Malawry

I can't recommend knife skills enough. Chef Susan Watterson is a very charismatic and enthusiastic teacher and you can't go wrong with anything she offers. As for Chef Somchet, she holds a special place in the heart of anybody who goes through the professional program, and I loved learning about Asian foods and patisserie from her. Most of my class called her "Mama" by halfway through the program, if that's any indication of the level of fondness everybody has for her. I have learned a lot from Chef Francois Dionot's demonstrations as well, and I imagine that once you adjust to the French accent, you might get a lot out of the few classes he offers. He does mostly the Friday ladies-who-lunch demos, but around the holidays he and Mark Ramsdell (who is an amazing instructor) collaborate on some "Holiday Greats" classes that are definitely worth checking out. Not everybody who teaches there is gonna be a winner, but almost all of the instructors I've had the honor to learn from are pretty damn good--especially those who have been teaching there for a while, like Susan and Somchet.

Personally, I'll be back no matter what the case is with the chef. It's not like this is a terribly long and involved menu...

I catered an open house for a housing developer who was opening a new development in a recently completed model last fall. Here was the menu. It's probably not so low-budget but it gives you ideas anyway. In one room, with a Texas Hold-em poker tournament: Beef chili with fixings (sour cream, grated cheese, pickled jalapenos, scallions, assorted hot sauces) and cornbread Guacamole with blue and white corn tortilla chips Mini muffalettas (sesame semolina bread layered with Italian meats and olive salad, cut into small portions) Smoked sausages wrapped in puff-pastry with sweet mustard dipping sauce (pigs in blankets) Assorted homemade cookies In a second room, with tables for sitting: Cookies and Coffee: Assorted homemade cookies, Starbucks coffee, assorted teas, hot chocolate, sugars, half-and-half, milk In a third room, with space to mill about in a kitchen: Pasta in chafers: Fettucine alfredo Penne with garlic, olive oil and vegetables Italian breads/Focaccia I brought chafers for the pastas and the chili, and coffee urns for the hot beverages. You can probably handle some of both in the library. Hot food makes a big impact, and you don't have to offer much of it to enjoy the good feelings it provides.

I find it hard to picture this being a better option than American Flatbread for pizzas, or the bars at Lightfoot and Tuscarora Mill for a casual Leesburg meal. But I'll give it a shot sometime and see for myself.

I'm pretty sure you can with no problem. They haven't exactly been bustling when I've been by.

I have seen no sign of a bbq pizza on my two visits to AF, which were a couple of weeks apart.

My family just drove 40 miles to AF to have our second dinner there. We liked our first visit so much that we were willing to make another drive just to eat there again. We shared the same sausage pizza others have described. There's something about the quality of the mushrooms and the way they cook in the oven that makes them really woodsy--you know how mushrooms are always described as "woodsy" or "earthy"? These ones really are. And I love the slight hint of sweet maple flavor in the sausage. The highlight, though, is definitely the crust. Ohhh, that crust. Thin but not too thin, crisp yet chewy, flecked with charred bits. Very very tasty. We shared the lone salad on the regular menu tonight: greens with celery, carrots, hijiki, sesame seeds and house-made fruit vinegar. It was ok...I like the bitter/umame flavor of the seaweed...but I preferred the lemony dressing and sweet grilled zucchini of the special salad with house-made mozz that we shared on our first visit. Service is friendly and we were in and out relatively quickly without feeling rushed. (A big plus when you have a baby in tow.) Note that almost every party had at least one child along--this place is very kid-friendly, but if you're looking for a downtown vibe you're not finding it in this place.

Zest is closed, but you should definitely check out the Tasting Room.

I've made it to a number of other places in and around Frederick recently, and thought I'd report back. These are each based on a single meal, so take it for what it's worth. 1. That Cuban Place--just got back from lunch there. There seems to be no A/C in the place, making it feel authentically Cuban. I liked the brightly-colored tables, and the guy behind the counter was so genuine and nice that we can't wait to return. He took good care of our son, bringing him a basket with two croquetas, some plantains and some rice to nibble on while we waited for our sandwiches.V I thought the cafe con leche (made with Pilon) was respectable, though I was surprised by its size and its milkiness. (Maybe next time I should get a cafecito instead.) The croquetas were pretty good--one ham and one chicken. The cuban sandwich was incredible...really good house-made bread packed with good versions of the traditional ingredients and pressed until melded, hot, crisp, and juicy. It's a huge serving and it comes with ordinary potato sticks, which my baby happily snacked on. I could only eat half the sandwich and look forward to the rest tomorrow for lunch. There isn't a lot of seating, but it wasn't packed at all and seems like a great lunch spot. The menu is short and mostly comprised of sandwiches and housemade pasteles. Definitely worth a visit. 2. The Cajun Crab/The Big Easy, out Patrick Street towards the Barbara Fritchie restaurant. This is kind of a divey crab-shack type place that happens to have a few Cajun specialties on the menu. The menu is pretty short and basic, and the decor is nothing special. We went because I wanted crab cakes, and they serve a respectable version--not that lumpy, but there's very little filler and the cakes have a nice briny/sweet flavor that I appreciated. They came with really good fries spiked with cajun seasonings and some nondescript slaw. My husband had decent fried clams and ordered some red beans and rice instead of fries, and I was pretty jealous because he got a big puddle of smoky, rich beans mixed in with very flavorful rice. We also had some of the gumbo as a starter--it's bright and tomato-y with plenty of chunks of sausage and just the right amount of rice. I thought prices were reasonable, but service was a bit slow. We still might return next time we're looking for crab shack type food. 3. La Paz, on Market right at the Carroll Creek Promenade. Substandard everything...flautas, guacamole, low-grade chips, lackadaisical service. Not impressed.

We went out yesterday and picked about 2 gallons of wild blackberries. I got pretty scratched up, but at least blackberry thorns are large enough that they come out of the skin if you jerk away from the vine yelping like a little girl the way I do. They were too small and sour last time we went out, but now the ones in sunnier spots are pretty flush and dark. We also got some more raspberries--just a quart or so, for snacking over the next few days. We're having friends over for dinner tonight, which is a great excuse to make my first blackberry cobbler of the summer. Good times.

These are red ones. I haven't seen black raspberries locally, though they are for sale at the Shepherdstown farmer's market so I know they are at least raised around here. We found a lot of unripe blackberry patches...I took some notes on the notepad I keep in my bag so we can return to those in a couple of weeks when they ripen. We were out there for about 3.5 hours, with breaks to wrangle the baby, drive around looking for bushes, and grab sandwiches. It's hot work, and we're both pretty scratched up despite wearing long pants and such. But damn, it's rewarding. I ate a lot of raspberries today in addition to all the berries I picked. I'm well aware that my sieve and I will be making friends over the next couple days. I went to the supermarket and bought lids and sugar earlier; I have plenty of jars. I have made many kinds of jam before, but not raspberry because I never wanted to spend that much money to buy them--and I never managed before now to commit to picking enough raspberries to make jam a worthwhile project. We'll see how it goes.

As of Thursday, yes. (I didn't eat there, but I walked by.)

I just went out with my husband and nabbed 3gal of wild raspberries, which are destined for jammaking once I can get off my duff and get them prepped. (I'm planning to try Rose Levy Beranbaum's raspberry conserve from The Cake Bible--has anybody made this recipe and what did you think?) Wild raspberries grow in borders of forests and in thicker, lusher fields of shrubs. There are a lot of places like that along roadsides out here in Harpers Ferry, and it wasn't hard to find some patches that hadn't been picked over yet. We also saw a lot of blackberry patches, which we'll return to in a couple of weeks when they've had a chance to ripen and sweeten up a little more. (Most of those still look a little greenish-red right now.) Wild raspberries and smaller, darker and much much sweeter than the standard Driscoll type raspberries I've been buying from Costco recently. They're far tastier, IMO. I'm a little scratched up from the thorns but otherwise pretty pleased with myself right now. This has me thinking about foraging in general--especially since I am inspired by recently reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. Do you forage? For what? When and where do you go to get it, and does it take a lot of work?

I'm planning to try for a quick dinner at the bar of Circle Bistro tonight. I should be arriving between 6:30 and 7pm, hopefully closer to 6:30. Not trying to compete with other get-togethers, it's just close to my friend's place and I would enjoy company if anybody wants to come.

Shepherdstown Press Room

It's fan-freaking-tastic. I caught a sneak preview last weekend in Miami. Check out the way Remy gets his rat buddies to clean up at the end of the film--probably my favorite little gag in the film. Highly recommended. And it will make you want to eat a plate of ratatouille!

Shepherdstown My husband teaches at Shepherd U, and we live about 7 minutes down the road from the school. Here's a rundown: Shaharazade's: a great place for afternoon tea or a light lunch. The scones are handmade and taste of it. Good selection of teas. (Disclaimer: I am not a tea person.) The owner's daughter, who works there often, took a few cooking classes from me. They are serious about the food; menu is small but most everything is fresh and well-prepared. Three Onions: Same owner as Yellow Brick Bank. OK pizzas, attempt at citified martinis including many sweet ones geared towards college sophisticate-wannabes. There's a nice salmon salad that I enjoyed there last year, with goat cheese melted into the dressing IIRC. I go here to drink with friends sometimes but usually don't order much. Yellow Brick Bank: Better food than Three Onions, charming old building with very uncomfortable wooden booths in some rooms. (Ask for a table.) I like the house-baked bread. NY Strip is excellent. Menu does not change very often and includes a few strange ones (pasta with cream sauce and fresh fruit?) but is generally reliable. Where I take most out-of-town guests. Press Room: Former YBB chef. Stick to the specials for best results. Very good and generous pate would make a great summer dinner. Review with details coming soon in the Frederick News Post. Bavarian Inn: The waitresses still wear dirndls here! The clientele is kinda...well-matured, and there's little that seems fresh here. They are unusual in that they have a lot of Bavarian specialties in addition to the standard crab cake and roasted chicken type menu items. If you go in the fall, definitely hit their seasonal game menu--I had a bacon-wrapped roast pheasant that was particularly memorable on my birthday last year, and this menu is clearly where the chef has a chance to do something cool--take advantage. Stone Soup Bistro: I've only had one lunch here, just as a qualifier. The menu was short and focused on very fresh, light flavors--vegetables and whole grains instead of fries with the sandwiches, wraps instead of a white bun, that sort of thing. The potato salad was way way way too mustardy, and I LIKE mustard. I'll be back for dinner sometime and will report back. Others: The Shepherdstown Sweet Shop bakery is ok--the cupcakes are consistently the best thing I've eaten there. Skip Blue Moon unless you want to relive your poor college days when a crappy sandwich was all you could afford to eat out. There is such a thing as good cheap American Chinese food and sushi, but you're not finding it in Shepherdstown. Shaharazade's, 3 Onions, YBB, Press Room the Sweet Shop, and Stone Soup are all on German Street.

I just returned from London, where my 1yo son and I joined my husband and 50 college students on a music tour. Fortunately, this was a tour where there was lots of down time for exploring. Double fortunately, one of the performances was at Southwark Cathedral--which is right next to the Borough Market! We ended up lunching there two different days, grazing our way through Parma ham, Basque salamis, buffalo mozzarella, hard cider, raw milk cheddar, apple strudel with hand-pulled dough, a venison burger, and a massive salt-beef sandwich on spinach-flecked bread with mango mustard and aioli. Burp. Very child-friendly sort of place if your child likes throngs of people like mine does. Stay away on Saturday mornings if you are crowd-phobic, it was twice as crazy as during the week. The ladies who run the little French shop hawking cassoulet are particularly friendly and helpful; too bad I was already full-up on tinned foie gras. (They sell the fresh stuff too, but I was kitchenless and didn't think the USDA would be amused if I brought it home.) Due to the baby factor, I was only able to whimper outside the more fabulous London dining destinations. Things are extraordinarily expensive in London right now, which made me long for the halcyon days when I honeymooned there and the exchange rate was closer to 1.3 pounds to the dollar. You can stretch your travel dollars and please just about anybody's appetite at the Borough Market, though--I'm so glad I'd read up on it here before heading over. The courtyard at the cathedral is a handy place to carry your booty for picnicing. One other culinary note: we found a small cookbook shop off Portobello Road in the Notting Hill neighborhood that seemed very well-stocked. Their staff was very knowledgeable, directing me towards some books on British puddings and sweets that I wanted to bring back. I think they are simply called Books for Cooks and there is a small cafe in the rear. They carry many of the major and newer US cookbook titles, just in case you find yourself in London suffering a desperate need for Michel Richard's new cookbook.

Thanks for the report, Brian. What a bummer. I thought they did so well in their original location. I wonder if they would have survived longer if they'd been just a block or two closer to the creek--The Tasting Room seems to be thriving on the other side of the creek, and IIRC the price points of both places are similar.

I'll be talking asparagus at the farmer's market at the Great Frederick Fair (Frederick, MD) this Saturday morning from around 8:30 till 11:30am. Stop by if you're in the area!

Yay Monica and family!

I started hitting the Bucks more after I had a baby, too. Most drive-thru coffee sucks, but Starbucks is ok considering you don't have to wake up the kid and get him out of the vehicle in order to buy it. Of course, there is not a single Starbucks within 20 miles of my home. I sometimes drive through one of the Frederick locations when running errands there, though.

They certainly never offered much of anything organic at the location in Charles Town, WV* *where I used to shop on an account for some of the classes I was teaching, otherwise I try to never set foot in the store

Žlan is one of those rare ingredients only found in the outer burbs, Rocks. You should get out more. They got cr쳌me brulee out here too.

I liked it, too. http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/...m?StoryID=58610