Baltimore - The Charm City

Once again veering off the prescribed course (which is, of course,detailing our European adventures from April of this year), but it's August and I should be taking the entire month off! Not gonna happen but we did get to take our daughter back to school in Maryland and, as we do, we made a petite vacation out of it. It's an easy drive in our opinion, just about 6 hours, to get from here to there. Typically we take a break when necessary and change drivers. This time Jake drove the whole way while Clementine and I slept and read. Instead of heading straight to our hotel on the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore we head to: Destination Ikea for a few back to school items (and I've been lusting over small coffee spoons since April;see Europe entries, I am going to do one on breakfast alone - it was so good over there!) - and Ikea has 'em! We love to cruise through Ikea - making mental notes on our upcoming kitchen renovation and ideas that we see and love. Then we fill our bags with photo frames, kitchen goodies (egg slicer to replace broken one, small spoons - yay I am so happy, vases, etc) and, boo to Ikea - they no longer have our favorite candle scent: ligonberry. What is up with that??? We do load up on ligonberry jam and concentrate (makes the best juice) and swedish fish (which are not as chewy as they used to be and therefore a waste of money). Then: Lunch. We like to eat here: meatballs with ligonberry jam, salmon with vegetable puffs (incredible!!), great coffee. Very reasonable and with the Ikea card (a rewards card, not a credit card) we get free coffee!! and discounts on our candles (settled for orange and lilac scents).
Now to the Inner Harbor and our favorite Hampton Inn. Check in and go to walk the harbor front. We have a cocktail at the Rusty Scupper (looks like a really good deal for happy hour and we may go next time we're in town) and then hit the Visionary Arts Museum - a really strange collection of art from, mostly, untrained artists who use a variety of mediums and, to my eye, have a wildly varying degree of talent LOL. Not my favorite, but we have the Cleveland Museum of Art and I can indulge in the Impressionists here at home. Point goes to: Paris on the Cuyahoga.
For dinner: Joe Squared. We'd seen it on previous trips here (Clementines a senior) but never stopped. I saw it featured on the Food Network and said hey we gotta go. Crazy busy, fabulous waitstaff and really good food. Concentration is pizza - we tried bacon and clam, yum, but they have wonderful looking chicken wings, vegan options and great salads: we did the avacado shrimp. I love that everything in Baltimore smells of Old Bay Seasoning. Side note, I grew up in the 'burbs of Washington DC so it's like coming home. Get some Old Bay and cook some shrimp in beer with some of that gold dust. Heaven.
Next day we take the trolley tour. It originates from the Visitor's Center in the Inner Harbor. Our guide "Doc" Bob was the best! He had a wardrobe of hats (King Charles's bejeweled beret, Uncle Sam's top hat etc) and was informative and entertaining. We saw a lot of things we've already visited in the past 3 years but it was great to hear his commentary and learn some new stuff. We also congratulated ourselves on how much we'd actually done and seen on our own.
For dinner we go to Hampden a gentrified area of shops, residences, restaurants etc for dinner at the Corner Charcuterie - and it did remind us of Paris. Cocktails with olives, roasted (in duck fat) fingerlings and then on to wine and a wonderful cheese plate hand selected by the chef. The waitress took our likes to him and then he came out with 2 gorgeous plates of cheese with accoutrements: jams, figs, nuts, pickled things and toasts. I love to sample and take my time and it was a wonderful way to relax en famille.
Saturday was move in. She's got a nice townhouse and is the first one to move in so we quickly get her stuff out of the van and into her new "home" so we can hit Miss Shirley's for brunch before Jake and I have to hightail it home (I have a gig Saturday night that I cannot miss). We've always loved Miss Shirley's and, even tho this time was a bit of a disappointment for me - my poached eggs were just too runny and not hot enough), I'd recommend you try her out if you are ever in B'more. She's an institution and has some wonderful, unusual breakfast/brunch/lunch menu items.
La

Chic Eating - How to Start

A yahoo group I've belonged to forever recently had some posts about clean pantries
and more frequent, but less acquisitive, stops at the market. We been thru this before on that group (french chic) and it's understandable as this is one of the cornerstones of a healthy, chic way of relating to food. Lean pantry, eat seasonally,
realistic portions, unprocessed foods - all building blocks of your personal chic culinary lifestyle, one that will satisfy your mouth and your soul. Wow, who knew. Anyway I also love that it is thriftier (yes,despite costlier organics etc) and just a superior way to conduct yourself (earth consciousness, the whole picture).
You've got to clean that refrigerator out. First timers must take every single item out, wipe the fridge clean, and sort and restock, wiping down the condiment bottles as before returning to their shelves. I try to do this a few times a year- seasonally seems right, and once you do it, and you keep a sparse, clean fridge, it's not too time consuming. First timers - for you it is tho, almost certainly. So worth the effort.
As you go make a list of what you need to eat asap and what you need to replace.
You can make some quick menus from these items. Today I had 1 1/2 lemons (squeezed them right into the existing, summer-fridge omnipresent pitcher of lemonade). One cooked chicken breast and 2 hard boiled eggs - made a quick bowl of chicken salad adding some celery and green grapes. Get the picture? "yes, we see".

Don't forget the freezer. And the dry pantry of course.

The pantry basics, well you can find lists everywhere and you will want to make it
'your own' anyway. The flavors of jelly, the particular spices, what sort of mustard you enjoy - this is what not only makes all sorts of delicious sustenance easy for you to prepare daily - it is your way of treating yourself to what you love! Pick what rocks your world! Experiment! What do YOU like? Indulge yourself here. Condiments are the accessories of your pantry and, as we chics know, accessories are essential, fun and can make or break it.

Off to pick some golden raspberries for the yogurt that needs to be eaten up. It was my first attempt in years to make homemade. And it is delicious, thick Greek style stuff. Maybe I'll post about that process...
La

So very European.....

It seems to me a very Euro thing to do: make your own liqueur. And frugal to boot!
Here is a link to an interesting article with some recipes:
http://tinyurl.com/lkp6ag.
Marsi, I know you have made limoncello. Any tips?

McDonalds Chic?

I am not much for fast food. Several years ago we watched Super Size Me together as a family and that was pretty much that. As a real estate appraiser I am on the road quite a bit and I stop at McDonalds occasionally to use the restroom and/or get a regular large coffee. About a year ago the Wall Street Journal (I believe) had a story that had professional coffee taste testers drink all the big coffee chains (such as Starbucks) versus fast food coffees. McD's came out number one. So I was validated on that one. Anyway, I NEVER get any food. Until yesterday. I was taking an
8 hour class for a license upgrade and on lunch break hit the McD's for a much needed caffeine fix. I noticed the fruit and walnut salad (at $2.15) and decided to
order one. I had packed a sandwich, but the tedium of the morning portion of the class somehow made me want to reward myself and so for 2 bucks I went for it. I took my impromptu lunch to a sunny, somewhat secluded corner of the school parking lot and took inventory. It was really not bad! Several slices of apple and some grapes, a small scoop of vanilla yogurt and a portion of candied walnuts. The yogurt was sweeter than I like, but overall I'd get it again if I was stuck in a situation and wanted a quick, healthyish meal. It's packed really well 'to go' - a shrink wrap cover over the container and it's packaged with a knife and fork which promotes using them and, as we know, is de rigeur for eating a la francaise. So maybe it is chic? The nutrition facts on line say it's a bit high in sugar, but also in vitamin C and low in sodium and cholestrol.
Bonus!! My recipe for sugared pecans.

SUGARED PECANS

1 pound of pecan halves, toss them in:

1 egg white, beaten just till frothy (and with a tablespoon of cold water added).

Scoop out pecans (use a slotted spoon) and toss in a bowl of combined:

1/2 C Sugar
1/2 tea.Cinnamon
1/4 tea Salt.

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for one hour at 225 degrees, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up and separate them every 15 minutes.

These are heaven. Lovely as a nibble with aperitiv, as a dessert or snack with yogurt. As a salad topping. Nicely packaged as a favor or gift at the holiday. And you can experiment with the nut used and the spices. Try and make a savory version using your favorite spice.
xo,
La

The Farmer's Market/Gray House Pie

Hello Local Chics -

I've received the North Union Farmer's Market(.org) flyer. Their Shaker Square Market
runs Saturdays 8 - noon. Open now thru Dec 12. Crocker Park runs Saturdays 9-1pm thru Nov 21, 2009. I love the markets but Crocker can get too crazy in the Trader Joe's parking lot. We are fortunate to have many farms just beyond Crocker Park and I'll generally hit those and the roadside stands thru out the summer/fall.
Also will stop for brown eggs, sold usually on the honor system. What is your favorite farmers market/stop/stand?

Its very French to buy certain delicacies to accentute your cooking style and strengths and augment your deficiencies. Consider Gray House Pies at 22560 Lorain Rd Fairview Park OH 44126 (440)777-4pie for fruit, nut, cream and savory pies and quiches. Made from free range eggs, pure butter,organic milk and the best (local if possible) cheeses, fruits snd vegetables.
Scrumptious.

Quite cool today after a very summery weekend with temps in the 80's. Mick reminded me I haven't yet made Chicken Paprikash Soup, which really should be a cold weather
meal. I couldn't do that one, but in the pantry had everything for:

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP tonight with tostadas from Aldi which *made* the dish:

Heat and simmer a big pot of:

Chicken broth, smooth tomato sauce and lots of chopped garlic.

Assemble various "fillings" - consisting of whatever you desire! Including, but
not limited to:

Rice
Corn
Cubed Avacado
Chilis
Chopped Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Hot Sauce
Shredded Mexican cheeses
Shredded Chicken

Refried or baked beans

Tostados from Aldi (quick this is a seasonal item!)
or crispy tortilla chips (hopefully fried by you).

Fill your bowl with items from above and ladle hot broth over top.
Sigh in contentment as you smell the scent and feel the heat on
your face. Enjoy.