Section: FNW

Chef's Choice: The perfect pie crust

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00

Her hands are seasoned artists - experienced, yet inquisitive; light, yet assertive; quick, yet attentive. They know exactly how to shape and shift five simple ingredients into the creation of a work of art. They roll the dough with delicate precision and set it in the pie plate with the nonchalance of an expert.

Flour, eggs, shortening, salt and water have somehow been fashioned into a soft and smooth disc that will be strong enough to form t...

Locally Grown: A very berry tradition

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00

I've always considered myself a saucy kind of gal, so it is little wonder that I was one of the few in my family to appreciate the cranberry sauce on the Thanksgiving table.

After spreading my culinary wings, though, I have realized there was nothing at all bold about the jellied cylinder I used to devour.

While it will always hold a treasured place in my heart, I have traded in the trademark ribbed round for freshly made cran...

Wine, etc.: Choose a great wine for Thanksgiving

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00

We always look forward to Thanksgiving. Not only is it a time to share the time with family, but above all holidays it is the best time for culinary pleasures.

Some of our fondest memories are the times we have been grouped around a big table, passing heaping dishes of potatoes, platters piled high with turkey and steaming bowls of gravy and stuffing. Just writing this makes us hungry.

Most of you have your Thanksgiving plans well...

Chef's Choice: Good to the core

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00

"Washington State, huh? I guess you're used to the rain then." Most people, when they find out where I'm from, are surprised to learn that the clouds sometimes blanketing the Seattle area don't actually extend across the entire state.

Seattle is situated on the water, at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. It rests with giant Mount Baker to the north and majestic Mount Rainier to the south. Rain comes in from t...

Wine, etc.: A closer look at Beringer and d'Arenberg wines

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00

Laurie Hook worked alongside the legendary Ed Sbragia for 20 years at Napa Valley's Beringer Vineyards, and it's no surprise that she has inherited his style for lush chardonnays and concentrated cabernet sauvignons.

At first an enologist when she came to Beringer in 1986, Hook played a role in establishing Beringer's success. Since 2000 she has been the winemaker with big shoes to fill.

Beringer makes a lot of wine in...

It's time to talk turkey

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00

To buy a more expensive locally raised turkey or a cheaper bird injected with hormones and antibiotics? That may be the question for some cash-strapped consumers this Thanksgiving.

Although price will always be the deciding factor for some, area butchers say they are busy taking orders for local turkeys that can cost in the neighborhood of $4 a pound.

"The demand is there," said Mike Smollon, owner of My Butcher & Mo...

Chef's Choice: Lobster: The North Star

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00

In Maine, lobster lovers are faced with an enviable problem: too much of a good thing. Lobster harvests have been bountiful for the past two years, but the global economic slump means that consumers have been buying less of the meaty, melt-in-your-mouth crustacean.

The result is that lobster, traditionally regarded as a gourmet treat, is a bargain at Maine markets and more affordable at local stores, too. And that makes shellfish fans v...

Locally Grown: Holiday recipes could pay off

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00

People who are up on food trends these days are striving to be locavores - to eat foods grown locally. In Anne Arundel County, we are blessed with an abundance of farmers markets and retail outlets that offer a large selection of local produce, seafood and other goodies.

The obvious benefit is the freshness. A more intangible benefit is support of the local economy.

Now "cooking local" gives you a chance at a cold, hard ...

Wine, etc.: Wineries see changes just like their wines

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00

Like an aging wine, wineries often go through dumb stages when nothing seems to be happening. Sometimes the producer couldn't hold a quick rise to fame or didn't have the capital funds to modernize his facility. Most of the time, though, the wines may not have lived up to their reputation. That has happened to Beaulieu Vineyards and Silver Oak, to name just two.

We could say the same for Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, the great w...

Chef's Choice: Spooky snacks and tricky treats

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00

Bread witches’ fingers with pepperoni nails. Pretzel stick bones. Jack-o’-lantern pizzas, devilish dips and creepy cupcakes.

Though the creepiest night of the year is just three days away, there’s still time to plan a menacing menu and have some Halloween fun with your food. To help you out, several new sources with creative ideas for making treats for the kids and transforming ordinary foods into fabulously scary fare have b...

Locally Grown: Pop to it!

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00

Sometimes, when I feel like I'm losing the rat race, I force my mind to take a pit stop.

Naturally, my thoughts turn to slower, simpler times. But the reflections that accompany my trip down memory lane often amaze me.

It really is the little things that one remembers.

Take popcorn.

October was National Popcorn Poppin' Month, and the Popcorn Board is proud to report that Americans annually consume at least 52 quarts o...

Wine, etc.: It's all in the family at Iron Horse winery

unknown@hometownannapolis.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00

It is hard to imagine what Randy and Audrey Sterling saw in a neglected house and rows of abandoned vines when they gave an inauspicious launch to Iron Horse. Perhaps it was part of the vision - living in France for several years, Randy had his heart set on making burgundian wines when he moved to California.

The estate - planted with 110 acres of chardonnay and pinot noir in the fog-shrouded Green Valley - was not showing well when the...