Ho, ho, ho - enjoy wine, beer, food and help Santa Claus Anonymous

Ho, ho, ho – twas only four weeks before Xmas and you still haven’t planned your company holiday party – what to do, what to do? A great solution is the 19th Annual Beer and Wine Tasting put on by and benefiting Santa Claus Anonymous.
We’ve all heard of Santa Claus Anonymous, whose main goal is make sure underprivileged children receive toys.

Get the holiday scoop and poop: 
Ho, ho, ho - enjoy wine, beer, food and help Santa Claus Anonymous

What’s in your stuffing not what’s in your wallet?

This is a pretty simple question, what’s in your stuffing? Thanksgiving is tomorrow and stuffing/dressing for the turkey always tells me a bit about the region where people are celebrating or their family roots, where they grew up.

Read the full story: What’s in your stuffing not what’s in your wallet?

Just in time for the holidays – Gone to Smoke Cards

As a former smoker, a former heavy smoker, I’m not sure what I would do not being able to smoke when I was at a bar. But the law says you can't smoke in bars anymore. This time of year friends are in town for the holidays, everyone meeting at the bars catching up on old times. The bars are packed, at least in my single days they were! If you are a smoker, you crave that cigarette and you go outside to smoke.

Get the full story and learn where to order: Just in time for the holidays – Gone to Smoke Cards

Check out the FREE Thanksgiving E-Cookbook

Whether you are fixing the entire Thanksgiving meal or bringing a dish how can you resist not looking at ifood.tv’s FREE 4 color Thanksgiving e-cookbook.

Let them show you how to cook like a pro with easy tips and culinary tricks.

Get all the details:  Baltimore check out the FREE Thanksgiving E-Cookbook

Pikesville restaurant locations are officially gone

One of my tenets that I have is not to write about restaurant closings, it is sad, it is someone’s dream dying, it is someone’s house or child’s college education that has been wagered to create a restaurant, a place of hospitality. There are plenty who will write about these moments, it is there job – for me it would just be click-thrus on a serious hobby. Now that I have explained this, why am I writing this story?

A memorial for times past

The corner of Reisterstown Road and Sudbrook Lane housed two restaurants in the same building over the many years; first Spalding’s Cocktail Lounge and in the later years the Backfin Restaurant

Pikesville restaurant locations are officially gone

Tradition, TRADITION! Encyclopedia of Jewish Food for Hanukkah

From Adafina, a Sephardic Sabbath stew to Zwetschgenkuchen, a cross between a cake and a tart made with Italian prune plums Gil Mark’s Encyclopedia of Jewish Food delves in to the history, culture and recipes of Jewish foods. The 636 page Encyclopedia of Jewish Food is a cookbook – reference book for anyone’s shelf.

Check out this holiday gift giving idea:

Tradition, TRADITION! Encyclopedia of Jewish Food for Hanukkah

Significant changes at Boston Markets: service and food selections upgraded

New sides

Boston Markets, to my best recollection was one of the first chains offering rotisserie chicken, before Kenny Rogers and others. They offered the rotisserie chicken and pedestrian sides like corn, potatoes – pretty plain fare that you ordered and picked up cafeteria style which was served on disposable plates with plastic flatware

Read about all the changes and get coupons:

Significant changes at Boston Markets: service and food selections upgraded

A bag of Utz potato chips and Kathy Griffin or a rant by any other name

Let me set the scene for my little pseudo rant. Yesterday was day two of a back-to-back gig working in Washington DC as a kitchen slave. It means early mornings up at 4 a.m. and out the door by 5 a.m. It isn’t glamorous, it truly is the washing of lettuce, blanching veggies and washing a lot of pots but it pays well. I learn a lot from my friend Sylvia, the chef, and lunch/leftovers are excellent. I have yet to learn to go to bed early the night before so I’m usually operating on four hours sleep. Scene 1

Read the full rant: 

A bag of Utz potato chips and Kathy Griffin or a rant by any other name

Walmart Announces Holiday Campaign Focused on Fighting Hunger

With today’s USDA report reinforcing the ongoing issue of hunger in America, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced more than $18 million in monetary and in-kind donations that will help fight hunger in the U.S. this holiday season. Specifically, the company and its charitable giving arm are:

1. Hosting its first nationwide food drive at all Walmart stores,
2. Calling on Facebook fans to select communities that will receive $1.5 million in grants,
3. Donating 65 refrigerator food trucks to Feeding America network food banks, and
4. Helping The Salvation Army provide meals with a $1 million donation.

Read all the details:

Walmart Announces Holiday Campaign Focused on Fighting Hunger

$300 in restaurant coupons and a chance to win $25,000 or an Audi A3

Dine around, drive away is the name of the Restaurant Association of Maryland’s raffle and it benefits the Maryland ProStart program for high school culinary programs. You are buying restaurant coupons anyhow why not have a chance at $25,000 or Audi A3? The 2nd and 3rd prizes aren’t too shabby either – 2nd is $10,000 cash and 3rd prize is $5,000 cash.

Carver Center for Arts and Technology won the 2010 Maryland State ProStart culinary competition

Get the FULL DETAILS:   $300 in restaurant coupons and a chance to win $25,000 or an Audi A3

Top Chef alumni spotted at a Subway on Charles Street

So chatting with a food friend when he says a car pulled in front of him on Charles Street with vanity license plate TopChef on a BMW. “Wait”, he said, “he is going into a Subway.” You know me, the hair on my arms stood up and I said can you get a picture and send it to me?

Catch the full rant: Top Chef alumni spotted at a Subway on Charles Street

Case for Corkage in Maryland gets VIP voice

Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws (MBBWL) has a new voice assisting them in their battle for corkage for restaurants with liquor licenses in Maryland. The voice is the very visible Top Chef alumni; Chef Bryan Voltaggio of Volt Restaurant in Frederick. He has put his voice to paper on the pros for Maryland restaurants with liquor licenses to allow their customers to bring their own bottles of wine to their establishments. His letter is being circulated to liquor licensed restaurants to gain support and commitment to this endeavor.

Get the full story: Case for Corkage in Maryland gets VIP voice

Gourmet Holiday Cooking Class at Sotto Sopra Restaurant

Perk up you holiday table and celebrations with a festive, gourmet menu. Award-winning Chef DeLutis will be teaching an optional hands-on cooking class at Sotto Sopra Restaurant on Sunday, November 21st starting at 11 a.m.

Get all the details and check out the menu:

Gourmet Holiday Cooking Class at Sotto Sopra Restaurant

Just in time for holiday baking: Bake! by Nick Malgieri

In the years of using cookbooks and chatting up people who use cookbooks, photographs are important. It is important to have photographs of the finished product, step-by-step photos of the process – the more the snaps the better for the cook and/or baker. Recently released book, Bake! Essential techniques for perfect baking by Nick Malgieri shows in snaps and details what one should be looking for in their baking process.

Read the full story and get Nick's list of classes and appearances:
Just in time for holiday baking: Bake! by Nick Malgieri

$35 three course dinner at The Wine Market will make many feel good

Are you heading out to dinner on Tuesday, November 16th? Do I have a suggestion for you and it is a deeeeelicious way to support the Baltimore School for the Arts. The Baltimore School for the Arts provides students with intensive pre-professional training in the arts in the context of a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.

The Wine Market, located at 921 E. Fort Avenue is offering up a three course dinner for you to enjoy - Check out the menu!!!!



$35 three course dinner at The Wine Market will make many feel good

Regional chefs come together for charity

You have to love chefs, no question. They are always there to support charities in so many ways and they answer the call giving of their time, food and dining certificates.


The next hot foodie event: Get the details:

Regional chefs come together for charity

Vote for Dining Dish November 11th & November 12th

We are coming in at the tail end of the Baltimore Sun's best of the city's blog contest and Dining Dish is #2 in the standings for the best Foodie blog. I need your help, a big push today and tomorrow with votes. If you have already voted then you are registered at the Baltimore Sun so it is easier.

Please vote, show some blog love.

The Baltimore Sun has kicked off their best blog contest for 2010 and I would like you to vote for my Dining Dish "food" Blog that I've been writing for five years.

If you would be so kind as to vote in 2 categories:

1. Best foodie blog - DINING DISH

2. Best overall blog - DINING DISH (there is a link at the bottom of the standings)

Vote once and I'm thrilled BUT if you vote once every day from now through November 12 - that would be SUPER and let me know that my writing these daily posts aren't an insane effort. So please vote.

http://data.baltimoresun.com/mobbies/2010/voting/?vote_for=6969#6969

Let me know there has been an audience out there. Feel free to forward this to your friends - I won't stop you!

Seriously, any time you put towards voting would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and it is a pain in the a** because you have to register at the site.

Best regards,

Dara

Dara (aka Dining Dish) Bunjon

A holiday potluck dinner – recipes included

Baltimore Magazine’s Janelle Erlichman Diamond reached out to me to represent my Dining Dish blog, to be part of their holiday potluck entertaining story for the November issue. Nothing too gourmet, something everyone would enjoy. Two other food bloggers were asked to donate food for the potluck, both friends, very talented friends, Kathy Patterson (minxeats.com) and Kit Pollard (mangoandginger.blogspot.com).

Learn more about the dishes prepared and link to the recipes:

A holiday potluck dinner – recipes included

A grape harvest in Italy – Monforte D’Alba

Rachel O’Kaine has done what I wished I would have done when I was younger, she moved to Italy to learn about Italian cuisine from the roots up or for today, the vines down. Rachel wanted to participate in a wine harvest and got her wish. She shares her story here:

I always give credit where credit is due and my latest experience in Italy is due in part to my friend Eric. A month ago, I asked him if he knew of a winery where I could assist with a grape harvest/vendemmia. He asked a friend and his friend in turn recommended I contact Parusso winery

Read Rachel's whole story on the grape harvest: A grape harvest in Italy – Monforte D’Alba

World premiere of a new wine

On Monday Night, November 8, 2010, between the hours of 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM you will have the opportunity to witness history in the making as winemakers Ben and Jake Fetzer introduce to the world their new wine “Masút.” This East Coast introduction is making its world debut at The Vineyard Wine Bar in Havre de Grace, Maryland.

Get all the details on tasting and purchasing this limited release : World premier of a new wine

Election Day – get out and vote for your favorite Baltimore food blog – the Mobbies

It's Election Day – get out and vote, vote for your favorite Baltimore food blog at the Mobbies.

It seems apropos for election day that the Baltimore Sun is kicking off the voting for the best blogs in the city. The number of blogs in the food category has more than doubled from last year.  There are all types of food blogs from a nine year old who is a koodie to a blog devoted to hot sauces. Let your voice be heard.

The voting starts today, November 2nd at 8 a.m. and runs through November 12 ending at 5 p.m.  The contest is called the Mobbies and I was honored to have won the best foodie blog last year with my Dining Dish blog and came in third for the best overall blog.

You get to vote once a day in the multiple categories as well as the best overall. You will need to sign into the Baltimore Sun’s website but you can do that this year with your Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, AOL or Google log in/password or sign up directly at the Baltimore Sun. Go here to vote http://data.baltimoresun.com/mobbies/2010/voting/


Of course I want you to vote for the DINING DISH every day but my blog might not be the only one you follow. The decision is yours but as is on every election day, it is important to get out and vote.

BE SURE TO VOTE FOR YOU BEST OVERALL BLOG – Hope you choose Dining Dish in both best food blog and best overall.

Nominated Food Blogs

• 990 Square Life and Cooking in Baltimore, in 990 Square Feet.
• Adryon's Kitchen
• Adventures in Baltimore Restaurants
• Adventures of a Koodie E Eats Everything! A 9 year old that LOVES to eat, and try new restaurants and foods.
• All Top Chef All Top Chef. All the Time.
• Amuse-bouche for Two Documenting our kitchen life.
• Angry Asian Creations From my rice paddy to yours... all creations are homemade & from the heart.
• Baltimore Snacker We are entertained, we learn stuff, and we don't want to smack him. -- Baltimore City Paper
• Beer In Baltimore Preaching good beer in and around Baltimore.
• Binny Cooks Binnycooks is a haven for amateur food lovers, whose budgets are thin, whose kitchens are teensy-tiny, and who may or may not exclusively record episodes of Barefoot Contessa (or own them on DVD).
• Biscuits & Such a southern food blog
• Black Coffee and a Donut I drink my coffee black so I can have a donut
• Bon Appetit Hon Bawlmerese for enjoy your meal!

• Coconut and Lime 100% Fresh, original recipes by Rachel Rappaport, cookbook author and food lover
• Crabs, Crabs, Crabs Exploring Maryland's obsession with crabs
• Dining Dish ... The food sizzle! Rants, raves, recipes, reviews and reminiscences  
• Eat. Swim. Shop. Tales of rhinestones, repeats and rainbow sprinkles
• Food and Wine Blog a journey into food, wine, fine dining, travel and culture
• Grow it Eat it Maryland's Food Gardening Network
• HotSauceDaily Hot sauce reviews, BBQ recipes, all foods hot & spicy
• HowChow A guide to food in Howard County with the best dining in Columbia, Ellicott City, Elkridge, Fulton, etc.
• If You Give a Girl a Cookie
• Mango and Ginger food. culture. design. whatever.
• Microcosm K Cooking. Eating. Drinking. Gaming.
• Minxeats dining in. dining out. recaps. recipes.
• My Morning Chocolate Delicious Inspiration for People Who Wake Up Thinking About Food
• Rouxde Cooking School Learn to cook without class
• Savory Simple
• Stone Hill Farm I go around the world to tell a story. So grab your passport and enjoy the trip.
• Sweet Mary Serving up sweet treats, delicious dishes, and local flavor.
• taming the tart for the nutritiously indulgent
• Taste of Baltimore Enjoying the taste of Baltimore's food, wine, and overall deliciousness
• Tasty Trix culinary comforts
• The Beer Cruiser Cruisin' For the Ultimate Beer!
• The Original Beer In Baltimore Blog "Various Musings about beer and beer events in and around Baltimore, Md. and anywhere else I see fit"
• The Upstart Kitchen
• This Is Gonna Be Good In the spirit of Tony Bourdain, food as adventure. Try everything twice in case it was made wrong the first time. Eat without fear or prejudice.
• World of Eats Sharing my extremely passionate feelings on eating, cooking, and everything involved with the World of Eats

The Dining Dish blog was started over five years ago, I thought you might like to journey back to the beginning.

• I should be working
• Rosebud was taken
• Dining Dish is alive and well and not living in Paris