Category Archives: Culinary Inspiration

July 8, 2008 – 6:10 am

If You Love a Meal… Dish More of It!

Relax-the-max on most Let’s Dish! meals

Due to popular demand (i.e., yours!) we have relaxed our limits on the maximum quantity of any individual meal you can order at a session. 

For many meals, we have set the max at 4 (or 8 splits).  A few meals have lower maximums, either because they take longer to dish or have excessively high cost-of-ingredients (as much as we’d love to offer 8 salmons, we have to pay rent!). 

So check out our new menus, and (for the most part) dish as much as you want of any meal! 

Happy dishing!

About Jeremy

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RECOMMENDED LINKS:
> 1 Dish? 6 Dishes? 11 Dishes?

Click to continue reading “If You Love a Meal… Dish More of It!”

By Jeremy Kugel | Also posted in The Dish On | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)
June 28, 2008 – 5:00 am

Enter Our Recipe Contest and Win $100

Recipe ContestShare favorite recipe and your next Let’s Dish! session could be FREE. Raid your family’s cookbook and send us your best - entrĂ©e, side or dessert. You could win a $100 Let’s Dish! gift card, and may even see your dish on our menu. Entries must be sent to recipes@letsdish.net by July 31st, 2008. The winner will be contacted by August 31st, 2008.*

We’d love to use your submission on a future Let’s Dish! menu, so please remember:

  • All ingredients must be freezable
  • Recipe must contain specific amounts and methods
  • Recipe must be executable with no additional equipment (e.g: food processor, mixer, etc.)
  • Recipe must be nutritionally sound and within Let’s Dish! guidelines. (one serving = 5000 calories, sorry… no can do!.)
  • All recipes must be original and created by the submitter (not copied from a cookbook)
  • Recipe must serve 6
  • Heating or cooking should be relatively simple
  • Recipe may be changed at Let’s Dish! discretion to utilize in store
  • It needs to be delicious! (at least according to our expert panel)

About Holly W

*All submissions become property of Let’s Dish! and may be used or altered without further permission from, credit to, or compensations for, the submitter. All rights reserved. Entries that arrive after July 31st, 2008 will not be considered.

LINKS TO BLOG POSTS THAT MAY GIVE YOU INSPIRATION:
 > Check your top-rated dishes and then find and submit similar recipes. Click here to read more about rating your dishes.

> Kid-friendly meals are always popular, especially during the school year. Watch the WUSA9 feature on Let’s Dish! family-friendly meals.

> We strive for healthy and delicious meals on our menu. Here’s a page showing you how to download the nutrition facts and ingredients of our current menu.

> Read all the Culinary Inspiration posts for more ideas!

By Holly W | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
June 23, 2008 – 3:45 pm

You Help Make Our Menus So Wonderful

Customer entering ratingsHow do we create such fantastic menus? Well, our talented food team is always cooking up the best recipes months in advance. But did you know our customers play a big role as well?

Through the “My Orders” link once you log in to letsdish.com, customers can rate the meals they’ve dished [1 star (not for me) to 5 stars (love it!)], and can also make comments [”a little salty for my tastes” or “you guys are geniuses”]. Every rating goes into our database, which is a key determinant of which meals return to our menus… and which meals go to “dish heaven”. Even more important, your comments. We read every single one, and tweak our recipes accordingly
So next time you’re asking, “who makes these menus so delicious?”, the answer is you.We Recommend

About Jeremy

p.s. You do need your own Let’s Dish! account to add your ratings online. An account will automatically be created for you when you place an order under your own name and email. If you don’t have one, you can sign up in less than a minute, click here to get started!
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RECOMMENDED LINKS:
 > “Kid-Friendly Let’s Dish! Meals featured on WUSA9”
> “Wow the crowds at home and on vacation!”

By Jeremy Kugel | Also posted in The Dish On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
June 12, 2008 – 5:00 am

Fall In Love With S’Mores Pie

S’mores 4Back in May, our Let’s Dish! food team of Holly and Holly came to me with an all-new S’mores Pie they had invented. One warm, gooey, chocolatey bite later, I was in love. It was pretty much the best thing I had ever tasted. Now you can get it FREE when you sign up for an 8-meal session!* (By the way, you will also get a fancy Let’s Dish! beach chair… but trust me, you’ll like the S’more Pie even better.)

S’mores 3 - LeoIf the chocolatey smiles on Leo and Sydney’s faces are any indication, I’m not the only one in love with this unique dessert. But don’t take my word for it, check out this report on Washington’s WUSA TV-9. Or better yet, come into our store and put a child-like smile on your own face.

Warm and melty. Gooey and crispy. Marshmallowy, chocoaltey and grahamy. Ready in under 10 minutes. And FREE with your in-store signup this July.

Get ready to fall in love.

About Jeremy

*Terms: Customer may select S’mores Pie as part of the Let’s Dish! in-store sign-up offer, available through August 2nd, 2008. Customer must sign up in-store for any 8- or 12- meal session, and will receive a selected FREE dessert. Offer cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to previously-booked sessions.  Entries that arrive after July 31st, 2008 will not be considered.

RECOMMENDED LINKS:
> “Kid-Friendly Let’s Dish! Meals featured on WUSA9”

By Jeremy Kugel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
May 13, 2008 – 12:01 am

Don’t miss the Bon AppĂ©tit Top 100

from Bon Appetit magazine
On May 13th, Bon AppĂ©tit launches their new website, and the most interesting feature for those of you who are “foodies” is that it focuses on the Top 100 recipes from over 50 years of the magazine. Yes, these “100 Dishes you need to know right now” are their favorite, Test Kitchen-approved (and reader-rated) seasonal recipes of all time.

So, check out bonappetit.com on Tuesday, May 31th. The recipes, according to the Editor-in-Chief, will vary with season and keep you up to date on what is hot and what is not in the food world. You will know first hand what will wow your guests at your next party!

Of course, we at Let’s Dish! will be watching this new website as well as other foodie favorites on the web closely to incorporate fresh new culinary ideas along with the “tried and true” into our monthly menus, so you can say, “bon appĂ©tit!” at your very own dinner table.

Click to continue reading “Don’t miss the Bon AppĂ©tit Top 100″

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
April 5, 2008 – 12:40 pm

Guess the kitchen gadget?!

mystery swedish kitchen gadget“Gadget Gal” Holly Cole has a little surprise for you today! She recently traveled to Sweden for the 2008 World Skating Championships where she happened to have a little extra time to shop for - you guessed it… kitchen gadgets?!

QuestionsCan you guess what this mystery Swedish kitchen gadget is?

AnswersHere’s the answer:

As my husband and I were walking down Korsgatan (the main shopping avenue in Goteborg, Sweden) we came across what I can only call “gadget heaven.” The store is called Josephssons, you can purchase most anything for your home in this store.

So of course, I had to have a new and different gadget for my kitchen.

Click to continue reading “Guess the kitchen gadget?!”

By Holly C | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)
March 30, 2008 – 11:40 am

Thank you for coming on our culinary adventure!

Risk-free culinary adventures with Let’s Dish!Thanks, everyone, for joining us on March’s culinary adventures.

Whether you’ve got a worldly palate or prefer home-style cuisine, we hope you learned something about your own tastes, and the dishes that inspire them. Every meal can tell a story, and we’ve enjoyed taking this adventure with you.

Next month, the blog will change focus, but your taste buds can keep traveling — April’s Let’s Dish! menu features Shrimp Fajitas, Calypso Chicken with Grilled Pineapples and Wild Maine Blueberry Buckle.

Bon appétit!

Valerie Harding

By Valerie | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 26, 2008 – 6:00 am

The Dish On… Wine Selection

Culinary adventures aren’t limited to just the food on the table. We asked our wine partner, Neil Smith of WineSmith (Ashburn, VA), to help guide us in wine selection.

Beverage Recommendations in “Nutrition and Details”

And, don’t forget that with the help of wine experts like Neil, Let’s Dish! makes it even easier to select a wine for dinner by pairing a beverage with each dish. When viewing our monthly menu, simply click through to see the “Nutrition and Details” link under each dish next to the information icon - Look for the “Nutrition and Details” for each dish - and look for the Recommended Beverages next to the wine glass icon (above) in the table on the left.

The Dish On…

The Dish On… Wine Selection

Wine Pairing


Selecting a wine to enjoy with dinner can be intimidating, especially when you consider the thousands of wine choices that are available.

Click to continue reading “The Dish On… Wine Selection”

By Valerie | Also posted in Most Popular Posts, The Dish On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
March 23, 2008 – 6:00 am

A trip to the moon(pie) - yum!

Moonpie cookiesIf you’re still wondering about moonpies after my last post on starting a Family Book Club, here’s the answer!  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, a favorite site to try new things.

Chef’<p><p>s hat icon Southern Moon Pies

SUBMITTED BY: Jody Crout

“Now you can make this Southern favorite at home. Full of chocolate and marshmallow goodness! Vanilla extract may be substituted with coconut or mint extract.”


Original recipe yield: 2 dozen pies About scaling and conversions

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup marshmallow creme

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Click to continue reading “A trip to the moon(pie) - yum!”

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 21, 2008 – 6:00 am

Family Book Club: A Literary & Culinary Adventure

Ever thought of creating a Family Book Club? It’s a great activity for the whole family - and you would be amazed at how you can bring food into it!

As I embarked on this culinary adventure with Let’s Dish!, I had no idea where it would take me. I have spent many hours thinking about food in all different ways, not just in new and exciting flavors but also in how food touches us in our lives and how we can make it a lifetime adventure for ourselves and our children.

One thing you should know about me is that I love to read.

Click to continue reading “Family Book Club: A Literary & Culinary Adventure”

By Lisa Hardiman | Also posted in Family Matters, Most Popular Posts, We Recommend | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
March 19, 2008 – 9:00 am

More noodle adventures!

I hope you’re enjoying the culinary adventures brought to you this month by Let’s Dish!.  Today we continue our noodle adventures!

Last week, we began our focus on noodles around the world with a post on spaetzle, German noodles.  Today, we move on to Asian Noodles, which are by far the most popular. They have many kinds… so, why not try something different for dinner tonight!   

Asian Noodle Bowl - See more of March’s Menu >> And, of course, on our March menu, we feature Asian Noodle Bowl, a delicious soup featuring rice noodles, mushrooms, bean sprouts, chicken and water chestnuts, all simmering in a delicious chicken broth with a touch of ginger, curry, lemon and coconut milk.

Click to continue reading “More noodle adventures!”

By Valerie | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 18, 2008 – 6:00 am

Go Global with Epicurious…

Culinary Adventures aren’t limited to Let’s Dish!

As I sit at my computer contemplating all the many places I would like to visit in the next few years (naturally inspired by our culinary adventure menu this month at Let’s Dish!), I happened onto Epicurious’s website. I was delighted to see that they too have embarked on a global journey via food.

Check out Chef Paul Flynn’s Modern Irish Recipes for some “St. Patrick’s Day” inspirations, learn about the secrets of Indonesian cooking, find several mole recipes, travel to Middle East for Persian and Moroccan food.

Click to continue reading “Go Global with Epicurious…”

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
March 17, 2008 – 6:00 am

Grab an OXO gadget!

Here’s a quick gadget recommendation from the Let’s Dish! “Gadget Gal,” Holly Cole:

Are you or someone you know having trouble with arthritis? Can’t grip your kitchen tools as you once could? Don’t worry - you’re not alone.

I get a new OXO gadget for myself every so often just to make life a little easier. Check out the user friendly kitchen gadgets at the OXO website!

About Holly C

Gadgets We Love:
> Tools for a trip to your own backyard
> How does your (indoor) garden grow?

By Holly C | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
March 15, 2008 – 10:00 am

Host a Progressive Dinner Party - Let’s Dish! can help!

Who doesn’t love to throw a dinner party? But…no one wants all that work! Why not organize a Progressive Dinner Party? Here’s how it works: At a progressive dinner party, guests share the duties of cooking, entertaining and cleaning up. Dinner often begins with appetizers and drinks in one location, moves on to the entrĂ©e in another, and concludes with dessert and coffee in a third. This gives the traditional dinner party a twist. And, Let’s Dish! is here to help.

In the month of March, add a theme to your Progressive Dinner Party - Culinary Adventures!

Click to continue reading “Host a Progressive Dinner Party - Let’s Dish! can help!”

By Valerie | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 14, 2008 – 6:00 am

Plan a weekly “geography” dinner!

Risk-free culinary adventures with Let’s Dish!Are your seatbelts still fastened? Are you still with us? Have you learned anything new so far on your culinary adventures with Let’s Dish!? Speaking of learning something new, here is a great way to get the whole family on board and involved on this little adventure we are taking…

Pick one night each week (”say Tuesdays”) for “Geography” Dinner. This will be a great way to teach your family - and maybe even yourself - a few new things.

To prepare for your dinner, pick a country or a culture for the week (take turns letting different family members pick the country or put a bunch of names in a hat, and draw one out each week).

Click to continue reading “Plan a weekly “geography” dinner!”

By Lisa Hardiman | Also posted in Family Matters, Just for Fun, Most Popular Posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 13, 2008 – 6:00 am

The Dish On…Asian Cuisine

The Dish On…Asian CuisineAs you may have noticed, at Let’s Dish! we try to maintain a variety of different cuisines that hold a broad family appeal. Today, I’d like to introduce you to one of our favorites: Asian cuisine.

The Dish On…Asian Food at a Glance (and a side dish recipe for you!):

  • Asian food, particularly Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Korean foods are all about balance. Balancing spicy, sweet, sour, salty and bitter are fundamentals of Asian cooking. You will find lots of unique spices and flavors in Asian cuisines. Some of our favorites here at Let’s Dish in the mid-Atlantic are ginger, lime, chilies, peanuts, and sesame.

Click to continue reading “The Dish On…Asian Cuisine”

By Holly W | Also posted in The Dish On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008 – 7:00 am

Tools for a trip to your own backyard

We’re back with our “gadget gal,” Holly Cole, with another recommendation! This time, her finds are for an adventure in your own backyard. Whether your quest is to be an all-year, outdoor cook or, like the best of us, a fair weather friend of the grill, here are some gadgets we love:

Grill lightThe season is turning, and it’s time to get out and get grilling. This month at Let’s Dish!, there are several delicious, grillable recipes - and these gadgets will make it fun and convenient to cook and serve.

Click to continue reading “Tools for a trip to your own backyard”

By Holly C | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)
March 11, 2008 – 6:00 am

Try a noodle adventure!

What is your child’s favorite meal? Most moms would say when all else fails….. Macaroni and Cheese. But, why not try other types of noodles from around the world?

German noodles: Spaetzle
Culinary Inspiration from Let’s Dish!German Noodles:
Spaetzle

The Germans call their noodles spaetzle.

Spaetzle is a very popular side dish in Germany which is surprisingly almost never offered in the United States. A delicious part of a evening’s hearty meal, it pairs well with any meat, but is especially nice with sauerbraten. While spaetzle looks more like scrambled noodles, the preparations are similar to those of dumplings. This recipe is an easy one to try.

Click to continue reading “Try a noodle adventure!”

By Valerie | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)
March 10, 2008 – 11:00 am

Around the world in 17 dishes!

Risk-free culinary adventures with Let’s Dish!When talking through menu “themes” for Let’s Dish! in 2008, the idea of a culinary adventure was exciting to us.

I am curious…it’s my nature…What do you think? Is it too different for your family or do you see this as fun and exciting? A change from the everyday?We will return to our regular menu selections in the future months - June and July’s menu will focus on meals to take on vacation. May will have meals that are easy to make and take on the “go” as I know most of us are running around with sporting events, graduation parties, end of school activities, weddings.

Click to continue reading “Around the world in 17 dishes!”

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
March 8, 2008 – 6:00 am

Rum Punch and Real Simple: Dining at Sea

We absolutely love Real Simple Magazine. It’s a good day when it arrives in the mail at my house each month. I suspect if I asked a random sampling of our Let’s Dish! customers and Food for Thought readers out there, thousands of you would say the same.

Just last week Real Simple launched its own blog called Simply Stated. It’s a fun read because it is actually a collection of blog writers - experts and resources on a variety of topics, one of them being - of course - food!

Well, on March 5th we discovered a fellow culinary pioneer out there.

Click to continue reading “Rum Punch and Real Simple: Dining at Sea”

By Alexa Corcoran | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
March 6, 2008 – 6:00 am

How does your (indoor) garden grow?

This month’s adventure isn’t just about international flavor! As a part of our Culinary Inspiration category, we’ll be discussing all sorts of topics for foodies (or those aspiring to be one) as cooking can be its own daily adventure. The Let’s Dish! food team in the mid-Atlantic knows their way around the kitchen and will share cooking tips and recipes with you, suggest new ways to approach food in your life, and pass on some of their favorites - in all sorts of categories. In today’s post we introduce Holly Cole, our food team assistant, as she kicks off a series we call, “Gadgets We Love“: tools and gadgets for your home that …

Click to continue reading “How does your (indoor) garden grow?”

By Holly C | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)
March 5, 2008 – 6:00 am

How to introduce new foods to children

So, you want to take your family on a risk-free culinary adventure - how do you begin?

Well, it’s no different than taking an actual trip … you don’t just find yourself at the destination. Before you go, you determine where you want to go, what sights you want to see, how you’re going to spend your time and money there, and more. Introducing new foods to your family - whether it is chimichurri or cauliflower - should be planned as well.

First, let’s review the tips from yesterday’s post:

Culinary Inspiration from Let’s Dish!How to introduce new foods to children
(and maybe that picky adult too):

  • Introduce a new food in a neutral manner.

Click to continue reading “How to introduce new foods to children”

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (4)
March 4, 2008 – 4:00 am

Itinerary for Your Culinary Adventures

Risk-free culinary adventures with Let’s Dish!This month at Let’s Dish! we decided to go on a “culinary adventure.”

Even at our mid-Atlantic headquarters this meant something different to each and every one of us. To me, it meant trying the latest thing from Timbuktu. To Alexa, it meant introducing a new flavor to her kids that they might not have yet tried. And to some it meant, “Oh, dear, will my family eat this month?”.

After talking to many, I feel like March’s menu really does accomplish everything… it explores new places, new tastes - and yes, still helps you get dinner on the table.

Click to continue reading “Itinerary for Your Culinary Adventures”

By Lisa Hardiman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)
March 3, 2008 – 9:00 am

Meet Valerie Harding, Our New Chef

Valerie Harding, Chef and new Let’s Dish! Director of Food ServicesWe are thrilled to introduce Valerie Harding, our new Director of Food Services for Let’s Dish! Mid-Atlantic. Valerie joined the food team in February. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has had extensive culinary and food marketing experience having worked for several of the large hotels in and around the Washington, DC area including the Hyatt Hotels as well as the Wyndham Hotel. Since 1995, Valerie has been working for Sodexho holding various different titles including the Director of Catering for the Washington Post and the Library of Congress under Sodexho a contract management company.

Click to continue reading “Meet Valerie Harding, Our New Chef”

By Alexa Corcoran | Also posted in Most Popular Posts, The Dish On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (5)
February 28, 2008 – 8:00 am

Lisa breaks the dinner routine in The Baltimore Sun

Lisa Hardiman suggests new recipes to Ruth Rhymaun (Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam - February 5, 2008)This month, Lisa (co-owner of Let’s Dish! stores in MD and Northern VA) had her skills as the “woman behind the Let’s Dish! menu” put to the test by The Baltimore Sun. Though she has been putting dinner on the table for tens of thousands of families in the mid-Atlantic as our head of menu devlopment, this was a serious challenge: in just one afternoon, could she break the dinner routine for a family of four?

Yes, Lisa decided, heading up to Bel Air, MD, for a wintry afternoon with Sun reporter, Meredith Cohn, and local family, the Rhymauns.

Click to continue reading “Lisa breaks the dinner routine in The Baltimore Sun”

By Alexa Corcoran | Also posted in Healthy Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)