Taste

Taste of the Nation Baltimore is one of 40 culinary events held across the country each year raising funds for the national non-profit Share Our Strength dedicated to ending childhood hunger. Chefs from Michael Mina's upcoming eagerly awaited Wit & Wisdom will be there, along with representatives from Pierpoint, Charm City Cakes , B&O Brasserie and Clementine . Taste of the Nation will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel . Taste of the Nation events have been held since 1988, but is first time one is being held in Baltimore.

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.

A new treatment for malaria - which experts say kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds - might lie in the dregs of medicinal tea formerly produced by an Ellicott City woman's company. Bad flavor might have undermined the lasting success of Diane Winn's first anti-malarial drug, a product called Phyto-Laria tea bags, which her company made until five years ago from the root of an African vine. But now, the only thing Winn hopes to taste is success as a flavorless capsule form of the same drug soon heads for clinical testing and, if approved, a product launch by year's end. Not bad for someone who graduated in 1959 with a degree in biology from tiny Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa., and who envisioned a long career behind a microscope or as a medical illustrator.

We all have the nightmare of being late to class, forgetting to study for the exam or being late to a test. At three score and four, I have now lived that nightmare.  I did not awake in a sweat. I did not leap from bed, throw on clothes and run downstairs, only to realize I am no longer in school. I sat quietly at my computer and felt ashamed to take a test one month late. Yes, an entire month for a woman, who, all of her adult life, has been prone to false starts, jumping the gun and trying to be ahead of deadlines.

Most kids like sweets, but for some children there might be an underlying cause for that affinity. A new study finds there might be a link between sweet preference in children and a family history of alcoholism, plus the child's feelings of depression. The study in the journal Addiction shows correlation, not causation, and the researchers also note that this penchant for sweetness doesn't necessarily mean the children who preferred the sweeter taste will eventually become alcoholics.

I believe it was Samuel Johnson who said that puns are the lowest form of humor. The Sun seems to relish puns. The headline concerning the death of two girls when a train derailed in Ellicott City ("Derailed lives," Aug. 22) was the most tasteless pun yet. Shame on you! Betty Hoatson, Butler

Publishing KAL's most recent cartoon was in very poor taste. He singles out both Joe Paterno and the Catholic church for ridicule in the same breath. Unless he had somehow shown the entire Penn State community collectively, he was way off base. The Catholic Church collectively is not at fault for the sins of a minuscule few, and of course the same can be said for Penn State. Richard L. Lelonek, Baltimore

On Sunday, Sept. 23, A Taste of Heaven will be held at St. Paul's United Church of Christ, noon to 3 p.m., to benefit Carroll County Food Sunday. Several churches will prepare food and bring cookbooks for sale. The price of admission is a nonperishable canned food item for Carroll County Food Sunday. The Ben Reiff Trio will provide music. The event will be held in St. Paul's Fellowship Hall, at 13 Bond St., Westminster. Call Ruth Grey for details, at 410-751-6442.

The Supreme Court's decision in the Westboro Baptist case follows our constitutional protections for free speech. Why don't people exercise that right by picketing there? Go to Westboro! Same-sex couples and veterans should join in a show of support for slain soldiers and denounce this bigotry with many rallies right on Westboro's doorsteps. Aren't there VFW's in Kansas? Where are they? Freedom of speech goes both ways. Ron Kuhns, Nottingham

Thank you for writing the article shining a light on anti-choice people who harass and humiliate people and their families who are not breaking any laws ("Abortion fight widens," May 11). To think that these people would go to a man's middle-school aged daughter's school to defame the girl and her family because the girl's dad rents space to abortion providers is deplorable. These anti-choice fanatics should get a taste of their own medicine by receiving calls and visits to their neighborhoods and schools.

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.

Nutritionists from the University of Maryland Medical Center regularly contribute a guest post. The latest post is from Catherine Schroeder, dietetic intern. Spring showers inspire the growth of a colorful array of fruits and vegetables to decorate your dishes, tempt your taste buds and nourish yourself naturally. Vibrantly colored produce adds visual appeal to any dish without the use of synthetic dyes or additives. More importantly, these brightly colored foods pack a powerful nutrition punch.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - As a veteran of 14 major league seasons, it took a while for right-hander Freddy Garcia to get used to those long bus rides in Triple-A. But when the 36-year-old pitcher decided to sign a minor league deal with the Orioles before this season - and then agreed to remain with the organization past his initial opt-out date earlier this week - he had the faith that he'd soon pitch again in the big leagues. Garcia will make his Orioles and 2013 major league debut on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium, where he is 8-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 16 career starts.

SEATTLE - As a veteran of eight minor league seasons, right-hander Zach Clark has endured plenty of excruciating bus rides during his career. He had never been on a cross-country flight, however, until he flew to Seattle on Tuesday. The five-hour airplane ride seemed even longer knowing what was on the other side: The Safeco Field clubhouse and his No. 64 Orioles uniform hanging in his first big league locker. "I've never been on a long flight, so five hours on a plane was crazy," said the 29-year-old Clark, who was added to the Orioles' 25-man roster Tuesday as bullpen insurance.

The Pikesville Chamber of Commerce will host its second annual "Taste of Pikesville" event on May 2. The event is a kick-off for Re-Discover Pikesville Restaurant Week, which will run May 3-11 at participating restaurants. Participating restaurants and retailers at Taste of Pikesville include Mari Luna Latin Grille, Ruth's Chris Steak House , Gourmet Again and Suburban House. Guests at the event can compare notes with Kathy Wielech Patterson and Neal Patterson, authors of the recently published Food Lovers' Guide to Baltimore . Taste of Pikesville is 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Doubletree by Hilton, 1726 Reisterstown Road.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - From the moment manager Buck Showalter took over the club in August 2010, there was talk about how he needed to change the culture of losing that permeated everything Orioles. Not just get this team out of last place in the American League East, but push the Orioles above .500 for the first time since 1997 or, somehow, some way, propel them into the playoffs. More was needed; an attitude adjustment of sorts. Whether it's Showalter's commanding presence, an influx of new players or the natural enchantment that comes with finally tasting success, the Orioles return to Camden Yards for Friday's 2013 home opener as a club no longer content on being good enough.

It happens every year. Monday is the day for the  state's hospitality and tourism professionals to break some serious bread with Maryland lawmakers at the 22nd at annual Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception. Organized by the Restaurant Association of Maryland , the reception gives RAM members the chance to press the flesh with the people who will be yaying and naying on the legislation that might impact their industry. Langermann's, Shapiro's Cafe and Miss Shirley's are among the two dozen restaurants participating in the event, which will also include wines donated by the Maryland Wineries Association.

Unlike those of us who merely sip wine and try to appreciate it, Paul Lukacs has channeled his passion for the drink into a second career, one in which he's increasingly recognized as one of this country's most authoritative voices on the topic. Lukacs' most recent book, "Inventing Wine," was just nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award. If he wins, it would be his second time earning the prize sometimes referred to as the food world's Oscar. When he's not writing books, reviewing wine or traveling the country as a wine judge, Lukacs can be found at Loyola University Maryland, where the 57-year-old is an English professor and director of the school's Center for the Humanities.

A chocolate banana milkshake, grilled cheese sandwich and peppermint truffle all for well under 500 calories? For attendees at Small Foods 2013, the impossible was right in the palms of their hands. The annual event started as an hors d'oeuvres party nine years ago, but has since grown into a community gathering that tasks participants with creating mini versions of their favorite foods. Each year the event grows larger, but the food continues to get smaller and smaller. "I adore the little food," said Waverly resident and Small Foods veteran Tammy Mayer.