The best of Baltimore's hospitality is alive and awaiting your votes

Baltimore is on the map, the culinary map.Right now there are numerous ways your votes will highlight and help local hospitality businesses.Your vote is needed at The Destination Guide's Best of Baltimore, Baltimore Magazine's Best Restaurant Poll and Southern Living's The South's Tastiest Town Award.

The Destination Guide, a national television show and video travel log was in Baltimore filming the best places to eat, sleep, drink, work and play. Read the full story HERE

2011 food trends top-ten list of top 10 lists

Were the pundits correct in their 2011 forecasts of food trends for the home, restaurant and supermarket shelves?  This is the time of year where we look back at the year ending.  There are so many top ten trend lists that I have put together my top ten list of the top five, ten or twenty lists of 2011 food trends.
 

1 StarChefs.com:  "Another year of tastings has come and gone. And we’re excited to announce the publication of the StarChefs.com...Check out all the 2011 food trend list HERE

Cookbook Corner: The Silver Spoon New Edition - Italy's Joy of Cooking

Known in Italy as Il cucchiaio d’argento, The Silver Spoon cookbook is a compendium of Italian cooking.  Translated to English in 2005 for the first time The Silver Spoon: New Editionwith 2,000 updated and revised recipes and illustrated with 400 brand new, full-color photographs and 1500 pages is one of the more comprehensive Italian cookbooks. It is to the Italians what the Joy of Cooking is to us in the United States. 

Carrying on the decades long tradition of revisions executed in Italian, The Silver Spoon: New Edition has once again been painstakingly revised and adapted for Americans...Read the full story and get the recipe HERE

A delicious endeavor - TEN TEN Bistro in the Bagby Building

For me, a foodaholic, the plethora of new restaurant openings in Baltimore’s downtown neighborhoods the past couple of months is the best of times and the worst of times. The worse being my ever growing waistline from dining around town.  The best of times is finding a gem the likes of TEN TEN American Bistro in the Bagby Building.

The entrance is located in an alcove next to Bagby Pizza at 1010 Fleet Street. TEN TEN  (@BagbysTenTen) takes the former warehouse space and works with its original materials to create a current and welcoming atmosphere. Reclaimed wood floors, exposed bricks and ceiling, marble bar, and black and white photographs add to the atmosphere...Read the full story HERE

Buy $100 gift certificate get a $50 gift certificate free at Sotto Sopra today

Sotto Sopra’s customers signed up on their e-mail mailing list and Facebook fans awoke this morning to find a generous offer for them. Purchase TODAY ONLY, (Wednesday, December 21, 2011) between 6 a.m. and midnight EST a one hundred dollar gift certificate ON LINE and they will automatically receive a fifty dollar gift certificate for free.

Get more details HERE.

Frosty the Cheeseball Ball Man - Holiday entertaining fun

On the go, rushing to get out the door to my kitchen slave job at 4:42 a.m.  No time for original copy I have completely cut and pasted this story.  Not usually in my nature.  Fun video, fun recipe..be sure to click through to the video. Check out the full story HERE

Cookbook Corner: Cook This Now by Melissa Clark

Cook This Now by food columnist, the New York Times Dining Section Melissa Clark should be on the holiday gift list for anyone who loves shopping the farmers markets or who wants to but isn’t sure how to prepare a number of the fresh products.

There are 100  recipes, broken down not just seasonally but monthly reflecting what is available at the farmers markets. Cook This Now guides you how to bring fresh items home and create tasty,... Read the full story HERE

The Baltimore Food and Drink Week Ahead -Dec 12th thru Dec 15th

The week ahead in food and drink in Baltimore.  Going over incoming press releases, Facebook invites etc here are two choices for the week ahead. The Wine Market has a Jolly Happy Hour - enjoy the door prizes and complimentary hors d'ouevres - bring  unwrapped toys.

Taste the difference between Champagne and Sparkling Wine in time for your holiday gift giving or entertaining at Sotto Sopra Restaurant.

Get all the details HERE

The Mallet Restaurant & Crabhouse - food and entertainment for all

There is so much being offered at The Mallet Restaurant and Crabhouse in Fallston at the crossroads of Bel Air Road and Route 152 that it is hard to compress it all in one story.  It is a fine dining restaurant, a martini/tapas bar, al fresco dining deck (weather permitting), a raw bar-sushi, lites bites, steamed crabs, and a large entertainment center called the Tiki Bar, which has multiple TV screens, food and holds 300 people.

Connections!!!

For me, my connection was Christa and Davide Rossi, former chef/owners of Pazza Luna Restaurant in Locust Point, which was one of my favorite restaurants in Baltimore. Chef Rossi has a deft hand, a good sense of flavors and textures and has never disappointed me with any dish he prepared.

Read the full story and check out the snaps HERE

THIS WEEKEND: Beverage event picks Dec 10th

With the holidays coming the big push is on for wines and alcohol.  Here are three events this weekend that are focused on the spirits and wine. Remember to drink responsibly and pick a designated driver.
 
Saturday, December 10th Gypsy Soul Presents:  Smirnoff's "Master of the Mix" Viewing Party

Join Teavolve for the official viewing of Smirnoff's "Master of the Mix" Episode 6.  Master of the Mix is a reality TV show created by Smirnoff and features DJ's battling it out for the crown.

This viewing party is hosted by Hip Hop Cleopatra along with DJ Harvey Dent & will feature Complimentary Smirnoff Cocktails--Including cocktails created with Smirnoff Blueberry and their newest flavors Fluffed Marshmallow & Whipped Cream.    Must Be 21 and older--RSVP is required to enter

Read about more beverage events HERE

The Week Ahead: Food and Wine - Baltimore

My pick for food and wine events in Baltimore for this week.

 
Tonight:  Mr. Rain's Funhouse repeal day dinner, Chefs Expression's Best of the Best dishes and wines from all their food and wine dinner the past year rolled up in one and the opening of the first Harris Teeter supermarket in Baltimore.

Get the scoop, dates and neccessary info  HERE 

The Sipping Point - everything you want to know about wine, spirits and travel

Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks & Waterfront Kitchen and Laurie Forster The Wine Coach

Local to the Maryland area but nationally recognized sommelier Laurie Forster now host a new radio program The Sipping Point on WBAL-AM Radio 1090 or streaming live online at wbal.com on Saturday afternoons from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. A group of “media” type folks gathered this week as Laurie kicked off the launch of the radio program at Cork’s Restaurant here in Baltimore. Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Corks and Waterfront Kitchen was an early mentor to Forster who wanted to change her career path to wine.

Continue reading The Sipping Point – everything you want to know about wine, spirits and travel . Check out snaps and video.

Bronx Tale stars De Niro and Palminteri reunite at Chazz: A Bronx Original

courtesy of Edith Williams of Diamond Digital Portrait

Award-winning actor Robert De Niro took a little side trip on his way to the Kennedy Center Honors program in Washington DC yesterday with a stop in Baltimore. De Niro long time friend of actor Chazz Palminteri was very much involved with bringing Palminteri’s story, A Bronx Tale to the screen.Baltimore's Chazz: A Bronx Original is Palminteri’s restaurant endeavor that recaptures the feel and taste of his youth.

Continue reading  Bronx Tale stars De Niro and Palminteri reunite at Chazz: A Bronx Original - National Food | Examiner.com

Holiday gift solution plus a chance to wine $25,000 or an Audi

To me this is a no brainer. It is holiday time, you have gifts to buy for friends, family and business associates.  You know you are going to spend the money, why not take that money and buy a raffle ticket with the Restaurant Association of Maryland for $300 and get 13 - $25 gift certificates to local restaurants and a chance to win either $25,000 or an 2012 Audi A3, you even have additional options of winning $10,000 or $5,000 in 2nd and 3rd prize drawings.

Continue reading on  Holiday gift solution plus a chance to win $25,000 or an Audi

Knowing Beans About Coffee - Wednesday, November 30th

The American Institute of Wine and Food/Baltimore Chapter has created a very special event for coffee lovers. The program for the evening will include a presentation, "Knowing Beans About Coffee," about coffee roasting; a tour of the roasting facility; and a lesson about being a barista.  Attendees can enjoy soups, fresh bread, wine and a hot drink of their choice, and they can take home a half-pound of coffee.  Be prepared to participate in an educational scavenger hunt with the chance of winning an exciting prize.

When: Wednesday, November 30^th – 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Where:  Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company

                9 West Aylesbury Road

                Timonium, MD 21093

Cost:  American Institute of Wine and Food Members: $25 – Non-members $30

Call for reservations:  410-244-0044 or email: aiwfbaltimore@yahoo.com

Thanksgiving dinner in a box - But Dara you know how to cook

Thanksgiving at my house has a lot of testosterone; my husband, my brother-in-law and my father-in-law.  The numbers have dwindled over the years and my attempt in the past at a “Martha Stewart” Thanksgiving with handmade napkin rings, multiple sides, homemade pies and whole roasted turkey just weren’t appreciated. The preference was canned cranberries versus home-made. No dark meat just white meat from the turkey.  In recent years I did brine the turkey breast just for me, I knew it was moister, better tasting but alas, the boys didn’t notice the difference.

It was going to be even simpler this year, turkey breast, Stove Top stuffing, canned sauerkraut, canned cranberries, mashed potatoes, gravy not even a green vegetable.  I was chatting with my friend Jeannie Siegel, a very talented cook, who misses the leftovers because she does Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s home

Continue reading and watch the video: Thanksgiving dinner in a box – but Dara you know how to cook!

A little something on the side - 4 side dish recipes for your Thanksgiving table

Wild mushroom and spinach saute

Thanksgiving is such a joyous holiday in my mind. It is about the bounty of the harvest, about people sharing what foods that represent their heritage and of course the turkey.  In recent cooking classes that I attended, each shared their recipe of a turkey roulade, one with a forcemeat stuffing and the other with a chestnut and bread stuffing. A whole turkey can be daunting to some. For me, I’ve given up on cooking a whole turkey and just do the turkey breast because my family members only eat the white meat.

Tante Marie Cooking School has a video out about cooking a f**king turkey.

Get the recipes, watch the video: A little something on the side – four side dish recipes for your table

Enjoy Happy Happy at TEN TEN-New Baltimore restaurant kicks off their Happy Hour

Harbor East is just a buzz with new restaurants and one of the most recent is TEN TEN (@BagbysTenTen), located inside of the courtyard adjacent to Bagby Pizza Company at 1010 (hence the name) Fleet Street.  The restaurant concept is bistro, new American  and I have to say the menus for lunch, dinner and happy hour offerings are intriguing to my foodie soul. Happy hour starts at 3 p.m. and runs through 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Actually the menu for happy hour is a great way to taste a selection of items Executive Chef Mark Davis is offering on his lunch and dinner menu 

Read the full story HERE