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Martinique Beach Provincial Park is a treasure of the Eastern Shore in Nova Scotia, and is one of many delightful discoveries I made during a road trip along Marine Drive...
Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....
When we travel thoughts of disasters are far from our mind. But with the news of natural disasters, especially numerous tornadoes in Oklahoma and the Midwest -- as well as...
Vegetarian travel gets easier in the summer, when farmers markets and their bounteous produce draw tourists and local chefs. Summer is also know for outdoor eating, and New York City...
Father's Day can be a great day to get out in nature and take a special hike or walk, like this family is doing at San Elijo Lagoon, in San...
"Sandy, the aurora's rising behind us, the pier lights our carnival life on the water." ----Bruce Springsteen, Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) For years, we’ve been hearing the news: Asbury...
When planningyour summer road trip don't overlook Devil's Tower, Wyoming. It is one of my favorite side trips and possibly one of the most overlooked National Parks. The first time...
How do you keep the kids -- and yourself -- healthy and happy when traveling? Do you look for hotels that provide special activities that keep your kids active and...
Memorial Day Weekend kicks off the summer season for Disney Parks everywhere. My family and I recently managed to get to three Disney Parks in three weeks, finishing with a...
Billing itself as “The Best Free Show on Broadway,” n’s Stardust Dineras been open since the 80’s, but it’s décor, memorabilia and food will take you back to the 50’s. However, what are you really going to see at this popular tourist destination in the heart of Times Square? [ ... ]
Relax at the Qua Bath and Spa, play the slots and dress to the nines to party at the Pool After Dark. This is just part of a Caesers Atlantic City girlfriend getaway. Located on the Boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean, Caesers offers entertainment and fabulous dining.
Reserve a room, depending on the [ ... ]
Cozy is the word my son used to describe our room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Not the first word that usually comes to mind when you describe a 22-acre property with 3,500 rooms. It’s a testament to Hilton’s commitment to creating a family friendly environment at their enormous p [ ... ]
Disney makes the magic look easy, but there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. I am always inspired by the team of people who create the masterful new Disney experiences. One of the pleasures of my job is getting to spend time talking with and learning from these incredibly creative [ ... ]
Who says you can’t surf in the desert? The Kierland FlowRider opened last year at the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. It’s the first of its kind in Arizona and one of the main reasons why I think the Westin Kierland rocks for kids and anyone else that loves to have fun. Kierl [ ... ]
Context Travel is a Rome-based tour company that offers educational walking tours for a number of European destinations. What makes Context Travel unique is its intellectual and educational focus, with experts from a variety of disciplines, including literature, history and art, leading the tours an [ ... ]
Most of us have a memory of getting lost as a young child. I remember the first time I couldn’t find my parents. I was probably about six years old and I was playing in the Barbie section at K-Mart. My Mom kept telling me it was time to go but obviously, as a five-year-old child, I was too b [ ... ]
I brought conch home from the store and laid them out on the cutting board. My husband, Kevin, and I inspected the species that looked a cross between slugs and scallops.
I pointed out the conch penises, which are rather large compared to their body sizes. Kevin made a face and diligently cut that partoff. I protested explaining that he was wasting good meat.
“No way,” Kevin retorted, “We’re not eating that!”
Grand Cayman and the Cayman Islands is the homeland of the conch. It is a popular part of the Caribbean diet and culture. It’s healthy; high in protein and low in fat and there are many popular conch dishes including conch fritters, chowders, salads and ceviches
I decided to make conch chowder.
I had found this snail-like mollusk at an Asian superstore. This place was huge. It had everything from Peking duck to durian. Best of all, it had fresh seafood and not the kind you see at your local grocery store. It had large fresh crab, eel, many different kinds of fish and they had live conch.
I grabbed a basket and tongs and helped myself. That’s what you do in this Asian supermarket: you fish out what you want from the tanks and then put your find in a basket to be weighed. The Chinese woman who weighs threw the conch in a bag and handed them to me. I handed them back. I had read that extracting the conch from its shell can be hard laborious work and that you don’t simply want to boil the conch to get them out of their shell because it might ruin the taste of the meat.
I tried to explain all this to the Chinese woman who spoke no English. I somehow got my point across. The woman grunted, grabbed the bag from me and walked away. I then heard very loud banging and she came back with just the conch and no shells.
At home I made the conch chowder with leeks, carrots, onion, potatoes, garlic and cream. It was delicious. Everyone loved the soup. While I ate the conch I dreamed about going to the Caribbean and eating them plucked right out of the ocean.
I decided that I would make this chowder again. Next time I may not even cut that part off.
Conch Chowder
1 lb chopped conch
1/2 leek, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups fish stock (I used chicken stock )
2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp corn starch dissolved in a little water
Marjoram
Cumin seed
1 bay leaf
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
A few drops of Tabasco
Heat the butter in a skillet, sauté the leeks, carrots, onions and garlic for two minutes. Then add wine, cream, water and fish stock. Then add the potatoes, conch and seasonings. Simmer until potatoes are cooked. (I read that one must tenderize the conch meat by pounding it with a mallet. I didn’t do this and my conch meat tasted fine).
As the price to fly continues to rise, and the inconveniences rise, more and more people, and especially families, are turning back to the good, old-fashioned road trip.
My pa [ ... ]
Grapevine, Texas celebrates summer Texas style, with Grapevine’s 5th annual SummerBlastrunning Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Grapevine, 20 miles from Dal [ ... ]
I may be a bit biased, but I think Texas has the most beautiful Capitol building in the country. Built almost entirely out of Texas Hill Country red granite and sitting taller [ ... ]
