Dinner's On The Table – The Personal Chef & Home Cooking Resource

I just read in article in the Poughkeepsie Journal with ideas for your staycation.  I’m going to try to give some ideas that, with a little imagination, will make you feel like you’re at the shore, or the lake, or just not stuck at home!

We took a wonderful vacation a few years back on Cape Cod.  Reminded me of childhood vacations right down to the tent and the torrential downpour we experienced one night.  Ever since that wonderful week, my husband has been obsessed with whole belly clams.  We usually stay away from deep fried food, but there’s something amazing about a freshly shucked clam, coated in a batter and fried so perfectly that you can actually taste the clam and appreciate the contrast of the softness of the clam and the crispiness of the coating.   Fried clam strips just don’t cut it!

We were driving south on route 9 right around Easter and my eyes were drawn to a sign that I had driven by a few times.  This time, before we had a chance to think , we found the car turning into the parking lot for Joe Willy’s Fish Shack.  We really just wanted to see what they had to offer, so we went in.  The owners have done a good job trying to make you feel like you’re at the shore.  They offer everything you expect if you’re at the Cape.  Including Ipswich Clams.  Those golden morsels of yummy-ness also known as whole belly clams.  Now we had no choice but to eat here.  We ordered half orders of the fried oysters and the Ipswich clams after being told they shuck them to order.  How fresh is that?!?!?!

Joe Willy’s offers something for everyone!  Lobster rolls, fish and chips, steak and cheese, chicken, even a veggie burger!  You have the choice of fried, broiled, or grilled for many of the seafood selections.   Your kids will LOVE IT HERE!  They offer more selection on the children’s menu than many local restaurants do. 

The best part is that they are located right next to Splash Down Beach!

Don’t waste your summer at the Galleria Mall.  Find something fun to do!

Tune in next time for some fun in the Rhinebeck area…and have a great summer!

http://joewillysfishshack.com/

http://www.splashdownbeach.com/

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We went to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck this past Sunday for Maple Weekend.  It was wonderful.  We got to stand in the evaporator and take in the maple scented air.  We sampled fresh maple syrup right out of the evaporator.  We took a walk through the grounds to see the tapped trees, and we had a yummy meal of pancakes, sausage and fresh maple syrup. 

There were many people purchasing honey and maple products from Remsberger Maple Farm and Apiary.  The question of the day is this…What do I do with the syrup and sugar now that I have a years worth?

There are a few really easy applications, such as top your ice cream or yogurt with maple syrup.  It’s delicious and when you use a good quality low fat unsweetened yogurt, you have control over what you’re eating.  Instead of a spoonful of sugar on your oatmeal, try maple syrup!  The next time you make an apple cobbler, replace some of the sugar in the topping with maple sugar. 

Here’s a nice way to incorporate maple into savory dishes, like salmon.

Maple Salmon on a Cedar Plank

Ingredients

4 4-6 ounce salmon filets (can be a whole filet or individual pieces)

Salt + pepper

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 lemon, juice and zest

1/4 cup chopped parsely

At least one hour before you are ready to grill, soak your cedar planks in water.  This can be done in the morning for dinner tonight.  You need a good soaking inorder to get enough smoke to nicely flavor the fish.

Fire up your grill to 350-400. 

Combine maple syrup, lemon juice, some of the zest and parsley.  (Taste before adding all of the lemon, adjusting to your liking)

Place the cedar planks on the grill.  Close the grill for up to 2 minutes to allow the planks to start smoking.

Lay fish on planks, but be careful not to crowd the fish.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Brush some of the maple mixture on the fish. 

Cook with the cover closed for 15-18 minutes, until the fish flakes with a fork.  (The fish will be cooked through and will have a nice smokey flavor)

While the fish is cooking, put the maple mixture in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  This will concentrate the flavors for a final glaze.

Using a clean brush, baste with the maple mixture before serving. 

Garnish with a wedge of lemon and more fresh parsley.

No problem if you don’t have a grill or just want to cook this in your oven.  Place the soaked cedar plank on a baking sheet.  Set the sheet in a 350 oven for up to 5 minutes to get the plank heating.   These are the only changes to the grill instructions. 

If you don’t want to use the cedar plank, just place the fish in a Pyrex container and bake the prepared fish for 15-18 minutes in a 350 oven.

If you like your fish rare rather than cooked through,  start checking the fish after 10 minutes. 

Note: Only use cedar that is sold for cooking.  Cedar from a lumber yard has been treated with chemicals.

Maple Weekend continues this weekend, March 28 and 29 at the Fairgrounds.

www.remsburgermaple.com/

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When you think of Sunday morning breakfast, the first things that come to mind are the mouthwatering aromas of coffee brewing, bacon or sausage frying, and yummy maple syrup that will blanket a pile of fluffy pancakes. It’s a nice relaxing breakfast, or late brunch if you like to indulge in a little extra sleep. 

Most of us have had real bacon, sausage and coffee.  However, maple syrup is a different story.  More people use grocery store brands like Aunt Jemima and Mrs Butterworths, which consist of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and assorted chemicals, than the real thing. They don’t know what they’re missing.  Once you try real maple syrup, you won’t want to go back.  First of all, there’s the taste.  It’s all natural.  Sure, man has has to coax that flavor out, but it’s worth the wait, and the price!  Real maple syrup is also a healthy food.  (Healthy like dark chocolate though, so you don’t want to live on the stuff)  Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese and a good source of zinc.  Both help boost our immune system, so skip pancake syrup and use the real deal. 

If you like candied sweet potatoes, glazed carrots or a glazed baked ham, maple syrup is the sweetener to use.  Yea, brown sugar tastes good too, but it doesn’t have the character of pure maple.  You can use it in most recipes that call for a sweetener.  It makes a delicious topping for ice cream, yogurt and oatmeal too.  (It’s also really good on pancakes and waffles)

Canadians will say theirs is better, but I say go with the local stuff.

Remsburger Maple Farm is having their annual Maple Festival March 21-22 and 28-29 from 9:00 am to 4:00pm at the Dutchess County Fairgounds.

Watch them make maple syrup.  The aroma coming from the sugar shack is intoxicating.  I wish I had a sugar shack in my back yard!   Save room for some pancakes, I know we will!

(The maple cotton candy is awesome!  And don’t forget to check out the honey too)

http://remsburgermaple.com/

Who would want to eat a scoop of high fructose corn syrup pecan ice cream anyway?

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I’ve been a bit lazy with posts this summer, so I decided to kick off September with a new survey.  Who doesn’t like a nice piece of fruit?  We’ve picked just about everything on trees this summer and we want to know if you’ve been to the orchard.  Do you have a strawberry patch in your back yard, or blueberry bushes.  You get the idea.  The link will bring you to my newest survey at Survey Monkey.  Thank’s for participating!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nm_2bGL4cL95O0POo_2fSlW5ag_3d_3d">Click Here to take survey

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     Valentines Day has a reputation for being a high pressure day for the guys.  It can be difficult to decide what will make the day sweet for the one they love.  I decided to make it easy for my husband.  I convinced him to take me to the Palisades Mall for the World Chocolate Expo.  I got the best of both worlds.  We got to sample some great chocolate, wine and pastry, and I got to shop!!!  It also saved him from having to make reservations on Valentines Day, a day I would rather spend at home.

     The highlight of the World Chocolate Expo had to be the Wine and Chocolate Pairings demo presented by the owner of A Wine for All in Orangeburg.  We were each given a cup to sample the wines and four pieces of Dove chocolate.  We learned that you want the wine to be slighltly sweeter than the chocolate, although there are those who contradict this.  After each dessert wine was poured, we were instructed to taste the chocolate that matched the wine.  Let it melt in your mouth and hit your entire tongue.  I have never tried to match wine to chocolate, but I am a fan of sweet dessert wines so I was a happy girl.       

     The first wine we tasted was Yalumba Muscat "Museum Reserve" Frotified NV 375 Australia.  This was sweet so it paired nicely with the chocolate caramel that was suggested.  We enjoyed the chocolate and it didn’t overwealm the wine.      

     We tried Dashe Late Harvest Zinfandel NV, Dry Creek Valley CA 375 ml with a piece of dark chocolate.  The chocolate is not too sweet and although the wine is a late harvest, meaning the grapes are picked when they have a very high sugar content, the wine wasn’t overly sweet.  The combination was wonderful.           

    The biggest surprise was when he had us taste a piece of dark chocolate with a red  non dessert wine.  Layer Cake ‘06 Primitivo "AKA Zinfandel, 750 ml Puglia Italy is more dry than I usually drink and tasting it on its own, I detected too much tannin.  When I tasted the chocolate and let it coat my entire mouth, then tasted the wine, I didn’t notice the tannis so much and was able to appreciate the complexity of the wine. 

    We finished with a tasting of Sabra Chocolate Orange Liqueur from Israel.   We tasted this with the milk chocolate.  The sweetness of the wine and the fat content of the chocolate were a good marriage.  We were told that this is outstanding with a piece of chocolate dipped candied orange peel.  You get an explosion of orange and chocolate in your mouth.   Who needs dessert when the wine is this good. 

 A Wine for All is located at 516 Rt 303 in Orangeburg New York.  Their web site is www.Idrinkwine.com

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