An eating extraveganza in the Keys....

J and I had a wonderful time eating our way through the keys. As with any trip, there were some highlights and some low points but we did find that we loved the bountiful and incredibly fresh seafood and our favorite restaurants were Herbies in Marathon and the Shrimp Shack on Stock Island. I was disappointed with El Siboney (Key West) though they had great reviews on Chowhound, etc and didn't really like the food at Tony's (Key West). Here are a few photos from our trip:

On our first day in Key West, we had lunch at Tony's Cuban cafe. I ordered the Tony's special sandwich (grilled sandwich with ham croquettas and pork) and J ordered the Cuban sandwich. I thought my sandwich (bellow) was a bit greasy and the croquettas did not taste homemade. I was disappointed to get such poor quality so close to Cuba!

This is a pic of the house sandwich (Tonys sandwich) with the suspiciously prepackaged looking croquettas.
For dinner that night, we went to lobster fest (going on the day we arrived in Key west) and had some grilled Caribbean lobster. This was a bit pricey at $32 for 2 lobsters but still very good! My recommendation, go to Stock Island and order at whole lobster at the Shrimp Shack for $13 instead!We had key lime pie at the Blonde Giraffe in Key West. I found this pie to be a bit gritty and did not like the meringue which tasted like it had been sitting around for too long :-( think this is a case of quality going down after winning an award (see Woodchicks post for a similar dilemma.)
The philly cheese steak at Guy Harvey's Island Grill in Key West was actually really good (we were surprised!) Apparently, he flies the bread in from Philly, they also have $1 drafts, can't beat that deal!

J sitting at the Shrimp shack on stock island. The food here was amazing! Definately go if you get a chance, only 10 minutes or so outside of Key West.

Grouper sandwich with homemade tarter, incredibly fresh, moist and delicious! Jason ordered the shrimp poorboy and we split a grilled lobster. This restaurant is inside a fish market and the food is wonderful! Notice the tarpon finning in the background.

These are pics from our favorite place in Marathon (and the Keys for that matter), Herbies. Above are photos of the scallop cakes and the smoked fish dip (Yellowtail, I believe.) The fish dip is smokey and creamy served cold with crackers and the scallop cakes have some filler (bread or cracker crumbs) with generous amounts of chopped sea scallops that were amazingly fresh. I have never had a scallop cake but loved the idea and plan to try to make these at home. These were so good that we ordered them both times we visited the restaurant.

closeup of the amazing smoked fish dip at Herbies mmmmmmmm

Herbie's wonderful scallop cakes close up (sorry about the glare from the dish) Jason ordered the stuffed yellowtail (supposed to be crab stuffing.) The fish was perfectly cooked and the stuffing tasted like stovetop (which I am a big fan of) with a little hint of crab, I would have liked more crab and more crab flavor for $18 but the dish was still wonderful and incredibly homey (think Keys comfort food). I especially liked the lemon sauce that topped off the dish.

For dinner I had the conch sandwich and this was the only dish I was not impressed with at this restaurant. The conch was tough, the coating too thick and a bit greasy. I would not order this sandwich again but would order anything else on the menu.

This is a pic of the conch chowder I had for lunch at Herbies. I loved this dish, very fresh, a little spicy and wonderfully clean tasting (all the ingredients can stand on their own but mix together beautifully as well.) Jason had a burger (no pic) that was amazing as well!

Herbies makes the best key lime pie I have ever had! It was amazing, much better than the Blonde Giraffe which won the key lime competition.

We also ate at Keys fisheries in Marathon. We ordered the stuffed lobster (crab stuffing), coconut shrimp app and grilled yellowfin sandwich. All the food was good but the shrimp was definitely the standout for me. The lobster was a bit tough (overcooked) and the sauce they topped it with (brown gravy) was not the sauce I would have chosen to accompany this delicate dish but at $15, it was still a great deal.
Here's a pic of the coconut shrimp. These had a sweet mango and horseradish sauce to accompany that really complimented the shrimp and the coconut.

Jason and I had our own grilled dinner at the amazing resort where we stayed (Valhalla Point). We grilled fillet steaks and zucchini and made grilly potatoes (Liz' recipe with old bay onions and butter) had Key west pink shrimp and fresh sliced tomatoes. Washed it all down with a Red Stripe...and island dinner for 2 happy travelers.

Steamed shrimp J made on the grill.

We also ate at a local fish market called Fish Tales. I ordered the mahi with salsa fesca (a lot like a spicy Uruguayan chimicurri) and J ordered the sliders. Both meals were good but neither impressed us enough to return.

Jason's sliders.

We fell in love with the food, the scenery and the layed back lifestyle of the keys. Key West was a bit too crazy for us but we loved Marathon and especially Valhalla. Ours was the perfect relaxing vacation in the keys. I snorkeled, layed out on the beach and even went chumming for shark with J (thank goodness he didn't actually catch any!!!) J caught a tarpon on fly (life long dream for him) and was able to reconnect with his childhood. We both saw some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world and had a chance to wish upon a shooting star. We reconnected, we ate, we had fun and now we have the memories to last us the rest of our lives. Will we be back? You can bet on it!

Mie and Yu, Lebanese Taverna and La Madeleine

Dc was wonderful! I had a blast seeing old friends, eating good food and going to a couple of shops and museums along the way. Since I love to eat and love to take pictures of the food I eat nearly as much, here is a breakdown of the culinary trip I took, the great, the good and the just ok.

The good: the eggs benedict at Mie n Yu were very good (the hollandaise sauce was one of the best I've had), the roasted potatoes were crisp, though the tasso ham was a bit overcooked for my taste. Big points for a perfectly poached egg!

The Ok: Mie n Yu chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon, too sweet, too seasoned, too much going on...gotta say these were just ok (served with non-spicy harissa! too bad a little kick may have helped this dish)

Not sure: I didn't try the shwarma but since we don't have any restaurants that make it in my area, I thought I'd take a pic, Lamb on the left, chicken on the right...will have to try it on my next trip.

The great: Lebanese Taverna, FATTEH BLAHMEH, one of my favorite dishes ever! The menu description states the following: seasoned chunks of lamb layered over chick peas on roasted Lebanese bread, smothered with warm yogurt sauce, pine nuts and garlic. The lamb was perfectly tender, the yogurt sauce creamy and tangy, the pita crisp and the pine nuts, radishes and chickpeas added the perfect ballence, just wish pomagranates where in season as they usually top the dish with seeds. MMMMMMMMMMM.....

The good: Halum cheese with tomatoes, cucumbers and olives. Good but not the best, a little oily if I am perfectly honest (wish I'd gotten the hummus).

For dessert, our amazing waiter, Jorge brought us a complimentary dessert, baklava? with pomegranate syrup and vanilla ice cream. The service and food at the Lebanese Taverna can't be beat and I will definitely be back to their DC location on my next trip...I may also try to make the fatteh blameh on a later date!

The ok...La Madeleine. I had the chicken salad sandwich, sundried tomato pasta salad, caesar salad and a parfait (wasn't supposed to be this much food but someone messed up my order!). The caesar salad and parfait were very good but I didn't like the overly mayo'd chicken salad or the super creamy pasta salad. The croissant was very good but I don't think I'll be back to this place as there are waaaayyyyy better choices in DC for lunch.

Another picture of the sandwich and pasta salad both were a bit of a let down :-(

DC was fun, I loved the food, the shopping, the time I spent with friends and trying new things, be them great, good or just ok. Hope you liked my tour d' DC xo J

Our Italian Restaurant...

Our favorite Italian Restaurant in Norfolk is Razzo in our neighborhood, Oceanview. This intimate and delicious restaurant is lit with dim sconces, has booth seating and a great roasted garlic app....oh and did I mention their dessert is to die for? Love it!! If you're ever in the area check it out...it really is "our Italian restaurant."

Cherry cheesecake with a Godiva whipped cream....amazing!~

Roasted garlic app (or what's left of it) with goat cheese, peppers, olives, roasted garlic and capers served with crostini...mmmmm

Veal parm, very big and very good, crunchy exterior, moist veal, wonderful sauce and fresh mozzarella, perfection! I also love their red sauce (think its a marinara?).

Bowl of pasta w marinara, I could just eat a bowl of this, good balance of garlic, tomato and basil that compliments the perfectly al-dente pasta.

Veal Francese, pounded veal, butter, caper, lemon sauce, breadcrumb pasta-perfect for soaking up all the wonderful juices from the dish!

I don't have a photo of my favorite dish at Razzo, stuffed eggplant (and I hate eggplant usually, but this place has made me a lover of at least this preparation) with ricotta, artichokes and fresh spinach stuffed between 2 layers of fried eggplant, then topped with more cheese and their wonderful red sauce, it's a party in your mouth :-). J loves the antipasto plate and the chicken parm and we both love the cheesecakes (usually a different one every week handmade by the chef.) Try Razzo sometime but SHHHHHH just don't tell too many people about it!

Marsala mushroom burgers

J and I decided to make burgers on a warm Virginia evening and needing to use up mushrooms and bacon, I decided to make marsala mushrooms to top the burgers. These were the best burgers I have ever made and I hope you try the recipe too :-)

Meat:

1 lb Ground sirloin

1/2 chopped small sweet onion

2 tbls hoisin (chinese bbq sauce you can find in the Asian section)

1 tsp salt and pepper

*mix all ingredients to combine (make sure not to overwork the burger meat) make patties and dust w. a little more sn'p grill on high temp for aprox 3-5 min per side (depends on thickness and how done you want them to get).

Mushrooms:

1 whole container button mushrooms sliced

2 green onions chopped

1 tbls butter

2-3 tsp marsala or sherry

salt and pepper to taste

*saute butter until just melted, add mushrooms and let brown (don't season until they are brown or they will leech out too much liquid) add green onions and let soften. Deglaze the pan with marsala, cook out alcohol (about 1 min) then take off the heat and wait for the burgers.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I like my burger done medium and I topped this burger with a garlic/mustard aioli I bought at Trader Joes, a little mayo (Hellman's), fresh tomatoes from Voula's garden, cheddar cheese, center cut bacon and dill pickles. Let me know if you try it/like it!

Julia

Back in the salmon again

It's been too long since my last post and because of this I felt that the subject matter had to be perfect before posting. This salad topped with gorgeous sockeye salmon seemed like the perfect reintroduction to my blogging past. I hope you like the pics and that you eventually try the recipe :-)

Much love, missed you all and happy eating!

Julia

Sockeye Salmon Salad "Francaise"

**For the salmon and glaze

2 fillets beautifully fresh salmon

2 tbls french dressing (I used honey french)

1 tsp grainy mustard

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

***for the salad

mesclun greens (to taste)

hand full of frozen Haricot vert (baby green beans)

1/4 c frozen baby peas

2-3 small boiled potatoes (cubed)

any other veggies you like that you have around the house

1 fried or poached egg (over medium if fried and boiled soft if poached)

goat cheese to taste

3-4 rashers cooked bacon

*******

Glaze salmon and put in a preheated 450 oven. Cook for aprox 5 min (checked to make sure the salmon isn't cooking too fast and that the glaze is setting), reglaze and broil for aprox 1 min. Boil potatoes, peas and haricot vert for aprox 5 min (while salmon cooks) drain and leave until you are ready to assemble the salad. Let salmon rest while you assemble the salad. Top the salad with a little goat and french dressing (or any dressing you like) cooked salmon, egg and bacon. I serve this with a little crusty bread and a nice Chardonnay or my new favorite, an Argentine Torrontes (wonderfully floral and matches beautifully with the veg, sweet vinaigrette and buttery salmon. The acidity also cuts through the egg and bacon fat).

Tip: I cook the bacon in the broiler while the salmon is cooking, just keep and eye on it and to reheat store bought bread, I put it in the oven (turned off) until I am ready to serve dinner.

Shrimp and pea risotto with pine nuts

I was browsing blogs and came upon a recipe that looked delish so I decided to make it. The recipe was on the singleguychef.blogspot.com and was for shrimp and lemon risotto. Since I didn't have lemon on hand, I improvised by adding more wine, a little heavy cream and made a toasted breadcrumb, pine nut mixture to add more texture to the dish. The final result was good and I will keep this dish in my cooking "repertoire."

Shrimp and pea risotto with toasted pine nuts

1 c arborio rice
1/2 lb shrimp (peeled devained)
3 scallions cut
2 large pats butter
4-5 cups stock (I add the shrimp shells and boil down for about 10 min then strain and use in risotto)
1/2 c white wine (dry)
1 clove garlic
1/2 c baby peas (take out of freezer when you start to cook)
1/4 c pine nuts (I toast these in a pan with my bread crumbs)
2 tbl cream
1/4 c parm
1/4 c bread crumbs (I used italian and added a little butter to the pan to help toast)
salt to taste (I didn't add pepper since there were so many delicate flavors in the dish)
*simmer stock in a sauce pan and keep warm throughout the cooking process. Saute 3/4 of the scallions in 1 pat of butter for 1-2 minutes until just soft. Add garlic and cook until tender but not brown. Add rice and let cook in butter garlic/scallion mixture for about 2-3 min on med heat until the edges become translucent. Add wine and cook until absorbed (about 1 min.) Begin adding stock 1/2 cup to 3/4 cups at a time. Stir until liquid is absorbed and keep repeating until rice is done (about 25 min.) When risotto is just al dente and still needs 1 more cup of liquid, add 1 more splash of white wine, partially frozen peas (take them out of freezer at the beginning of cooking) and shrimp. Cover and reduce heat to very low. Let cook for 5 min. Add cream, remaining scallions and parm. Plate and add toasted breadcrumbs/pine nuts on top. Serve hot with crusty bread and a big salad!



shrimp and pea risotto with toasted pine nuts

Little Creek Diner in Norfolk

J and I went to the Little Creek Diner on Halprin Dr. in Norfolk for breakfast this morning. I'd heard about this place from a patron at another local establishment that we go to for breakfast quite often (Charlie's also in Norfolk.) At the diner, I ordered the MonteCristo sandwich w. a fried egg and home fries. J had 3 scrambled eggs w. a thick and juicy slice of ham, home fries and toast. Everything we ordered was delicious! The french toast on my sandwich was crispy, had a hint of vanilla and perhaps cinnamon? The melted swiss was delicious and the turkey complimented both beautifully. I added a fried egg just to make the sandwich extra rich and thought that it was a good compliment to a great classic sandwich. Though they don't use real maple syrup (don't think there are any restaurants in our area that do :-( ) the provided syrup on the table made this dish a sweet/savory delight. The home fries that accompanied were simply prepared; cooked then griddle fried until crisp and crunchy on one side. I would def recommend this place for breakfast. I haven't had lunch here but they have all the diner classics from melts to open faced turkey sandwiches. The Diner is owned by a Greek family (read somewhere that the family also owns the Ship's Cabin) and they have a lot of good specials and an enormous menu. Both the size of the menu and types of food are the closest I have come to a traditional northern style diner fare. The decor and ambiance are a bit shabby but the coffee is hot, the food and service are great and the cops, blue haired ladies and locals sitting at the counter make this place a favorite locals joint in my book. I foresee many more meals to come at this local treasure; we'll be back soon!

Winter in Buenos Aires

My husband and I traveled to several countries in South America in the summer of 07 and one of the places we had the pleasure of visiting was Buenos Aires. We stayed in Palermo Viejo and ate like royalty. Our meals included amazing pasta, pizza and of course wonderful asados. I felt like recreating a diner we had at a parillada there. Though this steak brings back memories, it is NOTHING like the diner we had in Palermo at a Parillada down the street from our BNB (Estilo Criollo). This is a pic of my steak with chimichuri salad and scalloped potatoes with smoked gouda. The steak (sirloin) was pan fried then finished in the toaster oven (see the steaking my claim post for the recipe) and the salad was very easy and a perfect accompaniment to the juicy steak and the rich potatoes. I used smoked gouda to invoke the smokiness of the wood grilled meat. The final result was delicious and the recipe took me back to a wonderful evening and an amazing meal I had with my boy.

Chimichuri salad

1/2 English cucumber sliced then halved

1 ripe red tomato

1/4 c parsley chopped

1/2 sweet onion chopped

olive oil (extra virgin)

red wine vinegar

1/4-1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. I didn't give exact measurements for the oil and vinegar because the quantities really are a matter of taste. I like my dressing really sharp and salty so I add a lot of vinegar and salt to most every dressing I make. Taste your dressing as you go it and make it how you like it.

Below is a pic of the asado we had including lamb, suckling pig, chorizo (Argentine, not Mexican), morsilla (blood sausage...delicious!), molleja (sweetbreds), rinones (kidney) and chinchulin (intestine...see saltshaker for a description, website below.) To accompany the meal we had papas a la casulette (scalloped potatoes), chimichuri and eggplant tepenade (I hate eggplant but have heard this preparation is good.)

In case you couldn't tell, I love red meat. I love organ meat. I love chimichuri and I love parilla! If this isn't a beautiful sight, I don't know what is....the best meat in the world comes from Uruguay and Argentina (and the south of Brazil.) It is true that I may be a bit biased having grown up in the region, but don't take my word for it; go there, eat there and come back with your feedback, Id love to hear it. In this pic you can see the parillero cutting up sections of perfectly grilled meet. I'd like to think he's cutting pamplona (a beautiful rolled and stuffed meat) or molleja (sweetbreads.) Notice the cooking method...only wood fire here with sizzling embers to capture that smokey flavor throughout the meat. The final result is a lot like bbq but in my opinion, better!

In this, the second photo you can see the cooking method better. On can see what looks like a suckling pig (my favorite thing in the whole world) or perhaps a young lamb roasting over the flames along side delicious hunks of asado de tira (shortribs cut thin), the cut of choice in Uruguay. On the right hand side is a rotisserie with chicken breasts and pieces, pamplona and any other meats needing to be slowly basted in their own juices until the moment they are perfectly tender, juicy and succulent MMMMMMMMMM! For more info on food from Argentina and Uruguay check out http://www.saltshaker.net/20060218/chotos-pamplonas-chaja
This is a pic of the meal we ordered before it was consumed and savored. Ps. J had no idea what I had ordered for him to eat and was so happy to try all the wonderful "sausages", etc :-) the first thing he tried was the kidney....said it tasted like a urinal cake and wondered why you squeeze yellow lemon juice over it...guess kidneys aren't for everyone!

Final photo of the steak with chimichurri salad. Hope you try it and love it!

besos!

Julia

pps. as per wonderful father's request, I am adding this comment "I WANT TO THANK MY DAD THE ADVENTUROUS MISSY THAT HE WAS/IS, FOR INTRUDUCING ME TO THESE CUISIONARY DELIGHTS. " DO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE MISSIONARIES THAT HAVE LIVED FOR 40+ YEARS IN THESE COUNTRIES, ETC, THAT HAVE NEVER EVEN TRIED THESE FOODS??? ? I TOO, COULD HAVE GROWN UP DEPRIVED ETC, IF IT WERE NOT FOR HIM, ETC ETC" Love you dad!