Delicious: Cherry Glen Goat Cheese

Eating "local" is one of the current food buzzwords, and Cherry Glen cheese from Montgomery County is about as local as a product can get -- especially in winter when the farmers markets are dark.

Goat cheese is one of my favorites -- a tangy flavor that stands out, but just a step or two down from blue cheeses that can be too sharp or gamy. The Cherry Glen cheese is an expensive treat ($19/pound), but its creaminess stands out. I bought some for Mrs. HowChow on a night when she was working hard, and she gave her greatest compliment: "If you hadn't said, I would have thought that was from Whole Foods."

I bought the Cherry Glen cheese at Roots, but the farm's Web site says that they also sell through My Organic Market (along with Whole Foods and The Common Market in Frederick). They also sell to Great Sage in Clarksville.

We tasted the "silver" cheese along with a variation that has a layer of ash. I like the ash, which doesn't change the cheese extraordinarily but makes the flavor a touch smoother. I was consciously trying to compare. They're close enough that I would only buy one next time, and I'll pair it up with something new.

If you want more information, check out Cherry Glen's cheese Web site.

My Organic Market (Columbia East)
7351 Assateague Dr. #190
Jessup, MD 20794
410-799-2175
http://www.myorganicmarket.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 175 just east of I-95. There is a large shopping center on the right just after you cross Rte 1. Look for the Starbucks. MoM is in that shopping center. It's a bit tricky to return home. You have to exit east-bound on Rte 175 and U-turn at the next light.

Roots Market
5805 Clarksville Square Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
443-535-9321
http://www.rootsmkt.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32. The Clarksville Square shopping center is on the west side filled with "crunchy" businesses owned by the same people -- a restaurant, a pet supply shop, a decorating place. Look for the Jiffy Lube on Rte 108.

Delicious: Daifuku (Sweet Rice Cakes) at Super Grand

If you try out the new Super Grand market in Laurel, check out the small rice cakes filled with red-bean- or fruit-flavored paste at the end of the refrigerated section.

The individually-wrapped sweets -- called "daifuku" -- caught my eye, and I sampled both a red bean and a pineapple version. They're basically a slightly-chewy outside called mochi (imagine the texture, but not the sweetness of marzipan or caramel) stuffed with a sweet paste. They were both delicious. Sweet, but light tasting. They're not actually "light" desserts because the red bean pastry clocked in at 300 calories. Great with tea on a cold night.

Brief Web searches suggest that the Japanese fill daifuku with all kinds of items in Japan, including fresh strawberries and cream. The Super Grand has refrigerated versions with guava, pineapple and other flavorings. I'm partial to red bean desserts. But the daifuku run $1.20 to $1.50 so you can mix and match flavors to suit yourself.

I assume that H Mart and Lotte in Ellicott City also carry daifuku, although I never noticed them before. For more information about daifuku, check out Wikipedia or Chowhound -- maybe starting with this post or this post.

Super Grand
13600 Laurel Bowie Road (Rte 197)
Laurel, MD 20708
301-362-5572

NEAR: This is on Rte 197 about a half-mile south of Rte 198. It's right off the BW Parkway, so it's an easy drive from I-95 or U.S. 1 via Rte 198.

Delicious: Zambos Plantain Chips at Lily's Mexican Market

You can sample big, exotic tastes in little bags if you browse the chips at Lily's Mexican Market or the other Hispanic markets around.

Zambos plantain chips are one of the dozens of varieties for sale at the front of Lily's. They're like potato chips, but thin-cut plantains instead. And they're dusted with chile, lime and salt -- a spectacular variation on the Old Bay chip or the BBQ classic.

I served the Zambos chips with sandwiches one Saturday. Both of my pre-school guests complained and went back to Tostitos. But the adults reached for more. I thought they were delicious. If anything, less greasy than good potato chips, and the lime flavor was different without being overwhelming like too many Doritos and other snacks.

You could bring a bag home, or you could snack on chips if you stop at Lily's for tacos. They'd be especially good with the carnitas or the carne asada.

Click here for all the posts about Lily's Mexican Market. And if you like Mexican snacks, check out the Mexican candies like the tamarind maracas at Lily's or the El Club Mexicano variety packs at Mexican Bazaar.

Lily's Mexican Market
6490 Dobbin Center Way
Columbia, MD 21045
410-772-5459

NEAR: The DMV off Dobbins Road just south of Rte 175. Look for the intersection with a Blockbuster. The shopping center with the DMV, Lily's and Sushi King restaurant is across Dobbins from the Blockbuster.

Delicious: Ting Soda at Golden Krust

High-quality soda may sound like an oxymoron, but the grapefruit flavor of Ting soda is the exception that proves the high-fructose rule.

Don't get me wrong. I drink a Coke Zero every afternoon, so I'm so anti-soda zealot. But I drink cola for the caffeine, and I buy the Ting soda for the taste.

Ting is a Jamaican brand that makes the soda that Fresca cheapens off with artificial flavor. Ting is a small bottle, but it really tastes like grapefruit and sugar. That's because the ingredient list includes only items that you have actually seen like grapefruit, sugar and water. It's a refreshing flavor, one that pairs nicely with the rich taste of a spicy beef patty from the Golden Krust Bakery.

This is one of the unusual drinks like ginger beer that you could store in the closet for a day that you want a treat or want something exotic to offer guests. Buy it at the Golden Krust Bakery in Catonsville, where you can also buy locally-made Jamaican-style ice cream.

(Read the comments for Wordbones' excellent suggestion.)

Golden Crust Bakery
838 N. Rolling Road
Catonsville, MD 21228
410-719-2788

NEAR: This is in the same shopping center as the Super H grocery store. It is on Rte 40 just west of I-695. If you are driving east on Rte 40 from HoCo, you'll see a Starbucks and a FedEx at the end of the shopping center. Turn right immediately after the Starbucks. If you miss it, just turn right at the next intersection.

Delicious: Eastern Shore Roll at Sushi King

Imagination and flavor continue to fill the little plates at Sushi King and create new reasons to try the deluxe rolls.

I wrote months ago that Sushi King is the best reason for your friends to drive all the way from DC or Baltimore. I'm still captivated by some of the most-imaginative sushi that I have ever seen.

The big rolls are expensive. They're more than $15 each. But they're superb, and the chefs continue to innovate. Two newer versions rely on a tempura shrimp wrapped on the outside with fish. The Eastern Shore roll tops with roll with crab meat. The Samauri roll wraps it with tuna. They're both delicious, and you can make a reasonable -- although not cheap -- meal by pairing them with some of the smaller rolls by the crispy roll or the spicy grilled roll.

(Update: Keith is the comments reports that Sushi Sono and Sushi King aren't owned by the same family. I was repeating hearsay -- like pretty much everything in the blog -- and was years out of date. I fixed the error. Thanks Keith!)

If you like Sushi King, you should check out Sushi Sono -- also serving special rolls, but in downtown Columbia. If you are at Sushi King, check out Lily's Mexican Market in the same shopping center or Mango Grove for Indian food right up the street.

Or check out a working list of the best restaurants in Howard County.

Sushi King
6490 Dobbin Road, Ste. F
Columbia, MD
410-997-1269

NEAR: The Kmart on Rte 175 and the DMV/Starbucks/Blockbuster on Dobbins Road. Sushi King is in the same shopping center as the DMV off Dobbins. Look for the intersection with a Blockbuster. The Sushi King shopping center is across Dobbins from the Blockbuster.

Delicious: Spiced Apple Brew at Roots Market

The taste of spiced apple cider, the bubbles of sparkling wine. Reeds' Spiced Apple Brew is a fun fall drink that is an adult take on non-alcoholic wine.

I poured Spiced Apple Brew into champagne glasses last night as part of the first anniversary dinner that I made for Mrs. HowChow. You can't drink liquor with every course when you have to go to work in the morning.

We drank the bubbling cider with cheese while we caught up on The Hills and waited for dessert. (I have been out of town for two weeks.) Spiced Apple Brew tastes like mulled cider with cinnamon and apples. It is sweet, but less sweet and more interesting than most non-alcoholic wines. I paid $4 for a four-pack, and one bottle filled two glasses. You could serve it anywhere that you wanted juice, but I liked my original inspiration of drinking it with cheese. Next time, I'll serve it with something sharper like cheddar.

I previously posted about Roots for whole grains and for the salad bar, and I have created a page that lists organic and ethnic markets across Howard County. If you visit Roots, consider checking out the Mexican food at El Azteca, which is in the shopping center just north on Rte 108. If you want traditional brew, check out the wall of beer at Perfect Pour in Elkridge or the make-your-own six-packs at im Wine in Fulton.

Roots Market

5805 Clarksville Square Drive

Clarksville, MD 21029

443-535-9321

http://www.rootsmkt.com/

NEAR: It's on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32. The Clarksville Square shopping center is on the west side filled with "crunchy" businesses owned by the same people -- a restaurant, a pet supply shop, a decorating place. Look for the Jiffy Lube on Rte 108.

Delicious: Ginger Beer at Julie's International Market

Royalty Ginger Beer is the British cousin of ginger ale -- the tougher cousin with more flavor and even a little bite.

This is soda, not beer, at Julie's International Market and other markets that cater to West African and Jamaican crowds. Strong flavor, including real ginger root extract. This British soda is an easy treat, a fun way to inject something exotic or new for a meal or a party.

(Update: Julie's appears to have closed in May 2009.  You can get the ginger beer at Laurel Health Food and other places.)

Check out this Chowhound topic for more advice about ginger beer. For real beer, you should check out The Perfect Pour just down the road from Julie's.

Julie's International Market
6520J Old Waterloo Road
Elkridge, MD 21075
410-799-2024

NEAR: Julie's is in a small shopping center near the Food Lion on Rte 108 just up from Rte 175. When you pull into the Food Lion, steer left to the shopping center that also has a Chinese restaurant, a pizza place and a thrift shop.

Delicious: Homemade Pickles at Family Affair in Catonsville

The only reason that you aren't craving the perfect pickle is because you haven't had it yet.

I found spectacular pickles at Family Affair Produce just up Rte 144 from Ellicott City. I stopped for vegetables to serve with a J.W. Treuth steak, and I stumbled on the homemade pickles -- dill and bread & butter -- stacked next to the checkout.

Ball jars filled with pickles and marked with hand-written labels. Four dollars is steep for a bottle of pickles, but it's a steal for something absolutely delicious and simply better than any pickle you would buy in the store. I don't think I really understood what "dill" pickle meant until I crunched on a Family Affair pickle and watched the pieces of dill spin around in the jar. The small cucumbers are crisp, and there is a flavor of dill, garlic, pepper. It's perfect.

The Family Affair owner says his wife makes pickles non-stop. She also makes the jams on the display. The store has a full McCutcheon's line, plus local produce.

If you are driving through downtown Ellicott City, check out the Old Mill Bakery Cafe for some sweets or even some local honey. And click here for a listing of all the organic and ethnic markets.

Family Affair Produce

2302 Frederick Rd
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410) 788-6167‎

NEAR: This is on Rte 144 (Frederick Road) on the way from downtown Ellicott City to Catonsville. Family Affair is on the left as you drive towards Catonsville. They're open about 10 months a year -- just not in the deep winter.

Delicious: El Club Mexicano Candies at Mexican Bazaar

The thing about Mexican candy is that you can never predict exactly how much hot pepper they put in that lollipop.

Candies import easily so most Mexican markets carry a selection, and the El Club Mexicano candies at the Mexican Bazaar are a good place to start.  The Super Mango Lollipop at El Patio was so salty and hot that I almost couldn't finish it.  But El Club Mexicano packages a variety of Mexican brands into 99-cent bags.  You get 4-10 candies in each pack, including several that are a nice introduction -- sweet with just a touch of hot pepper or sour tamarind.

Mexican Bazaar in southern Columbia is a small market with Mexican essentials, including dried beans, spices, pasta, sodas and peppers.  Another source for my favorite chipotle peppers.  It doesn't have the selection or the prepared foods of Lily's Mexican Market up near Rte 175, but you can buy the basics.  Plus, you can buy soccer jerseys and hats.

(Update: The Mexican Bazaar closed in or around February 2009.  However, you can buy similar candies at Lily's or other markets.  I saw a big display at the Super Grand market in Laurel.)

The El Club candies are in a display at the back -- colored crackers, a coconut candy in the shape of the Mexican flag, something called "crayons."  Since I enjoyed the Tamarind Maracas, I went with two flavors of tamarind -- "solo" or with hot pepper.  The Rellenitos Frescas hard candies are the "solo" tamarind flavor, really just a sugary candy with a touch of tamarind flavor.  The Pulparindo kicks it up a notch.  A rectangle of tamarind pulp dusted with salt and chili pepper.  This is my favorite.  Candy sweet, but like the off-spring of a lemon drop and a cinnamon fireball.

I also enjoyed the "big corn" lollipop by Super Ricos Elotones.  It's mild like the Rellenitos Frescas with guajillo chili dusted over a lollipop.  Not as hard core as the Tamarind Maracas or the Tama-Raca that the Mexican Bazaar sells at the cash register.  But way better than the lollipop you took at the dry cleaner. 

If you want Mexican groceries, definitely check out Lily's Mexican Market, which offers hot corn tortillas.   You can also try Tere's Latin Market in Ellicott City, or -- no joke -- you can't go wrong shopping for Hispanic food at the H Mart supermarket in Catonsville.  Or check out the full listing of ethnic and organic markets.

The Mexican Bazaar is in the same shopping center as An Loi, whose Vietnamese is worth a long drive.   Check out the salted plum and salted lemon sodas.

Mexican Bazaar

7104 Minstrel Way #7

Columbia, MD  21045

410-290-5889

NEAR:  On Snowden River Pkwy north of Broken Land and south of the Home Depot.  Minstrel Way has a gas station and a KFC at its intersection with Snowden.  The Mexican Bazaar is in the shopping center behind the gas station.  It doesn't have a sign.  It is between a cleaner and CK Nails.

Delicious: Dried Fruit Candy at Larriland

Don't think that Larriland Farms is all healthy. You go to pick your own fruits and vegetables, but the store in the Larriland barn has an even-sweeter side.

If you go out for apples or pumpkins this fall, check out the dried fruit candy at the checkout. They're coconut-coated sticks that come in six flavors. The sign says they're made of dried fruit. They're slightly chewy and taste like real fruit, maybe made from pulverized fruit and sugar? Lemon is our top choice. Mrs. HowChow says she would never have thought to eat one, but I sample my way through the strange items whenever I can. Now, she is the one who gets a bag and picks them out for herself.

Also look on the checkout counter for honey sticks. You cut off one end and squeeze the flavored honey into your mouth. Delicious.

Larriland Farm

2415 Woodbine Road
Woodbine, MD 21797
410-442-2605

NEAR: This is off I-70 west of Rte 32. Take I-70 West to Exit 73. Turn left at the end of the exit ramp. Then follow that road through a circle and then along a road of farms and new developments. Larriland is on the left, although there are some fields across the road.

Sausage at Boarman's Meat Market in Highland

The homemade sausages at Boarman's Meat Market are worth the drive down to the intersection of Rte 108 and Rte 216 in Highland.

Boarman's is an institution at the crossroads just south of Clarksville and west of Fulton. The store is a small grocery and liquor store, but the long-distance draw is the meat department in the back. Specifically, check out Boarman's two kinds of house-made sausage -- a long Italian link and a "country-style" patty for breakfast.

The Italian is perfect just grilled in sandwiches. I used it last Saturday to flavor a fish and vegetable soup and went a more complex route sauteing the entire link to firm up the meat, then slicing it and putting it back in the pan to brown each exposed side. To me, foods like sausage should be something special. I'd rather pass up a month's average sausage so that I can indulge myself when I find something like Boarman's -- or the thick-cut bacon that Boarman's sells by the slice.

You'll laugh, but the sausage doesn't have the grease that you'd expect. Great flavor, but even when I sauteed slices, there was the lightest coating of fan in the pan when I went to cook onions. In contrast, the Mexican and Salvadoran chorizo at Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia looks wonderful, but it is too greasy for me to grill regularly.

Boarman's also sells steaks and other meat. I'd love a recommendation if you buy there. If you like bacon by the slice, you can also check out the Laurel Meat Market near U.S. 1 in downtown Laurel.

Click here for a comprehensive list of ethnic and organic markets in Howard County.

Boarman's Meat Market
13402 Clarksville Pike (Rte 108)
Highland, MD
301-854-2883

NEAR: This is the intersection of Rte 108 and Rte 216. It's south of Clarksville and west of Fulton.

Delicious: Jallab Syrup at Sizar's Food Mart

August is really the cruellest month, breeding swamp heat and mosquitos, and one of the few ways to fight back is a classic cool drink like iced tea or lemonade.

Or with an exotic one like jallab syrup, a sweet liquid that mixes with ice and water to create a refreshment best known in the Middle East. Jallab syrup is made from grape mollases or raisins, rose water and dates. The rose water flavor comes through, but it's a unique taste -- a cooler when you need one most.

I bought the syrup at Sizar's Middle Eastern grocery story in Columbia. I searched the Internet for a use and settled on pouring three tablespoons into a tall glass, filling the glass with crushed ice, then filling the glass with cold water. Stir and sip. (I actually pulverized the ice in a blender. It started like slush, but melted quickly.)

For the recipe that I used, check out the Kitchen Caravan blog. Sizar's sells the Cortas brand syrup shown in the picture. There was an array of Cortas syrups, including blueberry, and rose water. Click here for all my posts about Sizar's. Definitely check out the pistachio nougat if you visit. Click here for a full list of ethnic and organic markets in Howard County.

Delicious: Popped Rice Bowls at H Mart

Try the popped rice bowls at the H Mart for an interesting snack that you can pair with almost anything.

Across from the fish counter is a green industrial machine that clunks every few second and knocks out crunchy rice cakes. They're infinitely lighter than the diet-fad rice cakes. These crunch in your mouth, but then almost melt there.

I love them with peanut butter. But they're a neutral flavor that could go with almost anything -- sweet like jam or savory like salsa or kimchi. Based on the H Mart, kids seem to love them. Parents hand the rice bowls to kids sitting in shopping carts, and they chomp, chomp, chomp. For $1.99 for a bag of about a dozen, it's a fun snack to try.

You don't even have to cook! Check here to see that the H Mart offers prepared foods and delicious items that you can just eat off the shelf.

H Mart
800 N. Rolling Road
Catonsville, MD 21228
443-612-9020

NEAR: Rte 40 just west of I-695. If you are driving from HoCo, you'll see a Starbucks and a FedEx at the end of the shopping center. Turn right immediately after the Starbucks. If you miss it, just turn right at the next intersection.

Salted Plum and Salted Lemon Sodas at An Loi Pho

An Loi Pho is a small restaurant with a basic menu, which makes it even more impressive that the array inspires me to return again and again.

Salted sodas sound like some travel writer's example of a "local" taste that disagrees with an American palette. But the salted plum and salted lemon sodas at An Loi are sweet with a perfectly-honed flavor of preserved fruit. They're light. They're unusual. And they're wonderful with the grilled meats and noodles dishs that make An Loi a great stop for a summer dinner.

If you are converted, you can buy preserved plums in the refrigerated section of the H Mart in Catonsville. I have played with recreating the sodas, but I still haven't gotten the right sweetness. I'll go back for more research.

Click here for a longer review of An Loi or here for a working list of the best restaurants in Howard County. In the winter (or anytime if you love coffee), check out An Loi's Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

An Loi Pho -- a longer review
7104 Minstrel Way
Columbia, MD 21045
410-381-3188

NEAR: Off Snowden River Pwky north of Broken Land and south of the Home Depot. Look for the traffic light with a gas station and a KFC. An Loi is behind the gas station in a shopping center with a Pizza Hut Express and a nail salon.

Delicious: Sopapias at Ranazul

My perfect dessert is so special that you look forward through the evening, but light or delicate enough that it doesn't wipe out memory of the meal that came before.

Sopapias at Ranazul are a treasure worth the visit on their own. Fried triangles of dough, topped with honey and maybe cinnamon. (Ask for extra honey. Once, it came light, and I missed sopping up sweetness with each sopapia.) They're delicious -- an adult flavor to match the Fulton restaurant's tapas, but a light treat so that you aren't waddling out to the car.

Ranazul has a great bar. It would be a fun place to just show up for dessert, and it's on Rte 216 just just west of I-95 and Rte 29. It's an inexpensive, easy treat. Have coffee or a drink with the sopapias. Perfect.

A full profile of Ranazul. A suggestion for progressive dinner: three restaurants, one night in Fulton.  And if you're in Maple Lawn, check out the i.m. Wine liquor store.

Click here to see all the "Delicious" posts -- short items about something specific.

Ranazul

8171 Maple Lawn Boulevard, Ste 170

Fulton, MD 20759

301-498-9666

http://www.ranazul.us/

NEAR: This is in the Maple Lawn development on Rte 216 just west of Rte 29. From Rte 29, you go through the first traffic circle, then turn right into Maple Lawn at the second circle. Ranazul is on the right, and there is parking behind the building if you take the first right.

Delicious: Pumpkin at Maiwand Kabob

The appetizers convert Maiwand Kabob from a nice grill shop into a restaurant worth making a pilgrimage.

The samosas are top notch -- an order of six fried pastries filled with potatoes, peas and spices. The bowlawni is an Afghan speciality -- twin pastry shells with different fillings.

But the pumpkin is a dish that I would expect on a white-table cloth rather than in a Columbia shopping center where everything comes on disposable plates. Bright orange pumpkin, firm but tender enough to cut with a (high-quality) plastic spoon. It is sweet enough that it might be pie filing if you closed your eyes. But then, Maiwand Kabob dresses the pumpkin with some yogurt whose tart flavor marries with the sweet vegetable and with a spoonful of ground beef that adds a deeper, slightly spiced flavor.

Between the bread and the pumpkin, every trip to Maiwand Kabob is wonderful. The moistly-grilled meat and the rotating Afghan specialties makes this one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

(And after dinner, you've got to go to Rita's [for dessert].)

(Update: A new Maiwand Kabob opened in 2009 near Arundel Mills Mall and the BW Parkway. There is also a branch in Burtonsville just off Rte 198.)

Maiwand Kabob

Harpers Choice Village Center

5467 Harpers Farm Road

Columbia, MD 21044

410-992-7754

www.maiwandkabob.net

NEAR: This is in central Columbia, west of the Columbia Mall. Harpers Choice is between Rte 108 and Cedar Lane / Little Patuxent Parkway. From the south, Cedar Lane connects Rte 32 to Harpers Choice. From Rte 29, Broken Lane runs into Little Patuxent, which runs into Harpers Choice Road. To spot the shopping center, look for a McDonalds up against Harpers Choice Road.

Maiwand Kabob

Arundel Mills Preserve shopping center

7698 Dorchester Boulevard

Hanover, MD 21076

443-755-0461

NEAR: Take the Arundel Mills exit from the BW Parkway. That road only goes east. The Arundel Mills Preserve shopping center is on the left almost immediately. There is a Starbucks in that shopping center.

Delicious: Lychees at the H Mart

It wasn't really a test, but lychees on the first date were certainly a good sign.

The first day that I met Mrs. HowChow, we paddled around Centennial Lake, and I brought a snack of trail mix and lychees. They're an Asian fruit with a tough skin loose over a firm, sweet flesh inside. They're moist and light-flavored. The consistency of a skinless grape, but with a tropical, slightly-tart taste and a dark seed inside.

That summer, they were my recent find at the H Mart in Falls Church, and I brought a bag for the blind date all the way in Howard County. I brought what I liked, and I figured it was good to know early if a woman doesn't like new experiences. On a broiling hot day, my date ate them up, talking and snacking as we sat beached in a little shade.

Lychees are back in season, and because of that date, I buy them at the H Mart in Catonsville. Worth every extra minute to drive east on Rte 40 for lychees and all the other great adventures that the H Mart offers.

Why The H Mart Is My Favorite Place In The World For Food

The Cool Markets of Howard County -- Organic, Ethnic and Otherwise

H Mart

Short Profile

800 N. Rolling Road

Catonsville, MD 21228

443-612-9020

www.hmart.com

Delicious: Chipotle Peppers

Chipotle peppers are the easiest way to add Mexican flavor to anything.

They're smoked jalepeno peppers, and they're sold in cans packed in adobo sauce -- a dark red sauce made from vinegar, oil, garlic and onions. I assume it's the vinegar, but chipotle peppers last for weeks if not months in my fridge. I pour the entire can into a plastic tub and pull that out whenever I need one pepper or even just a teaspoon of the adobo sauce.

They're essential for cooking many Mexican foods. See my post about Rick Bayless' book Mexican Everyday. They're also delicious mixed into your favorite foods like omelets, chili, or salsas. Make BBQ sauce. Make chipotle mayonnaise. Or better yet, go buy some avocados, goat cheese and salted pistachios for Mrs. HowChow's Philadelphia Guacamole.

Inspired by guacamole at El Vez in Philadelphia, Mrs. HowChow has developed a guacamole with bite, heat and crunch. It took months of experimenting, so we don't know how far her changes have taken the guacamole, but the chipotles and their adobo sauce provide the basic flavor. There are enough nuts, but no so many that you get one every bite. So the crunch is a surprise.

"Philadelphia" Guacamole

2 avocados, flesh removed and put in a bowl

1/3 c. soft, white goat cheese

scant (just less than) 1/4 c. chipotle peppers, chopped

scant (just less than) 1/3 c. salted pistachios (out of the shell)

Mix all these ingredients together. You'll see little flecks of red from the peppers and white from the cheese. Taste. Add adobo sauce in 1 tsp. increments and stir. Taste each time to reach the heat that you want. A little sauce is essential because it spreads more flavor than the peppers on their own. But heat increases with each spoonful, so go slow.

You can buy Chipotle peppers at Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia, Tere's Latin Market in Ellicott City, or at the H-Mart in Catonsville. You can also find them in some supermarkets.

Delicious: Grains at the Organic Markets

If you want to cook grains, start with plastic containers, then go to a crunchy supermarket.

Oats, bulgar, brown rice, couscous, etc. are delicious if you can find them and if you can keep them organized. I always ended up with a tangle of plastic bags and half-empty boxes. Until I bought tall containers, I never knew what I had, and I was never inspired to use them. I bought Decor Tellfresh containers, and they're great because you can jam more tall, thin containers on a pantry shelf. But buy anything that seals. The Container Store is expensive.

Grains are cheap. They're fun to try. They're super-nutritious. And you can get a world of beauties at Roots in Clarksville, David's Natural Market near downtown Columbia, or My Organic Market in "Columbia East."

Pick four or five grains to try. Start with two or three cups each to see what you like.

Go back for more of what tickles your fancy. Couscous for a simple side dish. Bulgar for salads. Barley for a

risotto variation. Rolled oats, quinoa and millet for breakfast cereal, then later for inspirations like "quinoa and carmelized onions." Wild rice for an exotic touch.

Borrow How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman from the library. He has descriptions and basic directions for two dozen grains. Then, he has 40 pages of recipes. (He also has recipes for lentils, which you should buy in bulk when you're trying the grains.) Or borrow Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass. Her recipes are a little less accessible, but she has a brilliant section where she talks about making large pots of grain, then freezing them for future use.

My whole-grain weekend breakfast -- make several servings because you can store in the fridge and microwave a bowl for 2-3 mornings:

1. Put six cups of water in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer.
2. Set the timer for 40 minutes. Then add one cup of steel-cut oats. (They're different from rolled oats. Trader Joe's sells containers of steel-cut oats in the cereal section.)
3. Cover the pot, but leave a crack so that it doesn't boil over. Stir occasionally throughout the rest of the time.
4. When the timer says 25 minutes, add 1/3 cup of amaranth.
5. When the timer says 20 minutes, add 1/3 cup of millet.
6. When the timer says 15 minutes, add 1/3 cup of quinoa and 1/2 or more cups of raisins or other dried fruit.
7. As the timer runs out, the cereal should be moist without standing water. It should be soft, but still have a little "bite to it. You can add a little water if it dries out or stick to the pot. You can cook it a few minutes more.
8. When the cereal is done, add honey or brown sugar to your taste.
   

Try that once, then adapt to what you like. Use the grains in the mix that you like. Add wheat germ at the end if you want. Add fresh fruit like bananas or apples -- either early if you want them to disintegrate or late if you want a crunch. I'll eat this without sweeteners. Mrs. HowChow would consider that a punishment, not a treat.

You can borrow How To Cook Everything Vegetarian or Whole Grains Every Day from the Howard County library. Or you can buy either book on Amazon through these links (which means Amazon would pay me a referral fee):

My Organic Market (Columbia East)
7351 Assateague Dr. #190
Jessup, MD 20794
410-799-2175
www.myorganicmarket.com

NEAR: It's on Rte 175 just east of I-95. There is a large shopping center on the right just after you cross Rte 1. Look for the Starbucks. MoM is in that shopping center. It's a bit tricky to return home. You have to exit east-bound on Rte 175 and U-turn at the next light.

David's Natural Market

5430 Lynx Lane

Columbia, MD 21044

410-730-2304

www.davidsnaturalmarket.com

NEAR: It's in the Wilde Lake shopping center near the Columbia Mall. The shopping center is on Twin Rivers Road. Turn in at the light with a KFC. David's is on the right in a building separate from the main village center. David's has a main store with dairy and packaged goods, then a separate produce store down the row.

Roots Market
5805 Clarksville Square Drive
Clarksville, MD 21029
443-535-9321
www.rootsmkt.com

NEAR: It's on Rte 108 just north of Rte 32. The Clarksville Square shopping center is on the west side filled with "crunchy" businesses owned by the same people -- a restaurant, a pet supply shop, a decorating place. Look for the Jiffy Lube on Rte 108.

Delicious: Biscuits at Victoria Gastropub

The biscuits are so good that you may try to steal your friend's.

Victoria Gastropub markets itself as an upscale place for unusual beers and pub-style food. But the gratis basket of biscuits and butter stand out as far as any of the flashy food.

Baked on premise, our waiters have said. They're fresh with delicious crumb, more like a cake than layered biscuits. Plus, they're small enough that slathering them with butter doesn't feel excessive. Eat up before someone at your table tries to take yours.


(Update: I posted again about Columbia's Victoria Gastro Pub in 2010.)