Food & Dining
New Cookbook Introduces Healthy Persian Cooking
by Erin Mawn
I suppose every nationality takes immense pride in its food; each St. Patrick’s Day my father insisted on having a traditional Irish dinner complete with corned beef, potatoes and cabbage. As a self-described ‘foodie’, one of my joys in life in trying new foods. When I was young I visited Australia and actually tried shark meat, kangaroo meat (it’s equivalent to Americans eating venison) and the pride of the Aussies: Vegemite. In college I went to England, and I was more than happy to go out each night to a different pub and try the fare. However, rather than spending all the dough to travel to a foreign country every time I want to try a new food, I have learned to look for local venues that offer interesting dishes. My newest experience though, is a do-it-yourself one.
Persian cuisine, or the cuisine of Iran, is deliciously diverse and also very health conscious. Many of the dishes use rice as a staple ingredient, and almost all of them have fruits and vegetables either as main ingredients or as sides. I realize that most people would have no idea how to begin cooking a Persian dish, and so to make the process easier, here is the book to lead the way: Simply Persian Cuisine. The book is presented in a very straight forward manner, so that anyone, even those whose free time is at a premium such as working mothers or college students, can pull together a healthy and delicious meal.
French Bistro take an Irish Twist
‘Master of Whisky’ helps French bistro take an Irish twist on St. Paddy’s weekend
“The Luck of the Irish” lands in downtown Cambridge on Friday, March 19 when Bistro Poplar welcomes “Master of Whisky” John Heffernan and rising-star chef Ian Campbell and his staff put their culinary talents to work creating a menu that complements a selection of fine libations from the Emerald Isle.
One of the evening’s highlights will be the presentations made by John Heffernan, the Washington, D.C.-based “Master of Whisky” for Diageo, the world’s leading distributor of premium drink brands. To earn his degree, Heffernan underwent years of training in the history, production, maturating and blending of premium whiskeys. Before that, he served 12 years as a Whisky Ambassador.
Heffernan now educates bartenders and restaurant owners about the nuances of Scotch and Irish whiskies. “There is nothing more exciting than teaching people about my two loves: history and whisky,” he says. “I always get excited to share with others and see their faces turn from puzzled to enlightened.”
TALBOT RESTAURANT WEEK SET FOR MARCH 21-28
EASTON—Talbot County, whose reputation as a dining destination has grown well beyond its Eastern Shore locale, is joining communities across the country by celebrating the popular culinary trend known as Restaurant Week.
More than 20 restaurants in Easton, Oxford, St. Michaels, Tilghman and Trappe have signed on to participate in the week-long event debuting in late March.
Restaurant Week began in the early 1990s in New York City and the concept—a cooperative effort among usually fierce competitors to provide gourmet dining experiences at bargain prices—caught on so quickly that it has been adopted by many areas as an annual “shoulder season” event.
Locally, Restaurant Week kicks off on Sunday, March 21, at The Oaks (formerly the Pasadena Inn) with “Celebrate Talbot! Sample, Sip & Savor,” a four-hour food- and wine-tasting of the best treats that chefs and vintners have to offer. “Celebrate Talbot!” is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and costs $35 per person. This event is sponsored by the Talbot County Office of Tourism in partnership with the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce.
Sample, Sip & Savor - Restaurant Week
March 21, 2010—3 PM until 7 PM
On March 21, 2010 a pantheon of food and beverage stars will exercise their considerable talent to enhance Talbot County’s culinary reputation. Only three hundred attendees will have the opportunity to sample exceptional dishes prepared by an acclaimed group of chefs from St. Michaels, Easton, Oxford, Tilghman Island and Trappe, along with select vintners.
Tickets are limited to 300 guests and are only $35 per person.
The setting is The Oaks, a country inn located on an inlet of the Chesapeake Bay just an hour from Annapolis and 90 minutes from Washington, DC and Baltimore.
Enjoy this historic waterfront estate, nestled on a secluded cove as you sample, sip and savor creations from the following Talbot County restaurants and caterers:
The Wine Coach® Partners Wine & Pasta at St. Michaels Winery
March 26, 6:30-8:30pm . . . Join Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach® and her husband, Chef Michael Forster, for “Great Partners: Wine & Pasta” on March 26 at the St. Michaels Winery. Learn pasta?making techniques and wine pairings with delicious selections from St. Michaels Winery. Tickets $49, includes three tastings of pasta, tasting of six wines, cooking lesson, and wine pairing instruction. Participants receive recipes to take home. Registration is limited, and advanced reservations are required.
Cooking Demonstration: Make Cannellonis at Bella Luna
Cooking demonstration, Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 6:30pm—homemade cannellonis. Make a filling, stuff and roll up the cannellonis, cook and eat them. $35 per person includes cannellonis and wine.
Perfect for a girls' night out, a get-together with friends, or a date night.
Reservations required. Call 410.221.0110. 305 High Street.
Farmers' Market in Grasonville Seeks Vendors
Warm Up with Easy, Creamy, Potato Soup!
The weather outside is frightful - but hot soup is so delightful! Not only does this soup go together quickly - but the rich taste will satisfy all! (Ingredients listed after directions)
Saute ham and/or diced bacon in olive oil in your soup pot. Add diced onions, garlic and celery and cook until onions are soft and bacon is cooked through (5-10 minutes). Add chicken broth, diced carrots and diced potatoes (I also threw in some dried green pepper flakes). Cook over medium heat until potatoes and carrots are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes. Smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot until the soup thickens. Add half & half, grated sharp cheddar cheese and pepper to taste. Simmer a few more minutes (don't boil) until the cheese is melted through. Serve with grated cheese & chopped chives! Yummy!
Make a New Holiday Favorite - Pumpkin Chili!
by Cyndi Paxton Johnon
Even if your family isn't gung-ho for pumpkin they'll enjoy this flavorful chili - according to one of the PICKIEST family on the shore - MINE! This would also work in a slow cooker - if you're organized enough to get an early start!
Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients:
1lb of ground pork
1lb of small beef cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 T minced garlic
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup V-8 or tomato juice
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, with juice
1-3 cups of pumpkin puree (I used 2+)
Enjoy "Humane" Wines - and Help Talbot Humane!
Talbot Humane unleashes new fundraising alliance
EASTON - Talbot Humane and Hair O’ The Dog Wine & Spirits have teamed up to create an innovative program that may be the first in the nation to feature photos of adoptable cats and dogs on wine labels.
“We have been making a donation to Talbot Humane for each bottle of house wine that we’ve sold for several years, but we were looking for a way to do more to help this very worthy cause,” said Shazz Lewis, Director of Marketing for Hair O’ The Dog.
Each bottle of “Humane wine” sold fetches $1 for Talbot Humane, "enough to feed one shelter pet for one day," according to Talbot Humane's Interim Executive Director, Patty Crankshaw Quimby. "We're extremely grateful to Hair O' The Dog for coming up with this deliciously different idea to benefit the animals.
The wines are sold exclusively at Hair O' The Dog stores, and include a Chardonnay, a Malbec and a Cabernet – all grown and estate-bottled in the Mendoza Valley of Argentina. All are priced under $10, and each variety features photos of four different adoptable animals.
Talbot Humane is fortunate that photographer Candy Schwadron enjoys volunteering her time each week to take photos of the shelter's adoptable pets, including those cute little kittens who never sit still for the camera. Candy's captivating photos appear on the wine labels and the web site, www.talbothumane.org.
Hair O' The Dog stores are located near Staples on Elliott Road, and next to Pier One on Marlboro Road in Easton. Pet visiting hours begin daily at 11:00AM (except Sunday) at Talbot Humane, 7894 Ocean Gateway in Easton.
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