Charm City Cook
Food is good
I love Waverly Market. I shop for my weekly groceries there every week and love seeing local chefs shopping from local farmers and purveyors. I go early and I usually see Chris Becker of the Bagby Restaurant Group and John Shields of Gertrude’s, talking with farmers, buying cases of fruit, vegetables, herbs and more. This makes …
If you’re like me, you love tomatoes. But not those tasteless ones you see at the grocery store in the dead of winter. No, I’m talking summer tomatoes. From Maryland. And they’re beginning to pop up at local farmers markets, roadside stands and maybe, in your very own garden. My friend Sean invited me a …
Dinner at Volt. I had thought about it. Dreamed, real, since watching Bryan Voltaggio compete on Top Chef, which is probably my favorite show. He always just seemed like a nice person – and also a fair, yet fierce competitor, specially with his brother Michael. It was fun to watch…and the food he put out …
Julia Child. I can see myself in her. She was obsessed with food and cooking. She loved her people. She came into her own and was very happy and fulfilled later in life.
I’m completely fascinated by chefs who cook nose-to-tail style – using every part of the animal – like kidneys, brain, feet and more. One of the most front-and-center of these chefs is Chris Cosentino. Often at his restaurant Incanto in San Francisco, he’ll offer a plate called “Odds and Ends,” amazing dishes made out of …
This may be the simplest ‘drink’ you ever make. It’s like punch without the fancy pants. Punch in jeans…really comfy jeans. You mix up the ingredients and simply stow it away in the freezer. Ridiculous. And this is really great in the summer, too. A friend of mine makes it at the beach and …
So, maybe you’ve been to camp. Sleep away camp, sports camp or science camp, perhaps. When I was a kid, I went to a bunch of lacrosse and field hockey camps…we ran from morning to night. This other kind of camp sounds much better: BEER CAMP. Not many people have been to beer camp – …
Branding. Creating your ‘you’ – telling the world what you’re all about. Big companies create taglines like “Just do it” or “We love to fly and it shows.” In today’s world of social media branding, hashtags do that, too. Some of my faves are #golocal #pleaseandthankyou, #ilovethiscity and #deliciousness. Shocker…I love food. And Baltimore. A …
I use the phrase “one of my favorites” a lot. I don’t like to single anyone out…for fear of hurt feelings (maybe it’s the youngest of six and only girl thing?) I don’t like ruffled feathers. I like happy. I guess I’m okay with being the diplomat. I like peace…my inner Quaker. The “favorite” thing …
