For information and/or directions for any of these establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map.

Make sure to log onto www.cookwithjohn.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Frogmore or Less Stew”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the Gypsy Kitchen in the comfort of your own home.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

www.cookwithjohn.com

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

The Gypsy Kitchen - Week # 2

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:09:00 +0000

“For tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun…” – The Beatles

The "Gypsy Kitchen" is a traveling culinary adventure by John and Cindy Hughes who are cruising the back roads and forgotten highways of America in a 36 foot motor coach searching for unique, interesting, sometimes odd, and hopefully delicious culinary treasures.

For information and/or directions for any of the following establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map. Make sure to log onto www.cookwithjohn.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Limping Susan Gets Her Groove On”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the Gypsy Kitchen in the comfort of your own home.

This past week has been challenging as we have tried to venture further and further south, searching for warmer weather with little to limited success. We reached Florida on Thursday only to experience two nights of hard frosts. Today, Saturday has finely begun to change coarse as it was in the mid-60’s today here in St Augustine, the country’s oldest city.
Like the weather, our dining experiences started out a bit uncertain but have certainly improved as the week progressed.
Our goal is to highlight culinary establishments that we would recommend to friends and family members – not find fault with establishments that might not have lived up to our expectations. So, although I will give all restaurants we dine at a score of 1 – 5 wooden spoons, I will most likely simply give just the basics on those establishments that were not “on par”. For those establishments that we would suggest, I will most likely go into more detail.

Cindy and I absolutely loved our time at Hunting Island Sate Park in South Carolina and we could not recommend it enough for anyone looking for a beautiful place to spend an afternoon on the beach or a whole week exploring the nature trails, fishing dock, lighthouse, science center and more. We originally checked in for a 2 night stay but quickly extended it for an additional 2 nights.

While there, we decided to dine out on two different evenings. Our first evening we headed north on Route 21 for less than a mile to dine at Johnson River Tavern. We shared a bowl of She Crab Bisque which was very tasty. Cindy had the Crab Cake Entree and I tried a local favorite Frogmore Stew. We felt that both lacked flavor and seemed extremely plebian.
Johnson River Tavern rates:

The following evening we headed a bit further north along Route 21 to Boondocks Restaurant where we shared the Calamari Appetizer which was typical but good. Cindy had the Blackened Bass Special and I had the Baby Back Ribs…we both enjoyed our meals, the service was pleasant but this place is certainly on the “casual” side complete with paper napkins and plastic water tumblers but the food was of good quality and properly prepared.

Boondocks Restaurant rates:

On Monday we packed up and headed down Route 17 to Savannah, GA for two nights. We stayed at the Skidaway Island State Park which was nice and quite and a bit more rustic then Hunting Island. Tuesday was spent visiting Savannah, which is a terrific little city with so much history and culture. We especially enjoyed the River Street area with so many restaurant choices. As we attempted to walk along the cobblestone streets, bundled in our warmest jackets, Huey’s New Orleans Cafe caught our eye and I’m certainly glad that it did. Our table was right on the window overlooking River Street so we had a grand time watching the boats navigate the river, the trolley stroll along the rails and the tourists struggle down the cobblestones. We shared an order of beignets (delicate French style doughnuts) served warm with powdered sugar and pecan-caramel sauce – wonderfully sinful. Cindy then had the Shrimp and Grits and I opted for the Muffuletta Sandwich served with Red Beans and Rice. Patrice did a lovely job of attending to our needs in a friendly, informative and hospitable Southern way.

Huey’s New Orleans Cafe rates:

(I would highly recommend this one!!!)

After lunch we visited several of the shops and then drove out to Forsyth Park for a leisurely walk with the dogs. This is a beautiful park in the heart of historic Savannah with a majestic fountain and lovely park benches. Make sure to visit if you find yourself in the Savannah area.

On Wednesday, we packed up the coach and continued our travels further down Route 17 towards Florida and hopefully warmer weather. As we made our way towards the warm rays of sunshine we found ourselves passing through the small town of Midway (midway between what I’m not really sure) and we happened upon this local roadside eatery Ida Mae and Joe’s Restaurant. This is your typical old time roadside dinner…totally nondescript both inside and out but if you want to experience real good home-style cooking – this is the place. Cindy had the Roast BBQ Chicken and I opted for the Chicken Finger Plate…each comes with two sides of your choice because the food is served on the old style Corelle plates with the built-in 3 compartments. Our meals where very well prepared, full of flavor – nothing complex but still delicious.

Ida Mae and Joe’s Restaurant rates:

After lunch, back on our way we came upon the “Smallest Church in America” on the north side of Route 17. This adorable chapel seats a total of 12 and is a non-denominational church…well worth a pull-over.

Our original goal was to make our way into the northeast corner of Florida to Fernandina Beach but as Cindy was studying the map she noticed that we would be passing by Jekyll Island which was originally the private winter playground for the Rockefeller’s, Crane’s, JP Morgan family, the Pulitzer’s and others, so we decided to check it out. Once on the island, we decided to spend the night so we could explore – Florida could wait one more day! This is a jewel of an island, the history, the beaches, the people, it also is home of the very first condominium in America. I’m so glad that we stumbled upon this little slice of America.

Thursday, we crossed over the Florida state-line and made our way onto Route A1A (Atlantic Coast Highway) and out to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island for the night.

Once we set camp (hooked up the electric power and water, and push-out the power slides) we jumped in the car and headed into the historic downtown area where we enjoyed lunch at “29 South Eats”, rated the best restaurant in the Jacksonville area for 3 years in a row. It was a tad after 2:00pm when we arrived and were greeted by a friendly, energetic young woman named Melissa, who took good care of us throughout our meal. There was a bit of a mix up on Cindy’s meal (she ordered the pasta special but she server ordered the salmon special). Once she realized the mistake, she happily offered to redo the order but we declined. Cindy enjoyed her dish although it was not what she had set her sights upon. I opted for the Irish Club Sandwich with Guiness Whole Grain Mustard – wonderful! The restaurants signature dessert is a must try, Coffee and Doughnuts (a bread pudding made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts served with coffee ice cream and a caramel drizzle – WOW!!! We also enjoyed a lovely bottle of Longboard Pinot Noir which made for a really pleasant meal.

29 South Eats rates:

(Probably 5 spoons if not for the ordering mix-up)

After lunch we explored the downtown area as well as the beach area and had a chance to give the dogs a nice walk, although the bread pudding made us want to take a nice afternoon nap!

Friday we broke camp and headed down A1A to Fort George Island State Park to visit Kingsley Plantation (the last remaining antebellum plantation in Florida) complete with slave quarters, the Kitchen House and Plantation House. This site is off the beaten path but well worth a visit.

We made our way into St Augustine by mid-afternoon and visited the historic downtown area for dinner where we stumbled upon this tiny little eatery, Casa Maya (Mayan cuisine). With a total of about 24 seats, this establishment has been serving breakfast and lunch for a few years but has just started serving dinner. We each started with a delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate, which is probably one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever had. Cindy opted for Shrimp and Tamale special and I was tempted by the Carne Asada. Cindy thoroughly enjoyed her dish and claimed that it was the best dish so far along the trip! My Carne Asada was delicious, not the best ever but still pretty darn good. The young woman who acted as hostess and server informed us that in a few weeks the dinner menu is getting a major make-over to include an additional 20+ items!!! I hope that the quality does not get lost. This was certainly a hidden jewel worth anyones trip. In addition to the 8 inside tables, there are another 4 bistro style tables on a small patio area which would no-doubtedly be a wonderful way to enjoy a meal when the weather was a bit more cooperative.

Casa Maya rates:

(Highly recommended)

For information and/or directions for any of these establishments, please visit our interactive “Gypsy Kitchen Tour ‘09” map.

Make sure to log onto www.cookwithjohn.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes (this week’s recipe: “Limping Susan Gets Her Groove On”) and chance to win a 3–course dinner for 10 guests performed by the Gypsy Kitchen in the comfort of your own home.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

www.cookwithjohn.com

john@cookwithjohn.com

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

The Gypsy Kitchen - Week # 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:44:00 +0000

A Traveling Culinary Adventure

Oh what a wonderful feeling…

Right now I’m sitting in our motor coach with a cup of hot coffee, watching the sunrise over the Atlantic at beautiful Hunting Island, South Carolina. It reached a high of 58 degrees yesterday…not exactly HOT…but it sure beats the 11 degrees in Maine a week ago!!!

We left Maine with over two feet of snow in our yard and were happy to see grass, albeit brown as early as New Jersey.

(Actual shot from just outside our coach. Beach is no more than 20 yards away.)

Our goal with the Gypsy Kitchen is to seek out interesting, unusual and/or simply fun culinary excursions by traveling some of America’s forgotten highways and byways and to hopefully bring them to life here on these pages. Another goal of ours is to try and bring some of the local flavors and cuisine from various regions of the country in the form of recipes and how-to videos in the very near future. (Watch for those to begin soon).

With these goals in mind, once we cleared Washington D.C., we set our GPS for North Carolina’s Outer Banks, or OBX as the locals refer to them. We had never visited this area before and thought it could make for an interesting “first stop” on our adventure.

Before I go on, let me get a few things out of the way…

1) Cindy is capable of driving the 36 foot motor coach as adequately as I certainly am, perhaps better. The fact of the matter is that I make a horrible passenger and a worse navigator…whereas Cindy is very content being a passenger and is a tremendous navigator.

2) For some unexplainable reason, it just takes longer to get anywhere in a motor coach then in a car…don’t ask me why, but I have quickly found that a car and an RV both traveling down the same road at the same speed DO NOT arrive at the same time – I think it’s one of those weird time-space vortex things. Cindy and I are already questioning how we ever drove from Maine to Florida in a car packed with three kids in less then 36 hours whereas we have been on the road for a week now and are a little over half way to Florida? (Actually, we are in absolutely no rush and are taking our time going from place to place – but the time-space thing still applies).

3) Another fact we are quickly learning is that most RV Parks provide water, electric, sewer, and often cable and internet hook-ups. Many offer other amenities like pools, playgrounds, activity centers, are pet friendly, etc. Many State and National Parks that offer RV camping provide water and electrical hook-ups, a dump station on site but usually no cable or internet but DO offer superior scenery and a real sense of being a part of nature. Many have hiking trails, biking trails, nature walks, are pet friendly and have a real nice neighborly feeling. We will be attempting to stay at more State and National Parks during our adventure, but many book out months in advance so we will have to see how well we do.

4) Speaking of internet, right before we left on this adventure, we installed a brand new device called “Autonet Mobile” in the coach which somehow mystically grabs signals from all sorts of towers i.e. cell, EVDO, GSM, CDMA (whatever those are) and converts those signals into a secured traveling “WIFI” for automobiles and vehicles. We saw this highlighted on the Today Show's piece on the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and said that’s just what we needed. So we contacted Natalie at Autonet Mobile and she assisted in getting us the unit in time for our departure. I did the install myself which took about 45 minutes start to finish – pretty basic red wire = positive, black wire = negative and we instantly had our own traveling WIFI! We have not encountered anywhere yet that we have not had a signal, sometimes it’s slow but sure beats having to find a Starbucks or trying to use a Blackberry as a modem. Anyone who travels a lot and needs access to the internet should check this out. Their web address is www.autonetmobile.com Remember that it is never suggested that one uses cell phones, computers or other electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle.

But back to our first week on the road…Within minutes of setting our sites on the Outer Banks, Cindy had located and booked us into one of the only RV Parks open in the area this time of year.

Because of the aforementioned time-space vortex, what appeared to be a 5 hour trip turned into a 7+ hour journey. By the time we had made our way out to Hatteras Island, it was well after sunset and we were restless, tired and hungry. About a mile before the RV park, we stopped by one of the only convenience stores open to top off the propane tank in the motor coach and asked the young attendant if he could recommend a place to eat locally and he pointed to the little dive joint next door, the “Hot Tuna”…his comment was that the food was always good and fresh – I hadn’t even noticed the place as the facade was -nondescript!!!

Our choices were few, we were starving so we figured “what-the-heck” and made our way towards the joint. Upon entering, the inside decor matched the outside perfectly – “nondescript”. The Hot Tuna is made up of two even-sized square rooms, one the bar which was obviously that local “hang” and the other the dining room complete with a small chalk board sign stating “seat yourself anywhere”. Cindy and I found a small booth in the front corner with a window overlooking the parking lot. Formica tabletops atop a brownish vinyl floor, paper napkins rolled with the generic diner patterned flat-ware, the typical plastic salt & pepper shaker and bottle of ketchup completed the table setting. The dining room was occupied by 9 guests including Cindy & I – the bar had approximately 18 happy guests – all of which appeared to know one another. After adjusting to the atmosphere and the smell of tobacco, the Hot Tuna actually began to sooth these two tired, weary travelers. The place had a nice “vibe” to it and everyone seemed to be in a great mood – there was a buzz about the Hot Tuna! Within a few minutes the bartender/waitress appeared with a mile-wide smile and menu’s, took our drink orders and with a dash was off to attend to ALL of the guests in the entire joint. A few minutes later she had returned to take our orders and made a few suggestions of what were the “house specialties” – the Seared Tuna Basket & the Crab Cake Basket (the Baskets come with your choice of potato salad or French fries, cole slaw and hush puppies and are considered the “entree” selections on the menu).

While Cindy and I enjoyed our beverages and awaited our respective “Baskets”, we had time to watch as more and more guests arrived, both for the dining room and the bar area and we watched as this happy-go-lucky server danced from guest to guest…maybe she was one of the “buzz” factors as she just seemed to set the pace as slow and comfy, by now the place had about 35 guests total.

Within 10 minutes from placing our order, our “Baskets” arrived complete with our cole slaw, potato salad and tartar sauce sitting in their own Styrofoam cups complete with plastic lids (very diner-ish). At first I thought that the food just tasted this good because we were both so hungry, but as I took the time to examine my crab cakes, it was clear to see that these were certainly home-made and full of fresh sweet crab meat, gently seared and golden brown…hey – this was really good and tasty. I looked over at Cindy’s Seared Tuna to see that it was beautifully cooked with a nice ruby red center – I also noticed the look of content on her face…she had picked a “winner” with this “Basket”. Okay, we were in this dive kind-of joint which is nothing to write home about and we are eating really excellent food served in those ugly red plastic baskets with the waxed paper, we’re enjoying the now “live” guitarist playing James Taylor, Crosby, Still, Nash & Young and others…people are happy and content and heck – it’s not 11 degrees outside!!!

The Hush Puppies were a tad over cooked but still tasty, the potato salad could stand a bit more seasoning and the tartar sauce was, like the place “nondescript” but whoever was cooking the actual proteins knew their stuff. (Actually, the cook/chef appeared from time to time to help serve some of the courses to guests, bus a table here and there and to say hello to several of the locals occupying the bar area. It appeared as though the chef and bartender/server were the only two employees serving now up to about 40+ guests.

Service was certainly not what anyone would call formal and there were gaps between visits – but the service was attentive, friendly and warm.

All-in-all, I would have to say that we enjoyed “Hot Tuna”, when we left our appetites had been satisfied, our bodies re-nourished and our spirits lifted. If we found ourselves back in the OBX area, the Hot Tuna would certainly be a contender for a repeat visit. I might suggest that the Styrofoam cups for the potato salad and other condiments is unnecessary and probably costly and wasteful (Styrofoam does not break-down in landfills EVER) – I can see it for take-out (perhaps paper cups) but not for table service. Adding a bit more care in the flavoring and seasoning of these same condiments could really improve the entire dish rather then simply accompanying it and watch the Hush Puppies…golden brown – not dark brown.

Overall I would rate the Hot Tuna: Worth a try, good quality food, friendly service, nice vibe.

Hot Tuna
23500 NC Highway 12
Rodanthe, NC 27968

(Hatteras Lighthouse, Outer Banks, North Carolina)

After two days resting up, we headed out of the Outer Bank making our way towards Charleston, South Carolina…again the trip somehow took about 50% longer then we anticipated. Maybe some of that is due to stopping every couple of hours so the dogs could enjoy the scents of the area (any dog owner knows of what I refer). Perhaps stopping at several little shops along the way adds to the travel time. One stop we made was to this impeccably clean fish market “Full Circle Crab Co.” located on Highway 64 in Columbia, NC. This is a must stop for any seafood lovers traveling through this area of the country. Although the name is Full Circle Crab Company and apparently they handle tons of crab in season, this retailer/wholesaler has a wonderful array of seafood both local species as well as some varieties brought-in from other parts of the world. Wow, the yellow fin tuna and and sweet bay scallops looked too good to pass-by…we cooked them up over the next 2 nights and they were both delicious. This place is so clean and well maintained that you actually could eat off the floor. The woman behind the counter could not have been nicer nor more informative.

Full Circle Crab Co. gets: Impeccably clean, the freshest of fish, selection, quality.

Full Circle Crab Co
1366 Highway 64 East
East Columbia, NC 27925

Unfortunately for us, Charleston was cold, foggy and dreary while we were visiting, not common for them according to several of the locals. We did venture downtown to the visitors center and to Market Street (where the slave auctions took place in earlier times…now an outdoor market with all kinds of vendors). We wanted to find a place that served fare of a local variety and found ourselves moving from menu board to menu board until we happened upon the “Noisy Oyster” on North Market Street. BBQ Shrimp BLT Po Boy and Shrimp & Okra Gumbo sounded like just what we were seeking. Largely due to the weather, this place was virtually empty upon our arrival around 12:20PM. We were greeted by an extremely friendly crew, enjoyed a couple of well prepared Bloody Mary’s (this is all work folks!!!). Our server pointed out the Seafood Trio Appetizer Special of a dozen local Oysters, a dozen steamed shrimp and some seared yellow fin tuna – we were sold…delicious, wonderful, fresh. Some of the best oysters we have had in a while – large plump, tangy sweet…the shrimp beautifully steamed so they were fully cooked but still had a nice snap to them and the tuna, again a lovely ruby red center. Served with cocktail sauce, sweetened soy sauce and wasabi…WOW a definite home run.

(Noisy Oyster, North Market Street, Charleston, SC)

The BBQ Shrimp Po Boy was messy and delicious as well although the bun was a bit dry, perhaps a day old. Cindy loved the shrimp & okra gumbo with the snappy shrimp, rice, okra, onion, tomato, etc. We were stuffed as the appetizer would have been enough for the 2 of us for lunch…we skipped dinner altogether.

We wish we had more time to explore this wonderful little city, perhaps on another visit. If we find ourselves in the area…we are sure to visit the “Noisy Oyster” again. This time we won’t pig-out like this time.

The Noisy Oyster gets: Great regional food, nice staff, good drinks.

Noisy Oyster
24 North Market Street
Charleston, SC 29401

From Charleston, we made our way down to Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina which we absolutely love. We originally reserved 2 nights but have extended our stay through Monday, February 2^nd. The weather is improving daily – actually high 50’s right now, sun shining. Here are a few pictures of the area.

(Hunting Island Light House, Hunting Island, SC)

(The beach at Hunting Island, SC)

(The dogs enjoying the beach, Hunting Island, SC)

(Dinner in the coach – Beef Tenderloin with Syrah-Herb
Reduction, Haricot Verts with Garlic and EVOO
and Sweet Florida Corn)

Make sure to log onto www.cookwithjohn.com and subscribe to receive FREE weekly recipes and notices of future events.

Until next week,

Chef John
in the “Gypsy Kitchen”

www.cookwithjohn.com

http://conagra.eprize.net/upgrade08/index.tbapp

Ratings Scale:

= Needs Work, Most Likely Would Not Return

= Good Basic Find, Things Could Be Improved, Would Probably Try Again

= As Expected, Good Choice, A Few Things Could Be Better, Almost Certainly Visit Again

= Better Than Expected, Great Choice, Would Definitely Revisit

= Totally Blown Away, Every Point Exceeded Expectation, Would Drive Out-Of-Way To Revisit

New Years Resolutions We Can Handle...

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:52:00 +0000

Okay, it’s that time of year…again. And I’m sitting here in front of my keyboard thinking…again. I can’t begin to count the number of times I have pledged to loose weight as my New Years Resolution. For those of you that may not know me well, I have been called “portly” on more then one occasion! My intentions are good, it’s the delivery where I need the help…the trouble is - I love food!!!

I have been a chef for over 35 years…I love working with food, I love the smells and aroma’s of food, I love the textures and varieties of food and I adore the taste of food…I love the taste of pan-seared foie gras with toasted brioche bread as much as I love the taste of a crisp Granny Smith apple. I savor every morsel of a filet mignon with a pinot noir reduction with Bleu cheese as much as I savor fresh figs with prosciutto. I adore a delicious hot dog steamed in beer with grainy mustard on a toasted bun as much as I adore fresh sushi. I crave kettle potato chips as much as I crave a bowl of grapes…I love food!!!

So here I am thinking…how do I address my portliness without having to give-up or sacrifice that which I truly love - food? I honestly know that if I try to convince myself that I will forgo the chips, the hot dogs, the foie gras and the rich sauces and only have what is “good for me” then I will fail, and fail miserably!!! I would be so depressed having to sip on some nice herbal tea when what I really want is a nice glass of Argentinean Malbec. Then I think…hey, I’m sure that I am not alone - there must be plenty of us “portly” people who want to trim down but cannot see ourselves giving up what is so near and dear to us…”flavor”!!! I’m sorry but I’ve already tried the “low-fat” cream cheese on my bagels and no thanks!

Hey, I’m a professional chef…if anyone can come up with ways to prepare great tasting food while reducing the fat, then shouldn’t a professional chef??? Come on John, step-up to the plate - if not you, who? If not now, when? (Aren’t you happy you don’t have to live in my head?) Let’s see…I should be able to come up with a program where I can still enjoy “most” of the foods I love (which is most) and yet still dramatically cut back on the FAT intake…and yes, I’m going to have to get out there and exercise (which is something I really like to do - but just don’t seem to work enough of it into my schedule).

So, here I sit at my keyboard with food thoughts running through my head…and I think that maybe, perhaps many of you would like to do the same…keep the flavors and tastes alive - just cut a lot of the FAT out of our daily lives. Not only would it most likely improve our waistlines (and other body parts), it can’t help but help our hearts, cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

Now I’m getting excited…I can think of all kinds of ways to reduce the FAT without having to sacrifice the flavor…here are just some of my thoughts”

1) 1 ounce of Neufchatel cheese contains 6.6 grams of FAT compared to cream cheese which contains 9.9 grams of FAT in the same 1 ounce. Neufchatel cheese is readily available in most supermarkets, right next to the cream cheese - tastes great on my “Everything” bagel and I can reduce 33% of the FAT. That’s a “No-Brain-er”.

2) When I make a 3 egg omelet, if I omit just one of the yolks, I’m still going to have a light, fluffy and delicious dish and save almost 30% of the FAT. This isn’t as difficult as I thought it might be.

3) I love shrimp, it’s a great carrier of flavor…3 ounces of shrimp contain only 1 gram of FAT! Now if I pair that with some fresh garlic, peppers, onions, some vine ripened tomatoes, a little white wine and some vegetable stock and serve it with some Basmati rice,,,I’ve got a wonderful dinner in minutes and with almost no FAT!!! I could serve this up at least once per week, don’t you think?

4) When I feel that I must make a cream sauce or whipped cream for dessert, I can substitute canned evaporated milk for the heavy cream and cut away 9 grams of fat per 1/4 cup (10 grams for heavy cream, 1 gram for evaporated milk).

5) When I want to bake a pie or make a tart…if I substitute phyllo dough (1.7 grams per ounce) instead of pie dough(9.3 grams)or puff pastry (11 grams), I can save my waste-line a whole lot of added FAT!

6) Speaking of baking…if I use apple butter (available at most supermarkets) instead of oil in most baking recipes, I can instantly reduce 30% of the FAT and still have a delicious moist and flavorful dish.

7) If I spread only jam on my English Muffins or toast instead of butter and jam… still get most of the flavor and eliminate 11 grams of FAT for every tablespoon of butter I would use.

8) When I want to make myself a grilled sandwich…if I spread the outside of the bread with “Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil” instead of butter - I cut out 1/2 the FAT…and the toast gets a nice golden color without getting dry.

9) If I use my micro-plane or the small holes of a box grater for cheeses like Parmesan or cheddar I will actually use much less cheese then if I purchased shredded cheese at the store. I not only save money but dramatically cut down on my FAT intake.

10) Although buttermilk sounds like it’s high in FAT, actually it has the same amount as 1% milk…so I should use more buttermilk when baking or when I want to make creamy salad dressings.

11) When I make stews, soups and stir-fries, I can cut back the meats I use by 1/3 and add more vegetables, rice, beans or pasta. The taste will still be great and and I again will have omitted a fair amount of the FAT.

12)Lastly…if I prepare just one dinner per week which is a “meatless” (beef, poultry, seafood) meal and instead create a vegetarian stir-fry, chili, roasted tomato-caramelized onion and feta tart (using phyllo dough) with a little pesto - I will cut another huge amount of FAT from my weekly diet.

My head is spinning with all these different ideas on how to reduce and/or eliminate FAT from my diet without sacrificing flavor, taste or creativity…and you can do the same. Now all we have to do is simply “Do It”!!! Take the leap of faith and get on with our lives without hauling all the FAT along with us.

Here’s an honest confession…I much prefer a sip of Port much more then I like being called “Portly”.

I’d love to hear your ideas and/or thoughts about how we can cherish the flavor and cut the FAT…please share them for ALL of our sakes.

Until next time, Happy New Year!!!

Chef John
john@cookwithjohn.com
www.cookwithjohn.com

$25,000 Backyard Giveaway – Hot Diggity Dog!

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:43:00 +0000

I recently received an email from Hebrew National – the hot dog folks “who answer to a higher authority”, highlighting their “$25,000 Ultimate Backyard Upgrade” contest. Instantly, my mind began to wander, how would I upgrade the backyard with $25,000 grand? A few months ago, I saw this really cool outdoor kitchen that got my culinary juices flowing, here is a picture of what I would call an ultimate grill set-up!

Complete with refrigerator, oven and a killer grill, this would look so great by the pool and the whole set-up is around $2,000, which would leave another $23,000!!!

Perhaps we would redo the pool area and bring it a bit more into the 21st century, something like this would be nice.

Or maybe perhaps something like this.

Anyway, I realized that I could easily spend the entire $25,000 grand if in fact I won the contest.
And my chances of winning would probably be better if I didn’t tell ALL of you about the contest, but I’m too much of a softy to do that so I am not only telling you about it, in addition I’m going to give you the link so you can register for yourself.

What would you do to your backyard? I’d love to know your thoughts and dreams.

Obviously, Hebrew National would love for us to use more of their products, which all happen to be great, they only use the front cuts of beef and have never used any fillers, by-products, artificial colors or flavors in any of their beef hot dogs. I particularly enjoy the Hebrew National Jumbo Beef Franks as an easy summer supper, so I thought that I would share my hot dog cooking technique with you and also my recipe for Spicy Horseradish Mustard, which just takes a hot dog and makes it a supper sensation.

I’ll give you the link to the $25,000 Ultimate Backyard Upgrade after the recipe and cooking technique… so no peeking ahead!!!

This mustard recipe goes great with burgers, grilled fish, chicken or on your favorite deli sandwich just as well as on a Hebrew National Frank. Making the mustard a day or two ahead will only bring out more of the spiciness.

Spicy Horseradish Mustard
(Yields about 2 cups)

2 ounces - Coleman’s Dry Mustard (The quality is worth the price)
½ cup - Boiling Spring Water or Filtered Tap Water
1 Tablespoon - Mustard Seeds, toasted (I’ll explain below)
½ cup - Cider Vinegar
1 Tablespoon - Prepared Horseradish
2 each - Garlic Clove, sliced
1 teaspoon - Organic Cane Sugar
2 teaspoons - Sea Salt, ground
3 each - Large Egg Yolks, slightly beaten
To taste – Cracked Black Pepper

Combine the ground mustard and the boiling water in a measuring cup and mix into a soft paste, let stand for 15 minutes uncovered.

Meanwhile, heat a small saute pan over medium-low heat and toss the mustard seeds into the pan, moving the seeds continuously until the seeds begin to jump in the pan like dried kernels of corn, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and allow the seeds to cool completely.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cider vinegar, horseradish, garlic, sea salt and sugar. Process the ingredients until well incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Using a double boiler set over medium heat with about 1 inch of water in the bottom pan, combine the horseradish mixture, the mustard mixture and the egg yolks.

Stir constantly to ensure that the egg yolks don’t scramble, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon when run through the liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the toasted mustard seeds and allow to cool to room temperature. Adjust seasoning with cracked black pepper. Place in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

John’s Delicious Hot Dog Cooking Tip
It’s all in the technique isn’t it?

(For 4 Hot Dogs)

Using a heavy cast iron skillet set over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of organic butter.

When the butter is melted, gently coat both sides of 4 hot dog buns with the butter.
Toast the buns until just golden brown, remove from the pan and set aside.

Turn heat up to medium-high heat and add the hot dogs.
Let the dogs sit in the pan undisturbed for about 2 minutes to get a nice brown color on the bottom edge (don’t let them burn).

Turn the dogs over and continue to brown all four sides.

Turn the pan up to high heat and with the dogs still in the pan add 1/2 cup of your favorite beer to the pan.

Continue to cook the dogs in the beer, shaking the pan frequently until almost all of the beer has evaporated away.

Turn off the heat and place a wonderfully toasted/steamed dogs into each of the golden toasted buns.

Garnish with the Spicy Horseradish Mustard and any other condiment you prefer and enjoy with the rest of the nice chilled beer.

Enjoy!!!

Was I going to tell you something else? Oh yeah, to enter into the Hebrew National $25,000 Ultimate Backyard Upgrade, simply follow this link:

Good luck…let me know what you’d do to your backyard. If I win, I’ll invite ALL of you over for some Hot Dogs and a dip in the pool.

Until next time,

Chef John

COOK with JOHN

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/

COOL SHRIMP FOR A HOT SUMMER

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:13:00 +0000

Years ago I created an appetizer special one hot August evening at the restaurant which became an instant "hit". A combination of wild American shrimp wrapped with thin slices of prosciutto, a dollop of horseradish and a golden pineapple-mango salsa with cumin and cilantro.

Through the years, each time I prepare this dish I always receive rave reviews. Today, here in Maine it's hovering around 85 degrees with the dew point above 70. It's hot and muggy and so I thought it would be the perfect night to prepare this dish as our entree. As I was out shopping, I thought that it would be a treat to share this one with you all...so here it is. I hope you enjoy as it is fairly straight-forward to prep, quick to cook and wonderful to savor.

If you have the time, making the salsa a day ahead only helps to bring out all of the flavors but it's best to prep the shrimp just before grilling. Although I created this as an appetizer, it is just as great as an entree when served with some fresh steamed snow peas and if you want a nice white rice. The salsa is also fantastic with any grilled or broiled fish such as wild salmon, halibut, cod, sea scallops, etc.

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED WILD SHRIMP WITH PINEAPPLE-MANGO SALSA
Serves 8 appetizers or 4 entrees

1 each - golden pineapple (sweet), peeled and finely diced
1 each - ripe mango, finely diced
1 small - red onion (Bermuda), finely diced
1 Tablespoon - fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon - ground cumin
1 Tablespoon - extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon - champagne vinegar
to taste - sea salt & cracked black pepper

2 pounds - Wild American Shrimp (16-20 count), peeled & deveined
16 slices - thin prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise
2 Tablespoons - prepared horseradish

FOR THE SALSA:

In a medium sized, non-reactive bowl, combine the pineapple, mango, onion, cilantro, cumin, olive oil and champagne vinegar. Mix well, season with cracked sea salt and fresh black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. This can be made up to a day in advance.

FOR THE SHRIMP:

Preheat grill to 350 F. Lay the sliced prosciutto out on a clean work surface. Place a small dollop of the horseradish on the lower third of each slice of prosciutto. Place a shrimp on top of the horseradish. Carefully roll the shrimp up into the prosciutto. Place the prosciutto wrapped shrimp onto a wooden or metal skewer, making sure to weave the skewer through the prosciutto to keep it from falling off on the grill. (It is best to weave the shrimp onto the skewer twice, once by the tail and again by the head - study the picture).

Place the shrimp on the prepared grill and cook until the shrimp just turn pink and the prosciutto begins to caramelize - about 4-5 minutes per side. Flip and continue to cook until shrimp is done.

TO SERVE:

Arrange a small amount of the pineapple-mango salsa in the center of each plate. Arrange shrimp around the salsa (4 shrimp for appetizer; 8 shrimp for entree). Enjoy!

Until next time,

Chef John

COOK with JOHN

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/

john@cookwithjohn.com

The Night Kitchen - A Treasure in Montague, MA

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:32:00 +0000

I have heard from so many of you inquiring as to how I did with regards to the National Restaurant Association "Hot Chef Challenge 2008". Because of all the support and encouragement that I recieved from you, my readers, I am happy to report that I was one of the three finalists. Although I did not win, I did receive over 1200 views and hundreds upon hundreds of "Thumbs Up" votes. The winner of the challenge is a great chef, Keith Snow who has an online food website that I have been a member of for a few years now. Keith is a great guy and does a terrific job in front of the camera. I hope that Keith had a fantastic time in Chicago...congrats Keith!!!

While Keith was busy in Chicago this past weekend, Cindy and I attended our niece's graduation from Smith College, located in Northampton, MA.

We headed out from Kennebunk around 1:00pm on Saturday and enjoyed a leisurely drive down Rt 495 to Rt 2 which was a truly lovely ride. Cindy and I have both gotten hooked on the Nintendo DS game system and it seems to travel everywhere we go. On this particular day, we were busy trying to conquer the "Professor Layton and the Curious Village" game which requires players to "solve brainteasers to crack the case!" Before we knew it we had arrived at our destination once again Professor Layton proved to be mentally superior, at least for the time being!

The plan was to meet up with Heather (the Graduate), her boyfriend, friends and family at an old mill in Montague, MA and enjoy an early dinner there at a place known as "The Night Kitchen at Montague Mill".

The Montague Mill located at 440 Greenfield Road is a historic landmark and the home to a compilation of neat little shops, a really interesting book store, The Lady Killigrew Cafe and The Night Kitchen Restaurant, all of which sit overlooking a rolling brook complete with waterfall. In a word "peaceful"!!!

As Cindy and I were the first to arrive, we wandered around a bit and then settled down at a small intimate table, outside overlooking the falls...a terrific reprise and a wonderful place to enjoy an afternoon pint of local ale. Shortly, Heather and friends arrived and more pints ensued along with some nice conversation about college life and plans "post" graduation.

Although several members of our party had yet to arrive, we made our way down the winding stairs to the patio entrance to the restaurant just before 5:00pm which is when the reservations had been made. As we made our way inside, we noticed that the restaurant had their hours posted as 5:30 - 9:00 but we learned that the restaurant had opened early to accommodate our party of 10 and proceeded to seat our party (or the half that was present) at a lovely table overlooking the falls on one side and a wonderful view of the "open kitchen" on the other.

I love "open kitchens"...from a chef's point of view, it's nice to be able to welcome and chat with guests and observe instantly what the "buzz" is in the dining room. From a guest point of view, I like to be able to watch the "action" of the crew, it's like being able to see behind the curtains of a Broadway theater, and for me it's often more exciting then the actual play or production.

My first experience in an open kitchen was when I was 15 years old in Westport, CT and loved every minute of it. I knew when I was planning "Windows on the Water" that the dining rooms would be visible from the "open kitchen" and vise versa. But I'm getting off-point...how shocking!

Anyway, the dining room was simply decorated with exposed wooden beams, pale yellow walls with a red brick trim, a few vintage paintings and a lovely worn hardwood floor. The amazing backdrop of the falls and the water below did not call for anything more. Our table was dressed in crisp white cloth and outlined by the handsome dark cherry chairs. There is nothing overstated here and as I came to learn, nothing needed to be!

As we were being seated, we learned that another party of 27 guests was due to arrive at 6:30pm, which is one of the reasons the restaurant granted our hostesses request for a 5:00pm seating. Our server welcomed us and offered beverages, we selected a nice crisp Pinot Noir and allowed the conversation to once again continue. Time passed and minutes rolled by; 5:20 - 5:30 -5:40 and still the rest of our party had yet to arrive. At one point we suggested to our server that if needed, we would go ahead and order our meals to help move things along but the staff insisted that everything would be fine and we should wait for the entire party to arrive before ordering our meals. Having spent over 35 years in the restaurant business, I know first hand how easily one tables delay can turn an entire evening on it's ear, especially when one realizes that sheer size of the kitchen space can only effectively handle so many meals at one time, no matter how talented the staff.

Finally, shortly after 6:00pm the remaining members of our party arrived and we quickly placed our orders with Sam, our server.

Let me take a moment and point out a very important detail about our server...he was a professional in every sense of the word. He was gracious, attentive, knowledgeable, polite, at ease and most importantly...he did not greet the table by stating that his name was Sam, the only way I know his name is because I asked. I cannot stand it when I am greeted by "Hello folks, my name is Bob and I'll be your server this evening." Why do so many restaurants believe this to be a professional way to introduce a server to a guest's party?

Obviously, The Night Kitchen knows better and thus the professional waitstaff, pleasantly and graciously welcome guests, attend to guests needs without broadcasting their names throughout the dining room - thank you!

Cindy ordered the pan seared cod cake with an herbed-lemon aioli as an appetizer and the duck breast with port soaked cherries and Israeli cous cous for her entree. I indulged in the caramelized onion soup with Gruyere crouton as my starter followed by the grilled pork porterhouse with herb roasted potatoes and an apple, pancetta and onion compote. I could not see what everyone else ordered but I do know that several people opted for the organically grown mixed green salad and at least one person ordered the phyllo wrapped Camembert cheese with honey and red onion marmalade. For entrees a few people ordered the barramundi fish special, which is a fresh water white fish from New Zealand, is a sustainable choice and is delicate in flavor and yet has a slight sweetness to it. Others ordered the pan seared trout served with a chive and horseradish creme fraiche.

Although I did not try each and every dish, what I did sample was delicious, properly seasoned and prepared and creatively presented. During dinner, all I could hear at our table were the sounds of content taste buds and palettes being seductively romanced bite by bite. Soon, the table was a mass of empty plates and contented smiles...then came dessert!!! I could not resist the lavender creme brulee as several others tried the heart of darkness chocolate torte. I did get a chance to sample the torte and it was device. Rich but not heavy, creamy and luscious. The creme brulee was very good, but I have to say not as good as mine classic Tahitian vanilla bean creme brulee which I have made for years and years...many of you have had the pleasure of sinfully enjoying it. A wonderfully exuberant women once commented of my brulee that "if silk had a taste, the creme brulee would be it."

Even though it was a very busy weekend in the area with several graduations taking place, never during our entire meal, were we ever made to feel rushed, ever made to feel as if our tardiness had put the restaurant out, ever made to feel that we should move along. Quite the contrary in fact, at one point during dessert, Heather's boyfriend, JonPaul wanted to take some photo's of the group together. Sam, our server stepped right up and offered to be our impromptu photographer. And when we realized that one of the camera's batteries had died, Sam immediately retrieved a set of new batteries from the host station...now that is "class". Cindy and I just looked at each other and commented on what a nice touch that was. We always had a few pairs of reading glasses available for when guests forgot theirs, but we never thought to have some batteries available for guest's cameras..and we thought we were "professional grade".

When we made our way to leave, everyone offered us a good night greeting, the servers, assistants, the chef's, maitre 'd - everyone. In my opinion, that is a sign of a well trained staff. Even though the restaurant was full to capacity at that time and clearly everyone working there was busy, each and everyone of them stopped and wished us well and thanked us for having joined them - very well done!!!

If any of you ever have the opportunity to visit the Berkshire area of Massachusetts and find yourself anywhere near the town of Montague, you owe it to yourselves to seek out the Montague Mill and enjoy a pint of the local ale while sitting out looking over the falls or better yet to enjoy a wonderful dinner at The Night Kitchen. You will not be disappointed that you made the visit. I know that if I find myself in that neck of the woods, The Night Kitchen will be a "must stop" for me.

For more information, here is the link to The Night Kitchen: http://www.montaguenightkitchen.com/

Now because I'm so nice and because you have all grown accustomed to me providing you with at least one recipe with each post, I thought I would be extra nice and share my prized Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee recipe with you.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee:
Serves 6

1 Quart - Heavy Cream

3/4 Cups - Granulated Sugar

1 Each - Tahitian Vanilla Bean Pod, split lengthwise and vanilla beans removed

1 Pinch - Kosher Salt

8 Each - Egg Yolks, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla bean pod and beans and salt. Using a candy thermometer, bring mixture up to 185 F.

Once temperature is obtained, remove from heat and slowly whisk about 1/3 of the cream mixture into the egg yolks which have been slightly beaten. Make sure to continually whisk the eggs while adding the cream to prevent the egg yolks from over cooking. Now whisk egg mixture back into the remaining cream mixture.

Remove the two halves of the vanilla pod and discard.

Fill (6) 6-ounce ramekins with the mixture then place the ramekins into a baking pan that has side of at least 2" in height. Gently pour warm water into baking pan until the ramekins are half submerged in the water bath.

Carefully set pan with water and ramekins on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Rotate pan front to back and continue to bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the mixture in the ramekins is a soft yellow color that is slightly firm when shaken. The mixture should wiggle slightly (like Jello).

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready for service.

To serve, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Turbinado Sugar over the top of each ramekin and caramelize the top using a torch or broiler until golden brown and almost burnt. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and enjoy!

Until next time,

Chef John

COOK with JOHN

DO WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE?

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:50:00 +0000

(Drake's Island Beach 4-8-08)

This past Monday evening, Cindy and I were in Portland participating in a fundraiser for S.O.S. (Safe Our Seafood) sponsored by Environment Maine. S.O.S. is trying to educate consumers as to the crisis facing our national fishing industry and our Maine fisheries in particular. Maine is one of the fourth largest fish producing states in the country and the largest lobster harvesting state in the union, but that could all change rather quickly if the American consumer does not take notice and more importantly take action. The guest speaker, John Williamson of the Ocean Conservancy said something that hit me like a ton of bricks. It was such a simple fact but one that has escaped me for all these years, and I believe that I am rather tied into the sustainable seafood movement quite well. This revelation, simply stated is, the oceans are a complete eco-system which for millions of years have had an succinct order to them, one fish feeds on another which feeds on another and so on and so on. Once one species is gone, the whole balance is disrupted. Imagine what has happened as species after species has disappeared. So, the practice of over-fishing not only endangers the species being over fished,it has a devastating effect on ALL species. WOW!!! I had never really made that connection to that degree before. Anyone who loves to eat fish, anyone who loves the oceans needs to take note and let our elected officials know that NOW is the time for CHANGE as it relates to this industry. If we wait any longer, there will be no turning back. We can all right letters or emails to our Senator's and Representative's asking that they consider this issue an A+ priority.

In preparation of the event, I printed up a brochure "Northeast Seafood Guide" which highlights the sustainable species of fish which are the best choices for consumers in the Northeast and many people were very interested and appreciated being able to take one...I do have more so if anyone would care to have one, simply send an email to john@cookwithjohn.com with the words Seafood Guide in the subject line. Be sure to include your mailing address so I can get you a copy.

As a child, my summers were spent on Drake's Island, a small sleepy summer community in Wells, Maine where the warm summer days were filled with building sand castles, wave surfing, swimming, splashing in tide pools and exploring crustaceans growing on the rocks. Boy those days were ever-sweet. Those childhood memories are the major reason I knew that I would bring my family and settle here in Maine. Some 24 years ago that became a reality for Cindy and me. I always thought that living here I would walk the beach almost daily and play with my kid's in those same wondrous tide pools, but somehow the days got too busy, the week's too short and the kid's quickly, too big!

Earlier today I found myself back on Drake's Island beach walking alone. A clear sky, a slight wind, the waves caressing the shore, a handful of seagulls gracefully hovering on the wind above and suddenly all those childhood memories came rushing back to me. I was overcome by feelings as I walked from the jetty up towards the Carrigan's beach house, down past the main entrance towards the spot where the old Tea House used to be perched upon the sand. It was quite simply AWESOME. And while I walked, looking out over the blue-green waters, I found myself thinking about what John Williamson had said the night before and the perfect eco-system that lay beneath the waves. And then this question began echoing in my head...do we truly appreciate what we have? Do we appreciate such places like Drake's Island beach? Do we appreciate the Marginal Way in Ogunquit as it slips and winds along the rocky coast? Do we appreciate the view of the Atlantic standing atop Mt. Dessert Island? Do we appreciate the splendid wilderness of the forests surrounding Rangeley Lake? The people who have the privilege of living and visiting this fabulous place called Maine are truly gifted and blessed. Yes we have some challenges facing our state and the near future may look a bit cloudy, but even with those concerns, we all have a precious little gem called Maine and I encourage any of your that can, to get out and take her beauty in!

(heading out towards the jetty)

For those of you who read these words from away, I am sure that you too are as gifted in your home states and countries. We need to get out and "smell the roses". We need to truly appreciate what we have and we ALL need to be responsible for it's continuance. Let's all get out there and walk the beaches, hike the trails, climb the hills, paddle the streams. Let's get out and enjoy it, truly appreciate it.

Cindy and I have agreed that we are walking the beach at least twice a week in not more often. It is simply too beautiful not to take in her magnificent splendor.

RECIPE FOR THE WEEK:

For the S.O.S. event, I was asked to present a dish that would utilize a sustainable seafood selection and show how to use it in a dish that most anyone could prepare for himself or herself. What I came up with was Bangs Island Mussels with Lime, Coriander and India Pale Ale. I would say that both the event and the dish was a success. I had several people ask for the recipe and tell me that they didn't think that they would like a mussel dish. Cindy & I made sure to wait and do as much of the preparation right before guests entered so the flavors and aromas would be at their peak. By the way people were drawn towards our table I think it worked well.

So I thought I would share that recipe with you today. When I prepare this dish, it always makes me think of Cinco de Mayo or sitting in front of a bonfire at the creek at Drake Island in the middle of summer, so I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I enjoy preparing it. The recipe makes a great appetizer for up to 6 or a nice casual supper for 2.

(back by the creek)

BANGS ISLAND MUSSELS with Lime, Coriander and India Pale Ale
(Serves 6 as an appetizer)

1 Tablespoon - Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Each - Shallots, thinly sliced
2 Each - Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
1 Each - Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and julienned
1 Teaspoon - Whole Coriander, crushed
12 Ounces - India Pale Ale (room temperature)
2 Pounds - Bangs Island Mussels, cleaned
1 Each - Lime, zested and juiced
2 Tablespoons - Fresh Cilantro Leaves, washed, and patted dry
1 Loaf - Crusty French Baguette

Pick through the mussels, examing each one. Discard any with cracked or broken shells or that remain open after a light tap. Remove any beards and/or barnacles, then rinse under fresh cool water and drain in colander.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil, shallots, garlic, jalapeno and ground coriander. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring to make sure that the ingredients don't brown or burn.

Pour in the room temperature IPA (chilled beer will bring the temperature down too fast and might cause the mussels to toughen), cover and bring to a rapid boil before reducing to simmer for 4 minutes. Add the mussels, cover and raise the heat to high for 3-4 minutes or until the mussels just "pop-open" their shells. Turn off heat.

To Serve: Discard any unopened mussels. Squeeze fresh lime into pan, add the zest and fresh cilantro leaves and quickly toss. Arrange in serving bowls along with the crusty baguette for dipping.

Enjoy!!!

Remember that I am now posting more and more of my recipes online at COOK with JOHN, so please feel free to check them out by following this link: www.cookwithjohn.com

FAMOUS FOOD QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.
~Luciano Pavarotti, Pavarotti, My Own Story

GET OUT THERE AND APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE...
I KNOW I WILL. HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

CHEF JOHN

www.cookwithjohn.com

john@cookwithjohn.com

Are Higher Food Prices Actually Good For Our Diet?

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:07:00 +0000

Yesterday, April 2nd, there was an article in the "Dining & Wine" section of "The New York Times" titled "Some Goods News on Food Prices" which I read with great interest and hope. The article points out that most American shoppers are agonizing over the sharp increase in costs of most food items they encounter at the local grocery store, this actually might be a good thing for all of us. To read the entire article follow this link: Some Goods News on Food Prices

The argument goes like this: As energy costs continue to climb, that increase eventually effects everything we buy and consume, it simply costs more to manufacture, package and transport these goods and thus that cost must be passed on to the consumer. As that takes place, what was once considered inexpensive food i.e. fast-food, processed frozen dinners, soft beverages, synthetic snack foods, etc. may no longer look that attractive from a purely financial point of view. And in turn, may actually make items that are all-natural, organic, sustainable and locally raised more approachable by more and more Americans.

ALLELUIA!!! Don't get me wrong here, I hate to pay more for everything we buy today, but for some time now, I have been advocating that when consumers actually take the time to shop and compare the "true" costs associated with these so-called "inexpensive foods", they might just be surprised to find that there is very little if any savings. Today the American diet is so out of whack and yet study - after - study show the correlation between our diets and our national health crisis, I not talking "Universal Health Care", I'm talking the alarming increase is diabetes, the obesity of our population, our growing concerns about pesticides, artificial growth hormones, etc. Not to mention the whole "sustainability" aspect of watching out for Mother Earth!

I have found that when I go grocery shopping and take my time to shop wisely, it is fairly easy to find products that aren't laden with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings and colorings, partially hydrogenated oils and a whole list of ingredients that one cannot even pronounce. Instead I can choose ingredients that are all-natural, organic, grass-fed, sustainable and delicious and best of all that actually cost about the same!

Have you noticed that even Wal-Mart is now advertising organically grown-sustainable coffee beans? When Wal-Mart takes notice folks it can only mean one thing...this is the future and I for one say "it's about time"!!!

Here are a few tips for anyone needing to grocery shop soon:

1) Eat before you shop! We've heard it all before but shopping on an empty stomach feeds (no pun intended) our desire to buy junk food. Those "Whoopee Pies" always look better on an empty stomach!

2) Try and do 80 - 90% of your shopping in the "outside aisles" of the store! Most grocery stores are set-up pretty much the same way...you walk in near the produce area, behind or next to that is the deli counter, followed by the fish counter, butcher area along the back wall usually. Then the dairy section is most times next. All on the "outside aisles". The danger foods are usually found in the center of the store - try to avoid these as much as possible.

3) Buy what is in season! Right now they say it's Spring (we still have at least 3 feet of snow on the ground), this time of year you will find asparagus, artichokes, strawberries, tangerines, grapefruit, some grapes, papaya, blood oranges, some melons, a whole lot of beans, broccoli, micro greens, spring onions, vidalia onions, spinach, carrots, along with other fruit and produce. These items will cost less this time of year. Follow this link to find a: "Seasonal Fruit & Vegetable Guide" on my website http://www.cookwithjohn.com/ .

4) Don't be afraid to check out the store brands! In our hometown there is a new "Stop & Shop" and I have found that they have a store brand called "Simply Enjoy" that offers a lot of

items which are actually pretty darn good from a nutritional, as well as flavor, point of view. I recently bought a jar of "Simply Enjoy Tomato-Basil Sauce" which only contained all-natural, real ingredients and it was much cheaper than the "big name" pasta sauces which tend to be loaded with sugar or corn syrup. The other day, my wife and I were looking for a salad dressing which wasn't loaded with calories. I spotted a "Simply Enjoy Mango Lime Vinaigrette" which only contains 50 calories and only 3.5 grams of total fat per 2 tablespoons - and this isn't a "low cal" or "Low fat" dressing. (It does contain some corn syrup and some xanthium gum, but not nearly as much as some of the other "big brands"). I'm sure that most large grocery chains have similar offerings.

5) If you live near a wholesale club like Sam's, Costco, BJ's, etc. check them out for all-natural & organic groceries. I recently bought a beautiful 1-pound package of Organic Baby Spinach at BJ's for about $5.00, you can expect to pay about $4.00 in the grocery stores for a 7-ounce package of the same. I also have purchased a great Sea Salt Grinder there as well as a lovely Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

6) Buy better quality and cut the portion size! I don't know about you but I cannot stand most of the "less expensive" cold cuts available at most grocery stores today. They simply pump them with excess water and salt to add weight. I would much rather pay a little extra for the all-natural turkey, the Black Forrest ham or the lean all-natural roast beef...then when I make a sandwich or Chef's Salad, I simply use 3 ounces (which is plenty) instead of 4. Same goes for all-natural grass-fed meats...go for the quality but instead of serving an 8-ounce portion of hormone enriched beef, scale it down to a 4-6 ounce portion. Did you know that all-natural, grass-fed beef tend to be much lower in total fat than grain fed products. For example, a sirloin steak from a grass fed steer has about one half to one third the amount of fat as a similar cut from a grain fed steer. In fact, grass fed meat has about the same amount of fat as skinless chicken or wild deer or elk and it actually lowers your LDL cholesterol levels.

7) Find ways to use most, if not all of the products you buy! Sounds simple but in actuality it is alarming how much food we throw-out as a nation. Here's a nice little example: For Easter we served asparagus as the vegetable. There were 8 of us dining and so we bought 2 pounds of asparagus (remember - it's in season now). Hopefully, most of you know to "snap-off" the bottom stem part which can be a bit woody...most people would simply throw that part away. Not us, my wife Cindy made a lovely batch of cream of asparagus soup (we just had a bowl for lunch). Cindy had to puree the soup and pass it through a chinois to remove any of the real woody pieces, but all-in-all it made for a great tasty treat.

8) Don't do your grocery shopping at "dollar" stores!!! I know that these "everything for a dollar or less" stores are cropping up all over the place. Believe me, I've been to the local one with my "frugal" mother and I was astonished at how awful the ingredient lists were on most of the food items offered. There is a reason it's only a buck!!!

I hope that these tips are of help to at least one person out there.

I've been providing a recipe with each posting so here is one that is easy to put together in less then half an hour. It's tasty and has 612 calories per serving.

Grown-Up Mac & Cheese with Wild American Shrimp

Servings: 8

1 Pound Wild American Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Pound Macaroni, cooked and drained

2 Each Large Eggs, slightly beaten

1 Cup Whole Milk

2 Cups Fontina Cheese, shaved

3 Cups Parmesan Cheese,shaved

4 Ounces Proscuitto Di Parma,small cubes

4 Cloves Garlic, finely minced

2 Each Vine Ripened Tomatoes, cored, seeded &diced

1/4 Cup Fresh Basil Leaf,chiffonade

To Taste Sea Salt

To Taste Cracked Black Pepper

2 Tablespoons Organic Unsalted Butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil over high heat. Once water is at boil,
add the macaroni and cook "al Dente", about 8 - 9 minutes, uncovered. Once pasta is cooked,
strain through colander, rinse under cold water to stop cooking

While the pasta is cooking, mince the garlic; core, seed and chop the tomatoes; chiffonade
the basil and shred the cheeses. Reserve 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese for the top of the
casserole. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl along with the eggs and milk.

When the pasta is done cooking and has cooled, toss into bowl with other ingredients, add the
shrimp and toss well to coat.

Use the butter to slightly grease a large casserole dish on bottom and all sides. Pour the
Mac & Cheese into casserole dish. Top with the reserved Parmesan cheese and place on middle
rack of oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until cheese has melted to golden brown color.

Remove from oven, toss ingredients and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serve in warmed pasta bowls along with some crusty bread and enjoy.

Until Next Time,

Chef John

www.cookwithjohn.com

Feeling Lazy Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:40:00 +0000

Here I am standing on my "soap box" screaming about all-natural, organic, sustainable and healthy eating choices and right under my nose my mom (who lives about a mile away) has become a junk food junkie. I simply cannot allow her to consume this rubbish- artificial chocolate snacks, ice cream, processed instant dinners that are loaded with sugar, artificial ingredients, trans fats and worse.

A few weeks ago, we went grocery shopping together (she called it inhumane treatment) and I kept reading the "ingredient list" of the items she wanted to buy...scary stuff. Several of the items contained ingredients that a common person (like myself) cannot even pronounce, let alone understand what it is and that reminded me of something Jack Lalanne (known as the godfather of fitness) has always said..."If it comes from man, don't eat it." Jack is in his 90's and still exercising daily!!!

Anyway, for the past month or so I have been preparing dishes for my mom that she can simply put in the microwave for a minute or two and have a delicious, nutritious and healthy meal without any of this junk. I also have her drinking bottled water & V8 Fusion instead of soft drinks. Have her eating snacks such as yogurt covered cranberries (160 calories per serving and a great source of anti-oxidants) and exercising a little bit each morning and she is feeling and looking much better, even though I suspect she still has a stash of some of her favorite junk foods hidden away somewhere.

So yesterday I had planned on making a lasagna made with all-natural ground sirloin, fresh spinach, homemade tomato sauce, low-fat ricotta cheese, roasted garlic, onions and Parmigiana Reggiano for her to enjoy. But it was a really nice day here in southern Maine and it had been a week since Cindy & I took the dogs for a "long" walk on the beach, so I thought, "what would be better than going to the beach before hitting the grocery store to pick up what I needed for the lasagna."

We decided to park the car in Lower Village, making the walk over 3 miles, which was great. The dogs loved it and I could really use the exercise...as I still need to lose about 35 pounds. We walked and chatted, the dogs ran and played and it was a really great time.

By the time we got back to the car, I was feeling rather hungry and so I suggested that we have a quick lunch at Alisson's (great New England family food restaurant in Kennebunkport). One of the things I love about Alisson's is that they actually know how to properly pour a "Black & Tan" so I found myself giving into the craving and ordered up a pint!

Lunch was delicious and the frosty beer was fantastic but as Cindy & I got to the car we both commented on how nice it would be to take an afternoon nap!

Shortly after returning home, I found my favorite leather chair, kicked off my shoes and drifted off to sleep only to awake around 4:00pm. Oh what a lazy day it was!!!

Remembering that I haven't been to the grocery store yet and don't really feel like heading there now, I figured that I would look in the fridge and cupboards and see what I could whip-up (thinking that the lasagna would have to wait for another day). Yes I was being very lazy, one beer and off to sleep I go! Not the way it was back at Fairfield Prep, was it Roger?

I discovered that I had the ricotta cheese, plenty of Parmigiana, the ground sirloin, some sweet Italian sausage, some portobello mushrooms, the lasagna sheets, garlic, and onions. I didn't have any spinach or nice vine ripened tomatoes to make the sauce with but I did have 2 jars of artichoke hearts, a jar of roasted red peppers and a jar of real basil & tomato sauce (no artificial ingredients, no additives, no gums, etc.) and so I thought what the heck, it won't be great but it won't be terrible either.

So I put a pot of salted (sea salt) water on for the pasta and proceeded to chop the onions & garlic, drain the artichokes and red peppers, slice the mushrooms and before I knew it (about 30 minutes) I had the lasagna in the oven and cooking away.

About an hour and a half later I was taking the lasagna out of the oven and it looked and smelled fantastic!!! I decided to grab my camera and take a couple of shots to show you how it came out.

I have to say, without tooting my own horn, that it was simply delicious, the artichokes, portobello and roasted red pepper added a nice mellow taste and the sausage added just enough complexity to give the dish some style.

Anyway, here is the recipe for anyone who wants to give it a try...I'm calling it my Lazy Lasagna recipe as you can make this dish and still fit a nice long nap into your day. If you don't have a particular ingredient, simply substitute something else.

Lazy Lasagna
Serves 12 - 15

1 tablespoon - organic extra virgin olive oil
12 each - lasagna sheets
1 pound - all-natural ground sirloin
1 pound - all-natural sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium - Spanish onion, chopped
8 cloves - garlic finely minced
10 ounces - fresh portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 25 ounce jar - basil & tomato sauce(don't get the stuff loaded with sugar and preservatives, look for one that is all-natural without gums, corn syrup, etc.)
2 tablespoons - dried Italian seasoning
2 12 ounce jars - artichoke hearts in water, drained and sliced in half
1 16 ounce jar - roasted red peppers, drained
1 pound - low-fat ricotta cheese
1 pound - Parmigiana Reggiano cheese, shredded
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

Put a large pot filled with about 6 cups of cool water and a teaspoon of sea salt over high heat, covered and bring to a boil. Once a rapid boil i reached, add the lasagna sheets and cook for 9 minute or until pasta is "just" cooked "al dente". Remove from heat and drain into a colander. Rinse quickly with cool water to stop the cooking process and allow to drain completely.

Place the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes and then add the chopped onions, stirring to coat the onions. Saute until the onions Begin to become translucent, about 2 - 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and saute about minutes more. Add the ground sirloin and Italian sausage and cook until meats begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, drain off excess fat then return to stove, add the chopped garlic, basil & tomato sauce and the Italian seasoning. Simmer ingredients together for about 4 - 5 minutes or until sauce is warm. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Remove from stove.

Using a small amount of olive oil, grease the bottom and sides of a large casserole pan and then layer 3 sheets of lasagna across the bottom of the pan. Next ladle about 1/4 of the cooked meat sauce over the lasagna sheets. Spread a thin layer of ricotta over the meat sauce and then sprinkle some of the Parmigiana over the ricotta. Next place 3 more lasagna sheets on top, followed by the roasted red peppers, some of the ricotta and more Parmigiana, another 3 sheets of lasagna followed by the artichokes, another 1/4 of the meat sauce, more ricotta and Parmigiana, the last 3 sheets of lasagna then another 1/4 of the meat sauce, topped with the last of the ricotta and Parmigiana. Keep the last 1/4 of the meat sauce for the serving plates.)

Place casserole dish onto baking sheet, cover top with aluminum foil and place on center rack of oven for 1 hour. Remove aluminum foil and bake another 20 minutes or so until the top is nice and golden brown.

Remove from oven, allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to cutting. Using a sharp knife, cut into desired size portions. Place a small amount of the reserved meat sauce in center of each dinner plate, place lasagna portion on each plate, garnish with some fresh rosemary and enjoy with a nice glass of Italian Chianti or Argentinean Malbec.

Several of you have inquired about the dogs so here is a picture of the "kids".

Also, I've had a number of you ask about the "real kids",
so here is a picture of the whole "human" family.

Until next time,

Chef John

www.cookwithjohncom
john@cookwithjohn.com

Not Your Mama's Shepherd's Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:18:00 +0000

Last week I received a nice letter from a woman asking if I had any recipes that used ground beef or ground pork. She stated that she has been receiving the old family battle cry..."not meatloaf again!" and she was wondering if I could possibly help her out.

Well Lesley this recipe is for you, your family and anyone else who would like to try it. It contains both ground chuck and ground pork and I find it is a great way to sneak some vegetables into the family diet.

You will see that I use individual 6-ounce ramekins rather then one casserole dish, I think it helps dress the dish up a bit, but use whichever you prefer.

I know that it costs a bit more to use all-natural and organic products but I honestly believe that our bodies are worth it...remember -"we are what we eat".

Not Your Mama's Shepherd's Pie
Makes 8 Servings

1 pound - 80/20 All-Natural Ground Chuck
1/2 pound - All-Natural Sweet Italian Sausage (casing removed)
1/2 pound - All-Natural Hot Italian Sausage (casing removed)
1 medium - Spanish onion (white), chopped
1 cup - organically grown carrots, 1/4" chop
1 cup - organically grown fresh peas, blanched
1 cup - organically grown corn kernels, cut from the husk
6 each - garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons - Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 large - baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons - unsalted organic butter
1 cup - All-Natural Beef Stock
3 tablespoons - A-1 Sauce
To Taste - Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium saucepan, place the cubed potatoes in cold, slightly salted water until potatoes are just covered. Bring to boil over medium-high heat until potatoes are tender (you can pierce them with a knife), about 20 minutes. Drain off the water and add the unsalted butter and work the potatoes until whipped. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, pour the olive oil into a large saute pan or skillet and add the onions and carrots over medium heat and saute until onions begin to become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the peas and stir. Add the corn and stir and lastly add the garlic and stir. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper. transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove and add the ground chuck and the sausage and cook until the meat has browned, about 5 minutes. Add the A-1 sauce and the beef stock, stir and reduce heat to simmer. Continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and remove from stove.

Add the cooked meat to the cooked vegetables, toss well to incorporate and portion into 8 individual ramekins or 1 casserole dish. Top with the whipped potatoes and using a fork, decorate the top with ribbons.

Place on baking sheet on middle shelf of oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to get a light golden brown color.

Serve with some steamed fresh vegetables and enjoy!!!

Until next time,

Chef John

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/

john@cookwithjohn.com

Guy's...Are You Willing to Cook for Sex?

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:48:00 +0000

I knew that would get your attention!

Did you hear or read about the recent article published by the Associated Press that discussed the relationship between men doing more around the house and having more frequent sex?

According to the report, "American men still don't pull their weight when it comes to housework and child care, but collectively they're not the slackers they used to be. The average dad has gradually been getting better about picking himself up off the sofa and pitching in, according to a new report in which a psychologist suggests the payoff for doing more chores could be more sex."

""If a guy does housework, it looks to the woman like he really cares about her - he's not treating her like a servant," said Coleman, who is affiliated with the Council on Contemporary Families. "And if a woman feels stressed out because the house is a mess and the guy's sitting on the couch while she's vacuuming, that's not going to put her in the mood."

So, although I'm pretty handy with a vacuum and I do a mean load of laundry, I found myself thinking...wouldn't it be great if we men could step up to the stove and whip together a tasty and healthy meal for the family every once in a while?

Then I started to think about what types of meals would be best for guy's with somewhat limited culinary experience to feel comfortable preparing. A meal that wouldn't require a whole lot of knife skill, wouldn't require several cooking techniques and one that would satisfy and sustain almost any family.

I came up with an "old faithful" that I love to prepare and always get raves when I serve it.

Hearty Beef Stew with Carrots, Onion, Celery and Mushrooms
(Serves 4-6)

2 pounds - all-natural, lean flank steak, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cup - all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon - sea salt
1/4 teaspoon - fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon - dried thyme
1 teaspoon - Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons - organic extra virgin olive oil
1 cup - organic carrots, sliced lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup - celery, sliced lengthwise, then cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium - Spanish (white) onion, finely chopped
4 each - garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 each - large russet potatoes, cleaned and cubed into 1/2" cubes
2 cups - all-natural beef stock
1 cup - good quality red wine (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauignon)
3 each - bay leaves
12 ounces - fresh button mushrooms, sliced 1/4" thin

1 loaf - crusty bread (optional)
As Needed - fresh rosemary sprigs (optional)

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, sea salt ,cracked pepper, dried thyme and Old Bay and mix thoroughly.

Cube the flank steak and toss into the seasoned flour mixture.

In a medium sized stock pot (ask wife if you don't know what this is), heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery and onion and stirring with a long wooden spoon, make sure to coat the vegetables with the oil and continue to stir the vegetables until the onions become translucent (almost clear - about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and the beef and again stir to coat with the oil. While stirring, continue to cook until the meat begins to brown on all sides, about 4 minutes.

Add the potatoes, beef stock, red wine and bay leaves and allow liquid to come to boil. Reduce heat to simmer (lowest flame), cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and let cook for 45 minutes.

Remove lid, add the mushrooms, stir well to incorporate the mushrooms into the stew (try not to break the mushrooms up). Leave uncovered and allow to cook for 20 minutes more.

Just before serving, adjust seasoning with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Serve in warmed soup bowls, garnish with fresh Rosemary sprigs and serve along with some nice crusty bread. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy the rest of that bottle of wine!

***Guys, I guarantee that your family will love this dish...as for the sex? You'll have to let me know about that one.

Until next time,

Chef John

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/

john@cookwithjohn.com

My Favorite Cup of Hot Chocolate.

noreply@blogger.com (Chef John Hughes) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:07:00 +0000

Since Cindy and I sold the restaurant back in November, we have been trying to do more active things with our time i.e. long walks on the beach with the dogs, snow shoeing the back woods with the dogs, and skiing (without the dogs) as well as some traveling (we just got back from 12 days in France - without the dogs).

The skiing this year has been absolutely fantastic with over 14 feet of natural snowfall already this season, and being able to go during the week, we have found that we own the mountain most of the time. This past Monday we decided to head to Sunday River for a "day-on-the-slopes" and got to the mountain right around 11:00am. It was a bright, clear and relatively mild day for the beginning of March, we found a parking space right at the front door of Spruce Peak Lodge and we were on the slopes by 11:20am.

Our first 4 or 5 runs were all great, but then it started to rain ever so slightly and being just above 32 degrees the few drops that fell actually froze to our gear instantly. No big deal we thought and so we continued to make our way over to Jordan Bowl. By the time we were about 3/4's of the way over, the rain began really picking up and we found ourselves now being totally encased in a layer of solid ice on our jackets, pants and most importantly goggles. It got to the point that you could hardly see and removing the goggles and trying to ski was worse as the freezing rain pelted your eyes...we were essentially skiing blind at this point.

We decided to make our way down, back to Spruce Peak Lodge and stop for lunch and see if the rain would let-up. After about 20 minutes we were finally back at the lodge, literally entombed in ice by this time. The faces of the people in the lodge were that of total disbelief as we entered and made our way to one of the tables, all the way our clothes crackling as we walked.

I decided that a couple of cups of nice hot chocolate is "just-what-the doctor" ordered and so I made my way over to the hot chocolate machine and began to dispense the two cups. As I stood there watching this brownish, watery substance flow from within the machine, I thought to myself "how could something as wonderful as hot chocolate diminish so far as to now be some synthetic blend of artificial ingredients simply blended within boiling water?"

I found myself standing in front of this machine recalling the absolute "best cup of hot chocolate" that I ever had the privilege of having and where it was that I got that recipe from so many years ago.

When I was a young boy I grew up in Westport, Connecticut and I remember when I was no more then 12 or 13 experiencing my first taste of hot chocolate nirvana sitting in the kitchen in one of my mother's friends homes. Rich, creamy and thick topped with fresh made whipped cream, it was more like a bowl of Heavenly Hash ice cream, only hot than it was a cup of hot chocolate. It was something that you savored and enjoyed each and every sip.

After many, many cries of desperation, my mother finally got the recipe from her friend and it went into her small yellow recipe box full of index cards. Funny to think of it now but so many of those recipes never came out of the box once they made their way in. This recipe though had been saved and savored by yours truly and now I am going to share it with all of you to enjoy as much as I have throughout my years of cold days and long winters. I have brought the recipe up-to-date with ingredients that are readily available at any supermarket. A word of caution though, this recipe could become habit forming and because it is so rich and creamy it is not the type of beverage that you simply consume but rather you experience.

I am savouring a cup as I right this and it makes the task and the day so much more pleasant...enjoy!

MY FAVORITE HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPE

(Makes 4 memorable mugs of chocolate nirvana)

2 1/4 cups - Whole Milk
1/4 cup - Spring Water
1/4 cup - Granulated Sugar
3 1/2 ounces - Intense Dark Chocolate Candy Bar (Lindt 70% or Ghirardelli 72%), finely chopped
1/4 cup - Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

As needed - Fresh Whipped Cream (Not the imitation stuff)
As needed - Homemade or high quality marshmallows (Optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the milk, water and sugar. Allow mixture to come to just a boil and then add the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder, stirring constantly. Bring to a second boil while whisking but do not scald the milk.

Reduce heat to a simmer and allow the mixture to thicken slightly, about 3 -4 minutes. Remove from heat and using a "stick" blender, blend until thick and frothy, about 3-4 minutes.

Pour into preheated ceramic mugs (fill with hot tap water to preheat, then discard water).

If using, add a few of the marshmallows to bottom of each cup, ladle in about 6 ounces of hot chocolate and then top with a dollop of fresh made whipped cream.

Enjoy!!!

Oh, by the way, as we left Sunday River to head back home, we drove into Bethel, Maine and took in the world's tallest Snow Woman - Olympia...here's a picture!

If you find yourself anywhere near Bethel, Maine in the next few weeks, make sure to stop and check Olympia out...she really is impressive - she stands over 120 feet tall with 30 foot pine trees as arms, her buttons are huge truck tires and her eyelashes are skis. If you look close, in the picture there are people standing at her base...for a sense of size.

Congratulations Bethel for setting a new world record.

Let me know what you think of this recipe.

Chef John

http://www.cookwithjohn.com/