Mussels and Crabs for Dinner?

After an excess of meat, meat and more meat, I was ready for something different, something lighter. My first thought was seafood. With a stroke of brilliance, Paul suggested snow crab clusters that were on sale at Giant. $5.99 a pound was absolutely ridiculously cheap for crab. Maybe it was because we were in Baltimore, the crab capital of the world? Who knows, but it was a deal we couldn’t pass up.

And even better, Giant can steam the crabs in-store, seasoned with or without Old Bay. The snow crab claws contain an impressive amount of meat and are easy to break open and eat. They can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Crab legs in hand, something else caught my eye. Mussels were on sale as well, $6 a bag - couldn't pass that up either.

The crabs were ready to eat, but the mussels were still alive. I didn’t realize this, as for some reason I thought that if the shells were open the mussels were dead. As a result, I chucked 10 of them into the trash can. Paul discovered them half an hour later, explaining that if the shells were open, you could tap them on a hard surface. If the mussels were alive, the shells would close.

I decided to make a simple sauce for the mussels, nothing that I had a recipe for, just something I improvised –

-some champagne (just pour it in the pot until it looks like enough)
-a small amount of beer
-a can of tomatoes and one fresh tomato, diced
-a generous amount of garlic powder
-a pinch or two of parley
-ambiguous amounts of salt and pepper

I learned that you don’t need a lot of liquid with which to steam mussels. I combined all of the ingredients in a pot, and waited for it to boil. We steamed the mussels above the mixture in the pot for about five minutes, until the meat inside the shell turned a golden brown color.

In addition to crabs and mussels, I asked Paul to make some of his specialty potatoes. They're in no way healthy, but they really are delicious. He slices russet potatoes into triangle sections, pours olive oil or canola oil into a big saucepan and fries them up until they're golden brown. Afterwards he seasons them with salt and pepper. It's that simple and they made a perfect companion to our seafood dinner.

The meal was a huge success - everything was cooked perfectly. I really liked my mussel sauce too - the champagne cut the acidity of the tomato sauce nicely. And to think - I used to believe you could only get good mussels and crabs in restaurants.

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A trip to the JFX Farmer's Market

Anything before 11 a.m. on a Sunday is horrifically, unacceptably early for me. It is nearly impossible for me to wake up any earlier, especially when I’m going to bed after 3 a.m. on Saturday. It’s been quite the problem for me all summer, because I can never make it to any of the Baltimore area farmer’s markets before they close. Thanks to a recent assignment from my food editor at Baltimore magazine, I was finally able to make it yesterday.

The project was for me to write a short article about a pickle vendor at the Baltimore Farmer’s Market, every Sunday morning from 7 a.m. to noon underneath the JFX. The vendor is called “In a Pickle,” and sells all sorts of innovative variations on the classic pickle. My pre-determined 9 a.m. arrival time for me and my boyfriend Paul (he’s obsessed with pickles) was far too ambitious. We arrived closer to 11, but we still had plenty of time to browse (and there was still plenty of food to be sold!).

We wandered around the crowded, but lively market, in search of the pickle tent. We browsed vendors selling peaches, fresh berries (I bought some blackberries) and other fruits. I bought a chocolate chip cookie from a baker, too. There were also vendors selling fresh live crabs and prepared foods such as crepes, falafel, omelets, Asian food (a bit odd) and a Baltimore favorite, pit beef sandwiches. We were unimpressed with the pit beef, particularly because the vendors stuffed the beef between two slices of what appeared to be soggy Wonderbread.

After a bit, we finally found the pickle vendor, and were quite impressed. After waiting in the long line, we bought a pint of kosher dill pickles, one for Paul and one for my roommate (another pickle fan). Paul also bought a “pickle on a stick,” which is exactly what it says it is. I asked the man helping us where the pickles came from, and he responded, “Our pickles are grass-fed from Arizona.” At first I believed him.

I must confess that I’m not a huge pickle fan myself, but after trying a bite of Paul’s pickle on a stick, I have to say that it wasn’t half bad. The crisp crunchiness has a surprisingly clean flavor and wasn’t nearly as overpoweringly sour as I expected it to be.

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A special post: regarding the potential loss of a great friend

On Tuesday, July 28th, my 2002 Volvo S60 suffered a damaging blow to her front bumper. Her left headlight shattered, glass shards strewn in the intersection of 29th and St. Paul Street. The front plate reading “Dyer and Dyer Cars” that she once wore proudly, now trampled by ongoing traffic. The bumper clung to the car desperately, trying to keep himself together during the moment of peril.

After five happy years with my precious 2002 Volvo S60, her future is at stake.

Exhaustion hit following a long day of sitting on my ass in front of a computer screen at my magazine internship for the summer. I don’t understand how I can be so tired from moving so little. I thought I would take a nap when I arrived at my apartment, and then go for a run later. I thought of my soft bed, laden with pillows and a fluffy comforter. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z played on the radio, at least I think it did. To be honest, all I remember is black, then a flash of yellow. No, not the shining light at the end of the tunnel, but the back of a taxi cab. When I realized what was going on, it was already too late for my Volvo. I remember the crunch, as I came out of my daze, powerless to help her.
I didn’t think the damage could have been much. I don’t remember feeling much when I hit the taxi. It was quite similar to the way it feels when my dad shakes me awake in the morning whenever I’m home. I tried to brake at the light, so I wasn’t completely oblivious. But the last few seconds before I struck were lost.

The repercussions were far worse than I anticipated. The complacent expression that once served as the front of my car was unrecognizably mangled. My only thought – “I’m an idiot.” Dozing off at the wheel? Pathetic. And the taxi? Unharmed, except for a small scrape near the rear tailpipe. Typical. Luckily, the cab driver spoke English and was quite nice about the situation.

My car now sits in a body shop, awaiting its potentially morbid fate. When the inspector mentioned the word, “totaled” my head began to spin as I thought about life without my Volvo. I learned to drive in that car, I survived my melodramatic teenage years in that car. I had driven that car to my new home in Baltimore to spend the summer with me. She had been a reliable companion, taking me where I needed to go, when I wanted. The South Carolina license plate was a minority up here, and made me feel proud to be among the few from the South. The rainbow colored palm tree window sticker, my high school parking sticker from 2006-2007 that I still hadn’t removed – all of these were reflective of me.

I am now driving a rental Hyundai while my car is held captive. Let’s just say it’s no Volvo.

UPDATE: the Volvo is offically dead as of August 3rd, 2010.

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Another rainy day activity: Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Yesterday was truly a disgusting day - deathly hot, and then a waterfall of rain unleashed from the sky, complete with thunder, lightning and all that fun stuff. I could only think of one thing to do and that was to make cupcake infused with alcohol. Where on earth did I get this idea? I read an article last week about a bakery in NYC that sells alcoholic cupcakes, Butch Bakery. Apparently their cupcakes contain enough alcohol to give you a real buzz, which is impressive.

My aspiration? To create a cupcake with the same effect. My roommate found this recipe for Guinness Chocolate cupcakes with an Irish whiskey ganache filling and Bailey's cream frosting:


Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes


For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:
1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling (Updated to double it, based on many commenters suggestions — thanks!)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

http://www.chewonthatblog.com/2009/02/25/irish-car-bomb-cupcakes/


My thoughts:
Good lord. They were perhaps the most involved cupcakes I've ever made, requiring us to poke a hole in the cupcakes after they were baked so we could pour whiskey infused ganache into it. We may have gone a bit overboard with the ganache, as it actually burned my throat when I ate the cupcake. The frosting was the crowning jewel of the cupcake, and came out really well. We used just enough Bailey's to make it just strong enough.

As it rained torrentially outside, my roommate and I enjoyed making these cupcakes as alcoholic as possible without ruining the flavor. It worked out perfectly too, we finally got to use our leftover alcohol from St. Patrick's day!

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My Favorite Finds of the Summer

While I am in no way an expert on food, I think I have some sense for what's good around here! I've spent the entire summer trying places around Baltimore, and I think I've found some good ones. Here is a recap of my finds!

Cool Treats:
-Dominion's Spinach Ice Cream
I love this flavor because of its remarkably smooth, subtly sweet taste. It is one of the most refreshing flavors of ice cream I have tried this summer, not to mention, its apparent health benefits! Dominion is known for its "Eat Your Vegetables" ice cream, and they truly have a unique operation in the Blackstone Apartments (Charles Village) lobby. I'm going to be moving into this building next year and I know where all my money will be going.

-Pitango's Mojito sorbet
The first time I tried this flavor, I was blown away by the fresh blast of lime against the gelato's lightly sugared base. The taste is vivid and as refreshing and the gelato itself is even lighter and sharper in flavor than Dominion's spinach ice cream. Mix it with the mango sorbet for an even more colorful combination of flavors.

Cheap Places:
-Grano Pasta Bar
This tiny Hampden cornerside cafe is better than any of the Italian restaurants I've tried in Little Italy. Their pasta is fresh, their sauces are to die for, and the italian bread is outstanding. Grano makes for a cheap dinner too, with most of the pasta dishes $10 or less. I've tried the bolognese sauce and the carbonara, both of which I loved. The portions are enough to stuff you plenty, too.

-Grilled Cheese and Co.
While a bit off the beaten path, this place is unique in its creative variations on an old favorite. Every sandwich here is good, I don't think you could be disappointed with the combination of melted cheese and bread. The Cordon Bleu grilled cheese is very good, combining chicken, ham, swiss cheese and dijon mustard (the cordon bleu is a traditional French roll-up sandwich). This is the only place where I've seen grilled cheese for dessert too. If you have enough room, at least try "The Sweetest Thing," Brie cheese, raspberry flavored marscapone and chocolate chips in between two pieces of toasty bread.

-Stuggy's and Kooper's Tavern in Fells
These two places are great lunch spots - Kooper's Tavern has more of a restaurant atmosphere, whereas Stuggy's is more or a order and take outside to eat kind of place. I ordered the pulled pork BBQ sandwich with sweet potato fries at Kooper's and was quite impressed. The BBQ claims to combine the flavors of pulled pork from North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, whatever this means the synthesis is successfully sweet and tangy. Kooper's also has an impressive beer selection, which I'm sure would pair perfectly with one of their popular burgers. Stuggy's, on the other hand, sells beefy hot dogs loaded with cheese, even more beef, cole slaw, mushrooms, pretty much whatever you're in the mood for. On a nice day, the benches outside Stuggy's make for a picturesque lunch spot.

Dinner
-Tapas Teatro
I love this place on a nice night - it's great to sit outside and enjoy a pitcher of sangria and several tapas plates. I've also been to the more expensive tapas restaurant in Baltimore, Pazo, but I've found that Teatro's selections are more reasonably priced and a better value. I'm a fan of the fried manchego cheese, and especially the Albondigas, or lamb meatballs. I'd love to try to paella someday as well, I'm sure it's delicious. Even better, if you have room for dessert, Sofi's Crepes is a few doors down, or if you want to catch a movie, the charles theater literally connects to the restaurant.

-XS Sushi
It's quite a scene here, with its four levels in this loft-style restaurant. Lowly lit with DJ style music pumping at night, this is a great place for sushi, or just drinks as well. The sushi is good, but the atmosphere is reason most to go - it's young and charged with energy, making it ideal for a dinner spot before a night out.

-Petit Louis Bistro
I love this restaurant because I love all things French. I've found the simple French fare that I loved when I was abroad in Paris here, such as Duck Confit, Streak Frites and Poulet Fermier (chicken). I love the frites, especially after dipping them in the dijon mustard on every table. The extensive wine menu is a bit steeply priced, so order wine by the glass instead. Petit Louis is delightfully simple, yet full of savory, satisfying flavors.

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Mr. Yoagato in Fells

I'm getting the impression that frozen yogurt shops are a growing trend in the restaurant world these days. Apparently the cold treat has become popular due to rising need for indulgences that are healthy - for example, frozen yogurt is now advertised as containing probiotics, which are "live mircroorganisms, which administered at a certain amount contain health benefits" (haha, thanks wikipedia). Sounds a bit gross, in my opinion, ingesting live microorganisms?

Anyway, while enjoying my lunch outside today in Fells, I had the idea to try out Mr. Yogato, the frozen yogurt shop I've been hearing all about lately. After reading about the vibrant interior of the place in multiple reviews, i have to say that he space was a bit large for a yogurt shop. I felt a bit awkward being the only customer inside.

I ordered the "creamy" yogurt, which has a taste resembling vanilla. I chose to top it off with fresh raspberries and blackberries. I was impressed with the lightly sugared taste of the yogurt itself, it was not at all too sweet but just right. However, I was a little irked by the uneveness of it, there seemed to be little ice chunks in it. However the raspberries and blackberries were a delicious, soaking up the creamy base.

Mr. Yoagto has a large menu of frozen yogurt flavor, usually offering about 4 different ones each day (2 of them being the original and the vanilla). There's even a mojito flavor I saw on the website, and I am curious to know how it fares against Pitango's version. You can also add in multiple kinds of toppings, healthy and unhealthy, like oreos, m&ms, granola, and fruit.

I'll probably go back, because unlike most ice cream places, I finished my yogurt not feeling sick or overly full. The fruit was a brilliant addition.

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Baltimore magazine intern on assignment

Last night, I represented Baltimore magazine at a screening of Ryan White’s new documentary, Pelada, at the Charles Theatre near Penn Station. Here’s a short recap: The film follows two former college soccer players, Luke Boughen (Notre Dame) and Gwendolyn Oxenham (Duke) as they travel the world, playing what they call “pick-up soccer” with the locals. Pelada, meaning “naked” in Brazilian, describes this bare bones form of soccer, which can be played anywhere – on rooftops, a prison, a gas station parking lot – and by anyone. Luke and Gwendolyn travel to Argentina, Italy, Germany, Kenya, Ghana, China, Israel and even Iran in search of people who simply love to play. Many of their travels are dangerous, as they must face the cultures and differences of certain countries. By the end of the film, By the end of the film, Gwendolyn comes to a conclusion about soccer all over the world - “The game stretches and changes, but stays the same.”

My job was to attend the screening, producer/director/cinematographer Ryan White’s Q&A afterwards as well as the cocktail reception. I took a few notes, but mostly just watched and enjoyed the film. During the Q&A, White praised his aunt, Kathy McCabe, who planned the screening for Baltimore. White also spent much of his childhood in the city, so I’m sure it was very cool for him to enjoy the film with nearby family and friends. White mentioned the film had already had about 40 screenings across the country, but he also had plans to show it in many of the countries shown in the movie.

After he finished speaking, I looked for Rick, the short but enthusiastic photographer I needed to follow at the reception. I’m glad he knew what he was doing, because I was pretty lost. We had to move fast because it was a bit late, and we weren’t sure how any people would stick around. I stayed with Rick as he bolted back and forth in the lobby, throwing a group of people together for a photo. Thanks to Kathy, we were able to pinpoint a few notable people at the event. My job was to get everyone’s names in the photo, left to right and spelled correctly in the “Parties” section of the magazine. This was not such an easy job, as most groups immediately dispersed as soon as Rick took the photo. And believe me, getting names from little children is no easy task either (me: what's your name? kid: uhhh..um, Michael? me: and how do you spell that? kid: i don't know... me: um, really? kid: i like soccer!!!)

Last night was the film’s only night in Baltimore, but there is an upcoming screening in DC at the Avalon Theatre, 8 PM on July 27th. It's not exactly nearby, but if you're in the area, it's worth checking out.

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