Baldwin's Station Oyster Dinner - Top pick for dining deal for January

 Portions of the proceeds from the Wednesday, January 13^th dinner will go to the Coastal Conservation Association / Maryland to help conserve, promote and enhance our coastal resources.  Baldwin’s Station sits next to the rail line just off Main Street in Sykesville, Maryland.

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1^st course - Potato Chip Crusted Oyster – horseradish rémoulade

2^nd course – Oyster Stew

3^rd course – Grilled Oysters with garlic herb butter and crispy bacon

4^th course – Stuffed Chicken breast with and oysters Rockefeller stuffing and creamed Swiss chard

5^th course – Oyster Shooters Trio: Bloody Mary (horseradish, celery)/Balsamic mignonette(pickled fennel)/Tequila and lime

6^th course – Oyster Churro – cinnamon, sugar and caramel

$50 Per Person (excludes tax and gratuity)

Also included a complimentary wine tasting

Wednesday, January 13^th –  6:30 p.m.

Baldwin’s Station

7618 Main Street

Sykesville, MD  21784

Reservation 410 795 1041

www.baldwinstation.com

Baldwin’s Station has won my award for the all-around dining deal for January because it benefits a good cause, it is a multi course dinner featuring oyster s on all six courses, there is a complimentary wine tasting and finally, it is only $50 per person (excludes tax and gratuity) add the charming atmosphere of their reclaimed railway station and it is an all-around winner.

 

Beignets for Christmas breakfast

How about something a little festive for Christmas breakfast, it only comes once a year? Who doesn’t love a warm beignet with their morning coffee?  The dough can be made a day or two ahead and held in the refrigerator ready to cook off Christmas morning.  Forget the bagels, donuts or cinnamon rolls; this will be a real treat.

Executive Pastry Chef Dyan Ng of Baltimore’s Four Seasons Hotel is sharing her beignet recipe she has been making for 10 years.  Her recipe has a honey butter glaze instead of the traditional powdered sugar – you can opt for the traditional or go with Chef Ng’s honey butter glaze.

Read the complete story and get the recipe at Examiner.com / Food

Part 5 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore: Baltimore Chef Shop

New to Baltimore but not new as a culinary instructor, Chef Scott Ryan has recently opened the Baltimore Chef Shop cooking school in Hampden.  Chef Ryan has been a culinary instructor since graduating the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Massachusetts well over 10 years ago. During the Dim Sum class that I attended, the chef and I shared a moment fondly reminiscing about a common acquaintance, the founder of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, Roberta Dowling who recently passed away.

Chef Ryan has taught the culinary arts in multiple cities while moving about the country supporting his wife’s career.  They have set down roots in Baltimore and truly focused on his career as a culinary instructor.  Initially, the classes were held in his house until his school recently opened on ‘the Avenue’ in Hampden. 

Read the full story and watch the slideshow at Examiner.com / Dining

Glen Burnies gets a modern Indian Restaurant: Bombay Blues Bistro

 

Glen Burnie seems to be the ethnic dining wasteland, filled with chain restaurants, but finally, one sees growth of independent restaurants, most recently Bombay Blues Bistro located on the corner of LaFontaine Bleue and across the parking lot from the courthouse on Ritchie Highway.  A growing interest and thirst for ethnic flavors continues to grow and with that in mind, Chefs Sivaraman Balamurugan, Abraham Varghese and Restaurateur Senthil Rajamani were lured from Washington, DC by the owner of the building Tom Stuehler, owner of LaFontaine Bleue Catering  and former owner of Truffles Catering.  Stuehler, who has studied under renowned spiritualist, author and doctor – Deepak Chopra, and traveled to India, became enamored with all things Indian, especially their flavors and was the impetus for this restaurant.

Part 4 of 5 series on hands-on cooking classes in Baltimore: For the Love of Food

The only Baltimore county hands-on cooking class, For the Love of Food, is situated in the heart of Pikesville, across from the Pikes Theatre on Reisterstown Road.  Initially For the Love of Food was started by Chef Diane Bukatman, in her Reisterstown home offering up a vast array of classes for the novice, children, team building, ‘Think like a Chef’ series and was eventually sold to Chef Thomas Casey when she moved out-of-state. Chef Casey is a Johnson and Wales graduate, a working chef for 18 years from the Four Seasons to Executive Chef of The Grill at Harryman House.  His passion for food turned him to education and he became a culinary instructor at Columbia’s Lincoln Technical Institute.

Due to circumstances and time frame, I ended up auditing his Date Night – Just the Two of Us: Pasta Class not participating.  This particular evening, it was couples and what an array; two of the couples were married and enjoying time away from the kids, a first date, long distance dating couple, and two other couples at various stages of their relationships.  Some cooked together before, some just getting to know each other, but the teamwork to complete the multiple recipes would draw the couples closer together.  Gift certificates were used that evening, which were a birthday gift and an anniversary gift – just saying, great holiday gift idea.   

Read the complete story and watch the slideshow at Examiner.com