Sheppard's Pie, Lee's Retreat, Part II

I'm not sure if I said this in one of my first blogs or not, but this is definitely a learning experience.  Luckily I really enjoy learning.

So, how did my take on Lee's Retreat's "A Pub Above Sheppard's Pie" turn out?  I've been given the green light to make it again.  I do however, need to do some tweaking.

Overall, I would call this meal a success.  It was tasty.  Unfortunately, it was not as visually appealing as the dish I enjoyed at Lee's Retreat.  I was going to post a picture, but it looked like mashed potatoes with a side of dog food.  YIKES!  Luckily, it was pretty tasty.

I started with butter melting in my pot (the pot being big enough to hold all of the ingredients and fit nicely into my oven right from the stove).  Once the butter was melted, I softened some shallots without letting them turn too brown.  Then I mixed in just over a pound of lamb (in one inch cubes), thyme, and some salt and pepper.  I let the lamb brown slightly.  Then I added two potatoes finely chopped, enough Stonewall Stout to cover everything in the pot, and about a half of a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (because my Joy of Cooking cookbook recommended it).  That all went into the oven for about an hour.  After the hour, I added carrots and some heavy cream.  Everything went back into the oven for another 40 minutes.  Then I added corn and peas (not the kind I had at the restaurant) and let it warm in the oven for another 10 minutes.

I made mashed red bliss potatoes that were boiled along with three cloves of garlic. 

Once everything was on the plate, we were ready to eat.  I did not do the lollipop lamb chop... but I figured that was some what of a decorative piece.

So, why is this a learning experience?  I used the recipe from Joy of Cooking (mostly).  I substituted the Stonewall Stout in place of chicken stock.  I liked that flavor.  It was nice and rich.  I made a much smaller batch than the book called for, so I cut down the ingredients... however, I did not cut down the cooking time.  My lamb was a bit overcooked.  The book called for potatoes to be finely chopped and that they would dissolve during the cooking process and thicken the sauce... but they didn't.  I just had these fine bits of potato floating along with the lamb and vegetables.  I did not have any potatoes in the dish at the restaurant.  With that all said, my sauce was not very thick.  I think I should have skipped the potatoes and used a thickening agent like cornstarch or rue instead.  Also, I think I should have stirred in the corn and peas at almost the last minute.  They really did not need ten minutes of cooking time.  They seemed overcooked.

Learning experience.  But I am really excited to make this again, and hopefully soon.  One really nice thing is that this meal did not cost very much.  I got the lamb half price by shopping at Wegmans and searching for the little orange "Special Today" sticker.  I think I paid $5 or $6 for the pound of lamb.  I always have potatoes around the house and corn and peas in the freezer.  Carrots are pretty cheap when you buy them in the produce department. 

I recommend this to anyone, just make sure you keep an eye on the "doneness" of your lamb, and don't add the corn or peas too early.

Lee's Retreat at Blue and Gray Brewing Co., Part I

Just over a week ago, a few of my friends and I decided to try out Lee's Retreat at the Blue and Gray Brewing Co.  It was a special girls night to blow off some steam and forget all of our nursing school stress.  We had a blast.

The night started out at my house with a glass of Passion Fruit Lemonade iced tea... a special tea from a company called Tealightful.  (Highly recommended if you enjoy drinking loose leaf tea! Check out their website).  We headed out together to the restaurant.  One fun tidbit... in order to get from my house to the restaurant you need to drive on Rte 1, Rte 2 and Rte 3 (not quite in that order). 

The restaurant is located in a very interesting area.  It's located in an industrial center, very close to A. Smith Bowman Distillery.  There are also some pretty cool train cars that have been converted into a museum by some very dedicated volunteers.  It's just a short drive away from Downtown Fredericksburg. 

We started with appetizers.  Two of the girls love calamari, so we has some Coconut Calamari.  It was my first time ever trying the stuff.  I loved the taste of the batter, but I wasn't too keen on the texture of the fish itself.  Also, I really had trouble looking at the whole squid things.  This is a personal feeling, I think I'll skip that from now on...  but at least I can say I tried it.

Dinner time!  I ordered the "A Pub Above Sheppard's Pie."  It is made with a special lamb stew, served over red bliss mashed potatoes.  Check out this picture of how pretty it looked!  All I can say is AMAZING! 

Let me start with the stew.  It's a lamb stew made with the in house Stout beer.  Stonewall Stout is named for one of the famous Civil War Southern Generals.  He was killed here in Fredericksburg, by his own men.  His arm was amputated and rests today at one of the local historical homes, Elwood, on the Wilderness battlefield.  (That's enough civil war history... if you need to know the rest of the story, go to a library.  I'll spoil the end for you... we still have 50 states, so the North won).

Anyways... sorry for the tangent.  As I was saying, the lamb stew is made with Stonewall Stout, lamb, corn, carrots and what I think are snow peas.  The sauce of the stew had a nice rich flavor from the beer.  The corn added a touch of sweetness, as did the carrots.  The peas were really good as well.  I did eat some of them, but I did leave some on the plate as well.  The lamb was so tender and wonderful.  I could taste how all of the flavors were absorbed into the lamb.  I think that is why I like cooking with lamb, it's a great piece of meat that will pick up it's surrounding flavors.

The stew was served alongside a good helping of red bliss mashed potatoes.  I really enjoyed the mashed potatoes.  They had a wonderful flavor to them that was almost sweet.  I think I could taste garlic in them as well.

On top of the potatoes sat a marinated lollipop lamb chop. The marinade had a lot of flavor, salt, garlic and a few other spices.  It all went very well with the chop.  Unfortunately, the chop was a little overdone for my taste.  If you ever watch me eat a steak, you would swear it was never cooked.  I'm not that crazy with lamb, but I do like it more on the medium-rare side.  This one was definitely more to the medium-well to well side.  None the less, the flavor was still amazing and it was an artsy touch to the plate. 

To go along with my meal, I enjoyed a glass of Stonewall Stout.  The saying is correct, "I'd give my right arm for another Stonewall Stout."  I really enjoyed it.  I am a fan of stouts.  I've tried some really bad ones in the past, but this one is great.  It starts off a little bitter and then the taste matures in your mouth to a wonderful coffee flavor.  I almost think I can also get a hint of chocolate as the taste continues to mature.  It's a perfect combination.  (perhaps this is why I like sour patch kids as well... the bitter start, the yummy finish).

So, I recommend you do like my friends and I did, and visit lee's Retreat.  It was a nice retreat from the stress of nursing school for us, and can make a wonderful retreat for you.

Here's the website:  Lee's Retreat.  Here's the website for the Brewery: Blue and Gray Brewing Co.  Their address is: 3300 Dill Smith Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22408.  Phone: 540-371-7799.

Fish and Chips, Seasons Restaurant, Part II

Good Morning! I would just like to start out by saying: Dinner Rocked last night! 

But now I'll admit, it was not exactly how I planned it to turn out.  Read on... I'll explain.

I found a great recipe in the "Joy of Cooking" cookbook for the beer batter.  In the cook book, it is used for shrimp, but I figured it's really the same concept, minus the shell.  (Which, minus the shell is good for me, since I'm allergic to shell fish).  It involves flour, baking powder, salt, two eggs, milk, and of course: beer.  I used some Yuengling beer we had in the house... and since you only use 3/4 cup, I just had to finish what was left over.  I also added a bunch of spices to the batter to give it some heat, similar to what I could taste at Seasons.  I didn't have any Old Bay, but next time I make this, I'm gonna be sure to pick some up.

For the fish itself, I wandered over to my local grocery story (aka Wegmans), and inquired with the gentleman behind the fish counter, what would be the best to use.  Of the choices he had there, the cod made the most sense.  It was a white fish that would stand up well to the frying process and was sturdy enough to be cut up into slices.  I grabbed about a pound and was on my way.

Once home, I cut the fish into strips.  Here's where my dinner differed from the one I had at Seasons.  I did not cut my pieces into very small strips the way they did.  I really liked the way they did it, and next time I want to get a thinner piece of fish so I can do that.  My pieces turned out to be way too big, and we didn't end up eating all of the fish.  I guess I'll find out how it will taste as leftovers for lunch today.

The next process was to soak the fish pieces in the beer batter for a half hour.  During that time, the batter became nice and thick.  Each piece of fish was nicely coated when it came time to fry them.  While waiting during this soaking process, I decided to make my own fresh french fries... but I baked them in the oven rather than heating more oil (than the oil I was heating for the fish).  I do have a deep fryer, but I haven't used it yet.  I really should pull it out and try it some time.

The fries went into the oven as I poured vegetable oil into my electric skillet (which has it's own thermostat and would keep my oil at just the temperature I wanted it).  Once the oil reached 365 F, I let my preciously battered fish swim away!

Each piece fried for about two and a half minutes on each side, making sure the batter was yummy gold and delicious.  I then drained them on a plate lined with paper towels. 

The meal turned out to be a huge success.  I was complemented on my accomplishment with the batter sticking to the fish.  (We've tried this before, and we ate the batter as a side dish to the fish we cooked... not so good).  I added some spices to the fries before they went into the oven and they turned out spectacularly.  Slightly hot for my taste, but still wonderfully cooked. 

Overall, I'm excited about making this meal again.  The only problem I found, my house smells like the fish this morning.  The fish did not have an odor when I brought it home from the store, so I think it's just the natural "fish cooking" smell.  My mom's solution when she cooks food at home: burn a few candles for about an hour.  You know, it actually works.  Guess I need to find a few candles.

It was really nice to do a great job with dinner last night.  I'm in the middle of writing a big paper for school, so I was worried my heart might not be into cooking.  It was actually a really nice break and perked me up.  Then, after dinner I decided to give the paper a longer rest and joined some friends at a Civil War dance lesson.  It's ballroom dancing meets hoop skirts... except we don't actually have to dress in the civil war outfits.  It was great to expend some of that energy.

Today, after this is posted, it's back to writing my paper.  I really enjoy writing these blog entries better... plus, they involve food.  My paper, not so much.  :)

So, I encourage you to visit Seasons Restaurant in Williamsburg and try this dish.  Once you've done that, I encourage you to come home and make it for yourself.  Not counting the wait time on the batter, it was a quick meal to make. 

Just a quick editor's note, I'm slightly changing the way I name my blog entries to include the main dish.

Seasons Restaurant, Merchants Square Williamsburg, Part I

This is another dining experience that is over a month old.  On our first night in Williamsburg, we decided to eat at Seasons Restaurant and Tavern located on South Henry Street in the area known as Merchants Square at the far end of the Colonial Williamsburg historic district.  It was within walking distance of our hotel and there was a bus stop near by if we wanted to use Colonial Williamsburg's shuttle system.  (This system came in handy on the nights we had late programs, and by the end of the week when we just couldn't walk anymore).

The decor of the restaurant was unique.  Our table was on a "front porch."  The walkway sort of resembled a street, and then there was another "front porch" that was facing our way.  The doorway from our "front porch" lead into the bar area.  Another area looked like a large garden patio, with another area looking like a large dining room of a colonial home. 

I decided to enjoy a Season's Sangria, made with red wine, spirits, and fresh fruit and fruit juices.  It was really tasty, and probably a little dangerous because it didn't taste like there was any alcohol in it at all.  I did also have two glasses of water... we did spend the day walking around Historic Jamestowne and Jamestown Settlement.  Later that evening we were joining the Continental Army for a great evening program.  (I figured it would not be the best thing to enlist while under the influence).

For my meal, I enjoyed a very interesting take on Fish and Chips.  The french fries were lightly covered in a batter and then fried.  The batter was a very effective means to help hold the extra salt I applied.  Here's the interesting part:  rather than getting one large piece of fish... my fish was cut up almost like chicken fingers, and individually battered and fried.  The beer batter had a nice consistency and wonderful seasoning.  There was a kick of spice to it.  I think it was Old Bay seasoning.  The fish itself was nice and moist and flavorful as well.

We decided to skip dessert and instead enjoyed one more glass of water.

I really enjoyed this restaurant.  Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable.  He gave us some great tips about what to see and where to go while in Williamsburg.

You can visit Seasons Restaurant and Tavern's website to learn more, or just show up at 110 South Henry Street, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

I will be trying to make this meal tonight for dinner.  Wish me luck!

FOODE, Part II

When I think about a hamburger dinner, I think of two things.  First is the family trips to the fast food chain places.... I was a slow eater so all I ever heard was "EAT Rachel!"  I think I was also usually busy playing with my toy, the box, the crown, or trying to drink the ultra thick vanilla milk-shake (it's the finest of the flavors).  The second thought is of picnics and grilling out.  Those wonderful factory made frozen pucks of beef being tossed on the grill (hopefully they have been defrosted first).

I'm excited to say, that after trying the char-grilled burger at FOODE, and then making something very similar here, I actually like to eat hamburgers!

I started with some basic ground beef.  I have to admit, I bought the stuff at Wegmans with the little orange 'special today' sticker.  I think I've said this before, but Wegmans will put those stickers on products that are nearing the final days of being able to sell them.  The product is also usually marked down to about half price.  The quality is always still the best, and I think they make a habit of marking things down well before the end of the shelf-life.  I want to say the beef was 90% lean, but may have been as much as 95%.  (If I'm paying full price, I stick with the 80%.  I know it's not as healthy... but it is so much tastier!!!).

I decided to make the hamburgers about a half pound each.  I diced up some shallots, garlic, Parmesan cheese and some prosciutto.  Along with these ingredients I added Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.  They were formed onto perfectly shaped patties and lovingly placed onto a nice hot grill. 

I used kaiser rolls (also purchased from Wegmans).  They are a perfect size for a nice big burger.  I split them open and added them to the grill for a short while until they were nicely toasted to a sun kissed tan color.

Once the burgers came off the grill at a nice medium well doneness, they were dressed with sharp cheddar cheese, ketchup, Dijon mustard and mayo (my burger had a dill flavored mayo, the husband had chipotle mayo... inspiration from Capital Ale House).  One day, I'll add the lettuce and tomato.... maybe. ;)

I really enjoyed eating my hamburger.  Although, I'll admit that at a half pound, I did not finish the entire thing, so my dog Fred also enjoyed it.  I think it was flavored differently than when I had it at FOODE, but it was because of my dining experience there that I decided to try fresh made hamburgers at home.  It did not take very long to make the patty, in fact, it was shorter than waiting for it to defrost.  I always forget to take things out of the freezer before I leave the house in the morning (which reminds me, I need to take dinner for tonight out).  Also, when you make your own patty, you can control the ingredients you use, the taste, and the size.  It was a lot of fun to make.  I think that will become a regular on my monthly list of meals. 

FOODE, Part I

Almost a month ago, I decided to take a "me" day.  Classes were starting soon, so why not.  I decided to head into Downtown Fredericksburg.  I only live five minutes away, but I find that I spend so little time down there.  Ok, so usually when I go down there it's for dinner at Capital Ale House and a trip to our favorite wine store The Virginia Wine Experience.  (It's a really awesome place, and Edwin is amazing at picking out wines that would go great with anything we might be serving for dinner.  Plus, he's getting to know us, and the types of wine we like, so he's got recommendations for us as we are turning the doorknob to the store.)  Other than that, our days downtown are usually limited to weekends or holidays, or the random day off when family might be in town.  When I was working it was hard because everything would be closed by the time I got off of work.  So, now I don't have quite the excuse and was excited to be able to spend the day. 

When I first started this blog, I asked for some recommendations on facebook for where I should go.  One of my classmates had listed FOODE.  As I drove downtown, I thought I just might go there.  There's a few other places I want to try as well, so at that point I was leaving my options open.  I was excited to find a parking spot on the street (although that meant I only had two hours to have fun, before I'd either have to move my car to a new spot, or pay a parking ticket).  I began my shopping at a new store in the corner shop of the new Courtyard Marriott.  It's called The Frenchman's Corner.  They have a wonderful selection of specialty chocolate, as well as a number of tea supplies and other specialty food items.  I really enjoyed looking around and talking with the owner.  She used to teach cooking lessons, but retired because it was hard to find fresh products... that was just a few months before Wegmans opened.  (Gotta love Wegmans!!).  I decided to ask her thoughts for lunch and right away she recommended FOODE.  Ok, there's two votes for the place.  I continued shopping as I walked toward the restaurant and got three more recommendations.  I'm sold.  Let's go.

I remember going to this particular location when it was a "garden" shop.  The storekeepers sold plant like things, and I think I saw a pack of seeds for a flower in there once.  So, I am excited that the storefront has a new life.  The "storefront" is actually not on the street, you have to walk through this really cute little patio archway which now has seating for the restaurant.  I was in love... a cute little spot.  Then you walk into the restaurant proper and place your order at the cash register, and then find a seat.  It was a pretty busy day, so I found an open seat at a long table where a few other single diners were sitting.  I should add that the place was pretty busy considering it was almost 1:30 when I walked in... and it stayed busy the entire time I was there.

After a short wait, my food was delivered by a very friendly waiter.  In the interest of time, I went with a char-grilled burger: (description from their menu on line) all-natural, grass-fed, hormone free beef*, bacon aioli, organic lettuces, sharp cheddar. served on a toasted bun with a side of FOODĒ fries.  The toasted bun came from another bakery downtown - Eileen's.  If you are a regular reader... you know I skipped the veggies. 

The presentation was unique.  The top bun was upside down... I thought about leaving it this way to eat, but in the end flipped it over.  The burger was juicy and flavorful.  The sharp cheddar was great.  I'm not a huge fan of eating hamburgers at restaurants, but I'm so happy I ordered this meal.  I loved every bite!  Even better were the fries.  They were just like the fries my mother makes at home.  Totally fresh, real potatoes!!!!!!!  Fried to a perfect golden brown color with a nice soft middle.  (Here's where my Dad would say... Mom's would be just a bit darker... like burnt brown).  To wash my meal down, I enjoyed a handcrafted root beer made by Maine Root.  It was pretty good, but I think I liked the Chowning's Tavern Root Beer in Williamsburg better.

So, I highly recommend this establishment.  I'm hoping to get there for dinner in the near future.  As you'll see in a little while, I had fun making hamburgers one evening to make a meal similar to this.

If you would like to check out FOODE, visit their website at www.foodeonline.com or go to the restaurant in person (which makes it easier to eat the food).  It's located at 1006 Caroline Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 (540)479-1370.

Even better... if you want to go for dinner, let me know! 

Blackstone Coffee, Part II

Breakfast has to be my favorite meal!  If I have a chance to make something, I usually pick eggs.  Today, I had some time before heading out to one of our local amusement parks (King's Dominion).  I decided to re-create my breakfast at Blackstone Coffee. 

I was smart...  I did my weekend grocery shopping this morning.  I picked up two croissants and the eggs.  I had bacon and sharp cheddar cheese at home.  Once I got home, I convinced Darryl that we needed to have a good breakfast before heading out to the amusement park. 

I fried up two pieces of bacon to what I like to consider perfection... that is with some fat still soft and white, and the meat cooked but not crisp.  While that was frying, I scrambled four eggs with some fresh ground pepper, salt, and a few spices I had laying around.  (Sage goes very well with eggs, and I have a forest of it growing in my garden).  Once the bacon was done, I drained off most of the grease and then fried the eggs in the same pan.  I was careful to leave the eggs as attached as possible.  I figured that if my scrambled eggs looked a little more like an omelet vs. a lot of little pieces of scrambled egg, it would stay on the sandwich better.  As they were just about done, I placed a slice of cheese on top and let it melt a bit.  Final assembly was pretty easy (thanks to leaving the eggs look like an omelet). 

The taste?  It was out of this world!  Now, if you read my Part I blog, you know that the coffeehouse used pre-cooked eggs.  Freshly made eggs will almost always top pre-cooked eggs.  I say almost always because burnt eggs are just gross. 

Was my sandwich better?  Yes, and no.  Yes: the taste was out of this world... I think I'm going to make it again tomorrow, which means another run to Wegmans in the morning.  So, why the no?  The only days I have the time to make this sandwich are when I don't have class or something else going on first thing in the morning.  On those mornings I'm lucky to drink a breakfast shake or maybe even get a quick bowl of cereal in.  On those mornings, it would be much easier to buy this sandwich out at a place like Blackstone Coffee.  I hear the little shop on campus makes a good breakfast sandwich too.  Outside of the pre-cooked eggs, the sandwich at Blackstone Coffee was amazing... I would sacrifice the fresh cooked eggs for the convenience any time... as long as I don't have the time to make it at home. 

Moral of my story... if you have time to make this great sandwich at home... go for it.  If you don't, definitely try the one at Blackstone Coffee. 


Thanks for reading!

Blackstone Coffee, Part I

Nursing School has kept me busy since late August (even though we had "Quake Break" for a week, we still had assignments to work on)... and will keep me very busy for the next couple of weeks.  With that in mind, I didn't want to just let my blog sit on the back burner, like giblets simmering away on Thanksgiving.  Instead, I decided to combine school and the blog by visiting a coffee house and enjoying some food while consuming endless knowledge from my Pediatric Nursing text book.  Who knew that the growth of an infant was so complex?

Today, I decided to pack up my books and head around the corner to Blackstone Coffee.  This was not my first visit here, in fact, I met the owner while I was still promoting tourism for a local government.  Don and Paula Merritt are wonderful people... the kind of people you want owning and operating a local gathering place.

You can visit Blackstone Coffee's website to learn all about their history, or their Facebook page to check out all the cool things going on. 

Blackstone Coffee started out in the outskirts of Fredericksburg, (not quite in the City proper) with a really tiny shop and a great roasting operation.  Today, that location is still used to roast all of the coffee beans they serve and sell in their new cafe in Eagle Village, just across from the University of Mary Washington campus in the City of Fredericksburg.  The new cafe has plenty of seating for groups to meet, students to study, and live music performances.  You can purchase coffee beans or ground coffee to make at home, as well as a great deal of beverage options to enjoy in the cafe.  There are also a number of food options from special New York City bagels, quiches, pastries, desserts, sandwiches, soup..... all made by Chef Elan.  Future plans include adding a wine bar and related food.

Today was a nice break from the stress of school.  My fellow classmates can agree that this week back from "quake break" has been a bit stressful with skills check-offs, tests and quizzes.  It was nice to know that today, all I had to do was study.

To make the studying more enjoyable, I stopped in at Blackstone and ordered a breakfast sandwich and a medium roasted coffee.  My breakfast sandwich consisted of eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese, served on a toasted croissant.  I really enjoyed it.  The only time I ever splurge and eat breakfast outside of my house is when we are driving somewhere and stop at a Sheetz gas station for food.  (Don't get me wrong, Sheetz is pretty good at making fast food... better than most of the fast food options out there).  Eating at Blackstone was a real treat.  I could taste the freshness in the croissant.  The cheese was a much better grade of cheese, and my bacon was cooked to perfection, not a crumbly mess.  The eggs were better than fast food restaurants, but you can tell they are pre-cooked eggs.  At the same time, usually when places use pre-cooked eggs, they destroy them in the microwave.  My eggs were perfect!  Still nicely moist.  Overall, I really enjoyed my breakfast.  I don't think I could enjoy it more here at home... especially because I'll have to do so much work... mess up some dishes, actually cook the food, and then clean up my plates afterwords.  I will still make it here at home, but for this meal, it will be better enjoyed at Blackstone. 

I can't wait to go back... and maybe next time I'll get dessert for breakfast. 

Thank you for reading!