Flavor

If the Black Eyed Susan were a race horse, it would be a sprinter. It makes one strong move, then fades quickly. The strong move occurs this weekend when the cocktail will be in demand at Pamlico Race Track, during both the running of the Black Eyed Susan Stakes on Friday and the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. Over these two days, about 25,000 servings of the libation, poured into commemorative glasses, will be sold at $8 apiece, track officials say. But as soon as Preakness weekend ends, so does the does the local thirst for the Susan.

A weekend festival in Canton that promised classes on bondage, role play and other sexual techniques has been canceled after the new operators of the Clarence H. Du Burns Arena idecided the erotic exposition was not appropriate at a facility also used for children's sports practices. The organizers of the Touch of Flavor event sued the arena's managers this week, saying that their contract was breached. They also made an unsuccessful bid for a restraining order that would have let the festival go on. The two-day event was to have featured classes on the use of hot wax, sex-dungeon safety and "Rope Bondage You Can Actually Use. " "We feel like there's been a great interest due to books and things that have come out," said Cassie Fuller, one of the organizers.

A weekend festival in Canton that promised classes on bondage, role play and other sexual techniques has been canceled after the new operators of the Clarence H. Du Burns Arena idecided the erotic exposition was not appropriate at a facility also used for children's sports practices. The organizers of the Touch of Flavor event sued the arena's managers this week, saying that their contract was breached. They also made an unsuccessful bid for a restraining order that would have let the festival go on. The two-day event was to have featured classes on the use of hot wax, sex-dungeon safety and "Rope Bondage You Can Actually Use. " "We feel like there's been a great interest due to books and things that have come out," said Cassie Fuller, one of the organizers.

One of the most appealing things about liquor is its ability to absorb flavors. Whether bacon, fruit or oak, the process of infusion can make any run-of-the-mill vodka a taste sensation, given the right proportions and enough time. While leather-infused bourbon may seem like an unapproachable or acquired taste (it does exist, for the record), you can never go wrong with a good old fashioned fruit infusion. Many drinkeries around the Baltimore area have their own varieties. In Federal Hill, Mother's Grille has the Summertime Infusion.

Seven players with local ties were named to the All-Major League Lacrosse team Friday. Chosen at attack were the Denver Outlaws' Brendan Mundorf (UMBC), who on Thursday was named the league's Most Valuable Player, and Ryan Boyle (Gilman) of the Boston Cannons. Paul Rabil (Johns Hopkins), the Offensive Player of the Year with the Cannons, and Kyle Dixon (Archbishop Spalding) of the Chesapeake Bayhawks received All-MLL honors at midfield. Selected on defense were the Ohio Machine's Kyle Hartzell (Salisbury, Archbishop Curley)

In the garden with Mr. Bee, Lou Boulmetis: Storing the harvest Much of our surplus garden produce is given away to family and friends. But plenty is also stored for meals that will be prepared during the upcoming winter — because I really don't want to wait until next summer to savor the flavor of my favorite varieties. Fortunately, many fruits and vegetables can be kept reasonably fresh for months, without going to the trouble of canning or drying. At our place, for instance, onions and garlic have been in storage for two months, and they will still be edible nine months from now. Other types of produce can easily be stored, too, providing that certain guidelines are adhered to. What follows should help.

In Greek, "Yasou" means "health to you. " It's used as a greeting and a toast, like "Cheers!" At Yasou Greek Bistro, there's plenty of reason to toast. With simple, nicely cooked takes on Greek specialties and friendly service, the busy Hunt Valley restaurant is a good choice for diners in search of top-notch Greek food without the drive to Greektown. Yasou occupies a small space in a shopping center on York Road, where Cockeysville meets Hunt Valley. Inside, clean white paint and shiny tables give the year-old restaurant a brand-new feeling.

Sorry, Gertrude Stein, but you got it wrong with "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. " The flower has a whole new identity: out of the bud vase and onto the plate. Long used in Persian and Indian cooking, rose is a flavor not commonly found in American fare. But some creative local chefs and bakers are working it into desserts, drinks, even savory dishes. Rose syrups, rose water and petals fresh, frozen and dried lend a surprising floral note to fruit-topped pastries and chocolate eclairs, strawberry mojitos and a couscous served with lamb.

Instead of heading to the market next time you need fresh produce, take a trip to Aberdeen's farmers market. Every Friday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., Festival Park across from Aberdeen City Hall is full of vendors selling local goods and families having a good time. “Aberdeen wanted its citizens to grow local, buy local,” says Felicia Bledsoe, a spokesperson for the city of Aberdeen. “It helps the small business out, and you can always be sure there will be fresh vegetables, delicious homemade snacks, handmade products and other items each week.” Aberdeen's farmers market began in May and will run until October.

Maruha, a Japanese steakhouse, opened last year in Columbia's Hickory Ridge shopping center in space that used to be a Blockbuster. I'm glad someone told me that, because I did think it was strange when the waitress told me I had to … I know there's a good video store-Japanese restaurant joke out there somewhere, maybe something about rewinding, but I just can't come up with it, and it's killing me. I'm not saying I spent more time...

A McCormick & Co. culinary expert will be on hand Saturday at the spice maker's Inner Harbor store to whip up Mexican cuisine for Cinco de Mayo. McCormick World of Flavors is planning two cooking demonstrations, one at noon featuring Mexican Corn Salad and another at 1 p.m. featuring Tinga de Pollo. Leslie Speckart, McCormick Kitchens' culinary expert, will demonstrate the dishes and answer questions in English and Spanish to help shoppers plan menus for Cinco de Mayo parties.

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)

When most people think about Creamsicles, they probably picture the fruity frozen dessert. Monica Williams, however, envisioned a cookie. Williams, who owns the baking operation From Momma's Kitchen, has made a second career out of concocting decadent desserts. The 43-year-old former principal of Celebration Christian Academy in Columbia has been experimenting with cookies ever since she started baking at just 8 years old in her mom's kitchen in Philadelphia. “I added M&M's to the first batch of chocolate chip cookies I made,” she remembers.

You know how you wake up on Sunday morning and enjoy the challenge of trying to complete the crossword puzzle or the Sudoku in the newspaper? That's how NFL defensive coordinators and coaches when they wake up in the morning feel about the read-option offense, which puzzled many teams during the 2012 season. Three NFC playoff teams from a season ago -- Washington, Seattle and San Francisco -- made the read-option running game a staple of their offenses, using their poised, mobile young quarterbacks to terrorize defenses.

After falling in love with French macarons in Paris, Wanda Hall decided to open her own maison du macarons in Havre de Grace. Les Petits Bisous, which translates as “little kisses,” opened in August 2012. “I thought, 'Why not do something totally different?' ” says Hall, 45, whose former career involved international human rights. “I thought about what I loved and missed while living abroad in Paris.” And so Hall decided to bake and sell her favorite Parisian treat -- macarons, which consist of two crispy cookies with flavored filling in the middle.

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.

You know how you wake up on Sunday morning and enjoy the challenge of trying to complete the crossword puzzle or the Sudoku in the newspaper? That's how NFL defensive coordinators and coaches when they wake up in the morning feel about the read-option offense, which puzzled many teams during the 2012 season. Three NFC playoff teams from a season ago -- Washington, Seattle and San Francisco -- made the read-option running game a staple of their offenses, using their poised, mobile young quarterbacks to terrorize defenses.

The arrival of tomatoes at the farmers' market is the high point of the summer growing season. It brings with it a treasure-trove of jewel-colored fruit that span the spectrum from bright green to dark purple and come in shapes that defy geometric reason. Heirloom tomatoes with names such as Green Zebra and Black Krim deliver a range of flavors from tongue-twisting tartness to luxurious, smooth sweetness. They don't need much in the way of preparation to shine, and that's why most chefs don't mess with them much at home.

In Greek, "Yasou" means "health to you. " It's used as a greeting and a toast, like "Cheers!" At Yasou Greek Bistro, there's plenty of reason to toast. With simple, nicely cooked takes on Greek specialties and friendly service, the busy Hunt Valley restaurant is a good choice for diners in search of top-notch Greek food without the drive to Greektown. Yasou occupies a small space in a shopping center on York Road, where Cockeysville meets Hunt Valley. Inside, clean white paint and shiny tables give the year-old restaurant a brand-new feeling.

At Maggie's Farm, on a late December night, the small, square Harford Road dining room was full, with couples and foursomes along the edges, and in the middle, two separate large parties, of 12 and 18, celebrating birthdays. We were concerned about our own good time. Are these people going to get loud? Can I get my order in before they do? There was no need to worry, not at Maggie's Farm, which serves up big flavors with a mellow attitude and makes the hard work of preparing and serving good food feel effortless.