Sheer Elegance in a Crust

Gazing at Goldmoor Inn & Dining's new spring menu, I notice one thing that hasn't changed. Beef Wellington. Why is this? I ask Innkeeper Patricia. "It is our SIGNATURE dish!" she replies, with a large and sweeping flourish of her hand and a mini bow. A signature dish, I think. Sounds like a foodie blog topic. (See? I'm always thinking.)

Signature dish. I nod knowingly, whist thinking, what the heck is Beef Wellington? In the photograph of it I stumbled across in my "top secret signature dish" files, it kind of resembles, dare I say, pot pie? Good ole reliable Wikipedia informs me that Beef Wellington is an English dish named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Some theories go a step further and suggest this was due to his love of a dish of beef, truffles, mushrooms, Madeira wine, and pâté cooked in pastry, but there is a noted lack of evidence supporting this. In fact, the earliest evidence of a recipe to bear this name appeared in a 1966 cookbook. So much for historical England. Hmm.

I walk into the fabulous Goldmoor kitchen, one of my favorite places in the inn, to hover while Chef Ryan readies the ingredients for his famously famous Beef Wellington. However, Beef Wellington, cute Chef Ryan with the Elvis Costello glasses informs me, is prepared in stages. Many, many, many, meticulous stages. This works well in a gourmet kitchen because some of it can be made in advance and then prepared to order during dinner service. I watch as Chef Ryan double boils the demi glaze in a steam jacket kettle, a joyfully painstaking process, he assures me. Watching him slice and chop mushrooms for the wild mushroom duxelles pate is mesmerizing. He gingerly stirs them in shallots, onion and butter until all moisture has evaporated, then tosses in a bit of parsley.

Anyone who has seen Chef Ramsey on "Hell’s Kitchen" spear apart a Beef Wellington and angrily throw it “in the trash,” plate and all, knows that temperature is key in this dish. Chef Ryan is thankfully much calmer than Gordon Ramsey. The beef fillet, he tells me, must always be served slightly pink in the center. Thus constant use of a meat thermometer. And the pastry, well, who doesn't find pastry tough? The dough is sheerer than tissue paper, and he lays it out as if it will shatter. Using a pastry brush, he delicately sweeps an egg/butter wash over the dough, folds, seals with a bit of very cold water, and repeats. I blink, and he has the Wellingtons all bundled and lined up like little soldiers, ready to march into the oven and get toasty. I realize at this point, there is no way I will be whipping this up at home.

Don't think you can whip this up at home either? Luckily, cute Chef Ryan offers fabulous cooking classes during which he will teach you all the ins, outs and crusts of Beef Wellington. Classes are each Monday at 2 p.m. and, judging from the amount of giggling coming from the kitchen, they are a fun time.

After much prodding, I get Sir Chef to give me an "easy" make-at-home recipe for the Impressive All Extravagant Beef Wellington. Have at it. The scariest part is the puff pastry. Chef Cute assures me it's a snap.

Easy Beef Wellington NOT ala Goldmoor
Ingredients:
• 2 filets mignon, 1-inch thick
• 2 sheets puff pastry
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 egg

Preparation:
1. Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.

2. Filets are often irregular in shape, if yours are use a piece of kitchen twine to tie them into a round.

3. Season filets generously with salt and pepper.

4. Pre-heat a medium (10-inch) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl in pan to melt.

5. Cook filets on both sides for about 3 minutes until well-browned, then brown the edges. Note: Regularly check the internal temperature of the filets, they should not be cooked past 120F at the center. Allow filets to cool, then wrap in plastic and chill for at least a couple of hours.

6. Heat oven to 400F. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon water (egg wash)

7. Wrap the filets in puff pastry. Brush with egg wash, and bake in center of oven until golden brown; about 30 minutes.

Voila! You will need a lovely sauce to accompany your masterful dish, and trust me, if watching Chef Ryan is any indication, you cannot make the Goldmoor Demi Glaze in your home kitchen, unless you are into steam jacket kettles. As an alternative, our resourceful and lovely friend Kimberly, owner and proprietor of "The Grateful Gourmet" and "GG2" in downtown Galena http://gratefulgourmetgalena.com/, suggests the delicious Maker’s Mark Bourbon Sauce. “This particular sauce has won tasting awards and pairs perfectly with Beef Wellington. This sauce has a real fan following – some of my customers even pick up four or five jars at a time.” So there you have it – add sauce and serve your concoction with steamed spring vegetables, and trust me, your date, friend, family, or dog will be impressed.

If all of this is too much, feel free to dress in a pretty outfit, drive to the lovely Goldmoor Inn & Dining, sit at one of our elegant candle-lit tables overlooking the bluffs of the Mississippi River, sip a glass of Innkeeper Patricia's Private Reserve Trisaetum Trisae Pinot Noir, order the signature Beef Wellington from our spring menu, and wait while Chef Ryan does all the work. Bon appetit! Or, as they say in England, Eat already!

Observations of a Marketing Coordinator

 I love my job. How many people can say that? And as a Marketing Coordinator, I love meeting new people and I love making it my priority to inform the world, or at least the surrounding vicinities, of a wonderful, amazing, gorgeous, beaming, striking mini castle nestled right here in their back yard on the sloping bluffs of the shimmering Mississippi River.

Now, I will say, I'm still new. I've been hustling around these gleaming hallways at Goldmoor Inn & Dining for about a month now, and I feel I can proclaim with the utmost certainty, Innkeeper Patricia Smith is Superwoman. Or Superkeeper. Or Your Inn-ness. I'll need to think further on a catchphrase.

The trouble is, she is SO much that it's hard to bottle her up with a label. When you meet Patricia, you are struck right away with her knowledge. Serious knowledge about everything from wine vintages to bed linens to plastering walls to convection ovens to etching on champagne glasses to types of roses and geraniums to species of finches on the back patio. She can identify spices by smell, thread count by touch, birds by sound, and weather by wind direction.

Now, it may seem like I'm projecting, being new at my position and as eager to please as I am. Allow me to take you through a day in the life of our innkeeper.

Last Saturday. I arrived at work around 7:30 a.m. because I figured someone somewhere would need my help since it was our first wedding of the season. I hadn't even sat at my computer when I was whisked away to the kitchen. The smell of glorious egg and bacon casserole wafted from the mighty, silver shiny oven. (I should insert here I have an infatuation/obsession with pretty kitchens, and this one is nothing short of stunning. Mirrored brilliant surfaces, a full wall of perfectly clean floor-to-ceiling windows, every appliance known to a chef or chef wannabe, and a stove that could inspire tears.) But back to Queen P. She was diligently simultaneously wiping down a large muffin tin and flattening some perfect-looking crust. She snapped her fingers at me and said, "Help me or this will never get done." I promptly stood beside her as she spooned a glorious apple cinnamon vanilla mixture into the pastries and squeezed them shut masterfully into a tulip-bundle. She popped them into the oven and began slicing fruit into delectably thin shapes.

I glanced at my watch. I had scheduled her an interview with a local magazine at 8 a.m. I asked, "Where is the chef? Why are you making breakfast? And you have an interviewer arriving in ten minutes." She leaned her head back and laughed a full, hearty laugh. "The chef is getting married in three hours!" It dawned on me that she was going to have to serve as lead chef for breakfast and lunch service (and probably dinner, later, much later) and provide full appetizers, salads, meal and cake to a wedding party of 65 people.

I went to collect my writer from the front desk and apologetically informed him he would have to speak to Queen P in the kitchen as we were down a chef. He plopped his notebook down in the middle of a pile of long, scary-looking knives and began grilling her. When did you start this place? How old is it? Who is your husband? What does he do? How many rooms do you have? Where is your chef and why are you cooking breakfast??" They deep chest laugh again. She wove warm stories from the past with complements on her faithful staff. She talked and chopped and cut and laughed, and the interviewer seemed so mesmerized that he forgot to take notes.

I had to hand it to the woman. She could multi-task. The remainder of the day, I ran around carrying chairs from inside to outside (our bride made a last-minute decision in venue, from the lodge to the outdoor pavilion) and otherwise taking orders from the diligent wedding coordinator who can walk as fast as a bee flies and never EVER stops moving. As I darted in and out and around the kitchen, I fleeting watched Mrs. Smith with a mixture of admiration and disbelief. As the day progressed, she went from cooking breakfast, to pouring coffee, to speaking leisurely with guests, to recommending bicycle trails, to clearing dishes, to preparing beef sirloin tips and proscuitto-spinach-stuffed chicken, to answering the phone, to making pasta, to checking on the bride, to weeding flower beds, to quick housekeeping, to salad preparation, to holding a black sun umbrella over the photographer so she could get "the shot," to tearfully watching the full wedding ceremony, to pouring champagne, to giving a heartwarming, heartfelt toast to the chef-groom, to plating meals for 65 guests (I will interject that I provided the garnish, which looked lovely), to cutting and serving tiered wedding cake, to hugging her husband one of the many times he passed through, helpfully hustling and carrying something of importance.

Somewhere in the middle of the day, I exchanged my heels for flats and ducked into the walk-in cooler to hide from, well, everything. When I felt my sanity return, I emerged, slightly freshened. Patricia glanced at me and said, "We should re-invent the stock in the wine cellar. We need a signature Pinot Noir! And start a wedding Pinboard on Pinterest. And update the blog with the 800 new pink plants I've selected this spring for the Goldmoor Gardens! It's the season of pink!"

Seriously, 800 plants. But the thing about this woman is, when you are talking to her, she really looks at you, listening to you. And if you don't understand something, she stops the whirlwind of what she's doing, and explains it to you. She's loud, but never angry, she's emotional, but accessible, and I don't think she ever, ever sleeps. Not without mental list-making anyway. At the end of this crazy wedding day, which was probably a normal Saturday for her, I had to smile. She winked at me, pointing with a set of tongs. "I am taking tomorrow off," she said with conviction. A chuckle was heard around the room. "No you're not," said the busy staff, in unison. Queen P laughed heartily. "Yee of little faith!" she boomed, pointed the tongs around the room. 

And she most certainly did take the next day off. But not without first dropping off a tray of iced cinnamon rolls for the staff to enjoy.

Spring Wine and Dine!

It's Spring and the Goldmoor Gardens are blooming! Lilacs, tulips and flowering phlox are showing their splendid colors and our colorful birds are nesting. In the spirit of starting anew, Innkeeper Patricia Smith is revamping the wine cellar and announcing the new Spring dining menu. We are introducing a Grilled Ahi Tuna and Spicy Shrimp entrees as well as our classic Beef Wellington. Current wine trends tell us that Pinot Noir is the wine of the moment, and we've added a delicious selection to Patricia's Private Reserve, the Trisaetum Trisae Pinot Noir. Patricia asserts that this wine deserves to be poured alongside our signature, savory Beef Wellington.

Goldmoor Inn & Dining hosted our first wedding of the season this April! Congratulations to Tino and Amy, a wonderful and beautiful outdoor ceremony on a gloriously sunny day. What a perfect way to kick off our season of weddings with a happy couple surrounded by lots of family. Our world-class chefs served an amazing Proscuitto-Stuffed Chicken Breast and Beef Sirloin along with lovely Spring vegetables. After tiered wedding cake and toasts all around, there was not a dry eye in our beautiful dining room. We love our brides, and we are constantly thinking of ways to improve and expand our wedding services. Our wonderful wedding coordinator, Erica Wall, has added new florists, bakers and cupcake makers to her bag of goodies, and, along with Innkeeper Patricia, she has added a lovely sparkling pink Moscato to the selections available for first toasts and new beginnings.

Be sure to check our calendar of events for upcoming Dinner Theater, First Friday Barbecues, Progressive Dinners and Wine Tastings. We've been busy planning many fun events as we jump into Spring and Summer! Visit http://www.goldmoor.com/ for more details. Bon appetit and sweet dreams!

Winter in Galena, IL

We have at last received our first coating of snow; it was very late coming this year, but definitely worth the wait!  Galena, IL and the surrounding area are gorgeous in the winter months with its slowly undulating hills and the breathtaking forests, not to mention the majestic Mississippi River decked in the season's finest with brilliant white snow and ice.  Bluffs and valleys, forests and fields, the Galena area is perfect for taking in the sites.  Those same visually stunning vistas are good for more than just ogling though; the Galena area boasts some of the finest skiing and snowboarding opportunities in the Midwest!

There are two ski resorts within 25 miles of Galena that offer skiing and snowboarding runs for all levels of skill.  The Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, IA, has 21 ski and snowboard runs where you can get day passes or season passes.  Chestnut Mountain Resort in Galena, IL, just two short miles from the Goldmoor Inn, offers 19 ski and snowboard runs.  Both resorts offer classes for absolute beginners and resorts that would challenge the more experienced skiers amongst us.

Go out and experience what the area has to offer.  Spend the day hitting the slopes, enjoying the sites and the powder.  Then, come back to the Goldmoor Inn to what Yahoo voted as one of the Top 5 Coziest Inns in America.  Warm yourselves by the fireplace found in every suite, then soothe your tired muscles in your two person whirlpool.  fill your stomach and tempt your taste buds in our restaurant, rated #1 in Galena on Trip Advisor.  So join us at Galena's premier bed and breakfast and take advantage of our luxury and location, and enjoy the winter!

Christmas in Galena

It is Christmas in Galena once again and we at the Goldmoor Inn hope that you all have a very merry Christmas this year.  We have been celebrating the season all month long with our festive decorations and our spectacular Goldmoor Christmas Carol Dinners.  For those who do not know, our Carol Dinners are five course meals with plenty of festive cheer.  From eggnog to live carolers to soloists and live piano, we bring the season in joyfully!  If you haven't made it to one of our Carol Dinners, don't worry, we still have two left.  Our last two carol dinners of the year will be the week following Christmas on the 27th and the 29th of December.  Call the Goldmoor Inn or check out the website for more information.

Coming right on the heels of of Christmas is the New Year and you better believe the Goldmoor Inn celebrates New Years Eve in style!  We will be holding a seven course, gourmet meal at the Goldmoor Inn where you can bring in the New Year with friends and family.  Stacked Smoke Salmon, Avocado Couscous with Mixed Micro Greens finished with cilantro oil is the appetizer while a 6oz Prime Fillet Mignon paired with Maine Lobster Croquette with Black Truffle and Wild Mushroom Risotto with be the main entree.  While those are just some samples from the menu, it is easy to see this is an event that you will not want to miss.

At the Goldmoor Inn, we like to keep our dining fresh and so we change the menu four times a year to more appropriately keep with the tastes of the seasons.  As such, we have just opened our new menu for the winter season and it is looking delicious!  As always, our Beef Wellington and Cheese and Chutney plate are still there along with new favorites such as the Duck Confit Flatbread appetizer and the Seared Red Grouper entree.  So, join us this season and treat yourself to a delightful dining experience.  The Goldmoor Restaurant is open Thursday through Monday starting at 5:30 PM.

So far, Galena hasn't had any really lasting snow this season, but experienced skiers know that that isn't an obstacle!  Check out our friends at the Chestnut Mountain Resort with their 18 out of 19 ski runs already open and ready to go.  With the Goldmoor Inn only 2 miles away, why not spend the day on the slopes and then come back to Galena's premier bed and breakfast for some luxury.  Relax in the 2 person whirlpool found in every suite and then join us for dinner, or relax in front of your personal fireplace and dine in.  Keep an eye out for new deals on the Goldmoor Inn website as things are always changing.

So, whether you are skiing or dining, looking for a special event or just for a luxurious room, we at the Goldmoor Inn have something for everyone.  Have a very Merry Christmas!

Nouveau Weekend in Galena, IL!

Nouveau weekend is a tradition borrowed from the French in which we celebrate all things wine with a sampling of the vintage from the autumn harvest. The Galena event will be held on the weekend of November 18th and 19th of 2011. The main event, the Grand Tasting, is held on Saturday, November 19th. Registration begins at 3:30 pm with the tasting starting at 4:00 pm continuing through 6:00 pm. Held at the Galena Convention Center, the Grand Tasting will include over 200 wines with wine and spirit distributors from across the country. In addition to the tasting, everyone will receive a keepsake wine glass as well as complimentary cheese, bread, and fruit. Advance tickets are available at $30.00 per person while tickets sold at the door, while available, will be $35.00 per person. It is very possible this event will be sold out so make sure you order your tickets early!

The rest of the weekend will be full of wine themed events. Everything from tours of the local vineyards to tastings to historic tours and special dinners will be available to people joining us in Galena. On the night of Saturday, November 19th, we at the Goldmoor Inn will be celebrating the weekend with our own Nouveau Progressive Dinner. The first stop on the dinner will be the Galena Cellars Vineyard with a tour and wine tasting with a cheese pairing. From there, we will take the guests to be treated by our chefs at the Goldmoor Inn with soup and the main entree. Lastly, the dinner moves to the Desoto House for dessert. If you are one of our guests, we take you back to the Goldmoor Inn from there.

So, whether you are in Galena for the wine, the history, the food, or just because you thought it would be fun to try something new, there is plenty to do and see. Consider joining us at the Goldmoor Inn and staying in any of 18 luxurious accommodations. Enjoy what Nouveau in Galena has to offer, and then return to the Goldmoor Inn to relax in blissful comfort.

Golf in Galena

Special, annual events are constantly being held in Galena, IL do in part to its picturesque surroundings and beautiful historic landmarks. Well, allow me to introduce you to another aspect of Galena and Jo Daviess County. Those same breathtaking surroundings help to make the entire area a golfer's haven. The Galena area boasts 10 beautiful golf courses spread throughout Jo Daviess County. From the Apple Canyon Lake Golf Course to the Storybrook Country Club, to the Woodbine Bend Championship Golf Course, Galena and the surrounding countryside offer a lot to choose from for the avid golfer. Come to Galena for the sites, the events, the cuisine, and for those just hearing, the golfing. The many Galena bed and breakfasts are an ideal marriage to any golfers outing. For those of you who joining us at the Goldmoor Inn, before you tee off, enjoy a full, gourmet breakfast delivered to your room and upon returning, enjoy a couple's massage that will leave you more relaxed than you have been in years. Follow your massage with a soak in the two-person whirlpool found in every suite of the Goldmoor. For dinner, bask in the culinary delights wrought by our two expert chefs with a menu that shifts with the seasons, ensuring the freshest ingredients. So, Golfers, treat yourselves, join us at the Goldmoor Inn, and enjoy the 10 golf courses throughout Jo Daviess County.