Author: tango449

Left Over Herbs

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How often has a recipe called for a few fresh herbs and after your trip to your market at least half left in the package destine to go stale? Use your left-over herbs to infuse and compound other ingredients. Place several Thyme or Rosemary sprigs into a bottle of olive oil to enhance flavor.

Drop a cinnamon stick into a bottle of Grade A maple syrup and in just days you have created a subtle savory flavor. Create your own steak butter by softening butter and whisking in any parsley, thyme, basil, rosemary, or all of them. Mix the butter and other ingredients, place on a piece of plastic wrap, roll up into roughly a 1-inch log and twist the ends closed. Place in the freezer and cut pieces as needed.

Types of Salt and How To Use Them

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Here is an excellent primer on the Types of Salt and How To Use Them from SAVORYsimple. Which salt should be used when? What exactly is kosher salt, and how is it different from table salt? Can you substitute one for the other?

Source: Types of Salt and How To Use Them

Anniversary Dinner at Lemaire

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Lemaire
101 West Franklin St. (Inside the Jefferson Hotel)
Richmond, VA 23220
804-649-4757
www.lemairerestaurant.com

American | $$$

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Located in the stately Jefferson Hotel, the dinning room with all it’s dark wood reminded me of the Edwardian Room at the Plaza Hotel in New York. A nice change from the modern era flashy noise enhancing decors of many restaurants.

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Whipped butter and home-made bread are a nice start.

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We started with this Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cake that was the best I have had. For a whole host of reasons it takes a good bit to get me to order seafood when I can’t see the sea from the restaurant. I am glad I ordered the crab cake, it was extraordinary. When I mentioned how good it was to the waiter he told me the chef adds a pureed scallop to each pound of crab. I asked the waiter 2 more times about this thinking I did not hear him correctly.

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When you order steak you get a serious knife. It really wasn’t necessary, the steak was so tender you could cut it with a butterfly.

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I enjoy a Sous Vide steak.The asparagus was perfect, just a little bit of crisp to it.

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My wife had the Pan Seared Rockfish. She really enjoyed it and said she would order it again.

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For my dessert I chose the Fluffernutter Candy Bar with a Brownie, Peanut Butter Marshmallow, and Salted Caramel Brittle. Chocolate and peanut butter, you can’t go wrong.

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My wife had the Peaches & Cream dessert. It is a light White Chocolate Cheesecake with Peaches and Hibiscus. She is not a big cheesecake fan but said this was one of her favorites.

The wait staff was excellent on par with what you would expect in a better restaurant. The noise level with low making it a pleasant romantic dinner.

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Consider arriving early for your reservation to take the opportunity to wander the beautifully restored 120 year old hotel.

Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Here is a nice recipe for Brioche Cinnamon Rolls from Alexandra’s Kitchen.

Source: Overnight Brioche Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mike Isabella’s Restaurant Group Is Closing

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Mike Isabella’s Restaurant Group Is Going Out of Business less than a year after a sexual harassment lawsuit rocked his restaurant empire. The once $40 million company will go out of business by Dec. 27.

Source: Mike Isabella’s Restaurant Group Is Going Out of Business

Jackpot, The Neighbors Have a Dinner Party

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We are blessed to have wonderful neighbors all around us. Right next door are the sweetest sisters from the Philippines who can cook traditional Philippine dishes like nobody’s business. Take a look…

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It was all so good…

French chef first woman to earn three Michelin stars in US

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French chef Dominique Crenn on Thursday became the first woman in the United States to earn three Michelin stars for her modernist San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn.

Source: French chef first woman to earn three Michelin stars in US

The Inside Story of Mike Isabella’s Fallen Empire

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Washingtonian Magazine has a great overview of the collapse of Mike Isabella’s restaurant group. A cautionary tale for chefs about how poor personal choices can destroy years of work.

“When Isabella Eatery opened, no one imagined it would close nine months later—and certainly not like this.”

Source: The Inside Story of Mike Isabella’s Fallen Empire

Lodge 10” Chicken Pan on Sale at Amazon

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The Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron (10-Inch) 3-Quart Deep Skillet, aka Chicken Pan, is on sale at Amazon for $20.95 down from it’s usual price of $29.99 most places. This pan sits on my stove with a glass lid 24/7. It is my go to pan for everything from sautéing to deep frying. It is one of the most versatile pans you can own.

Most Popular Instant Pot on Sale

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Amazon has just put the Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker on sale for $69.99 ahead of Black Friday. This Instant Pot also acts as a rice cooker, steamer, and slow cooker. With Prime free shipping this is the best deal we have seen.