To start their 2012 tours, Real Richmond Food Tours and More offered their VCU: Alternative Eats tour to a sold out crowd on a bright, crisp Saturday afternoon January 14th.  Maureen and Susan, tour hosts, take ticket holders on a mile and a half walk through Richmond’s culture, architecture, history – and, naturally Richmond’s food scene.  The tours feature at least seven different areas of the city, seven totally different tours. But, even the same tour experienced several times provides a very different perspective by stopping in different eateries along the way.  Tours are rotated so not all areas are available at the same time.

Today’s tour began at the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, in the heart of the Fan, just a block from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus. After a quick briefing about the house, the two guest rooms, and William Miller (the marble carver who built the house in 1869), the group visited the dining room where breakfast is served to guests and the wine room where beverages and hors d’oeuvres are available for guests in the evening as they make their dinner plans.  Pat and Mike explained they began renovations in 1996 (still on-going, an old house is never done!) and opened as an urban inn/bed and breakfast in 2000. Then to the inn’s best feature – the Kitchen, where gourmet breakfasts are prepared for guests!

Real Richmond Food Tour tasted creme caramel at the William Miller House B&B during the VCU: Alternative Eats tour

First Mike had prepared creme caramel!   He explained that this version was a little sweeter than we serve our breakfast guests but it is an alternative for our fresh fruit course. Other options include a lavender panna cotta, surprise yogurt, fruit crepes or any other seasonal offering to feature Virginia’s bounty as a first course. That’s right – it’s just a first course.  After the first course, guests are treated to an entree course served on individual platters.  Real Richmond Food Tours is all about tastes, as they visit 5 or 6 stops along the way – so no entree today!

Mike has been perfecting his sous-vide technique for three years now and decided to spend a few minutes introducing the tour to sous-vide process to the tour.  Sous vide or cooking under pressure is a method of cooking foods in an airtight plastic bag in a water bath at an accurately determined temperature.  The temperature is lower than normally used for cooking, usually around 140 degrees F.  The concept is to cook the item evenly, not overcook the outside. The inside then has the same overall “doneness” and the food stays juicier.  This method is often used for meats and can be used for vegetables, etc.  Eggs come in their own airtight container (their shell) – they don’t need a plastic bag!  Mike offered tour-goers the opportunity to taste one of our fresh from the farm eggs prepared soft-boiled in the sous-vide, served on a toast square.  He was surprised how adventurous this group was; he had many takers. The sous vide technique was introduced to the US mainly through the efforts of Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Napa Valley.  Here in Richmond, Philip Denny, chef at Six Burner, just a few blocks away and also in the Fan, was the first chef in Richmond approved by the health department to use the technique for guests.

Farm Fresh Eggs ready for their Sous Vide bath

Meyer Lemon Sorbet to cleanse the palate between tastes

To cleanse the palate, tour ticket holders were offered a Meyer Lemon sorbet, served on a Chinese spoon, and garnished with a mint leaf from the inn garden.  Next up, guests were offered pecan squares to go as they hit the streets of the  Fan for their next stops.

Miller House Pecan Squares

These tours are so popular that they sell out quickly and you need to plan in advance to purchase your ticket on-line to reserve your spot. It is a wonderful way to experience Richmond up close and personal!

HIstoric Garden Week in Virginia has slipped by; The Fan Woman’s Club Kitchen and Garden Tour is a memory; the Museum District’s Mother’s Day Tour has passed — but we’re not done yet! Next Saturday, May 14th between noon and 5 PM, selected homes and gardens in the Ginter Park neighborhood will open their doors and gates to visitors.

Ginter Park House and Garden Tour celebrates 100 years of Architecture May 14 2011 between noon and 5 PM

The annual tour will be celebrating 100 years of architecture and gardens and the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Ginter Park neighborhood.  Times-Dispatch article on Ginter Park Tour Ticket Information and Details.

And, once you visited the ten homes and gardens open for touring, just up the road you’ll find Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens featuring its Millions of Blooms.  Right now the roses and peonies are in their prime and provide great photo opportunities. You can also check out the progress of world-famous artist Patrick Dougherty as he builds his stick sculpture, which will be named on May 21 at the Spring Fling in the Garden.

And, this is the FINAL weekend for the exhibition “Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National Picasso, Paris” at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Better get there before it’s gone for good!

Lots in store this weekend, don’t miss out! Richmond and central Virginia are the place to be….

I’m always thinking about food, at least new items for breakfast here a the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast.  Last week I was out planting some vegetables and herbs for the season and while planting the basil it occurred to me that I always plant too much basil.  While I do use some for pesto for our vegan guests I rarely make it for Pat and myself, mostly because Pat does not really care for it.

So what to do this summer when the basil is in full swing?  How about a new first course, so with the basil I have on hand, store bought, I embark on a crazy idea, making a basil mousse, now I do not think the idea of making mousse from herbs is new, but it is for me and our guests as well.  The dish is actually a Basil white-chocolate mousse over a layer of strawberry (did I mention that its strawberry season here in Virginia) greek yogurt.  After they finished the dish and licked the glasses I suggested that they have the honor or coming up with a name and the name they chose was a “June Bug”, sort of a play on a grasshopper, the cocktail made with creme de menthe.

Basil white-chocolate mousse layered over strawberry yogurt (June Bug)

The process. Because I knew that this would not be something to whip up in the morning I decided to make it the night before.  Besides the gelatin in the mousse really needed time to set up.

The first step was to puree some of the fresh strawberries that we had picked at the local berry farm.  I always lean towards fresh local ingredients if at all possible and it is the beginning of the strawberry season here in Virginia. Following the pureeing of the berries I grabbed some of my favorite Greek Yogurt and added some of the pureed strawberry to the yogurt and stirred it to combine and placed it in the bottom of 4 - 9.25 ounce martini glasses. I then place the glasses in to the fridge.

The next step was to make the mousse.  I grabbed a pot and put some heavy cream into the pot and then brought it up to a slight simmer and added the basil leaves and removed it from the heat.  I allowed the mixture to steep for 10-minutes, then pureed in my Vita-prep.  I got mine several years ago when Jimmy Snead of the restaurant The Frog and the Redneck closed his restaurant and was selling of his equipment.

I then strained through a fine china-cap and returned to the heat, brought it up to a boil and poured the mixture over some Callebaut White-Chocolate and let it melt and then made the mousse (see actual recipe). I tasted the the mousse and it was a bit strong, but it was still warm so I was confident that chilling would make the basil a bit more subtle, which it did.

The results are 4 happy guests with expanded palettes and one chef with a new knife in his drawer.  If you make the recipe please comment on this blog so it can be shared with our guests.

For the Basil Mousse:

284 ml heavy cream or about 9.6 oz
30g or 1-oz basil, leaves only
150g or 5-oz white chocolate, broken into pieces
2 leaves of gelatin
100 ml water or 3 1/2 oz
1 medium egg plus 1 egg yolk

1. Warm cream gently to about 100 degrees, add the basil leaves and stir to ensure they are submerged. Remove from heat and let leaves steep for 10-minutes. Puree the mixture in a blender and strain.
2. Place white chocolate in a bowl and reheat strained cream to just boiling and then pour over white chocolate and let sit for about 5-minutes, after about 5-minutes whisk mixture until creamy.
3. Break up the gelatin into a small bowl with 100 ml of warm water and let it soften.
4. Put the egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk until thick and creamy, this should only take a few minutes.  Add the softened gelatin, and the white chocolate and basil creme mixture and stir well.  Strain the final mixture again and pour in to 4 prepared martini glass with the strawberry greek yogurt.

For the Strawberry Yogurt

10 oz greek yogurt
118 ml or 1/2 cup

1. Fold the strawberry puree into the greek yogurt. and divide equally into the 4 9.25 oz martini glasses.

Note: This could be converted to a dessert by adding a bit of sugar to the strawberry puree.

Mike Rohde
Chef and Co-owner of the William Miller House
Richmond, VA

Guess what?  We forgot to tell you that several months ago we added a mobile website, no iPhone required, for you road warriors and for folks that use their smartphone for everything and why not they are cool!  Of course our mobile site is not magic so it can’t make a room available when its not, but if your on the go and remember you need to make a reservation it will make the process a bit less complex from your phone.  You iPad users out there, we know who you are so you will still get the full website. Also for speed and efficiency we kept it basic and straightforward; after all it still a phone.

We look forward to seeing you all very soon.

Most everyone has heard of Julia Child (1912-2004). It was in Paris that Julia met two French women, Simca Beck and Louisette Bertholle, who were writing a cookbook aimed at an American audience. They needed an American collaborator. Julia was perfectly suited for the job. She began testing recipes. For nearly ten years, she devoted herself to writing, testing and re-writing. She confided to her sister-in-law: “Really, the more I cook the more I like to cook. To think it has taken me 40 yrs. To find my true passion (cat and husband excepted).”

She was invited to appear on a television program called “I’ve Been Reading”, produced by WGBH, Boston’s public television station. The host of the show was reluctant to take time for a subject as trivial as cooking. But Julia was undeterred. She arrived with a hot plate, giant whisk and eggs, and made an omelet. Twenty-seven viewers wrote to the station, wanting to see more. The station produced three pilots, then launched into production of The French Chef. Produced and directed by Russ Morash, the series broadcast a total of 199 programs, produced between 1963 and 1966.By the end of 1965,

The French Chef was carried by 96 PBS stations. Sales of Mastering the Art of  Cooking” were picking up speed – 200,000 copies sold. In 1965, Julia won a Peabody. In 1966, she won an Emmy. Time put her on the cover in a feature article on American food – “Everyone’s in the Kitchen.”

But this series is not about Julia, although America will miss her, it about Romaine Chatard Champion, the author of of the book “The Art of Cooking Omelettes” published in 1963.

Madame Romaine was born in Lyon and grew up working in her parents’ restaurant. She learned everything from her mother who was ‘an instructive cuisinère, and saw to it that I learned in proper order: first principles; then recipes; and, finally, style.’ Madame Romaine lived in Lyon until she married, at a very young age, and moved to New York City with her new husband. She spoke no English whatsoever when she arrived in the US and took a bit of time building up confidence to do so. While still very young, her husband tragically suffered a heart-attack and died. Madame Romaine was then left wondering what to do and eventually opened a Salon de Thé in Manhattan. Her eventual location was at 156 East 56th Street, which is now an Antiques shop.

Beginning in May Mike the Chef and co-owner of the William Miller House will begin preparing one of the 500 different style omelettes from Madame Romaine’s book.  We will begin with the cheese omelettes, and on to tomato, if the timing is right and so on.  I promise you each will be a delight and we will ask that our guests leave comments here on the blog so that you may draw you own conclusions as to whether or not to try a particular omelette.  We promise to alert you if the omelettes are falling into one of the less well know culinary areas of liver, kidney, sweetbreads, etc.  I figure with 500 omelettes it will take over 8-years to complete the effort as this should not be a problem.  In the case of the more obtuse items Mike and Pat may choose to have those for dinner on Monday night and invite the neighbors, should they be so brave.

Here is the beginning of the journey:

Cheese Omelettes (Omelettes au Fromage) NOTE:The cheese will always be swiss cheese in keeping with the recipes

GUIGNOL (onion, cheese)
PARMENTIER (potatoes, cheese)
CHAMBERY (potatoes, onions, cheese)
LAURENTIENNE (fines herbes, cheese)
DAUPHINIOSE (potatoes in cream sauce, cheese)
VALENCIENNES (onions, peas, croutons, cheese)
AELEGEOISE ( onions, spinach, rice, cheese)
CHOISY (peas, onions, rice, parsley, cheese)
ARGENTEUIL (asparagus, parsley, cheese)
FONTAINEBLEAU (eggplant, garlic, fines herbes, cheese)
MORNEY (tomatoes, croutons, fines herbes, cheese)
BRESSANE (croutons, CREAM SAUCE, cheese)
LORRAINE (chives, bacon fines herbes, cheese)
LIMOUSINE (potatoes, bacon, fines herbes, cheese)
BEAUVILLIER (bacon, crouton olive, cheese)
FRANCHE-COMTOISE ( asparagus tips, bacon, parsley, cheese)
DAUPHIN (bacon, spinach, croutons, cheese)
ROCHAMBEAU (sausage, spinach, mushrooms, cheese)
BAMBOCHE (chicory (curly endive), croutons, bacon, garlic, cheese)
DUMONTEIL (carrots, onions, bacon, fines herbes, cheese)
CHAMPENOISE (oyster plant, rice, parsley, CREAM SAUCE, cheese)
AURILLIC (oyster plant (salsify), bacon, croutons, noodles, cheese)
MONTPELLIER (cauliflower in CREAM SAUCE, croutons, cheese)
COLMAR ( cauliflower, bacon, croutions, cheese)
FANTASIO (apples, croutons, walnuts, cheese)
MARGOT (truffles and cheese)

Virginia’s First Lady Plants First-Ever Grapevines in the Executive Mansion Garden

First Lady Maureen McDonnell with help In commemoration of Virginia Wine Week-Love by the Glass, as well as Acte 12 of Jamestown Requiring Settlers to Plant and Tend Grapevines, First Lady Maureen McDonnell planted 10 Chambourcin grapevines in the garden of the Executive Mansion in late March.  She was assisted by Jason Tesauro, Chief Sommelier and National Sales Director and Luca Paschina, General Manager and Winemaker at Barboursville Vineyards; Lucie Morton, nationally renowned viticulturist and vineyard consultant; Mansion Chef Todd Schneider; and Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore. (Pictured left to right with First Lady.) The vines are being planted with the intent that they will be flourishing for the Executive Mansion’s two hundred anniversary in 2013. Completed in 1813, the Virginia Governor’s Mansion is the oldest continually occupied residence in the United States. It is unique beyond its vast history as no other historic house belongs to the people of Virginia; no other has been home to a procession of fifty-four governors and their families; and no other serves as both residence of the Commonwealth’s chief executive and a place of official business. The grapevine planting is among a number of special activities that will commemorate its rich history. CLICK HERE to view more pictures: www.executivemansion.virginia.gov/events.cfm For information about tours of the Executive Mansion.

Pearl Fryar began topiary gardening on his 3 acres in Bishopville, SC in the 1980′s with the goal of winning first prize from his local garden club.

Pearl Fryar, noted topiary gardener, to speak in Richmond VA on March 5 and 6

His garden of sculpted bushes and trees now attract almost 500 visitors a day, thousands every year. Pearl Fryar will add Richmond to his list of appearances on March 5 at 1 PM and 4:30 PM and March 6 at 12:15 PM and 3 PM as part of the 35th Annual Richmond Home and Garden Show at the Richmond Raceway Complex as the featured speaker.

Pearl Fryar has appeared on “Martha Stewart Show,” in a documentary aired on PBS called “A Man Named Pearl,” in Southern Living and Harper’s. Tickets are available on-line. Active and retired military, police, and EMS personnel will be admitted FREE with a valid ID. The Richmond Raceway Complex is located at 600 E. Laburnum Avenue.

The Official Richmond Region 2011 Visitors Guide is Here!

Hot off the press, the Richmond Region 2011 Visitors Guide has locals dishing about their favorite Richmond spots and instant access to bonus materials with smart phone tags throughout.

Be sure to turn to page 20 and find out why a trip to the Richmond Region is must in 2011.

The Official Richmond Region 2011 Visitor Guide

History. It All Starts Here.

Your Guide to Richmond Travel and Tourism

Discover history, adventure and an easily accessible location in the Historic Richmond Region. Here, more than 400 years of American history live on through magnificent architecture, monument-lined cobblestone streets, and world-class museums – for an experience that’s anything but textbook.

But the area makes history in other ways, too. Brave the gorgeous yet intense James River, which distinguishes the Richmond Region as the only urban setting with Class IV rapids. It’s just one form of outdoor recreation for thrill seekers. Event planners will love the Greater Richmond Convention Center, a prime destination for meetings and groups. See how the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is expanding its world-class offerings. And with more than 900 restaurants, diverse shopping and enticing events, the Region is ideal for weekend getaways and vacations.

There is no better way to beat the heat than with ice cold watermelon! Now in its 27th year, the Carytown Watermelon festival attracts over 100,000 folks to the “Mile of Style” as the Carytown shopping and dining district of Richmond is known to residents and visitors alike.  Between 10 Am and 6 PM, over 80 musicians will appear on 8 stages scattered through Carytown, along with over 100 exhibitors, and food vendors making the Carytown Watermelon Festival Virginia’s largest one day festival! MAP And you won’t be able to miss the thousands of watermelons! There will be lots of family fun, with a kids’ zone to keep the kids entertained. But seriously, when you come – be prepared for the heat and protected from the sun. Frequently asked questions.

Carytown’s Mile of Style is just a mile from our Fan District bed and breakfast, make sure you include Carytown in your Richmond visit!  With its special events, shopping in unique boutiques, and dining options, Carytown just can’t be beat!

Here at the William Miller House bed and breakfast we pride ourselves on being bleeding edge, whether it’s breakfast, seasonal decorations, or technology.  So when Verizon  offered a higher speed internet connect we opted-in  as an early adopter.   Here at the inn our WiFi was 20MB down and 6MB up and was meeting our needs.  However, when offered the capability to increase the speed to 35MB down and 35MB up we said; ” where  do we sign up?”  Effective June 2, 2010 our wifi is now faster than ever in both directions, good news for our guest and GREAT news for our business travelers.  I guess if this keeps up we will have to upgrade our wifi!

Lightening Fast WiFi Test Results to Washington, DC