Advanced Intuitive Cooking

by Xani

These days, I don’t use many recipes.  For one, most of my cookbooks are packed away in a storage unit, awaiting their fate in a new kitchen (TBD).  There are millions of recipes at my fingertips on the internet, but I’m not using those, either.  Instead, I make up my own recipes as I go, also known as “winging it.”  Developing the “winging it” technique (mostly a combination of familiarity with basic cooking skills, with a little self-confidence mixed in) has been an interesting evolution in my cooking life.  I used to cling to a recipe like a life preserver, now I find freedom in trusting my instincts.

Now, that’s all well and good when you are talking about winging an omelette, vinaigrette, or other simple dish using a few pennies worth of ingredients. If it ends up terrible you throw it away (or give it to the dog) and start over.  But the stakes get higher when you are dealing with a pricey steak, or in this case, a veal breast.

Adventures in Metuchen, NJ: Bodega Blondies

by EP & X


Pimm's Cups and Lauren welcome us to Metuchen, NJ!
Clearly, we are thrilled.

Long-time readers may recall that the BCD girls love them some NYC.  Until recently, we used to go every couple of months, check out the hot new places to eat, see friends and family, drink fancy cocktails, crash in a fancy hotel (or on our best buddy Lauren's Brooklyn couch - either option was tres glamorous), and have a whirlwind Manhattan experience.

Our last visit was in Summer '11 and it was high time for us to visit the NY metropolitan area.  But, instead of actually going into NYC, we instead hung out in Metuchen, NJ.  On purpose.  Yes, folks, we wanted a lounge-y vacation and while NYC is lovely for so many reasons, lounging is not really its forte.  Thusly and forthwith, we went to New Jersey to hang out with Lauren, catch up on all the news (aka gossip), eat pizza and banana cream pie, and watch a heck of a lot of movies.  Oh, and BAKE!

And Now for Something Completely Different

by Xani

Long-time readers of this blog might have picked up on a theme-- EP and I are all about TASTE.  Sure, we "eat with our eyes" first, and food can be elevated by gorgeous presentation, but in the end, if it don't taste good, I ain't eating it.  I'd rather have a piece of delicious homemade pie, even if it is lopsided and falling-apart, than a picture-perfect pie from the bakery that just tastes blah.  So that's pretty much my rule with food: flavor over form.  But, there are exceptions to every rule, and these cupcakes broke all the rules!

Nuts for Coconut (Oil)

by Xani

Wait, don't run away! Does the phrase "coconut oil" have you heading for the hills? It's got a bad rap. If you're a regular reader of THIS blog, you've stuck with us through pork fat, chicken fat, butter and cream galore, so don't let a little coconut oil scare you off...

Porkapalooza

by Xani

I travel often, and I of course I eat when I travel, but I don't often travel just to eat.  This past weekend's visit to Boston was the exception to the rule.

A few weeks ago, an email arrived from Dave's Mom, M.  Attached was a scanned copy of an article from The Boston Herald, all about how Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar does a pig roast for groups of 10 or more, and Boston foodies are raving about the experience.  She had scheduled a dinner with a group of local friends for April 10-- was there any way we could join them?

Wow, what an invitation!  Were we really going to travel a few hundred miles for roast pig?  Well, in a word, yes.

New Chef and New Season at B&O Brasserie!

by Xani

Sometimes, it's good to be a food blogger. In the past week, EP and I have been lucky enough to dine at two of Baltimore's best restaurants: Salt  (don't worry, post coming soon!) and B&O American Brasserie.  Now we've blogged about B&O before, but last night we were invited to try out the new B&O, with new Executive Chef Thomas Dunklin at the helm.  And, not to put too fine a point on it, the new menu ROCKS!

Check out that ink!

The Hunt for White Anchovies

by EP

Okay, so, this is awkward.  It's been a long while since we posted.  The good news is, we haven't posted because we are busy having fun with new hobbies; the bad news is, we haven't posted and now one too many people have asked me, "hey, what's up with the blog."  Hrmph.  But today's a new day, right?  And today, I had some great pizza.

This afternoon I met up with the BCD parents, who were in town to watch the lovably awful Terps in one of their last home games of the season.  We enjoyed a late lunch at Scittino's, a family-owned pizza place and Italian market in Catonsville.  I have fond memories of Scittino's, since my parents met me there for some celebratory pizza shortly after I found out I passed the bar exam (still feels good to say that).

Dinner at Vino Rosina: Snails and Marrow and Sweetbreads, Oh My!

by EP

Right before Christmas, to really kick off the gluttony of the holidays and my trip to Las Vegas (post on B&B Ristorante, a Mario Batali establishment, coming soon), I went to dinner with my good friend Lydia.  We wanted to try somewhere neither of us had been, and Vino Rosina, located in Harbor East across from the Whole Foods, was on my list. [Disclaimer: it was really dim in the restaurant, so I didn't take any pictures.  Okay okay, I forgot my camera.  But the pictures would have been crappy -- crappier than normal, anyway.]

We were both impressed by the cozy yet open design of the restaurant.  Guests are greeted with a large square bar, with the dining room towards the back.  The dining area had a view of the kitchen (or at least the final prep station), which we appreciated.  The place was packed for a Tuesday night, and we were excited.

It’s Game Day at the Island Grille

by Dennis

Regular visitors to BCD know that BCD parents live on the eastern shore of Maryland, on Taylors Island, (see Facebook)  about 18 miles west of Cambridge.   Dorchester County is the largest (by area) and one of the smallest (by population) of the Maryland counties and its citizens are by and large insistent on preserving   its rural and rustic nature.   This extends to the cuisine.  Although there are a few exceptions (Bistro Poplar and Clearview), fine dining is not the reason to come to Dorchester County.  On the other hand, this area abounds in the traditional eastern shore seafood delicacies and on Taylors Island one can buy, direct from the boat, the oysters and crabs that will later make their way across the Bay in trucks.  And there are many local restaurants that do justice to these treasures.  But this article is not about the bounty of the sea.

Say What??

Taking Stock, Making Stock

by Xani

Let me not waste time explaining why I haven't blogged in so long. Yes, I've eaten at wonderful restaurants and cooked fabulous foods, yet the blogging hasn't happened. I wish it had, but let's not dwell on the ancient past, let's look to the recent past/future! This weekend I cooked up a storm and I want to tell you all about it! This post will be light on the pics, but let's not let that keep me from blogging. Here we go!

The first thing I want to share with you is the awesome technique for making chicken stock that I discovered this weekend. I was feeling the need for a freezer-full of stock as so many cozy fall recipes for soups, stews, etc require stock or broth. While BCD mom raised us on a diet of College Inn chicken broth, hoarding dozens of cans in the pantry at all times, I've become sufficiently brainwashed to think that only homemade stock will do. But, we haven't been eating that much chicken at home lately, and we didn't have a stockpile of bones to make the base of the stock. So, I remembered this recipe for chicken stock which starts with three whole chickens, and after reading the comments, decided I could modify this technique to serve my purposes. Here's how it went:

Ingredients
2 (5-pound) roasting chickens
2 large yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
4 carrots, unpeeled and halved
3 stalks celery with leaves, cut into thirds
3 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in half
15 sprigs fresh parsley
10 sprigs fresh thyme
10 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Method:
1. Wash chickens and remove and discard/find another use for the packet or innards. Put chickens in LARGE pot, cover with cold water. Bring to boil, reduce to a very slow simmer, simmer for 1 hour, skim scum/impurities off the surface periodically.
2. Carefully remove chickens from water. Let cool until they can be handled, then carefully pick the meat from the carcass (after 1 hour the meat should be mostly cooked, but not over-cooked. I harvested almost 3 pounds of meat from the chickens, which I separated into white and dark, and packaged and froze for later use such as chicken soup, enchiladas, or chicken pot pie).
3. Put all bones, skin, carcasses, etc back into the pot as you pick the meat (also pour back in any liquid that came out with the chickens). Continue to barely simmer (just a small bubble coming up here and there- if you cook too aggressively your stock will get cloudy) for another 2 hours.
4. Now it's time to add the veggies, herbs and seasonings. Many stock recipes have you add everything at the very beginning, but Michael Ruhlman recommends adding them only for the last hour of cooking, and for good reason-- too much cooking and the veggies break down/get soggy. This can cloud your stock, plus the water-logged veggies soak up so much of your precious stock! So just add them for the last hour, and keep the pot at that bare simmer...
5. It's been four hours, the stock is (almost) done!. Remove all solids, using tongs and a slotted spoon/strainer, pressing the veggies gently on the side of the pot to press out absorbed stock. At this point, I chose to keep simmering my stock for a while to reduce and concentrate the flavor a bit. When it reaches your desired intensity, let cool a bit and strain through cheesecloth.
6. Put stock in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Any fat will congeal on the top and can be skimmed off easily (mine had almost no fat even though I started with whole chicken).
7. Now you should be left with a large quantity of rich, flavorful chicken stock! This can easily be frozen for future use.

So there it is, my best stock yet! Mine came out a beautiful brown color, completely clear, with a nice roasted flavor (even though i started with all raw ingredients), and good sweetness and aroma from the veggies. I have already used some for risotto and chicken pot pie, and I'm so excited to have all that "poached" meat reserved for later. This is a lot more cost effective than just throwing the meat away after stock-making, too.

I cooked up a bunch of other recipes this weekend, too. No time to blog about each in detail, but here are some links and notes, and I'm happy to discuss with you in the comments, if you have questions.

New Year's Eve eggnog: Why am I making eggnog for a party on December 31 in mid-October?? Because this aged eggnog is supposed to be a revelation, and needs weeks or months in the fridge to mature. We'll break it out to ring in the new year, and hopefully not give our guests food poisoning.

Angel Food cake: I had 12 egg whites leftover from the nog-making, and a brand new tube pan that just arrived in the mail this week. I HAD to attempt my first angel food cake-- and I think it came out pretty good!

Lobster-ish Risotto with shrimp: I had a bit of frozen lobster stock in the freezer (made from the remnants of one of BCD Dad's big lobster gorge-fests) and decided to supplement it with some of my freshly made chicken stock and make risotto. I served it with some large pan-seared shrimp on top, and Mom's Caesar salad on the side. While I thought the risotto texture was good, the lobster flavor was very mild.

Buttermilk Waffles with apple topping: We had 2 cups of buttermilk hanging out in the fridge, so we tried this recipe on Sunday morning. It was just ok, I think next time I'll go to the trouble of separating the eggs and whipping the egg whites, to try and achieve a lighter, fluffier waffle. I also made a warm cinnamon apple topping from some of the apples still lingering from our apple-picking trip 2 weeks ago. Cooked the sliced apples with a little water, brown sugar, and cinnamon until apples were soft and the liquid had mostly evaporated. Finished with some lemon juice, butter, and a touch of cream. So much better than plain old syrup!

Chicken pot pie: Perhaps the pièce de résistance of the entire weekend, I made this for Sunday dinner. I used Ina Garten's recipe for the filling, but used a baking powder biscuit recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Book as the topping (instead of doing a pastry topping). The filling was AMAZING-- loaded with veggies, and yes, delicious, moist meat from the stock-making. The sauce (which used 5 cups of my fab new stock) was SO rich, flavorful, and velvety. The biscuits were very simple, I added a bit of chopped thyme to the dough and also laminated the dough (folding it into thirds and rolling out, repeating, as in puff pastry) to make it extra flaky. I baked them right on top of the pot pie filling in my Le Crueset dutch oven. Perfect hearty fall dinner fare, with plenty of leftovers.

...And would you look at that, it's lunchtime, and I've got some of those leftovers waiting for me in the fridge! Hope you enjoyed my return to blogging, even though it was light on pictures. Now that I'm back in to the swing of things, it's time to dust off my camera again!

Happy cooking,

X

Summertime eats at B&O

by Erin

Last week we were invited to try some of the new summer menu items at B&O American Brasserie, one of our most favorite spots in Charm City. The evening was a bit more special since it was the night before my birthday and it really kicked off the slew of celebrations we had planned (one of which may result in a new BCD banner but that's still under wraps for now!).

We enjoyed some celebratory champagne while waiting for the other ladies in our party to arrive. We sat at a nice big table in the corner (right next to a mini-kitchen where the charming pastry chef was busily piping marshmallow onto butterscotch tartlets...but I'm getting ahead of myself!) and perused the cocktail menu for our second round -- hey, we were celebrating!

Our first course included the Heirloom Tomato Salad, which had compressed watermelon, parmesan, cherries, and basil from the Chef's rooftop garden. Very refreshing on the sticky July night. We also had two other new summer menu items during this course: the Jumbo Lump Crab on a bed of quinoa with sweet potato, salmon roe, and sea urchin aioli, and the Snapper Ceviche, with avocado carpaccio, puffed grains, and red pepper sorbet. Such interesting flavors and textures - like a feature film happening in your mouth! And what evil genius thinks of uni aioli??

Snapper Ceviche with avocado carpaccio
(picture obviously not taken by the BCD girls)

Jumbo lumb crab on quinoa with sweet potatoes and uni aioli

Second course was the flatbread course, and these are TDF. We seriously had to smack each others' hands away from going for seconds since we knew more food was coming. So. Irresistable. We had the Market Flatbread (which we've had before but it warrants mentioning again) with potatoes, smoked ricotta, baby arugula, and an egg on top. We also enjoyed the Smoked Crab Flatbread and the Confit Duck Flatbread with foie gras and cherries. Seriously drooling as I type this.

Next course we had the Braised Veal Cheek with a very interesting sous vide potato, mache greens, and creamed corn. Holy moly, this was great creamed corn.

We also got to try a bunch of their new mains, including some local Maryland Rockfish with crispy skin, avocado-oxtail risotto, and baby tomatoes; Bacon-Wrapped Amberjack, served with cherry-corn succotash, string beans, and a beer-foie gras vinaigrette. Also meat-wrapped was the "Surf & Turf" - a serrano-wrapped quail (also stuffed with duck I think?) and a perfectly cooked, huge scallop, atop a bed of pea puree and a side of cherry jam. Wow.

Crispy-skin Rockfish

"Surf & Turf" with quail and scallop

We loved the rockfish the best of those fish dishes, but one of the biggest hits of the night was a sneak attack from a Buffalo Duck! Yes, this was a deliciously cooked duck coated in a "buffalo" sauce (but much more sophisticated than that of Hooters just a few blocks away), topped with a lightly dressed coleslaw of napa cabbage and red onion and -- get this -- homemade tater tots. Unlike regular tater tots, they tasted like (gasp!) potatoes and were crispy and crunchy on the outside. Delish.

Quick note about B&O - they have daily specials Tuesday-Saturday, and Tuesday was "chicken fried steak" night, which both of us were eyeing. Unfortunately we didn't get it but it just gives us an excuse to go back, right? Other dailys include housemade sausage and champ potatoes, butter poached Maine lobstah, and sous vide lamb loin.

Finally it was time for a sweet treat -- or 3. The pastry chef came out and presented us with 3 beautiful plates: first we had the butterscotch tart with a bruleed marshmallow topping; we also had a "banana split" with chocolate ice cream, peanut butter tuile cookies, and caramelized bananas, and last we had a sweet corn cake with cherries and some other deliciousness I can't remember because I was slipping into a diabetic coma. All of the desserts were incredible; we loved the banana split and we both love a corn cake, be it sweet or savory.

At the end we were lucky enough to have a few minutes of Chef Reidt's time, so nice of him to stop by. We're looking forward to seeing him at the Crab Bash on Tuesday, 8/3 at 5:30! Did you get your tickets?? Rumor is they're sold out but there might be more at the door...hope to see you there!

Thanks to Amy and Chef Reidt for welcoming us again into B&O for really outstanding summer foods. I can't wait to see what Chef will do with all the cozy fall produce!


Here's to birthday banana splits -

EP

Springtime for Rollos: Part 1

by Erin and Xani

This past weekend, Xani and I finally returned to NYC after a 9-month hiatus (loyal readers will recall our amazing visit last September, featuring visits to Porchetta, Yerba Buena, Prune, Burger Joint, and who could forget, Franny's). We did so much good eating -- the result of literally months of research -- and we can't wait to tell you about it!



Xani and I arrived via Bolt Bus around lunchtime on Friday. Since all of our NYC companions were working or otherwise occupied, Xani and I were on our own. In the big city. With no sense of direction and only our Blackberries to guide us. Scary, huh? We checked into our hotel and hopped into a cab downtown to Momofuku Noodle Bar.



We had read so much about David Chang and his collection of Momofuku restaurants (momofuku means "lucky peach," btw), we were beyond excited to finally get to one. We walked into the bustling restaurant, which had mostly a large bar to sit at, and a few tables for larger parties. We didn't wait more than 5 minutes before two seats at the bar opened up for the BCD girls. We had - in our opinion - the best seats in the house. We were literally 2 feet away from all the cooks in the kitchen and we could see how each dish was assembled and plated: beautifully and with great care.

She's a lucky peach to be sitting so close to the action!

Thank you for making such good food, boys!

We knew we definitely wanted to try the pork bun, a dish Chef Chang is famous for and is served at every one of his restaurants (even the dessert place!). The pork bun had a pillowy soft doughy outside, and inside were two scrumptious pieces of pork belly,* a delicious sauce, and a few pieces of pickled cucumber. We added a bit of the super-spicy hot sauce on the table and VOILA - total foodie nirvana. BEHOLD:

It was the single best bite of the trip. Mmmmm....

Ahem, anyway, we got three other fantastic dishes while at Momofuku. We tried some of the smoked chicken wings, cooked with pickled chili, garlic, and scallions. These were great but you know, the buns are a tough act to follow.



Of course, we had to get noodles at the noodle bar! We got the momofuku ramen with (more) pork belly, pork shoulder, and a poached egg. The noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth was super-rich and flavorful. Both forms of pork were delicious, as usual. It was very comforting and really hit the spot on that cloudy day after a 4-hour bus ride.





We also got the chilled spicy noodles with Sichuan spiced sausage, spinach, and sweet and crunchy cashews. Our waitress warned us that these noodles were spicy. We brushed her warning aside, thinking we didn't need any silly warning, we know what we're doing. Turns out, she was right! The noodles were chilled and chewy, and essentially swimming in a pool of extra-hot sesame oil - woof!! SOOO spicy and yet, so delicious. The noodles came with spicy Sichuan sausage (spicy in a different way), and fresh crisp (cooling) spinach, and sweet crunchy cashews. An amazing combination that left our mouths burning behind our smiles.

Chilled but OH so hot!

We wandered around for a few blocks and stopped in for a little Pinkberry, and then eventually made our way back to the hotel to meet up with bestie (and guest blogger extraordinaire) Lauren. We hit up a crappy Irish pub for a few beers to catch up on all the gossip, and we were sure to check in on Foursquare during this and all other stops throughout the weekend.

We parted ways with Lauren so she could attend the rainy Yankees game, whilst we headed uptown to Five Napkin Burger on the UWS for dinner with more of our favorites! We met up with cousins Ann, Steven, and (honorary) cousin Brian, plus Melody and Dr. Lee! What a crowd. We had to wait for quite a bit in the very busy restaurant (which recently won Best New Burger according to Time Out New York), but finally we were seated.

To start we ordered some mac n' cheese and some pork taquitos - both were tasty little bites.





Next, we each ordered a burger, and if I recall correctly, we all got the amazing "Original 5 Napkin Burger," a 10 oz patty with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and rosemary aioli. It was so good, and definitely juicy enough to warrant the 5 napkins. Apparently it was so good I forgot to take a picture of it - whoops! It was big and messy. I tried to eat the burger with a fork and knife and was shunned (by Lee, not by the 5 Napkin folks). Xani and I should have split the burger - it was pretty big (10 oz!) and we were still getting over our amazing lunch at Momofuku. Ah well, now we know for next time!

To accompany our burgers, we each got fries (they came with the burger), plus we ordered a stack of onion rings, and tater tots with a fluffy, herby filling. All were delicious - who doesn't love tater tots? No friend of mine.







A few folks got dessert - a brownie sundae and a black and white malted shake, to be exact - and we all nibbled away at them. We discussed the definition of a black and white shake, and determined it is made with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce/syrup, instead of chocolate ice cream.



By the end of dinner, the sky had opened up and it was pouring rain. Miraculously, we were able to get a cab instead of taking the scary subway, and we were soon in our cozy bed at our hotel. Yes, I said bed - singular. It's a long story involving a volcano erupting over Europe, but needless to say, with three of us (BCD girls plus Lauren) in the room and only one bed, we needed another place for someone to sleep. So, we requested a roll-away bed be put in our room. Somehow, in our giddiness, we started calling the bed the "rollo" and then Lauren bought us Rollos to put in the rollo! Hence, we came up with this picture:

Sleep tight in your rollo, Rollos!

We slept soundly (thanks in part to the curtain clips provided by the hotel) and woke up to another great day of eats. Stay tuned for part 2!!

EP & X


* We can't resist making a snarky comment about the girls sitting beside us at Momofuku. They ordered the pork buns and they actually removed the fat from the pork belly before eating it. Like, dissected it. I wish the chef had seen this and thrown them out! Blasphemy!

If You're Ever in Cleveland...

by Xani

You MUST visit Bar Symon. I went to Iron Chef Symon's new-ish casual eatery a few weeks back while visiting a dear friend, and it absolutely blew my MIND. Along with Lola, Lolita, and B Spot Burgers, Iron Chef Mike sure is making his mark in C-town. This meal was even better than the one I had last summer at Lolita. Onto the food!

First, a note about location. Bar Symon isn't in a trendy, hip neighborhood with no parking, like you might expect. Nope, it's a strip mall, in quasi-suburbia. But, don't let that deter you! Because inside, you'll find a long bar, tons of beer on tap, and some amazing eats. (and possibly a long wait. We were seated right away on a Friday night, but apparently the standard wait here is an hour. But WORTH IT!)

We started with a round of draft beers from their extensive selection, and then got down to ordering. My dining companions were gracious enough to let me to the ordering, and our fabulous server, Jessica, made sure everything was easily share-able-- sweet! The rundown:
For starters:
Pork Crackling . chile powder, sea salt & malt vinegar 5
Veal Bratwurst . Spicy Lamb . Pork & Fennel 3 for $17, Served with grilled bread, pickled vegetables & mustard
Mains:
Symon Fried Chicken . rapini, old bay & sriracha honey 15.
Michael’s Glory "Symwich". beef tongue, pierogi, horseradish, caramelized onion, Dijon & sourdough 10.
Duck Sloppy Joe . duck confit, pickled carrots, cilantro, sriracha mayo & bun 12.
Arctic Char special
Sides:
Lola Fries w/rosemary 4.
Fried Brussels sprouts 6.
Desserts:
Beer and Pretzel Sundae . Guinness ice cream, fudge and caramel sauce, pretzels 5.
House Made Sorbet or Ice Cream (Banana peanut butter, for us) 3.

Now, I normally don't list prices when I blog, but I just had to. This dinner was SO affordable, I couldn't believe it. For the quality (and quantity, we were all stuffed to the gills after), it can't be beat. Here's the pics/porn:

some sort of delicious amber beverage

crispity, crunchity, cracklins!

the pork board

amazing sammiches

Char

AMAZING fried chicken

we couldn't even finish the fries, everything else was SO good. they were served with a fantastic house-made spicy ketchup.

Desserts!

Another reason our server was FAB-- she came back to the table near the end of our meal and asked us a mysterious question, "do you like funny moustaches?" Well, the answer to that question is always YES! She handed us a sharpie, showed us the way, and many funny finger moustaches ensued!

What a fun and delicious meal. I would say my favorite items were the Michael’s Glory "Symwich"-- the man is a genius for putting tongue and pierogi on a sandwich!-- and the fried chicken. But EVERYTHING was good. If I lived in Cleveland, I would SO be a regular at this place. What will it take to get Symon to put a restaurant in Baltimore??

Thanks to my wonderful friend Hayley for being an awesome hostess. Let's start planning where will eat NEXT visit!

X

P.S. Just to make it a 100% Michael Symon weekend, we also went to Czuchraj Meats in the Westside Market to try the jerky he claimed was "The Best Thing I Ever Ate." And let me tell you, this is so GOOD jerky! And what a cool market. Again, if you live in or are visiting the Cleveland area, I highly recommend stopping by!

Fab and Fun at Mr. Rain's Fun House

by Xani



We recently dined at one of South Baltimore's newest and most unique restaurants: Mr. Rain's Funhouse. Mr. Rain's is located at the top of the American Visionary Art Museum (arguably one of the best museums in our fair city), where the much-missed Joy America Cafe used to be. But Mr. Rain's is so funky, cool, and delicious, it makes us almost able to forget the Joy that was tableside guacamole.



But let's not dwell on the past. Mr. Rain's is (pretty much) about the now, from it's Tim Burton-esque decor (which marries perfectly with the overall tenor of the museum) and it's outrageous cocktail menu, to the menu's focus on world cuisine and sustainable sourcing.


During our recent visit we settled into a spacious table, overlooking the harbor (er, the condos in front of the harbor) and got started with cocktails. Mr. Rain's boasts a very unique bar menu, featuring concoctions with such unusual ingredients as thai basil, artichoke bitters, and cayenne sea salt. We tried the The Orchard (Old Forrester Bourbon, Lillet Blanc, Apple Cider, Cinnamon Syrup) which was slightly sweet with a strong bourbon flavor, and The Art E. Choke Flip (Henderick’s Gin, Cynar Artichoke Bitters, Lemongrass Syrup, Egg White) which we deemed the tastiest cocktail we'd had in recent memory! Anyone out there who likes adventurous cocktails, especially those more savory than sweet, should try the Flip! Turns out Flips are a type of pre-Prohibition cocktail, and you know we love anything retro....

The Flip! Notice the foam on top, from the egg white

The Orchard

Then, onto the food. Mr. Rain's originality doesn't end at the drink menu. The dinner options included several several starters, salads, and soups, along with a drool-inducing list of entrees, both carnivorous and vegetarian. We shared a Roasted Garlic & Radish Soup (with shaved idiazabal cheese) to start-- it was creamy, sharp and delicious-- then moved on to main courses.

Oh, and who could forget the lovely pretzel bites they serve with spicy mustard, instead of the predictable bread and butter!



For mains, we went with meat: Duck 3 Ways (seared ~ sausage ~ confit), and a weekly market special, Hog Roast Platter (tasso cured ham, hunter sausage, head cheese, woodfire barbecue). That's 7 kinds of meat!! Each preparation was well-executed and tasty. Even the headcheese, which we were a bit nervous about, had a mild flavor and complex texture. Grilled beets, saurkraut, sauteed spinach, and other delicious little garnishes were nestled amongst the platters, each complimenting one of the seven preparations of protein nicely.

Ze duck! You can see the seared in the middle of the plate, and the confit on the right

Pig 4 ways! Plus it came with fries on top and an amazing BBQ sauce on the side

While we couldn't even finish the massive servings of meat, we just had to indulge in a bit of dessert. While a nearby table opted for a fantastical Baked Alaska (with cotton candy!), we chose the decadent peanut butter cheesecake, served along with a chocolate-marshmallow popcorn ball. Divine! The in-house prepared desserts are just as whimsical and well thought out as the cocktails and the savory dishes.



Overall, we were wowed by Mr. Rain's! The food, drinks, and service were outstanding, and we're so excited to have this funky new establishment in the neighborhood. We can't wait to see how the changing seasons (yay spring) influence the menus. Asparagus mojito, anyone?

Happy Tim Burton-esque dining,
X & EP

Ikea: Not Just For Working Out Your Allen Wrench

by Erin



Last week, my good pal Max and I went to Ikea in Baltimore to do a little shopping -- and a little eating. I have fond memories from when I was a little girl of family trips to Ikea and the inevitable stop by the cafeteria for Swedish meatballs (I turned into a mighty cranky girl when I was hungry...I guess some things never change!). Our meal at Ikea from last week brought me back and gave me a chance to appreciate the odd yet wonderful foods the Swedes have to offer...assuming this is at all what they eat in Sweden. My hopes are not high.

The cafeteria at the Ikea restaurant separates hot and cold. The cold side has glass cases of plates filled with salads, sandwiches, and desserts, all covered in industrial strength plastic wrap. Then there's the hot bar, which serves hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, and of course, Swedish meatballs.



Max and I enjoyed several dishes from the Ikea kitchen. First up: gravlax (smoked salmon), served on a bed of greens with a mustard-dill sauce on the side.



The lox was actually quite good - salty, a little fishy, and tender. The mustard sauce had a kick and a bit of sweetness to it, so it went well with the fish and the greens. I only wish there had been a little bit of bread/toast to go with everything.

Next up, everyone's favorite: Swedish meatballs! Ikea has a special where you get 5 more meatballs for $1 and we couldn't resist piling on a few more (we were sharing, after all). With the meatballs came the gravy, mashed potatoes, and of course, lingonberry jam. The meatballs tasted pretty good, but they weren't very hot. The potatoes were fluffy (and served out of an ice cream scoop just like in elementary school) and the gravy was rich and delicious.



Notice the perfectly shaped ball o' potatoes



A forkful of meatball + gravy + potato + jam was a tasty bite, sort of a spin on the flavors of Thanksgiving.

Lastly, for dessert, we got the Daim Torte. I have been hearing about this silly dessert for what seems like months, as it is one of Max's favorite desserts. It's a torte made from daim candies, which are essentially the equivalent of Heath bars (chocolate-covered toffees), which have been ground up, covered in more chocolate, with a layer of cream and cake added. Honestly I don't really remember much more about it except that it was GOOD.



Plastic wrap removal...



It came with a Daim candy, which was excellent

The meal, which included 2 sodas, came to a grand total of $13. What a bargain! In addition to our lovely meal, I got a new nightstand which I'll be assembling this weekend. If I could just find my allen wrench...

Happy furniture shopping/dining -
EP