Chops

Bluestone 11 W. Aylesbury Road, Timonium -- 410-561-1100 Hours --11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays Restaurant's estimate --10-15 minutes Ready in --18 minutes Though this pork chop was the thickest of the three we tried, it fell short of our expectations. It was overcooked and drier than the others. Side dishes of decent mashed potatoes and crisp broccolini were served with the order, $19.95. Know of a good carryout place?

Just inside the doors of In Like Flynn Tavern, a bright blue wall welcomes visitors with the W.B. Yeats quote, "There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven't yet met. " The poet's famous words are favorites among fans of Irish pubs all over the world. At In Like Flynn, the sentiment comes to life. The pub, which opened last summer in the Locust Point space formerly occupied by the much-loved J. Patrick's Pub, is one friendly, comfortable spot. Even better, the food is interesting and surprisingly upscale.

One of the enduring misperceptions of American politics is that the vice presidency is a steppingstone to the presidency. Of the 47 men who have held the office, only four were elected to the Oval Office as sitting standbys: Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren and, 152 years later, the senior George Bush. And, of these, only Jefferson was given a second term. This bit of history has not discouraged the widespread impression that the individual "a heartbeat away" from the presidency has some kind of leg up on competitors for the office.

Let's see if the Oriole Park chef can sweep his competition right out of Ted Allen's TV kitchen. Oriole Park executive chef John Distenfeld is competing on Wednesday night's special ballpark edition of "Chopped. "  Distenfeld's competitors on the taped episode are executive chefs from three other major league stadiums -- Jessica Helms, executive chef at Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals; James Majors, executive chef at Great American Ball Park for the Cincinnati Reds; and Cristobal Vazquez, executive chef at Globe Life Park for the Texas Rangers.

Ravens running back Ray Rice, whose legs are like those of a mid-sized rhino, endorses a workout supplement called RipFire. To promote the product, he recently filmed a video for FOX Sports with Bernie, the Baltimore fan who has given me fodder for past blog posts such as an Orioles version of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails and former Ravens back Willis McGahee busting out dance moves , including "The Carlton. " If you are like me and you enjoyed Rice's performance in those M&T Bank commercials, you'll want to see his fine acting in this video.

For easy weekday entertaining, these tiny chops look elegant - and with the help of your butcher, they're very simple to prepare. Look for frenched racks of lamb in the butcher section or freezer section of your supermarket. You'll identify them because the bones of the rack will be exposed and cleaned of any meat. You will need two racks to feed four people. Beverage pairing A spicy zinfandel provides a nice fruitiness to team with the lamb and beans. Tip Cut each rack into thin chops using each bone as your guideline.

These grilled pork chops are bursting with a surprise stuffing -- one that's based on pasta. Acini de pepe (little peppercorn in Italian) is a very tiny, round pasta that cooks about twice as fast as other noodles. You'll find it in the pasta section of your supermarket.Honey-orange pork chopsMakes 4 servings.2 medium oranges2 tablespoons honey1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard2 tablespoons orange marmalade2 tablespoons vinegar3/4 cup chicken broth1/2 cup acini de pepe4 green onions, thinly sliced1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1/2 cup finely chopped celery4 pork loin rib chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thickPeel and section the oranges over a bowl, reserving any juice.

Live jazz, poetry readings on Wednesday nights, fried chicken and smothered pork chops -- Cade's Cafe at 25 N. Liberty St. has it all. Not to mention that Gospel Sundays should be starting up sometime soon.The restaurant is an offshoot of Indigo Blues and Mama's Kitchen in New York City. The specialty is Southern food, from a catfish sandwich at lunch to ribs, collard greens and candied yams at dinner. Most of the recipes are from the mama in question, Margaret Hill, the mother of one of the owners.

It's an election year. So naturally, sales of ginger- and lemongrass-infused lobster spring rolls with avocado wasabi mousse are through the roof. The rubber-chicken circuit is giving way in Baltimore to something hip enough to sit on square plates: campaign tapas. Politicians and guava-glazed ribs alike are getting a good grilling at "Politics '06 at 6," a weekly forum Tuesday evenings at Eden's Lounge in Mount Vernon. Think Arbutus Roundtable, except for the chi-chi fare, the mostly black crowd and the live band that tunes up as the pols wind down.

After an especially long and hot Ohio summer, I was thrilled to wake up a few weeks ago to a perfect fall day. Finally, the air was crisp, the high temperature was predicted to be a desirable 65 degrees, and it was sunny.As a cook, I could not resist the temptation to telephone a group of friends and ask them to come for an impromptu fall dinner that night.Of all the fall dishes prepared for that party, the pork chops were my favorite. They are seasoned with salt and pepper, coated in flour and browned in oil. The chops are then placed in a baking dish and topped with caramelized onions and stock.

One of the enduring misperceptions of American politics is that the vice presidency is a steppingstone to the presidency. Of the 47 men who have held the office, only four were elected to the Oval Office as sitting standbys: Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren and, 152 years later, the senior George Bush. And, of these, only Jefferson was given a second term. This bit of history has not discouraged the widespread impression that the individual "a heartbeat away" from the presidency has some kind of leg up on competitors for the office.

Turns out, I am glad that Thomas V. Mike Miller gives no hint of retiring from his position as president-forever of the Maryland Senate. I know that sounds odd coming from me, but that's how I feel today. And I don't even smoke pot. Miller is 71, and he's been in the legislature since '71. He's been president of the Senate so long no one can even remember the man he replaced in that position. (I'll give you a hint: It was Mickey Steinberg.) Jaded in the jowls and white of hair, Miller is all been-there/done-that about the General Assembly, one of those guys who likes position and power, but doesn't offer much else.

Joann Levin of Baltimore was looking for the recipe for the chopped salad that was served at the now-closed Maison Marconi restaurant in downtown Baltimore. Marconi's, which opened in 1920, was an institution in Baltimore famous for its Old World charm. It was favorite dining spot of such notables as H.L. Mencken. Marconi's endured for years until the early 2000s, when it was purchased by Orioles owner Peter Angelos, immediately redecorated and then shut down. The restaurant and some of its signature dishes remain near and dear to many, as indicated by the number of requests I continue to receive for some of its most famous recipes.

The Fourth of July is not technically about the inalienable right to grill hot dogs and burgers, but to vegetarians or people trying to cut down on their meat intake, it can sure seem that way. For those looking for a way to join in the backyard grilling without making a trip to the butcher shop first, local chefs say never fear: grilled veggies can make delicious and filling entrees. "I love cooking on the grill," said Taueret Thomas, culinary director for the Lincoln Culinary Institute in Columbia.

I applaud the Call of Duty Endowment for its funding of employment services for veterans ("Amvets awarded $250,000 grant to open veterans career centers," March 20). But private generosity alone won't close the 5 percentage point employment gap between young vets and their civilian peers. Yet as with so many other necessary functions of government, gridlock in Washington imperils services for veterans. Budget cuts mandated by the sequester will de-fund housing aid, job training and other services veterans require.

Most people go to farmers' markets in search of that perfect tomato or apple, meats are also sold at many of them. That's right, beef, chicken, pork and even bison can be found in the stalls at most farmers' markets in the area. Pork is among my favorites. Fatty, lean, smoked or plain, I can eat pork in countless ways. I'm even a fan of the parts that most supermarkets don't sell, such as the ears, jowls, feet and tails (which all can be bought at the farmers' market), but I'm a sucker for the classic pork chop.

Lately I've been cooking boneless pork chops in place of the ubiquitous chicken breast. All chicken, all the time - it just gets too boring. I like to rub the chops with a mixture of salt, pepper and that great flavorful smoked paprika from Spain called pimenton. The paprika is a great match for pork of any kind. After pan-frying the chops, I add a light glaze of barbecue sauce for a touch of sweetness. Sauteed sweet onions echo the flavor of the sauce for a great side dish. Carol Mighton Haddix is food editor of the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.

Paul Newman thought it should be eaten with a spoon. Baltimore restaurant owner Sascha Wolhandler calls it "a fabulous amalgam of flavor in every bite. " It's the chopped salad, and it's having a field day in Baltimore. A chopped salad featured on the summer restaurant week menu at Heavy Seas Alehouse proved so popular that it's been put on the permanent dinner menu. Sergio Vitale, co-owner of Chazz: A Bronx Original, is considering making the lunch menu's steakhouse salad a dinner item, too. "It's definitely the No. 1 most popular lunch item and people ask for at dinner, too," Vitale said about the salad, which he says is an homage to a version served at Ruth's Chris Steak House.

We seem to be a bit schizophrenic about trees these days. Given the extended power outages of the last two summers, BGE - with the mandate, encouragement and cheers of many - has been on a tree-trimming tear. Wherever it can, it is trimming, troughing and topping off trees to eliminate branches that might fall on its wires. When none of these lesser tactics is deemed sufficient by BGE officials, they cut. In my neighborhood alone, I counted no fewer than 50 trees taken down, from crown to ground.