Christmas Cookies



Top to bottom: Mocha Logs, Almond Cookies, and Orange Chocolate Chip

Since I was all by my lonesome this weekend (Nick left for Ohio on Saturday), I made good use of my time, by finishing my Christmas shopping and watching movies, back to back, while making a massive amount of Christmas cookies.

When it starts getting cold out, all I want to do is bake, which is not something I have the luxury of doing in the summer when it is 100+ degrees in my 3^rd floor apartment. However, I do love to bake and when it begins to get cooler outside, my kitchen heats up with breads, cakes, cookies, rolls and the like, popping out of my oven whenever I feel like making something (which is pretty darn often).

My grandmother passed away a few years ago. She was an excellent cook and, luckily, I have copies of her recipes. I spent a portion of my weekend making her orange chocolate chip and mocha log cookie recipes, while reminiscing about sitting in her kitchen, on numerous occasions, when I was growing up, devouring cookie after cookie, laughing and being merry with my Italian relatives. Eating and food was what grandma loved and it showed in the enormous feasts she prepared when we visited.

Many people are under the impression that baking is very complicated. I won’t lie- it can be. But the average person isn’t going to go and make a chocolate gateau or spend all day making rustic Italian bread. There are certain baking rules that must be followed, of course, but baking can be easy, relaxing, somewhat meditative, and rewarding. My advice: If you are not a baker but suddenly feel inspired to bake a little something, don’t choose an overly complex recipe. Read through the recipe carefully and note the ingredients and directions. I think people get turned off to baking because they choose to make something too difficult for their skill level then become frustrated and disappointed in the results. Baking should be fun not a chore.

Ok, I know it's not cookies, but here is my origami forest!

Weekend of Non-Stop Eating

Christmas Street  (34st Street in Hampden- Baltimore, MD)

Acting goofy and ready to dip!

Two Ohio friends of ours, Adam and Katie, came to Baltimore for the weekend and what better way to experience a city then through its food and culture? We took them to the Lexington Market (a 200+ year old market), Edgar Allen Poe’s grave, the Waverly Farmer’s Market, and also to the overly bright and fantastic 34^th Street in Hampden, i.e. ‘Christmas Street’, which takes Christmas to the extreme (http://www.christmasstreet.com/). It was a little bit too cold and windy to do outdoor activities, mostly, so it was inside we stayed, playing games, and eating the time away with gusto!

Photo by Katie

The weekend highlight was Nick’s 31^st birthday. We held an ugly sweater and fondue party for the occasion, on Saturday, which turned out wonderfully. Everyone donned an ugly sweater and a friend and I made two different cheese fondues (a white wine and Swiss fondue and a cheddar beer fondue) and a chocolate amaretto fondue for dessert. Two fondue pots were set up at each end of the table and friends brought the dippers. There were sides of Sriracha devilled eggs (made by Adam), salad, cheese and crackers, and potato salad. We ate until we all felt like we were going to pop, while 70s music and funk blared from the stereo.

And, finally, the restaurants we attacked this weekend with our friends:

Pete’s Grill (there is a previous review of Pete’s in my blog)

Papermoon Diner

Cinghiale
Golden West

Me enjoying my cranberry ginger pear bread pudding at Papermoon Diner (Photo by Katie)

Papermoon Diner is one of my favorite places to take out-of-towners in Charles Village. It’s good diner fare in a kitschy, multicolored atmosphere, where your menus come to you within recycled (and modified) old children’s books and toys cover everything. And I do mean everything! It’s a vegetarian friendly restaurant. They have decent prices and give you a ton of food that is not your usual diner fare (although they do have the traditional stuff too).

Bruschetta sampler from Cinghiale (Photo by Katie))

For more upscale dining, we feasted at the Italian restaurant Cinghiale at Harbor East. Three of the four of us opted for the three-course meal option for $29, which includes several types of bruschetta for the appetizer, a main dish, and a dessert. Katie had squid ink farfalle and grilled calamari. The dessert, a brown sugar bonet (think flan) with candied bourbon pecans was amazing. Unfortunately, Cinghiale has very few vegetarian options on their menu, but they are willing to modify their dishes to suit your needs (we had both the waiter and manager come over to assist us in vegetarianizing our order).

Teriyaki Brussels Sprouts with a black bean burger and garlic fries at Golden West Cafe (Photo by Katie)

I’ve never been disappointed in Golden West Café in Hampden. The food is a hodgepodge of different types of cuisine. Although it mostly resembles Mexican cuisine there are also American style foods on the menu as well as Asian. Their garlic fries are outstanding. They’re like a garlicky version of carnival fries. And I even got my husband, Nick to try the teriyaki Brussels sprouts. Even though I didn’t order it this time, the Aztec Burrito is definitely worth trying.

Mexican Fare and Lighted Boats

To Christmas it up further, the husband and I went to the Baltimore waterfront, on Saturday, December 3, 2011, to watch the Parade of Lighted Boats on one of the piers in Fells Point. The parade is sponsored by the Fells Point Yacht Club. It was actually pretty darn fun. The boats came up to the pier, blaring music (some had choirs on board singing carols), one boat threw candy to the crowds on land, and all were showing off their flashy lights and decorations. I was amazed at how many boats participated.

After the parade, we stopped at Arcos for dinner. Arcos is a Mexican restaurant located on Broadway in Fells Point, in a somewhat sketchy area. I’ve been there once before, when I ate meat and enjoyed the experience. We thought we’d go back and try some of their vegetarian options this time around.

What we ate: quesadillas and vegetarian chile relleno (each dish came with a side of rice and refried black beans)

As far as Mexican food goes, Arcos was just average this time around, although their refried black beans were quite tasty. The quesadillas were, well, just quesadillas. They were stuffed with cheese and vegetables. Nothing fancy. Chile relleno is a roasted and fried, stuffed pepper, usually a poblano, which is stuffed with just about anything, but one of the most common fillers is cheese, or cheese and potatoes. At Arcos, the poblano pepper was stuffed with cheese and mixed vegetables. It was almost like eating a vegetable stew. Different, but not bad.

If you’re ever in Fells Point, I’d give them a try. But Fells is known for their many authentic Mexican (and other Hispanic) eateries, so you can try any place and it would be just as enjoyable.

Fireworks and Vietnamese Cuisine

Because I generally spend the holiday season in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio and not in Baltimore, this year I decided to get off my bum and make a move to get into the holiday spirit, Baltimore style!

Washington Monument- Baltimore, MD

The hubby and I padded ourselves down with winter garb and headed to the neighborhood of Mt. Vernon, just north of downtown Baltimore, on December 1st, to watch the 40^th Annual Lighting of the Washington Monument. The monument was the first ever erected to George Washington even before the monument in D.C. was built. Every December, the city holds a lighting ceremony, complete with Christmas choirs, laser light shows, food vendors, and fireworks.

Summer Rolls

After the lighting, we trekked down to a Vietnamese restaurant called Mekong Delta Cafe, which I’ve been meaning to try for awhile. It’s a small, family owned, hole-in-the-wall joint, located in downtown Baltimore, not far from the Lexington Market. As soon as you open the door, your nose is greeted by the wonderful, and subtle, smells of Vietnamese cuisine. The restaurant was busy. Unfortunately, we had to wait 20 minutes before getting a seat, suffering through the delicious aromas wafting from the open kitchen.

Noodle Soup

What we ate: vegetable summer rolls with peanut sauce, vegetarian noodle soup, and stir-fried mixed vegetables in garlic sauce

The food was very good and in heaping amounts. The vegetables in the soup and stir fry were fresh and still had a slight crispness to them. The flavors were light and warming (but not spicy) while the summer rolls were overstuffed and refreshing. I thought I was going to die from eating so much food.

Stir Fry

If you’re into inexpensive, good yet filling and tasty Vietnamese fair, with friendly service, I’d definitely recommend this restaurant. It’s also great place to eat for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters alike. However, if you don’t like to wait, another restaurant may be best.

Eggs, Glorious Eggs!

Behold- the egg!

Eggs are one of my ideal foods. I eat them in just about everything and in any form possible (except raw- yuck). I like hard boiled eggs chopped in salads, whole, sprinkled with salt and pepper, as a snack, or halved and dropped into a bowl of ramen noodles. I use them in custards and baked goods. I like them scrambled, over easy, sunny side up, and poached. I grew up with my dad, periodically, poaching eggs in pasta sauce to go with spaghetti, which I make sometimes as well. (I highly recommend it!)

Parmesan and portobello omelet

Humans have been eating eggs for eons (or like my mom would say, since “God was a boy”). It’s a food that is easily scavenged and healthy (or unhealthy given its bad rep surrounding all of the cholesterol hoopla). Due to the domestication of chickens, ostriches, ducks, and the like, eggs are more readily available, and of course, extra easy to come by in modern times because of grocery stores and farmer’s markets (which is where I usually pick them up- gotta love local family farms!). Eggs are a symbol of fertility and rebirth. They are depicted in art (like Fabergè eggs), decorated for Easter, pickled, and are a staple at picnics and parties (i.e. deviled eggs).

Smoked gouda omelet on an English muffin

Omelets are my preferred egg style. They only take a minute or two to make and the cleanup is easy. I, usually, either: (1) turn my omelet into a sandwich, or (2) stuff the heck out of it. When I was little, my parents made tacos with thinly made omelets instead of using hard or soft tortillas. They are probably one of most versatile ingredients out there that can be eaten on its own or in savory or dessert dishes alike.

Eggs don’t have to be boring. Sure, they are good with just salt and pepper, cooked in a little bit of butter. But why not add more to spruce them up a bit if you’re bored of the same old thing?

Basil and garlic omelet stuffed with Old Bay seasoned hash browns, white cheddar, and wilted spinach

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Extravaganza!

Thanksgiving marked two momentous occasions for me this year- it was my first meatless Thanksgiving and it was my first time cooking the entire meal all by my lonesome! Strangely, this was also my first Thanksgiving meal in two years. (Last year, we were vacationing in the Kingdom of Tonga and we made curry for dinner that night.)

A Thanksgiving dinner without turkey can be done. And more importantly, it can be just as awesome! I know, I know. The image of a turkey is the first thing that pops into every American head when they think of a Thanksgiving meal and many look forward to it all year round. Turkeys pop into my head too but these days I prefer to just have turkey decorations then to actually eat a turkey.

For our first vegetarian Thanksgiving, I decided to make stuffed acorn squash, as the main dish, to celebrate the autumn harvest. Fall foods are so hearty and wonderful plus the warm and inviting colors of apples, root veggies, squash, and the like, are just fantastic. (I’ve never met a squash I didn’t want to devour.) For the remainder of the meal, I prepared the usual, or traditional/classic, holiday fare. As a side note, by not making a turkey, meal preparation and cooking time was quite quick (plus the oven wasn’t occupied by a big fat turkey, for hours on end, so it could be used for other baked goods). By making many things from scratch and omitting meat, a lot of fat, added sugars, sodium, and the like are cut from the meal. Although that didn’t stop me from eating until I felt like popping! Several dishes, like the pie, ice cream, cranberry sauce, and rolls, I made a day or so before to save time so there was very little food preparation for me to do the day of.

The Dinner

stuffed acorn squash (with a bread stuffing containing seasonings, sun-dried tomatoes, dried fruit, and nuts)

mashed potatoes with vegetarian gravy

honey glazed carrots

green bean casserole

cranberry sauce

and homemade rolls

The Desserts

homemade pumpkin ice cream

pecan pie

Many people don’t realize how easy cranberry sauce is to make. The basic sauce has three ingredients- cranberries, sugar, and water- and it’s easy to modify. You can replace the water with apple juice. Add lemon or orange zest, a cinnamon stick, or whole cloves. The following recipe is for my own cranberry sauce I made this year, which turned out fantastically. It can be eaten on its own, on rolls, or, my personal favorite, on plain yogurt with granola.

Zinfandel Cranberry Sauce

2 cups White Zinfandel

1 (12oz) package of fresh cranberries

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup dried cherries

¼-½ cup fresh raspberries

1-2 tablespoons of crystallized ginger (optional)

Plop all the ingredients into a medium sized pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring periodically. The cranberries will pop and thicken the sauce. Once thickened, remove from heat. Cool completely (it will thicken more as it does so) and refrigerate. Cooking time is only 15-20 minutes.

Local/Restaurant Review: Pete’s Grill

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it has to do with the simplicity of breakfast foods, my love of eggs, or that it’s the first food you shove in your mouth in the morning making your taste buds thrilled and happy after a long night of disuse. I don’t know what it is, but breakfast makes for a happy Rachel.

One of my favorite things to do on the weekend, after perusing the Waverly Farmer’s Market, is to eat at Pete’s Grill. Pete’s is a breakfast diner (although they do serve some lunch items as well, including burgers that get rave reviews) located on the corner of 32^nd Street and Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore City. They serve a good, cheap, filling breakfast, plain and simple. And I can tell you, I always leave happy and stuffed! The building where Pete’s is housed was initially built as a bank in the 1920s. Pete’s has been there for 30 years (and was another restaurant prior to that). It’s a very popular joint, with an old-fashioned diner feel. Everyone from the mayor to Johns Hopkins students to Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps (who lives in Baltimore) eat at Pete’s. The atmosphere is busy and lively (great for people watching). They only have around 25 seats or so at their long counter, so expect a wait, which will range between just a few minutes to half an hour. Your food comes fast after you order. The workers move at lightening speeds and it is probably the most efficiently run restaurant I’ve ever been to. But be forewarned- they close early at around 1pm and they only take cash.

What we eat: hash browns, egg and cheese on an English muffin, a short stack of chocolate chip hotcakes (i.e. two pancakes), French fries, and an omelet.

Pete’s has fantastic hash browns. They are fried to perfection with onions and fresh cracked pepper, giving them a slight spiciness, but not overwhelmingly so. The eggs are light and fluffy and the French fries are made from fresh cut potatoes. The chocolate chip hotcakes are utterly perfect and extremely filling. They are filled with semi-sweet chocolate chips and sprinkled with powdered sugar. When you drizzle them with syrup, you are in sugary pancake heaven. I can never resist their hotcakes!

Other, equally wonderful, foods I’ve had at Pete’ include blueberry hotcakes and the Belgian waffles (with a ton of blueberries, mind you).

For vegetarians who care if their eggs are being cooked, directly, next to sausage and Scrapple, this might not be the diner for you. Most heated foods are all cooked on the same surface.

Giving the Gift of Food

I recently just started my own Kiva account through Kiva.org. My husband has had one for years and I had been meaning to start my own. For those who don’t know, Kiva is a charity organization, where 100% of the proceeds that you lend, go to the recipients. Kiva’s purpose is to help “alleviate poverty” throughout the world. How does it work? You lend money to people in need who are trying to start or finance their own businesses (i.e. you help them in getting a loan). Once the borrower’s goal is reached, they can begin working and paying back the loan, which you can, then, relend the returned money to others in need! Simple as pie!

There are individuals (or groups) on Kiva who need loans so they may buy new machines for their furniture making businesses or aid them in purchasing fabrics for their clothing stores. By loaning money, you can help people support their families and their communities.

So how on earth does this relate to my food related blog? Well, I have made five loans, recently, for agriculture related businesses! Agriculture is a difficult line of work that can be rather tricky and unreliable due to problems such as draught, climate change, disease (of plants or livestock), and flooding, among other disasters that can occur. Humans (mostly/but not entirely) are no longer hunter gatherers so we rely on agriculture for our survival. We have to get food from somewhere!

I have lent money to: (1) a middle aged widow in Kyrgyzstan so she may purchase more livestock to help her sell more dairy and meat, (2) a group of women, in Senegal, who wish to purchase chickens to breed and sell at the market, (3) another group or women, in Paraguay, who need to purchase livestock, (4) a 64 year old rice farmer, and father of 7, in Rwanda, who needs to buy fertilizers for his farm, and (5) a young couple trying to buy cacao plants for their farm in Peru.

[Note: Yes, I did lend money to livestock farmers. I am a vegetarian but it doesn’t mean I disapprove of others eating meat. It is a personal choice, involving multiple factors. I would never press/harass others to become a vegetarian. Frankly, that is just not how I roll. For many small farmers, this is their only means of making ends meet- they are not part of some giant, evil meat corporation.]

Kiva is a fantastic way to help people get the extra push they need to help them succeed in their endeavors, especially in poor areas where people are already struggling with so much. I’m so glad I (finally) got around to starting an account and helping those who need it!

http://www.kiva.org/

Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)

Dia de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday celebrated on November 1 (All Saints’ Day/Day of the Innocents) and November 2 (All Souls’ Day/Day of the Dead) to honor, respect, and remember deceased loved ones. Religiously, the holiday is a combination of Catholicism and indigenous beliefs. Unlike many other customs surrounding death, the Day of the Dead is not considered a somber affair. In Mexico, there are parades, festivals, costumes (especially of skeletons), picnics with family and friends at cemeteries, bright, vibrant colors, and plenty of yummy, traditional holiday fare! Families build alters at home or at the cemeteries and give the deceased offerings of their favorite foods and drinks when they were alive (so the souls of the dead are encouraged to party too!). These days are meant to be celebrations of both life and death. Our ancestors make us who we are. They helped shape our beliefs, traditions, and ways of thinking. So why not celebrate their awesomeness?

[Painting by artist Pristine Cartera Turkus]

Food is an integral part of any holiday celebration. For the Day of the Dead, traditional foods include: sugar skulls, skeleton designs on cookies and cakes, candied pumpkin, breads shaped like animals (for children), candies, tamales, mole, atole, enchiladas, and pan de muerto (bread of the dead).

Above is a loaf of pan de muerto that I made for Dia de los Muertos last night. The design is supposed to symbolize a skull and crossbones. (Of course, mine rose bizarrely, but I guarantee that it is tasty, albeit, weird looking!) It’s a dense, sweet bread with a slight orange flavor. It’s supposed to have crushed anise in it, but I was out of that ingredient. (Whoops!)

Celebrating the Day of the Dead is not limited to only those in Mexico. It’s observed in many places around the world. Many people have lost a loved one, be it a child, a parent, grandparent or friend. So today and tomorrow, let us not dwell on the sadness of not having our loved ones with us, but let us remember the happy times and how much fun it was to have had them in our lives, no matter how short that time was.

Recipe: Honey Glazed Tofu and Green Beans with Lime Coconut Rice

There is a world of food out there. I love trying new foods and making new recipes. If you never try anything new you could miss out on something truly fantastic. I have never really been part of the 'meat and potatoes' crowd. If you asked my mom, I bet she'd tell you about all of the wierd foods I tried to get her to purchase at the grocery store when I was growing up (like pickled pigs feet, which she never bought and cow tongue, which she did buy). Luckily for my parents, my brothers and I were not really picky eaters. Although I still truly loathe onions. Every person has different tastes, which is understandable, especially since we all have a different number of tastebuds. But many don't realize that even if you dislike a food item, it can be cooked in such a way where you can enjoy it. For example, I will eat onions sometimes when they're in Indian food or salsa. This brings me to a food that people seem to be particularly wary of: tofu. Since becoming a vegetarian, I have been eating more of it (twice this week, actually). Firm tofu is quite easy to work with and has a much nicer texture than soft tofu (which I often think resembles snot or runny, undercooked scrambled eggs- lovely, visual, eh?). Because tofu is like a sponge it absorbs flavors well, especially when it has been marinated.

So today's recipe will feature tofu! This is a really easy and versatile recipe that I whip up in only half an hour after work that takes minimal prep time (although the tofu must marinate).

Cube the tofu and marinate it in half of the prepared marinade for 1-2 hours; refrigerate. You can marinate it the night before, if you choose, or before heading out for work in the morning so it's ready to go when you get home. My husband usually marinates it for me since he gets home several hours before I do. Reserve the remaining half of the marinade for later when you begin to prepare dinner.

Before making the stir fry, prepare the rice (so that it will be done at the same time you finish the stir fry). Add all of the ingredients to a pot or rice cooker; stir and cook as you would normally cook rice.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable or canola oil to a large skillet and fry the tofu, on medium to high heat, until it begins to look golden brown or slightly crisp/carmelized.

Add the steamed vegetables and the remaining sauce/marinade. Saute until the liquid is absorbed. [I just used steamed green beans for this recipe. But you could use steamed broccoli or asparagus. Or sliced fresh bell peppers, which do not need steaming. Start steaming the veggies about the time you fry the tofu.]

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over the rice.

Honey Glazed Tofu and Vegetables
1 (14 oz) package of Firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
5 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound fresh green beans (steamed)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
oil for frying

Lime Coconut Rice
2 cups uncooked white rice (or Thai jasmine rice)
2 cups lite coconut milk
1 3/4 to 2 cups water
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
pinch of salt
a pinch or two of brown sugar
slivered almonds (optional)

Food, Health, and a Recipe

It’s no mystery that our health can be directly affected by what we ingest. If we eat a bunch of sugar and/or we drink 4 cups of coffee, back to back, we get the jitters and feel as if we can scale a small mountain. Various foods we consume can give us gas. Some food causes us to have allergic reactions that could range from being minor issues to something far more dangerous. Anthropologically speaking, food, nutrition, and culture are very intertwined.

For instance, there has been growing concern over the rise in cases of diabetes in the United States. One group that is particularly affected is Native Americans, where a very high percentage of Native American adults have diabetes (with a rise in teenage diabetes). Around half of the Pima tribe of Arizona have diabetes!

What are the causes? High rates of obesity. Possible genetic predisposition. Low socioeconomic status of many Native Americans results in the inability to get adequate health care services. Food is another factor.  The change in diet and activity levels, due to modernization (and assimilation), have, health-wise, affected Native American communities in a very negative way. Prepackaged foods and fast food restaurants have replaced traditional foods that they have depended on (and adapted to) for hundreds or thousands of years. Cars and a sedentary lifestyle have replaced miles of walking, hunting, or semi-nomadic ways of life. There is no real need these days to farm when there are convenience stores on every corner.

So how are they dealing with this diabetes epidemic? Many Tribes have begun diabetes programs, over the past few years, which teach preventative measures, diet, and nutrition. Nutritionists have started making diet plans using traditional foods. And, my personal favorite, restaurants have also been making healthy, traditional fare with modern twists.

So, without further ado, and also, to make this post less depressing and not so excessively long, I bring you my recipe for Tortilla Soup! I actually got this recipe from a school potluck, for a class called North American Indians, a few years ago when I was still in college. It’s super easy to make and pretty darn tasty. I have modified it a bit over the past few years. It utilizes the three sisters (i.e. corns, beans, and squash), a staple of most Native American cuisine. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

1 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 medium zucchini, sliced

1 (14.5 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed/drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can of kidney beans, rinsed/drained

1 cup corn kernels

1 (16 oz.) jar salsa

4 c. low sodium vegetable broth

2 teaspoons, each, of dried oregano, minced garlic, and ground cumin

Add all ingredients to a medium to large pot. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until squash are cooked through. Serve with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips!

NOTE: As you can probably see in my picture, there is chicken in the soup! The original recipe contained chicken and chicken broth. I changed the recipe once my husband and I became vegetarians. If you prefer to make it with chicken: dice 1 chicken breast and add it to the soup; only use one can of beans instead of two. Increase the cooking time to 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. If you would like a spicier soup, use a spicier salsa!

A Different Kind of Grilled Cheese

Every so often, when I'm feeling particularly lazy and/or tired after work, my husband and I just have good ole grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinner, which, of course, is really easy and quick to put together (as well as tasty).

To break up the monotony of your standard grilled cheese, I decided to try something new and just threw together some ingredients I had around the kitchen. The recipe is below. Please note that I did not include amounts of each ingredient because I feel it will vary depending on individual taste and on the amount of sandwiches being made. Enjoy!

Grilled Brie Sandwich
whole wheat, multigrain, or ciabatta bread
sliced brie cheese
chopped sundried tomatoes
slivered almonds (toasted would be good as well)
homemade or jarred pesto or sundried tomato pesto
grated parmesan

Spread the inside of one or both slices of bread with a thin layer of pesto. Add ingredients to the sandwich in the desired amounts; sprinkle with grated parmesan. Toast in a skillet coated with butter.

Kitchen Tip: A Forman grill is virtually the same as a panini maker. Lightly butter the grill of a Forman grill and use it to make toasted paninis!

Local: The Book Thing of Baltimore

My husband and I agree that one of the best things in Baltimore, is the Book Thing. The Book Thing is a free bookstore that is open only on weekends and is within walking distance from our apartment. There are no catches- you can just walk in, peruse the aisles, and walk out, happy as a clam, with an armful of books. They of course, also take book donations and have a book dropoff outside their door for days that they are not open. They have three rooms of nothing but books, all for the taking! I often take out-of-towners there who enjoy reading.

At the Book Thing, I have found such treasures as National Geographic magazines from the 1940s  to a ton of Patricia Cornwell novels (which I love to read).

However, what I flock to first, upon entering, is their ‘Cooking’ section. Since the books are free, the variety of books they have changes frequently. (I have been known to not pick up a book then later decide that I do actually want it then proceed to go back the day I saw it or the next day and it would be gone. Generally, this results in me kicking myself for having possibly missed out on good recipes!)

Some days are better than others for cookbooks at the Book Thing. Every once in awhile, I’ve gone in and found nothing but microwave cooking cookbooks- a fad that never really caught on.

But some of my good cookbook finds are as follows: two 1970s Betty Crocker Cookbooks, Christmas Cookies, four Bon Appetite recipe collections, a fondue cookbook, salads and dressings, and a neat 2-in-1 Quiche and Soufflé Cookbook from 1972 (one of those cookbooks where the front is all quiche recipes then you flip it over and the back contains the soufflé recipes).

If you are in the Baltimore area, definitely check it out and pick up some free cookbooks (or any other type of book you might desire!):

Location:        

3001 Vineyard Lane

Baltimore, MD 21218

Hour of Operation: 9am-6pm Saturday and Sunday only

http://www.bookthing.org/

Recipe: Corn Cheddar Chowder

To me, the beginning of fall means it’s the beginning of soup season. And, man, do I love a good, hearty soup! So this past weekend I decided to whip out the pot and make a warming and very filling chowder. What is particularly nice about this soup is that it is, first and foremost, very easy but also that it doesn’t make a lot of dishes. This chowder is very quick to make, with little prep time, which makes it an ideal weeknight dinner. It’s also very easy to double or triple, which I recommend if you plan to make this for more than two people as it only makes around 4-5 good sized bowls of tasty goodness. I usually accompany soups with sandwiches, rustic breads, or garlic bread. For this chowder, I made a pan of homemade cornbread since the soup has a hint of Southwestern flair.

In a medium sized pot, lightly brown the garlic in the butter. Add the bay leaves, cumin, sage, and parsley and stir the spices for a minute or so.

Add the wine, broth, potatoes, corn, green chilies, and the chipotle pepper.

 Bring it to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk and flour together until all of the lumps are gone. Pour the milk mixture into the soup; cook for 5 minutes or until the soup thickens. Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the cheddar until it melts.

And serve!

Corn Cheddar Chowder

sliver of butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

¼ teaspoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried parsley

¼ cup dry white wine

2-2 ½ cups no sodium (or low sodium) vegetable broth

2-3 potatoes, diced

1 ½ cups frozen corn

1 dried chipotle pepper

1 (4oz.) can chopped green chilies, drained

1 ½ cups reduced fat milk (but not fat free or skim)

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups shredded cheddar

Useful cooking notes for this recipe:

Trader Joes sells 16 oz. bags of roasted frozen corn, which I bought several bags of just to put in soups this season. I used the roasted corn for this batch of soup and it was phenomenal! Dried chipotle peppers are not spicy. But what they do add is a smoky flavor to the broth. Adding crumbled bacon (or crumbled ‘fakin,’ i.e. fake bacon/vegetarian soy protein bacon stuff) also adds additional smokiness.

And so we begin!

Where would we be without food? Food binds people together. It provides sustenance, helps us grow, and keeps us functioning throughout the day. It is used as guidelines, or restrictions, for many religions. It keeps us busy (from planting fields to spending the time to make bread from scratch). But, by and large, food makes us happy and content!

I have always been a great lover (and consumer) of food. I can remember, from a very young age, ‘helping’ my mother cook dinner or bake cookies. My mother was very patient, teaching me cooking skills, which I have honed over the years. My grandmother was a hurricane in the kitchen. I greatly anticipated Easter dinner at my grandparent’s house, which exuded such wonderful aromas from a mega multicourse meal my grandmother had made. You could easily (and I did) spend hours eating whenever we visited.

Simply put- I love cooking, baking, and eating! But food also means many things to me. Food is culture. It is history. Food is a scientific mish mash of ingredients that magically produces a desired (or sometimes, unwanted) effect. It’s a means of socialization. Food can define who we are (for example, I am a vegetarian).

In this blog, you will find my many musings on food, including, but not limited to: recipes, tips, restaurant reviews, food and travel, anthropology of food, culture, history of food, and local food related topics.

So let’s dig in!