NEWS
By ROB KASPER | October 21, 2009
As soon as the first snowflake falls in Garrett County, basil plants in Baltimore fold for the season. That is an exaggeration, but only a slight one. Basil is a weather wimp, the first plant to swoon when the temperatures dip near freezing, if only for a few hours. One day it is green, leafy and verdant and the next it is black, woody and kaput. Cue the leaf pickers. As soon as there is a slight chill in the air, they start plucking basil leaves from the plants, turning them into a variety of dishes but mainly pesto.
NEWS
By SUSAN REIMER | August 6, 2009
It is August in the garden, and the energy of spring has evaporated like the dew - for the garden and the gardener. What looked so fresh and promising in May looks scraggly and wilted now, and the punishing heat and drought of late summer in the Mid-Atlantic saps the will to do anything about it. If I wait a little longer, the gardener tells herself, it will be time for mums and this awkward phase in the garden cycle will be forgotten. In spring, we haunt the garden centers and purchase what is blooming at the moment, doubling down our investment in early-season color.
NEWS
By Julie Rothman | March 18, 2009
Deborah Gandy of Florence, S.C., was looking for a recipe for a dip made with cream cheese, roasted red peppers and basil. She said she found the recipe on a package of Gardetto's rye chips but has since lost it and would love to make it again. She said it was a wonderful dip and great for a party. Cindy Black of Huntley, Ill., sent in a recipe for a dip that sounded very much like the one Gandy described. It is made in the food processor and takes no time at all. She says it keeps well in the refrigerator and is especially delicious served with pita chips or raw vegetables.
NEWS
By Richard Gorelick | November 13, 2008
If Chopstix Cafe is so much nicer and prettier than the typical strip-mall Chinese restaurant, it's partly because the three-year-old Honeygo Village Center where it's located is not a traditional strip mall, or even a shopping center. It's more of a trees-and-sidewalks "lifestyle center." It looks a lot like a mini version of the nearby Avenue at White Marsh, not quite suburban but not really a small town, more a place in between. There sometimes seems like there's no in-between with Chinese restaurants - they're either dumps or discotheques - but Chopstix is comfortable and cheerful without being slick and loud.
NEWS
By KATE SHATZKIN | November 10, 2008
Ready-made pasta sauces can be convenient, but watch out for sodium, even in natural and organic brands. Newman's Own Tomato & Basil Bombolina may be "all natural," but each half-cup serving has 620 milligrams of sodium - 250 more than Muir Glen Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce. Newman's Own Tomato & Basil Bombolina Per serving ( 1/2 cup): 90 calories 2 grams protein 4.5 grams fat 0.5 gram saturated fat 13 grams carbohydrate 0 grams fiber 0 milligrams cholesterol 620 milligrams sodium Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce Per serving ( 1/2 cup)
NEWS
By JACQUES KELLY | October 10, 2008
Constantine "Gus" Klosteridis, a retired baker and Howard Street pizza shop owner, died of cancer complications Saturday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The Timonium resident was 85. Born in Baltimore and raised near Patterson Park, he graduated in 1941 from City College and then enlisted in the Navy. He was stationed at Camp MacDonough Naval Training Center in Plattsburg, N.Y., and at Fort Pierce, Fla. He earned a bachelor's degree at Loyola College and joined his father and brother in their Athens Baking Co. on Bouldin Street in Highlandtown, which they expanded to mass-produce hamburger rolls.
NEWS
By Richard Gorelick | August 28, 2008
Have you been following Slow Food Baltimore's Eat in Season Challenge? If it ended up producing nothing except this crazily cream and corntastic dish from Donna's chef Andy Thomas and sous-chef Brian Price, it would have been worth it. Thomas used local cream, too, in this silky smooth dish, and the basil was just the rough edge it needed. Donna's whole Eat in Season menu was admirable (but succotash without corn - sacre bleu!), and they've promised to try to keep the corn pudding (or is it a flan?
NEWS
By Ellen Nibali and Jon Traunfeld | June 7, 2008
All my new basil plants have dead patches on the leaves. Can I treat this? If the patches are tan, it may be damage from the cold weather. Basil likes it hot. It should recover and put out healthy new growth when temperatures rise. If the patches are dark brown or blackish, it's probably a fungus. There are no fungal sprays that would be appropriate for fungal disease on basil because it is a food plant. Consider replanting. My neighbor has a new lawn, and it is a lot greener than mine.
NEWS
By Frederick N. Rasmussen | June 3, 2008
Basil Dudok, a retired concrete worker and longtime Parkville resident, died of cardiac arrest May 27 at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 70. Mr. Dudok was born in Kocowec, Ukraine, where he spent his early years and World War II. His father, who had been drafted into the Polish cavalry during the war, was later imprisoned by the Germans at Buchenwald concentration camp. After the war, Mr. Dudok accompanied his mother and siblings to Germany, where they located his father and were placed in a displaced-persons camp.
NEWS
By Linda Gassenheimer | January 23, 2008
Steak with onions and balsamic vinegar cooked to a sweet glaze is a perfect dinner. Linguine with fresh basil and tomatoes makes a colorful side dish. Balsamic vinegar is made in Modena, Italy. To be sure you are buying good-quality vinegar, check the labels; grapes should be the only ingredient. Lesser-quality vinegars have brown sugar added. Top-quality balsamic vinegars are aged 25 to 50 years and are used drop by drop. Choose a medium-priced one for cooking. Wine suggestion: Hearty steak with powerful balsamic vinegar is an occasion for a powerful Italian barolo.