Chicken

Angie Miller and her steely-eyed focus transmitted into the homes of 10-plus million American Idol viewers won her 50,000 followers in the Twitterverse the week of the show's Top 10 reveal -- nearly 18,000 more social media fans than her next highest competitor. More than two months later, the 18-year-old  Beverly, Mass., native tripled her followers, effectively blowing away the other wannabes on the cyberspace portal. Why then didn't the magic of the 140-character phenomenon carry her into Thursday's finale?

After 25 Preaknesses, Annette Thomas has her routine, and recipes, down pat. Thirty pounds of ribs, both pork and beef, marinated overnight in vinegar and soy sauce, then grilled in front of her house on Saturday. Fifty pounds of red-skin potatoes — "Never russets, oh no, no, no!" — boiled in her crab pots for dill whipped potato salad. "Half-and-half," or homemade sweet tea — not the bought tea, she explains — and lemonade to wash it down. For the hungry hordes heading into or out of Pimlico Race Course , sidewalk chefs like Thomas serve up a home-cooked alternative to the concessions inside.

Even if you're not yet ready to retire, San Miguel de Allende is perfect for a vacation or long weekend getaway. Getting there United and American airlines offer connecting flights (via Texas) to San Miguel's two closest airports, Leon/Guanajuato (BJX), 90 minutes away, and Queretaro (QRO), one hour away. Round-trip airfares start around $600. Multiple airlines offer flights to Mexico City, which is three hours from San Miguel. When to go January may be the sole inclement month to travel, and even then it's nothing compared to a typical Baltimore winter.

The menu at Bel Air's Pairings Bistro changes throughout the year, evolving to highlight the best products from each season. This spring, Chef/owner Jon Kohler is serving small, succulent spring chickens, roasted and served with fresh peas and local mushrooms. Pairings Bistro 2105 Laurel Bush Road | Suite 108 | Bel Air, MD 21015 410-569-5006 | pairingsbistro.com Roast Poussin with Wild Mushrooms and Spring Pea Ragout Serves 6 Poussins: 6 poussins (spring chickens, preferably from KCC Natural Farms in Forest Hill)

Always, there were those lovely old country estates and gracious manor taverns with roaring fireplaces, but in the old days fine dining was associated with the city. Not so anymore. Now, there are more compelling reasons than ever for diners to cross county lines for a good meal. The 50 best county restaurants in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County is a mix of the old and the new, destinations for special occasions and joints for Monday night suppers, the chef-driven and crowd-pleasing.

After 25 Preaknesses, Annette Thomas has her routine, and recipes, down pat. Thirty pounds of ribs, both pork and beef, marinated overnight in vinegar and soy sauce, then grilled in front of her house on Saturday. Fifty pounds of red-skin potatoes — "Never russets, oh no, no, no!" — boiled in her crab pots for dill whipped potato salad. "Half-and-half," or homemade sweet tea — not the bought tea, she explains — and lemonade to wash it down. For the hungry hordes heading into or out of Pimlico Race Course , sidewalk chefs like Thomas serve up a home-cooked alternative to the concessions inside.

It's true. The Chicken 'n' Waffles food truck has pulled into town. The man behind the truck is Sterling Godfrey, who just recently moved his mobile operation from the D.C. suburbs to the streets of Baltimore. The specialty of the truck is the chicken-and-waffle combo ($9.50), and waffles and chicken all by themselves. You can get waffle plain ($6) or topped with strawberry or blueberry ($7.75). Orders of chicken wings begin at $2.60 for two and end at $10.40 for 10. Also on the menu: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, minced pork barbecue, and half-smokes, as wells as fish sandwiches (tilapia or whiting)

Lying in bed, the boyfriend and I debated dinner. “I could roast a chicken,” I said. “Roast a chicken? Why don’t we just get Thai food?” he asked. “Because,” I said, “this is the best roast chicken you’ve ever had in your life.” He eyed me skeptically. After a few hours and complaints that he was growing hungry, he shuffled over to the stove and stared at the browned bird. He sawed off a piece when I wasn’t looking.

In their continuing campaign against animal protein and modern agriculture, the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health has published findings that, in my opinion as a microbiologist and veterinarian, defy logic and sound science. Their studies examined "chicken feather meal," not meat, and claim from an extremely small sample size to have found trace amounts, in some cases a fraction of one part per billion, of caffeine, arsenic, banned antibiotics and ingredients found in Benadryl, Prozac and Tylenol.

I know how popular those jerky chicken treats are. Around Patterson Park, they're referred to as doggie crack. So I want to pass on this warning from the FDA: The Food and Drug Administration is again cautioning consumers that chicken jerky products for dogs (also sold as chicken tenders, strips or treats) may be associated with illness in dogs. In the last 12 months, FDA has seen an increase in the number of complaints it received of dog illnesses associated with consumption of chicken jerky products imported from China.

Cathy Hudson knew the practice of raising chickens in her backyard made her part of a growing suburban trend, but when she learned Williams-Sonoma, purveyor of pricey kitchen gear, had started selling chicken coops - including a two-level cedar model for $1,499.95 - she thought, "OK, we have arrived. " "This is no longer your hillbilly" thing, said Hudson, an Elkridge resident who keeps chickens in four coops on two properties she owns. In many suburban communities, residents are raising their own chickens as pets, for their economic advantages and as a way to forge a closer connection to the food they eat. The rising popularity is encouraging for Hudson, an activist who's campaigning to make it easier to keep backyard poultry in Howard County.

With only minor changes, the House of Delegates on Wednesday gave initial approval to Gov. Martin O'Malley's $37 billion budget, the governor's first spending plan in several years that doesn't propose significant cuts. While a final vote in the House is expected Friday, Wednesday's actions signaled the last cuts the chamber will make before the budget proposal moves to the Senate. Delegates cut about $80 million in state spending, scaling back one of O'Malley's initiatives to improve digital learning in classrooms and nixing another that would have created a $5 million fund for innovative ideas.

The first Baltimore location of Nando's Peri-Peri, an informal Afro-Portuguese restaurant specializing in flame-grilled chicken, will open on Baltimore and Paca streets on March 20. The location is close by the University of Maryland and around the corner from the Hippodrome. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, the worldwide chicken chain made its U.S. debut in 2008 in Washington and has added nine stores in the D.C. metropolitan area since. A Nando's opened at the Waugh Chapel Towne Centre Gambrills last December, and another has been announced for the Cordish Cos.' Towson Square project.

When the new menu comes out this month at Chick and Ruth's Delly, an Annapolis mainstay where politicians' favorite meals are named for them, John R. Leopold's name won't be on the chicken noodle soup. Out of office - for whatever reason - means off the menu and off the wall behind the counter. The former Anne Arundel County executive resigned after he was found guilty in January of misconduct in office. The soup, however, will remain on the menu that is in the process of being redone, the iconic deli's general manager Chuck Munyon said.

In Baltimore, everybody knows Costas Inn. The Dundalk institution has been around since 1971, when Costas Triantafilos - still the owner, now working with his son, Pete - opened the restaurant. Since the '70s, Costas has grown into a nationally recognized crab powerhouse, serving steamed crabs year-round and shipping crab cakes and crab seasoning all over the country. But back in Baltimore, the restaurant is more than just a place to pick crabs. We visited Costas during the "off" season to see what else the Baltimore landmark has to offer.

Chef Rebecca Pauvert reflects: “I chose this recipe because it is one of my favorites. It has great flavors, it's comforting and it's a recipe that you can increase if you want and enjoy for a couple of nights. It only gets better.” Braised Chicken Basquaise with red peppers and artichokes Ingredients: •    olive oil •    ½ pound chorizo •    2 small red onions, cut in 6 wedges •    2 red peppers, cut in ½-inch strips •    4 Cornish game hens, halved •    4 plum tomatoes, quartered •    8 small artichoke hearts, halved •    6 cloves garlic •    2 cups chicken stock, plus •    Juice of 1 lemon •    ¾ cup sherry •    sea salt and ground black pepper Directions: 1. Heat oil in large braising pan. Brown chorizo slightly, add red onions and red peppers and toss a few times.

More than a dozen chickens died in a fire in their chicken coop in Havre de Grace Monday night. The fire was discovered shortly before 8 p.m. by David E. Toney, who owned the 8-by-6-foot chicken coop that was attached to a 10-by-12-foot shed in the 4100 block of Gravel Hill Road. It started accidentally when a heating lamp inside the coop had fallen and ignited nearby combustibles, according to a press release from the Maryland State Fire Marshal. The chicken coop was a complete loss and 13 chickens died in the fire.

We think Buffalo sauce instantly makes almost any chicken sandwich twice as tasty. As for toppings, we want plenty of options - tomatoes, blue cheese and lettuce, at least. Here are four Buffalo chicken sandwiches from city bars and restaurants. The Greene Turtle 722 S. Broadway, Baltimore -- 410-342-4222 Hours --11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. daily Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes Ready in --8 minutes Even though it was the cheapest and came the fastest, this sandwich, $7.34, was disappointing.

The sky is not falling. There is not an impending chicken wing shortage, the American Chicken Council said, and wing-eating football fans will not have to worry about having enough chicken wings. "The good news for consumers is that restaurants plan well in advance to ensure they have plenty of wings for the big game," a source for the trade association said.  Scattered news sources have conveyed the exact opposite message. Because it's funnier, I suppose. The feather-ruffling in news accounts of the supposed wing shortage recalls last year's uproar about a worldwide bacon shortage, which arose from a similar press release issued by Britain's National Pig Assocation.

As of New Year's Day, arsenic is officially off the menu for Maryland chickens. The nation's first statewide ban on the use of additives in chicken feed containing the toxic metal is among a dozen new state laws that take effect Jan. 1. The new civil marriage measure that was affirmed by Maryland voters in November, allowing same-sex couples to take their vows, has grabbed the most headlines, but less-publicized laws will take effect as well....