Giant Campfire Mashmallows For S'Mores

"This is the best dessert in the world." -- Mrs. HowChow.

After living in a house with an electric range, it has been a real treat to get back a gas stove.  And the gas stove is the way to get a real treat.

This is the season of gas stove s'mores -- graham crackers, marshmallow, and a block of Hershey's chocolate.  It has to be Hershey's.  We experimented, even with candy bars that we loved on their own.  We keep coming back to the basics.

Now, we may have found our marshmallow as well.  My mother brought giant Campfire marshmallows from a Wegmans in Fairfax.  They make spectacular s'mores.  I brown the outside, then hold the marshmallow with the graham cracker and twist so that I pull the still-solid center from the crispy, cooked outer section.  That inside goes back on the stove where it bubbles and browns as well.

Perfect.  The two-step method doubles the crispy, browned pieces in the s'more.  The Campfire is truly too large for one graham cracker, but it's fun when marshmallow squirts everywhere.  Definitely a dessert that should come with a wet paper towel chaser.

I found the giant Campfire marshmallows at Harris Teeter.  I bet they're pretty common.

Facci Has Opened For "Take Out" Service

Facci Ristorante has opened for takeout service now, which means that you can finally carry out one of their pizzas or anything else.

This is part of Facci's expansion, and they have had a "2 Go" sign covered for weeks.  It was RDAdoc who noticed yesterday that the sign was uncovered.  She loves the pizza, but you need to be sure that you get the one that you ordered.  RDAdoc's report:

Yesterday I noticed that Facci 2 Go sign was up, and I was delighted to call and find that they opened two nights ago. They said that their menu was almost identical to their dine in menu so I ordered my two favorite dishes - Arguletta salad and Salsiccia e Rapini pizza.  (It's a white sausage and broccoli rabe pizza but I order it without the sausage.)  [HowChow: Get the sausage.] 

The guy who answered the phone was very nice and explained that the restaurant just got a new computer system so they were all trying to learn it and it would take a few minutes to enter the order. When I picked up my food, it also took a little while for them to ring up my order, but the cashier was very nice and I didn't mind. Unfortunately, when I got home I found out that they had given me the wrong pizza.   I am not sure if they rang up the wrong one or if they gave me someone else's order.  This pie had mozzarella and peppers and was almost as good as the rapini one I love so much. Normally I'd call to let the restaurant know that I got the wrong order, but I know they are working out their kinks.  Next time I will know to review my order before I leave.

If you go to Facci's, consider a cannoli.  If you're looking for Italian, check out the comments on a prior post about the new Tino's Italian Restaurant in Columbia. 

Jason's Deli Opening in Columbia? A Texas Chain With A College Park Location Coming To McGaw

Jason's Deli will fill the Columbia spot vacated a while ago by the Atlanta Bread Company, according to some comments on a prior post.

I don't know the place, but HowICook says that its a big menu with a salad bar.  Apparently, it's a Texas chain with a location in College Park.  This is the spot on McGaw Road across from the new Wegmans

Bon Chon Should Come To Howard County

Does anyone know if a Korean fried chicken place opened inside HMart in Catonsville?

That was the plan in March when Henry Hong wrote about Korean fried chicken in the City Paper.  In his article and a comment on HowChow, he contrasted fried chicken made in some Korean restaurants with the "Korean Fried Chicken" that has been a food-writer favorite.

Now, I can attest to the difference as well.  The Bon Chon chain has an operation in Rockland County, NY where we went to see our niece graduate from high school last week.  My brother-in-law grabbed takeout, and this Korean fried chicken is something different -- a crust so crisp that it shattered, but it was dry on the outside.  Between the double-fried crust, the garlic flavor and the seriously spicy sauce, the takeout box was unique enough that I wolfed down two legs and a bunch of wings.

Now I just read Henry Hong's description, and it's better to quote smart writing than worry that I'd be unintentionally imitating it:

Its product is pretty typical, with an aroma that slaps you in the face with garlic (definitely powder and fresh, in my opinion); a glaze that possesses a pretty straightforward combo of salty, sweet, and in the case of the “spicy,” a fast-acting, mouth-filling heat; and an exterior that although is often described as “shatteringly crispy” is more accurately somewhere between crispy and crunchy, with just a tiny hint of chew. The meat itself is unseasoned, but extremely moist, protected from drying by its cornstarch cocoon. It’s good, finger-lickingly even, but not life-changing, and probably not worth a trip halfway around I-495. Not on a regular basis anyway.

But it would be worth a quick drive across the county, and the big news is that Bon Chon is a franchise.  For some reason, I had assumed it was a big company that opened stores at a glacial pace.  Based on the crowd at graduation, that franchise can't be catering to some massive Korean population.  Fried chicken has an international appeal.  *YOU* could open a Bon Chon franchise in Ellicott City or Columbia.

Anyone know if a Korean fried chicken place opened in HMart?

Link: Kloby's New Bar On Baltimore Beer Guy

For more about the new bar at Kloby's Smokehouse, check out the Baltimore Beer Guy.  He wrote about the 20 taps that Kloby's added with a link to Kloby's on-line beer list and talk about a Guinness ice cream float.

Check out the main BBG site for other news about a July 10 "Pints and Pancakes" at T-Bonz Grille and a July 21 Belgian festival at Frisco Tap House.

Link: T-Bonz and Kloby's On Beer In Baltimore

The recent expansions at T-Bonz Grill and Kloby's Smokehouse got the two places written up in the Beer in Baltimore blog.

T-Bonz is an Ellicott City joint that I visited long before its craft beer expansion.  They have expanded to 40 taps and include my favorite -- a sampler of four small glasses for $6.50.  Kloby's apparently soft opened its new bar section last week when people started to line up for what what supposed to be a test of the draft lines.

Samosa Week: You Say Samosa. I Say Sambusa Because I'm Eating Ethiopian At Soretti's

The last stop on Samosa Week takes us the farthest away -- Burtonsville and Soretti Ethiopian Cuisine.

The Ethiopian samosa is a sambusa.  It's the classic fried savory pastry with dough wrapped around a filling.  Soretti does three versions: beef, chicken and lentil.  They're the ideal fried item, so not-greasy that I thought it might have been pan-fried until I realized it was browned all over.

The sambusas are triangles.  Thinner than the Indian samosa.  The dough is thinner too, but still chewy.  It's somewhere between the thicker Indian and the crisp Afghan version.  The chicken version has minced meat with a little corn and other vegetables.  The lentils are tender and firm.

Like the Indian samosa, Soretti's sambusa itself doesn't have much spice to it.  It's great for the crunch, but the flavor comes from the accompanying sauce.  It's brown and slightly sour.  I was thinking tamarind again, maybe even lemon.  But that couldn't have been more wrong.

The sauce is based on balsamic vinegar with basil, olive oil, honey and black pepper.  Vinegar, oil and basil?  Can anyone say Italy?  Of course, that's the history of Ethiopian, and it just shows that fried pastries can rule the world.

If you give sambusas a try, they're a fine appetizer before Ethiopian stews that soak into the injera.  Consider the vegetarian and meat samplers as I wrote in a prior post.

This is part of Samosa Week -- a celebration of savory pastries from India and beyond.  We're highlighting the best of Howard County's fried appetizers in all kinds of flavors.

Samosa Week: To Fry Or Not To Fry, That Is The Empanada From El Patio Market In Jessup

Cheese gives everyone an unfair advantage, and El Patio's empanadas stand out in Samosa Week because you can get several varieties stuffed with creamy goodness.

The empanadas from El Patio Market in Jessup need cheese in this week's contest because they're competing without the benefit of oil.  The empanadas are baked and sold from a case at the checkout.  You can have them heated there or bring them home for a quick 400-degree touchup in your oven.

Until samosas, the empanadas come with enormous variation.  Depending on the day, you can get cheese and onion, ham and cheese, spinach, chicken, and more.  The flavor is in the fillings -- that melted cheese or shredded chicken mixed with spices and vegetables.  The shells are a shiny pastry that crackles after it has been reheated.

These could be a hot lunch if you were running errands, or they can be a super-easy dinner if you wanted to carry something home.  Each variety is folded slightly different -- one folder corner, two corners, a letter pressed into the dough -- so you can recognize the filing even without cutting them open.  Because they're baked, you can leave them in the fridge and re-heat them when you want.

If you go to El Patio, check out the savory pies in the counter as well.  We tried one with a shredded chicken filling, and it reheated deliciously.  Same crisp crust on the top and flavorful filling.

This is part of the Samosa Week -- a celebration of savory pastries from India and beyond.  We're highlighting the best of Howard County's fried appetizers in all kinds of flavors.

El Patio Market 
7968 Washington Boulevard (U.S. 1) 
Jessup, MD 20794 
443-755-0385

NEAR: Just south of Rte 175 on U.S. 1. It's on the west side about a block south of the intersection. Very convenient from I-95.

Samosa Week Goes To Thailand: Chicken Curry Puffs With Cucumber Sauce At Bangkok Garden

When all the contestants are fried, the dipping sauce can carry the day.

Samosa Week went to Thailand for Bangkok Garden's curry puff appetizer, and the first note was the sweet, cucumber-flavored sauce.  The sauce, which comes with chopped onion and sliced jalepeno, certainly distinguishes the Columbia restaurant from Indian joints.

But the curry puff actually makes the "best samosa" list on its own.  The filing was a puree of chicken, potato and herbs.  That's as much flavor as an Indian samosa with the same profile of spiced, but not spicy.  Even more impressive, the pastry was perfect.  Crunchy and thick like an Indian samosa, but dry to the touch.  There is so little grease that it almost looks baked.

The Thai samosa is not a crazy pick.  I was surprised when I first read about curry puffs on Good for the Palate, but Bangkok Garden delivers on all three dimensions -- filing, pastry and sauce -- and contrasts the fried puffs nicely with fresh, lighter stirfries.  It's a new kitchen since the place was sold earlier this year, and definitely one worth visiting.

This is part of the Samosa Week -- a celebration of savory pastries from India and beyond.  We're highlighting the best of Howard County's fried appetizers in all kinds of flavors.

Samosa Week Crosses The Border: Thin Pastry Afghan Style At Maiwand Kabob

The first thing you'll notice about the Maiwand Kabob samosas is that you get a plate of them.

Afghan samosas -- as served by Columbia's premier Afghan restaurant -- are smaller than Indian samosas.  They're cousins, not twins, and Maiwand's appetizers come wrapped in a thin pastry, more like filo dough than the bumpy, thick skin of the samosas at places like House of India.

The filing is mashed potato.  It's not hot, but it is spiced to a zesty flavor with maybe tumeric, pepper, cumin . . .   I recognize the peas, but I can't win that Top Chef contest where they identify ingredients in a mystery sauce.  I do recognize the cilantro sauce, which seems similar to many Indian restaurants.  The yogurt sauce is unique.

Like many of the Samosa Week winners, the Maiwand Kabob samosas make the list because they're not greasy.  They come out hot and crispy.  The sauces contrast beautifully with bright and fresh flavors.  Frankly, they make a meal for two if you order samosas and maybe the mantwo or a plate of kabobs and rice.


This is part of Samosa Week -- a celebration of savory pastries from India and beyond.  We're highlighting the best of Howard County's fried appetizers in all kinds of flavors.

Samosa Week: India And Pak Make A Great Fried Pastry, But Can They Out-Appetize The World?

I don't think that samosas were my first Indian food, but they have certainly become a gateway drug for many people who explore the cuisines of the subcontinent.

And why not?  The appeal is international -- grab a handful of filling, wrap it in dough, drop it in hot oil to fry to a crisp.  Variations run from empanadas to sambusas to the knish.

But I think it's fair to start with the samosa.  You'd do fine at any of the Howard County Indian restaurants or even at the cashier at Food Cravings, but I'll start today with the vegetarian ones at Mango Grove / Mirchi Wok, the paired restaurants in Columbia off Dobbin Road.  (The Howard County planning board approved plans to knock down the building.  Anyone know what is happening to them?)

Two in a $5 order, they come out hot from the oil.  That's a key.  Samosas have a thick pastry shell that often bubbles and browns.  It's thicker than an egg roll, thinner than a calzone.  The best ones are fried and served fresh so that they don't soak in the grease and congeal.

What Is Happening To Mango Grove? And Its Samosa Week Here At The HowChow Blog!!

Does anyone know what is happening to Mango Grove and Mirchi Wok?

The Howard County planning board approved a plan under which the developer will knock down the Mango Grove restaurant and replace it with retail for two stores and a restaurant.  It is going to include a drive thru window.  This is on Dobbin Road just south of Rte 175.

I want to hear that Mango Grove is moving somewhere else in Columbia.  That's one of my Top 10 restaurants in Howard County.  I want them to end up somewhere else!!

(Update:  There is a comment below that says Mango Grove is looking for a new space nearby. In July 2011, the folks at Mango Grove were telling people at the restaurant that they would move Mango Grove to another place near Dobbin Road.  They're also hoping to open a "Mango Grove Express" somewhere else.)

(Update 2: The new location announced in October 2011 will be a few blocks down Dobbin Road in the shopping center with Lakeside Coffee, Noodles Corner and Pub Dog.)

This is particularly important because this is Samosa Week at HowChow.  A week of posts about fried savory pastries.

One Big Plate of Howard County: Laurel Meat Market Flank Steak On A Salad W/Gorman Peas

Step One: Flank steak from Laurel Meat Market.

Step Two: Snow peas from the CSA at Gorman Produce Farm in Laurel.

Step Three: Lettuce, radishes, and carrots from the back yard.

Shake it up with the spiciest sauce that you can expect from the people at Cook's Illustrated.

Flank steak turns out to be easier than a hamburger.  Salt and pepper on both side sides, then grilled on high heat for five minutes per side.  We ended up with meat that was cooked well on the edges, but firm and pink through the center.

Perfect cut for Mrs. HowChow, who doesn't like gristle.  A small flank steak easily makes four or five salads.  I made "Sweet-and-Sour Chipotle Sauce" from The New Best Recipes.  That was brushed on the meat, then served as the dressing on the simple salad.  It's actual flavor from folks who normally teach technique, not ethnique.

Spice isn't the wheelhouse of Cook's Illustrated's, which burned me out after a year or two of roasts, meats, and traditional vegetables.  But The New Best Recipes is a terrific reference.  They explain technique, but in about half the length of the magazine's articles.  It's great for problems like "I have a flank steak.  What do I do with it?"

These are just some of the places that you can get great food around Howard County.  I'm trying new cuts from Laurel Meat Market -- aiming for new recipes from Planet Barbecue.  Talk is that the Gorman produce stand could open next week.  The CSA had garlic scapes, greens, peas, and squash.  I don't know how they already have squash.  These professionals.

Link: Iron Bridge Owners [Are Not] Opening New Restaurant At Former Friendly Inn

The owners of Iron Bridge Wine Co. in Columbia have a deal to operate a new restaurant in the site of the former Friendly Inn on Frederick Road in Ellicott City, reports Wordbones on Tales of Two Cities.

(Update: Not true.  Wordbones has updated the blog, and the Iron Bridge guys aren't opening a new place.)

Tropical Smoothie Cafe Opens In Columbia

From a comment yesterday, I heard about a new place that opened on Dobbin Road -- Tropical Smoothie Cafe, which looks like a chain that sells smoothies, wraps and salads.

From the Web site, it looks like the Columbia location may be in the back side of the shopping center with Walmart just south of Rte 175.  That's where one of the Five Guys opened last year.

Anyone try it?

Link: Kimco Seafood On This Is Gonna Be Good

The This is Gonna Be Good blog has terrific photos and a long description of a Korean-style sushi feast at Kimco Seafood.

This was a spread with 25+ panchan and a meter-long wood board covered with sashimi.  1000yregg posts about exotics like sea squirt, sea cucumber and lobster, but much of the sashimi was halibut, tuna, salmon and yellowtail.  After all that, they had a lobster soup.

TIGBG actually posted about Kimco in April, but I overlooked it then.  It's too good to miss.  Kimco is the Ellicott City restaurant that I reviewed a long time ago when it was called Bethany Seafood.

For more about Korean restaurants along Rte 40, check out a prior post where Kevin talked about the variations, including Korean sashimi called "Hwae."

Kupcake & Co. in Elkridge

I married into a no-cake house.  No wedding cake, so we're not the first folks in line at a cupcake bakery.  (The Rice Krispy Treat bakery?  We're there.)

Kupcakes & Co. opened last week in Elkridge.  T.J. wrote a rave on the Patch, although early comments on a prior post had been mixed.  To settle it, RDAdoc headed over for HowChow.  Nothing like sending a nutrition PhD to do a dessert blogger's work.  She dropped one off here, and I thought the chocolate was good.  It's not the richest cake, but the flavor was chocolate -- not just a sugar rush.  This is the RDAdoc report:

Last week I hosted an end of the school year party for my son’s preschool class. Being RDAdoc, of course, I preferred to serve just fresh fruits and vegetables to the kiddies.  Wanting to avoid a revolt, however, I planned to offer cupcakes too. 

My party was a good excuse to try the new cupcakery in Elkridge: Kupcakes & Co. My original plan was to get mini cupcakes, but unfortunately they don’t make them. I emailed the owner to ask if she could put less icing than she normally does (I am, after all, RDAdoc). Graciously, she was happy to honor my request. I ended up placing an order for an assortment of two dozen red velvet, cookies and cream, chocolate buttercream and vanilla buttercream cupcakes, enough for both the kids and their parents. I decided to stick with basic flavors, but they do have more interesting flavors such as Key Lime, Mocha Latte and Peppermint Patty. They also have seasonal flavors that sound delicious including Margarita and Pina Colada! 

Gluten-Free Discount From Columbia Company

You can get a discount from a Columbia company that sells gluten-free ingredients through the Washington Post's version of the daily discount.

I had never heard about Jules Shepard or the Jules Gluten Free line.  The WPost highlighted the deal to me, and the Jules Gluten Free Web site lists an address in Columbia.

The deal is $29 (plus $12 shipping) for a "New Customer Pack" that includes flour, oats, three gluten-free e-books, and mixes to make cookies, graham and bread.  They say the normal price is $89, so you save two-thirds.  The ad links to a 2007 WPost article by Kim O'Donnel, who I always respected and who seems to enjoy the mixes.

Anyone know more about Jules Gluten Free and the Columbia connection?  The 2007 story said she ran monthly cooking classes at Roots Market and baked at Great Sage.


(Update:  Here is news from Jules herself:  
If you want to learn more about me, my cookbooks, my products, or my new recipes, here's all the info:
JulesGlutenFree.com
Blog.JulesGlutenFree.com
Twitter: JulesGlutenFree
FB: Jules Gluten Free Flour; Gluten Free Cookie Swap; & Gluten-Free Food Labeling Summit 2011

I don't teach a lot of classes locally anymore, as I travel (WAY too much!) to lecture, teach & do industry consulting, but if I'm ever doing something local, you'll find the info on my free weekly recipe newsletter or on Facebook!

Link: Cuba De Ayer's Cubano On DC Foodies

The DC Foodies blog went a long way to talk up the Cuban sandwich at Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsville.  It's an enormous post talking about Cuban sandwiches in DC that also highlights the sandwich that often makes me ignore the rest of the menu.  Key point: They recommend ordering a side of mojo -- "the garlic and olive oil mixture makes a good sandwich phenomenal."

Places To Buy Crabs Near Howard County

It is still too early for most Maryland crab feasts, but it is time to think about where you'll go for hard shells.

Frank's Seafood in Jessup has been my go-to place since I moved to Howard County, and they sold great crabs last August.  But people gave great suggestions in the comments last September when I asked for emergency help from someone who couldn't reserve Labor Day crabs at Frank's, including Casey's in Laurel, Sea King in Ellicott City, and Captain Dicks in Arbutus.

Where do you go?  What do you look for to ensure that you're getting good stuff?