Jekyll Island Club Resort

 

Jekyll Island Club Resort

 

Just got back from an overnight trip to the Jekyll Island Club Resort.  It’s where one goes to feel a part of the upper part of the upper crust, in an overnight dream of wealth and power.

 

It’s also a microcosm of Georgia’s history and a goodly part of American history.  Really? My cautious readers may ask.  One little island of seven miles long by a mile and a half wide does all that?

 

Yes.  Georgia is one of the original thirteen colonies, as I’m sure you are aware.  General Oglethorpe was the first English Governor of Georgia and named the island (one of the four Golden Isles on the Georgia coast) after his friend, an English politician, Sir Joseph Jekyll, who also, by the way, provided Oglethorpe with £600 to develop the island.

 

We could talk forever about the Spanish and French and English and native American tribes, all fighting and compromising over this island.

 

But, let’s slam forward, but just a bit. In 1792, a Frenchman who fled from the French Revolution, Christophe DuBignon, purchased the island and started a cotton plantation.  Another leap in time.  DuBignon’s heir, sold the island to a group of New York industrialists for $125,000 (about $3.5 million today) and they established a hunting club. You’d recognize many of the names.  Morgan (JP Morgan), Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Pulitzer, just to name a few.  It was said that these and other members represented one sixth of the world’s wealth.  And today we think it’s something new for the few to hold most of the wealth.

 

This exclusive club, perhaps the most exclusive in the world at that time, set up a private island resort like no other and constantly added amenities.  The USGA built a wonderful golf course, Great Dunes, where new clubs (steel shaft) and balls (lighter) where first tested, and changed the face of the game.

 

Is it any wonder that after the financial crash of 1907 (when stock prices dropped about 50%!) the movers and shakers met here in 1910 to rough out the establishment of the Federal Reserve System that we have today.  Once again, history is repeated, namely in the Great Depression and more recently in the 1990s, when the tech bubble popped.

Members often came by yacht for visits, some of the ships were even too large to dock. Privately invited guests were permitted only a two-week stay in the privately owned “cottages.”  In this case, cottage meant a huge mansion, with names such as Sans Souci, Cherokee, and Crane whose rooms are now part of the hotel.  Rooms in both the main club and cottages run about $300 a night, more or less, and do not include meals or parking, or taxes.

This rich man’s bit of heaven lasted from 1886 until 1942, when owners were required to move due to the chance of German submarines in the coastal waters. By the end of the war, it was no longer economically viable to maintain it as a private resort.

 

The Jekyll Island Club Resort is now a part of the collection of Historic Hotels of America.

 

Ok, enough history.  Time to cut to the chase, skin the cat, ante up or fold. Is a visit worth it?  For us it was. The sheer beauty of the architecture, inside and out, the extravagant elegance of the Club and its accommodations, along with the magnificent grounds, has an unmatched charm for this part of the world.  Service is first class in every respect.

The famous hall of mirrors.

Rare 19th century Japanese Tsutsugaki-Zome difficult indigo art

There’s far more to see and do than hang out in the Club.  Bicycles are available for rent, with 3 hours of bike trails, lots of beautiful seashore for walking, cuisine that stretches from the elegant to the casual, gift shops galore and historical sites aplenty.

 

And then I found the small, cozy, dark wood paneled bar in the Club. Lucky for us, there were six stools, two of which were empty.

 

Sunday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.

 

There’s something about a small group in an elegant bar that pulls people together and brings out interesting conversation.  The three couples were from different parts of the country, with different backgrounds and different professions, and yet stories and humor and travel adventures sparkled brightly.

 

Bear in mind, all of us were retired, well dressed and showing our age.

 

“You’ve got a cute wife.”

 

“Yeah, that’s what she tells me.” 

 

“Covid about killed me.”

 

“How long did it last?”

 

“Oh, not me.  But covid damn near killed by business.”

 

“What business?”

 

“Travel agency.”

 

The conversation morphed into one of the most important subjects of the day, colleges and high schools and the balance between academics and athletics, plumbing the philosophical depths in avid discussion.  Of course that moved on to European travel and then on to one bright subject after another.

 

And so it went, until the weary barkeep passed out the bills and we slinked off in different directions to our pricy beds.

 

For me, it’s the people you meet that make the trip, whether it’s a cruise or a resort, or a night at a cozy bar.

 

But, yes, the Jekyll Island Club Resort, was a night of feeling like the rich and powerful.  Worth the money to feel that way for a while, especially in a gorgeous, historic setting that brings out turn of the 20^th century lavishness and shines new light on problems and a society that shares many problems and solutions that mirror our own.

Coconut Lime Chicken

 

I love dishes so wonderful you feel like your taste buds won the lottery.  But, stickler that I am, the dishes also have to be healthy and make my ever so humble guests hold up their plates and whine, “Please, sir.  May I have some more?” But unlike the hardhearted characters of Oliver!, I happily fill their greedy gullets and put another spot of wine in their glasses.  

 

With this recipe, your guests will be beggin’ you for an autograph!

 

I’m telling you, lads and lassies, if you pass up this dish, you’ve passed up a mortal’s taste of heaven!  Best of all, puttin’ the sauce together is a snap and can be done a day ahead, covered and stored in the frig.

 

Now stop hesitating and let’s get on with it!

 

Coconut Lime Chicken

 

1 cup whole fat coconut milk

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup white wine (for deglazing the pan)

Zest and juice from one lime

1 cup red onion, diced

3 tablespoons of pickled jalapenos, diced

½ teaspoon grated ginger (I used fresh ginger, of course)

1-2 teaspoons of corn starch or rice flour (I used rice flour)

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

chopped fresh cilantro or chimichurri (see recipe below) 

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Getting’ It Together

Blend all ingredients except chicken, wine, and cilantro.

 

Heat a slosh of olive oil in a pan and lightly brown both sides of the chicken thighs. Put them aside. Pour off any excess oil.

 

Note:  Don’t worry that the chicken is not fully cooked. It will be chopped, added to the sauce and cooked until it is done. Leaving it undercooked means more juices will flavor the sauce.

 

Now splash in a cup of white wine to deglaze the pan, and add the brown bits to the sauce.

 

Put the sauce in a large pan and cook until thickened, less than five minutes.

 

Cut the thighs into bite-sized pieces and add to the sauce. 

 

Cook until the chicken is done.

 

Sprinkle cilantro, or chimichurri on top and serve over rice or butternut squash squares, or sweet potatoes.  I served on halves of baked sweet potato.

 

Chimichurri Recipe  (This recipe is good place to start, but I make it differently every time I make it!)

 

1cup diced sweet onion

 

 3 garlic cloves thin sliced

 

½ cup seasoned rice vinegar

 

2-3 packed cups cilantro

 

a few slices of pickled jalapeños to taste

 

Salt to taste

 

Put everything in a blender and blend to the desired consistency.  Add a bit more vinegar if needed.

I served the Coconut Lime Chicken with a side of fresh Brussel sprouts, tossed with some shreds of carrots and cherry tomatoes, cooked altogether in chicken broth.

Now wasn’t that delicious and deliciously easy?  Didn’t your guests sing your praises?  Aren’t you glad you didn’t spend another hundred bucks in a restaurant tonight?

 

Well, I’m always happy to help. Kompai! Cheers! Cin-cin! Prost!

 

Now, don’t forget to subscribe!

 

 

 

 

Sweet Potato, Salsa and Egg Breakfast

 

My faithful readers will realize that my blog is quickly becoming a food and recipe blog.  That’s not my intend, per se. I wake up hungry and with a will of iron, I force myself to hit the bike trail or take long beach walks.  And, these days, seldom do I settle into an arm chair and sip a libation before noon….well, I cheat once in a while, but doctors agree that Jim Beam is good for you…or is that red wine….or maybe Mimosas and Bloody Marys.  So many doctors and so many opinions. I say, doctors are like lawyers.  Find one who agrees with you and go with it.  Why bother with consternation and pay good money to disagreeable people.

 

And then there’s the opinion of my significant other.  Well, I won’t bother you with that either.  She’s young and beautiful and I’ve almost got her student loans paid for. 

 

But, I’ve strayed too far afield.  Let’s get back to recipes that are tasty and will make you feel 25 again, even if you’re already ripening to 29.  And for the rest of us, this one will keep you in the tip top peak of senility. 

 

Sweet Potato, Salsa and Egg Breakfast

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

2 medium sized sweet potatoe

1–2 eggs per serving

olive oil

sea salt and pepper

 

For the Tomato Avocado Salsa:

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

2 Teaspoons minced jalapeno

sea salt to taste

2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

2 big handfuls of mixed cherry tomatoes, quartered, seeds removed (see note)

2 Tablespoons oil cured, sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and cube

Olive oil

 

NOTE:  I rolled my sliced cherry tomatoes on paper towels to remove the seeds and keep the salsa from being too watery..

 

PUTIN IT TOGETHER:

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray the paper with olive oil.

 

Wash the sweet potatoes and cut off both ends. Cut them in half lengthwise, and place them face down on the parchment paper. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until soft.  

 

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the salsa. 

 

Mix all the prepped ingredients. Set the salsa aside to let the flavors marinate while the potatoes finish cooking.

 

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat, and add a small amount of  olive oil. Add the eggs to the heated pan one at a time, and season with salt and pepper. Place a lid over the skillet for over-easy eggs and cook until the eggs reach your desired doneness.

 

Serve the eggs over the warm sweet potatoes and load on the fresh salsa!

 

Now that you’ve gotten back from your bike ride, it’s time to shower, shave, give your significant other a kiss, if the two of you are still speaking.  Dress yourself, find an easy chair and grab that Jim Wine or Mimosa Beam.  It’s a late lunch anyway, so it can wait a little longer.

 

 

Tuscan Bread Soup, Ribollita

 

Tuscan Bread Soup, Ribollita

 

Lately, my three faithful readers may have noticed…sobriety is a key to whether they noticed or not….that I’ve dwelt on Italian food, and with good reason.

 

Far and away, the most important point is that Italian cuisine stands proudly shoulder-to-shoulder with French cuisine in the ever important Stroud taste test, but with one important factor that tips the scale.

 

Let’s see…hummmm….how many clichés and trite phrases so far?  I count four, but I’m just getting started.  Whoops, there’s one more!

 

Ok, back to the important factor:  Italian recipes are one hellova lot easier to make.  Tuscan Bread Soup is exactly what I mean.  Sure, there’s some dicing to do and not much of that. And best of all, the ingredients are probably in your kitchen already, but if not, it’s still only a very quick trip to the grocers.

 

Tuscan bread soup is also very adaptable. Want it vegetarian style?  Just sub vegetable stock for chicken stock. Gotta be adaptable.  After all, this was a dish for the poor, featuring stale bread.

 

One more thing, what does Ribollita mean in English?  It comes from the Italian verb ribollire, to boil, or to boil again.

 

But, I know you’re hungry, so let’s stroll into the kitchen, pour ourselves some vino and sharpen the chef’s knife.

 

Ingredients

 

1½ cups of split, then thinly diced carrots

3 cups thinly diced celery

3 cups finely cut onions  (I used a large sweet onion)

2 cans cannelloni beans, rinsed

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used Polpa di Pomodoro brand.  Grown in the U.S., but very similar in taste to Italian tomatoes)

Bits of kale leaves (about 8 cups), torn off the stalks.  Some prefer to chop, but I prefer to tear by hand to prevent collateral damage, especially if I’ve been drinking heavily.

2 32oz cartons organic chicken broth

5 slices of pumpernickel bread, lightly toasted and torn into bits

Sloshes of olive oil as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top, it you must. I didn’t.  This soup has a wonderfully robust flavor all by itself.

 

You’ll note, there is no garlic in this recipe. After a lovely trip to northern Italy, I found out that in the northern regions seldom are onions and garlic used in the same dish.

 

https://stroudallover.blogspot.com/2017/04/lunch-with-daniela-cinque-terre-part-ii.html

I already hear the question:  Why pumpernickel and why toasted? Didn’t the Italian peasants use white bread?  Yes, they did use white bread, BUT, latest nutrition advice I’ve read says rye flour is better for you.  If you disagree, don’t worry.  I’m married.  I ‘m used to it. As for the ‘toasted’ part, I’d run out of wine waiting for the bread to go stale and a light toasting does the job just as well.

 

Another question came up:  How much is a ‘slosh’?  Well, it’s right between a little bit and WHOOPS!

 

Puttin’ it Together:

 

Slosh some olive oil in a large pot at low to medium heat.  Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook them slowly. There should be just enough oil for the vegetables to slightly glisten, but not swim for their lives. 

 

When the onions are limp (about 7 minutes), add the beans, tomatoes, kale and broth. Turn the heat up slightly and cook another ten minutes. You want the kale leaves well cooked and tender. 

 

 Add the torn bread. Stir well, breaking up the bread and allowing the soup to thicken.  Cook until it’s the thickness you like.  If you overdo it, just add more broth.

 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Salute!  Cin Cin! (chin chin)  In Italian and France, Cin-Cin means something like Health or Cheers.  

 

Note:  Where did the expression Cin-Cin come from?  I don’t know.  Nobody else does either. Fu-git-aboudid and have another glass of delicious Italian vino.

 

Spaghetti alla Nerano (Spaghetti with fried Zucchini)

 

Spaghetti alla Nerano  (Spaghetti with fried Zucchini) 

 

Another wonderful pasta dish from Campania, Italy.  Where the hell is Campania?  Check out the map below and let your thoughts drift to well known Campania  places, such as Naples, Capri, Mount Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii and let’s not forget the delicious cuisine spread throughout the region.

Had the best pizza of my life in Naples! No other pizza comes even remotely close. Click on the link below to see the Naples pizza experience.  Can’t begin to duplicate it in my home oven, but I’m going to show you another Campania recipe you can reproduce!

 

Pizza in Naples

 

So, let’s move on to today’s recipe.  After you taste it, you’ll dream about it.

 

Spaghetti alla Nerano

 

First off, I didn’t use spaghetti because I didn’t have any.  I substituted Linguini and it worked out just fine.  

 

Ingredients

 

1 package of spaghetti, cooked as per package directions

2 lbs zucchini, sliced thinly

Olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

salt for pasta and to taste

7 ounces Provolone cheese, either grated or chopped finely (I used the chopped method because the only Provolone I could find was sliced)

A handful of fresh basil, chopped

 

Puttin’ it together

 

Fry the zucchini slices in olive oil until browned.  Put the zucchini on paper towels to soak up some of the grease.  

Prepare the pasta.

 

When the pasta is almost ready, put the zucchini in a colander and dip the colander in the pasta water for only 4-5 seconds.  After that, chop the zucchini a little bit. You’re not making mush, just cross-slicing the zucchini to spread the flavor when you toss it with the pasta.

 

Strain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water to use if the pasta gets too dry.

 

Add a little bit of olive in a pan and the two cloves of garlic.  Cook until the cloves are browned.  Remove from the pan and chop them roughly.

Put the pasta in the oiled pan, then add the zucchini and the provolone.  Toss well, adding pasta water if necessary.  Add the chopped garlic and toss some more.  Serve in bowls with fresh basil on top.  Drizzle some of the garlic-flavored olive oil over everything.

 

Pop the cork on that Italian white wine…..hold on….pop two corks!

 

I served mine with baby broccoli, pan roasted in a bit of garlic oil, with a quarter cup of water added to steam the broccoli.  I cooked it until the water evaporated.

 

Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the recipe! Your jovial guests will no doubt be speaking Italian and singing your praises by the end of the meal!

 

Grazie mille!

Perfetto!

Più Vino!