Jolene Sugarbaker's Tomato Coffee Cake

It's tomato juice - in a crumb cake!

The Lady Goes A-Ridin'

As I've said elsewhere: What? The? Hell!?!?

Oh What a Cake!

I stopped by Oh What a Cake today after work. This cake catering business in Columbia also has ready-to-buy cupcakes, which is what I was hoping for. The best part is the price: many of them are just a dollar, and the really fancy ones are $1.25 (like their red velvet cupcake). I got three of their dollar cupcakes - chocolate with vanilla buttercream, yellow (butter?) cake with lemon frosting, and "butter with buttercream frosting". This last one was my favorite and I ate it in the car on the way to my next destination. The others were also delicious, and all three are soft, sugary and simple. Very good cupcakes. I'll have to go back again soon.

Snacking State-by-State: Delaware I - A Game of Chicken

This next post takes me about as close to home as I've gotten. From the concrete jungles of Wilmington, gateway to Philadelphia, to the shores of Rehoboth Beach and Fenwick Island, friendly both to families and to "Family". It's the only state east of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Snacking State-by-State: Delaware

Official Name: State of Delaware
State Nicknames: The First State, The Blue Hen State, The Small Wonder
Admission to the US: December 7, 1787 (#1, baby, and don't you forget it)
Capital: Dover (2nd largest city)
Other Important Cities: Wilmington (largest), Newark (3rd largest)
Region: Mid-Atlantic, South, Northeast; South Atlantic (US Census)
RAFT Nations: Clambake
Bordered by: Pennsylvania (north); New Jersey, Delaware Bay & the Atlantic Ocean (east); Maryland (south); Maryland & the Mason-Dixon Line (west)
Official State Foods and Edible Things: Blue hen (bird); Weakfish (fish); strawberry (fruit), milk (beverage); peach pie (dessert)
Eastern oyster (shellfish)
Some Famous & Typical Foods: oysters, clams, blue crabs, fish (bluefish, weakfish), lobster, chicken, peaches, Dogfish Head beer, strawberries

Much of Delaware's culinary landscape looks like that of Maryland and Virginia, specifically their Eastern Shores. One thing to note about Delaware is the importance of chicken: it's poultry country, as evidenced by the blue hen's status as the official state bird. An important staple in colonial times, it's even more so today, and has been since the 1920's [Delaware Guide, date unknown].

Also of note in this coastal state is, of course, seafood. The Delaware Department of Fish and Wildlife points out all the many varieties of seafood that are found in and off the waters of the First State: oysters, crabs, clams (available locally year-round), lobster (also found locally year-round, which I did not know).

One more thing I did not know is that Delaware is a major producer of peaches, or at least it used to be. Delaware was at one time the country's biggest producer of peaches. Today, the industry is much more small-scale [Delaware Guide, date unknown]

And of course, Milton and Rehoboth Beach are together the home of Dogfish Head, one of my favorite producers of beer. Their recipes are fascinating, and some of them go together with Delaware's major foods in fascinating ways. Take their Saison du BUFF, for example - a brew of thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage. This is a selection that goes well with any chicken dish. And so it goes that one of the dishes I try out from Delaware is just that: a chicken dish.

Since there are so many chicken dishes, and none are really specific to Delaware, I had to really root around for one. I finally found one from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, which apparently dates all the way back to 1948, and the very first Chicken of Tomorrow competition. Poster "Melly" from the Taste of Home forum posted back in 2004 that "the event featured the world's largest frying pan (ten feet in diameter), made in Selbyville [just above the Delaware-Maryland border - my note] and capable of cooking eight hundred chicken quarters at once" [Taste of Home, 2004]. Though I cannot confirm this, it makes for one fascinating chicken story, if ever there could be such a thing. Surely, at least as compelling as MST3K's disturbing glimpse into the Chicken of Tomorrow (here's Part 2 - note, this short was made in Texas, not Delaware)

The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of Italian dressing. In a nod to Delaware's peach-infused past, I swapped the Italian out for a homemade peach vinaigrette.

The recipe: Easy Baked Chicken with Peach Dressing

Of course, first I had to make the peach vinaigrette (recipe posted by Vanessa Higgins at About.com). This was especially easy: just throw the following ingredients into the blender, and put into a cruet:


* one peach (preferably a fresh one but I could only find a small can at the time)
* olive oil, red wine vinegar, cayenne pepper and salt (had all of them on hand).

The recipe says it will yield 1/2 cup of vinaigrette, but I almost filled my cruet with about a cup to a cup and a half. If you don't have a cruet, your best bet is to go into the salad dressings section of the supermarket and buy a make-it-yourself kit, complete with a cruet. The one I found was $2.50.


Next you add the chicken to the vinaigrette. For this part of the recipe, you will need the following:

* the peach vinaigrette you just made (the original calls for 1/2 cup of Italian vinaigrette)
* one chicken (I cheated and bought one already cut up, about 4 pounds of chicken. I bought this one at Whole Foods for $9, a splurge since I don't buy much meat anymore)
* Italian bread crumbs (or else, toast four slices of bread and throw them in your food processor with about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning)
* salt and paprika (I used smoked paprika)
* I didn't have margarine, which the recipe called for. I was going to drizzle olive oil over the chicken instead, but yes, I did forget this step.

To make this, I had to skin the chicken. This is important - you want to bread the chicken, not the chicken skin.


Once done, put the chicken in a large gallon zip top bag with the vinaigrette, and let sit for at least half an hour. In retrospect, I wish I had made slits in the chicken flesh, and let it sit for a whole lot longer.


But I'll talk about that later.

While the chicken is marinating, mix the bread crumbs with the salt and paprika. You will coat each piece of vinaigrette-y chicken with this.


Place all pieces of chicken on a baking sheet (better coated than mine - the instructions call for aluminum foil, which I ran out of. Waah waaaaah.), and bake for 50 minutes at 375°F.


At the end, you will have lots of caramel-y peachy goo around each piece of chicken. The smaller pieces had a more intense and identifiable peach flavor, while the breasts and thighs will have far less of one. Please don't overcook, because you will dry it out. Thankfully, I did not do that.

There is the Saison du BUFF in the background. It's a nice, herbaceous beer that goes well with many chicken dishes, such as this one. Also notice the blob in the background. This is Delaware Spoon Bread, for which there are a hundred versions. The one I used came from a small, plastic spiral-bound cookbook by Jennie Robillard, A Collection of DelMarVa Recipes.

As the DPI suggests, this really is a simple recipe. Next time I may try the Italian dressing, because I was hoping for something much more peachy tasting than this. You live and learn. Unexpectedly, if anything tasted more peachy it was the breading. One of my favorite ways to eat chicken is with a lot of breading (Can you say "It's Shake and Bake, and we helped"?). I loved how fluffy, goopy and peachy the breading got. And the chicken, a local chicken that wasn't the typical Freakchicken you might buy at the supermarket, actually tasted more like a chicken! And it was juicy and delicious.

Sources:

Delaware Guide. "Delaware Food." Delaware Guide, date unknown. Copyright 2004-2011, IIWINC (Interactive Internet Websites, Inc).

Delmarva Poultry Industry. "Easy Baked Chicken." Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 2011.

Epstein, Becky Sue, and Ed Jackson. The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America's Shorelines. Cumberland House: Naperville, IL, 2009. Portions also available on Google Books.

Hense, Zina. Delaware Fresh Seafood (guide). Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in cooperation with the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistical Program (ACCSP), 2008.

Higgins, Vanessa. "Peach Vinaigrette Salad Dressing." About.com: Local Foods, date unknown. Copyright 2011, About.com.

Jennie Robillard. A Collection of DelMarVa Recipes. Eastern Shore Arts & Crafts Center: Princess Anne, Maryland, date unknown.

Some information also obtained from Wikipedia's "Delaware" page and other pages, and the Food Timeline State Foods webpage link to "Delaware”.

Snacking State-by-State: Delaware II - Gettin' Raw (with Oysters)

As you may recall from the previous post - and from many a visit to this state that has such a massive coast - seafood is a very important part of eating in Delaware, as anyone who has visited the state will attest to. I tried to find a good recipe to showcase the seafood of Delaware and Delmarva.

Snacking State-by-State: Delaware

Official Name: State of Delaware
State Nicknames: The First State, The Blue Hen State, The Small Wonder
Admission to the US: December 7, 1787 (#1, baby, and don't you forget it)
Capital: Dover (2nd largest city)
Other Important Cities: Wilmington (largest), Newark (3rd largest)
Region: Mid-Atlantic, South, Northeast; South Atlantic (US Census)
RAFT Nations: Clambake
Bordered by: Pennsylvania (north); New Jersey, Delaware Bay & the Atlantic Ocean (east); Maryland (south); Maryland & the Mason-Dixon Line (west)
Official State Foods and Edible Things: Blue hen (bird); Weakfish (fish); strawberry (fruit), milk (beverage); peach pie (dessert)
Eastern oyster (shellfish)
Some Famous & Typical Foods: oysters, clams, blue crabs, fish (bluefish, weakfish), lobster, chicken, peaches, Dogfish Head beer, strawberries

I wanted to try this wonderful Delaware Crab Puff recipe from Fenwick Island - showcased in the American Lighthouse Cookbook by Becky Sue Epstein and Ed Jackson (also on Google Books). As delicious and easy as this blue crab recipe sounds, I did not feel like putting out the expense for even half a pound of crab meat - the cheapest I found from the Chesapeake was about $10, on sale, again for half a pound.

So I got lazy. I got real lazy.

Recipe: Oysters on the Half-Shell

This is really difficult. Here's what you need:

Yes I bought these back when there was still all that snow. I write these posts a few weeks ahead of time. By now I'm probably writing my Georgia post.

* oysters, in the shell - and alive (Quick! Don't tell PETA!) - I found oysters on sale at Wegman's for 99¢ each
* Tabasco sauce and lemon wedges

Here's what you do:

Use your oyster shucking knife to pry open each oyster, usually somewhere near the joint (yes, I've done this before).

Some are easy to open...

...and some are not so easy to open.

Place them lovingly on a plate, douse each one with Tabasco and/or lemon, and gulp it down. Make sure there are no little bits of oyster shell going down with it.


Some people are not raw oyster people. I am happy to say I am a raw oyster person. I love the things. If you're not, you can pan fry them, put 'em in a pie, deep fry, tempura fry (that's a nice twist), put 'em in a dressing... The possibilities are endless. What better thing to eat while whiling away the humid summer evenings on the porch of a Rehoboth Beach guest house, or restaurant, or bar (preferably one with as few douchebags as possible), with a bunch of raw oysters, some Tabasco, a little lemon, maybe some Old Bay and the Dogfish Head of your choice?

Oyster liquor washed from my hands, I am ready to move on. Alphabetically, the next state in my list is Florida. But hold on just a bit! Before we get to the land of key limes, conch fritters and Cuban sandwiches, we have to make a detour. You didn't think I would forget the Nation's Capital, did you? Of course not. I'm heading straight through the District of Columbia, no MARC Train necessary.

Sources:

Delaware Guide. "Delaware Food." Delaware Guide, date unknown. Copyright 2004-2011, IIWINC (Interactive Internet Websites, Inc).

Delmarva Poultry Industry. "Easy Baked Chicken." Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 2011.

Epstein, Becky Sue, and Ed Jackson. The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America's Shorelines. Cumberland House: Naperville, IL, 2009. Portions also available on Google Books.

Hense, Zina. Delaware Fresh Seafood (guide). Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife in cooperation with the Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistical Program (ACCSP), 2008.

Higgins, Vanessa. "Peach Vinaigrette Salad Dressing." About.com: Local Foods, date unknown. Copyright 2011, About.com.

Jennie Robillard. A Collection of DelMarVa Recipes. Eastern Shore Arts & Crafts Center: Princess Anne, Maryland, date unknown.

Some information also obtained from Wikipedia's "Delaware" page and other pages, and the Food Timeline State Foods webpage link to "Delaware”.

A few random bites: February Edition

Just a few things I've missed saying...

1) In doing research for my next "Back to the Beltway" post (coming up at some point in the next few weeks, just with the gas prices and expense and all), I was surprised, shocked and dismayed at all the eateries in Linthicum that have seemingly shut down. One hot dog place, Duncan's Famous, hasn't been there for a while. Granted, they once gave me the creamiest hot dog that I have had in ages, not since the Soda Pop Shop near Baltimore Highlands, late 80's.

2) Lunch on Friday was at the House of India in Columbia. I had to get in and out, which I did with ease. It was quite good: some of the least bony chunks of goat I have eaten in a while. plus tasty and toothsome ras malai and various chicken, chickpea and rice dishes. One dish I was not so hot on was the dhabha chicken, which tasted and had a texture like warmed over day-old Chinese takeout, and I don't mean from a good place. And yet there it is smack dab in the middle, piled up as if to say "Taaaaaake meeeeeee. You KNOW you waaaaaant meeeeee." Next time I go back I'll just get everything else. Though at $12 for the weekday buffet, it is a wee pricier than some other buffets that are just as good. I guess you're paying for the "Columbia" experience.

3) The latest beer tasting I did at the Wine Source was of R.J. Rockers out of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Most of their beers were lovely though I was particularly captivated by their winter seasonal, The First Snow Ale. Billed as a "malt beverage brewed with honey and spices", the beer's nicest quality is its gingery punch. I rarely leave with a whole six pack ($9) but I did this time.

4) A gas station in Glen Burnie sells Pepsi from Mexico, made with actual cane sugar. Not as sweet as the HFCS stuff.

5) Along those lines, I have been quite good at drinking less soda. I've been averaging 1.5 cans a day - down from about 3. Let's see how much more I can cut back.

6) Try and figure out why I spent the past week making doro wot (Ethiopian chicken stew), GamJa salad (Korean potato salad) and curtido (Salvadoran cole slaw) - and ate it all at once. Go on.

How to Burn a Pot of Anything

I am officially incapable of cooking anything on the stove in a covered saucepan without burning the hell out of it. I do not know why this happens to me, but it does. I set the fire as low as I can, leave it like the recipe says, then come back and find a charred mess on the bottom.

This happens all the time with rice. Tonight I was trying out Lundberg's Brown Rice Couscous, which I found at the Milk & Honey in Mount Vernon. Now y'all might be wondering "Oh my God, how in the world can anyone burn couscous!?" Well, the instructions say to cook the couscous over a low flame for 15 minutes before removing from heat,so it's not conventional couscous. But still, I had to leave it, and of course, it burned.

I have a theory: my stove hates me. I mean, I can only set the flame so low before I turn it off. And still it's not enough. So screw it: I'm microwaving everything - and if not I'm throwing it in the rice-cooker.

Punched!?!?!?

I really don't know what to say. From SNL. Of course.

Cutting Back on Soda: Update #1

Just a brief update on my quest to not drink so much soda/pop/coke/whatever. This time last week, I was drinking about 3 cans (roughly 36 oz) soda a day. Mind you, I was trying to drink as much in water, but still. Since Tuesday, I've managed to cut myself back to 1 1/2 cans (18 oz) a day, with a little more in case I am driving around very late (like on my super long 8AM to 10PM Wednesdays). The secret? Actually, a few secrets:

1) I've been drinking half a can at a time, and sealing the can back up with that "seal wrap" that works so much better than plastic wrap (for most things at least)

2) I've also been drinking a lot more water and homemade iced tea. I don't touch the pre-made store bought bottled stuff. That has enough crap in it that I might as well stick with the soda.

So, that's how it's working so far. Another update is coming next week.

A Dinner Party with Nick Malgieri

I was so fortunate the other night to stop by Julie Thorne's (Kitchenography's), where many area food bloggers were congregated, for an event organized by Dara Bunjon (Dining Dish and the Baltimore Dining Examiner column): an evening with pastry chef and author Nick Malgieri. Though I did not get to stay too long, I did get to meet Nick, see a lot of my fellow blogheads, meet some bloggers that I had not met before (or had only met through online social media), and eat some delicious food. I did nibble on appetizers - those mushroom caps were almost gone when I got there but the few I had were delicious - and cookies.


And I chatted with Nick, who is a charming man. Though the chat was brief, a few of us did talk with him about Thai food. He wanted to find out a good place to get some in town, and told us about one author who spent time in parts of Thailand that most American chefs have never seen, bringing in unique Thai ways of cooking that most of those chefs did not even know or believe existed! (If only I could remember that author's name!!! I need to be the anthropologist and bring notepad and paper with me at all times.)

The event was potluck/covered dish, and I got to bring a hot milk cake - recipe from John Shield's Chesapeake Bay Cookery book, which is now falling apart because I have used it so often (here's a similar recipe from the Sun).


I can only imagine the spirited conversation during the dinner party, but at least I don't have to imagine the delicious food. I did get to take some home with me, and everything I ate was delicious, from baked chicken to rice pilaf to meatballs, and everything in between.


Nick had made a Chocolate Bourbon Cake, which I did not get the chance to try since I needed to leave early. But I bet it was very good. This is just one recipe in his new cookbook Bake! which promises to "take all the intimidation out of baking" with delicious results. I am game, and may have to try and interpret that Chocolate Bourbon Cake to see what I missed.

The cake missing the slice? I brought that.