MONDAY RECIPE POST - BEST OVEN BAKED SALMON - SERVES 2

I have several salmon recipes on here. You can click on the salmon label below my post. Salmon is my favorite fish, though I do enjoy grilled Rainbow Trout if it is on a menu. I have never cooked trout at home. Don’t get me started on Fish and Chips from this relatively new-to-us restaurant/pub we went to several months ago, owned and run by Brits. We pass by it all the time whenever we go to one of our favorite gardens. On another special treat occasion, we will be pointing our car in that direction. I guess I must be hungry! We have both done a good job of eating healthier, with an occasional detour. 

This week's recipe came from Recipe Teacher hosted by Jason. You can see his original here.

It was one of those meals that was on the table in well under half an hour. Always grateful to our food hosts for these speedy meals. The simple seasonings make a very tasty fish. I always read the original recipe for great tips. It is another food blog I will be going back to many times.

 

Best Ever Oven Baked Salmon - 2 servings

2 salmon filets, 6oz each

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 tbs melted butter

Preheat oven to 450°(F).

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.

Place salmon filets on pan, skin-side down, and brush with melted butter. (Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave for about 30 seconds).

Generously rub all the seasoning over the salmon.

Bake at 450°F for 12-16 minutes (ours was taken out after 17 minutes as our oven runs on the colder side). The internal temperature in thickest part of salmon should register 145°F on an instant read thermometer.

Serve with lemon slices and fresh dill as a garnish.

What did I think of the salmon? It was just for me and I thought it was great, a ten out of ten. I will definitely be cooking it again. Gregg's choice of seafood was a piece of cod and he sauteed his in a frying pan. He said that was excellent also.

When we need some kind of oil, lately we always use avocado cooking spray.

As you can see from our sides, we chose Jasmine Rice and sautéed cherry tomatoes. Those two we never seem to run out of. We squeezed a section of lemon juice over the fish. No dill left from our other recipe. Jason's vegetable medley of sliced yellow squash and asparagus looked very appetizing, and I will try that next time with the addition of sliced mushrooms. He said you can roast it right along with the salmon in the same amount of time. Couldn't be any easier.

Jason's note which I added because I can see this happening quite a bit.

"Leftovers: when it comes to enjoying leftovers or meal planning, salmon filets are perfect to enjoy later. Simply pack in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave, air fryer or oven."

You can copy and paste using the following link if you prefer.

https://recipeteacher.com/best-damn-oven-baked-salmon/

Thanks for looking, have a great week 

and Bon Appetit!

NO RECIPE TODAY BUT A PRE MOTHER'S DAY LUNCH AT GODFREYS IN FALLS CHURCH

Our son and daughter-in-law recommended this restaurant to us, having gone for the first time a few days previously. 

I usually prefer to stay home on Mother's Day but Gregg suggested we celebrate early, and I was all for that. We were given such a glowing report and were intrigued.  

The drive out there was very nice and the GPS took us down roads we rarely traveled, if at all, and we passed a few curiosities.  For instance, this perfectly good gate that had no driveway.  On our side was no exit to the road, just a grass trim about five feet wide, and the gate had bushes built up against the other side. We had stopped at a traffic light. I seem to notice oddities, things that are out of the norm. I would like to know the story of why.

There is a great deal of gentrifying going on, but I was happy to see the old strip of shops with the barber in the middle. They have seen better days but I enjoy them.

It has been a few years since we last visited Falls Church. We stayed on back roads instead of using the freeway, and even those were busy. 

Our son told us we should go in the off hours as tables get filled up fast and parking is a premium. We thought to go early but by the time we got there it was noon. As it turned out Gregg couldn't find a parking spot. There were towing signs on either side of this property. These adjacent properties had nearly empty lots.  Gregg dropped me off at the restaurant and found alternate parking in a public parking lot not too far up the road. In the meantime, I kept an eye on tables. 

There was extra dining outside in the front of the building and at the back. However, it was rainy and on the chilly side. There were beams over the sitting area, which at first I thought was a covered ceiling but it was open to the elements and all the seats and tables had puddles of water on them. 

I was curious about the mural on the wall and could find no information. On their website there was the same design.

A second floor up some very steep stairs provided another dining area, so another customer told me after she descended carefully, and I asked (way too steep for me). There were also meeting rooms up there, and Gregg thought accommodations. There was probably an elevator which I would have looked for later if necessary, but…

patience won out and as I kept an eye on where people were in their journey (i.e. are you near the end of your meal and are you about to get up and go, all this while trying not to look too obvious?) Gregg arrived and almost immediately a table became available. We were seated sooner than I expected.

Most everyone was very casually dressed. I felt quite comfortable in a tee shirt, cardi and jeans. The staff were kept hopping and I was impressed with their friendly attitude towards their customers. The gentleman who cleaned our table was very pleasant. You can pick up a menu at the counter and order your food before you sit down. I staked our claim by sitting and Gregg brought the menu over to the table. We looked through the items, made our choices and he went back to the counter to order.  

You are given a number and it wasn't long afterwards that we were served. A young man appeared and cleaned our table. With the amount of people dining we were pleasantly surprised how fast our meals were delivered, and the food was beautifully presented. Their website is here and you will see a short video and photos which will give you more of an idea what the place is like. Menu is at this link.

I had a vegetable bowl

It was excellent!

Gregg had a grilled cheese sandwich which he said was the best one he had ever had. 

Both were a ten out of ten. Gregg had a fresh fruit sparkler made with fresh fruit puree, organic Agave and sparkling water.  I had water plus a latte.  Next time I am going to order the London Fog, which is a hot tea made with Earl Grey, vanilla and honey. Our son recommended that which I had forgotten about until I saw it on the menu later.  I was enjoying my latte, which was very nice. Also, you don’t have to order a meal. You can just have a coffee and a pastry.  

The building where Godfrey's is now located was once an old motel and a Galleria florist shop. It is now a coffee shop, Parisian-style bakery and cafe which opened in September of 2023. We can highly recommend it for anyone who is visiting the area. You can either take-out or dine in. Reading online I learned that Godfrey McKenzie is its head chef and co-owner.  He and his partner run a first-class, smooth running establishment, and we are already looking forward to going back for our next special occasion. Definitely a great place to take company when visiting. I also found an interesting YouTube video here. It gives you a good tour of Godfreys. I do not get anything for this free advertising. If we go somewhere which we find is super nice, I like to let everyone know what an excellent time we had, plus telling a little bit about the place, and sharing the goodies. 

Here are the pastries! Oh my goodness! We finished our meal and we decided to take a dessert home for later. There was a lot to choose from.

Gregg's choice was the Bombe Vanille

Mine was the Tonka Tart

Now prepare for pastry overload!

And I didn't show the cookies available.   

It was a very short walk back to the car. It had been raining but fortunately had stopped by the time we left.

I took a few photos of the flowers and others. The pretty, rain-soaked green leaves are Heavenly bamboo, also known as Sacred bamboo and Chinese sacred bamboo.  Its botanical name is Nandina domestica.

A wall of Bearded iris, also known as Common flag, German iris and Rhizomatous iris. Botanical name Iris Germanica.  This was as close as I could get without trespassing. I only had my cell phone.

Below is Kousa Dogwood, also known as Korean Dogwood and Japanese Dogwood. Its botanical name is Cornus kousa.

We had crossed over at this traffic light, and was waiting for another light to change before we could cross the other road to get to our car. As soon as we sat down it started raining again. I lucked out as I had neither raincoat nor brolly.

And that was my pre-Mother's Day Lunch at Godfreys. We both had a splendid time!

Thanks for looking! I hope you all have a wonderful day!

MONDAY FOOD POST - THE HAWK AND GRIFFIN PUB IN VIENNA, VIRGINIA

Not my usual Monday Recipe, but if you go to this website, you will find 25 Traditional British ones to enjoy.  I thought it would be nice to stay in the theme for today’s post…   

 

which is a review of a pub/restaurant that we enjoyed very much.  It was our first time visiting and we were here last Wednesday (8-16-23). They know nothing of me, and I don't expect anything from them.  I do, however, like to give these places a shout-out when we have had an enjoyable dining experience.  If I go anywhere that isn't as enjoyable, then I don't write about it as I think every place can have a bad day.  If there is a third visit that we are not happy with, then we don't go back and wish them well.

Fortunately, the Hawk and Griffin was very, very enjoyable.  It is the first time we have gone inside anywhere for a very long time.  We don't go to too many sit-down restaurants unless it is a special occasion, and this felt special. Two days after was our son's birthday, and we were getting together on the 18th, but for now we were celebrating his birthday just the two of us.  On his actual birthday we had a wonderful get-together with our son and daughter-in-law.

A bit too warm to sit outside on this occasion (for us at least), but it's a nice eating area under a large canopy and we have that planned for when the weather gets cooler. We arrived extra early so that it wouldn't be too crowded inside. Having skipped our usual breakfast, we were sitting down by noon and our meal came shortly after.  (By the time we left people were arriving.)

We have been saying we must go here ever since it opened two years' ago.  

My dear other half has been hankering for fish and chips for quite some time, and though we rarely have fried food, it just seemed the time and place.

I found this description at their website:

"Hawk and Griffin brings the character of a traditional British pub experience to Vienna, Virginia.  Our design and decor transport patrons back to the Edwardian era (1900-1918).  Come in and enjoy our uniquely British menu along with our selection of British style beers and spirits while enjoying live music, premier sports viewing or a friendly game of darts.  The message in our entry foyer is our promise.  "There are no strangers here.  Only friends you have not yet met."

We sat in the booth to the right of the Union Jack with Queen Elizabeth's image and the dates she was with us.

They have lots of nostalgia food on the menu, which you can see here, but we had been talking about how nice it would be to have fish and chips the next time we went out, with this place in mind.  I also ordered mushy peas.  (When we were ordering our lunch, we also ordered a Scotch Egg and Bread Pudding to take home and eat later that day.  Our waiter gave it to us as we left.)

We both had Magna Cider on tap which was very refreshing, and the meal was delicious! The best fish and chips we have had in a very long time, and I asked our nice young waiter to let the chef know that fact, and to thank chef for such a delicious meal.

This link directs us to a website that gives a bit of the pub's history.  

I vaguely remember the word 'snug' from long, long ago, going back to childhood perhaps.  Children were not allowed in the pubs you might have already guessed.  

I do remember stopping at a pub in the countryside.  As children we would always sit in the enclosed garden at the tables and chairs provided, usually on a warm, sunny day.  There weren't any other places open on Sunday and that's when we usually went for a ride in the countryside.  Mum was a teetotaler and had her glass of pop but Dad had his pint.  My sister and I probably had pop which was like a carbonated lemonade similar to Sprite or Mountain Dew.  We also enjoyed playing in the garden.

The Hawk and Griffin's explanation of a snug made me smile.

"Hawk and Griffin boasts two 'snugs'.  The traditional pub snug was a small lounge area for patrons who preferred not to be seen in the public bar.  Women, clergy and the local police officer could enjoy a discreet pint of ale or nip of gin.  Snugs also became the meeting space for local matchmaking where marriages would be arranged."  

These photos show one of their 'snugs'.

 

I think I will order the Sticky Toffee Pudding next time, just for a change.  I found a recipe that will show the ingredients and how to make it here.

I want to mention the young man who took our order and brought our food.  We liked him a lot, very friendly, just what is needed in a pub/restaurant.  As it was relatively quiet when we were there, the three of us chatted for a while.  He left a great impression.

Just for fun I looked for some interesting names of pubs in the UK.  I found a page that shared the top ten pubs on Trip Advisor.  You can look at them here, and more information on pub’s names here.  

It also reminded me, and yes here I go again, of old newspapers my father collected, going back to the 1940s and before.  I have them in the basement stored in a box somewhere.  I'm going to have to seriously start tidying that place up as I would dearly love to find this particular newspaper that I think I have shared before.  It was about Sitting Bull sitting on the steps of a pub called The Fighting Cocks in Wolverhampton (a town where my parents were born).  He was touring with Buffalo Bill and he felt compassion for the people he saw passing by whom he felt were very poor.  He sat on the steps and handed out pound notes.  What a wonderful story! I have looked for the tale online, but with no success.  I'm just going to have to search for Dad's old newspaper.  This is going back many years since I last saw it, and after several moves, has been tucked away into oblivion. It's time to clear things out and see if I can find them.  These old newspapers were of special events and one of them was about Lawrence of Arabia.  A lot of history in those old newspapers.  I really need to find them.

A full address of how Sitting Bull met Buffalo Bill:

https://www.history.com/news/the-unlikely-alliance-between-buffalo-bill-and-sitting-bull.  I knew some of their story but not all and I was pleased finding this page.  I will always be grateful for the kindness Sitting Bull showed to the people while sitting on the steps of a place I remember in name only.  I don’t ever remember going there with my parents.  I think it was a city pub.  I also read somewhere that the original place no longer exists, but a new one took its place.   

From British pubs to Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill?  What on earth?  Well, that’s how I role!  

Back to the Hawk and Griffin, if you ever find yourself traveling through the area, or live not so far away and want a fun experience, I recommend this wonderful pub. Their website is at this link.

One more thing, I am including a YouTube video of British foodies who go around and tell you what they think of the meals they are eating.  They are two young men who are amusing with a little bit of silliness thrown in. It’s enjoyable and interesting.  They are in an old English pub and among other tasty treats, they are eating fish and chips. 

https://youtu.be/ZuMvQytD1h0

Thanks for listening to my rambles.