Llewellyn Hunt Wins with a Clean Round

The Team. Llewellyn Hunt, Fritz Prinz Von Preussen,

Jacob Field and two VFMA cadets.

Last Saturday Llewellyn participated a competition and test of cavalry skills -at-arms between The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry and Valley Forge Military Academy. The competition included the international sport of Tent Pegging and skills with the sabre and lance. T
he Troop has periodically traveled internationally to compete both in India and in Great Britain.
With the deployment of almost all of the active Troop to the Sinai Llewellyn Hunt, Fritz Prinz Von Preussen, and Jacob Field carry on the tradition.

Congratulations!

My daughter, Guenola Marie Douce Hunt has been accepted into the first class of a six year accelerated medical program offered through Northeastern University and Tufts University of Medicine. In the fall of 2010 Douce will enter Tufts University of Medicine.

This is everything we could hope for and puts Douce on the path of what has been a goal for her for the past few years.

Lord help us!

Hooked, and I Don't Mean the Fish

Me! It was an incredible experience to fish for stripers on a fly rod. Nothing can compare to the sensitivity imparted by a fly rod. It is a very intimate experience and, if I may quote Mary, an extension of your fingers! Just the act of fishing and feeling hits was thrilling let alone actually hooking and bringing in a very respectable fish for the first time on a fly rod. Mary was kind enough to let me use her fly rod after she needed a little break. I wonder why.






It was not even her personal best!


Both she and her fellow fly fisherman, Donna, exemplified the ideal of serenity, composure, sportsmanship and just overall class that defines a top fly fisherman. They allowed themselves to be defined by the bigger picture of where they were that day in that moment. It was not all about them, as it can be with so many other ego driven sportsman relentlessly and competitively chasing fish. It was about being on the Susquehanna Flats with their art feeling the fish through their finger tips. This is what life is all about!

It was truly an honor to participate. They shared their techniques with me and took time out to instruct me. There were no guarded"secrets" as other fisherman often pretend. They could show you everything and then you will have the next several years to make it your own.

On to the fishing. Captain Lisa was relentless in finding fish. We set out early with a north wind and a bad tide. Lisa knew we would really have to work for the fish. We caught a few, but most had the notoriously frustrating striper lock jaw as we were marking some enormous ones that wouldn't budge. Later, when the wind calmed a little and the tide shifted to incoming, we had a consistent bite for about five hours with almost all of the fish and all of the big ones taking flies!





What happened next? Donna hooked into her personal best, got a badge of honor all over her new jacket, and I got some great pictures!


Captain Lisa proves again she is a top notch guide as she brings in a foul hooked striper...



who is not cooperative!




and she's got him!




Video to follow later today.

Any Remaining Shred of Hubris Will Be Erased Today

I will be fly fishing on the Flats with the top Orvis certified fly instructor and guide on the East Coast. It would be safe to say she is a world class fly fisherman and I suck at fly fishing.

The Gods of the Chesapeake Smile on Us and Capt. Lisa Continues Her Reign

My BFF Lisa took me, her sister, Linda, and a friend, Brian out on the Sussquehana Flats for the world famous striper season. The striped bass migrate into the Chesapeake to spawn over deep moving water at the mouths of rivers in the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Their eggs must remain suspended until hatched and the Chesapeake provides such a perfect enviroment that up to 90 percent of the striped bass on the Atlantic Coast migrate to spawn here. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/fishfacts/stripedbass.asp

http://www.odu.edu/sci/cqfe/species%20studied/striped-bass/striped-bass.htm

While awaiting the water temperature to become perfect for spawning, they feed voraciously on the shallow Sussquehana Flats. This time of year during the spawn it is strictly catch and release and keeping a striper can result in heavy fin

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4183/is_/ai_n19517780

We left at 9:00 AM and overcast/rainy and somewhat miserable is perfect striper weather. As we motored down the Bohemia, we could see that the Flats were shrouded in fog. Perfect! As we inched onto the Flats, small boats materialized in front of us.

Right in front of us we noticed a large fin stirring the water like a pot of soup. It was a tailing striper. Lisa cast out immediately and on the fourth cast hooked the fish. She gave her unsuspecting sister, Linda, the rod. It was not long before she felt the full power of a large striper for the first time. Lisa kept her focused and she brought in the "fish of a life time"!

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That was an incredible start to a day on the Flats and Captain Lisa proves again she reigns supreme!

So what happened the rest of the day? I don't know. Lisa taught me everything I know and here are the results:




It went on and on. I caught about 15 fish and nobody else caught a ONE. I guess I just got my jigging down. Or maybe it's because I did the "Good Luck Funky Dance" and no one else except Lisa would. The Indian Gods of the Chesapeake looked favorably upon those who are willing to humiliate themselves in their honor and reward them with an abundance of fish.

Sugar Flowers and Chocolate Buttercream

This past Friday we had a big party for my husband, Ken's birthday. I endeavored to make the chocolate cake for thirty people and it turned out GREAT. I used a simple, yet very satisfying butter cream recipe for the filling and I am very picky about the filling. It must taste rich, complex, and satisfying so sweetness takes a back seat to flavor. In my opinion all store bought fillings rely on sweetness and cheap fat. After a few bites, the honeymoon is over.

I went to Michael's and purchased a kit to make sugar paste flowers. It had a book, the sugar paste and lots of cut outs to make the flowers. I did have to buy the tint or coloring, wire stems and stamens.

I am an artist, but I am not artsy, craftsy and not a Michael's girl, but this was fun and easy!

It took about ten minutes to get a feel for the paste. I rolled the paste out on a Formica table top with a thin coat of peanut oil. They can be made, dried overnight, and kept for months to use whenever you need a special touch and very special they are!

In making the flowers do not try to make them look too realistic. A touch of color to suggest how they look in nature is much better that trying to paint them exactly as they are. Think more in terms of form and colors that look good with the pastry. Less is more with tint is a good idea. I personally do not care for the sparkles or shiny finishes. I would stick to a simple approach at first and if you want to get wild and crazy later, you will find you know how to do it. It is very easy to find yourself in the realm of the tacky and kitch. Of course, this can be incredible too, just make sure it is what you want to do and not what you end up with.


Let's move onto the cake and butter cream.....

I tried a few recipes for chocolate cake and everyone has a favorite. I prefer The Joy of Cooking's Devil's Food Cake Cockaigne.

For the butter cream:
Bring 3/4 cups heavy cream to a boil
Remove from the heat and add:
8 oz. Semi sweet chocolate chips or semi sweet chocolate pieces.
Whisk until smooth and pour into a mixing bowl.

Allow to cool until about room temperature add 1 tablespoon of desired liquor or rum.
Add two sticks of butter

Beat until very light. IF the mixture separates, add an egg yolk or two and continue beating.
Use immediately.

Take the two 8" rounds and cut them into two making 4 layers. Top each "cut" side with a thin coat of raspberry jam.

Take an 8" spring form pan and put the bottom piece in. Top with butter cream. Place another layer on top and press into place lightly. Top with butter cream and repeat. When you put the top layer on, top it with a thin layer of butter cream (1/4 inch) and refrigerate overnight. I use the spring form because it will preserve the shape of the cake and does not allow any soft butter cream to leak out.

Make sure you reserve a little butter cream to finish off the sides after it has set overnight.

The next day, slide a hot knife around the inside of the spring form and open the form. Place the cake on a stiff base. I usually use cardboard. Smooth over the sides with left over softened butter cream and with a flat metal spatula dipped in hot water, smooth the top as well as you can. Place back into the refrigerator and make the Chocolate Ganache coating:

Bring to a boil 3/4 cup heavy cream.
Remove from the heat and add 8 oz. semi sweet chocolate.
Whisk until smooth.
Cool to room temperature

About an hour before pouring the Ganache over the cake I will stick it in the freezer to make sure the chilled butter cream doesn't melt when the Ganache is poured on top.

Place the cake on a wire rack if you have one and ladle the ganache over the top of the cake smoothing it quickly with a flat spatula and working the ganache down and along the sides.
It should smooth out well, but if it is not perfect, don't fuss too much. It will still be beautiful.

Note: Spoon a little ganache on top to make sure it is cool enough. If the butter cream starts to melt, remove it as well as you can and re chill in the freezer. Allow the Ganache to cool down more as well, but do not refrigerate as it will become too hard to pour.

Will Spring EVER Come? Up Coming Blog Events

We can't wait to get back on the water! We had a big party for Ken's birthday last Friday night and there were a few members of the original Fried Chicken Yacht Club there! They are a group of family and friends who descend on our docks for the summer holidays. There are about 20 members with boats, and the other 30 people are friends. The parties last for days, with a caterer and band on the Fourth. Look for wild pictures and some great food!

This Friday is my big striper trip on the Flats. It's strictly catch and release, so no food pic.s

June will be a month of cruising down the Chesapeake to the Outer Banks and surf fishing off of Oregon Inlet.

The blog in June will be very interesting including a trip into Blackwater National Wildlife Preserve via the Chesapeake Bay which very few people under take! We are focusing on the Eastern Shore primarily.

September brings the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry's "Troop Cruise" with Mosey being the boat everyone will be rafting up to before heading to Annapolis. This will be a great food/boating event and will produce another Shutterfly book!