Ah, the Bar! This one happens to be at Gilgamesh, Camden Lock, London, where Brenton and I took a small drop down champagne break after hours of scouring the market for unique finds. Success? Roger that!
At the Bar
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Category Archives: Travels
Ahhh…Primland, Entry #2
Back on Dry Land, Boots Already Off!
Through the brush and ferns to the River
Lawdy! Lawdy! My Fly-Fishing Experience! I’m not exactly the summertime outdoorsy type of gal. Actually, I LOATHE with capital letters, the hot, humid, bug and mosquito weather. sneeze. nose itch. YUK.period.YUK. But I found myself at this loveliest of lovely mountain retreats, Primland, a couple of weeks ago. And fly-fishing has been on my I Wanna Do This List (anyone have a better title…can’t stand “bucket list”!) for a while now. My dear friend Cindy, athletic beyond compare agreed to accompany me. So, posh resort…I envisioned the guide would just swoop us up in his snazzy SUV, drive us to the river’s edge, help us in to our waders, and walk us out to the fishing zone. WRONG!! Cindy and I buckled up with a happy ole guy who called himself Carl (complete with a bit of a mountainy twang) in an older than those hills rattle trap of a truck and forged on to unmarked territories and roads he created as he drove. And then came the hike, twice, as he took us to 2 spots on the River Dan! Up and down and around the banks, we finally reached the river, twice. Worth it you ask? Heck yea!! Fish caught? Hell No! Experience loved? Oh yea! Check!
In the Water!
My Man Carl
- Out of the River and Through the Woods…
Ahhh…Primland, Entry #1
View From our Mountain Home, Instagram
In my dreams I spent a month at Primland. In reality it was only four days. We immersed ourselves in as many activities as our occasionally achy bodies would allow. Karen, Jackie, and I treated ourselves to a private cooking experience in our Patrim home with Executive Chef Gunnar Thompson. My mouth is still watering. A calm and easy going sort, he had no idea what he was walking in to when he knocked on our door. An hour and a half of fun and banter later, we were great pals, and this is what we made with his astute guidance.
Great Grouper, Poor Photo!
Pan Roasted Grouper, Shrimp, and Asparagus Vin Blanc
For fish:
2 lbs grouper, or other meaty white fish
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 t salt
2 Tbs butter
2 sprigs thyme
Preheat oven to 350°.
In iron skillet heat canola oil until smoking hot.
Sprinkle grouper with salt.
Place fish pieces in oil.
Sear that side for 2 minutes.
Flip carefully with spatula.
Add fresh thyme and butter to skillet.
Place skillet in oven.
Cook fish 4 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness.
Remove from oven and let fish rest for 4 minutes.
Deliciousness and Beauty on an Ugly Mountain Lodge Stoneware Plate!
Place on platter or individual plates.
For Shrimp and Asparagus Vin Blanc:
16 medium shrimp, cleaned, shells reserved for homemade shrimp sauce
16 large asparagus, 4 inch tip section only
2 oz white wine
1/4 cup cream
2 cups shrimp broth
2 Tbs butter
In large skillet, heat butter over medium heat.
Add asparagus tips and shrimp.
Cook until shrimp begin to turn pink, 1 minute.
Add wine and bring to a boil.
Increase heat to medium high.
Add cream and stock.
Cook until sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes.
Place 4 shrimp and 4 asparagus tips to the side of fish on plate.
Spoon sauce over fish, and asparagus and shrimp.
Mozzarella Biscuits
Take me back to lovely 12,000 acre Primland where I took up residence last week on a house-party with fun, adventuresome friends…more on that coming soon. These biscuits are simple, quick, and just perfect when you find yourself in charge of breakfast in the mountain country of Virginia! Just add local fresh berries and coffee, and that’s my idea of breakfast away from home. This is straight out of Lee Bailey’s Soup Meals, published in 1989. Bailey was a published author (18 books!), food and entertaining guru long before Ms. Stewart!
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
8 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 450º.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda.
Cut in butter with 2 knives, crisscrossing and turning bowl.
Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and mix.
*You are trying to make a dough that is thick enough to drop from a spoon with a nudge.
Add more of the buttermilk if dough is too thick.
Stir in cheese.
Drop onto a well greased baking sheet by the tablespoonful.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
*Check after 14 minutes, as ovens vary.
*These biscuits will brown.
D-Day
Omaha Beach and the English Channel.
Yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Normandy Invasion by the Allies. Americans, British and Canadians braved the unfavorable circumstances and stormed Utah and Omaha Beaches to fight the Germans. By nightfall of the first day, the Allies had a strong foothold on Hitler’s forces in France. In 2010, The Don took Brenton and me to Normandy for a history lesson and tour by a marvelous French guide, ever grateful to the American support in defeating Hitler in this all important battle of WWII. The American Cemetery is a beautiful, emotion evoking sight, right up there with Arlington National Cemetery (especially at Christmas with the wreaths). Some images from this fab experience:
Pointe du Hoc, where soldiers scaled the cliff to attack the Germans
The American Cemetery, Colleville sur Mer
American Cemetery
America STRONG!
Fast and Furious 6
The Fall Fedora
Imagine a movie franchise that actually strengthens with sequels rather than tuckering. I fully realize that Fast and Furious isn’t necessarily every gals idea of a fun evening out; but I just love it. I mean the female characters kick a$% with almost as much gusto as their uber muscled male counterparts. A good deal of this #6 installment was shot in London, making me more than a wee bit nostalgic for all of the fun times our family has shared in that quite civilized city. The year that Brenton schooled herself at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, we experienced extreme happiness on several excursions to visit. See for yourself:
Lunch on the Vespas, Camden Market
The Don Working the Phone at Camden Market, Sly Smile and All!
Balcony of Brenton’s Queen’s Gate apartment
London Eye, Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Night with The Fam
Absolute Ice Bar. It was a busy Thanksgiving Night!
Farewell Party for Peg and The Don at 44 Lower Sloane!
More Shenanigans at Lower Sloane
Happy Birthday Brenton!
I hope your birthday and weekend are THIS much fun! LMHK
On the Grand Canal Venice, October 2011.
The Quintet, Nik’s Vod Box
I warned you that I love unique and/or lovely bars…all over the world. After my father died nine years ago, the five you see pictured above coined ourselves The Quintet! We have been numerous fun/glamorous/and not so glamorous places together. Here, we were at Nik’s Vod Box in LA, December of 2007. I was still in retail art sales at the time and Mother dreamed up this venture to visit LA rather spur of the moment. I wondered how I would ever be able to take off five days in the height of the Christmas selling season…alas, it was worth all of the hoopla of getting away from the retail side of my life! Nik’s was my first Vod Box experience and it offered a huge variety of different Vodka brands to sample. We all donned their fur coats and my Mother used this picture for her quite festive Christmas card that year; please realize that she was 81 at that time! She’s still kicking up her heels these days at 87! What a spirit!
This was our Vod Box tour guide, Leopold! 
Then there is my bro Will. 
And Peg and The Don with our shots!
Mexican Chicken Salad
I-95 Northbound on Easter Sunday was not a Funday! Alas, I am grateful that we made it home safely. The corny South of the Border sight always brings a smile, or smirk to my face. So in honor of our neighbors south of the (US) border, I am posting a Mexican Chicken Entree Salad …mmmm; bring on the chips!
For Dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs honey
2 t granulated sugar
2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/4 t salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a small bowl combine all above ingredients.
Mix well with wire whisk.
Set aside.
For Salad:
Breast meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
1 red pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, julienned
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, rinsed and chopped
2 heads romaine, chopped
In medium bowl, combine chopped chicken, tomatoes, black beans, corn, chopped pepper, carrots, avocado, and cilantro.
Pour dressing over chicken mixture.
Toss gently to combine.
Cover and chill at least 1 hour (or overnight).
To serve, place chopped romaine on center of plate.
Top with chicken salad.
Serves 6.
Portobello Road
Traipsing along Portobello Road in London’s Notting Hill district is a glorious way to spend a Saturday morning. However, I urge you to get up and get out there early to avoid being trampled by the throngs of sleepy heads who arrive after 11, as documented below! 
There are all sorts of treats for the eyes and for consumption. The food stalls are in a word…amazing! Feast your eyes on these photos taken by my daughter Brenton on a cool autumn morning in 2010. 
PegHardee.com Insight into Southern Cuisine and Hospitality 