Mari Luna Latin Grille Opens In Pikesville

It was worth the wait, the delays, to see how beautifully Chef Jamie Luna transformed a long empty restaurant in the heart of Pikesville. Mari Luna (ML) Latin Grille, (don’t confuse this with his Mari Luna (ML)Mexican Grille, a mile south on Reisterstown Road across from Seven Mile Lane), is decorated with vivid colors, tasteful banquettes, and for the foodies - a large picture window where you can watch the kitchen staff at work -watch the short video.




I was not a fan of Mexican food when ML Mexican Grille opened five years ago but then learned the joys of Mexican food through Chef Luna. His path wasn’t an easy one, working his way from dishwasher to prep cook, from prep cook up to the sous chef position at Michel Richard’s Citronelle and as the executive chef at Steve De Castro’s Babalu Grill.

Over the years at ML Mexican Grille, Chef Luna would introduce specials highlighting his great skills with seafood and Latin cuisine. But alas, the ML Mexican Grille is a small venue with limits but it didn’t stop its huge following putting them at the top of the Baltimore’s Zagat list.

Our Dinner at ML Latin Grille

Friday night, the husband and I journeyed to ML Latin Grille and were surprised that even before 6 p.m. there were a number of tables filled. If restaurateurs are hunting for staff and can’t find them it is because they are all at ML Latin. The staff wants to please, though at times, I found them a bit intrusive – no harm meant they just want to make sure all is good. I am keeping in mind that they have only been open a week and refining their service and working from a new kitchen.

Chef Luna has a huge fan base and by 7:00 p.m. the restaurant was packed with guests waiting. They do accept reservations at ML Latin which is something that they don’t do at ML Mexican and from the crowd; I highly recommend making a reservation. Out of curiosity, after dinner the husband and I rode by ML Mexican to see what was going on there, it was packed with people in line.

The Most Amazing Bread

I’ve been noticing the lack of bread (or similar starter items) at restaurants lately. At Three and at a restaurant in Fells Point (who I won’t name but had a pretty disappointing meal) there was no bread offered and it was the same at Bicycle. Could it be there way of cutting costs? With that said, at ML Latin we were presented with large, fresh popover rolls with a mango citrus butter that is too die for – airy, puffy, warm rolls.

Kicking off the Dining

Out of the three soups offered on the menu we chose the Lobster Bisque (7) and Honduran Conch Chowder with coconut milk (6.5). The conch was tender, not an easy feat and the coconut milk added a nice subtle richness.

Salads and Appetizers

There are three salads offered, the house salad (7), Ensalada Cesar with Serrano ham and shaved Manchego cheese (7) and the Ensalada Campesina which is crabmeat and field greens with avocado, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette (12). There are six appetizers with selections such as Empanadas Saltenas (8) and Chicharron de Puerco con Yuca (7)

Entrees

In looking at the menu, I recognized many of the dishes that were specials at ML Mexican. I counted 17 entrees ranging in price from thirteen dollars (Peruvian Chicken) to twenty-six dollars (Seared Chilean Sea Bass or Roasted Rack of Lamb).

You choose 2 sides from the selection of Tostones, Frijoles Negros, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Yuca Fries, White Rice, Plantains, Congri (black beans, rice and bacon) or the evening’s vegetable medley sauté. The husband chose the Bistec a la Criolla (17) mesquite grilled skirt steak sautéed with Spanish mushrooms and red wine sauce with garlic mashed potatoes and the congri and I ordered the Camerones con Cana (19) pan seared sugar skewered jumbo shrimp with mojito sauce and I chose the sautéed veggies and the plantains. From the description, I assumed that the shrimp would be skewered possibly on sugarcane but they hadn’t been skewered at all that I could see…though they were perfectly cooked.

Dessert

The Chocolate Tres Leche (6) called out to the husband and I indulged in the Tropical Breeze (6), house-made mango and coconut ice cream combo. The tres leche was decadently rich with a lick-your-lips caramel sauce and the semifreddo like Tropical Breeze was accompanied with fresh fruit proved to be a nice finish to a very tasty meal.

With so many new and interesting Latino dishes to taste I know that I will be back again and again as well as getting our favorite Mexican dishes at ML Mexican Grille.

Mari Luna Latin Grille

1010 Reisterstown Road

Pikesville, MD 21208

410 653 5151

(Reservations highly suggested)

http://www.mariluna.com/

Complimentary valet parking in the rear of the restaurant

Call for hours and days of operation

Mari Luna Mexican Grille

102 Reisterstown Road

Pikesville, MD 21208

410.486.9910

Do You Think There Is A 20 Minute Wait for Carryout?

The fascinating West Lake Restaurant in the Hunan Provence of Changsha, China is by Guinness’s record book the largest Chinese Restaurant in the world with 5,000 seats. Other than our current economic woes, the largest problem for restaurants is staffing. West Lake has 1,000 on their staff with over 300 chefs manning five kitchens – yalza!!! Do you think there is a 20 minute wait for carryout?

I apologize profusely about missing advance notice to you on the airing of the documentary on West Lake Restaurant on the Sundance Channel. I was besieged with a crashed computer and auto accident plus two extended trips- it wasn't a good month. Hopefully it will be re-run. Here is a LINK to a video clip at the Sundance Channel for more in depth information - warning it may be a bit to graphic for some. Another video on West Lake Restaurant is below for your enjoyment.

I’m wondering where is the largest restaurant in the world? (I saw a video on a restaurant in Syria with 6,000 seats). Which restaurant in Baltimore do you think is the largest?

Calas, Belle, Calas Tout Chauds!

Almost lost in the rich food history of New Orleans are calas, a rice breakfast fritter. In the 19th century the calas women would call out, “calas, belle, calas tout chauds!” (“calas, calas nice and hot!”). Poppy Tooker, cooking instructor and food historian of the New Orleans culture prepares the calas for us. Click HERE for the recipe.

The Matzoh Ball Theory of Restaurant Reviews

Food, like many other things is subjective. How do you judge that a dish is good, bad or lackluster? I have my own theory, it is the Matzoh Ball theory.

The foods we grew up eating tend to be our guideline, i.e. - soft fluffy matzoh balls or solid, chewy, heavy matzoh balls. I'm a fluffy matzoh ball kind of gal. My mother would just die when her's weren't light as air. If I go into a restaurant that serves chicken matzoh ball soup and the matzoh balls are heavy as lead - to me, the soup is a disappointment but if you grew up like many of my friends on the heavy dense balls, it is a good soup.

My suggestion is to read many of the reviewers restaurant reviews, especially from restaurants that you have gone to and see if your feelings are on par with theirs. If you seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum then it is a pretty good shot you'll like places they don't.

If every one dishes a place there is nothing subjective about that. Let your taste buds be your own guide.

Three...A Patterson Park Restaurant

Last night I took my husband out of his 2 miles radius of the house comfort zone, down to the edge of Patterson Park to Three Restaurant. For me it was my 2nd visit, though my first time with former Pazo Executive Chef, Peter Livolsi as the top toque.

The husband isn’t the patient sort, one to wait for table, so I had a 6:30 reservation. It was a pleasant evening with guests enjoying al fresco dining and the view of the park. We even got one of what I call the movie star parking spots. (did you ever notice that in movies, when the stars are driving anywhere, there is always a parking spot right in front of where they are going?)

There were a couple of tables filled, a hand-full of guests at the bar drinking and sharing food. We were lead to a premium table where we could look at the lower level guests without them seeing much of what we were doing. The décor, the exposed brick interior walls and contemporary art appealed to my senses.

The menu has four pages: Salads Soups and Small Plates, Farmer’s Market Selection, Main Course and Cheeses. The time spent at Pazo by the chef definitely was reflected on the menu.

The main courses looked intriguing with the introduction that evening’s entrée of mushroom risotto for 16; if also offered blacken venison, ground lamb kabobs, grilled pork tenderloin and the rib eye steak for two with a Romesco sauce and mango butter.

Salads, Soups & Small Plates

Pineapple and Parmesan Cheese with Coppa and Pistachio Oil – 6

This dish intrigued the prosciutto and melon eater in me and I must say it was a delightful twist. I enjoyed the contrast of flavors, the little spice of the coppa and the fresh ground pepper. I kept trying to get anything pistachio from the oil – possibly it was to subtle my taste buds.

Mixed Field Greens with Sunflower Vinaigrette and Croutons – 6

A small taste of the husband’s salad found the chilled greens crisp and the vinaigrette with sufficient acidity to balance the richness of the cheese.

Grilled Andouille and Spicy Tasso Sandwich - 9
with Pepper Jack cheese, roasted garlic aioli, lettuce and tomato

This was the first night for this item on the menu and after tasting it, I was kicking myself for not ordering it and jealous the husband had. The spiciness of the andouille and tasso contrasted nicely with the creamy garlic aioli. The sandwich was excellent and a good value size for the price. I could see grabbing one of these sandwiches and a good beer – food nirvana at the table or at the bar.

Seafood Specials for the Evening

The special selections for the evening were Thai mussels or calamari. My penchant for Asian food was not to be denied: so one order of the Thai mussel for moi.

Thai Mussels – 10

Aaah, the bowl arrived with many mussels, sliced green and red chilies and a hunk of grilled bread to sop up the wonderful liquid. The mussels were cooked to perfection, moist and tender. For me, I found something lacking in the broth – maybe it was richness, the coconut milk too diluted, no chili flavor. I didn’t want to dunk my bread.


Farmer’s Market Selection

Items in this section of menu change nightly or weekly – when the supply is gone it is what is fresh that day from the market.

Roasted Pepper and Onion Bruschetta - 7

The three bruschetta rounds were generously topped with roasted peppers and onions with a hint of heat.

Eggplant Parmesan – 7

The aroma of this dish had me salivating before it hit my mouth. The batter on the eggplant slices was light just enough to add texture though not overwhelm. Slices of fresh, ruby-red tomato were sandwiched with the cheeses. Hubby couldn’t keep his fork out of my plate. I really enjoyed this dish but wanted a bit more umph, so I asked for freshly ground pepper.

Dessert

The waitress recited the three dessert choices and confirmed that all were made in-house. The options were a chocolate and peanut butter mousse duo, a banana and pineapple dessert with rum sauce and sheep’s milk yogurt with lavender. My option was the banana and pineapple dessert but conceded to the husband on the mousse duo.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse Duo – 6

Do you remember the Reese’s television commercial where “you got chocolate in my peanut butter and vice versa?” This dessert was reminiscent with the two flavors being divided by with the “I dare you to cross the whipped cream line.” Yes, we mixed it up a bit, some chocolate and peanut butter together and some plain. The mousse was airy, sweet but not overly cloying. The husband cleaned up every last fluffy morsel.

A presentation note, I’m not sure if the waitress forgot to put a plate under the dessert or they were just serving it in the glass. The dessert seemed lonely or needing something to balance it out – I’m having a feng shui moment.

Value versus quality – it was a good meal, old favorites and new ones to add to my list. The main question is would I go back, and my answer is yes.

Footnote: My husband was hungry upon arrival and was taken back that there was no lavosh, bread, or cracker brought to the table, something to curb his hunger until our food would arrived. I can’t say if it was an oversight but I think the restaurant just doesn’t offer this amenity.

Three…a patterson park restaurant
2901 E. Baltimore Street
(corner of S. Linwood)
Baltimore, MD
410 327 3333
http://www.threebythepark.com/

Tuesday - Thursday 5:30pm - midnight

(Kitchen closes at 10pm)

Friday - Saturday 5:30pm - 1am

(Kitchen closes at 11pm)

Closed Sundays & Monday

No Purple Feet for Me

This past weekend while picking grapes at Basignani Vineyards, I couldn’t help thinking of the great Lucille Ball and her Lucy Riccardo grape stomping episode . My outfit differed, my head covered with a baseball cap versus Lucy’s bandana, no peasant blouse off the shoulders nor full skirt and definitely not barefoot – I was in jeans, t-shirt with a bulky sweater for the early morning foray into the fields.

Each year Basignani Vineyards invites guests to volunteer to help with their wine harvest. When I arrived the four Basignani dogs were playing with a soccer ball out on the lawn, the leaves on the tree just turning color and the weather sunny with a slight fall chill. Volunteers were gathered under the tent, a number who came from Virginia and the DC area to participate.

We were taken to a field, given snipers, and a glove for the alternate hand. “Snip the grapes as close the bunch with as little stem as possible, remove any dried or bad looking grapes and put them in the plastic cartons” were the directions. The volunteers worked both sides of the vines. I chatted up fellow pickers as we snipped, picked and pushed our plastic bins down the line. From young to old, female and male, we all worked diligently.

I was across the vine from a brother-in-law to the Basignani family, Wayne Gardner, who was quite knowledgeable about their wines. A question was asked of him what happens to grapes once they leave the field? It was a Wilson like moment from Home Improvement, enjoy it as I did in the video below.


It took us about 3 hours to do what was necessary. Some were able to walk back to the tent, others caught a ride. Backs ached, knees were sore from squatting to reach the lower vines and no one was without vibrant purple stains upon their wardrobe and hands.

The Basignani family provided a wonderful lunch for the volunteers consisting of a lentil and meatball soup, panzanella salad, Italian cold cuts, tomato pie, house-cured olives and roasted peppers and the wonderful Basignani wines. Let me not forget the apple cake and brownies. All-in-all, a grape time was had by all.

Dee Basignani’s
Lentil Soup with Mini Meatballs
Serves approximate 4 - 6

Soup

2 quarts water
5 to 6 beef bouillon cubes
1 bag lentils (2 cups)
4-5 stalks celery chopped
1 lg onion chopped
2 lg carrots sliced
olive oil (a little bit)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
onion powder to taste
garlic powder to taste
tomato paste or fresh tomatoes

Meatballs (or your own favorite meatball recipe)

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 lg egg
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
salt to taste

2 lg potatoes, peeled and cut in a ½ inch cube
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to garnish

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven add the water, bouillon cubes, lentils, celery, onion, carrots, olive oil. Once to a boil, taste and add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and tomato or tomato paste. Reduce to a slow simmer and cover.

While soup is cooking, combine your beef or turkey, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and salt – mix well. Form the mixture into gumball sized meatballs (approximately 1 tablespoon). Cover and reserve.

After the soup has simmered for an hour bring it a boil and add the reserved meatballs. When the soup returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. If the soup is getting too thick add a cup or two of water. Cook for another 30 minutes and then add the cubed potatoes. Cover and cook another 30 minutes.

To serve top each bowl of soup with grated Parmesan cheese.

Basignani Vineyards
15722 Falls Road
Sparks-Glencoe, Maryland 21152
410 472 0703 phone

http://www.basignani.com

Open to the public
Wednesdays through Saturday
11:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday
Noon to 6 p.m.

Roux the Day

Should it be called the Holy Trinity? Why no butter? What is a celery vase? Those questions and more are answered in the following videos.

Food historian and cooking instructor, Poppy Tooker and the matriarch of Creole cooking, Leah Chase discuss how to make a proper roux along with other panelist Marcelle Bienvenu and Michaela York before a room full of women chefs in New Orleans.

Since you couldn’t be there I took the liberty of whipping out my trusty point-and-shoot Kodak camera and hit the video button. My cinematic skills are such that Martin Scorsese shouldn’t be concerned about competition at this year’s Academy Awards.

"Every Restaurant is the Fulfillment of Someone's Dream"

What is the state of the restaurant industry?

“Every restaurant is the fulfillment of someone’s dream”, quipped Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association (NRA). Ms. Sweeney was in town for the Mid-Atlantic Food, Beverage and Lodging Expo and was the keynote speaker at the Industry Leadership Breakfast hosted by Phillips Harborplace. Sweeney comes to the “table” with strong leadership credentials from AARP.

She is not shy to getting down and dirty for the betterment of the organization, immersing herself in the assorted positions held in the restaurant industry: line cook, expediter, front of house manager, and server. After 8 hours of being on her feet working at a food prep learning experience, Ms. Sweeney was tired but then thought of her co-worker who was heading out to his 2nd job and from there a 3rd. As Ms Sweeney said, “it reaffirms that the people in this industry work really, really hard.”

At this same breakfast last year, the then NRA CEO said that the number one issue was staffing for restaurants. But what a difference a year makes. Restaurant operators were surveyed and the number one and two concerns now are the economy and food costs.

Ms Sweeney offered out these statistics:

*the latest number on average annual household spending on restaurants is $2700

*the typical adult averages 6 "restaurant occasions" per week, since "eating out" might not be interpreted to include off-premises dining (such as takeout, delivery, drive-thru and curbside) which the 6 includes.

*the average daily spending at restaurants is over $1.5 Billion (or about $64 million per hour per day)

*The restaurant industry added 64,000 jobs this year


Dawn talked of a new 5 year plan to be introduced for the industry that stresses:

1. Sustainability and social responsibility
2. Food and healthy living *
3. Emphasize that the restaurant industry isn’t just a job, it is a career
4. Business advocacy – assistance with profitability

* Ms. Sweeney expressed her opinion on adult obesity saying what we choose to eat is our own personal responsibility.

Tacky, Tacky, Tacky

During the Q & A, I reiterated to Ms Sweeney and the attendees that I heard that customers, due to economic hard times, have chosen not to leave tips. The NRA president said interestingly that she had just heard that the night before. Dining Dish states unequivocally that if you can’t afford to leave a tip then maybe you should reevaluate your dining choices. This is not Europe, tips are not included in the food cost and most importantly servers rely on the tips as their income.

Sauce Piquant - A Verbal Recipe from New Orleans

It has been 25 years since I was in New Orleans and I'm back in NoLa. I went on a recent market tour and found Jack Oser at the Gretna Farmers Market who gave me an oral recipe for Sauce Piquant. Being your dining mama, I picked up the trusty Kodak and filmed it for you.

There will be other exciting videos and stories to come from my trip to the Women Chefs and Restaurant conference. Stay tuned

Something Different for the Table at Rosh Hashanah

Jill Bloomfeld of http://www.teachkidstocook/ sent me this recipe, something different for the Jewish Holiday table. Jill said "this recipe turns gefilte fish haters into fans. When it comes out of the oven, it looks like cake! Use cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes for your Rosh Hashanah table."

Sweet Ginger Gefilte Fish

Gefilte fish a cooked patty or loaf of different finely chopped fish cooked with onions and carrots. Sweetened by orange juice and honey, this gefilte fish recipe can help you welcome a sweet new year.

Equipment:
9 inch round cake pan
small bowl
whisk
aluminum foil

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) loaf gefilte fish, defrosted
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
Press fish into pan.
Whisk remaining ingredients in bowl and pour over top of fish.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes and heated through.

This recipe is pareve and can be served with either dairy or meat kosher meals.

Most gefilte fish is usually made of carp and whitefish.

The gefilte fish loaf can be found in the frozen foods. Here are three stores I know that carry the gefilte fish frozen load. Call your local store to check and see if they carry it as well.

Giant Food

3757 Old Court Rd

Pikesville, MD 21208

(410) 602-7660

Gourmet Again

3713 Old Court Rd

Pikesville, MD 21208

(410) 484-8959

Wegmans

122 Shawan Rd

Cockeysville, MD 21030

(410) 773-3900

New Brews from the Fancy Food Show

The Summer International Fancy Food Show has been an annual pilgrimage for me for the last 10 years: whether with friends looking for an excuse to go to New York and dine at great restaurants, as the marketing and public relations director of the exhibiting Vanns Spices, or trend monitoring for my food consulting business. This year, like last year, I was “booth staff” for friends of mine, Katie Luber and Sara Engram, founders of the award-winning tsp spices.

Each year the Summer International Fancy Food Show gets bigger and bigger. The Fancy Food Show attracted approximately 24,000 attendees from specialty food, wine, gift and department stores, supermarkets, restaurants, mail-order and other related businesses. This year they expanded to a 3^rd floor at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. It is truly overwhelming and impossible to notice every new item, though I gave it my best try in my down time at the show.

With ¼ of our paychecks going to fill the tank of our car there is less dining out and more dining in. Consumers are more involved in what is going on their table focusing on new flavors, healthy-for-you, eco-friendly, and convenience. As time permits I will be writing about my picks from the show.

NEW BREWS: TEAS

#1 Pick: Hydrangea Tea (also known as Suguk Cha, E-Seul Cha or Morning Dew Tea in Korea or Amacha in Japanese).

WHY: This herbal tea is naturally sweet, truly sweet no sugar needed. No artifical sweetners or sugar needed. The key word is natural.

The sweetness of hydrangea is all natural. There is a component in the leaf called "phyllodulcin" which gives it its natural sweet flavor. The process of rolling the tea leaves further brings out this natural taste. The hydrangea plant used for this tea isn't the typical plant you find in your back yard but a different "breed" of hydrangeas grown in the wild in high altitudes.

The Japanese use the Amacha in ceremonies celebrating Buddha.

To purchase:

Hankook Tea Usa, Inc. www.hankooktea.com or you can check your Korean Grocery Stores. It is not cheap and a little goes a long way.

Honorable Mention

Premium Goji Tea

To make Goji Tea it used to take 3 to 4 hours of brewing and it tasted bitter. They have perfected the 100% Natural Goji tea that can brew in 3 minutes in hot or cold water. It is 90% Gojiberry, 8% wild rice with cassa tore and Solomon’s seal wrapping up the mix.

Medicinal claims on the website are numerous from extend your life, strengthen muscles and bones and improves digestion. I believ e there are medical benefits to the Goji Tea but maybe not their claim to prevent cancer – it probably lost something in the translation of the website.

The taste and aroma was earthy to me, for some reason reminiscent of dried mushrooms, and I liked it with nothing else needing to be added.

They also have Baeksie Gojiberry tea powder, a granulated tea and wonder how chefs might may adapt this in their cooking and baking just as they have with Green Tea Mancha.

Marcella's Memories - Amarcord

One of the benefits of my diverse food writing is receiving advanced copies of cookbooks and food related books. Publicist extraordinaire and friend, Carrie Weinberg-Bachman, formerly of Harper Collins/Wm Morrow, forwarded the soon-to-be released copy of Marcella Hazan's autobiography, Amarcord ~ The Remarkable Life Story of the Woman Who Started Out Teaching Science in a Small Town in Italy, but Ended Up Teaching America How to Cook Italian.

I am a huge fan of Marcella's cookbooks; they are a must for every cook's shelf, the Italian gospel in cooking. I remember taking a cooking class 20 years ago and one of the recipes taught was her herb marinated green beans, simple yet vibrant in flavor. It is a recipe I have prepared over the years to the same oohs and ahhs I gave it when I first tasted it.

I have heard of Marcella's perfectionism and getting an insight into what makes her tick was a story I wanted to read. What brought this Italian girl to the forefront of the US and international culinary world was a fascinating read. From the beginning of the book, pre-war Italy and life as an Italian then, and through the war, to bringing authentic Italian cuisine to the world ~ this is a "must read." There are no cooking recipes but recipes for life and passion.

Amarcord by Marcella Hazan - release date October 2008

Overwhelmed in the Wildwood Food Triangle (recipe included)

My nose stopped me dead in my tracks on the Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk, it was a magical crossroads where all the aromas of boardwalk food came together: pizza, sausage with onions and peppers and French fries. Liken my image at that moment to Mary Tyler Moore twirling around in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, just before she tosses her hat (or was it a beret) in the air, awe struck of her surroundings. I turned to “the husband” and said “here, right here, in this food triangle, is where I want my ashes to go. I want to enjoy these aromas both here-and-now and the hereafter.”

It is at this section of the boardwalk where there are food stands on both sides with a broad intersecting street that has even more food vendors that creates such intense aromas. No matter what time of day or night, I must stop for an Italian Sausage Sandwich – it is the full blast bouquet of the fried onions and peppers that makes me salivate.

I had a hankering for one them sammiches* yesterday, so off I went to the food store for the crusty 6 inch sub rolls, Italian sausage, and a large green pepper.

How to Make an Awesome Italian Sausage Sammich

5 to 6 Italian Sausages (mild or hot) – I do mild
1/3 cup Water
1 Tablespoon Pure olive oil
1 large Onion, peeled, halved and slice in thin half moons
1 large Green pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1/3 to 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, tomato puree or pasta sauce (choose 1)
Optional
¼ cup White Wine

5 to 6 6-inch sub rolls, similar in crustiness to Keyser rolls (do not use hotdog rolls)

1. Take a fork and poke holes in the sausages on both sides

2. Put a 1/3 cup of water in a 10 or 12 inch sauté pan (you will need a lid to the pan). Add the sausages and put on a medium to medium high heat and cover. This will cook the sausage and allow some of the fat to run out of the sausage. This should about 10 minutes.

3. In an another 10 to 12 inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil, add the onions and peppers and heat over medium heat, put the lid on and sweat them. As they become soft add the tomato sauce, tomato puree or pasta sauce and optional white wine. Put the lid back on the pan and let it simmer.

4. Take the sausages from their liquid and add them to the onion-pepper mixture and let them simmer so all the flavors meld. (by this time the smell of the onions and peppers will be driving you crazy).

5. Prepare your rolls. Tear out some of the bread inside the roll so to create a cradle for the sausage and peppers. I first put some of the pepper and onion mixture, then the sausage and top with more onion and peppers.

6. Mangia baby, enjoy that sammich!

Discount Food & Drink - NEW website

Who’s your Dining Mama? I am! I love going to my fine dining restaurants, having a mojito at my favorite drinking holes but we all love food and drink bargains and you can find that at http://www.600block.com/. It isn’t just about your food and drink, there is shopping in there as well.

Yes, it is another internet “community” but you don’t have to live there to enjoy the 200 food and drink specials.

Who’s your Dining Mama now!

Which Baltimore chef is on Top Chef-Season 5?

Which Baltimore chef is rumored to be a Top Chef contestant? Hear is what Baltimore Foodies newsletter just said:

"Back in our July 28th e-mail, we told you that: "Top Chef Season 5 is now filming in New York City. You do not want to miss this season! Why? I can't tell you yet. But, I recommend, highly, following the blogs about the filming this season. It could be turn out to be very interesting." Well now, two months later, filming is basically finished, and word is leaking out. There are sixteen cheftestants on Top Chef this season. One of the best food blogs, Eater.com, has received intel on eight of them. Among this eight, is one of our favorite chefs, from right here in Baltimore.

Ladies and gentlemen, according to multiple sources, Executive Chef Jill Snyder, of Red Maple, is one of the sixteen chefs battling for Top Chef honors. Eater.com has some of the best coverage of this year's Top Chef competition. And to keep all the info in order and easy to digest, they have created Eater's Great Top Chef Map.”

One Table - Two Views

Thanks to the great deal I got at Baltimore Dining Deals, I was able to purchase a $50 gift certificate for Bicycle Restaurant at half price. I sent an e-mail to the Baltimore Food Examiner, Juliette Goodwin, to see if she was up to the challenge of both of us writing a story about a dinner together at Bicycle. I informed her I had the first $50 of the meal and she was game. I love Juliette’s sense of humor and dry wit and knew the dinner would be entertaining. We agreed to post our stories at the same time so you can read both sides of the table.

To Bicycle, To Bicycle We Go

I’m a kind of start at the beginning of the story type of gal, very chronological in how I write.

Initially, our reservations were for 8:30 p.m. but Juliette’s husband was able to come home early to take charge of the twins. Those of you who have read Juliette’s postings know that she is a stay-at-home mother to fraternal twins that are on the precipice of the terrible twos. In real life she is an artist and writer. Juliette adjusted the reservations to 7:30 and she chose to dine on the patio enjoying one of the few, low humidity summer evenings in Baltimore.

I will state this; there was no lull in the conversation the whole evening, but then, I’m loquacious by nature. Juliette and I are pretty diverse in age, background etc.: she is a young modern whose parents were writers and I’m a modern senior whose parents were retailers. Her husband is an architect, handy around the house changing the environment and my husband is a flea market aficionado who takes 4 hour naps on weekends. We are from different worlds but our glue, our link together, is a passion for food.

The getting to know-you-better conversation started in the car: husband, family, background, so by the time I parked on Light Street we were heading into the serious food conversation.

The patio at Bicycle was quite lovely; I easily forgot I was in an urban setting.

Let the Ordering Begin

Our waitress approached and asked about beverages. I asked if they did fresh lemonade and if so, if they could muddle some fresh basil in the beverage. Our waitress, who also held the bartender’s position, informed me there was no fresh lemonade or basil though there was lemonade on tap. Since we were sitting next to the garden, I snitched a couple leaves of fresh mint and put it in my lemonade.

Juliette and I decided to go with two soups: Spicy Corn Soup with Crab with grilled corn salsa and chive/cilantro cream ($7) and Chilled Melon Soup with cream fraiche, almonds and chives ($5). We ordered two appetizers as well: Sautéed Shrimp with fava beans, chorizo, pearl onions and red pepper reduction ($13) and the Tuna and Avocado Tartare ($12). Our big plate choice was Duck Two-Ways with a rendered duck breast, spicy duck spring roll, kohlrabi two-ways, tamarind, Korean chili sauce ($24).

We were deep in conversation when we realized the waitress did not announce the specials and when questioned, she advised us there were none for that evening. Chat, chat, more chatting and voila, the first course of soup arrives. Being diligent food bloggers, we both pulled out our cameras and as consummate foodies had already agreed to share the food.

Juliette has a passion for summer tomatoes, and who can blame her. She has blogged extensively on their glory. This is called a set up. Watch the little snippet video of Juliette.

To Dine, Per Chance to Enjoy

The cool melon soup was a great contrast to the rich, spice-laden flavor of the corn soup with crab. I could have used more acidity in the melon soup, a bit more lemon and pinch of salt to heighten the flavor of the melon – we still cleaned both bowls.

I talked cooking, dining, food styling and Juliette talked children, finding a cheesecake that was dairy-free, her parents, work and food. I asked about the blueberry cake she posted recently and she responded it was a family recipe from her grandmother – no butter, one uses Crisco. I made it, in fact, snacking on it as I write. YUM! I added some lemon zest to the batter.

Aaah ha, the shrimp and tuna tartare arrived. My photo of the tuna tartare was blurry, so I hope Juliette’s story has a better picture. I have had the tuna tartare at Bicycle before when Barry Rumsey was chef, and I remember it as okay. I believe Chef Batey has put a bit more spice to the accoutrements and I liked it.

Both Juliette and I wanted to enjoy every last bit of the red pepper sauce with the shrimp appetizer when we realized there was no bread on the table. I’m not sure if they normally bring bread, bread sticks or flat bread to the table at Bicycle or if it was an oversight: although, it was a shame to waste the sauce and I, for sure, wasn’t going to lift the plate and lick it* – at least not in front of Juliette.

As the guests on the patio thinned out and the dark of a lovely evening set upon us, our waitress, delivered our Duck 2-ways. It was artfully split on two plates by the kitchen so we didn’t have to break it up at the table – scoring big points on service.

The duck was rendered of fat, served medium rare on the kohlrabi puree along with a duck eggroll. The tart tamarind flavor was a great counterpoint to the richness of the duck. A good dish should always carry through to the tongue’s sweet, salt, bitter and sour receptors along with a richness that coats the tongue and adds to the flavor lasting and varying textures - this dish did it all.

We passed on dessert; we were sated and glad to stretch our legs walking back to the car.

The conversation was continuing as I started driving Juliette home when alas, that emergency call from Juliette’s husband asking how soon will she be home, the children were acting out. At least she had a couple hours of down time to herself. I, on the other hand, was under no time restraints – the husband, as I call him, hits the sack around 8 p.m.

IMHO (In My Honest Opinion)

With tip, and we gave 20% before tax, the bill came approximately to $84.00 – two soups, two appetizers, one entrée and two beverages (non-alcoholic). Considering the value-quality ratio, I score Bicycle high and I recommend it to those who love bold flavors.

As for dining with Juliette, considering the conversation-quality ratio, I score her high on my dining companion list and recommend her for those who love lively conversation, dry wit and want to talk serious food.

* Licking the plate: Where as I have been tempted many times to get every last bit of deliciousness off a plate, I would never pick it up and lick it. The statement was literary license, emphasizing how much I enjoyed the sauce and a small attempt at humor. Let me quote John Merrick, “I am not an animal!” (Can you remember what movie that quote is from?)

For more info:
Bicycle
http://www.bicyclebistro.com/

1444 Light St

Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 234-1900

Baltimore Food Examiner - Dinner with Dara
Juliette Goodwin

Where Are They Now?

I was quite shocked when Chef Barry Rumsey and his wife, Deborah Mazzoleni, decided to sell there very popular, highly recognized restaurant, Bicycle. It seems the urban life wasn’t for them anymore, so they packed up the family and moved to Oregon selling Bicycle to Chef Nicholas Batey.

What has spurred on this commentary is a soon-to-be posted story on a recent visit to Bicycle with the Food Examiner. Both of us have written our views of the evening's dining and hopefully will be posted in the next couple of days. In doing research for my story, I have found Chef Rumsey and his wife, living out their dream in Mosier, Oregon. Their restaurant, Good River Restaurant, views the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. Check them out and drop a note, I’m sure they would love to hear from you.

Food Network Features Baltimore Purveyors

In early June, the Food Network was in Baltimore filming Road Tasted with the Neelys (Paula Deen’s sons are no longer affiliated with the program). The Neelys travel the US tasting hand-crafted and unique foods that are deliverable nationwide.

My favorite pie guy, Rodney Henry of Dangerously Delicious Pies (www.dangerouspies.com) will showing off his Pie-Style featuring his steak, mushroom, onion and Fontina cheese pie. Henry, as I wrote earlier, recently opened his second restaurant, Savory House in Hampden. The show was filmed at his Light Street location.

Also featured is Lexington Market’s Faidley’s Lump Crabcakes (www.faidleyscrabcakes.com) and Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger products (www.graciesginger.com) which are available at 33rd Street Farmers Market.

The show will air Tuesday, August 26th.