Bistro on the Go: Chef Peggy Eagan

Chef Peggy Eagan

It’s almost the New Year with 2012 lurking just over our shoulders. Soon it will be January 1, time for us to kick into high gear our new and best laid intentions for this new beginning. Perhaps it is exercising more; spending more quality time with our families or eating healthier meals. One of my personal goals or intentions for 2012 is to increase my cooking skills and regain that passion for preparing a beautiful meal for my family.  With time always being of the essence for most, sometimes we all need a little help or encouragement from the ‘pros’ to help us get started!

Peggy Eagan is the owner and creative cooking genius behind Bistro on the Go, a thriving personal chef service here on the cape. She is a certified personal chef who cultivated most of her skills while visiting her family in Mexico during summer vacations. She would spend time in her grandmother’s kitchen receiving a hands-on education in the art of cooking. As is tradition with a lot of cultures, food preparation, cooking and eating was a mainstay family event in Peggy’s house growing up. Everyone gathered together to share in the rituals of all things food! Her Uncle managed various restaurants in Mexico and so along with the food preparation lessons, Peggy also received hands on restaurant management learning the inner workings of a food establishment. (more…)

National Brownie Day

If you are new to Cape Cod Happening then you will quickly learn that we are lovers of all things baked, and in particular all things chocolate! So it is no surprise that we would want to celebrate National Brownie Day with you … that’s right National Brownie Day.

Every year on December 8 people celebrate the delicious and chewy brownie. Not that we need an actual day to honor the amazing brownie; yet it assuages some of the guilt that may come with over indulging in this sweet treat. In honor of the holiday season we thought we would offer up a few brownie recipes with a holiday twist, a delectable addition to any holiday party dessert tray!

The peppermint bark recipe below can also be made separately as a treat or even a nice gift wrapped with colored cellophane and ribbon! (more…)

Historical Thanksgiving Facts – Falmouth

We thought it would be fun to do some research on interesting facts about Cape Cod towns, that relate to Thanksgiving…historical traditions; fun facts and the like. Sometimes these kinds of findings can help one to see the town in which they live, in a new and refreshing light. Being a very visual person it’s nice to capture an image and envision what life was like here one hundred plus years ago!

We start with the Town of Falmouth, and with the generous help of the wonderful Falmouth Historical Society we learned, and it is no surprise in fact, that Falmouth’s historical connection to Thanksgiving can be summed up in one word: cranberries!  According to Falmouth’s Bog Preservation group, in 1900 Falmouth was the third largest Cape Cod producer of cranberries with 270 acres of cranberry bogs. There are still approximately 180 acres of cranberry bogs in Falmouth today. (more…)

Thanksgiving Turkey Tips and Tasty … Recipes!

Some people are simply naturals at cooking, whipping up a large Thanksgiving meal as if done every day! I will be cooking for Thanksgiving this year and even though I am a good cook, I was hoping for a few tips to making the turkey unforgettable. I called in an old friend to offer up some turkey tidbits and some recipes to help make the meal extra special!

Chef David Goldberg of Jacqueline’s Catering in North Falmouth has been in the business of catering and orchestrating hundreds of festive events for over 20 years. He is also the owner and handles all event planning, making each experience that much more personal! He shared with me a few helpful hints on roasting a delicious turkey. His first tip was in regards to the size of the turkey you are cooking. If serving dinner for a large group and you intend on cooking a big, 25+ pound bird, then he suggests separating the legs from the breast. Cook the legs first ‘low and slow’ and then cook the breast at a regular, higher temperature. If you are looking for ‘presentation’ and want to keep the bird whole, then he suggests cooking and serving two smaller turkeys, around 10-12 pounds each. This helps to retain the flavor and keep the meat tender. (more…)

It’s National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day!

A little fun fact … did you know that today, October 21, is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day? A celebration of a delicious fall dessert! With Halloween right around the corner it makes sense to highlight the pumpkin, which as we know is not only fun to carve but is a healthy food as well.

In honor of National Pumpkin Cheesecake day here are some interesting facts about the amazing pumpkin:

Pumpkins are rich in Potassium and Vitamin A and high in fiber
They were once recommended as a cure for freckles
They were used as a remedy for snake bites
Eating the seeds helps to avoid Prostate cancer in men

Pumpkins are beautiful when first picked and untouched, and even more visually intriguing when really creative people turn theirs into a work of carved art. (more…)