Chef's Corner: Ghost Tales of Gettysburg

GETTYSBURG, Va. (Ivanhoe Newwire) -- There's a mix of history and hauntings at an upscale bed and breakfast just a few miles from the Gettysburg battlefield. Customers keep coming back for the food … and the spirits.

The battle of Gettysburg was called the "beginning of the end" of the civil war. But some folks believe a struggle continues today -- mostly unseen by human eyes.

During the battle, the inn was headquarters for the confederate army. These days it's a prime spot for the paranormal.

"We've walked through cold spots," Jack Paladino, owner and innkeeper of the Cashtown Inn in Gettysburg, Pa., told Ivanhoe. "We've had servers tugged back, and countless reports from guests."

The Cashtown's ghostly reputation is just a side dish for Chef Rob Yurick. The main attraction -- honey balsamic wild king salmon.

"I'm putting four cups of balsamic vinaigrette on the stove, medium high," Yurick said. "That will reduce to one cup."

While the balsamic vinaigrette cooks down, Yurick prepares a bed of basmati rice with chopped, sun-dried tomatoes.

Next, he seasons and pan sears the salmon.

Finally, Yurick mixes the reduced balsamic vinaigrette with half a cup of honey. The cooked basmati rice forms a bed for the salmon. Yurick glazes the fish and tops it with roasted corn salsa and the honey balsamic vinaigrette mix. As for the inn's otherworldly guests? Yurick says they seem to have a sense of humor.

"I always lose my cup of coffee in the morning," Yurck said. "I can't find it when I put it down. That could be something else."

For more than two centuries, it's been a place for lodging, dining and spirits.

During the civil war, the Cashtown Inn served as a temporary surgery site, and therefore is a place many young men died. The innkeepers say their pet dog and parrot will at times both follow things not seen by the human eye. Visitors also say they occasionally smell cigar smoke inside the non-smoking facility.

If you would like more information, please contact:

The Cashtown Inn, http://www.cashtowninn.com