Paella..in all it’s stages beachside at the Royal Solaris Los Cabo!
Chorizo,chicken, pork, shrimp, scallops,mussels,saffron,white wine,rice,peppers, onion, garlic…..
Bien Provecho!
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Beachside Paella
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Sansei sushiÂ
First night dinner on the isle hits all the right notes at Sansei Sushi Restaurant. Hawaiian Poke, Pink Cadillac roll, Sunonomo salad with octopus and shrimp, and Sansei Special roll….Uni for dessert. Mahalo!
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High “Steaks” at Red Rock
Having a blast with family in Las Vegas and livin’ large in Summerlin. An afternoon of gambling gave way to an awesome dinner at T-Bones at Red Rock Casino. The beautiful entryway belies the extravagance within!
A seafood tower of epic proportions whets our appetites for the main event.
Awesome!A 42 oz. bone-in T-bone steak a la Fred Flintstone is a real eye popper. OMG!
Roasted veggies and a wonderful bread basket with house made goodies enhance our experience. A big thank you to my dear cousin, Mike for showing us the real Vegas….. -
The Best of Cancun
In a country Americans call our neighbor, in a state with a funny name, in a city born out of tourism, I feel at home. I first visited Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico 34 (gulp) years ago as a college student. On my first visit there were two !! hotels on the beach along Blvd. Kukulcan. Yes. Cancun has grown into a world class tourism destination. Yes. Cancun has given birth to several nearby tourist destinations. Think Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, etc. Yes. Spring breakers love Cancun. But… the heart of Cancun is still here if you are willing to look past the touristy bits….
First, let me show you the wonderful skies and beaches….
From the flight into Cancun…
To the many faces of its autumn days…
To the locals…so eager to please and so willing to show their culture, often communicating in a language not even their own…
And finally… great success stories like that of my favorite restaurant in Cancun, La Habichuela (The Stringbean).. A 35 year old family run business that started in the old town (el Centro) and now has 3 branches including the original (which is STILL as fantastic and magical as it was 29 years ago on our honeymoon). The owners treat you like family and the garden dining is ultra special. And the food…Tableside prepared Caesar Salad…
Served with housemade baked breads and rolls (don’t miss the onion rolls!) and compound butters…
A palate cleanser between courses…
Shrimp “Steak”or Garlic Shrimp?
…or choose Chicken en Mole, Steak Tampiquena, Lobster in a Curry sauce, several selections of fresh fish and seafood prepared almost any way you choose including whole and served tableside. Not to mention the many Mayan inspired dishes and desserts…
Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico…….open wide and say …..Aaaaaah!!
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A Day Near the Water
A quick trip to the shore for an afternoon eating the great bounty of the Chesapeake. A great thing to do over the Memorial Day holiday. Bridge views get you in the mood….
The sailboats were out in force today!
Kent Narrows was our destination…actually Harris Crab House to be exact…
XL’s very nice. Boiled Shrimp very nice. Beers nice and cold.
Sandy Point Beach was a hotspot to tan and try out the fishing, too….
All in all a GREAT day!
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Keep it simple…
Spiced boiled peel and eat shrimp, a favorite salad, maybe a baked potato or baked sweet…. that’s the ticket for a warm spring night when I don’t really feel like cooking. The shrimp are made ahead so they have at least a couple hours to cool in the boiling liquid.
The BEST boil I’ve made to date includes the following spices:
2-3 bay leaves
1T mixed peppercorns
1t celery salt
1/8C + 1T Old Bay seasoning
1/2T Chili powder
Bring to boil in 1 and1/2 quarts water. Add 1lb. raw shrimp. Boil until shrimp are pink. Cool in the boiling liquid.
Enjoy with a light salad of lettuce, cubed avocado, sliced red onion and grapefruit segments. Dress with a vinaigrette made of evoo, lime juice, a splash of orange or grapefruit, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Fresh cracked pepper over the top is a must!
So nice, so light, so happy…
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Dim Sum for dinner? Why not?
There are no restaurants offering dim sum in Wilmington, North Carolina. When you’ve lived in southern California and D.C. you start to crave these wonderful little treats. Dim sum dishes literally “touch the heart” and are a true art, imported directly from China. I had a yearning today, so I decided to go Chinese for dinner. Slow cooked pork short ribs stewed in a black bean and garlic sauce. Baby bat choy stir fry with chili garlic paste. Shrimp har gow…(I cheated and bought them frozen at a nearby asian market). My craving has been satisfied ….. for now!
Chopsticks anyone?
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TGIF
A short day of work, a client who has lots of little chores to be accomplished before he returns home to Asia, lots of housework and not a lot of cooking. Once again I am relegated to hors d oeuvres instead of a full dinner. I throw together some little filo packages filled with a mushroom duxelles. I am feeling like an expert at making these little packages now. Layer, butter, layer, butter, layer, butter, filling, squeeze all ends together and twist and squeeze again. A little more butter on top to brown up nicely.
Shrimp and grits up next. Grits are a chefs best friend. They come together quickly and never disappoint! I use half milk and half salted water. I bring to a boil and add grits or cornmeal and whisk like crazy for about 1 minute. Then I add the good stuff: Grated cheddar, butter, crumbled bacon and pepper! I top the grits with shrimp sautéed in butter, hot sauce, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce.
and Worcestershire
TGIF indeed!
Betzabroad...My personal recipe for tasting our big, fat, wonderful world 