Full of Flavor: A Birthday Dinner for Daddy

I know it has been a MINUTE ... (blame it on my starting a new business) but I am back! 😜

Three years ago Mom and I took Dad to New Orleans (his favorite city) to celebrate his 60th birthday (Laissez les bon temps rouler: Celebrating Dad's 60th Birthday in New Orleans)! Sadly, he passed away on October 8, 2015.

This year as a family (14 of us took over #Blackout17) we decided to return to New Orleans to celebrate what would have been his 63rd birthday! His birthday would have been Sunday November 12th so instead of going out we decided to hire a personal chef and enjoy a meal at the mansion. 

After reading a few bios of chefs in New Orleans, Mom chose Chef Gason Nelson. Chef Gason is a two-time James Beard Scholar, has appeared on Food Network's Chopped and besides that, he is professional, pays small attention to detail in cooking as well as plating the food and is friendly! Read more about Chef Gason on his website: http://www.chefgason.com!

We were NOT disappointed in the four-course meal he prepared:

The first course was a fresh salad with goat cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, candied pecans and a homemade creole vinaigrette.  It was divine!

Needless to say, we were all ready for the next course! The second course was a Pan Seared Red Fish topped with Lump Crab meat and a light lemon herb cream sauce. It was light and full of flavor. For someone who usually skips the seafood menu, I could not get enough of this dish!

Oh there is more?? Yes, please! The third course was a Sous Vide-Beef Filet cooked perfectly to the preferred temperature with oven baked vegetables and served with a horseradish sauce. It was tender, full of flavor and although I was nearing fullness I finished every bite. Every single bite!

At this point I am full and thinking "Do I take another bite?" Wait ... dessert! Then I must take at least three more bites (Yes, THREE more bites ha)! Dessert was a traditional King Cake filled with cream cheese and it was delicious. Even with the icing and cream cheese, it was not overly sweet, it was the perfect birthday cake for Daddy.

Mom had the baby! Tradition says that she must now buy the next king cake! (That is enough reason for me to return to New Orleans!)

Dinner was amazing and not only did we enjoy every single bite but of course it was a night to remember Aubrey M. Kenney Jr (Nov 12, 1954 - Oct 8, 2015).  We would do this all over again with Chef Gason!

Below are more photos from the wonderful evening! Please enjoy and look forward to more entries from the shenanigans in New Orleans because you could NOT have thought this was it ha XOXO

The table is set

Uncle Brian thanking our Chef and lovely server, Mable.

Aunt Shawntain and BK thanking the Chef

Kim and Mike thanking the Chef

Thank you Chef Gason!

Thank you, Chef! XO from the Kenney family

Lady of Leisure Activity: Jose Andres' Dine N Dash

If you live in DC you already know that Jose Andres has his chef hand in it all! With at least seven culinary destinations in DC and more throughout the DMV, one of his restaurants is bound to be one of your favorite places to dine!  I guarantee it!  Zatinya and Oyamel are two of my favorites in DC!

And every summer culinary goodness happens.  Dine N Dash is the ultimate experience for any foodie!  General admission tickets were $105 and includes an amazing experience of food, cocktails and vibes in over 30 restaurants in Washington DC!  Once you pay for the ticket, you need to not reach for your wallet again throughout the experience! And the best part?  All proceeds go to support World Central Kitchen! This year Dine N Dash raised over $540k for the charity! The organization focuses on Health, Education and Jobs in countries in South America, the Caribbean, Zambia and the US!

Map of Dine N Dash 2017

The event is from 6-10pm and you assume that will be enough to really hit most of the restaurants - wrong! haha ... In those 4 hours we were able to enjoy only six of the restaurants.  We decided to start at Doi Moi and enjoy the restaurants on 14th street.  After Doi Moi we went to Taqueria Nacional, Jubilee Ice Cream, Colada and Lupo Verde. After Lupo Verde we wanted to end the night at Zatinya.

Usually Zatinya is a favorite but as we arrived after 9pm there was not much food left .... but plenty of wine, sangria and live latin band! This being said, my favorites were Doi Moi and Colada! But I cannot wait to return to Colada to sit down and enjoy the full dining experience.

First stop: Doi Moi

The delicious pork and shrimp dumpling

Next stop:  Taqueria Nacional

Tacos!

The margarita was really good!

*I enjoyed the gin and tonic sorbet from Jubilee but um enjoyed it before taking a photo. Ooops*

After Jubilee:  Colada (my fave!)

These chicken empanadas were amazing!

The Cuban and the mojito were the perfect combination!
So delicious!

Cocktail? Yes please! Hello El Juanito
(tamarind, lime, Havana cold brew and tonic)

Drinks only please:  Lupo Verde

Amalafemmina:  if you like tequila, this
cocktail is for you!

Toto: too tart for me.  Add a little agave
nectar and you may have the perfect summer
cocktail!

Lupo Alberto:  my fave of the three cocktails!
Great for sipping after dinner.

Final destination:  Zatinya

Spanakopita.  Always delicious!

My favorite bite of the night:  Bantijan Bil Laben.
It is crispy eggplant but taste like potato and the flavor
is absolutely amazing!

Next year my friend, Kizi, and I plan to enjoy this experience VIP style! Yes, tickets are over $300 but who does not appreciate a pre-party, an after party, being transported via pedicab throughout the night AND contributing even more to such a great organization??? Overall, while we did not get to as many restaurants as we planned, we ended the night full and tipsy! I would say that is a WIN for the evening!

Smiling at the end of a great night!

As always you  could have DINED and DASHED with me!  Follow me on Snapchat (pmkenney79) and never miss out! XOXO

Lady of Leisure Destination: An Afternoon in Frederick MD

Located an hour north of Washington DC is Frederick, Maryland.  Many know Frederick is the birth and final resting place of Francis Scott Key, author of the Star-Spangled Banner.  But what many do not know is that Frederick has a bustling downtown culture filled with historic museums, antique shops, amazing restaurants, bars and distilleries.  I spent the weekend there to cover a distillery tour for my friend Ashlee, and her blog Will Drink for Travel. After the tour I stuck around to discover a few other places with the friends I had made on the tour!  I am really glad I stayed a little bit longer to enjoy an afternoon of cold beer and great food!

Attaboy Beer:  Attaboy Beer is open Wednesday - Sunday.  Located at 400 Sagner Avenue, this Frederick based brewery is owned by a young couple whose love of beer lead to taking a leap of faith and opening their own brewery and taproom! Lucky us! Not only does Attaboy brew really good beer (my favorites are pictured below) but they also allow their customers to bring their own food! The atmosphere is family friendly, lively and energetic. I tried the beer flight which cost $12 and was well worth it. If you love a good, cold beer, you MUST visit Attaboy Beer when you are in Frederick!

Beer flight

Fave #1:  SIMPLE.  Their Belgian House Beer.

Fave #2:  GOLDEN FIELDS.  Their Saison.
Really good on a hot, summer day!

Fave #3:  BUMPKIN.  It is so good! However,
this one is strong so try not to drink too fast!

After an afternoon of sipping beer, it was time to eat!  We made our way to The Tasting Room to enjoy a few wine flights and share six appetizers. We were NOT disappointed!

The Tasting Room: Located on North Market Street, The Tasting Room offers a great wine selection and of course, amazing food! Every appetizer we shared was amazing and I would suggest them all! The next time I am in Frederick I plan to stay for dinner for a full culinary experience!

I started my experience with the Sparkling Wine flight.  It was a great idea! Of the three, my favorite was the Pinot Noir rose.

Start your meal with this flight!

Since we decided to share appetizers that would pair well with white wine, the next flight I requested to enjoy with the food was the Complex Whites flight.

Of course my fave was the Chenin Blanc.  
I would absolutely recommend this flight!

The appetizers arrived in pairs as suggested by our server.  Good idea!  Each dish complimented the other.  We truly enjoyed everything that was served!

Round 1:  the Beef Carpaccio and Artisan Cheese Board.

Amazing fusion of flavors and textures!

The apple butter and homemade bread
were divine!

Round 2:  The Tuna Tartare and Panko Shrimp.

Amazing flavor!  A must try!

I usually do not eat shrimp but I took
a chance and did not regret it!  The rice vinegar
dipping sauce was a great compliment!

Round 3:  The Crab Dip and Roasted Pork Belly.  These were, by far, my favorite appetizers!

This is the perfect crab dip! Warm, full
of jumb lump crab meat, creamy and just delicious!
If you have any doubts on how to start your meal,
choose the crab dip!

The roasted pork belly was my second fave
appetizer.  The braised cabbage texture complimented
the juicy, perfectly cooked pork belly.  And if I could have
sopped up the sauce ... ok I DID sop up the sauce with a piece
of bread haha

Thank you to the owners, Mike and Lori Tauraso, for generously inviting us to experience The Tasting Room! Everything - the wine, the food, the service, the atmosphere - was amazing!

I also want to thank Tara of Lace and Grace who was the perfect hostess after the tour!  Also, it was fun meeting Kacy and Tom of Bad Sentences!  What a weekend in Frederick MD! I can honestly say I was very surprised at everything there is to do, see, sip and taste in this city.  Do I plan to return? Absolutely!

Tom, Kacy, myself and Tara after an amazing culinary experience at The Tasting Room!

Lady of Leisure Destination: Puerto Rico

Una noche en Puerto Rico. Besitos. ~Lady of Leisure

As some of you know I have taken to being a "lady of leisure" since returning from Zambia.  And wow what a much needed break it has been!  As a Lady of Leisure I "invited myself" on a five day vacation to Puerto Rico.  Valió la pena (it was worth it!)!  Puerto Rico has been a dream destination for me since I fell in love with salseros such as Frankie Ruiz, La India, Frankie Negron, Hector Lavoe and of course, Marc Antony! And mofongo.  I needed to dance sweat in the streets of Puerto Rico and eat mofongo. Finally, 22 years later I made it to the island! ... mainly because when my friend Aisha told me she was going with fellow educators I gave her doe eyes and invited myself on their vacation. A true friend (CAU!) she allowed me to me join in on the fun!

I knew we had limited time on the island and there is SO much to do! I put together a dream list of activities:

• A day in El Yunque
• Tour of Bacardi 
• Tour of Old San Juan
• Bio-luminescent Bay
• Dancing in a hot, sweaty club
• Spa time on the resort

The key to group vacations?  Be flexible!  I did not complete all of the bullets on my dream list but I did do new things on this vacation and honestly, I am grateful for those new experiences.  Keep reading to see why!

What did I do?

Tour of Casa Bacardi.  I made it to Bacardi!  I am a rum girl! It is my poison of choice so this was a MUST DO tour! At the beginning of the tour we were welcomed with a choice of an adult beverage made with Bacardi.  The tour was informative and interesting but the best part, of course, was the rum tasting!  We tasted five Bacardi varieties:  Bacardi Superior, Bacardi 8 year, Bacardi Limitada, Bacardi Legacy and Bacardi Reserve.  The last two are only available in Puerto Rico at the distillery.  Bicardi Limitada, a very high end rum, is available in the US for $100-$125. I came to Puerto Rico knowing I would be going home with 2-3 bottles of rum.  One of those bottles should be one I could ONLY find in Puerto Rico. Mission accomplished!  I would definitely recommend this tour!

Welcome to Casa Bacardi

These two are ONLY available at Casa Bacardi.  Cost:  $160.

Cuba libre!

Un sueno....

Glory ... Rum Glory

BEFORE the tasting

AFTER the tasting haha

As I said, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! This bottle was $160. I
filled the bottle, corked it, dipped it in wax and sealed it with the
iconic Bacardi bat!  I plan to open this bottle when I am 40 OR
when I am engaged.  Whatever come first! 

Walking Food Tour in Old San Juan.  Food,  Old San Juan.  Perfect weather. Perfection!  I absolutely recommend this tour!  At $90 it is a bit expensive but again ... vale la pena!  Not only do you have 4 glorious hours touring Old San Juan, hearing of its rich history but as you re-trace history walking on the old cobblestones, your group will make four stops to enjoy amazing local delicacies of Puerto Rico!  After the food tour, stay in town, keep walking!  We ended the day with souvenir shopping, margaritas and enjoying the sunset.

The only all open air restaurant in Old San Juan

The Rum Bar @ Princesa has rum that can substitute for ANY
alcohol! ANY ALCOHOL! That includes gin, tequila, brandy,
whiskey etc.  Try it! I am a believer!

Did you know the  piña colada was created in Puerto Rico?

La Casa Estrecha

...5 feet wide, goes back 36 feet and 2 stories!

Stop #2 is a restaurant and sells art made by local artists!

Alcapurrias de carne.  Oh yes!

Cerviche

Un vejigante 

This restaurant used to be a jail cell! (Stop #3)

On the tour we made our own mofongo de pollo!  Yes Yes Yes!
My favorite part of the tour!

Hecho en Casa.  Stop #4.

THE BEST FLAN I HAVE HAD IN LIFE! Hablando en
serio!  You MUST visit Hecho en Casa if ever in Old San Juan.

Sail, Snorkel and Beach!  OK now if you KNOW me.  Truly know ME ... you KNOW this is not something I would normally do.  Like ever! But this is where it is important to be open, flexible when touring with a group. So what was I to do but put on my cute swim romper, sunblock, lipgloss and be open to the experience!  So you have a deeper understanding, a couple of confessions: I hate the beach... Better said, I hate sand. Even better said, I hate sand in crevices. Secondly, I haven't owned, been seen in or shopped for a bathing suit as an adult. More accurately since under the age of 10. But this year I've decided to love and live my BEST life! I am so glad I had this experience! It honestly was the best day of the vacation!

Lady of Leisure

Naw ... I need to feel the earth under my feet ...

Sand under my feet, rum punch in hand.

Waves

Find the swim romper at Lane Bryant.

Enjoy your time away!  This year is "The Great 38" so when I booked my trip to Puerto Rico I decided to do every single thing I said I'd never do. For so many years I refused to wear a swimsuit. Not only am I not someone who needs to be IN or even NEAR the water but I was hard on myself and things that I saw as a flaw (e.g. cellulite on my thighs).  But as I said, THIS YEAR is MY YEAR. And that means the world was meant to be introduced to The Cellulite Celebrity!  F*ck it. I do not know these people and will more than likely not see them again.  What they see today is not what they would have seen 4 years ago.  Four years ago I was 67lbs heavier with an additional 23 inches. I am proud of what I have achieved and dammit how best to celebrate that with a two piece that shall be adorned in Puerto Rico!? haha

This two piece can be procured at Swimsuits for All.

I am in a pool!

"What has 2017 done with the Phoebe I know?!?!" It has handed me glitter and dammit I plan on shinin'!  

Clearly I did not do everything I wanted to do on my dream list but clearly it will not be the last time I am on the island!  I will absolutely return to Puerto Rico! Who is going next? Can I just invite myself now?? 😉

TIP:  Stay in San Juan or Old San Juan!  Taxis are expensive and you will save a lot of money by staying close to the city.  

If you want to do any of the tours I have mentioned on this entry, please book in advance at https://www.viator.com/.  Professional, reasonably priced and memories were created!

Finally, you should just start following me on snapchat (pmkenney79)!  Besides, tomorrow I am off to Cape Town.  You know you want to be part of the fun! Besitos! XO