Chicken

U.S. Sens. Barbara A. Mikulski and Benjamin L. Cardin joined an informal Chicken Caucus of senators Monday to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to step up efforts to help the mid-Atlantic poultry industry cope with the economic impact of drought. Mikulski and Cardin, both Democrats, urged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to direct funds to poultry farmers, contending that the price of corn has soared by as much as 60 percent because of dry conditions in the Midwestern grain belt.

The Harborplace pavilions have been undergoing a well publicized renovation. The Gallery at Harborplace, the midrise mall across Pratt Street, has been spruced up, too. The Gallery's fourth-level food court has been restocked with stalls bearing generic sounding names like Sushi Express and Saku Saku. You might walk right by them. But at least one new stall, Krazi Kebob, is worth a second glance, and probably a special trip. The first Krazi Kebob opened in College Park, where its Chipotle-style assembly system and Indian-Pakistani flavors — with a little Mexican thrown in — hit big with the college crowd.

Debbie Housden from Baltimore was looking for a recipe for chicken divan that she said was published in The Baltimore Sun at least 10 years ago. Martha Socolar, also from Baltimore, said she too cut the recipe from The Sun many years ago and served it to her family for years, and they always loved it. Seeing Housden's request reminded her to start making it again. While I received many versions of chicken divan in response to this request, this was the very recipe Housden was looking for. It is interesting that this recipe, unlike the many others I received for this somewhat common dish, is relatively low in fat thanks to the use of skim milk, reduced-fat cream of chicken soup, and reduced-fat cheddar cheese.

On what would have been 100th birthday for Julia Child, queen of the upscale cookbook, here's some good reading: The Washington Post reports that the National Museum of American History today reopened one of its most beloved exhibits: the kitchen Child used for television shows. "The copper pot collection represented only in outline until it was reunited with Child's kitchen in 2009 now hangs directly across from where it belonged. Child's French Legion of Honor medal of 2000 and the 1996 Emmy statuette for “In Julia's Kitchen With Master Chefs” are displayed nearby.

Gourmet burger joints have been popping up all over town. Some of them are regional and national chains like Five Guys Burger and Fries and Bobby's Burger Palace. A few independently owned burger boutiques like Baltimore Burger Bar in Hampden and Burger Brothers are competing for the burger-lovers dollar, too. Each one has its specialties and its fans. Charm City Burger opened Downtown on Baltimore Street a few months ago. It's an independently owned joint that you may mistake for a chain.

The Hip Hop Fish & Chicken carry-out restaurant caught fire early Saturday in the 2800 block of Hillen Road in Baltimore, authorities said. Chief Kevin Cartwright of the Baltimore City Fire Department said firefighters arrived at the restaurant, which appeared unoccupied, around 3:45 a.m. No injuries to civilians or firefighters were reported, Cartwright said. The fire was under control by 6 a.m., but a few firefighters remain on the scene, he added.. Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the one-story building that once operated as a KFC, Cartwright said.

Along about now, the grill as a culinary appliance begins to pall. Not that grilling isn't still the preferred summertime cooking method, both for everyday meals and for deck parties. But, still, we get a little nostalgic for fixing a quick supper inside - in the air conditioning. And, perhaps we even long to hark back to the good old days and fix something that's a perennial favorite with the gang. When in that mood, when we're seeking something fast, and relatively light, and "acceptable" to everybody's palates, at our house we tend to turn to chicken.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Executive Director Alison Prost mentioedn some good ideas in her recent op-ed, but what's more important is what she didn't say ("New pollution regulations aren't enough for the Chesapeake Bay," July 15). She didn't mention, for example, that the bay's poor condition is partly due to the timid recommendations the foundation has been issuing for 45 years, like buying local meat and planting bay-friendly landscapes, which produce only cosmetic reductions in pollutants.

Chicken McBites are back for a limited time only in Greater Baltimore area restaurants - but this time, they have a bold new flavor. New Spicy Chicken McBites are crispy, poppable pieces of juicy white chicken breast that are seasoned with a variety of spices to create the perfect balance of heat and flavor that builds with every bite. The delicious and bold new offering is available for a limited time now through July 29, in a convenient package in three sizes - Snack (3 ounce)

Think of Annapolis and you see Naval Academy midshipmen in their crisp whites, the spires of ancient churches and the masts of sailing yachts. The glittering dome of the state capitol and the rows of historic houses painted in lipstick colors. It is my town, and even I see it that way. I don't, however, see chickens. I will, though. More than 50 people attended a meeting at the Annapolis Library to learn more about a new city ordinance that will allow them to keep as many as five laying hens on their property, and some of them were my neighbors.