Category Archives: Food

Boiling Springs Tavern

Posted on by
Reply

photo 1

This past weekend my sister graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.On Saturday night my family and I went to the Boiling Springs Tavern for Dinner. Located about 10 minutes away from Carlisle Boiling Springs gets its name from the natural artesian wells that are located near the town. The largest of these springs is located right behind the Boiling Springs Tavern and is nicknamed the bubble.

The food at the Boiling Springs Tavern is very good and the service is even better. They focus on serving local fare and along with their daily menu rotate in daily specials. To start we ordered the seared tuna, smoked trout and salmon, baked oysters, and buffalo calamari. For being in the middle of Pennsylvania I was very impressed with how good the seared tuna turned out. The sliced it very thin and served it almost like sashimi with a pickled coleslaw. The smoked salmon and trout paired well with each other and were served with bread and various spreads and toppings. The baked oysters were topped with a small slice of smoked salmon and a dill cream. The baked oysters change daily but if the are as good as the ones we were served I would recommend ordering them.

After the appetizers we were served our soups or salads. The seafood bisque is absolutely delicious and I recommend ordering it. It is on the lighter side and will not fill you up like a chowder tends to do, which will allow you to enjoy your entrees.

I ordered the Stuffed Rainbow Trout special. It was a pan cooked rainbow trout stuffed with crab imperial. Everything was cooked to perfection and it tasted great. If I ever saw this on the menu again I would order it in a heart beat.

photo 3

My sister ordered an Asian inspired pork tenderloin. I did not get a chance to taste it but the presentation was impressive.

photo 2

If you every find yourself in the Carlisle area I recommend stopping by the Boiling Springs Tavern for lunch or Dinner.

 

Boiling Springs Tavern

Cantaloupe Sherbert

Posted on by
Reply

photo 4

With summer approaching I have been looking for a light refreshing dessert. I came across this recipe in cooking light magazine and gave it a try. This dessert is perfect for a hot day. It tastes like a cold sweet cantaloupe. When I first tried this sherbert I was surprised with how refreshing the sherbert turned out. This dessert will become a staple throughout the summer. Take advantage of the fresh cantaloupes at you local grocery store and give this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Sherbert

Bananas Foster

Posted on by
Reply

photo 4

As I said in the Mother’s Day dinner post I made Bananas Foster for dessert. This is the first time I have attempted this dish and was pleasantly surprised with how easy and delicious this dish turned out. Now I must warn everyone this is far from healthy and the recipe turns out a very rich product. I would recommend saving this dessert for special occasions. The flambe step also adds a bit of excitement to the presentation. Enjoy!

Bananas Foster

Mother’s Day Dinner

Posted on by
Reply

photo(46)

On Mother’s Day I cooked dinner for my family. The menu was made up of Fillet Mignon with the Guinness reduction, double stuffed potatoes with cheese and bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and oven roasted asparagus. Putting the meal together turned into a family effort with everyone pitching in on various parts of the meal. I’m getting closer and closer to perfecting the Guiness reduction and should have the final version of it nailed down in the next few attempts. With this attempt I was focusing on getting the right consistency to allow the sauce to grab onto the steak better. For dessert I made bananas foster. Now I am not a huge fan of cooked fruit and was surprised with how well it turned out. The bananas foster will be getting a dedicated post in the very near future. I hope all of you also had enjoyable Mother’s Days.

 

Grilled Honey BBQ Chicken Wings with Summer Spaghetti

Posted on by
Reply

photo 3 photo 2

With the nice weather we have been having I wanted to make use of the grill. This dinner combines one old favorite and one new favorite dish. My mom has made Summer Spaghetti my whole life and still makes it better than I have ever been able to. It is a great side dish to have throughout the summer. The honey bbq chicken wings have quickly become a summer favorite with my family. By cooking the wings over indirect heat they come out moist and tender and are healthier than frying chicken wings. The wings turn out best if you can marinate them overnight in hot sauce. Also cutting the wings into the drumstick and wing section can be time consuming. Get out there and grill and enjoy these two recipes!

Grilled Honey BBQ Chicken Wings

Summer Spaghetti

Brown Sugar and Chili Dusted Bacon

Posted on by
2

photo(45)

Firstly Happy Mother’s Day! I’m cooking dinner for everyone tonight but that is for a future post. The other night we grilled up some burgers and I decided to have some fun with the bacon. I have never baked bacon before but after making this recipe I have been converted. It is nowhere near as messy as pan frying bacon and the bacon turns out just as crispy. The clean up after is also a big plus. Cooking the bacon is simple, you preheat the oven to 375 F then bake it for 8 minutes a side. The brown sugar chili rub is very good, not over overpoweringly sweet and the subtle heat compliments the sweetness of the sugar and the saltiness of the bacon. If you are looking to spice up your bacon a bit give this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar and Chili Dusted Bacon

Butter Roasted Halibut

Posted on by
Reply

photo(44)

It is currently halibut season and I decided to take full advantage. Using the butter roasting technique I learned in the cooking class I made butter roasted halibut. The best part about butter roasting is that it keeps the fish moist. To make this dish the first thing you need to do is season your fish. I used kosher salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and dill. After seasoning the fist lightly sprinkle with canola or peanut oil, you need to use an oil that has a high smoking point. Next preheat the pan over high heat, then place a small amount of oil in the pan, enough to coat the pan. Place fish in pan and sear over high heat for 1 minute. Then turn down heat to medium high and cook until half way up the fish turns white. Flip the fist then add 3-4 Tbs of unsalted butter to pan. As the butter melts take a spoon and baste fish with butter for 3-4 minutes. With fish the cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the pieces, the ones I used were ~2 inches thick. Once fish is done remove from pan and place on plate, covering with tin foil. use leftover butter in pan to saute vegetables. Be sure to take full advantage of the halibut that is available now, it is a delicious fish. Enjoy!

New York Strip Steaks With Green Peppercorn Sauce

Posted on by
Reply

photo 5

So after eating the enchiladas I made on Cinco de Mayo for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the last few days I decided I needed a change for dinner tonight. I went to the grocery store after work and just wandered around until something struck me. I walked past the meat case and saw some beautiful looking New York Strip Steaks. I Then came up with the idea to pair the steaks with a simple green peppercorn sauce. The sauce itself is very simple and you make it like you would an other pan sauce. The recipe I came up with makes enough for roughly 3 steaks so if you are cooking for more people you may need to tweak the recipe a bit. you can find the recipe by following the link below. Enjoy!

Green Peppercorn Sauce

Chicken with Wheat Beer Honey Reduction

Posted on by
Reply

photo(43)

This dish is a very quick and easy chicken dish with a simple pan reduction. I used Double White from the Southampton Publick House to make the reduction. The wheat beer and honey pair well together and make the sauce’s consistency more of a glaze. From start to finish this meal takes about 30 minutes to prepare and uses ingredients that are staples in a pantry. If you do not have shallots you can substitute with onions. Give this recipe a shot and as always, Enjoy!

Chicken with Wheat Beer Honey Reduction

Garlic-Onion Stacks

Posted on by
1

photo

I wanted to make a new appetizer and saw this recipe on The Food Network. The onion stacks turned out alright I just do not think they are worth all the effort it takes to make this dish. You can find the recipe below. If you are a big garlic and onion lover you will enjoy this dish but again there is a lot of prep work and a lot of sitting time for this recipe. If you have the time try it out. Enjoy

Garlic-Onion Stacks