It is almost time for roasting chestnuts!

One of may favorite things to do in the fall and winter is roasting and eating chestnuts. Like millions of people, I have eaten hot freshly roasted chestnuts from street vendors in New York City and while traveling in Europe, but I especially enjoy roasting them on my porch. I buy chestnuts fresh in the shell online from farms in Virginia, Washington state, or California in early September. I store them in their shells in my fridge drawer and they surprisingly stay almost fresh for 3-4 months. Whenever I am ready to roast I take a handful or more, and make small cuts in the shells to allow the hot air that builds under the shells to escape (otherwise the chestnuts will explode). I roast them over hot Olivette Organic Charcoal which burns cleanly without smoke (at least I can’t see it) in a portable fire pit. I just ordered my chestnut supply for this season, and can’t wait for the first cold days of the season to arrive!

Chestnut tree

Roasting chestnuts on my porch

A day trip to Winterthur, Delaware

Winterthur is the 175 room mansion which was the home for Henry Francis DuPont and his family. It has the original furniture as it was when the DuPonts lived there, with all the beautiful pieces of furniture, paintings and numerous pieces of American decorative arts. It also has a beautiful gardens, which we did not get to fully enjoy because we visited in December; it must be awesome in the spring. The grounds have an exhibition center which when we visited was hosting a dress collection by the fabulous Ann Lowe who designed Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1953 wedding dress (to John F. Kennedy); it was delightful to see examples of her designs and learn about her life. We did not make it to the library, which we heard is remarkable. We also did not get to see the smaller house the Mr. DuPont later moved to when he got older, downsizing to mere 60 rooms. December was not the busiest time to visit, but we still were happy that we purchased the tickets to the exhibit and to the house in advance (you should too). There was a line to enter the house, as only a certain few number of people are allowed to be inside at the same time. There was a model train exhibit when we visited, which delighted many children (and adults); admission to this one was free but I am not sure off it is a permanent feature or seasonal. Many beautifully decorated Christmas trees were also at display. There is a small rest/information area at the entrance where you could buy tickets, get information, buy souvenirs and buy coffee, drinks, and food (and use the restrooms).

https://www.winterthur.org/

https://www.winterthur.org/ann-lowe-american-couturier/

For staying the night we chose Hotel DuPont in nearby Wilmington, which is more than 100 years old and used to be the headquarters for the DuPont Company. It is beautifully decorated; our room was large and had a large update bathroom. The hotel restaurant, Le Cavalier, is gorgeously decorated, and the food is very tasty. We would definitely eat there again if we are ever in Wilmington for any reason (service by the way was excellent).

https://www.hoteldupont.com/

The house

Inside the house

The model trains

Le Cavalier restaurant at Hotel DuPont

Croissant Brioche: the best French bakery/cafe in Houston (and beyond)

Hands down this is my favorite French bakery in the US, and perhaps in the whole world. I have had coffee, bread, sandwiches, and pastries there many times since around 2001, and I can safely say it has not changed much. The same high quality, tasty, and fresh products that consistently taste the same today as it has many years ago. The staff is very friendly, and the crowd is usually of local Houstonians and some foreigners who work in Houston; you can also find families with kids. It is most busy on the weekends and would be hard to find a place to Sith then. The safest times to go are at 7:00 AM and perhaps mid morning and mid to late afternoons on weekdays. I think they close about 6:00 or 7:00 PM except Sunday when they close at 5:00 PM. They are open every day, except New Year’s day, and of course if there is very severe weather. If you go at 7:00 AM you will find many of the repeat customers who go there almost every day, and most importantly you will see the breads and croissants being taken out of the oven and get to taste them when they are very fresh. My favorite is the 7 grain bread (a small size) that is sliced inn the middle with 2-4 slices of Swiss cheese inserted to make a sandwich. They usually ask me if I wanted warmed to melt the cheeses and I always say no. I sprinkle some salt on it and enjoy eating it with a large cup of Cafe Latte which I ask for it to be extra hot. The distinct taste of the fresh bread and the cheeses come together in an unbelievable tasty way. I also usually have with this combo and almond croissant. Let me tell you, I have tried an almond croissant in many places in the US and abroad, and NOTHING really compares; it is the best ever. These are usually gone by early afternoon, but occasionally you can find one later. Other sandwiches that I like include the chicken salad in baguette, and I also like the French dip and the French onion soup, the occasionally sausage croissant. They also have several other pastries that I sometimes take as a substitute for the almond croissant if they are out, or in addition to if I am craving pastries (which I usually am). So, if you are in Houston, TX for any reason, try this place for breakfast, lunch, or a cup of coffee with bread or pastries. You will thank me later.

The address is:

2435 Rice Blvd Houston, TX 77005

Cafe latte with almond croissant and chicken salad on baguette 5 years ago.

Cafe latte, almond croissant and seven grain with Swiss cheese sandwich last week.

Earlier last week when they were out of almond croissants, it was easy to find other great pastry choices.

Go for the Schnitzel, stay for the desert

If you have been craving veal schnitzel and live in or around Washington, DC you are in luck. Having tried some at a couple of restaurants in the past I was very happy to finally find one that serves the best veal schnitzel around (and this is not an exaggeration).

Kafe Leopold , also called Leopold’s Kafe, is a modern Austrian restaurant that has a cafe/casual setting. The service and attention to customers is first class. The menu choices are unique and most I have never tried before, and the choices of drinks are also nice. We skipped the salad and opted for an appetizer, the Liptauer Crostini, and from the “savories” we chose the Olivenpissaladiere; both were excellent. For the main course we had the Leopold's Schnitzel and the Gegrilltes Lachsfilet (grilled salmon filet) and both were outstanding; the crushed cucumbers, Medjool dates, fennel, walnuts & basil oil that came with the salmon filet is out of this world. Both portion were larger than what you get in many other places. I particularly loved the schnitzel and it will be one of the main reasons I will be going back to this restaurant again and again.

Austria is also famous for its cakes and pastries. We decided to choose from the display at Kafe Leopold instead of choosing from the menu, and unfortunately I cannot recognize these choices in the online menu to tell you the names of what we had. One was a cheesecake (a bit small in my opinion) and the other is the one in the above image. I was told the cheesecake was very nice (I am not a cheesecake fan, so I passed on tasting it), but I can say that the one I had (see image) looked like a pice of art with chocolate shell but on the inside it had one small ball of something with hazelnut and a larger ball of something with almonds, and it was sooo good. I highly recommend this place. One thing you should be aware of is that they add a 3.5% “recovery charge” to the final bill, something some other (not all) DC restaurants also do.

Feta Bakery and Cafe in DC

I have been wanting to try out this bakery and cafe in Georgetown in Washington DC for a while, and finally did it. Now that I have been there twice this month, I think it is becoming one of my favorites.  The choices for breakfast, lunch, brunch or just for dropping in anytime for a snack are more than one may think for a relatively small place, and everything I have tried so far has been a delight. They have an assortment of fruity drinks that are natural tasting, rich, and full of great flavor in addition to the usual assortments of coffee drinks, tea and sodas. They also have several types of breads and pastries that I have not found anywhere else.  Their prices a re very reasonable. To say service is excellent is an understatement; the staff is very polite, friendly, and helpful. I also like that it is not too noisy and you can have quite conversations, read a book or a paper. or simply have a quite time for yourself. The restroom is located in the back and requires a code to open the door which is provided by the staff across behind the counter. I highly recommend this place; it really is a gem. For more information, here is the link to their website:

fetabakery.com