I taught my Autumn Pie class to a wonderful group of students yesterday at Kaleidoscope in Baltimore. They asked a lot of great questions and worked hard to make some lovely pies. Way to go, everyone!
The Apple Crumb Pie group gets organized.
Crimpin' like a pro!
Old Fashioned Double Crust Apple Pie
The Best Pecan Pie Ever
Well, I taught my Elegant Tart class at Kaleidoscope in Baltimore yesterday and it went very well despite a last minute location change. Rather than the cafeteria kitchen at the school where Kaleidoscope is located, we were in a different kitchen/room due to PSAT testing. Hey, what can you do? These things happen and it was kind of fun because I felt like I had just been dealt one of those reality TV challenges and like someone had said to me, can you make beautiful tarts with seven people in a small kitchen? And, well, although a bit challenging for a hands on class, the students and I rolled with it, made it all work, and had a blast.
So, I am sending out a huge thank you to my students for demonstrating their flexibility, eagerness to learn, and positive attitudes. They did a fantastic job, made lovely tarts, and have requested a Tarts II class on savory tarts. So, look for a Savory Tart class in the schedule for next semester. Also, a big thank you to Judy and Christy at Kaleidoscope for all of their help in making my classes run!
Enjoy the few photos I took below...it's always hard to take pictures when I am teaching because I am so busy and focused. Also, the lighting in the room didn't do these tarts justice (and I also know I need a lesson on taking better photos in fluorescent lighting and on dark days).
Yesterday, I headed over to the Pigtown Fest in the gloomy weather to stop by Meg of Pigtown Design's(and Pigtown Pigout) booth and check out the "Running of the Pigs" (i.e. pig races, hon). You know, there are always plenty of quirky-weird-strange things to do in Baltimore and, well, I couldn't resist watching those pigs run. I wasn't disappointed because it was pretty hilarious.
While wandering around, I ran into Wendi of Bon Appetit Hon and we decided to grab one of Baltimore's finest burgers from Kooper's Burger Wagon. You know, I have always heard good things about Kooper's in Fell's Point, as they are consistently voted Best Burger in Baltimore; however, for whatever reason, had never given them a try. Well, after tasting one of their delicious- juicy-perfectly cooked burgers, I feel like a fool and definitely want to give them some blogger love. In addition, I had no idea they had a mobile burger wagon but, man, what a great idea. As Wendi pointed out, Baltimore doesn't really have a lot of food trucks or vans like other cities do. You can read a bit more about the burger wagon here in this article from the Baltimore Sun.
So, Wendi and I sat down on the curb and barely spoke because, damn, those burgers were good. You can order beef, turkey, bison, or veggie with a wide variety of toppings and get some regular or sweet potato fries (or a mix of both). Not only was the burger done up right, but the toppings and roll were also super fresh and delicious. I just went old school with greens, tomato, pickles, and ketchup. While waiting for our order, we learned that Kooper's recently competed in the Annual Taste of Hamburg-er Festival in Pennsylvania and won Best Burger. I can certainly see why. If you're in Fells Point or you happen across the wagon, make sure you give Kooper's a try!
I checked out the Maryland State Fair yesterday with a friend and her two kids. Although not that exciting to partake in usual fair festivities as an adult, I felt I owed to it Maryland to go at least once. And, I am glad I did because it was fun to people watch, check out all the animals, ride the Tilt-a-Whirl for nostalgia's sake, eat some local pulled pork and finally determine the difference between Funnel Cake and Fried Dough.
If I remember correctly, I grew up with fried dough at the Dutchess County Fair in New York and had never really seen Funnel Cake till much later in life. So, I was wondering about the difference. We ordered us up some of both and conducted a very "official" taste test. In the photo, the Funnel Cake is on the left and the Fried Dough is on the right. According to the kids running the food booth, Funnel Cake is fried cake batter and Fried Dough is essentially donut dough (i.e. yeasted). It seems that Funnel Cake originally came from the Pennsylvania Dutch. The batter is actually poured through a funnel that you make circles with to make the funky design.
Well, we all seemed to enjoy the Fried Dough better, although not much of anything was left when we were done. The kids loved ripping pieces off and dipping them in the powdered sugar excess on top. Nice!
Anyway, here is one more photo of some kids sleepin' on sleepin' pigs. They were out cold despite all the noise and people.
I was in California a few weeks ago now; however, I am still thinking about an absolutely delicious meal I had at the 599 Thai Cafe in Sonoma (located at 599 Broadway). I think it was the best Thai food I have ever eaten mostly because it was so incredibly fresh and the sauces were rich and flavorful without being greasy or heavy. Who knows, maybe it was the Northern California-Sonoma version of Thai food, if you know what I mean? My friends and I ordered a few dishes and shared them all (sweet and sour pork, some kind of curry, etc.), as well as all had lovely tall cool iced teas. These weren't Thai iced teas with condensed milk, just a super flavorful and refreshing house specialty that we greatly enjoyed on a hot day.
599 Thai Cafe is a small family run restaurant with indoor seating and a small outdoor patio. The family goes to great lengths to provide outstanding service and, true to California's mellow ways, they do not rush you through your meal. We had a great experience from start to finish and had the opportunity to chat at length with one of the grandsons.
We ended the meal by ordering fried ice cream. I actually attempted to talk my friends out of ordering this dessert and pretty much said, "Fried ice cream is nothing special and it can often be done terribly wrong." I am very glad they ignored my snobby remarks because 599 Thai Cafe's fried ice cream was one of the best plated desserts I have had in a very very long time. The ice cream was just like the meal, light and refreshing. It was a mix of vanilla, jasmine, and coconut and was milk based, rather than French style (i.e. custard/egg yolks). I am still not sure how the dough surrounding the ice cream stayed so light and fluffy. And, it was not greasy at all. They topped the dessert off with some whipped cream and peanuts and added some maple and cherry sauce to the plate. Somehow, all of these flavors created one cohesive incredibly tasty dessert. We loved it.
So, if you are in Sonoma, check them out. You won't be disappointed.
Boy, I am sure having a hard time getting back into the swing of things after an incredibly fun 10 days in Northern California. All I can say is that the sun, blue skies, dry air, and good company were all good for my soul....and so was eating at Lois the Pie Queen's place in Oakland. This is a down home diner that serves up comfort food like buttery biscuits, fried chicken, pork chops, hot cakes, and wonderful pies. My friends picked me up at the airport in Oakland and we went straight to the Pie Queen's.
With my internet down last week, there wasn't a whole heck of a lot I could do on the job search front, so I decided to hop in my car on a beautiful day and drive over to the Eastern Shore to the town of St. Michael's with the specific goal of eating a Maryland crab cake. Since returning to Baltimore, I realized there are a few traditional Maryland specialties I had never tried...one of which was the crab cake.
Yes, it's true. The beehives were out in full force today.
