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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     In the 10 years I’ve lived in Dutchess County I’ve seen a small explosion of Asian restaurants and Asian grocery stores that have really expanded my interest in Thai, Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines. As chefs this is fantastic because we are able to buy ingredients at these stores that just aren’t found at Stop and Shop, Hannaford or Price Chopper, which allows us to prepare truly authentic dishes for our clients (and ourselves) without traveling to Westchester, New York City or Northern New Jersey.

     But who would have guessed we would be lucky enough to have a Burmese restaurant open up…in Hyde Park! 

     Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is sandwiched between China, Thailand, Laos, India, Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal. And you’re correct if you guessed that Burmese food is influenced by these surrounding countries, yet it has a flair all of its own.

     KT Sushi is located in the small shopping center across from Twist and the former Amish Market in Hyde Park on Route 9. Amish Market was one of our favorite grocery stores because you could find some interesting specialty foods there. But we also loved to grab a Hawaii Roll or Spicy Tuna Roll as well.

     If you miss Amish Market’s sushi bar, you can find the sushi chefs over at KT Sushi. They liked the area so much they decided to stay and open a restaurant. However, while sushi is 60% of the menu you can explore authentic dishes from Burma just a few miles from home.

     Now, while they do have a couple of tables in the back for eating there, they are built more for the takeout crowd – perfect for that quick lunch or dinner.

     Our favorites include Spicy Beef, Green Chicken Curry and Burmese Noodle Soup which is a delightful blend of chicken, egg, scallions, lemon juice, and noodles in a coconut milk broth.

     We find inspiration for menu items that we offer you from our own experiences. We’re currently perfecting some Burmese dishes and we’ll be adding Burmese recipes to our list later this year.
 

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About a year ago, we decided to try out a new restaurant in Hyde Park.  Rocco’s opened across from the Culinary Institute a few months earlier and we hadn’t tried it yet, so we stopped in for a slice of pizza.  They had a great selection of pies along with my husbands favorite, rice balls.  Over the course of the next year we’ve had pizza or appetizers there a few times and enjoyed our meals.  Then they opened up the fine dining room downstairs.  They offer just about every Italian dish you could possibly want, and the prices are great!  The dining room is lovely, and they also have an outside terrace with tables for a romantic evening meal. 

If you go on a Tuesday or Wednesday, check out the special menu they have.  You can get a complete meal for $10.95 – $12.95!  Last week, we ordered Cappelini Puttanesca and Pasta Carbonara which both come with a salad and garlic knots.  We usually order dressing on the side since you either don’t get enough, or you can’t find the salad under the globs of dressing.  I can’t tell you the last time I got a salad properly dressed in a restaurant, but ours came with just the right amount of creamy blue cheese dressing coating every leaf of lettuce evenly.  Not too much, not too little.  The lettuce was a nice assortment of greens, the tomato was ripe, and the onions were sliced paper thin.  It’s a good thing we’re both addicted to garlic, as the garlic knots were awesome!  Our meals came out piping hot and totally yummy!  As hard as we tried to save some to take home, we couldn’t help ourselves.  The biggest problem with finishing our meals is we never manage to save room for dessert!

One of these days!

There are many good restaurants in the area that you’ve tried over and over again.  Do yourself a favor and give Rocco’s a try.  You won’t be sorry!

www.roccospizza.net

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Friday night my husband and I decided to check out Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.  We poured over the restaurant list on the web site and finally decided on The Ship Lantern Inn in Milton.  Their menu looked very good and they had a table waiting for us. 

I usually tell myself not to eat the bread that’s delivered before eating my meal so I don’t fill up on it.  (I always eat it anyway)  The bread was delivered hot and crusty.  It was worth blowing my appetite for!  They also put a tray of crudite out.  You don’t see veggies offered with your bread too often anymore but It kept me from filling up on the yummy bread.  

For the first course, I chose Gnocchi alla Toscana with Butternut Squash, Prosciutto and Sage.  My Husband had the Roasted Vegetable, Wild Mushroom and Montrachet Cheese Strudel with Chive Infused Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze.   My Gnocchi was barely dressed and would have been delicious by itself.  The squash was al dente. The prosciutto and sage added just the right touch.  I devoured the dish of light, fluffy pillows.  My husbands’ strudel was also delicious, although I only got one taste so I can’t really go into detail about it.  We always share a few bites, but the strudel was so good, he got a little greedy.

My husband decided on Manchego Cheese Filled Breast of Airline Chicken with Graham’s Port, braised Endive and Dried Cherry Compote for his main course.  After giving my my token taste, he proceeded to devour every morsel.  I chose Scaloppine of Pork Saltunbocca with Madeira Wine and Fine Herb Jus.  Both were served with whipped potatoes and sauted mixed vegetables.   I decided to save room for dessert and asked for a doggy bag.

Dessert was easy.  The Raspberry Scented Swiss Chocolate Mousse Filled Profiteroles and Bailey’s and Espresso Ice Cream Cake were staring us down.  My profiteroles were nestled on a bed of raspberry sauce that was just the right blend of sweet and tart.  If plate licking wasn’t considered a faux pas, lets just say they would have been clean.

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week runs through March 21.  A three course lunch at selected restaurants is $16.09.  Three course dinner is $26.09.  Be sure to call first to ensure you can get a table. 

www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com

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