#76, #18 and #89: Memorial Day Weekend Edition

#76. Polish dog with "the works" at Polock Johnny's

#18. Have a Black Eyed Susan at the Preakness.

#89. Have Old Bay on things other than seafood. For instance, corn on the cob, potato salad, coleslaw.

I’ve always been a fan of multitasking.

       I spent this beautiful Memorial Day weekend, after weeks of dreary rain, at my family’s home on the Wye River on the eastern shore to enjoy the waterfront, the sunshine, my family, my boyfriend and my cousin Alex’s graduation party.

The weekend started off with some frozen Black Eyed Susans, the official drink of Preakness. I worked all Preakness weekend so this was my first chance to sample the famous cocktail. The cookout included famous Polock Johnny’s grilled polish sausages and sweet, local corn on the cob dusted with Old Bay. What a Baltimore kind of menu for a cookout on the shore.

First, let’s explore the Eastern Shore as a part of Maryland and its relationship to Baltimore. The Eastern shore consists of 9 of Maryland’s 23 total counties: Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. These counties all border the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, which splits Maryland almost entirely down its center, and the Susquehanna River forms the Delaware border to the East. Although 9 counties is 40% of Maryland’s total counties, the Eastern Shore is only home to about 8% of Maryland’s total population. Pre-civil war, most of Baltimore’s agriculture came from the Eastern shore (as well as seafood and livestock). Tomatoes, watermelons, potatoes and corn were shipped on barges from the Eastern Shore to places such as Baltimore’s Long Dock on Pratt Street before the advent of motor shipping and transportation. The Eastern Shore is also one of the prime locations for Maryland vacationers. Ocean City, MD is a popular resort for those in the tri-state (MD, PA, DE) area and “Senior Week” is a local right-of-passage for graduating seniors in Baltimore. Our family’s home rests on the shores of the Wye River in Queen Anne’s county, named after the River Wye in Wales. We use it as an escape from the city; weekends are spent crabbing and fishing off the pier, swimming in the pool, playing wiffleball on the front lawn and generally enjoying the sunshine and outdoors in one of the most beautiful locations in Maryland. Cookouts are generally just an excuse to enjoy libations and delicious local foods, which brings me to…

The Black Eyed Susan cocktail is Preakness’ answer to the Kentucky Derby’s Mint Julep.

       For the past 135 years, the Preakness has been the second leg of the Triple Crown. Horse racing has always been a part of Maryland history, with letters from George Washington referencing horse races outside of Annapolis, but the Preakness has become a sort of spring rite-of-passage for Baltimore. The (usually) sunny weather, bunches of black eyed susans, large crowds and race coverage signal the arrival of summer in Charm City. The Black Eyed Susan cocktail is named after the state flower of Maryland and references the flowers traditionally draped around the winning thoroughbred’s neck. The recipe for a Black Eyed Susan varies from person to person, making the drink as dynamic and personal as any experience in Baltimore. I made my drinks (based upon the recipe on the bottom of this post) Friday evening, threw them in the freezer, and enjoyed the next afternoon poolside watching lacrosse; nontraditional? Yes. Delicious? Definitely.

Next? The official spice of Baltimore.

So what is Old Bay anyway and what makes it so Baltimore? Old Bay seasoning, originally called Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning, borrowed its current (and more successful moniker) Old Bay from the Steamship Old Bay Line that cruised the Chesapeake. True to form, Old Bay was invented by one of Baltimore’s many immigrants. In the 1940s, the German Gustav Brunn at a time where crabs were so plentiful, they were free. Spices were added to steamed crabs to encourage drink consumption and purchase at restaurants, as well as increase the popularity of the Blue Crab. Old Bay, although purchased by McCormick and Schmick in 1990, is still purchased in the traditional yellow and red container (a salute to the Maryland Flag perhaps?) and still follows the traditional recipe, including  mustard, paprika, celery seed, bay leaf, both black and red pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, salt, mace and ginger. Invented in Baltimore, the spice is regionally popular, especially on crabs and shrimp. If you’re from Baltimore, however, you have a can of Old Bay in your spice cabinet and use it on much, much more than seafood. Popcorn, potato chips, eggs, chicken, marinades, corn on the cob… my personal favorites are corn and the unusual canned tuna. This weekend, as a true Baltimore resident, I put Old Bay straight on my ear of corn and in a can of tuna and a tomato slice to be eaten on toasted white bread. Deer have salt-licks and Baltimoreans have Old Bay. It’s just our nature.

And what’s a Polock Johnny?

The original owner of Polock Johnny’s was a Polish immigrant to Baltimore. Originally a carnival worker and then an arcade owner, legend says Johnny Kafka was inspired to sell polish sausages after arcade patrons offered to buy his lunch.  The first Polock Johnny’s was opened on Baltimore Street. The business flourished into the 1960’s, when the second John Kafka invented the famous “Works Sauce” (made of tomatoes, vinegar, corn syrup, cucumbers, onions, green bell peppers, celery, spices, salt and onion powder) and opened the second location in Lexington Market. In the 1970’s, Baltimore and Polock Johnny’s were thrown into the spotlight when National Geographic featured the famous Polock Johnny’s Sausage Eating Contest. Demand for the sausages grew so large that a third location was opened on Howard Street downtown. Only three locations still exist today, on Washington Boulevard in southwest Baltimore, in Lexington Market and on Security Boulevard.  Polock Johnny’s are still well known in Baltimore and sold uncooked as well as in the restaurants.

                                      

                                      

All in all, cookouts are as American as apple pie; but when a cookout has Polock Johnny’s, Old Bay and Black Eyed Susans on hand, well, that’s as Baltimore as crabs and Natty Boh, hon.

 References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Maryland

http://cruiselinehistory.com/?p=3208

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wye_River_(Maryland)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Shore_of_Maryland

http://baltimore.about.com/od/prorecsports/a/Preakness.htm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/04/AR2006050401839.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preakness_Stakes

http://www.oldbay.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bay_Seasoning

http://www.polockjohnnys.com/default.aspx

Recipes:

Black Eyed Susan:


1 1/4 cup vodka
1 1/4 cup light rum
3/4 cup triple sec
Juice from one lime
4 cups orange juice
4 cups pineapple juice
Lime slices or maraschino cherries (optional)


Chill all ingredients. Combine and serve over crushed or chipped ice in tall glasses. Garnish wish a slice of lime and a maraschino cherry.

#77. Italian cold cut sub at Pastore's in Towson

...I have found God in between two slices of Italian bread.

     This morning, while eating some of the nastiest scrambled eggs I have ever had (at a certain alumna breakfast) at 8 am, I thought to myself, “…man, I would really love an Italian cold cut.” My brain does funny things to me that early. So I whipped out my handy-dandy blog list and scanned it. Bingo. Pastore’s Italian Delly in Towson.

      Pastore’s has a really interesting history in Baltimore as a family legacy. Vincent Garofalo, a sculptor, immigrated to America and arrived in the Port of Baltimore. Baltimore was one of the nation’s fastest growing cities; the rapid growth of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad not only provided quick transportation to the Midwest, but work opportunities for thousands. Construction of many houses, buildings and roads throughout the city also required a constant source of laborers, found often in the immigrant population which was practically streaming from ships onto the streets of Baltimore. During periods of mass immigration, Baltimore started to transform into the extraordinarily diverse city it is. Immigrant communities sprung up all over the city, such as Greektown (along Eastern Ave. in what is now Dundalk), the Ukrainian neighborhoods in Canton, the Czech neighborhoods in Fells Point, and the Italians who formed “Little Italy” between Fells point and the Inner Harbor. As these immigrant communities grew, so did the desire for a "taste of home;" ethnic groceries and restaurants sprung up all over the city, to the delight of immigrants and non-immigrants alike.

     But back to Vincent Garofalo… Vincent immigrated to Baltimore and noticed the high demand for Italian products, especially food, from individuals and restaurants alike. The Garofalos started up an Italian grocery, selling imported meats, cheeses produce (lemons, olives…), etc. as well as freshly baked Italian breads. Vincent proved himself to be an artist in the kitchen as well as the studio. After Vincent Garofalo established a successful business, he decided to retire and split the business in two and gave half to each of his two daughters and their husbands: one daughter would take charge of the produce business and the other daughter, Mary Pastore, would exclusively sell Italian foods with her husband Frank Pastore. The business kept growing and eventually Frank and Mary would split the business yet again into a wholesaling company, to be taken over by their son Mike, and a retail and deli location to be managed by their son Vince; both businesses are still very successful. In 1979 the business was moved to its current location in Towson. Vince Pastore’s son, Vince, is the current owner. The store still imports authentic Italian food and products and, to my understanding, most of the items available on their extensive menu (seen HERE) are homemade.

     After work, I hitched a ride to the corner of Loch Raven Blvd. and East Joppa Road with my cousin Annie, making another appearance, who had to pick up her brother (and my other cousin) Denny from Calvert Hall. Pastore’s Delly is a small and unassuming storefront barely visible from the intersection. The inside, though, is a spectacular wonderland of imported Italian goods and delicacies, with a huge deli counter in the back. I asked the guy behind the counter what their best sandwich was. He explained to me that their most popular sandwich was “The Gonzo,” the stores version of the well-known Italian cold-cut.

"The Gonzo"

$14.95

Selected Italian cold cuts piled high on a whole loaf of Italian bread with your choice of condiments!

1/2 Gonzo

$7.95

     I was starving, so naturally I told the guy I was all over the Gonzo. He asked if I wanted a ½ Gonzo. I shot him a look that said “…do you want me to smack you?” (everyone knows which one) and sweetly told him no, I’ll take the whole thing. I grabbed two pepper-shooters (a cherry pepper stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella, marinated in spices and olive oil) for good measure and headed home, drooling all the way back. After a four mile run to clear my mind (and my conscience), I dug into the sub. Here is a before and after picture. It's like Jared from subway, only the sub got smaller and I got bigger.

       The sub was a delicious combination of imported, fresh Italian deli meats and cheeses, pepper, lettuce, tomato, mayo, onions, hots, olives, oil and vinegar. The bread was fresh, obviously home-made and, what I consider, a perfect loaf of Italian bread: hard and crusty on the outside, soft, thick and doughy on the inside. When I picked up a piece of the sub to take my first bite, the bread crunched satisfyingly and an oily, olive-y mixture oozed out. Perfect. It was honestly the very best Italian sub I have ever had.

 Pastore’s is an exemplary example of a family business, founded in Baltimore in the heyday of Italian immigration to the city, that still provides the same fantastic and authentic products with the same family business atmosphere. The store displays an obvious pride for its Italian heritage as well as its Baltimore pride and heritage; the article from the Baltimore Sun that my blog list was featured in is actually taped to their wall, a great point of pride for anyone that you talk to in the store. Pastore’s is a gem to the Baltimore cultural scene, because it provides a glimpse back in time with its very existence to a diverse city that craved, and still craves, delicious Italian-American specialties. 

References:

http://www.mdoe.org/immigrationhist.html#

http://www.mdoe.org/immigrationhist.html

http://www.pastoresdelly.com/about/history.php

Recipes:

This is a great and easy recipe for tiramisutiramisu at Pastore's definitely looked delicious and I need to try it out next time.

#88. Have an ice cream that contains vegetables at Dominion Ice Cream.

Bikini season is coming up and working at a pizza parlor doesn’t do wonders for my figure. Needless to say, I’m trying to watch what I eat. And what better way to start my first day of dieting with some veggies… in ice cream.

 

Vegetable ice cream isn’t unique to Baltimore, but the city itself is a bizarre and creative city, much as veggie ice cream is bizarre and certainly creative. And full of bad drivers. Very, very bad drivers. After work I met two of my lovely cousins, Annie and Maggie, on Charles Street right across from Johns Hopkins University. We all have a bit of an ice cream obsession and when I told Maggie about this entry, she jumped on the bandwagon and dragged Annie along with her.

Honestly, Maggie and I were the only people I know who became excited at the prospect of veggie ice cream. Everyone else responded with a grimace and/or a polite “…well, if that’s what YOU like.” Annie (who is also my best friend, who I will also be dragging along on more adventures) was not excited. She screwed up her face every time I mentioned the words “vegetable” and “ice cream” together when we were making plans. I told her, keep an open mind and you’ll eat your words. But even I did not know what to expect, but it’s weird and rare so I was naturally chomping at the bit to get downtown today.

After almost 30 minutes of driving akin to being caught in a stampede of wildebeests, I finally made it to Charles Street. Maggie, a new lawyer (if you ever get in trouble…), was kind enough to spring for my ice cream unasked. There were a lot of veggie flavors (see the website for all of them!) as well as delicious looking, more traditional flavors for the faint of heart. Maggie ordered sweet potato pie, Annie ordered sweet corn and I, never passing up an opportunity for the bizarre, chose beet flavored ice cream. We all dug in and the heavens opened up. I sampled all three flavors as well as a cucumber flavored ice cream and all of them were delicious, creamy and delicately flavored. The sweet potato tasted similar to a creamy sweet potato pie; the sweet corn tasted almost like a creamed corn but lighter and sweeter; the beet was creamy but wasn’t too-sweet and you could definitely taste the beet; the cucumber was very light and refreshing, almost like a sorbet. Not only did these ice creams taste good, they also have all the vitamins, antioxidants and minerals of a serving of vegetables, making even veggie-haters melt (I love puns). I loved everything I tried. Annie and Maggie were also impressed. “Okay, I ate my words,” proclaimed Annie as she finished off her last bite of sweet corn. She ate them pretty fast too, I might add. Har Har Har.

Baltimore is such an eclectic city that I was not surprised to learn that there exists a place like Dominion Ice Cream in one of its many unique neighborhoods. The Charles Street area surrounding the universities in Baltimore (JHU, Loyola U, College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Towson, MICA, The University of Baltimore, etc.) is a young and vibrant part of the city full of unique restaurants, clothing stores, odds and ends. The people moving into this part of Baltimore are young professionals and college students looking to try new things and add some spice to Baltimore. This cultural, social and economic community is the result of this recent population growth and the increasing sizes and reach of the local colleges. As a college student from the boonies, I can tell you right now that a city full of interesting places to be is an overwhelming, but exciting, prospect.

Hopefully I’ll be able to get more veggies in my diet this week when I’m down Charles Street for my sister’s graduation this week….

#21. Have a soft crab sandwich on white bread.

...it’s been a long, rainy, busy week.

Today, though, was the first sunny and summer-y day I have been home for. And what better way to celebrate the beginning of a Maryland summer than crabs.





Blue crabs, scientifically known as Callinectes sapidus (meaning savory, beautiful swimmer), is arguably Maryland’s most famous exported product and culinary delicacy that truly lives up to its name. The blue crab is an aggressive, bottom-feeding crustacean that eats almost anything (including their own species); they are also on the menu for many birds and fish. They are an important part of the food chain and environmental habitat of the Chesapeake Bay region. Blue crabs are also integral to Maryland’s economy: more than one-third of the nation’s blue crabs come from the Chesapeake Bay and they have the highest value of any other product of the Bay at approximately $55 million in 2000.

Crabs are so intertwined with Maryland life and culture (especially on the Eastern Shore, where many of the waterman that harvest the crabs live) that they have become somewhat of a pop-culture icon. No Maryland gift-shop or tourist advertisement can be found without at least one image of a blue crab. When tourists come to the city, they are invariably told to seek out crabs, whether steamed, made into crab cakes or fried as a soft-crab. Fried soft-crab sandwiches are perhaps the rarest of these delicacies, primarily because Spring is the peak season for crabs and because they are what I will say the most adventurous way to eat a blue crab.

As crustaceans, blue crabs molt (or shed their old shells) in favor of new and bigger ones as they grow; blue crabs molt, on average, 18-23 times during a three-year life  span. Blue crabs have three stages in their molting cycle, colloquially known as peeler, busting and soft-shell. In the peeler stage, the new shell forms underneath of the old. Busting is when a crab starts to “slough out” of their smaller, older shell and crawl out of it leaving them in the soft-shell stage where they wait until their shell becomes completely solid once again in a matter of hours. This process most often happens in the spring-time when the water temperature rises enough so the crab population starts to increase in time for the peak-season of summer. Although it is not a proven fact, this process seems to coincide with a full-moon.

Chesapeake blue crabs are not the only molting crab that is able to be eaten, however they are the largest and the meatiest, arguably making them the most appealing. Legend has it that soft-crabs were first popularized as food by watermen in Crisfield, Maryland which is located on the lower Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Archaeological and historic records show, though, that there was a market for soft-shell crabs in Maryland as early as the mid-nineteenth century.

In Maryland, it is traditional to eat a soft-crab fried and between two slices of white bread with tomatoes and mayonnaise. No one really can say how or why this came to be, but I have a hypothesis based on the social and cultural tendencies of the area. Watermen are a simple kind of rural folk, and a blue-collar profession. The best way to prepare a soft-crab is to fry it, to make sure the crab is cooked thoroughly and soft enough to bite through. My guess is that once a soft-crab was caught, it was quickly fried and served in the simplest and most convenient way: in a sandwich. The watermen’s version of the construction man’s bologna sandwich, per se.  My particular sandwich comes from the same origins of the watermen’s sandwich.

My family owns a house on the shores of the beautiful Wye River located in Stevensville, Maryland; a small, rural town just outside of Kent Island.  Every morning in the summer, one will inevitably see watermen dipping crabs off the sides of their boats. My favorite summer activity happens to be tanning on the pier with my own crab traps set, trying to catch a bushel of my own. Soft-crabs are almost like a prize when caught: whoever catches it has it fried and gets to eat it, the envy of all at the dinner table. My dad happened to be down the shore today, cutting grass and making sure the house is ready for a series of graduation parties that will be occurring soon. This morning, he spotted a few watermen pulling up crab traps. "Too early," he thought. "But if they're out there, there must be something." Out of curiosity, he pulled out some crab pots, baited them and threw them in the water. At the end of the day, lo and behold, there were about a dozen crabs in the pot, two soft crabs and ten hard crabs. Before I left for work, he fried one up for me according to his own recipe and I can honestly say I was a happy girl behind the counter this evening.

 No one can say they know the true origin of this particular Maryland delicacy, but one thing is certain: this fried food of lowly origins is one high-class sandwich.

 

References:

http://crabguy.com/crab/history-of-crab-harvesting/

http://www.chesapeakebay.net/blue_crab.htm

http://www.bluecrab.info/fullmoon.htm

http://tonyandjoes.com/blog/?p=158

http://www.marylandseafood.org/facts_and_nutrition/featured_species/crabs/soft_crabs.php

Recipes:

Fried Soft-Crab Sandwich a la Mr. Cromer-

-          Soft crabs, cleaned

-          Bowl full of flour, old bay, black pepper

-          Canola oil

è Dredge moist crabs through flour-mixture until heavily coated. Carefully place the crab into hot canola oil in frying pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, up to 5-6 minutes. Dry on a paper towel, place between two slices of white bread with a slice of beefsteak tomato and mayonnaise to taste.

#57. Wander aisles of exotic produce - lychees! jackfruit! Indian eggplant! - at H Mart or Lotte Plaza in Catonsville...

 #57. Wander aisles of exotic produce - lychees! jackfruit! Indian eggplant! - at H Mart or Lotte Plaza in Catonsville. Eat some yummy bi-bimbap or udon soup at the food court and then pick up a beautiful fresh whole fish for dinner before you head home.

Today, while making a quick trip out to Ellicott City to visit Target, I convinced my sister to go to the Catonsville H-mart and the Hanoori Town food court instead of her much preferred Uno’s. Ok, convinced maybe isn’t the right word. Bribed, threatened and cajoled are all applicable verbs.

H-mart and the plaza it is located in is an Asian hub, seeming to be located quite randomly in the middle of Catonsville on Route 40. However, if one would just take a look at the demographic statistics for Maryland, they would not be so surprised. Maryland has the 7^th largest Asian population in the United States. According to the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities,

"In 2004 there were 274,298 Asian American and Pacific Islanders (APIs) in Maryland, which is 5% of the state’s population. Maryland is tied for 7th among the states in percent of its population that is Asian or Pacific Islander. 93% of Maryland’s Asian or Pacific Islander population lives in the Baltimore Metropolitan or National Capital areas." (here's the link)

The Indochinese Refugee Act of 1975 and the Refugee Act of 1980 were passed and allowed for an explosive growth in Asian immigration to the United States. More than 300,000 Vietnamese and other southeast Asians fled violent political unrest in their home countries. These people settled around the Baltimore-Washington area to find work in a booming economy and settled into areas close to their peers in order to establish close-knit communities similar to the ones they left behind. The H-mart and surrounding plaza has become one of the many epicenters for Asian business and social activities  in the Baltimore area.

H-mart plaza has always fascinated me as that small piece of Asia transplanted into Catonsville. Being #57 on my list, I saw the rain and my lack of anything constructive to do as a perfect excuse to wander the aisles of a strange new grocery store. I had also worked up an extreme hunger waiting on my sister to pick me up (in MY car), so naturally, I was dreaming of steamed pork buns and chocolate Pocky.

What I learned: …forget Pocky …forget steamed buns with labels in English.

After walking through a set of familiar automatic, glass grocery-store doors I was suddenly surrounded by unfamiliar faces, colors, smells, noises and sounds. I felt almost as if I had been teleported to an actual market somewhere in Asia. Women in full burkha determining the firmness of mangoes, an older Korean couple arguing about what appeared to be fish, strange cuts of meat and tanks of large fish were all sights I had rarely, if ever, seen at other western-style grocery stores. Suddenly, my sister and I were the minority; two white strangers wandering aisles, being stared at with some curiosity. I went forth boldly, but Maureen hung back with some trepidation. Getting her to pick out something unfamiliar to buy was like pulling teeth. Finally, after talking her into some lychee, Chinese red plums, Asian pears (carefully wrapped in tissue paper), red bean steamed buns (or at least that’s what I hoped they were) and some ginger candy, we left the grocery store. I vow to go back with some Asian recipes and come out with a full grocery cart and a fresh WHOLE fish.

Hungry for more (ha ha ha), I dragged Maureen next-door to the Korean-Japanese food court-style restaurant, Hanoori Town. This was the real challenge of the day. Almost NOTHING was in English. Back lit, picture menus commonly found in familiar, Americanized Chinese restaurants were not common to us at all; the foods had strange names and, for the most part, unidentifiable ingredients. If you know me, you know I was thrilled and up to the challenge of ordering a random number off the menu. If you know Maureen, you know she was pissed and somewhat confused as to why I had dragged her somewhere like this place.

After several minutes of trying to determine what we would eat, we compromised. Walking up to the counter to order a #6 Bokeum Bap (something that resembled a wok-fried vegetable rice dish, “WITH BEEF, TELL HER WITH BEEF,” Maureen insisted) I soon discovered that not only were many of the signs not in English, very few of those in the food court spoke English. The older Korean woman at the counter looked at me strangely and signaled that it would be a little over $8. I was confident in ordering and taking in the scents and smells, but Maureen sat at a table against the wall. “I feel a little intimidated,” she said. I was surprised. My normally confident, loud sister is nothing like me when it comes to being adventurous with food, but I had no idea that her comfort zone was also restricted to comfortable locales. It seemed as if culture shock had gotten to the indefatigable Mo. I tried to get her to loosen up by googling foods that she thought looked good and soon she was actually excited about the new dishes and talking about coming back.

After about 15 minutes, the lady at the counter waved me back up and handed me a bag, its contents a large box and 4 small Styrofoam containers filled with traditional Korean side-dishes: chunjang (black bean paste, very salty and savory), danmooji (pickled radish, preferably served with rice-wine vinegar for a salty and sweet beet-like bite), kimchee (spicy, fermented cabbage that is somewhat crunchy and was served cold) and some strange soup that tasted slightly of mushrooms with scallions floating in it. The scent was incredible. The mix of spices was like nothing i had ever smelled and the beef and fruit mingled together in a fruity, meaty way that cannot be done any justice by words (actually, typing those words together actually sounds kind of disguting, but I promise it was delicious.

We returned home, heated up pork buns, sliced some fruit and sat down to eat. As soon as we sat down, Maureen dove for the familiar fried rice, turning down the more exotic foods she seemed excited about just minutes before. An hour or two later, I caught her eating Chick-fil-A. Back to the westernized grind. I on the other hand, tried everything and “아주 맛있었어요” [a-ju ma-si-sseo-sseo-yo] =  It was delicious.

Recipes:

For Bokeum Bop (Korean fried rice)

Terms:

Culture shock: difficulty experienced when confronting a culture different than one’s own

References:

http://www.udel.edu/soe/deal/mdasianhistory.htm

http://www.dhmh.state.md.us/hd/pdf/AsianData.pdf

#6. Put marshmallow on your snowball.

.......My first snowball of the summer. Life is, quite literally, sweet.

While flipping between the men’s NCAA lacrosse playoffs and the O’s game (a very Baltimore-esque spring activity) the mood struck me for an egg-custard snowball with marshmallow. Even though all Baltimore residents perceive snowballs to be a well-known, universally enjoyed summer treat, rarely are  snowballs found (or even heard of) outside the tri-state area. This is because what we now know as a snowball around these parts actually may have originated in Baltimore.

In actuality, snowballs have been around for centuries. Back in ancient roman times, the wealthy would send servants to retrieve snow from the tops of local mountains. The snow was brought back and flavored with honey and fruit syrups to become the world’s first snowballs. Shaved and flavored ices eventually went out of style until the 1850’s, when they made a comeback in a huge way. During the Industrial Revolution in America, ice houses sprung up in north-eastern states like New York. These ice houses shipped ice to much warmer southern states, such as Florida. A large block of ice was placed in a wagon and sent southward, straight through Baltimore city, Maryland. Children in Baltimore would collect small chunks or scrapings of ice, which they brought back to their mothers who would crush and flavor them with home-made flavorings. Egg-custard was a popular flavoring and easy to make, only consisting of eggs, vanilla and sugar; this mixture could be whipped up quickly in anticipation of even quicker melting ice.

Later in the century, when inventions such as the automobile made ice even more readily available, theaters in Baltimore began selling snowballs during the summer months. Once again, the snowball had become trendy amongst the upper class (they would have been featured in Vogue, had it existed, as the new “hot” summer trend). Hand shavers were used to grind up ice and more flavorings were available than just quick kitchen-made confections. However, hand-shavers were quickly becoming outdated. In the 1870’s, six different patents were filed for electric ice-shavers and the snowball revolution began.

              The Great Depression and World War II, as well as the increasing availability of electricity, would be the catalyst for snowballs becoming a commonly available and beloved Baltimore treat. Because ice had become so cheap and flavorings (such as the ever popular egg-custard) so easily made and inexpensive, snowballs went from being a hoity-toity theater confection to being one of the only treats folks could afford. In the summer, people who had fallen on hard times would sell snowballs on the street, topped with the also inexpensive marshmallow for rock-bottom prices. This earned the marshmallow topped snowball the moniker “The Hard-Times Sundae” or the “Penny Sundae.”

             Journalist Michelle Grainow quotes an 80 year old Grace Phillips who reminisces about summer-life in East Baltimore in the 1920s: “We went to a place at Washington Street and Clifton Park, where the man sold snowballs for two and five cents out of a little store. The nickel cup was made with syrup he made himself, with real pieces of fruit, that he ladled out of big bowls—that came with marshmallow. The two-cents one was just the regular flavor out of bottles, and that was the one we had to get because we were kids without any money—if you had a nickel you were lucky. We’d come out of swimming at the park, and you’d have to stand in line for half an hour or so to get your snowball, and they had three or four men working behind the counter.” [read Michelle's whole article here]

Snowballs stayed popular when the economy bounced back during World War II; all available ice-cream was shipped to the troops fighting a hard war overseas.

              Sure, flavored ice-confections are available in other places throughout the country and the world. For instance, the “snow cone,” which is a hard-packed flavored ice frozen in the shape of a cone is popular all over the country but especially the Midwest. In the south, especially New Orleans, they have “snowballs,” however I place the word in italics because this so-called snowball is a much more syrupy flavoring poured over finely shaved ice of a more flat and less crunchy texture (probably much more similar to the honey-flavored snow of ancient Rome). Italian ices and Slurpees are also quite popular, but very different from the simple crushed and flavored Baltimore favorite. In fact, one of the largest snowball supply distributors, Koldkiss, is Baltimore based.

             All in all, flavored ice is a historically popular summer snack all over the world. The Baltimore snowball, however, is a unique product of the socioeconomic environment and geographical location of the city, coming together by fate to produce this delicious treat. The vibrant orange, marshmallow topped, crunchy egg-custard snowball is more Baltimore than “hons” some would say, and definitely the best snowball in the world. Not to sound ethnocentric or anything :] I would recommend either the Polar Shack in Arbutus, MD or Opie's in Catonsville MD for the best Baltimore-style snowballs around.

Come back later this week!

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowball_(dessert)

http://www2.citypaper.com/bob/story.asp?id=8153

Terms:

Ethnocentric: having an attitude that one’s group or culture is better than others

...and so it begins.

Well to start this off let me introduce myself.

My name is Caitlin and I am a senior in college majoring in Anthropology and Sociology. I love culture and society; both observing and analyzing each, understanding more and more about human social life as I continue my educational journey (which will most likely be a very, very long journey). I am a complete nerd for culture. My friends chide me constantly for people-watching when I should be participating, I am addicted to the NatGeo, Travel and History channels and I will read any ethnography I can get my little paws on.

In fact, the only thing I probably love more than culture is food. But this works out for me because I believe food is one of the most important products and displays of culture that there is. Food is a product of the someones background, history, social position, religion, etc. etc. etc. What food all boils down to (excuse the pun) is who made it, what it's made of, where you're eating it, who you're eating it with and when you eat it. I aspire to be Anthony Bourdain and travel the world experiencing a plethora of different cultures and tasting all of their unique, delicious food products.

All this being said, I am choosing to spend my summer emulating the methods of my hero (Mr. Bourdain) by travelling all over the lovely city of Baltimore, my home town, experiencing all the endless combinations of cultures and the delicious delicacies Charm City has to offer. I have a list (found on the BaltimoreSun.com) of "100 Things a Baltimore Foodie Must Try" [here's the article]. I plan on experiencing everything on the list and making each experience a "mini" ethnographic study to post on this blog. Along the way I will use informants, interview folks, use historical/social analysis and statistical data, post small surveys on my Facebook and, most importantly, be a participant observer (i.e. Eat. A lot. As well as participate in multiple cultural activities associated with said foods).

Lastly, Baltimore is a beautiful and eclectic city full of history that has a complex socioeconomic structure and a multitude of cultural influences. All of these aspects influence food and culture in the city.

Each blog entry will be about a separate food experience, relating to the history, culture and social structure of the city. I will post recipes, fun facts and anthropological terms (italicized) so my readers can learn a little ANTH101.

Check back for my first entry, COMING SOON! Ta ta for now :]

TERMS: (found on the interwebz)

Anthropology: the study of humankind across space and time

Sociology: the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society

culture: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

society: a part of a community that is a unit distinguishable by particular aims or standards of living or conduct; a social circle or a group of social circles having a clearly marked identity

ethnography: a scientific research strategy employed primarily by social scientists to collect data used to describe the nature of those who are studied through writing

informants: a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency

participant observer: a person who simultaneously participates in group activities and observes the group process at the same time