If someone told you that this would be how we are going to spend our holidays, birthdays and any event in between the way we did this year, we wouldn’t believe them! Wow, is all I can say. This year has been a complete whirlwind. However, I am confident that we have all had the chance to grow and reflect on the importance of certain things in life. Despite the bad, we must dwell on the good things that happened to keep us going!

Many of you know, we lost the the DC Boathouse due to the circumstances of this year. That has hit home for our staff, customers, family and certainly me. The Boathouse really put me on the path of where I am today. I wouldn’t have gone to culinary school or started my own business if it wasn’t for that place. The restaurant really shaped me who I am. In the last nine years (almost ten years) it allowed me to gain more confidence as a person, understand business and operating costs, as well as finding a true passion in something. I thank my aunt Patty (for those of you that don’t know: the owner of the DC Boathouse) for allowing me to be a part of the restaurant. I enjoyed the time that I spent at the Boathouse because it didn’t feel like it was work when you were there. The Boathouse was more than a restaurant to me and I know that was the case for most, if not all of our customers. It was a place to relax, to feel like you’re family and consistently see the same friendly faces that continued to work there year after year. Walking out of that place for the last time was truly bittersweet. I will always hold a little bit of the restaurant with me for the rest of my life. I want to thank all of our customers from the bottom of my heart for the support that you showed my family over the years and this past summer to help us through. We all know that great things must come to an end and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity at the DC Boathouse.

With that said, Butter & Blade will continue! I will be thinking of new ideas to share with you all over the next year! I would really like to look into collaborating with small businesses and figure out a way to share with you all. I think small business is SO important and I want to help others in any way I can. I am excited for what will come and we can only look at the positive things that come from last year. Onward and upward!

Towards the tail end of last year, I made the decision to get my Maryland Real Estate license. I passed my course and tests in late October. So now I can cook you all food and sell your house! haha! Jokes aside, I am looking forward to learning and growing over the next year in both real estate as well as B&B! My new real estate website is www.homeswithsamanthapaul.com.

I do want to thank all of my customers/ clients for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. You all never cease to amaze me! Thank you! Thank you! It was different delivering all those orders, but I was so happy to see some of you at your doorstep. I appreciate all the support you have given me this year and over the holidays! I am wishing all of you good vibes and positive thoughts in 2021! We got this! :)

xoxox

Samantha

There is something about a whole roasted chicken for dinner. I don’t know if its because you feel as though you accomplished something magnificent or the fact that your house smells so wonderful throughout the process. In these crazy times that we are experiencing together (while apart), I wanted to go with a classic recipe the whole family will enjoy—a recipe that is home cooking and comfort all in one. I grew up with this recipe and it’s straightforward and easy to follow. I also really enjoy the crispy skin and perfectly roasted potatoes soaking up all the stock. Easy and delicious!

What you will need:

(Preheat oven to 400 degrees)

1 Whole Chicken (5–6 pounds)

1–1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock

4–5 Small Yukon Gold Potatoes (or whatever potatoes you might have); dice into 1-inch cubes

Olive Oil

2 Lemons

Salt & Pepper

Dried Oregano

Garlic Powder

Kitchen Twine

Meat Thermometer

Preparation:

Like most recipes, you want your chicken to come to room temperature before you start cooking. This will allow for even cooking throughout the bird. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice your potatoes and place them in a 2–3 inch deep baking dish that will fit your chicken. Toss potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in the dish. Squeeze one whole lemon on the potatoes and toss again. Place your chicken on top of the potatoes (make sure to check the inside of the chicken and remove any giblets, etc.). Cover the chicken liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic and lemon juice. Rub seasoning into skin. Don’t be scared to use salt here, you’ll need it! Add about 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the pan. You don’t want to cover the potatoes completely, but this will help them not stick, and by the time the chicken is done cooking there will be plenty of juice—the chicken lets off enough for the potatoes to soak up. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and tie legs together with kitchen twine ( unfortunately, I was out of twine for the photos, but make sure you tie those legs up).

Place the pan in the oven (400 degrees) and cook until the outside has browned (approx. 20–30 mins). Keep an eye on the chicken. If you see one side getting darker, simply rotate the pan to even out the color. Once you achieve that golden crust, drop the temperature to 350 degrees and let the bird cook for another 45–55 minutes. This will allow the chicken to continue cooking on the inside without getting too dark on the outside. Use a meat thermometer to check that the bird is ready. The internal temperature should read 165 by placing the thermometer between the leg and thigh. Another indicator the chicken is done is that the juices coming out of the chicken are clear. When it’s ready, remove it from the oven and cover with foil 20–25 mins. Remove the foil and place chicken onto a cutting board to carve. Place it back into same pan and serve!

This is a recipe that I have grown up with and I hope you enjoy! I would serve this chicken with a vegetable or a nice big greek salad! Happy cooking!

xoxo

Samantha

It’s been a while since I posted. Life has been busy, in part because my boyfriend, Patrick, and I recently bought a house together! Since moving in we’ve been occupied with getting organized and hadn’t had a chance to actually sit down and have an actual meal. Patrick is a huge meat lover and so am I, so when we went to the store, we decided on a couple of good-looking ribeyes. The ribeyes were thick-cut with the most perfect marbling throughout. I was super excited to cook this meal for us and it turned out great, so I had to share it. I know cooking beef can be a little intimidating, but I’ve got a few cooking tips that are sure to help make it an easy and enjoyable experience. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

What You Will Need

1 1/2–2 inch cut Ribeye(s)

2 Cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)

Rosemary and Thyme Sprigs (Yes, both!)

2–3 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

Olive Oil

Salt (Kosher/Sea salt aka the thick stuff)

Pepper

Meat Thermometer

Heavy Pan

Preparation

First and foremost, you want to start out by allowing the beef to come to room temperature. Why do we do this? A room-temperature cut of beef helps achieve even cooking throughout the meat. If you pull your steak, or any other protein for that matter, from the fridge and directly start cooking, the center tends to stay ice cold while the outside immediately starts adapting to the higher temperature. Because of this, it won’t allow for even heating, so always bring your meat to room temperature first!

After your steaks reach room temperature, pat them down with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. USE. THE. SALT. I can’t express this enough! If you add the salt and think you’ve added a good amount, add some more. You know when you go to those fancy steakhouses and they have that delicious crust on the outside of the steak? That is the goal for this recipe! It’s proper salting and an awesome sear that will get you there. Use your salt and don’t be scared you’re going to overdo it, because trust me, you won’t!

Next heat up your pan. You want a thick pan like cast iron or a stove top pan with a heavy bottom. When searing, there should be even heating throughout the pan and thick pans allow for that. Don’t use a non- stick pan here! Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan on medium-high heat. When you start to see the oil moving freely around the pan, you’ll know it’s at the proper searing temperature.

If you want to be sure, add a drop of water to the pan—if it really sizzles, your pan is hot enough. Place your steaks in the pan away from you, so you don’t get splattered with hot oil. Once your steaks are down, do not move them! I know it’s tempting, but this is crucial for a good crust. Allow the steaks to cook 5–6 minutes. The steaks will have pulled away from the pan a bit, so if you lift up one end and see that the outside of the steak is dark and crisp, you’ll know that they’re ready to flip. Allow the other side to cook for 5–6 mins as well. If you prefer your steaks a little more well-done, you can always leave them in the pan for a bit longer.

After both sides have been seared, turn off your heat and remove the steaks from the pan then place them on a plate. This allows the steak to rest a bit before the next step. If you are worried about overcooking, now is a good time to use your meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the side of the steak horizontally. It should read 120–125 degrees. Take paper towels and wipe out the excess oil from the pan. You want to start with a fairly clean pan, but don’t stress out if there are a few burnt pieces on the bottom. The goal is just to remove that extra oil.

Place your pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add the butter, rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Allow the butter to melt and the garlic to cook a little. Once all the butter has melted, move the herbs and garlic to one side of the pan. Add your steaks back into the pan with hot butter. Let the steaks hang out in the butter for a minute or two then gently tilt your pan up to spoon your butter over the ribeyes. If garlic and herbs come with it, that’s fine too! Continue to do this for 5 to 6 minutes to make sure the steaks have been covered with butter. Turn the heat off and insert your meat thermometer again. You should be about 140-145 degrees. If that is the case, you’re done!

I served my steaks with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach since I already had those ingredients. This recipe is super versatile! Feel free to serve it with your favorite sides. Roasted potatoes and asparagus would be an excellent option as well!

I want to do a little recap on tips for a good steak:

1. Room temperature & dry meat

2. Use your salt!

3. Hot, heavy pan

4. The meat thermometer is our friend!

5. Don’t be afraid of butter.

6. Enjoy!

xoxo
Samantha

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Butter & Blade is a boutique catering company specializing in custom menu designs to create a personalized experience for clients in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Contact us to learn more about our catering services today!

Welcome to my website! I wanted to create a place where you can look up recipes and tips and tricks for entertaining. I really enjoy cooking delicious food for my clients, but I know many of my clients like to cook as well! So follow along with my posts to pick up ideas or try out recipes.

For my first blog post, I wanted to share my story about how I wound up in the food industry as a caterer and private chef. Right after high school I did what most students do — apply to schools and try and figure out what to do for the rest of your life. I was struggling with the many choices, so I decided to study two years at my local community college and then transfer to a four-year school. Finally, toward the end of the two years, I chose a school in North Carolina. I was really excited to go, and that summer I took the max amount of credits to transfer by the fall.

In August that year, 20 of my family members took a family vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is amazingly beautiful. We had tons of adventures, and I was having the time of my life. However, there was one thing hanging in the back of my mind … school. I couldn’t help but notice that every person I met on the trip was truly happy. They loved what they did regardless of what it was — from the lady who made the bracelets that I bought by the beach to the instructor that guided our white water–rafting trip — they loved their life. It really got me thinking about why I was going to school. Did I really want to do criminal justice for the rest of my life? How did I choose that major? I literally had no answer, other than I thought it was what I was supposed to do; that it was the standard next step in life. When I thought about it, it definitely wasn’t what I loved doing.

We came back from Costa Rica and I went back to work. The whole time I’d been in school, I’d been working two jobs, one of which was at my family’s restaurant — The DC Boathouse. At this point I was leaving in two weeks to start school and I didn’t want to. I was sitting at the bar at the Boathouse having dinner with my aunt. She turned to me and asked me if I was looking forward to going to school. I said, “To be honest, no. No I’m not. I don’t think this is what I want to do.” When I got home I told my parents that I decided I didn’t want to go to school. They both looked at me, and after a long pause said okay. I couldn’t believe how relieved I was. I felt like I had a huge weight taken off my chest, and I really felt like this was the right decision for me.

Fast-forward five years. I had continued working at the Boathouse and I had decided to go to culinary school. I applied in August 2014 and started that September. For the next year, I worked harder than I could ever imagine. It was literal blood, sweat, and tears, but I seriously loved it. Culinary school was a huge eye-opening experience and it didn’t feel like school because I LOVED it. I knew this is what I was supposed to be doing with my life. It might have taken me a little while to figure it out, but I did! On top of all of that the culinary field taught me discipline and perseverance. I graduated top of my class and I couldn’t be more proud of that accomplishment.

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Chef Patrice Olivon

Soon after my graduation, a couple at the Boathouse asked me if I did private dinners or would I be interested in doing one. I said, “Absolutely!” and the business started right then and there! During my apprenticeship in culinary school, I also discovered my talent for baking while working with a pastry chef. I started baking pies for the restaurant and taking orders plus doing private parties here and there. I used the extra money to pay off my student loans, but then I got so busy that I needed to make it an actual business! I wanted to have a platform for clients and customers to come see my work and where I could explain what I do. In January 2018 I started Butter & Blade officially.

So here we are a year later and I am writing my first blog post. It’s been a crazy first year as a 26-year-old business owner, but I am so grateful for the clients and friends that have helped me get this far. Whether it’s the continued business or just advice from their experience I am truly thankful for them. The one person that I can’t thank enough is my aunt. She literally has let me create my business through her own. We have so many customers that come into the restaurant to pick up orders or have a piece of pie. It is one big DC Boathouse family and I couldn’t imagine it any other way! I hope you enjoy the posts to come and follow along with my culinary adventure!