Don't Tell
Hors d’oeuvres
I always have a jar of chutney in the house. Top some banana bread with cream cheese and a little chutney for a quick hors d’oeuvre. A can of smoked oysters should always be in the pantry, too. Put some herb cream cheese on a cracker and top with a smoked oyster. Another idea is to put some honey mustard on prosciutto and roll around some breadsticks. —Sascha, restaurateur and caterer
I like to stop by Trinacria near Lexington Market and pick up a jar of roasted red peppers, a jar of marinated artichokes, some of their wonderful assorted olives, a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, several slices of prosciutto and anything else that appeals to me; maybe some fresh mozzarella, anchovies or capers and some breadsticks. I take it all home and arrange it on a tray for an instant antipasto platter. —Susan Adams, CFO, ABS Ventures
A caterer stiffed me on 100 hors d’oeuvres— they went on the wrong truck. I called San Sushi in Towson and ordered some good ol’ vegetable and fish rolls, chicken saté skewers and tempura vegetables. I had 100 hors d’oeuvres in 20 minutes. —Karen Bokram, editor and publisher, Girls’ Life magazine
Trader Joe’s has wonderful little mushroom turnovers for hors d’oeuvres, and great frozen butternut squash ravioli that I keep in the freezer for emergencies. I serve the ravioli with either a fresh herb sauce or Alfredo sauce that I make myself. It depends on what’s in the refrigerator. —Diane Feffer Neas, chair, American Institute of Wine and Food, Baltimore Chapter, and restaurant consultant
I always make a beeline to Fresh Fields. They have a great spinach artichoke dip, which people love. I serve it with crackers or sliced sourdough baguettes. —Jenny Shattuck, director, Ladew Topiary Gardens
Dai Day duck sauce— it’s in a huge jar at the Giant. I use it for dipping fresh steamed chilled asparagus. I always hide the jar in the trash. (Giant also has great French baguettes for just $1.09.) —Anonymous
If I’m in a hurry and want a jazzy appetizer, I get sushi from Samurai Sushi in the Cross Street Market. It’s always fresh and really good. —Mary Fox, co-owner, A Cook’s Table
The Main Course
My husband and I go to New Orleans frequently and quite often serve New Orleans-inspired meals at home. We’ve found that Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice in a box, if you can believe it, is just as good as or better than the results we obtain after spending hours soaking and cooking red beans from scratch. You just add water and it cooks in about 20 minutes or something like that. It’s a great, casual main course if you add a little browned andouille or kielbasa sausage and serve with a simple green salad on the side. —Susan Adams
I use takeout to incorporate with what I’m cooking. I’ll get some boneless chicken breasts at Fenwick’s at Cross Street Market and have the butcher cut a pocket in them. Then I buy tapenade, mix it half and half with a soft goat cheese, like Montrachet, and sauté it on each side until lightly browned, then finish it off in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. The cheese melts and mixes so you don’t need a sauce; I serve it with a vegetable dish like boiled green beans with butter and fresh dill, or asparagus that’s boiled until not quite done, then finished off in a skillet with butter and maple syrup— everyone goes wild for that. —Len Homer, lawyer with Ober, Kaler, Grimes and Shriver
I make a simple marinade for grilled or oven-roasted rack of lamb:
Four racks of lamb (to serve 8)
A generous cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot cut into pieces
4 large cloves of garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme
Fresh ground pepper
Sea salt
Blend oil, mustard, shallot, garlic and thyme in food processor until a thick paste forms. Add pepper and salt to taste. Spread on lamb, cover and let marinate overnight in refrigerator (24 hours if possible). Roast at 375 degrees or grill until meat thermometer (or your eye) indicates medium rare. —Jim Gabler, wine expert and writer
If I weren’t making my own crab cakes I’d get them at Faidley’s at Lexington Market. They’re incredible. A lot of times if I’m in a hurry and I want to do something a little out of the ordinary, I go to the Cedar Deli, a little Middle Eastern deli out in Towson. It’s run by two Lebanese sisters. They cater to the Towson University students with things like cheesesteaks and stuff, but they make the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had. I get their hummus and tabbouleh and something called ful. It’s like hummus but it’s made with fava beans. When they puree it, they don’t puree it smooth; it’s a little chunky. They also have amazing pita bread and fresh baba ghanouche. Sometimes I’ve done platters of fresh falafel— they grind the chickpeas themselves. They make rice pudding made with rose water. And the baklava is magnificent. It melts in your mouth. —John Shields, cookbook author, chef/owner of Gertrude’s
Carolyn’s Café is great for ethnic take-out. It’s an out-of-the-way spot by University of Maryland Hospital that makes fabulous Jamaican food. I like the lamb curry, but the menu varies all the time. —Deborah Mazzoleni, co-owner, The Bicycle bistro
I had a dinner not long ago and I was rushed. I bought mushroom soup from Fresh Fields. I sautéed boned chicken breasts which I coated with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and served them on top of chopped arugula and tomatoes. I guarantee you it’s not going to keep you in the kitchen. —Ruth Shaw, fashion retailer
Fresh Fields makes a wonderful salsa fresca with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and onion. I just pour it over fresh Chilean sea bass and bake it for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees, then broil it for a few minutes. Sutton Place Gourmet and Eddie’s have the best Chilean sea bass; the most expensive, too. —Jody Berg, owner of Media Works
I just had a cocktail party and served Graul’s miniature cheddar cheese biscuits with a maple glazed Harrington ham I ordered from Vermont (1-802-434-4444 or www.harringtonham.com). The biscuits are superb for brunch or a spring cocktail party. Eddie’s of Roland Park does a great fruit platter for any kind of luncheon. They also have great little finger sandwiches made with homemade parkerhouse rolls, and great shrimp salad. If you take your platters and your own baskets over there, they’ll arrange everything on them. —Petey O’Donnell, writer and community volunteer
The chicken salad with blue cheese and sun-dried tomatoes at GlasZ Café is about the best thing in Baltimore. Just plop a scoop of it on some salad greens for a great summer lunch. —Rudy Miller, vice president for marketing and community relations, Lifebridge Health
100 percent maple syrup mixed with a dash of soy sauce is a great marinade for salmon. The syrup caramelizes on the fish. Nothing could be easier. —Gina Skelton, artist
For a casual supper or picnic, Andy Nelson’s, near Valley View Farm on York Road, has great Southern-style barbecue— beef, pork, chicken or turkey— and terrific cole slaw. —Petey O’Donnell, writer and community volunteer
Stouffer’s spinach souffle is wonderful. Either put it in little individual casseroles or buy several boxes and fill one large dish. Be sure to burn the edges just a little bit and apologize to your guests. And make sure the trash is taken out and all the boxes are hidden. —Alexander Baer, interior designer
I get wonderful salmon from Sam’s Club and marinate it in McCormick’s Montreal Chicken Seasoning, which I combine with olive oil and balsamic vinegar— it just complements the fish. With it, I like to make mashed Yukon gold potatoes. I peel and boil a 5-pound bag and add about 2 tablespoons of Boars Head brand horse- radish sauce. I just add a little butter, milk, salt and pepper and serve. —Sharyn Musika, volunteer at the Baltimore Museum of Art
At the river in the summertime I get crab cakes from G & M Restaurant on Hammond Ferry Road just off of I-695 in Linthicum. They’re wonderful, huge and flavorful, and I couldn’t make them better myself. —Paula Rome, public relations consultant
I cook my asparagus on the grill. First, steam the stalks about three-quarters of the way done. Then roll some sugar on the asparagus and grill it. The sugar crystallizes, blackens the stalks and makes them sweet. —Marcy Sagel, president of Sagel & Associates
There’s a butcher in Aberdeen called Bowman. They sell these incredible sausages— smoked duck with apple brandy, venison with zinfandel wine and mixed peppercorns, duck and pork with Seville orange marmalade, smoked venison with port wine and cassis. I grill them, then slice and serve with interesting mustards or Stonewall Kitchen sauces such as fig or Vidalia onion. You can get the Stonewall products at Williams Sonoma or Fresh Fields, or at www.stonewallkitchen.com. —Diane Feffer Neas
Soup & Salad
For soups, the Stone Mill Bakery makes a good carrot ginger soup. Fresh Fields has an incredible three-squash soup. None of this comes at bargain basement prices, but it lets you have a more relaxing time when entertaining. If I’m driving near Sutton Place Gourmet, I get some of their ginger sesame dressing, I think it’s a Sutton Place brand called Hey Day. It’s great tossed on spinach or any type of salad and complements grilled food, too. —Jenny Shattuck
For a fast but fancy salad, I buy bags of greens, add a container of crumbled blue cheese, raspberries that have been tossed with a little sugar so they bleed a little and a whole bag of walnut pieces that I toast in the oven for a few minutes. Toss everything in a bowl with oil and vinegar, salt, pepper, shallots. Sometimes I turn it into an entrée by adding chicken. —Karen Bokram
The Union Square Café Cookbook has a tomato salad recipe with goat cheese, no lettuce. It’s fabulous. This salad serves four to six:
2 large red tomatoes
2 large yellow tomatoes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup thinly sliced red onions, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes
1 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
5 ounces fresh soft goat cheese, crumbled
4 teaspoons Italian red wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Core and slice the tomatoes into quarter-inch thick rounds. Arrange tomatoes on large platter in concentric circles, overlapping and alternating colors. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the onions well and lay them over the tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with basil and crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the vinegar and olive oil over the salad and serve. —Ruth Shaw
I use a variety of lettuces, brown some pine nuts, add yellow raisins or dried cranberries, cherry tomatoes and crumbled Feta. If I don’t add dried fruit, maybe I’ll toss in some fresh blueberries. My salad dressing is simple: good olive oil and rice vinegar. —Jody Berg
I love to order Manor Tavern’s Vermont Salad and Lobster Champagne Bisque for takeout. It’s served in individual hollowed-out round French bread bowls that are nice and crisy— you can eat the bowl if you’re feeling skinny. The salad is a great mix of greens with walnuts, apples and pears and Roquefort cheese tossed with a raspberry-maple vinaigrette. —Kerry Whitaker-Townsend, lifestyle expert for the Home Shopping Network
Desserts
Trader Joe’s Dark Morello Cherries in Light Syrup are terrific on ice cream— add a touch of your favorite liqueur— or on blintzes or French toast for brunch. —Gina Skelton
There’s no way you can go wrong with the fresh whipped cream devil’s-food cake at Graul’s. Or with the chestnut gelatto from Vacarro’s. I serve it in a martini glass with one of those twisty cookies. And for fresh fruit, Baugher’s Apple Orchard in Westminster has the best peaches in August. They have homemade ice cream, too. —John Yuhanick
Anita and I buy our desserts at Pâtisserie Poupon on Baltimore Street. They’re always a highlight. We’ll get two desserts: usually a chocolate cake in some form, and maybe a lemon tart. —Jim Gabler
For summer entertaining, there is no easier dessert than an ice cream cake from Moxley’s. I started getting them for my kids’ birthdays. It’s tremendously good ice cream with a layer of cookie crumble in the middle, and they do seasonal flavors.
The angel food cake I buy at Graul’s or Fresh Fields is better than the version I make from scratch, and it’s the base for a grand dessert: I split the cake into three layers, make a quick filling with 8 ounces of cream cheese beaten with some fresh orange juice and confectioners’ sugar. I add some chopped fresh strawberries and top with whipped cream. It’s a dessert to die for, and it only takes 10 minutes. —Petey O’Donnell
Poppies Belgian mini-cream puffs from Sam’s Club. They’re unbelievable. You buy them frozen, defrost on your serving plate, hide the container. No one has to know. —Anonymous
I had a birthday party last fall and wanted a fabulous cake. There’s a restaurant and take-out at Woodholme called Chicken Out. I took my kids there for dinner and found a chocolate cake there that is the biggest— it’s 10 inches high with eight or 10 layers. When I served it everyone asked, “Did you go to New York or D.C.?” It’s the biggest, most impressive thing. I had a caterer, beautiful linens and a cake from Chicken Out. All the women in the room, the real dames, thought for sure I had pulled a fast one. I could have lied and said I went to Zabar’s in New York. I served it with really good ice cream. It was $50 and fed over 30 people. —Patti Quicksilver, spinning teacher at Owings Mills Athletic Club
I scoop some “It’s the Berries” sauce made by Silver Palate right out of the jar over vanilla ice cream. I put a few fresh berries on the plate and it’s a fabulous dessert. —Reveley Moore, president of the board of directors, Ladew Topiary Gardens
Secret Sources
The best veal for osso bucco is at Fenwick’s Meats at Cross Street Market. It’s fresh and inexpensive ($5.98 per pound). Trinacria has the best prosciutto, the best fresh sausage, sweet and hot, and very good Parmesan. Eddie’s on Roland Avenue is the only place I know to buy real fish stock. It’s $3.50 and it comes in a Ball jar. The Eddie’s butchers have the best tenderloin, too. —John Yuhanick
Get the big round sheets of Gold’n Krackle flat crisp bread at Trader Joe’s. It comes in several different flavors and is nice to have as an hors d’oeuvre with hummus or another spread. I like the garlic. —Ilene Salcman, financial adviser, The Warner Companies
My wife and I really enjoy cooking. We are very much from the Julia Child generation; we still make everything ourselves. My favorite sources? Graul’s and Victor’s (at Eddie’s of Roland Park on Roland Avenue) have the best, freshest veal for osso bucco. And the Waverly Farmer’s Market for wonderful tomatoes— the orange pear-shaped tomatoes are sublime. There’s a wonderful guy there who has mozzarella that he makes— it costs a fortune but my God, it’s the creamiest thing I have ever tasted. —Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum
To get the house ready for big parties, I go to Kensington Orchids in Kensington, Md. You get the best varieties of orchids at wholesale prices. —Jenny Shattuck
I go to Lotte Market on Route 40 for their dumplings to throw in Pho— a Vietnamese soup I make with chicken stock. The store has lots of Asian foods, some ready-made things you’ve never seen in your life that are new and interesting. I always get their Korean pancakes to serve with meat— it’s my reward for driving out to Route 40. —Dara Bunjon, board member, American Institute of Wine and Food
Editors’ Picks
For a great margarita, I go to www.bucketheadclub.com. They sell plastic buckets with a package of mix inside. Just add tequila, stir, and frost in the freezer overnight. Then scoop and serve. They’re terrific for a casual summer party, and make a fun hostess gift. We have two cases in our basement!
If you don’t have the time or the will to make Marcy Sagel’s recipe for Southside cocktails (page 109), call Baltimore’s original Southside man George Lee, who will deliver bottles of his mix to your door, or head to Graul’s Wine & Spirits for Lindsay’s Southside Mix, a new product made by another Baltimore native, Lindsay Hargrave.
My husband and I discovered the Korean chicken wings at Bruce Lee’s stall one day at Cross Street Market, and there was no turning back. I know they’re bad for you, but they’re such an amazing combination of crunchy, hot and sweet, they’re worth it. We order them for takeout when we’re having friends over to watch a game. —Catherine v.O. Hoffberger, Managing Editor
The Chicken Marbella from GlasZ Café is a great entrée for takeout. They bake the breasts with a sweet, garlicky glaze and add olives, apricots and dried cherries. It’s great with lemon rice or cous-cous, and you can serve it hot or room temperature.
Stone Mill Bakery has added chilled fruit soups made with pureed fresh fruit, yogurt and champagne. My kids and I liked the plum best. They’re a healthful, refreshing start to a summer dinner.
For emergencies, get a box or two of Lundburg’s Creamy Parmesan Risotto, which I’ve found at Fresh Fields. It’s creamy but low-fat and it cooks in 20 minutes. I used it at a dinner party for 20 when I was way behind schedule. My guests were already on their second cocktails when I realized— I guess I hadn’t read the recipe very carefully the first time through— that the pasta recipe I planned to serve needed to bake for 75 minutes, and I hadn’t even started it yet. So I reached for the Lundburg’s, and my first glass of wine.
For desserts for a crowd, it’s hard to beat the variety and price at Ms. Desserts outlet store in Timonium. The freezer cases are filled with cakes, cheese- cakes and other sweets. Just don’t pick them up too last-minute: you have to build in several hours of defrost time.
The cinnamon-topped Coffee Cake at the Daily Grind coffee house in Roland Park is a classic. Manager Travis Wright kindly shared the recipe, which came from his late great-grandmother Lotcha. As a Style photographer commented: “It’s like the coffee cakes the ladies served at church when I was a kid.” Precisely.
Daily Grind Coffee Cake
Cream together:
1/4 pound butter
2 cups sugar
Add and mix by hand:
2 cups sour cream
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound butter, melted
Spread batter into a 12 x 16 sprayed or greased and floured baking pan. Sprinkle generously with a mix of cinnamon and sugar. Swirl the topping mixture into the batter with a finger or knife, then drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes. —Kay MacIntosh, Editor
The fresh-tasting dill viniagrette served on salads at Café Hon is excellent— you can purchase it by the bottle for $6.95. Really flavorful, but no saturated fat, and it doubles as a marinade for grilled fish.
An old party trick I learned from my friend Vixie: pour a jar of hot pepper jelly (available in the gourmet food section of any market) over a block of cream cheese. Serve with Carr’s club crackers or Triscuits for spreading. As Vixie says, “Hon, they’ll love it!”
My girlfriend whips up an awesome, fast curry dip for parties; this is one bowl you won’t have to clean at the end of the night:
1 cup Hellman’s mayo
1 tablespoon hot Indian Madras best-quality
curry powder
1 teaspoon A-1 sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
yellow food coloring if you want the dip bright yellow (it comes out brownish yellow)
Mix all ingredients and chill for a few hours. Caution: dip becomes hotter when left overnight. Serve with baby carrots and other veggies. Also great the next day on sandwiches or as a base for curry chicken salad (just add chopped cooked chicken, halved red grapes, chopped apples and some finely chopped shallots). —Brian Michael Lawrence, Creative Director
