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.