Dining Dish Radio Program kicks off.

This past summer I did a radio interview on Baltimore Internet Radio with founder Dave Custy. We had great fun, told fun stories and connected on wanting to put a voice to the food community both here in Baltimore and with a national slant. Recently I ran into Dave and Janice Kaufmann, his partner in crime, at a media event.  Dave said I want to talk to you about doing a food-centric program. After a meeting and a lesson at home how to record a program I was on my way. The next step is learning how to record interviews from my home via Skype which will make for better programming. Interviews will be both local and on a national platform with the likes of cookbook authors, chefs, food producers etc.

My thoughts are doing two kinds of shows, one based on the food news in Baltimore and another based on national food news. Baltimore Internet Radio covers all things Baltimore, national and international.

Have mercy on me for this first program, I promise to become better and have more voices on the program tha other than my own. As we get rolling there will be advertising opportunities.  As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, so give Dining Dish time as we learn to craw and grow.

Listen to the first  Dining Dish program on Baltimore Internet Radio  HERE.  

ShakeUp Lab shakes up the traditional milkshake

SkakeUp Lab is all about milkshakes but in a modern version. They make their own ice cream which isn’t too sweet and in its low fat version still has the rich mouth feel as the their rich version.  Their concept has been four years in development which started in Israel and gone through research at universities abroad and in the United States. ShakeUp Lab  is  just about ready to launch their soy based and sugar free milkshake options.

Partner “T” Zilberfarb explained, “ ShakeUp Lab milkshakes are a decadent treat that is more nutritious, natural products, the ice cream is enriched with dietary probiotic fiber.”  One can indulge in multiple flavors and combinations.  There are even seasonal flavors to be had like honey apple and apple cake - perfect for the fall season. The standards are there with Oreo cookie being the top seller, strawberry and all the chocolate varieties. Those are some of the standard fare flavor combos but with so many flavor choices at ShakeUp Lab: ie wasabi and green tea, coffee and caramel, salty pecan pie, pomegranate one can have creative license to make their own unique milkshake. As their signage says, “ The best milkshakes in town.”

There are two  locations of ShakeUp Lab found here in Maryland at Towsontown Mall and the Mall in Columbia.  Towsontown has been in place for over a year and the Columbia location will be a year in October. Both locations are templates for future franchised ShakeUp Lab opportunities.

For sure ShakeUp Lab milkshakes aren’t  like the days as a pre-teen working behind the fountain counter at my dad’s patent drug and luncheonette only  offering vanilla and chocolate milkshakes. Who knew from low fat, lactose or gluten intolerance and sugar free in those days.  With ShakeUp Lab, everyone can indulge.

ShakeUp Lab - @ShakeUpLab  www.ShakeUpLab.com

Peanut butter attack puts a woman in jail

A sibling fight over the brother’s dog urinating in their living room escalated to an assault with deadly nuts.  It was around 2 a.m. when the altercation ensued between the Florida brother and sister.  Someone in the house called 911 after the sister flung peanut butter in her brother’s face.  Since no one answered when the 911 operator called back officers were dispatched.

When the officers arrived the brother is said to still have peanut butter running down his face -must have been a cheap brand to run. The brother refused to press charges but the officers, having proof of the attack on  his face still took the sister in custody on a battery charge per a geobeats video.

  

Makes you stop and wonder is it more deadly with smooth or chunky. Remember, before flinging food at someone that it is a criminal offense. Duck, low flying mashed potatoes. 

Watch video HERE.

Culinary Review os 2012: My perspective

This is the time of year when so many reflect on the year past and what the future might hold. I’m no different. There were many highs this year with a couple of lows but all-in-all, “it was a very good year” in my food world. It wasn’t a good year for the Guy Fieri and his Guy’s American Kitchen and Bar restaurant review that went round the world by Pete Wells of the New York Times. The whole review was written in questions the likes of “What exactly about a small salad with four or five miniature croutons makes Guy’s Famous Big Bite Caesar (a) big (b) famous or (c) Guy’s, in any meaningful sense?”

Check out the full review of 2012, the slideshow and video HERE

Haute Dog's Daniel Raffel launches Divine Swine

Thanks to Harvey Kallen’s invite to lunch at Haute Dog, I learned about Daniel Raffel’s latest endeavor, Divine Swine. Just like the miracle of penicillin came out of mold so has Divine Swine. As a hobby, Daniel’s dad Jerry was curing Virginia style hams; they would cure for one year. Low and behold one ham cured longer just due to oversight. The senior Raffel took the ham to his son and asked what I can do with this? Well it turned out to be a beautiful mistake, offering up an Italian speck like prosciutto, lightly smoked.

Check out the slideshow and full story HERE

Partying on Indonesia's tall ship KRI Dewaruci

There is much to write about the private reception on Indonesia’s KRI Dewaruci tall ship which is visiting Baltimore for the Star-Spangled 200 Sailabration. Where to start? The beginning is probably the best.

We were looking for chief medical officer Babgun who was to be our interpreter. In Indonesia, English is taught as a second language and there was no difficulty talking to Chef Kustanto and crew. The Dewaruci, started construction in 1932 but was suspended during World War II and finally completed in 1952. The Dewaruci is home to a crew of 153 including officers and cadets and is not only a goodwill ship for Indonesia but their naval training ship. The Dewaruci is heading to Boston after Sailabration and soon back to Indonesia where the ship will be decommissioned.

Read the complete story, watch the video and check out the slide show HERE

Baltimore food news - what's cooking, what's opening and more

Hot out of the oven is the new Yia Yia’s Bakery Express that will be opening on York Road near Ridgely in the old Mariner Bank Building. Corky Rosier of Yia Yia’s said estimated opening day should be around the end of July. As an express they will be selling single pastries, cookies, simple cakes and bastas (single slices of cake). All bakery items come from their hub on Philadelphia Road at King. A number of desserts are traditionally Greek and Italian. My mouth is watering now for an éclair but enjoy the fruit tarts, cannolis and baklava as well.

Wit & Wisdom

Read all the food gossip and news HERE.

Save Adam Richman - Man v. Food

Adam Richman, host of Man v. Food which completed the 4th season and final episode this April was about gluttony. Man v. Food was about who could eat the biggest, the most, the Scoville chart hottest food challenges and its host, Adam Richman, is our era glutton personified. One had to wonder how he could consume so much food at one seating and in a real limited time frame. More over you had to think of his health and how he could survive these gargantuan high cholesterol meals and eating challenges.

Read the full story HERE

For those who love bacon to death - the bacon coffin

Leave it to the boys, excuse me, men at J & D’s Food, famous for Bacon Salt, Bacon Lip Balm, Bacon Microwave Popcorn, Bacon Lube (don’t ask), Bacon Baby Formula, Bacon Gravy and more to come up with one more J & D’s  Bacon product – J & D’s Bacon Coffins.  Dressed like funeral directors in the snapshot, Justin and Dave, the J & D in J & D’s Food explain in a video that there are folks out there who love bacon to death so why not enjoy the afterlife wrapped in a bacon decorated coffin.

Continue reading on Examiner.com For those who love bacon to death – the bacon coffin

Baltimore food news

A lot of food related news, especially for the Baltimore region so rather than doing a gazillion posts this is a mini e-newsletter:  One stop shop for the food gossip.

Read all the news HERE

Food trends for 2012 - top 12 lists that predict our food future

The New Year, 2012, is here – day one and a time to look forward, to look forward to the food trend predictions for the year. Last week I took a look back and posted my top ten list of top ten list of 2011 food trends. As you review these lists you will see some overlap on the 2012 food trend predictions.

Still rock solid is local resourcing, chefs growing their own and what our children are eating.Check out the 12 lists of 2012 food trend predictions HERE

Pizza delivery man turns in customer for pot use

Tapenade Pizza from Maisy's - photo by Dara Bunjon

A Papa John’s pizza delivery man called the police after smelling marijuana in a home.  The homeowner was a medical pot user.  That puts a new meaning to the pizza company’s ad campaign, Papa’s in the house.

The full story can be read here. Remember it used to be Big Brother was watching, now when you open that door for food delivery it could be Big Papa. So keep this tale in mind – you never know who is in the food delivery outfit and who they might call.

Baltimore Food News - pull up a kitchen chair

Don’t’ you love the fall! Everyone is back from vacation, the kids are in school and the parties begin.

There is so much going on that I will not be able to devote an entire column to each bit of news so here goes, in no particular order.  This should keep you ahead of the game on Baltimore Food News for the next couple of days.

Before I forget, L’Shana Tova  (Happy New Year) as many of our friends kick off the Jewish New Year this evening.  A tradition is to dip sweet not tart apples in honey to represent the belief that all will be granted a sweet year.

Read all the food news HERE

New restaurant in Pikesville – Elements Restaurant and Bar

Who knew it was there?  Not I, not until this morning when I received my Chewpon notice today to get a $30 Chewpon for just $15.  Where in Pikesville you ask?  Elements Restaurant and Bar id located on Reisterstown Road just south of the Baltimore Beltways in Pomona Square Shopping Center in the rear behind where the NEW Suburban House is and where Si Salsa was. 

Read the full story: New restaurant in Pikesville

Making virtual tortellini helps preserve a part of Bologna’s culinary history

photo morgue file - KA Connors

The game, the Tortellini X-perience recently made its debut in Bologna, Italy.  The multi-media  virtual reality game Tortellini X-perience was designed by Marco Roccetti, a professor of computer science at the University of Bologna for the World Expo in Shanghai last fall.

Roccetti had two goals in mind, the first was preservation, preservation of the culinary heritage of Bologna and the second goal was taking a very hard task, which tortellini is and making it a game.

Continue reading and watch video Making virtual tortellini helps preserve a part of Bologna’s culinary history

Trends: Fast, quick, quality fine dining business lunches – prefix pricing

Sunday’s Wall Street Journal article Business Lunches Beat the Clock says that fine dining establishments are taking a tip from the fast food chains by offering lunch in 30 minutes.   It made me stop and think about what I’ve been seeing here in Baltimore from our premiere restaurants – maybe not 30 minutes but a commitment to have you in and out within the hour for lunch with a prefix special price.  There are two restaurants that come to mind most readily.

The first was Sotto Sopra Restaurant -
Continue reading  Trends: Fast, quick, quality fine dining business lunches – prefix pricing

Forget your shovels Baltimore all you need is pickle juice

With sleet and ice at our doorsteps this evening this might be the tip of the day – pickle juice. Bergen County New Jersey is using brine, similar to pickle juice to pre-treat roads and walkways. With four snow storms they have just about exhausted their budget for salt and have come up with this cost effective means of solving their snow / ice situation.

Read about the whole situation here: Forget your shovels Baltimore all you need is pickle juice

Assorted Baltimore food news and gossip

Okay, so I’ve been busy and haven’t had time to post. It doesn’t mean I haven’t been hearing food news and unsubstantiated gossip. So here is the scoop for now!

Tonight, I head down to Roy’s Restaurant to take part in the cooking class being offered by their new chef and partner, Patrick (Opie) Crooks.

For the full story and news continue reading: Assorted Baltimore food news and gossip