Poutine was not the answer

We traveled yesterday from Connecticut to Levis, Quebec Canada. It is a VERY long day. We were tired and hungry. I gave into to Canadian fast food temptation, I had poutine!! 

What is poutine you ask, it is French fries with gravy and cheese curds. I got mine at a  St.Hubert Express which is a fast food restaurant. They do offer broasted chicken which Al got which is quite delicious but I was craving gravy fries. 

I was not really satisfied with this version since the fries were just so-so, I want real French fries which are so easy to find in Quebec and these were frozen . I also got crispy chicken on top which was in fact, the best part of the dish. 

Delicious Strawberry rhubarb galette

What is a galette you ask? It is a rustic one-crust pie and you can use the pie crust that you find in the dairy case, it works great. Strawberry rhubarb is a popular combination for pies and galettes as well. 

Finding rhubarb can be hard. At some times of the year, it is still available at farm stands and I found some at Stop and Shop in East Hampton. Mine met with an accident this year, usually, I grow my own. In Florida, I found it frozen.

Begin by turning your oven on to 375 degrees.

Take the pie crust out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature. 

For the filling you need:

2 cups chopped strawberries 
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 teaspoon orange rind/peel
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. Make sure the sugar and the flour are well incorporated. 

Place the pie crust in a pie plate or like me a square stone pan. place the filling in the center and crimp the edges to make the rustic look. 

Bake for 50 minutes. I just use timed bake so if I am out of the room the stove will turn off automatically.

I ate this strawberry rhubarb galette plain but ice cream or whipped cream would be nice. 

In the pictures, I only used one cup of each fruit and the rest of the ingredients were adjusted to match. I felt it could have used more fruit which is why I adjusted the recipe to reflect that.

Country Cafe Hamlin, Pa.

We have been waiting for this restaurant to reopen for quite some time. It had been months since we have been down to our cottage in Mount Cobb, Pa so I can't tell you when exactly Country Cafe opened but when we went last week, it had a name and was open. 

We decided to go there for lunch. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We had no idea what to expect. This location seems to be the kiss of death to restaurants and has several different incarnations since we bought the cottage 14 years ago. It is the closest place to eat so we do have a vested interest in it being open and serving good food. 

The interior is very much the same as it was in its last incarnation. The exterior has been updated. We were seated quickly, it was quiet since it was still pretty early for lunch. 

I ordered chili and gravy fries. Al had a hot roast beef sandwich with mushrooms on it. 

The chili was delicious and clearly homemade and best of all the French fries were real, not frozen. I think I have have been clear about how I feel about "fresh cut fries" which I suspect is a brand name and are obviously frozen!!

Al loved his sandwich and it so so generous that he ate half for lunch and brought home half for dinner. 

Prices were very reasonable and I have a feeling this is going to become one of our go-to restaurants in the area. 

Red's Restaurant Hernando Florida

If you happen to be in Hernando, Florida at breakfast or lunchtime there is only one place to go to eat, Red’s. It is not literally the only place to dine in town but it certainly is a popular choice. You can expect to find a waiting line of people on almost any day of the week. While we didn’t find a line out the door the morning we were there, there were people waiting inside for an available table.

The clientele at Red's Restaurant is eclectic. You are just as likely to see tables full of bikers as you are to see families, seniors and yuppies. This restaurant has a sort of rustic family appeal that everyone enjoys. The décor is simple with wood tables and the food is plentiful and unpretentious. Not that the food is bland mind you, there are plenty of unexpected surprises in the pages of their menu.

We waited patiently for our table and my brother and sister-in-law assured us that the wait was worth it. This is their favorite breakfast location and as it turns out now, is located quite close to where we purchased our new vacation home in Florida. While it wasn’t the reason we purchased there, it certainly is a pleasant perk.


One of Red's Restaurant specialties is their French toast with orange zest. Wanting to try something that they are known for, I gave them a try. The portion was huge and the French toast was good. The special ones are made from Challah bread and drizzled with honey and orange zest and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. If you opted for the regular French toast, they come with bacon or sausage and potatoes or grits. As you can imagine, it was quite a plate of food. I added an order of bacon to my breakfast and it was thick cut and cooked to perfection.

My husband ordered one of their overstuffed omelets. It was cheese and had cheese not only inside but on the outside and the rest of his plate was filled with potatoes. It was a huge portion. The in-laws had fried eggs that came cooked exactly as requested; again the plate was filled with home fried red potatoes.


Our waitress was very busy so had little time to socialize but we never felt neglected and coffee cups were kept filled. I would rate this a very satisfactory experience and since I noticed that they have homemade soup daily, I would like to come back and try lunch. Red's Restaurant is only open until 2 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.

My attempt at potato salad

I don't make potato salad. Al doesn't eat it so it is not something I ever attempt. I like potato salad so when Steve asked me to bring some for the 4th of July picnic at his house I reluctantly agreed to give it a try. 

I bought white potatoes. Usually I like red potatoes, the skins would be more attractive in my opinion, but white ones looked better at the store. 

I boiled 6 potatoes with the skins on and 3 eggs. I boiled them all together. 

It took about 40 minutes for the potatoes to cook. I placed the potatoes and the eggs in a colander and rinsed with cold water until I could handle them. 

I then pealed the eggs and cubed them and cubed the potatoes. I chopped two stalks of celery and half of a Vidalia onion. 

How much mayonnaise you add will depend on personal taste. I didn't measure, I just scooped it into the bowl until it looked correct. I am guessing about a cup. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

I just have to say, for someone who never makes potato salad I did a pretty darn good job It is delicious and I have been enjoying it. 

Strawberry rhubarb crisp

I love anything strawberry rhubarb. I went looking for recipes that might give me a delicious result and I decided on Ina Gartner's recipe on the Food Network. I made a couple of adjustments to the recipe to make it my own.

I went to the local farm stand in Glastonbury to buy fresh local rhubarb and strawberries. 

Set oven to 350 degrees. I used a 9 by 9 stone baking dish. I want to point out this the recipe says 25 minute prep time. It took me more than 45 minutes of prep so I guess I am just slow. 

What you need:

Fruit

4 cups rhubarb cut into small pieces

4 cups fresh strawberries cut in half

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoon orange zest ( I used Penzey orange peel)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cup orange juice ( I used Paul Newman pink lemonade)

Crisp

¼ cup white sugar

12 tablespoons cold butter ( I used Kerry Gold) cut into cubes

1 cup flour

½ cup light brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup quick cook oats ( I used Stop and Shop brand)

Prepare the strawberry and rhubarb and place in a large bowl.( I actually used a glass baking dish)  Add the sugar and orange peel. Whisk the corn starch and the lemonade until it is smooth and add to the fruit mixture. Place in the stone baking dish. 

I used my stand mixer for the crisp. 

Add all the ingredients to the mixer bowl and use the paddle to mix it. It should be well mixed and crumbly after a few minutes. Add it to the top of the fruit. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the baking dish on it and place in oven. Bake for one hour. I always set my oven to turn off in an hour, this way if I am busy elsewhere it will turn off automatically.

We did not serve it with anything but whipped cream or ice cream would be nice. We loved this and ate it to the very last drop. 

Attempting to recreate Mom's coleslaw dressing

My mother made the best coleslaw dressing in the world. I grew up on her dressing and none I have ever tasted comes close to being as good as her's. 

My mom always cut her cabbage herself and grated the carrots. I buy the prepared bag but since the dressing is the important part, I am not feeling guilty about the shortcut. 

I looked at a bunch of recipes online to get one that seemed to be similar. I knew she used mayonnaise and vinegar. Sugar was also added. Horseradish is what gave hers the zing. 

After trial and error I came up with this dressing which is close, but still can't compare to the one of my memory. 

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons of horseradish

Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk. Taste. Adjust for your own tastes. Put in a glass jar and shake. You can now store this for a day or two use it right away. 

I sprinkled sugar on the salad and added a little extra horseradish when I actually put it all together and it was really pretty good!!