Friday, July 31, 2009

Crabs on Sunday

Last Sunday, a group of Baltimore food bloggers got together at LP Steamers in Locust Point to carry on several local traditions. We picked some crabs, drank some beers and the wandered a couple of blocks over to eat some snoballs.
Although nine people came, we know that there are lots more food bloggers in the area. It was great to see the group who came, and we missed those who didn't.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Grilled Cheese Croutons

OMG!!! What a stellar idea! Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad.
From the Minimalist's 100 Summer Salads.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sunday Market - July 26

I haven't written about the market for a few weeks for several reasons: 1) didn't go last week. My Sunday morning partner was out of town and I took the opportunity to sleep in; 2) the pictures I was taking were identical to the ones from last summer; 3) I forgot.
This week, when we got there at 8:00 a.m., the parking was already pretty crowded, but there didn't seem to be loads more people there. The light is beginning to change and we really seemed to notice that.
Almost every veg stand has tomatoes now, so I guess the nights have finally been warm enough to allow the tomatoes to get red.
Loads and loads of fresh flowers everywhere!
Today, I bought the fixin's for gazpacho, including tomatoes, cukes, garlic, onion and green peppers. I also bought some peaches that I will grill. YUM!
See you next week!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Julie & Julia at Wegmans

Everyone's looking forward to the upcoming film, Julie & Julia, which opens in wide release on August 7th. If you'd like to be one of the first to see it, show up at Wegmans on Monday, July 27th, between 11 a.m. and 2p.m. to receive two passes to see the movie on July 30th. Click here for a preview of the movie.
As an extra incentive, Wegmans will be giving free samples at their cafe!
Are you going to go see this movie? Is it this summer's Sex & The City?

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Southsides

My favourite summer drink is the classic Southside, a combination of lemon, lime, mint, club soda and rum. I get the drink from Mr. George Lee, the former bartender at the Greenspring Valley Hunt Club. However, it is more readily available at grocery stores in Ruxton, Hunt Valley and Timonium, or through Lindsay's Southsides on-line.I froze some of the mix in an ice-cube tray and will whir it in the blender to make a frozen Southside. Yummmmm!What's your favourite summer libation?

Monday, July 13, 2009

Marie Louise Bistro

I have eaten at Marie Louise Bistro on Charles Street in Mount Vernon a few times, but this time I went with the Chefs. If you don't know, Marie Louise is in the space that, for a number of years, was Gampies. Following its closing, the space was empty for years. It re-opened late in 2008 as Marie Louise Bistro, with a beautiful new interior and huge windows facing the hustle and bustle of Charles Street.
The last few times I've eaten at MLB, it was late winter and early spring, which was reflected by the menu, which included duck confit and some heavy beef dishes. Now, in early July, the menu is still the same, and hasn't changed to accommodate the great fresh and seasonal foods now available. That was surprising to both me and the Chefs.
Our major gripe with our experience on Friday was the absolutely sluggish service. It took about 10 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us once we'd been seated. Then a waitress came over with two glasses of water for three of us, and took off before we could place drink orders. Ten minutes later, a waiter returned to ask for our drink orders, but without the extra water glass. It then took about seven minutes for the drinks to arrive. We ordered immediately, since we didn't know how long we'd have to wait before another waitstaff came by. Lest you think it was mobbed, there were three waitstaff for 12 tables, which is a very good ratio even for a Friday night. Cat and I ordered hamburgers with fried onions and bleu cheese, and they came with french fries, which were barely warm. Dog ordered a chopped salad, which he said was overdressed. There was no bread put on the table, so Dog also ordered a mac-and-cheese, which was good, although made with the pedestrian elbow macaroni. The desserts at Marie Louise are made by Patisserie Poupon on Baltimore Street, so you know that they're good. There is also a small selection of gelati. The last time I was at MLB, they must have been very low on desserts, since the dessert tray featured a chocolate croissant, which is breakfast food. Unfortunately, someone put butterscotch syrup on the strawberry tart, and it tasted exactly like it came out of a jar. Caramel or chocolate sauce would have worked a lot better.
Dinner and tip came out to about $100, but we were so disappointed with the slow service, that it really made the experience less than pleasant.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

J. Patrick's Pub

When I lived in Locust Point, it took me about five years to go to J.Patrick's Pup, even though it was only about a five minute walk from my house. They are unapologetically Irish and my family is British Protestant.

However, once I did go, I fell in love with the cameraderie of the place and the genuine goodness of the people there, especially the owner, J. Patrick Byrne.

They frequently have live music, and the Chefs and I headed over there last week to catch one of their Thursday night jam sessions. It was brilliant.

Oh, and to make this post food-related, they have "small boneless chickens" on their menu.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Sunday Market - July 5

It's really beginning to look a lot like summer at the Market! Tomatoes today, as well as some raspberries again. Here's what we saw:

Radishes. I remember eating radishes with butter, dipped in salt, in France.
Swamp Mallow. There were loads of these, as well as their cousins, the hibiscus.
Tiiiiny flowers on a hanging basket. No idea what they are!
The first of the cherries are arriving, and there are sweet and sour cherries.
Rainbow chard. Take off the leaves and cook the stems first and then add the leaves.
See you next week at the Market!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Nick's Fish House

Before it rained last night, it was the perfect evening for a drink or two on the porch at Nick's Fish House. Perfect temperature, nice cool breeze blowing and a view over the boats and docks.