Cold drinks on a summer night

James and I enjoyed drinks at three different hot spots in and around Fells Point last night: Rye, Bond Street Social and Fleet Street Kitchen. This was our first visit to Rye and Fleet Street Kitchen.

I don't usually imbibe in cocktails, but I thought I'd give one a try at Rye. James' drink is on the left, mine on the right. A long slice of cucumber is in my drink (I love cucumbers, though that isn't why I ordered the cocktail).

At $10 a piece, they certainly weren't cheap and are on par with other establishments, but not something we typically order when we go out. Both were unique, delicious and Rye's bartenders clearly know what they're doing.
Rye's atmosphere is also notable. The bar isn't big - read cozy - and fills up quickly.

Next was Bond Street Social. We both had my favorite beer (and I'm not a big beer drinker) - a cold glass of Allagash White. This beer (from Portland, Maine) is refreshing, light and has citrus notes, all of which make it perfect.

Our last stop was Fleet Street Kitchen. The atmosphere was a strange mix of modern and medieval. The atmosphere seemed to be competing with itself. The bar itself is sleek - made of marble with a soft light glowing underneath it.
I had a glass of sauvignon blanc and James enjoyed a Saison from Stillwater, a local beer (from Westminster). Like Allagash White, the Saison was also light and easy to drink. This beer is definitely worth another try.

Woodberry Kitchen, meet your match

James and I recently traveled to New England and in our travels we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Hen of the Wood, a fabulous farm-to-table restaurant in Waterbury, VT. We love Woodberry Kitchen here in Baltimore, so we were eager to try this (as it turns out very similar) restaurant. We were not disappointed. 

The ambiance at Hen of the Wood is cozy, with exposed brick and stone. A dozen or so tealights were tucked into nooks on the stone wall and there was also an incredible waterfall behind the tiny restaurant. Lovely!

I neglected to take photos, but I'll do my best to describe what we ate.

We began our meal with Hen of the Wood's homemade bread (soft and very fresh), then split an appetizer of duck sausage with polenta and a duck egg (served in a tiny cast iron pot), which was excellent. We each ordered one of the specials on the night's menu - slow cooked duck with homemade dumplings. A knife was not needed to cut the already tiny pieces of mouth-watering duck and the dumplings were small and out-of-this-world. They simply melted in your mouth.

For dessert, we split the beat cake with pecan ice cream. The presentation was notable and the cake was nice a traditional slice of cake, rather a circle of cake. 

If we lived closer - i.e. not 500+ miles away - we'd be there more often!

Tasty winter dishes

For James' birthday, we went to Salt and had a fantastic dinner. We have never been disappointed by our dishes - and the service is always superb.

James enjoyed the rabbit pasta (currently on the menu) and I had the ragu (no longer listed on the menu). Both dishes just melted in our mouths. The flavors were incredible. Need I say more?

Ragu (top) and rabbit pasta (below)

Need I say more?

New year, a little late

I am very behind in my new year's resolution to update my blog on a regular basis!

Since my last post, this runner has taken up yoga (namaste) and cooking. Life is good. I have stuck to my goal of cooking more in the new year, which has been fun - and relaxing.

I have been using the Smitten Kitchen cookbook and enjoying the tasteful creations inside. Yum.

One of the first things that I made from the cookbook was the broccoli slaw (pg. 72), which I paired with pork tenderloin. I have made it nearly a half dozen times since. The dish is well received and I expect it to be even more delicious (if that's possible) come summer.

Next, I made maya's sweet and sour holiday brisket and roasted fingerling and carrot coins (pg. 183 - see below), which was out of this world. It's pretty easy, just requires a few hours to cook (unless you use the crock-pot).

And the final result!

James and I had friends over for dinner one cold, January night and I made gnocchi in tomato broth (pg.177). I didn't realize how time intensive making her gnocchi recipe was (albeit delicious) until I had already started. The gnocchi did not turn out as beautiful as hers did in the photo, but it was still delicious. Next time, I will either find a less complicated gnocchi recipe or simply buy already made gnocchi and just make the awesome broth to go with it.

More to come!

No time like the present

It has been a while since my last post. Whoops!

Since my last post (in October, yikes), my husband and I have enjoyed some delicious meals (including Salt in Butchers Hill and Petit Louis in Roland Park). Last weekend we went with friends to Birroteca (off Falls Road near Hampden) - what a hot spot. James and I enjoyed the duck duck goose pizza - yum! Although, I must admit, I prefer Iggies duck pizza. It's unlike any other pizza.

For my birthday, I was given a wonderful gift of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. James and I are earmarking pages and salivating as we select recipes! It looks like we'll be using the crockpot for the first recipe! (I've been dying to use the crockpot for a while now).

Last Saturday we ran the Celtic Solstice 5-miler through Druid Hill on a chilly December morning, which was fitting six days before the first official day of winter (yesterday). This is the second time we did this race and we had a blast.

I am not one to make new year's resolutions, but I do hope to update my blog more often in 2013. I'm looking forward to wonderful meals and spending time with my family and friends in the new year. What are you looking forward to?

Pumpkin, chorizo and goat cheese pizza

'Tis the season for pumpkin. Yesterday I decided to try making pizza with pumpkin, chorizo and goat cheese for us for dinner.

I had pumpkin pizza at Iggies a couple of years ago and I remember that it was awesome.
I used Trader Joe's whole wheat dough (next time I think I'll attempt to make my own as the wheat flavor was bit too strong), a can of organic pumpkin, one link of smoked chorizo (from Wegmans) and goat cheese.

In the November issue of Real Simple that came in the mail yesterday, there was an awesome recipe for roasted Brussels sprouts with lemon (I didn't add garlic or butter as the recipe called for, but did add the lemon juice, bread crumbs, olive oil, salt and pepper). The Brussels sprouts were a nice side dish with the pizza. Having had Brussels sprouts prepared this way before, this is my favorite way to eat them!

I thought the pizza was awesome, but James and I agreed that it could use a little something extra - something with more of a kick, perhaps, or omit the goat cheese to make the dish a bit less creamy. I'm looking forward to tweaking this recipe and making it again - soon.

Since it's the season for pumpkin this and pumpkin that, I've been perusing recipes with pumpkin. I just found a recipe for Smitten Kitchen pumpkin cinnamon rolls - I will have to try making these soon!

Safety first

More than five years ago I decided to start running and I have known about Road ID for at least three years. It has taken me years, but I just purchased one for my own safety.

Now that I've made the leap, I can't believe that I did not make this purchase years ago. It seems silly.

I'm looking forward to receiving the package in the mail, strapping my runner ID onto my wrist and hitting the road for my next run with peace of mind.

Race For Our Kids

Today was the annual Race For Our Kids, which is my favorite race. This was the fifth year I have signed up to run this race - time flies, literally!

This is the third year my husband and I have both signed up for the race, which is special. We ran the entire 6.2 miles together and had a blast. The course is mostly flat, except for the last .6 mile or so, which is entirely uphill!

What a great way to spend an early morning on the first full day of fall! There was a chill in the air which made for perfect running conditions - so long to the heat and humidity from summer and hello fall.

Only 364 days until the next race! Let the countdown begin.

Leek, kale and corn flatbread

Saturday night I made the Leek, chard and corn flatbread from Smitten Kitchen, my favorite foodie website! Super easy and delicious.

I substituted kale for the chard, which was delicious. This was my second time eating kale and I loved it. A lot like spinach, but perhaps even better.
I used dough from Trader Joe's (next time I'll give making my own another go) for this recipe, which turned out great! I used 2 pounds of frozen leeks, which turned out to be a bit much. I had a bunch leftover and consequently don't want to look at another leek for a while!

The flatbreads were awesome - a nice early fall dish, heavy on the veggies. But, not to forget the goat cheese, one of my favorite things in the world. It goes with everything!

I forgot to take a picture, but both flatbreads look exactly as they do on Smitten Kitchen, which means I must have been successful!

The flatbreads were perfect for dinner last night because my husband and I ran the Race For Our Kids 10K (6.2 miles) Sunday morning, so we wanted to enjoy some carbs in preparation for the race. We did fairly well, so this must have been the right recipe!

Next time I want to make a flatbread I'm planning to make one with pumpkin and gorgonzola! Two of my favorite flavors - together. Can't go wrong (hopefully)!

Lobster, lobster, lobster

At Rehoboth Beach last weekend, James and I stumbled upon a lobster dinner special at Claws Seafood Restaurant on "the main drag"(Rehoboth Avenue) and couldn't resist. Our quest for finding a restaurant ended then and there. For a ridiculously good price, we each enjoyed 1 1/4 pound lobsters and two sides (I enjoyed hush puppies and the fresh vegetable of the day).

Experienced at eating crabs, neither of us had eaten a whole lobster before. We weren't entirely sure how to tackle it. Our waitress was gracious enough to give us a quick tutorial. As it turns out, eating lobster is much like eating crabs, just not nearly as messy, but equally as delicious.

I should have taken a picture of the beautiful, red lobster, but alas I forgot. This is a restaurant I look forward to visiting again next summer!

So long, summer

James and I spent one day of the long Labor Day weekend - the "unofficial" end to summer - at the beach.

Last summer I introduced him to the Royal Treat in Rehoboth Beach, Del., an ice cream parlor my parents first took me to in 1988. Other than getting new tables a few years ago, nothing has changed there. Nothing. Which is one of the reasons I love it so, so much - besides the amazing milkshakes they make with good ol' Hershey's ice cream.

Before leaving the beach last weekend, we enjoyed milkshakes (James had vanilla, I had chocolate), a tradition I have been enjoying for more than 20 years.

Hershey's ice cream and a trip to the first beach I ever went to was the perfect way to end summer 2012.

Cast iron skillet

James and I purchased a cast iron skillet from the new Sur La Table in Towson (an awesome kitchen gadget store) a mere 24 hours ago and have already used it three times!

We have used it to made dinner (Chinese food from Trader Joe's), blueberry cobbler (top photo) and a potato hash for breakfast (bottom photo).

The blueberry cobbler recipe is from Cooking for Seven (a cooking blog site James found which I'm looking forward to exploring) and the potato hash is from Smitten Kitchen (a favorite foodie site). Both are scrumptious dishes and I think turned out particularly awesome because of the skillet.

The cobbler reminded me of a peach dessert we had at Woodberry Kitchen earlier this summer (see my Aug. 26 post), also cooked in a skillet. We made the dessert on a whim, so we only had about half of the blueberries that the recipe called for, but it still turned out well. The crumble on top was made with ground cinnamon, which added that little something extra to the dessert.

The potato hash - bacon, potatoes, corn and an egg - was hearty but not too over-the-top heavy. The bacon was flavorful and infused the entire dish. The potatoes were crispy, thanks to the skillet.



We're planning to make pancakes in the skillet next weekend - looking forward to that treat!

Bouchon Bakery cookbook - coming soon!

One of the stops on our honeymoon in April/May was to Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, Ca. (in Napa Valley. There happens to a Bouchon Bakery in Rockefeller Plaza (NY) that I stumbled upon this summer. Lucky me!). The pastries were/area incredible. I forget exactly what we had, but I know we enjoyed a couple macarons that were out of this world.

Yesterday, my husband informed me that the bakery is releasing the Bouchon Bakery cookbook this fall. As the saying goes, never judge a book by it's cover. In this case, I am judging the book by its cover and it looks delicious!

Steak dinner

Grauls Market had a sale on filet mignon last weekend  - and I took full advantage of it! My husband and I enjoyed two delicious steaks last Sunday with a homemade sauce James whipped up to go with it!

The steaks were cooked to perfection and absolutely mouth watering.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

James and I have wanted to make the trip up to Prigel Family Creamery in Glen Arm to try some of their ice cream, but have not made it there yet.

Last week we got lucky and were given a pint of their caramel pretzel ice cream. This isn't a flavor that I would have chosen myself, but it is the right mix of sweet and savory. The vanilla ice cream is smooth and creamy, with chunks of pretzels and caramel mixed in.

I'm not usually one for sweet and savory, but this ice cream takes the cake.

Top dog

Word is out that Kooper's North in Lutherville is open. Three days after its grand opening Aug. 28, my husband, parents and I enjoyed drinks during happy hour and a meal together there.

I've been to Kooper's Tavern in Fells Point once or twice before and liked it, but I enjoyed the restaurant's new venue equally as much.

I enjoyed my burger - basic and juicy - but I'm looking forward to going back for weekend brunch: "City Paper's Best Brunch" - omelets, French toast, Belgian waffles, $12 bottomless bloodies and mimosas.

Each restaurant that has come before Kooper's North has been great - Cafe Isis, Sabor (sad to see it go) - but they haven't survived. Just days after opening, the bar was packed at 5 p.m. and the wait was already two hours. I think Kooper's North is going to do just fine.

This neighborhood joint surely will be a place where everyone knows your name.

Falling into autumn

My husband and I went to Delaware's Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach for one day this weekend. The water was a refreshing 72 degrees, the air was warm, we swam in the ocean and took a stroll on the beach. This was a lovely way to spend the last (unofficial) weekend of the summer.

On our drive to the beach, there was a small sign that fall is right around the corner - one of the nearly dozen fruit and vegetable stands we passed had pumpkins. I felt out of place wearing a bathing suit and flip flops.

As we bid adieu to summer, I am ready for my favorite season to arrive - on Sept. 22!

There's something in the water

I've been adding lemon to my water for a while now - and it's lovely. Recently, I started adding a thin slice of cucumber to my glass of water and I think I like it even more. It's refreshing and I can pretend that I'm at the spa!

If you haven't tried it before, give it a whirl.

A good cause

Kudos to Iggies for their August charity of the month - Helping Up Mission, the group we run with through Back On My Feet!

Basil Mint Creamy

The Basil Mint Creamy at Artifact Coffee caught my eye the first time I went to the cafe. Today, perhaps my third or fourth time there, I decided to give the drink a try. I couldn't resist trying it any longer.

The Basil Mint Creamy is basil syrup, trickling spring cream and spearmint, over ice. I consider it expensive at $4.50, but it was a treat and delicious.