Back from a Foodie Road Trip!

We pulled into our garage Sunday night, clocking 3, 925 miles in two weeks on my Subaru Forester! Since this was most definitely a "food" trip, my little Subaru had to work harder on the way home because not only had hubby and I packed on some pounds, but we also had the back of the car packed tight with all that we had collected along the way: gallons of Vermont maple syrups, Quoddy Bay sea salt, Finger Lakes wines, a Vermont maple salad bowl, boxes of Bell's seasoning, jars of Raye's mustards, story books and shirts for the grandchildren, and (even though I told hubby that I wasn't going to buy any cookbooks) a bag full of cookbooks!

Of course, I'll be sharing recipes that I picked up along the way from some of the many warm and friendly folks we met. I'm just now sorting out all the pictures we took and labeling them so I don't forget who/what/where, but I promise some great recipes and dishes to come!



One of the highlights of our trip was meeting Chef Ming Tsai at his restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Mass. We were thrilled that he was there and discovered that he is as warm and friendly as he seems on his TV show, East Meets West. Hubby remembered him from Iron Chef America and that he beat Bobby Flay!

Ming's dishes are truly a fusion of cuisines and I found the wine pairing a challenge, so asked our capable server (most have been with Ming for almost 10 years) to do the pairings for us. It was interesting. The wine was delicious and so was the food, but is there a perfect pairing for smoked salmon and beef carpaccio with a tart lime-cilantro avocado salad garnish? The Pinot Noir that was served was great with the salmon and beef, but throwing the salsa into the mix made the wine disappear. The combined flavors of the smoked salmon and beef and the salsa were a party in the mouth, so I just saved the delicious Pinot to enjoy with the cracker basket. THAT was a perfect pairing!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie