Chesapeake Home

Thawing out? Every one I talk to is either recovering from damage to their homes and gardens caused by this season’s 3 blizzards or still waiting for the snow to thaw and reveal shrubs with broken limbs.  Fortunately for me, I am in the middle of a new landscaping project and most of my old shrubs and trees were removed last fall, leaving my yard a fairly clean slate.  Still much of what remained got fairly beat up by the weight of the snow.  I still can’t tell the state of my privet hedge, but a magnolia and a holly both lost big branches, an aucuba got flattened, and the branches of a newly transplanted burning bush were broken to the ground.  A group of azeleas are still buried, so we shall see.  To help sort out what steps to take next when assessing landcape damage, Homestead Gardens’ Education Coordinator Gene Sumi offers some tips and suggests what you can do to make it better.  Check out Gene’s Tips HERE!

Alexa Hampton's Truman Sofa for Hickory Chair

Upon returning from a recent trip to home furnishings Mecca, High Point, North Carolina, our friends Erin Olexia, Kim Mohr, and Wesley H. Thompson of Dream House Studios in Annapolis offered a gallery of their favorite new pieces.

One highlight of the trip was the introduction of Thom Filicia’s new line with Vanguard.  The trio really loved his modern pieces, especially the Mandana Dining Table and the Greek Peak Side Chairs in bright yellow!  Of note, Filicia introduced oak back into the design world in a fresh and clean way; he mixed it with leather and metal accents.

Another Dreamhouse favorite was Hickory Chair!  New, notable designs include the Truman Sofa, which can be made up to 120 inches long and the Grant Chair, which sports a a horseshoe shaped back and a swirl of grain mahogany that wraps around half of the chair and is trimmed with nail head trim.

We love the Truman sofa! Thanks, Dream House Studios for checking in.

Moving Art from Media Decor

Sometime in 2001 or 2002 I first encountered the “flat screen TV disguised as art” trend on a trip to the spring High Point show.  I wasn’t overly impressed with the “art” being offered.  Nearly a decade later, I run across these versions from Media Decor: Moving Art on Canvas, Mirrors, and Art Lift systems that either have artwork that slides inside the top of the unit when the TV is turned on, a mirror system that disappears for viewing, or framed art that lifts up above the TV.

Available with over 2,500 works of art that can be framed in over 500 frame styles ranging from traditional to contemporary, Media Decor offers beautiful solutions to that black box hanging on your wall.

Art Lift from Media Decor

And if none of the 2,500-plus works of art available through Media Decor work for you, you can even provide your own painting or photography.

Media Decor products are available locally through such companies as Aegis Technologies, Creative Works, LLC, Starr Systems Design, and Executive 411.

For more information and additional retailers contact Media Decor at 954-524-1104 or visit mediadecor.com.

Still making plans for your holiday get-together? Want some festive new cocktail recipes to try out when friends pop in uninvited to spread some seasonal cheer? Or maybe you’re just an enthusiastic home mixologist with a not-so-secret desire to be on the cusp of the next “cosmopolitan.” Whatever your reason, these new drink recipes from Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey and mixologist Victoria D’Amato Moran for Midori Melon Liqueur just might be a good way to take over where candy canes and cookies leave off. Right now my home bar is lacking the variety of ingredients, but the Tullamore Toddy sounds like something I’m going to have to try. Check out the recipes below. And if you try them, let me know what you think.

Midori Merry Berry Bowl (Created by Victoria D’Amato Moran)
1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
½ oz Flor de Cana Rum Platino
½ oz Pear Liqueur
1 oz Pear Juice
1 oz White Cranberry
*This recipe makes 1 serving
To make a punch Bowl: multiply this recipe by 8. Add the liquids, then add cranberries, pear slices, pierced with cloves, 2 cinnamon sticks and winter melon balls. May also add Champagne, Prosecco, or sparkling water.

Midori Peppermint Kiss (Created by Victoria D’Amato Moran)
1 oz Midori Melon Liqueur
1 oz Skyy Vodka
3 oz Pineapple juice
¼ oz fresh lemon juice
¼ oz Peppermint Schnapps
6 Basil Leaves, gently torn in half ( to release oils)
In a chilled shaker glass, add all the above ingredients. Add ice, shake for 15 seconds, strain into a Collins glass. Garnish with a basil leaf and one raspberry sitting in front of basil in glass.

Tully-Tini (Created by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey)
1.5 oz of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
5 oz of Sour Apple Liqueur
3 oz of Cranberry Juice
Shake over ice and serve in a martini glass

Tullamore Toddy (hot) (Created by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
3 pieces Cardamon
2 pieces Anise
1 tablespoon Allspice
1 very small Vanilla Stick (or half a large one)
Heat brown sugar and water to a simmer, add spices. When adding vanilla pod, cut down the middle and scrape out the insides into the pot. When this “Toddy Mix” is done, mix 1 ½ oz of it with 1 ½ oz of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey. Garnish with a lemon peel or cinnamon stick.

Admit it: there are some spaces in your house that would be vastly improved with the professional touch of an interior designer…but, maybe you’re just not that “jump head-first into something” kind of gal. (Or guy!)

Lucky for you, the Washington Design Center has unveiled a new Consumer Buying Service that grants what director of marketing Mitchell Ammons calls “an exclusive insider purchasing opportunity:” a free, hour-long consultation with a design professional.

That’s right. This is your chance to get your hands on exclusive to-the-trade items in the Design Center showrooms. And, you can use your hour to do just about anything, from reviewing floor plans to asking color, application, and proportion questions of an industry pro.

For further info or to schedule your appointment, go to dcdesigncenter.com.

Earlier this summer I shared some tips for creating summer a summer cheese plate from Carolyn Stromberg, the DC region’s only full-time Maitre d’Fromage (expert on the complexities of fine cheese, its flavors, textures, heritages, aging processes, and wine mates). The  post was well-read so I thought I’d follow up with more tips from Carolyn–this time for fall cheese plates.

Autumn’s crisp temperatures, colorful harvests and cozy gatherings call for cheeses with warm, rich, savory flavors and luxurious mouth feel.  Here are Carolyn’s suggestions for a fine European cheese plate:

• Aged sheep’s milk cheeses from the Pyrenees region are perfect autumn selections.  From the French-Spanish border comes Roncal (the first name-protected cheese of Spain), an innovative cheese that is both rich and piquant.  Manchego cheese from Spain’s LaMancha region features notes of nuts and olives.   A third option is Abbaye de Belloc, produced by Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc in France.  It is a classic: smooth, semi-firm, and tangy.
• Certain cow’s milk cheeses are also good choices.  Tomme de Savoie is a semi-soft to firm cheese from the Alps that is both earthy and nutty.  Carolyn notes that she has never met a person who doesn’t like this cheese, so less adventurous guests are sure to find it appealing.
• British Cheddar is also a fun choice.  In contrast to American Cheddar, it’s both fruity and sharp.

For the Mid-Atlantic locavore (someone who prefers food grown or produced locally) Carolyn suggests the following:

• Everona Marble, from Dr. Pat Elliott’s Everona Dairy in Rapidan, Virginia.  It’s rich and fruity, with an ash layer running through the middle.
• Chapelle’s, from Chapel’s Country Creamery in Easton, Maryland.  Similar to Tomme de Savoie and thus universally appealing, it is earthy, mushroomy and milky all at once.
• Also similar to Tomme de Savoie, is another locale favorite–Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy in Galax, Virginia. It is rich, savory and sweet.

Each of these cheeses, whether European or local, is best paired with a wine varietal that will complement its richness:  merlot, pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. And, fall fruits add the perfect balance, including: apples of almost any kind, Asian or Bartlett pears and grapes.  If serving with apples, either green or red will do, so long as they’re big, plump, juicy and seedless (to avoid a tannic flavor).

If you lack the time or inclination to track down all these wines and cheeses, you could alternatively just visit Carolyn at the Old Hickory Steakhouse at Gaylord National Resort—her ever-changing variety of more than two dozen artisanal cheeses is painstakingly nurtured in the restaurant’s own cheese cave.

For more tips from Carolyn about buying and serving cheese (no matter what the season) follow the LINK to my earlier post.

For more information about Carolyn Stromberg, the Old Hickory Steakhouse, or the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, visit gaylordnational.com

Picasso's 1951 Owl Vase

Anyone else been seeing owls everywhere lately? Laden with symbolism since the days of Greek Mythology, owl accessories and décor have fallen in and out of style experiencing a heyday last in the 50s, 60s, and 70s precipitated perhaps with Picasso’s famous 1951 owl vase and Danish Modern representations making their way to living rooms throughout the United States.  By the 1980’s owls were passé, but today contemporary and retro approaches to re-establishing this iconic form abound.

Check out our Gallery of owl accessories and decor from Anthropologie, Pier 1, Oly Studio, West Elm, and Gore Dean. Click Here to View the Gallery, and let us know what trends you’ve been tracking!

With all the benefits of city living – our focus in the latest issue of ChesapeakeHome – there is one minor downfall that most urbanites would agree upon: not enough space! Luckily, furniture retailers like Arhaus have taken notice and expanded their collections to include stylish seating on a smaller scale.

Giles

“Newer styles fit into any size space…specifically smaller rooms that are more challenging to furnish,” says Gary Babcock, Arhaus’ vice president of fashion and merchandising.

For the modern client, the Giles chair has a tub seat and is detailed with antique brass nailheads, offsetting the bold, culinarily-inspired color options like avocado and tomato.

Alex

For more traditional tastes, the Alex chair is another option. Inspired by the club chairs in early 20th century Parisian cigar shops, the high-backed chair has flared arms and tapered legs, making it a shapely new addition to any room.

And finally, for what Babcock calls “a fun, but functional piece,” try the Casama – a slipper chair outfitted in one-of-a-kind fabrics, like the ‘hair on hide’ option named ‘Galveston.’ “It’s not only an accent piece,” promises Babcock, “it’s a conversation starter.”

Casama 'Galveston'

Check out these pint-sized new offerings at one of two Maryland locations, or at arhaus.com

Carolyn Stromberg, the DC region’s only full-time Maitre d’Fromage (expert on the complexities of fine cheese, its flavors, textures, heritages, aging processes, and wine mates) recently offered ChesapeakeHome some suggestions for summer cheese plates.  A sucker for great cheese (and wine), I couldn’t resist sharing her ideas. Of course if you don’t want to go through the trouble of tracking down all of the different varieties she recommends, you can visit her at the Old Hickory Steakhouse at Gaylord National Resort and enjoy her selections—an ever-changing variety of more than two dozen artisanal cheeses, painstakingly nurtured in the restaurant’s own cheese cave.

Here are Carolyn’s tips for assembling the perfect summer cheese plate:

• If you plan to serve wine with your cheese, you should select the wine first, then the cheeses.  For summer, lighter wines are de rigeur: Sauvignon blanc or a sparkling wine are perfect.  For example, a rich and creamy triple-crème like Brillat-Savarin will pair perfectly with a light and sparkly dry champagne.  Or, try pairing one wine with five cheeses, or five wines and five cheeses.
• Goat and young sheep milk cheeses are at their peak in the summer.  Select a soft goat cheese such as Valençay from the Loire Valley, which has an ashed rind; a young goat’s milk cheese; or a blend of goat, sheep and cow milk like La Tur.
• A bleu cheese can also be a great choice, as some bleus lean toward flavors that are bright, clean and citrusy. One of my favorites is Black River Blue from Wisconsin.
• Aged cheeses are refreshing in summertime as well.  Try Garrotxa, from the Basque region of Spain.  An aged goat’s milk cheese, its flavor is mellow, nutty and approachable.  Another is Pecorino Ginepro, an aged sheep’s milk cheese from Italy with bright, tangy flavors that is soaked in crushed juniper berries and balsamic vinegar.

General tips Carolyn suggests for buying and serving cheese (no matter what the season):

• Ask the cheesemonger at your cheese shop, farmer’s market, or web vendor for their personal recommendations.  Be sure to sample first if you can, and always eat what you like!
• Try a themed cheese plate. For example, you can select five types of goat cheese; samplings from different regions of France; or nouveau artisanal offerings of creative domestic cheeses rubbed with spices or herbs, such as coffee or lavender.
• Serve your soft cheese selections with a plain baguette or wafer-thin plain crackers.  Fruit (green apples, grapes, cherries, or plums) and nuts (Spanish marcona almonds, pecans or candied walnuts) are excellent accompaniments as well.
• If serving a rustic, informal cheese board from which guests serve themselves, each cheese should be served with its own knife to avoid mixing the flavors.  If presenting a more traditional, formal cheese plate to each guest, place the mildest cheese at the six o’clock position (closest to the bottom center) on the serving plate. Moving clockwise, the cheeses should progress from mildest to strongest.
• Don’t forget to give the cheese time to come to room temperature before serving.  Soft cheeses should be removed from the refrigerator half an hour before serving; hard cheeses an hour.

For more information about Carolyn Stromberg, the Old Hickory Steakhouse, or the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, visit gaylordnational.com

In our June/July issue, Baltimore restaurateur Tony Foreman wrote a piece for ChesapeakeHome on grilling. As if that weren’t enough to make my mouth start to water, around the same time, I received my monthly e-newsletter from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet with the headline: “Hot Off The Grill.” In this installment, Kalamazoo included several backyard barbecue recipes that looked so good, I went home and made them that weekend. Now that it’s Friday, I’m thinking about what I’ll be testing out tomorrow on the grill, and wanted to share two of the recipes from Kalamazoo that I tried. Talk about some crowd-pleasers…the aioli made me wonder how I’d used plain ol’ mayo for so long!

From kalamazoogourmet.com:

Heavenly Burgers
These burgers are so good, you won’t need condiments at the table. Ground round is joined by grilled Vidalia onions, fresh guacamole, Monterey jack cheese, a slice of tomato and grilled garlic buns for a perfect combination of flavors and textures.
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
8 golden hamburger buns, split
Hickory-smoked or alder-smoked salt
8 patties ground round, 85% lean, 1/2-pound each, 1-inch thick
2 Vidalia onions
3 avocados
2 limes
Small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
8 slices Monterey jack cheese
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch thick

Directions:
A couple of hours before cooking, crush the garlic cloves into about 1/2 cup of olive oil. Let sit at room temperature, stirring once or twice while the garlic infuses the oil.

Prepare the grill for direct cooking at 400°F to 500°F.
While the grill is heating, brush the garlic-infused olive oil onto the sliced sides of the hamburger buns and then sprinkle with salt.

Recess the centers of the ground round patties (see our tip on the perfect burger). Brush the patties on both sides with the remaining garlic-infused olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Slice the onions 3/4-inch-thick (see our tip on grilled onions) and sprinkle with salt.

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, working around and not cutting through the pit. Remove the pit and scoop out the meat into a large bowl. Mash them coarsely. Stir in the juice of 1 to 2 limes, the cilantro and salt to taste. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap down into the simple guacamole to keep oxygen out.
Place the onion slices on the grill in a cooler area of the direct grilling zone. Turn after about 7 minutes. Add the burgers directly over the hottest part of the fire after about 3 minutes more. If you have special requests for temperature, start well-done burgers earlier and medium-rare burgers later. For medium burgers, cook, turning once, for about 12 to 15 minutes total. When you turn the burgers over, top each with a couple rings of grilled onion and then add a slice of cheese to melt over the top.

As the burgers near completion, add the buns to the grill, cut-side-down. Cook until lightly toasted without drying the buns out. Remove the buns from the grill and spread the simple guacamole onto the bottom half of each. Transfer the cooked burgers to the buns on top of the guacamole. Add a slice of tomato and the top bun to each and serve.

Grill-Roasted French Fries with Avocado Aioli
What goes better with burgers than French fries? How about grill-roasted fries with avocado aioli? An aioli is a garlicky mayonnaise. In this recipe, fresh avocado takes the place of raw eggs to deliver the same texture with a whole new flavor.

Servings: 8
Ingredients:
8 large Yukon gold potatoes, cleaned, skin-on
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
2 avocados, pitted and skinned
3 cloves garlic
About 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions:
Prepare the grill for indirect cooking at 400°F.

While the grill is getting ready, slice the potatoes into 8 wedges each. Toss gently in a large bowl with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.

While the grill is heating, or while the potatoes are cooking, prepare the Avocado Aioli. Coarsely mash the avocados in a bowl and then transfer to a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice, and a few pinches of salt. Run the food processor until smooth. Then, with the food processor running, drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil until the mixture takes on a mayonnaise-like texture. Test for taste and add more lime juice and salt as needed. Transfer to a bowl and store in the refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed tightly into the surface of the aioli.
Place the potato slices on the grill in the indirect cooking zone. Cook, turning once, for about 25 minutes. Remove from the grill, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the Avocado Aioli for dipping.

Note: The fries can be reheated later over direct heat to make timing easier.

Text provided by Russ Faulk, Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. For more grilling recipes from Kalamazoo, go to kalamazoogourmet.com