It's officially barbecue season, and nothing tops off an afternoon of grilled meat quite like a home made pie. I've been working on my pie decorating skills, using cookie cutters to cut shapes into the top crust of my pies. For Memorial Day, I tried something different.
Read MoreSpaghetti and Meatballs Done Right
I am a lover of sloppy joes but have long been a hater of bolognese. This has perplexed my counterpart for most of the 25 years he's known me. After all, they are both ground meat in a tomato-based sauce served over starch. So what's the big deal? To be honest., I'm not entirely sure. But, rather than belabor the whimsical nature of my palate, I'd like to share his favorite take on the classic Italian meat sauce - spaghetti and meatballs.
Read MoreSticky Rice
Folks who have lived in Baltimore know that it's a patchwork with the good and the bad nestled right up against each other in a crazy quilt of urban living that means you spend a good bit of time walking along the edges. Fells Point is such an area. It starts out pretty nice in the touristy area down by the water. But as you move further inland, an almost unconscious wariness sets in. I can never actually feel the transformation taking place in myself - the change in my stride and posture, the set to my jaw, the way my body language changes to encourage others to keep their distance - until I begin to move back into that tourist zone around the harbor and I feel that slight tension leave. This is where Sticky Rice is located.
Read MoreCinco de Mayo 2
I've been holding out on you all, and in no small way. About a year ago I uncovered one of Baltimore's best kept secrets, and I've been keeping it to myself. But the time has come to bring you in on it.
Read MoreMary Cooks: Easy Chicken Taco Meat
Tonight, with my counterpart skim-coating the new ceiling in our bathroom, I was provided with another opportunity to try my luck in the kitchen. Regular readers know that the results of my cooking do indeed appear to depend on luck - sometimes good, sometimes bad, but generally indifferent. But tonight I had one of my rare successes, and this time luck had nothing to do with it.
Read MoreWorking and Food
It's Day Four of National Blog Posting Month and I have missed another day. I had the best o intentions yesterday, and even had several good ideas - I simply ran out of time.
Read MoreNourishment
May is National Blog Posting Month, or NaBloPoMo. The challenge is to post every single day for the entire month. I signed up to participate, mostly because I want to get better at this, but also because I've been feeling uninspired this year. My posting has become infrequent and somewhat erratic. I'm hoping this challenge will help me rediscover my voice and improve this blog for those of you who continue to read it. But, here it is May 2 already and I'm a day behind. Such is life.
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