Long Weekend Getaway – Dominican Style

In need of a much needed dose of the sunshine and renewed inspiration for innovative food creations, I kidnapped SRJ for a long weekend in the Republica Dominica.

We are at times creatures of habit and travel to the comfort zone, but in my search for a deal to the DR at this time of the year was found in La Romana. Easy to get to with the fewest of Delta Skymiles required, I did a bit of exploration and found a fabulous bargain on www.Cheapcaribbean.com
at the Wyndham Dominicus Palace. The downside of things was the 2+ hours of travel from Santo Domingo for 72 kilometers. The upside was everything we happened upon once we arrived. Rest, relaxation, a bit of solitude, very little access to the outside world and a bounty of fabulous food.

No bones about it, if you are not adventurous when it comes to food you may be a bit dismayed. Don’t come to the Dominican Republic with expectations of American food that is all too familiar. Their pizza is delightful but light on the sauce, heavy on the cheese. Their meat although flavorful tends to be tough. Their eggs are delicious but a different color. Their cheeses are abundant but soft. They tend to use a bit too much liquid smoke on their meats (the use of ANY liquid smoke it too much) BUT their pastries are fabulous, their breads are to die for, their fresh seafood is amazing and their cocktails are amazing. SJR asked me at breakfast “why do you think their food color is so different than ours?” My only guess and response was that our food is loaded with preservatives, who knows what the farmers feed the chickens and what we are eating this weekend is fresh off the farm, out of the sea and artfully created from scratch.

From sunrise to beyond sunset we have enjoyed a vast amount of culinary treats that one would never find in the United States. Breakfast with everything from organic eggs, salumi’s, cheeses, fresh fruit, broiled potatoes, grilled meats and sausages to every delicious pastry imaginable under the sun.
Every fresh juice one could ever dream of, a selection of teas, café or espresso.
Ready to get your groove on at the beginning of the day? One can even get a cerveza or fully loaded cocktail!

If you’re inclined to lunch, there is an overwhelming amount of epicurean delights to be found with pasta any which way; an extensive salad bar complete with a variety of greens, vegetables, prepared salads, fruits and light yet flavorful dressings; grilled pork, chicken and fish. Sweet tooth got you in the middle of the day? Treat yourself to any one of the delicious offerings from pineapple cake, caramel pudding or SJR’s favorite – chocolate ice cream!

Dinner service is a bit more structed unless you prefer the buffet – which in itself is plentiful. A vast array of beef, chicken, pork, seafood, rice, potatoes, soups, fresh baked breads and a smorgasbord of desserts.

A la carte dinner at La Roca began with a fresh vegetable salad followed by a delicious seafood risotto and grilled beef, onion and pepper kabobs. SJR enjoyed spaghetti Bolognese and the flavorful mixed grill of pork, beef, chicken and sausage served with grilled potatoes and chimichurri. Justifying my over indulgence of desserts for work discovery, I sampled the chocolate mousse cake, thick rich chocolate rolled in puff pastry, citrus cake, sugar and crème four layered Napoleon, Viennese crème filled puffs and a light strawberry filled layer cake.

A pre-Valentine’s Day dinner under the stars on the dock at Viva Grill was absolutely fabulous and provided the perfect ending to our weekend getaway.
The creatively presented Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella stuffed into a plump tomato drizzled with basil oil was the perfect beginning to our meal.
I enjoyed a flavorful fresh Mahi and Grouper roulade served with chunky smashed potatoes with a sherry brown butter sauce. SJR’s dinner of grilled roast beef served with a beautiful salad with tomatoes and julienne strips of fresh Parmesan. We both agreed that the meal and service at Viva Grill was by far the best on the resort.

The abundance of beverage options makes things interesting allowing you to keep it light, stick to the everyday norm of ice cold El Presidente cerveza, fresh and fruity rum cocktails and the famous Mamjuana of the Dominican Republic.

Regardless of your mission or expectations, your are certain to find your self happy, fulfilled and most likely a little bit sunburned.

Peace Love Food
YBC

Be Cupid in the Kitchen - Celebrate Valentines Day Cooking, Eating and Drinking

Ahhh Valentine’s Day – The Hallmark Holiday of Holidays! Traditionally it is the romantic holiday where lovers express their love for each other with flowers, confections and cards.

Saint Valentines Day is named after one or more Christian martyrs and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. Here in the USA where we tend to turn every holiday into a money maker, jewelers are pushing their baubles, choclatiers have created beautifully packaged confections, and florists jack the price up for roses. Beyond the entire mixed bag of gifts one should take note that restaurants everywhere will be jam packed all weekend long for the second busiest day of dining out each year.

Avoid the all the hype as well as the excessive amount of money you will fork over and show your Valentine that you put a little creativity of your own into celebrating with Cupid as your inspiration this year. Cooking is love made visible; create a meal from the bottom of your heart.

Forget sending a text message or an EVITE and set the tone by giving your loved one an actual invitation to an afternoon or evening of romance. Visit Paper Affair for beautiful cards and stationary to handcraft a Valentine outlining the details of the when and the where. Create a menu filled with plenty of aphrodisiac and romantic food and beverages. Visit The Wine Cellars and select some delicious wines to compliment your menu. Scour through your music collection and put together a CD full of songs that conjure up fun memories that you have shared together. Set the table with colorful dishes and linens, plenty of candles and a vase of simple yet festive fresh flowers to set the mood.

Take some of the heat off yourself and invite your love to join you in the meal preparation. Pick out festive aprons for you both at Lime Tree, as nothing is more fun than heating things up in the kitchen together and sharing a few laughs along the way.

A combination of surprise and celebration are certain to pierce your Valentine’s heart with Cupid’s arrow. For a bit of inspiration on foods that trigger love; set the tone with a few quick simple and delicious suggestions:

Steam It – Beer Broth Clams with Spanish Chorizo, Garlic and Basil
Slice It – Charcuterie & Cheese with Honeycomb and Berries
Eat it Raw – Oysters on the Half Shell with Cucumber Mignonette sauce
Go Green – Arugula with Feta Cheese, Pistachios & Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
Roast It – Orange Ginger glazed Carrots
Boil It – Bow Tie Pasta with a Truffle Nutmeg Alfredo sauce and Pine nuts
Grill It – Mustard Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Marinated Asparagus
Bake It – Figs with Brown Sugar, Honey and Whiskey
Chill It – Sparkling Processeco before dinner, Sweet & Tangy Limoncello after dinner
Decant It – Full bodied Barbareso served with rich dark Chocolate Truffles
Whip It – Chocolate Pots du Crème with whipped Cream

Don’t take yourself too seriously, have some fun and create a bit of magic in the kitchen.
Follow your heart (and your stomach) and you are certain to always find yourself lucky in LOVE.

Happy Valentines Day and remember Peace Love Food!

Put A Bit of Soul in Your Food ~ Culinary creations for Black History Month

Born and raised in New York, Irish Catholic to boot, Soul Food was something that I did not discover until I moved South and became a Chef at Duke University. Cooking alongside a marvelous group of true Southerners that included grandmothers, fathers and sons and generations of cousins I learned first hand the true history of Soul Food.

Years later when I was the Executive Chef for the NBA Sacramento Kings, my kitchen team and I were often asked to prepare the comforts of home cooking for our great hoop stars. They were a bashful bunch but every now and again they would peek into the kitchen at the Arco Arena, flash a pearly white smile and state “Chef, cook us some food from home”.  NBA players are often misunderstood when it comes to food. People think they eat plentiful and heartily. No doubt they eat mightily but healthy is the key to these athletes game winning performance. Soul Food itself is often misunderstood.

Soul Food encompasses recipes of the slavery era with a selection of foods traditionally found in the cuisine of African Americans and is an important part of the cuisines of the American south. Vegetables, breads, grains and livestock are the heart of true Soul Food.

As we approach the beginning of Black History month, honoring historical African Americans can be both educational and delicious. Living here in the heart of the south the availability of the key ingredients that are the basis of Soul Food affords us the opportunity to create quick simple and delicious recipes to share with friends and family.

Get inspired with a few Soul Food menu basics:

Boil a pot of Black Eyed Peas with sliced jalapenos, chopped sweet onions and bacon.

Fry up a batch of Okra Cornmeal Bacon and Vidalia Onion Fritters and you have magic in your kitchen.

Create delicious Collard Greens with country ham, bacon and chopped sweet onions.

Dried Red Beans cooked with Rice, celery, garlic, sweet green peppers, Andouille sausage and a dash of hot sauce provides just the right kick of Soul.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with cayenne pepper; seasoning salt, flour and paprika creates the perfect soulful recipe.

Fried Catfish lightly coated with garlic powder, salt, pepper and cracker meal is so simple and delicious.

Brown Sugar Mustard Rubbed Pulled Pork served with sweet hot & tangy Chow Chow relish.

Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread served with Molasses is the true taste of the South.

For the perfect ending to your Soul Food celebration bake a Sweet Potato Pie with cinnamon and ginger.

If you would rather get a dose of true Soul Food cooked by someone else, hop on over to Oga’s Home Cooking in Smyrna where you can experience first hand food cooked with LOVE and a big helping of SOUL!

Put your apron on, fire up the stove and you are on your way to the perfect meal of down home Southern cooking!

Embrace the history, enjoy the food and always remember Peace Love Food.