Summer is for experimenting, right?  Being adventurous…trying new things…stepping out of your comfort zone.

We made a leap, took a risk and bought boxed wine and canned beer.  I know, some of you may drink your beverages this way all the time.  But, my husband and I have become a little to big for our taste britches and typically buy only bottled wine (with real corks of course) and bottled micro or craft beers.  Really, having been in the restaurant industry for so long, our tastes for these libations have changed and grown over the years.

But, not too long ago, Devon brought home this…

and this.

Here is Devon’s review on both:

“The Bota Box Malbec was good for every day drinking and for those nights you have a lot of friends over.  It’s definitely not what you would choose for a special occasion.  I’d give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.”

“My skepticism was high when I bought my first four pack of 21st Amendment Hop Crisis beer.  But when I cracked into it, it blew my mind.  I’d give it a 4.5 our of 5 stars.”

Me…I’m a fan of 21st Amendment’s packaging along with their Back in Black IPA. ~Kristin

It’s Fancy Friday and Inspiration is in the air!!  I love this table from Ruffled.  If this was my table or

this was my table (from Making It Lovely)–  I would probably eating something lovely like this-

from Canelle et Vanille’s table.  I would have loved to be seated at this table-

from Joy The Baker’s party gals’ On the Lamb.

Unfortunately, I missed sitting at this table, for Kristin’s party.

As “bi-city” bloggers, Chris Ann and I have been trying to connect and meet fellow bloggers in our home cities.  Chris Ann connected with our guest blogger, Kate, from Kate in the Kitchen in Minneapolis.  I started talking to Elizabeth from Strawberries in Paris and Dara from Dining Dish both from Baltimore.  I had been invited to a crab feast this past summer, but was unable to make it because of previous plans.  Then, when the Mobbies Award Ceremony was set, after a crazy, whirlwind campaign, Chris Ann and I realized it was the same night I was to fly out to see her in Minnesota.  So, when Dara and Elizabeth hatched a Baltimore Food Bloggers night…I cleared my calendar!

Last Friday, Dara hosted a gathering of Baltimore Food bloggers at her home!  We were all supposed to bring an appetizer and a beverage.  I have to confess here, as I did to the other bloggers, I enlisted my husband Devon to make it!  He whipped up a yummy cranberry chutney that I put on brie, wrapped in phyllo dough and put in the oven.  It is one of our favorite ways to serve brie en croute!

I arrived and was warmly greeted by co-host Elizabeth with a great big hug!  It’s like we were old friends!  I walked right into a room of friendly faces.  Dara was in the kitchen cleaning a pomegranate in cold water, “It helps keeps the seeds from spreading their red-juice with the rest of the kitchen” she explained.  Elizabeth took my coat and bag and I headed to the bar to pour a glass of wine.

It didn’t not take long for the conversations to turn from introductions to talk of food, blogging and travel!  I met so many wonderful people and it was so good to finally put names with faces with blogs!  I’m still not sure I have it all down, but seeing as this looks like it will be a regular event,  I have no worries I’ll get it!

I met Mary from Sweet Mary!  Mary is amazing!  She’s a woman who left her career to pursue her passion.  She went to Johnson and Wales and finished with a pastry degree.  She picks up and moves with the wind and has currently settled in Baltimore.  She teaches classes to people all over Baltimore.  We brainstormed other types of classes she could teach and I shared some of the crazy catering gigs we had done in the past.

I spoke at length with Meg from Pigtown Pigout.  She also writes the blog Pigtown*Design, which I sense embodies more of her passions!  We exchanged travel stories and stories of hosting people.  She, like us, loves to have people from abroad stay with her.  She went on to share that not all have been pleasant experiences, but that even those that were challenging, left her with great stories to share!!  She is a true hostess at heart!  (p.s. Meg, I love your Pigtown Design blog!)

Beth from 990 Square recounted her recent trip to Paris for us.  She began to talk picture taking (which most bloggers inevitably end up doing!) and how she filled her memory card with an ungodly amount of photos!!  I just want to know where you find the time to edit them all!!

Speaking of time, the one thing I took away from meeting fellow bloggers was a sense that Chris Ann and I are doing okay.  You see, we are always worried we aren’t getting enough posts up, spending enough time twittering or sharing enough of ourselves.  But, as MinxEats pointed out to me, we have kids (I have 5 Chris Ann has 4)…I don’t think any of the fellow bloggers I met that evening, have kids.  MinxEats said, “We have time.”  “Oh,” I thought, “that’s the one thing I don’t have a lot of!”  So, I guess considering we already have full-full-time jobs, the fact that we’ve kept this thing running for over a year is pretty good!

I also met Wendi from Bon Appetit Hon (love that name!) and Nakiya from Taste of Baltimore (good luck house hunting!).  I briefly talked to John from Baltimore Snacker…his Cambodian dish, loaded with garlic, was delicious!  Julie from Kitchenography was there too!  Can I just tell you, her pictures will inspire you to want to eat prunes!

Dara passed out little baggies…full of her favorite spice, Schezwan peppercorns.  (My husband already used some of them in a bulgar dish!)  Elizabeth was like an old friend!  She did unload a little frustration about the Mobbies contest, feeling like we overdid our campaign.  I quickly explained to her, it was all in fun (all’s fair in love and war…right?) Elizabeth, I hope you feel better getting it off your chest…clearing the air…’cause watch out for next year!  We are already getting our strategy ready!

Their dishes were delicious and their stories so entertaining!  I really felt like I was among old friends!  Oh, I almost forgot, there was another friend there, tucked in a corner of the dining room!  Dara had a party peacock too!!  So, we are going to use Dara’s party peacock to announce the winner of our Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes Gift-Away!!

Drum roll please!

The winner is George@CulinaryTravels!!!

Thank you all for playing!  Keep an eye out next week as we have a special Gift-Away in honor of Thanksgiving that is sure to “Pull” your socks off and “Awaken” all your morning senses!

Baltimore is known as Charm City.  I have to tell you, I love my city!  It’s quirky.  It’s loyal.  It’s diverse and very creative.  It’s home to the O’s and the Charm City Roller Girls!  The Inner Harbor is a great tourist stop.  The Star Spangled Banner was written here and I promise, no other city has the Hon Fest!  Edgar Allan Poe found inspiration here!  And Duff Goldman has found a great spot to dig in his heels and sprout a delicious dream!  Baltimore is home to Charm City Cakes.  (We are so lucky!)

The Charm City Cakes crew just released their new book, Ace of Cakes; Inside the World of Charm City Cakes.  I received an invitation to come to their first book signing at Atomic Books (another killer Baltimore dig) and headed down with a friend and one of my sons.  My son, “Najay”, was beyond excited to meet Duff.  You see, he’s the kid that has aspired to be a chef for the better part of his life.  He loves to shadow his dad in the kitchen, sharpen up his knife skills and I can vouch he has quite a sophisticated palette.  This would be his first time meeting a celebrity chef.  It was late, really at the time he should have been getting to bed for school, but I knew this would be a fun adventure!  We arrived in Hampden and headed to Atomic Books.

It was toward the end of the book signing, so it wasn’t too crowded.  We went in and purchased a book.  My friend, bought a graffiti magazine for her kid and thought it would be cool to have Duff sign it for him.

We got in line.  “NaJay” was a bit nervous.

He stretched his neck to get a glimpse of the infamous Duff Goldman.  Spotted!  He was at the end of a long table of people!  Oh my!!  The whole Charm City Cake Crew was here!  Cool!

We gave our book to the first signer, Joe.  He quickly signed the book and off it went!  They had this signing thing down pat!  Our book moved four people a head of us and left us time to chat with some of the Charm City gang!  We met Erica Harrison, whose inspiration was Kermit the Frog!  We also met Sherri Chambers Fisher a decorator from my hometown, Catonsville!  Fun fact, she has directed the play, Earth, Wind and the Baltimore Fire, for Fluid Movement, with Duff Goldman acting as mayor of Baltimore circa 1904!  Sherri had on a great shirt!  I introduced myself and Erica took down the LoveFeast url!

We made our way down the line, with one person in front of us to Duff, I glanced at my kid to find him smiling nervously.  Duff began to put pen to paper on our book and I quickly requested he put in a personal note to our LoveFeast readers.  “Thanks for joining us at the table” he wrote!

I asked him if my son could get a picture with him.  Then a man sitting next to him answered, “Just have him stoop down in front of the table.”  Evidently, this guy was the “gate keeper” to Duff.  I can appreciate that.  I’m sure there are a few crazed fans out there trying to get a piece of Duff’s cake!  But, seriously, my kid is harmless, he just wanted to get a picture with a guy that inspires him!  Duff, rising to the occasion, stepped out from behind the table to put his arm around my kid (so glad, there’s a kid still inside of him that remembers what it’s like to be 12!) and get a picture with him!  Thank you Duff!

Duff sat down and took a look at my friend’s magazine.  She apologized it wasn’t one of his books, but explained she had an artist for a kid and thought he’d like this better.  Not knowing, Duff was once a “wall artist” himself!  He quickly bombed that mag!  How fun!

Then, I turned back to have Duff sign my kid’s phone (he wanted something to show his friends at school) only to find the “gate keeper” blocking my path.  “No, he won’t do that.  We don’t let him sign phones.  Move on, there are other people waiting.”  I glanced back to see two more people in line.  “Really?” I said.  “Yes, now move on.”  “But, this is for a 12 year old boy…he just wants to show his friends.”  He quickly flagged me away without a thought.

Let me just say, the crew at Charm City is the real deal.  They are just like you see them on  Ace of Cakes.  They were joking with one another!  They smiled and looked us in the eyes.  They were approachable and really, I knew we could be fast friends if given a minute to chat!  They are fellow artists and after reading, and not being able to put down the book, I just knew they were kindred spirits!  But, the “gate keeper” about left me with a bad taste in my mouth.  I understand the need for some protection…I get it.  But, dude, we are in Duff’s hometown, Baltimore, in Atomic Books…his backyard, trying to get an autograph for a 12 year old kid, who just happens to be inspired by Duff!  “Najay” could be a Duff one day!  His parents embrace his art, encourage him to explore his gifts, and just like Duff’s mom, we set a stage for creative endeavors!  But, “gate keeper”…he couldn’t get an autograph on his cell phone?  Really?!  It would have been worn off in a few days from the use.  Maybe you don’t have any kids.  In that case, I guess I can kind of understand, but, speaking from experience (I have five kids) this one kind act, would’ve gone a long way!

I calmed down as I drove home because my friend and I realized that while I was arguing with “gate keeper” he was distracted from the special tag she received for her kid!  (Thank you Duff!)  We know you bent the rules for that one, and we appreciate it!  We love the young and budding graffiti artists!  We even LoveBomb them on a regular basis! So, thank you, again!

Like I said, I couldn’t put the book down…I’ll give you a glimpse…but, come back tomorrow and I’ll show you more!  We will also give this copy to one very lucky reader…but, now I have to run, go to the gym, do some laundry and set some stages for my kids to explore their dreams!

The cooking was fierce this week!  Recently we had challenged Ryan from the blog This Is Reverb, to what we call a TakeOn.  We sent him a mystery ingredient with which he had to create a savory dish.  Ryan agreed to this challenge while the LoveFeast Table gang was spending a long weekend together in Minnesota.  We had come together for a LoveFeast Table power planning weekend and we were giving away some Sweet Goddess sauces in our first GiftAway.

We pulled the Sweet Goddess sauces out and tasted them and gave Devon the task of creating a savory dish from one of these jars. He complied of course, because like many things these days….it’s “for the blog” and happy wives equal more Xbox playing time or something like that.   We all tasted the sauces and Devon quickly landed on the Blackberry Hot Fudge.

You could see the wheels churning immediately.  Like a scientist, the formula retreated in his mind for a bit and like the chef that he is, the ingredients macerated in his creative juices!  We began to think about how much more fun it would be to invite another blog to the same challenge.  We were thrilled to have Ryan accept this TakeOn.  Of course, he didn’t know what was being sent his way.  This was going to be good!

Within 24 hours Devon approached the stove ready to create a simple yet delicately balanced sauce that would compliment Grilled Hickory Smoked Salmon.  What Devon created was perfect!  It was heavenly!  The blackberry notes came out and stood up to the smokey salmon.  It was also surprisingly wonderful with the rice!  With the rice, the chocolaty undertones came out and rounded out the entire dish!  It was a simple meal, yet delicious!

Menu

Grilled Hickory Smoked Salmon

Savory Chocolate Salmon Glaze

Roasted Portabello and Asparagus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt

Basmati Rice

Savory Chocolate Salmon Glaze

1/2 jar Sweet Goddess Blackberry Hot Fudge sauce

2 Tbls. olive oil

1 sm. onion, fine diced (shallots would be great too!)

5 Tbls. soy sauce

2 Tbls. seedless blackberry preserves (we used Archer Farms Marrion Blackberry Preserves)

1 Tbls. black raspberry vinegar

Bring hot fudge to room temperature.  Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a medium size saute pan and caramelize onions.  Turn heat up to high and deglaze pan with soy sauce.  Turn heat down to medium add the hot fudge, jam and vinegar.  Cook to reduce sauce, almost in half.  You want it to coat the back of the spoon.

Well there it is!!  The first TakeOn.  Thank you to Ryan for joining in on the fun!  We appreciate the fact that you answered yes to a strange email asking you to do crazy things!! And, we are are impressed with what you did with the Blackberry Hot Fudge sauce creating Chocolate Samurai Wings.  We are looking forward to trying your recipe…’cause we are curious, ya’ know.  What could we do next?

This is LoveFeast Table’s first TakeOn Challenge!!  The TakeOn is presented to Ryan Detzel, of the blog This Is Reverb.  We first discovered Ryan over at Ree Drummond’s blog, The Pioneer Women, and became quick readers of his honest and refreshing take on life.  Also, we noticed what seemed to be a very similar cooking style to Kristin’s husband, Devon.  Well, maybe, if that includes setting off fire alarms.

So a couple of weeks ago, when the LoveFeast Table gang was together in Minnesota.  We came up with some fun!  Somewhere between the planning, the cheers, and the cheese a plan was hatched to invite Ryan to join in the cooking and the fun!  We decided to call it a LoveFeast Table TakeOn.   See how happy we are?  We have just hatched a plan!

Shortly there after Ryan agreed to the challenge.  So that very night after Kristin and I had cheered and Devon and Todd finished their Xbox marathon, Devon took the Sweet Goddess Blackberry Hot Fudge Sauce and warmed it up.  His mission was to create a savory dish for dinner..and this-

became this!

All good things are worth waiting for!  This recipe will be posted soon!!  In the mean time, Ryan has received a box with Sweet Goddess Blackberry Hot Fudge Sauce inside and instructions to create a savory dish with it.  We’ll let you know when he posts his dish!  In the mean time if you’re friends with Ryan and live near him, invite yourself over for some history in the making and some great cooking. So, have at it Ryan!  Thanks for joining us in a LoveFeast Table TakeOn…..we hope the challenge floats your boat!

One week ago, I was looking at this lovely view.   I was in New Mexico at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort, between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, on the Santa Ana Pueblo.  It was the perfect day to hike, or swim, or sunbathe and read a book.  It turned out to be the perfect day to bake Pueblo Oven Bread.

This is the perfect oven to bake this bread in.  This is a horno.  This one is heated by gas.  When the oven has reached 500 degrees, the gas is turned off and the mud bricks of the horno bake the bread.  It has holes in it, so you can view and control the baking process. Wet rags can close up the holes to create better browning.  I learned all this from Nan, a member of the Santa Ana Pueblo,  a very experienced bread baker and therefor the perfect teacher.

Nan and her family make this bread for their family members.  She said it is often eaten on feast days and  with red or green chili stew.  Typically, Nan makes about 30 loaves from a 25 pound bag of flour in her horno at home, which is heated with wood.  But, this day she made it with 11 hotel guests and one camera toting, picture snapping, question asking food blogger.

The guests gathered around Nan’s table and she began to teach them how to feel the consistency of the dough.

They added water and kneaded up their balls mixed with lard.  Lard?  What if you can’t get lard?   Nan chuckled, and added, “well around here you can”.

Then, after everyone mixed their dough up, she gave each person a new dough to work with.  This dough had already gone through the rising process and was ready to be shaped, into a traditional flouer and baked.

An artist named, John, created this non-traditional face.

The face shaped bread went into the oven.

And, came out looking like this.

This is the Pueblo Oven Bread Recipe used at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Hotel, checked and verified by the ladies of the village of the Santa Ana Pueblo, who would never need to follow a recipe card.

Pueblo Oven Bread

Approximately 9 cups of white flour

1 Package of Dry Yeast

2 Tablespoons of Salt

2 Tablespoons of Lard (you can substitute with butter)

2 Cups of Water

Soften and dissolve yeast in warm water.  Mix lard, flour, salt and dissolved yeast in a large bowl.  Add warm water a little at a time kneading and rolling to even out all ingredients.  Let dough rise in bowl, covered with cloth.  Set near warm place of approximately 5-6 hours.  After dough has risen knead the dough and let rise once more for approximately 20-30 minutes.  After the dough has risen a second time knead the dough for 2-3 more minutes.  Shape into balls and other shapes and put in greased baking pans.  Cover with a cloth and let rise one more time in a warm place.  Bake in 400 degree oven 50-60 minutes or until tops are browned and loaves sound hallow when tapped.

The color and the texture at a Farmer’s Market always inspire me.

Farmer’s Markets’ say linger, look, stroll, savor, and relax.

Only two people asked me why I was taking pictures at the market.

One was an old farmer who when I answered, “I have a food blog”, shrugged, as in, whatever floats your boat.

The other was a young tween boy, who I answered, “I’m taking pictures for fun”.  He replied, that’s weird.

One of my favorite stops at the Prior Lake Farmer’s Market is Cocoa & Fig.

Brioche for Breakfast anyone?

This is the Prior Lake Farmer’s Market.

What’s your favorite farmer’s market treat?

Our new puppy, Roxy, celebrated her first official spa-ing, I mean grooming at Lulu & Luigi’s. (St. Louis Park, Minnesota location).  Roxy thinks I’m a genius because I brought her there for a doggy day trip.  If you need to spend some money on your dog, instead of yourself.  And, if you need to get your dog some cake  that you don’t get to eat.  Lulu & Luigi’s mini dog bakery is a great place to give your foodie dog some love!

“You can say any fool thing to your dog, and the dog will give you this look that says, “My God, you’re right!  I would have never thought of that.” -Dave Barry

I was sound asleep at my sister’s house.  I had gone to her beach house to attend her baby shower!  When my cell phone rang.  Coming out of my sleepy haze, I let voice-mail pick it up.  I called to retrieve the message and my neighbor was checking in to see if everything was okay.  “I see the police and firetruck at your house and I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright.”  I jolted up in my bed, what?!  Now, I knew that tonight my husband was at home, without kids (except our teenage son) or wife and had planned a “boy’s night”!  Boy’s night is all about meat on the grill, including the testicles of the lamb Devon and Bouchaib had butchered, cigars, scotch and fire pit.  My sister’s house was very quiet with everyone sound asleep, so I texted my husband.  “Why are the police and firemen at our house?”  The reply he sent, “How did you know?”  After many exchanges of texts, I found out what happened.  One of our neighbors had called 911 to report the boy’s firepit.

(Let me just set the record straight, we’ve had a fire pit for three years and have never had a problem.  Devon was told that a permit is required in Baltimore city.  So, I wasn’t there to see or hear if that fire was a bit bigger than the pit…or if the boy’s night was getting a bit loud..my hubby says it was fine and they were just having fun.)

Once the firemen accessed the situation and realized they had disrupted a sacred,  gathering of the men folk, they sheepishly apologized and told the boys they had to extinguish the fire.  “Guys, we’re sorry…don’t let this stop you from drinkin’ your beer and eating your meat…continue!  But, because we got called, you have to put it out.”  My husband turned on our hose, but is was frozen.  He couldn’t put it out.  So, being protectors of the law, the firemen dragged their hoses to the top of our street, hooked them up, and extinguished the fire with a “man sized” piece of equipment!  It was the perfect ending to, what I hear, was a near perfect evening.

For those of you who are wondering, only three guys stepped up to the plate to sample the grilled lamb balls.  My husband (how could he not lead by example), his brother (could not be out done by his older sibling) and Cliff (a friend who spent most his life in the Antarctic) were the only partakers.  When described…Devon said, “It had the texture of tofu and took on the flavors of cumin, salt and pepper.”  All three said they’d probably never eat it again!  Maybe next time they’ll try a more sophisticated recipe!