Where Local Chef's Share Recipes

Eileen's
at The Chimneys
Dedicated to some of life's simple pleasures
623 Caroline Street
540-372-4030

You can build your own sandwich at Eileen's at The Chimneys, but I'd rather trust Trista Couser's chalkboard menu of the day. She has a lot more going on -- she created menus and dishes in the "be-seen" resort town of Aspen, CO., and in the "richer, more discreet" Vale.  She's cooked for Gerald Ford and Margaret Thatcher, and for Denver Broncos owner Pat
Bolan and "Mr. Dell" of Dell computers.

In the off-ski season, Trista "worked for free for knowledge" in New York City, and graduated from the New England Culinary Institute.  Her equally rich professional experience includes 15 years in Vale. Ten years as a pastry chef there got her fingers sticky at "Splendido" at The Chateau, considered "tops in the valley." Splendido, she reminisces, "Takes the ordinary to the extraordinary." Their rhubarb lardoons are stuck into the lemon mousse, with strawberries and honey gastrique in a "stunning, magnificent 'Ploosh' dessert."   

Baking at Eileen's (it's her middle name) allows Trista to create "individual portions like works of art" (if you attended the SPCA's Chocolate Extravaganza, you know.), with that "same passion and quality, just a little more simple." Like simply making a wrap with hidden artichokes that you don't see but pleasantly notice at first bite. That's for lunch. For breakfast,  "I just like to bake. I like to make a mess," says Trista. "No use in hiding that."

She and her husband/Chef Chris saw Fredericksburg as an opportunity. They got by with a little help from best friend and business advisor Russ Seymour (Prez of the F'burg Regional Alliance), who shepherded them through. "Russ knows Fredericksburg."

He helped them find The Chimneys, a huge space in a high-rent district. Trista and Chris got creative with every room: The History Room in Deco colors; the Drawing Room's Centric mantle; The Fredericksburg Room, open and airy; Upstairs offices; and, "a really large walk-in junk drawer." Patio seating is conveniently in clear view of the pathway from the new
parking deck.

Trista's sense of humor ("Virginia spiders are different than Colorado spiders -- three-foot across! I'm learning about your Virginia spider! Colorado's are not the size of a shoe...") is couched in modesty. She doesn't like all the attention, only the concept of "simple food made to taste like something special."

At lunch, whether you build your own sandwich or choose one of Trista's, you get it on fresh, house-baked bread. And the salads! "The egg salad flies out the door" thanks to a secret formula: "Simple good.  Don't over-flavor with too many ingredients -- a common American mistake."

Eileen's at The Chimneys offers breakfast, baked goods to go, lunch, evening on-premise catering, buffet style, with baked goods (no hot line), customized to meet your budget and taste. Businesses can book meetings or meetings with a buffet, with/without a waiter. Want bulk coffee? Check out the Java Connection on the first floor& and check out this scrumptious recipe for chilled tart crust:

Brown Sugar- Pecan Pate Sucree
1# Butter, Cold
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup Pecans, finely chopped
Vanilla Extract, High Quality
(for less expensive extract use 2 tsp.)
1 tsp. Sea Salt
(or 1/2 tsp house iodized salt)
1 Large Egg
6 cups All Purpose Flour

Cut butter into one inch cubes, place in a kitchen aid - using the paddle attachment, mix for 4 minutes on medium speed.
This will look crumbly.
Add the brown sugar, pecans, vanilla and salt, mix until smooth ( no butter chunks).
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until smooth (a few seconds will do). The dough should feel moist but not sticky.
Refrigerate dough for one hour.
When dough is chilled, roll out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thick.
Place dough in a fluted tart pan and cut the edges at the dough Hush with the pan.
Chill for half an hour.
In a 400 degree oven, bake tart shell until golden, about 15-20 minutes. All ovens bake at different temperatures - keep an eye on it.
Let cool, remove crust from pan and chill in refrigerator.

For Trista's Maple Custard recipe to fill the tart, email frntprch@aol.com and request it!